Hillary Clinton’s VP shortlist has leaked. Here are the pros and cons of each.
And I am inclined to agree with this: Hillary Clinton needs a boring running mate
Trump's Not Doing Poorly; He's Not Even Running
This would explain so much: Is Donald Trump’s Endgame the Launch of Trump News?
This look at the El Chapo extradition fight is fascinating.
Non-alcoholic wine for cats? WHY.
Interesting theory: How the heck did ‘Aquarius’ get renewed?
I am similarly ambivalent about Ulysses.
Heh: We Know Toaster Pastries Are Bad for Us. Why Do We Eat Them Anyway?
Ooh, a sleep calculator.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Morning Coffee (6/18/16)
Ugh, New Hampshire: N.H. car dealership offers, ‘Buy a car, get an AR’
Bernie Sanders Officially Announces He Will Run for President Forever
This this this: "But a lot of Sanders’s rhetoric seems to simply erase these battles, as if the whole party were just sitting on its hands until Bernie and his political revolution came to town."
Sanders loses convention leverage
Important and heartbreaking: Interview With a Woman Who Recently Had an Abortion at 32 Weeks
This is fascinating: Fighting ISIS With an Algorithm, Physicists Try to Predict Attacks
A Brief History of Tweets Worse than Femme_Esq’s Trash Tweet
I recommend this BBC radio documentary on identifying bones in Latin America.
We don't have Drybar here and I leave my hair curly 99.9% of the time but this story made me desperately want to try Drybar.
The Snowy Graveyards Where Soviet Subs and Planes Go to Die
Bernie Sanders Officially Announces He Will Run for President Forever
This this this: "But a lot of Sanders’s rhetoric seems to simply erase these battles, as if the whole party were just sitting on its hands until Bernie and his political revolution came to town."
Sanders loses convention leverage
Important and heartbreaking: Interview With a Woman Who Recently Had an Abortion at 32 Weeks
This is fascinating: Fighting ISIS With an Algorithm, Physicists Try to Predict Attacks
A Brief History of Tweets Worse than Femme_Esq’s Trash Tweet
I recommend this BBC radio documentary on identifying bones in Latin America.
We don't have Drybar here and I leave my hair curly 99.9% of the time but this story made me desperately want to try Drybar.
The Snowy Graveyards Where Soviet Subs and Planes Go to Die
Friday, June 17, 2016
Morning Coffee (6/17/16)
Boy, it's been A WEEK. How about some happy Friday links?
Me elsewhere: We've got a new episode of podcast The Fourth Wall; this time I'm asking Holly about ATX Festival!
Michelle Obama’s Kick-Ass Lady Crew Celebrates ‘The United State Of Women’
How the Cast of Hamilton Made Philanthropy Their Mission
!!!!! Canada launches revolutionary Star Trek coin-based economy
This is amazing: Legoland Threw Queen Elizabeth a Birthday Party Entirely Out of LEGO
Related: Prince George and Princess Charlotte came out for Trooping the Colour and THEY ARE ADORABLE.
The Strange Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe’s Hair
What Queen Elizabeth’s 90 Years of Royal Portraits Tell Us About the Monarch (I misread this as "about the monarchy" and it's interesting from that perspective too, as far as the ways the presentation and perception of the monarchy has evolved.)
"What Milton lacks, unlike Shakespeare, is fans."
IT ME: how to enjoy a fun summer party when you hate fun and you absolutely loathe going outside.
Perfect: Every Modernist Novel Ever
Me elsewhere: We've got a new episode of podcast The Fourth Wall; this time I'm asking Holly about ATX Festival!
Michelle Obama’s Kick-Ass Lady Crew Celebrates ‘The United State Of Women’
How the Cast of Hamilton Made Philanthropy Their Mission
!!!!! Canada launches revolutionary Star Trek coin-based economy
This is amazing: Legoland Threw Queen Elizabeth a Birthday Party Entirely Out of LEGO
Related: Prince George and Princess Charlotte came out for Trooping the Colour and THEY ARE ADORABLE.
The Strange Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe’s Hair
What Queen Elizabeth’s 90 Years of Royal Portraits Tell Us About the Monarch (I misread this as "about the monarchy" and it's interesting from that perspective too, as far as the ways the presentation and perception of the monarchy has evolved.)
"What Milton lacks, unlike Shakespeare, is fans."
IT ME: how to enjoy a fun summer party when you hate fun and you absolutely loathe going outside.
Perfect: Every Modernist Novel Ever
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Morning Coffee (6/16/16)
ICYMI: I updated my Emmy nomination explainer.
As a Connecticut native, I'm very proud of Sen. Chris Murphy's filibuster. Obviously much more work is needed, but this was the first glimmer of hope in quite a while that people might be taking gun control seriously.
WHAT: "Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn on Tuesday went a step further than McConnell, telling POLITICO he will no longer talk about Trump until after Nov. 8."
Among the many reasons we should not just write off Gawker: This Looks Like the DNC's Hacked Trump Oppo File
Good for him: Prince William Becomes the First Royal to Pose for a Gay-Magazine Cover
INCREDIBLE lineup: Broadway Stars Join to Record "What the World Needs Now Is Love" as Orlando Charity Single
!!! Bradley Whitford, Courtney B. Vance Board TNT Drama Pilot 'Civil' (And Toby Jones and Brian D'Arcy James! In a political show! Amazing.)
Ooh, Walgreens terminated its deal with Theranos. I hope some sort of juicy tell-all comes out of this whole thing.
Huh: Does Rodarte actually exist? The vaporous business plan of a fashion industry darling.
Fascinating and relevant: Citizen Khan
Oh well: Sunken Lost City? Not Really
As a Connecticut native, I'm very proud of Sen. Chris Murphy's filibuster. Obviously much more work is needed, but this was the first glimmer of hope in quite a while that people might be taking gun control seriously.
WHAT: "Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn on Tuesday went a step further than McConnell, telling POLITICO he will no longer talk about Trump until after Nov. 8."
Among the many reasons we should not just write off Gawker: This Looks Like the DNC's Hacked Trump Oppo File
Good for him: Prince William Becomes the First Royal to Pose for a Gay-Magazine Cover
INCREDIBLE lineup: Broadway Stars Join to Record "What the World Needs Now Is Love" as Orlando Charity Single
!!! Bradley Whitford, Courtney B. Vance Board TNT Drama Pilot 'Civil' (And Toby Jones and Brian D'Arcy James! In a political show! Amazing.)
Ooh, Walgreens terminated its deal with Theranos. I hope some sort of juicy tell-all comes out of this whole thing.
Huh: Does Rodarte actually exist? The vaporous business plan of a fashion industry darling.
Fascinating and relevant: Citizen Khan
Oh well: Sunken Lost City? Not Really
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
How the Emmys Work (Annual Repost)
It's that time again! This is copied/pasted from previous years; I updated dates and links but not all the examples. It's possible some rules mentioned have changed slightly, but I think you'll get the idea.
The Emmy Awards nominating ballots were published recently, and there's been a lot of buzz and excitement among some fan communities about people and shows "getting on the ballot." I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but since I'm No Fun At All and feel compelled to address People Being Wrong on the Internet, I will try to insert some sanity, or at least some facts, into the discussion. (Please note: I'm not an expert, and if I've gotten anything wrong, please tell me!)
What's a nominating ballot?
A nominating ballot is a list of all the people/shows/etc. who can be nominated in a category. They have not already been nominated.
How do you get on it?
You enter yourself, basically. I believe that as long as you pay the entry fee and meet the eligibility requirements (basically that you're on the right type of show for the category, and it aired in the right time frame in primetime on a station that's available in 50% of markets in the US), you get on the ballot. There's a caveat that they can consider entries on an individual basis if necessary, but this is not a selective thing. Being on the ballot does not mean that anyone but you/your publicist/your show/your network thinks you deserve an award.
How do we know it's not selective?
Did you SEE how many times The Cape appears on these ballots? [Note: I should update this reference but it makes me giggle every time.]
So Bradley Whitford/Ian Somerhalder/other actor I love being on the ballot doesn't mean he got nominated or won something?
Sorry, no.
So how DO you get nominated?
Members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences get the ballots and vote on who should be nominated. Each member can vote for a certain number of entries within each category (usually five or six). All members can vote in the Best Program categories, and the other categories are voted on by their respective peer groups.
When do we find out who's actually nominated?
July 14.
And then what?
Then the Academy members vote again, among those nominations.
And the actual awards are given out . . .
September 18, right in time for all the presenters to plug their new fall shows.
Wait, what controls whether someone is on the ballot as a lead actor or supporting actor or guest actor?
The entrant chooses one of these three categories themselves. (I say "themselves," but the show/network/studio has some influence in this decision.) However, "guest" entrants must appear in fewer than 50% of episodes that aired within the availability period. So, for example, Rob Lowe entered as a lead actor for Parks and Rec, but Ian Somerhalder entered as a supporting actor for The Vampire Diaries. [Ah, how things change. This year Somerhalder entered as lead, of course.]
Who would YOU nominate?
Do you really want to know? There's nothing I love more than picking things from ridiculously long lists and being opinionated, so if there's interest I will construct my dream ballot.
I hope that cleared things up a bit. Questions? Anything I missed? Hit the comments!
The Emmy Awards nominating ballots were published recently, and there's been a lot of buzz and excitement among some fan communities about people and shows "getting on the ballot." I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but since I'm No Fun At All and feel compelled to address People Being Wrong on the Internet, I will try to insert some sanity, or at least some facts, into the discussion. (Please note: I'm not an expert, and if I've gotten anything wrong, please tell me!)
What's a nominating ballot?
A nominating ballot is a list of all the people/shows/etc. who can be nominated in a category. They have not already been nominated.
How do you get on it?
You enter yourself, basically. I believe that as long as you pay the entry fee and meet the eligibility requirements (basically that you're on the right type of show for the category, and it aired in the right time frame in primetime on a station that's available in 50% of markets in the US), you get on the ballot. There's a caveat that they can consider entries on an individual basis if necessary, but this is not a selective thing. Being on the ballot does not mean that anyone but you/your publicist/your show/your network thinks you deserve an award.
How do we know it's not selective?
Did you SEE how many times The Cape appears on these ballots? [Note: I should update this reference but it makes me giggle every time.]
So Bradley Whitford/Ian Somerhalder/other actor I love being on the ballot doesn't mean he got nominated or won something?
Sorry, no.
So how DO you get nominated?
Members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences get the ballots and vote on who should be nominated. Each member can vote for a certain number of entries within each category (usually five or six). All members can vote in the Best Program categories, and the other categories are voted on by their respective peer groups.
When do we find out who's actually nominated?
July 14.
And then what?
Then the Academy members vote again, among those nominations.
And the actual awards are given out . . .
September 18, right in time for all the presenters to plug their new fall shows.
Wait, what controls whether someone is on the ballot as a lead actor or supporting actor or guest actor?
The entrant chooses one of these three categories themselves. (I say "themselves," but the show/network/studio has some influence in this decision.) However, "guest" entrants must appear in fewer than 50% of episodes that aired within the availability period. So, for example, Rob Lowe entered as a lead actor for Parks and Rec, but Ian Somerhalder entered as a supporting actor for The Vampire Diaries. [Ah, how things change. This year Somerhalder entered as lead, of course.]
Who would YOU nominate?
Do you really want to know? There's nothing I love more than picking things from ridiculously long lists and being opinionated, so if there's interest I will construct my dream ballot.
I hope that cleared things up a bit. Questions? Anything I missed? Hit the comments!
Morning Coffee (6/15/16)
Me elsewhere: New Secret Garden movie?!?!
I'm enjoying the Post going all in: Donald Trump’s assault on our values
Oh: Gingrich: Let's Create New Version Of House Un-American Activities Committee
Russian government hackers penetrated DNC, stole opposition research on Trump
The case for, and the case against, Elizabeth Warren as Clinton’s VP pick (I find the "against" more convincing, but obviously I will support the ticket either way.)
Gawker Was a Great Place to Become a Journalist
Brilliant: A New Magazine Called 'It Ran' Will Run Any Ad You Make, So It's Eligible for Awards
Search Is On for King Henry I, Who May Be Buried Under a Parking Lot I'm starting to wonder exactly what percentage of England is covered in parking lots.
Shonda Rhimes shushing Art Garfunkel at Hamilton is my new favorite celebrity anecdote, and also kind of sounds like the product of Mad Libs.
Finally, TV Gets a Few Difficult Women
HOW HORRIFYING
I'm enjoying the Post going all in: Donald Trump’s assault on our values
Oh: Gingrich: Let's Create New Version Of House Un-American Activities Committee
Russian government hackers penetrated DNC, stole opposition research on Trump
The case for, and the case against, Elizabeth Warren as Clinton’s VP pick (I find the "against" more convincing, but obviously I will support the ticket either way.)
Gawker Was a Great Place to Become a Journalist
Brilliant: A New Magazine Called 'It Ran' Will Run Any Ad You Make, So It's Eligible for Awards
Search Is On for King Henry I, Who May Be Buried Under a Parking Lot I'm starting to wonder exactly what percentage of England is covered in parking lots.
Shonda Rhimes shushing Art Garfunkel at Hamilton is my new favorite celebrity anecdote, and also kind of sounds like the product of Mad Libs.
Finally, TV Gets a Few Difficult Women
HOW HORRIFYING
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Morning Coffee (6/14/16)
Yesterday Donald Trump revoked the Washington Post's press credentials. Here's the statement in response from editor Marty Baron.
Good for her: Clinton renews call for gun control in wake of Orlando attack
"It’s quite another for white Democrats to not appreciate how liberal minorities feel about the possibility of a Trump presidency and what that would say about the state of racial progress in America. It would be a slap in the face, the latest sign that a kind of white privilege—throwing a temper tantrum because they don’t get their way despite how much it hurts people of color—is deeply rooted within liberal, Democratic ranks as well."
An uproar about Turgenev translations in advertising!
The Tonys commercial breaks sounded more entertaining than the Tonys themselves. To wit, here's Sean Hayes and Jake Gyllenhaal singing "A Whole New World."
This is great, from Lizzie Skurnick: How I Chose a Sperm Donor
Ooh, interesting: The Watergate Hotel’s Renovation Isn’t Afraid to Embrace Its Scandalous Past
Profile of Ask a Manager! (If you're not reading Ask a Manager, you should be.)
“A’ghailleann”: On Language-Learning and the Decolonisation of the Mind
Bone Relic From Becket, Murdered Archbishop, to Return to Scene of the Crime
Good for her: Clinton renews call for gun control in wake of Orlando attack
"It’s quite another for white Democrats to not appreciate how liberal minorities feel about the possibility of a Trump presidency and what that would say about the state of racial progress in America. It would be a slap in the face, the latest sign that a kind of white privilege—throwing a temper tantrum because they don’t get their way despite how much it hurts people of color—is deeply rooted within liberal, Democratic ranks as well."
An uproar about Turgenev translations in advertising!
The Tonys commercial breaks sounded more entertaining than the Tonys themselves. To wit, here's Sean Hayes and Jake Gyllenhaal singing "A Whole New World."
This is great, from Lizzie Skurnick: How I Chose a Sperm Donor
Ooh, interesting: The Watergate Hotel’s Renovation Isn’t Afraid to Embrace Its Scandalous Past
Profile of Ask a Manager! (If you're not reading Ask a Manager, you should be.)
“A’ghailleann”: On Language-Learning and the Decolonisation of the Mind
Bone Relic From Becket, Murdered Archbishop, to Return to Scene of the Crime
Monday, June 13, 2016
Morning Coffee (6/13/16)
Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.
Donald Trump's Exploitation of Orlando
If you missed the Tonys, make sure you see Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance sonnet.
My first reaction to jurors refusing to serve on the Brock Turner judge's cases was "good for them!" but then a lawyer friend pointed out that those are exactly the people we want to have serving on juries, and that if only people who agree with that judge serve on his cases that will make everything MUCH WORSE.
A musical thriller starring Tom Hardy and Olivia Colman?!?!?! Amazing news.
This headline is funny but the story is actually important and interesting: How Witchcraft Harms Economies
This story is CRAZY: Yoga Twins Blazed Path of Destruction Off Hawaiian Cliff
Brilliant: Nivea Made a Waterslide That Applies Sunscreen to Kids, So Parents Don't Have to Do It
"What is it about romance novels that provokes such scorn? Many have argued that it’s the same features that also make it extraordinarily popular (romance is a billion dollar business, and according to the RWA’s statistics it accounts for 13% of the entire adult fiction market): romance is a genre written by, for, and about women."
I had no idea that the personalized emoji business was such a big thing.
A Shocking Find In a Neanderthal Cave In France
Donald Trump's Exploitation of Orlando
If you missed the Tonys, make sure you see Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance sonnet.
My first reaction to jurors refusing to serve on the Brock Turner judge's cases was "good for them!" but then a lawyer friend pointed out that those are exactly the people we want to have serving on juries, and that if only people who agree with that judge serve on his cases that will make everything MUCH WORSE.
A musical thriller starring Tom Hardy and Olivia Colman?!?!?! Amazing news.
This headline is funny but the story is actually important and interesting: How Witchcraft Harms Economies
This story is CRAZY: Yoga Twins Blazed Path of Destruction Off Hawaiian Cliff
Brilliant: Nivea Made a Waterslide That Applies Sunscreen to Kids, So Parents Don't Have to Do It
"What is it about romance novels that provokes such scorn? Many have argued that it’s the same features that also make it extraordinarily popular (romance is a billion dollar business, and according to the RWA’s statistics it accounts for 13% of the entire adult fiction market): romance is a genre written by, for, and about women."
I had no idea that the personalized emoji business was such a big thing.
A Shocking Find In a Neanderthal Cave In France
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Morning Coffee (6/12/16)
Woke up to terrible news about ANOTHER shooting in Florida, this one at an LGBT nightclub, with mass casualties. I'm still catching up on the details, but here's the Guardian's liveblog.
Two Bossy Dames on Lady Rage is a must-read.
For a bit of good news: The Great British Baking Show is returning to PBS on July 1st. (So it's going to be on Fridays now? Interesting.)
How N.H. Went from Deep Red to Swing State Over the Course of a Few Elections
I'd somehow never read about this Mickey Mouse cartoon that was the last thing the BBC aired before going off the air in WWII and the first thing they aired when they came back.
God, I'd sort of forgotten about the Lizzie Grubman thing.
More realness from The Onion: Elderly Voter Never Thought She’d Get To See Female Presidential Nominee Called Heartless Ice Bitch During Her Lifetime
This look at Beyonce fans is interesting but they don't seem more committed or "obsessive" than fans of lots of other things.
I just like this headline: Searching for Atlantis Really Isn't the Best Career Move
Why Everyone Is Attracted To Baristas (It’s Because Of Late-Stage Capitalism)
Two Bossy Dames on Lady Rage is a must-read.
For a bit of good news: The Great British Baking Show is returning to PBS on July 1st. (So it's going to be on Fridays now? Interesting.)
How N.H. Went from Deep Red to Swing State Over the Course of a Few Elections
I'd somehow never read about this Mickey Mouse cartoon that was the last thing the BBC aired before going off the air in WWII and the first thing they aired when they came back.
God, I'd sort of forgotten about the Lizzie Grubman thing.
More realness from The Onion: Elderly Voter Never Thought She’d Get To See Female Presidential Nominee Called Heartless Ice Bitch During Her Lifetime
This look at Beyonce fans is interesting but they don't seem more committed or "obsessive" than fans of lots of other things.
I just like this headline: Searching for Atlantis Really Isn't the Best Career Move
Why Everyone Is Attracted To Baristas (It’s Because Of Late-Stage Capitalism)
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Morning Coffee (6/11/16)
This is terrible: The Voice' Singer Christina Grimmie Dies After Shooting I hadn't heard of her before now so can claim no personal loss, but this is why we need better gun laws.
Can Donald Trump Wrestle Democracy into Submission?
This comic explains why America needs Planned Parenthood.
Good: National Cathedral Will Remove Confederate Flags From Stained Glass Windows
The Immortal Myths About Online Abuse
The Onion, but TOO REAL, again: ‘I’d Like You To Post Long, Aggressive Rants On Social Media,’ Says Bernie Sanders In Supporter’s Interpretation Of Speech
This piece about the Supreme Court's lunch habits is fun, but this is GREAT: "Justice David H. Souter, who retired in 2009, would subsist on a lunch of 'plain yogurt,' Justice Ginsburg said, with distaste. 'Just plain yogurt.'"
Pop Feminism Doesn’t Mean the End of the Movement
Pocahontas in England
This is a GREAT headline: Ancient 'Mad Libs' Papyri Contain Evil Spells
Can Donald Trump Wrestle Democracy into Submission?
This comic explains why America needs Planned Parenthood.
Good: National Cathedral Will Remove Confederate Flags From Stained Glass Windows
The Immortal Myths About Online Abuse
The Onion, but TOO REAL, again: ‘I’d Like You To Post Long, Aggressive Rants On Social Media,’ Says Bernie Sanders In Supporter’s Interpretation Of Speech
This piece about the Supreme Court's lunch habits is fun, but this is GREAT: "Justice David H. Souter, who retired in 2009, would subsist on a lunch of 'plain yogurt,' Justice Ginsburg said, with distaste. 'Just plain yogurt.'"
Pop Feminism Doesn’t Mean the End of the Movement
Pocahontas in England
This is a GREAT headline: Ancient 'Mad Libs' Papyri Contain Evil Spells
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