Hot Coffee on the Boulevard – the Best of the Internet

Enjoy the best of the Internet for the week ending Friday, August 8, 2014. Note that some links are affiliate links.

BOOKS WE LOVE

Book of the week – Casebook: A Novel by Mona Simpson. It’s really, really good.

In case you missed it, we have a roundup on Midlife Boulevard  of 20 great books coming this fall.

BLOGS AND CAN’T MISS ARTICLES

Mad Magazine is trying to keep up in a digital world. Makes us wish we’d held on to the hundreds of copies we had when we were kids.

Surprised to see Williams College at the top of Forbes list of the top 100 colleges – small but mighty!

Finding hundred dollar bills in Pez dispensers is way better than soapy candy. And if you get a Popeye head, it’s a bonus.

If you have an extra $50 million lying around, you could buy the most expensive car in the world. Just don’t try to parallel park.

In case you ever need to go into the witness protection program, you’ll know what to expect.

On McSweeney’s, Wendi Aarons explains airline passengers by their pants.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECH

Now you can message on Pinterest. We still like it for the pictures.

This backpack becomes a pillow or seat cushion. Brilliant for long flights. Or waiting in line at the DMV.

BEAUTY, FASHION AND HOME

If you’re feeling a little guilty about tossing all those K-cups for your Keurig, here’s a biodegradable option.

Modern home need landscaping to complement them. These are gorgeous.

Anne has a subscription box addiction. One of her favorites is the Julep Maven box. Try Julep yourself for free. The only cost for the first one is for shipping.

Street art in Paris – simply to add beauty and joy to the world.

If you’re looking for nature photography for a reasonable price, check out Tom Riggs Photography. Even if he wasn’t Sharon’s college friend, he would still do beautiful work.

ENTERTAINMENT

Helen Mirren, the south of France and delicious food? We’re going to see The Hundred-Foot Journey this weekend!

Just wondering, where the heck was my invitation?

Three of the stars of The Big Bang Theory are getting $1,000,000 per episode starting this season. Worth EVERY penny.

The talent of this girl, Jacky Bastek, who wrote this, is not to be believed.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

In honor of the 5000 new words added to the Scrabble dictionary, we bring you the Scrabble manicure.