Morning Coffee (5/31/16)

This may be the best thing I've read about Trump: The Joke That Ate the GOP

Bernie Sanders didn’t play the inside game, and it both helped and hurt him

Related: Talking with Nevada's top political expert about the rift between Sanders fans and party leaders

This is very useful these days, sadly enough: Travelgate to Furnituregate: a guide to the Clinton scandals of the 90s

How Online Harassment Is Setting The Tone For The 2016 Election

The cool girls, good girls and bad girls of modern books

Sexual harassment in academia is, sadly, not a shocking subject at this point, but when the perpetrator is a famous ethics professor, that's... something.

Middle Eastern Writers Find Refuge in the Dystopian Novel

The people behind Hottest Heads of State have a new site devoted to making fun of New York Times Magazine ads, and now I officially want to be friends with them.

Every Meal Lucy Snowe Almost Eats in Villette

Morning Coffee (5/30/16)

The Nazi Tweets of ‘Trump God Emperor’

The System Isn’t ‘Rigged’ Against Sanders

Trump Attacks Federal Judge in Trump U Case (and calls him Mexican, though he was born in Indiana. Because of course.)

Meanwhile, the libertarians nominated Gary Johnson and... William Weld?!?!

Here's an interesting take on this election from a professional focus group moderator.

How Venezuela’s socialist dream collapsed into a nightmare

I meant to link to these last week, but Todd VanDerWerff always has write-ups of the TV networks' upfront presentations and I look forward to his take every year: NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, the CW.

Lisa Lucas, head of the National Book Foundation, wants you to love reading

This is actually fascinating: Here’s What Happens When An Adult Follows 8 High School Dress Codes

I think this piece about young teens and social media is a little alarmist, but it's interesting anyway.

Morning Coffee (5/29/16)

Do Sanders Supporters Favor His Policies? Meh, not particularly. (And that's the case with virtually all candidates, but in this instance where he's getting power over who writes the platform etc. based on the idea that huge numbers of people support his positions, it's worth thinking and talking about the fact that that really can't be assumed.)

Your guide to President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist

This is long, but if you're interested in how TV works at all, it's essential reading: The Business of Too Much TV

Good for her: Robin Wright Pressed for Equal Pay on House of Cards

Believe it or not, this is COMPLETELY HILARIOUS. Just click. Please. America’s Questions about “Brexit” Answered

Satirical erotica author Chuck Tingle's massive troll of conservative sci-fi fans, explained (Because I've seen a few rumors going around and I'm not sure how serious they were: No, I genuinely have no idea who Tingle is.)

Fascinating: One of Florence’s Oldest Families and Its 600-Year Archive

Will We Ever Know Why Nazi Leader Rudolf Hess Flew to Scotland in the Middle of World War II? (Probably not!)

It's so interesting how our image of desirable produce has changed: Pretty Portraits of the Tiny, Lumpy, Sweet Strawberries of the Early 20th Century

Run. RUN AWAY.

Morning Coffee (5/28/16)

"When you see progressive white men—many of whom enthusiastically supported Barack Obama’s candidacy—hate Clinton with every fiber of their being despite the fact that she’s a carbon copy of Obama’s ideology (or in fact now running slightly to his left), it’s hard to find any other explanation than sexism."

Jerrod Carmichael Might Be the Next Jerry Seinfeld — So Why Was Renewing The Carmichael Show Such a Tough Call for NBC? (Please watch The Carmichael Show. It is great.)

I was just the other day wondering what happened to Salon. Wonder no more.

Huh: Planet Aid's Yellow Clothing Donation Bins Are Part of a Global Cultlike Scam

A great bad review can be a thing of beauty. Here's Todd VanDerWerff on Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Fascinating questions here: Italians Agree Fresco Is a Masterpiece, but All Else Is Up for Debate

All The Dirt On Rona Barrett, Hollywood's Forgotten Gossip Girl

Women's Voluntary Service: 'The army Hitler forgot'

"Indeed, if any instrumentalist was going to be involved in a wild international money-laundering scheme, it was probably going to be a cellist."

And Now, Men Explaining Why They Send Dick Pics CAN THESE QUOTES BE REAL? (I suppose. Unfortunately.)

Morning Coffee (5/27/16)

Happy Friday! As usual, we'll be ignoring current events and going with some lighter stuff today. If you'd like to support the time I spend putting these link posts together (and maybe get some fun extras), head over to Patreon - there are options that start at just $1 a month.

Ooh: Inside the Workshop Where Lego Geniuses Build Masterpieces

This Cat Sails Around The World And We Want Her Life

Delightful: A Day with Ben Whishaw

New in the Guardian's great "How to Eat" series: Macaroni cheese.

I hate gendered book lists, but I love books about unhappy rich people in beach houses, and this summer beach book list is fun.

The Chelsea Flower Show is gorgeous and I really hope Mary Berry and the Queen hung out. I feel like they'd have a lot to talk about.

Murder and Madness in the Castle: Macbeth’s Inverness

Photos of the World at Twilight, When Everything is a Hushed Grey

Why the Enduring Fascination with the Mitford Sisters Won’t Die

Two Medieval Monks Invent Horses and Armed Warfare

Morning Coffee (5/26/16)

I love this: Sorry, Not Sorry: My Apology Addiction. Recently someone started pointing out every time I reflexively apologize for NO REASON and it was...astonishing.

I think we all assumed that Trump plans to target Clinton over Whitewater, but the notable thing here is that Politico found this out because Trump's spokeswoman EMAILED A POLITICO REPORTER instead of a campaign consultant with a similar name.

The Fact That You’re Going To Die Is Donald Trump’s Biggest Asset, Psychologists Say

Bill Clinton Gets Into 30-Minute Debate With A 24-Year-Old Bernie Fan Why does Bill Clinton never show up to talk to ME while I'm eating eggs?

This Vince Foster explainer is useful, especially for those of us who weren't quite following things at an adult level in the early nineties.

A Letter to a Bernie-or-Bust Voter

So many of my favorite words in one headline: In Silicon Valley, Gossip, Anger and Revenge

Not shocking, but always important to point out: White Men Working at the Washington Post Make Way More Money Than Their Peers

GOOD NEWS: Everything’s Going To Hell But At Least We Are Moving Away From Open Kitchens In Our Homes

Heee: Executive Notes On TV Shows That Skewed “Too Male"

Morning Coffee (5/25/16)

PETER THIEL HAS BEEN FUNDING HULK HOGAN'S LAWSUITS AGAINST GAWKER and I said "Oh whoa!" out loud when this surfaced on Twitter last night. (I assume this is the kind of news that seems HUGE to a certain subset of people and everyone else is just "Who? What? Why do I care?" Which is totally fair.)

Dems discuss dropping Wasserman Schultz This makes me so mad, because of stuff like this: "Lawmakers who have discussed the end of Wasserman Schultz’s tenure acknowledge the fate would be unfair because she’s worked hard to help the party. But they say the greater priority is to mollify restive liberals backing Sanders." NOPE.

If you're wondering, Sanders requested a recanvass instead of a recount because he'd have to pay for a recount, but the state pays for a recanvass. In which no ballots are actually counted. But as long as he's doing something to allow him to claim Clinton cheated, why should he care about actual votes?

David Brooks Writes Column Titled 'Why Is Clinton Disliked?' That Does Not Contain the Word 'Woman' Must be nice to live in David Brooks's world, in which apparently there's no reason to even THINK of such things.

Why Bernie Sanders picked Cornel West to help write the Democratic platform (I mean PERSONALLY I would not pick someone who called the very popular sitting present a war criminal to write the platform of said president's party, but what do I know?)

Twitter is making changes and I think I like MOST of them, though they explained things so badly that (of course) everyone on Twitter freaked out at first.

Um, England? You guys okay over there? The Foreign Secretary Has Just Denied That The Foreign Office Cat Is An EU Spy

Interesting: Book Challenges as Primary Sources in the Study of American Religion

The great Suri's Burn Book is going away, but for the best possible reason.

I hadn't entirely realized the Man in the Iron Mask was still a mystery, but I guess some people think they have solved it?

Morning Coffee (5/24/16)

Sorry this is a little late! The site I use to organize my bookmarks is currently down; cross your fingers that it's not gone forever, as that's where I organize all my recipes, too. The following is a selection of links I happened to remember in enough specificity to track down, so... welcome to my brain, I guess.

I generally agree with the notion that we've gone way too far with marketing glimpses of teasers for trailers for... but I AM FREAKING OUT OVER THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST TEASER, YOU GUYS.

Also EXTREMELY EXCITED about this: Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time” Will Feature Diverse Cast

11 reasons why Bernie Sanders lost this thing fair and square

"If this isn't the end for the Republican Party, it'll be a shame. They dominated American political life for 50 years and were never anything but monsters. They bred in their voters the incredible attitude that Republicans were the only people within our borders who raised children, loved their country, died in battle or paid taxes. They even sullied the word 'American' by insisting they were the only real ones."

Robin Wasserman, being smart as usual: What Does It Mean When We Call Women Girls?

I didn't really know who Blac Chyna was before reading this, but it was still fascinating and you should read it if you're interested in the interplay of celebrity and class and social media: How Blac Chyna Beat The Kardashians At Their Own Game

Awesome: Female WWII Pilots Can Now Be Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

The man who has photographed every train station in Great Britain

Drowned worlds: Egypt's lost cities

The Seven Stages Of Aspirational Produce Shopping

Morning Coffee (5/23/16)

Me elsewhere: Your TV news for the week.

The real reason Hillary Clinton is beating Bernie Sanders

WHAT: Trump's Political Advisers Wanted to Vet Him. He Said No.

Donald Trump Wanted A White-Versus-Black Season Of “The Apprentice” Because of course he did. (Thought experiment: If NBC had greenlit that, how would it have affected the 2008 election and/or Trump's political future?)

Important: "Culturally, we have a deeply ingrained, often subconscious contempt for women and for the things women do. That’s why when something is marked 'feminine,' it becomes humiliating or emasculating for a man to do it. It’s why we smirk at the idea of Bill Clinton taking over Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden."

Sanders supporter Robert Reich wrote that his fellow supporters should support Clinton in the general if she becomes the nominee. You won't believe what happened next.

This post from a disability activist who reached out to both the Sanders and Clinton campaigns is worth a read.

Perfect: Reasons that woman is not smiling at you, a man who is about to tell her to smile:

New Strawberry Shortcake TV show???

Found: A Napoleonic War Diary Hiding in a Bookstore in Tasmania

The Onion, BARELY: Facebook Clarifies Site Not Intended To Be Users’ Primary Information Source

Morning Coffee (5/22/16)

President Obama Signs Legislation to Remove 'Oriental' and 'Negro' From Federal Code

OF COURSE: Sanders, after coming up short in Kentucky, thanks the state for ‘great victory’

This Week In The War On Women: Progressives Have Their Own Lady Problem

An important thing to understand: Paleoconservatism, the movement that explains Donald Trump, explained

Here's a more important reason to be against gender reveal parties, other than that they're annoying and obnoxious.

Search for Family’s Lost History Leads to Mass Grave in Poland

The Mysterious Letter Writer Who Beguiled Flannery O’Connor and Iris Murdoch

Ooh: Ancient Arabic Text Shines Light on Massive Supernova

This is great: From Tina Fey to Bryan Fuller, 41 Hollywood Producers Explain the Weird, Personal Origins of Their Company Names

I'd never thought about which historical war settings lend themselves to which kinds of games. Interesting.