Daily Links 10-14-13

Grab a bite to eat and get free books, are Navy SEALs quieter than ninjas, what saying "I" frequently says about you, and more in today's roundup of links.

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This is a neat idea. Visitors to the Traveler Restaurant in Union, CT get three free books with their meal. Road trip, anyone?

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"Angelina's a human dynamo"

Universal Pictures has released the above photo of Angelina Jolie and Louis Zamperini. Jolie is directing the film adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's bestseller Unbroken which is about World War II veteran Zamperini. According to this Daily Mail article, the two have become close friends during the production process. The book was terrific. I hope the movie does Zamperini justice.

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Is a Navy SEAL quieter than a ninja? A six-year old boy, in order to settle an argument with a friend, went right to the source: he wrote to Admiral William McRaven, head of U. S. Special Operations Command.  Admiral McRaven, to his credit, wrote back. His answer?

"I think ninjas are probably quieter than SEALs, but we are better swimmers, and also better with guns and blowing things up."

Indeed.

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Author Malcolm Gladwell reveals in an interview that he has returned to Christian faith. It's an interesting article.

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Tim Challies has young children and has a burden to protect his family from pornography. He lays out the steps he's taken in this very honest post.

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Saying "I" a lot says more about you than you think (and not necessarily in the way you think):

You probably don't think about how often you say the word "I."

You should. Researchers say that your usage of the pronoun says more about you than you may realize.

Surprising new research from the University of Texas suggests that people who often say "I" are less powerful and less sure of themselves than those who limit their use of the word. Frequent "I" users subconsciously believe they are subordinate to the person to whom they are talking.

Pronouns, in general, tell us a lot about what people are paying attention to, says James W. Pennebaker, chair of the psychology department at the University of Texas at Austin and an author on the study. Pronouns signal where someone's internal focus is pointing, says Dr. Pennebaker, who has pioneered this line of research. Often, people using "I" are being self-reflective. But they may also be self-conscious or insecure, in physical or emotional pain, or simply trying to please.

Hat tip: Acculturated