Morning Coffee (3/31/14)

I've got lots of videos for you today . . .

Look! It's my mom being smart about vaccines!

Josh Charles went on Keith Olbermann's show and basically reenacted Sports Night and I have a lot of feelings.

How I Met Your Mother ends tonight. Here are Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel doing a duet from Les Miserables.

Speaking of Les Miserables, Hugh Jackman Performs "Wolverine: The Musical."

I am here for Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley and Hailee Steinfeld and Catherine Keener and Adam Levine's beard, dear Lord.

This competing to marry fake Prince Harry reality show is ridiculous because anyone who'd care enough to do that should know the palace would never okay this, among about 5000 other issues.

Speaking of reality shows, E!'s new programming slate is quite the commentary on . . . something.

An important political voice: Kermit the Frog adds croak to 'no' campaign over Scottish independence

Morning Coffee (3/28/14)

I usually reserve Friday for fun or at least pleasant links, but there are a few things I cannot let pass without comment. First: Television Without Pity is closing. Wow. End of an era.

And yesterday's other big entertainment media story: Entertainment Weekly wants you to write for it for free. Don't do it.

Okay, on to the fun stuff. I like the new Black Keys song.

Today's Woot shirt is adorable.

I'm not sure I have any strong feelings about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trailer, but perhaps you'd like to see it? Here it is.

Headline of the week: Why 18th Century Biologists Made Copulating Frogs Wear Tiny Pants

Here's the cover and an excerpt from Cassie Clare and Holly Black's forthcoming book The Iron Trial.

I hadn't realized quite the extent to which Ryan Tedder writes all the songs.

Ben & Jerry's Heath bar flavors are now toffee bar, as they move to fair trade ingredients. Good for them.

The Secret Life of Kermit the Frog

Game of Bones: Corgi Edition

Which Actress Would Play You in the Movie Version of Your Life?

Morning Coffee (3/27/14)

Dahlia Lithwick is always worth a read: Is the Contraception Mandate Doomed?

Related: When Did We Decide It Was OK to Let Our Bosses Choose Our Health Insurance?

Wow: Northwestern football players are unionizing.

If you can make it the whole way through this article about "the first tech pinup magazine" without hitting anything/anyone, you deserve a cookie. My commentary on the entire thing can be summarized as "NOPE."

Author Barry Lyga says important things about creator/fan interaction (especially when said fans are teens) in Remember That They're Kids and follow-up Male Guilt, Hugs, and More.

And my friend Heather Vee says other important things about fandom in Thoughts on PaleyFest, Etiquette & Fan Experience.

Are You Cynical Enough to Hate Upworthy? (Yes. Maybe. It's complicated.)

The hardest quiz ever: Can You Control Your Inner Pedant?

Morning Coffee (3/26/14)

Huh. The Times is launching a new range of digital packages.

This is probably the second most terrible public proposal story I can think of. (Hint: All public proposals are terrible.)

Fascinating: Donetsk’s Welsh Dream

Apparently Boston is having a doughnut moment. Who wants to go get fancy doughnuts with me?

This book club piece is mostly kind of dumb - people are in book clubs and the Times is on it - except for the revelation that there is now apparently such a career as Professional Book Group Facilitator. $300 a session. How do I get in on that?

The company my cousin works for is now doing same-day home alcohol delivery. We really are living in the future, aren't we?

Amazing: Does He Like You? A Quiz By Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded

Which Medieval Theologian Are You? (Everyone I've heard from so far has gotten Hildegard of Bingen. Let me know if you get someone else!)

Morning Coffee (3/25/14)

Okay, this story is amazing: 'Flat Stanley' home after decade in soldier's wallet

Ooh, Damian Lewis is playing Machiavelli for BBC Radio 4.

Huh: Slate to Introduce a Membership Plan

Is There Hope for the Survivors of the Drug Wars?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is Irreplaceable

This interview with Anne Helen Peterson about leaving academia for BuzzFeed is fascinating.

A Censored History of Ladies in YA Fiction

Awesome: Sorting 19th Century British Novelists Into Hogwarts

Morning Coffee (3/24/14)

Check out today's Dorothy Height Google doodle.

Mapping Crimea

Even the Army Times wants a better timeslot for Enlisted.

5 Reasons Flying a Fighter Jet Is Way Crazier Than 'Top Gun'

Public marriage proposals are the worst, and this is only one of many reasons why.

In light of the upcoming Jem movie, here's an interview with Jem's original singing voice.

A Forgotten Scandal in Baltimore’s High Society

Which Dewey Decimal category are you?

Morning Coffee (3/21/14)

Happy Friday!

Awesome: The Phantom of the Opera is getting its first black lead. (Hey, and it's Liv's senator boyfriend from Scandal.)

Oh my gosh, they're making a Jem and the Holograms movie.

Margery Kempe is now online! (I mean, her writing. Margery Kempe herself is dead.)

Apparently we're still trying to figure out the real Sherlock Holmes, for some reason.

40 Inspiring Workspaces of the Famously Creative

As usual, Polly gives good, important advice.

Tumblr recommendation of the week: Heds Will Roll

Hee: True Detective meets Hardy Boys

Morning Coffee (3/20/14)

So I guess it's theoretically spring. This Winter Wasn’t the Coldest, But It Was One of the Most Miserable.

Whoa: The Observer is no longer pink.

Veronica Mars fans, here's a fascinating interview with the movie's costume designer.

Six Reasons You Need To Watch 'Enlisted'

This is fascinating and talks about Sleepy Hollow a lot: A Linguist Explains What Old-School British Accents Sounded Like

Adorable: During breaks on the Trophy Wife set, Marcia Gay Harden reads Harry Potter books to Albert Tsai. And does the voices.

Think that "bulletproof" screen protector is really bulletproof? Nope. (They actually shot at it!)

Which TV/Movie High School Would You Attend?

Morning Coffee (3/19/14)

L'Wren Scott Was Remembered As a ‘Girlfriend’

Important for people interested in publishing: Judge Rules for HarperCollins in Open Road E-Book Dispute

They're finally making The Incredibles 2!

Veronica Mars: One of TV's Realest Depictions of Wealth Inequality

Wow: A Brooklyn Woman's Colorful Quilt, Illustrating Her Experience of the Civil War

How I Met Your Mother's fake scotch doesn't really bother me, but this piece is still fun.

Extremely important journalism: Tyler Hoechlin Is The Hottie Dork You’ve Been Waiting For

Andrew Garfield Will Be Emma Stone’s L.L. Bean Boyfriend

Morning Coffee (3/18/14)

Whoa: Space Ripples Reveal Big Bang’s Smoking Gun

Okay, sure, There's No Drama Quite Like the Drama of a Gchat Outage, but some of us do actually use it for work, so it really is disruptive when it goes out.

‘Veronica Mars’ takes on police misconduct, income inequality

This piece about who actually talks to each other in Shakespeare is fascinating.

Here's some info about the newest gadget I will be trying to convince myself not to buy. (Ugh, I really just want something that will stream HBO Go.)

Honestly, I didn't realize there was a mystery about the Blarney Stone, but apparently it's been solved.

Tax-Free Liquor Lures Buyers, Stirring Crossborder Tensions

Nifty: The Many Origins of the English Language

Morning Coffee (3/17/14)

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today's Google Doodle is cute.

Awesome: Gender-specific books demean all our children. So the Independent on Sunday will no longer review anything marketed to exclude either sex.

Here's a fun look at This American Life in Veronica Mars.

And a discussion of the technology in the movie's mystery.

This behind-the-scenes picture from Bones is ridiculously cute.

'Enlisted' Creator Opens Up About Life, Death and Friday's PTSD Episode

Jed Bartlet won The Wire's best fictional president bracket, as he should have.

I love these parody letters from Chris Kimball.

Morning Coffee (3/14/14)

I saw the Veronica Mars movie last night. Here is my one-sentence review. It is only spoilery in that if you know what I wanted from the movie (in general, not any one area), my reaction basically tells you whether the movie provided what I wanted.

This is fascinating and completely non-spoilery, if you need something to pass the time before watching the movie: 'Veronica Mars' Costume Designer Salvador Perez Reveals Style Secrets From Original Series

Also, these imagined Veronica Mars book covers are amazing.

I'm sorry, I promise the rest of these are NOT about Veronica Mars.

Memories From the Set: Bradley Whitford Talks Stints on West Wing, ER, Frasier and More

The Exquisite Wistfulness of 19th-Century Vegetarian Personal Ads

Report: Only 20 Minutes Until Introverted Man Gets To Leave Party

Dirtbag Romeo and Juliet

Which Gilmore Girls Guy Is Your Soulmate? (I got Logan. I'll allow it.)

Morning Coffee (3/13/14)

What Paul Ryan Gets Wrong About 'Inner-City' Poverty

In-Depth Report Details Economics of Sex Trade

World War One: Soldier's diaries discovered in Devon

This speed reading app sounds like it would take all the fun out of reading. And give me a headache.

This assignment of a meat to each state is worth a read, if only for the hilarious New Hampshire caption.

A new Smurf origin story? Interesting.

Tagalongs vs. Peanut Butter Patties: The Great Girl Scout Cookie Regional Naming Rift

The Concise Roald Dahl

Morning Coffee (3/12/14)

This piece about Peter Lanza is difficult but interesting and well-written.

I don't watch The Bachelor, but this was a fascinating read anyway.

American Cheese-Makers: Stop Imitating Europe! Create Your Own Cheese Names.

Lost 16th Century Tudor Shilling Could Mean the British Discovered Canada

Twitter Knows When You’re Going To Be Sad, Hungover, And Late For Work

Heh: Should You Stay Up Late?

Two Monks Invent Medieval Art

Which Veronica Mars Character Are You?

Morning Coffee (3/11/14)

My friends Holly and Carrie do a Veronica Mars podcast, and I (along with several other guests) went on to talk about our predictions for the movie. Here's the non-spoilery section and the spoilery section. In the spoilery section you get to hear me swear, sort of, which doesn't happen often.

Who Creates Drama At HBO? Very Few Women Or People Of Color

I am so excited for Suffragette, for several reasons, but also because it's the first film shot in the Houses of Parliament.

Eee, I want to go to the Star Trek theme park.

Do you want an explainer explainer? Of course you do.

Interesting: Newly identified dinosaur fauna sheds light on evolution

Is it wrong that I kind of want to play this?

Yes, there's a BuzzFeed quiz for everything. Which Biblical heroine are you?

Morning Coffee (3/10/14)

Magna Carta is coming to Boston! I'm excited.

Kermit as Smiley in Animal, Piggy, Frog, Spy has just shot pretty far up on the list of "things I want most out of life."

Nice: Parents push to end gender division of boys' and girls' books

This full context makes much more sense than the earlier version going around: Favorite Artists vs Distinctive Artists by State

An interesting read: Sparkle, Shirley, Sparkle! (I really do recommend Temple's memoir. Fascinating.)

My friend Jessie wrote a great essay about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The Onion: Arm & Hammer Representative Starting To Wonder What He's Doing At SXSW

Which Fandom Do You Actually Belong In? (I got the Whedonverse, which isn't the most wrong answer, I guess.)

Morning Coffee (3/7/14)

Happy Friday!

Penguin sweaters: separating fact from fiction

Those of you who, like me, love both Gossip Girl and word games will want to click this link.

I love everything about this: Tony Goldwyn (Fitz from Scandal) is playing Warren Jeffs in a Lifetime movie.

I am dubious about this but hoping for hilarrible: E!'s first scripted show will be a fictional version of the British royal family, starring Elizabeth Hurley.

I took the Guardian's Which BBC Channel Are You? quiz, which in and of itself is a ridiculous statement, and got BBC 4, which I assume surprises no one.

How the New York Times Resurrected the Monocle, Over and Over Again, for the Last 112 Years

Stylish Illustrations Celebrate the Interior Designs of Classic Films

Which Baby-Sitter Are You?

Morning Coffee (3/6/14)

One of my parents' neighbors passed away a few days ago, and I'd had no idea that she was the last living radium girl. Fascinating.

Here's a trailer for the new Annie. I will totally see this, and Quvenzhané Wallis sure is adorable, but . . . boy do I have CONCERNS.

This is a difficult but important read: A Train, a Narrow Trestle and 60 Seconds to Escape: How 'Midnight Rider' Victim Sarah Jones Lost Her Life

A Russia Today America anchor resigned live on air.

Can we please actually have this Manchester-Boston train now?

Stephanie Perkins's Isla and the Happily Ever After has a release date, and you should go enter this awesome book/tote bag giveaway!

My friend Tim Stevens was on the Daily Show talking about racist computers and it was awesome.

Those of you who join me in my fascination with cults will want to read this: Scientology's Vanished Queen

Morning Coffee (3/5/14)

Wow: Looking for the good Samaritan who saved the life of a man who jumped into the Potomac

The end of an era: Carl Kasell is retiring from Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

Huh: Chris Hayes is going to cameo on Revolution tonight.

Another casualty of climate change: Guacamole on our burritos?

The pope is getting his own gossip magazine.

The best Oscar-related article ever: Paging Bradley Cooper's Lawyers: He Might Own Ellen's Famous Oscar Selfie

Speaking of, here's Cleolinda's Storify of the best of the Oscars on social media. (Disclosure: I'm in it a few times.)

Veronica Mars fans, here's a behind-the-scenes video from a Jason Dohring photoshoot. You're welcome.

Morning Coffee (3/4/14)

Don't miss Price Peterson's Oscars recap.

Veronica Mars fans, here's a new version of the theme song from the movie.

And some new movie photos! (The captions are fun.)

All Alternatives Considered: How Slate thinks a daily podcast can fit into your evening commute

Here's everything you may want to know about Will, Kate, and George's tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Stages of Winter Rage

The Problem With Having Dinner With Cato the Elder

Which Classic Author Is Your Soulmate? (I got Austen, which, fine, but I was hoping for something a little more unexpected.)

Morning Coffee (3/3/14)

March already! Somehow!

The Oscar Best Picture Nominees As Pie Charts

Every Dress Worn by Best Actress Oscar Winners, 1929-Present

Korean family reunions: 'The sadness in my heart has finally dissolved' (I heard a fascinating radio story about that particular family. I can't even imagine.)

To Harriet, on her 50th birthday

Breaking news: Read novels to reduce anxiety. You don't say.

Why do we feel the need to solve movies?

Art at Arm’s Length: A History of the Selfie

BBC History is the best. Here's a quiz to find out if you would have been accused of witchcraft.