“I am somewhat exhausted; I wonder how a battery feels when it pours electricity into a non-conductor?”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Dying Detective

Another Friday, another week spent pulling 9-10 hour days in an office and 3-6 hours at home freelancing. I am WIPED, kittens. Here are your links, extra long to make up for my continued negligence. Forgive me?

T&C has some It Girls for you to rank. Agree with the list, disagree, have your own list? Share away!

Downton Abbey has come and gone here in the UK for another year, but my American friends are just getting to dive into season…5?  Golly, they’re blending together. Anyway, if you don’t already, you should be reading Tom and Lorenzo’s recaps, this one of the first episode stateside is even more hilarious than typical. Although language warning for pearl-clutchers. “Fold this,” might be my new favorite put down.

Women’s issues to be aware of, and Charlize Theron making a point.

Building my new 100 books in a year reading list…

There has been a lot of uproar about the TLC feature, My Husband’s Not Gay, featuring Mormon gay men who have chosen to marry women. I have acres of opinions about the underlying cultural and doctrinal issues, but the best and most thoughtful piece I’ve seen written on the subject comes from the Atlantic. It’s genuinely worth examining why people make lots of the cultural and religious choices they do. TLC specials are beyond not the way to do it.

Gorgeous photos of tribal markings from the Karo People.

“I want to go to there.”

Heavens, we’ve gotten lazy as a society…

My parents got me some drinking chocolate for Christmas, apparently based off an 18th century recipe. I haven’t sampled it yet just due to lack of time to sit down and whip up a cup (how sad does that sound), but I’m making it a priority after reading this piece.

Historical mis-attribution.

A fun London-y instagram feed for you to follow.

Answer: not terribly well. But likely much better than the 15th century, when I would probably have managed to get burned at the stake.

Well dressed male stars are, I’m convinced, doing the lord’s work when it comes to ramping up sartorial expectations. But I do live in London, the world capital of men’s tailoring, where the bar is much higher than the States. Follow your British brethren, boys.

What your LBD said about you, throughout history.