Weekend Links 1-31-20

Each Friday I feature links to articles of interest that I have found. Here is this week's edition for your weekend reading enjoyment.


The weekend is coming up which means it's more than likely you will have brunch at some point over the next couple of days. Have you ever thought about the origin of the term brunch? This article will help. 

So you want to read more books? Here are some ways to make that happen. Some of these suggestions to similar to ones that I offered in a recent post. Related: How to read 100 books in a year.

Here's a potential money saving tip: a new browser extension will let you know when new books are ready for checkout at your local library. 

Prohibition seems like ancient history. Did you ever stop to think why there is no anti-alcohol movement? 

I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from writing but it's likely you don't have a book in you.

Our family watches a number of Korean dramas so naturally we were interested in seeing the movie Parasite while it was still in the theater. It's an extremely well made film and hopefully will win a number of Oscars. While it is not necessarily an entertaining film it is certainly thought provoking. We have been discussing it off and on for days after seeing it. This review explains why the film resonates so deeply with the audience. Related: a profile of the film's director Bong Joon Ho. Also don't miss this: The Oscars need Parasite more than Parasite needs the Oscars.

This is certainly the funniest thing I read this week. I think it's because it is so spot on: Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village.

Personality tests such as the Enneagram are all the rage these days but they don't excuse your sin. 

New research suggests procrastination is about managing your emotions not your time. Interesting stuff.

Another new study suggests skipping the easy tasks and tackling the hard stuff first. I've always heard the opposite is true that it's better to tackle easy tasks first to build momentum to handle the harder tasks. I think I will have to put this into practice to see if it works.

I appreciate the honesty in this column: things I wish I had done differently when I homeschooled. (Hat tip Susan Wise Bauer) Both of these perspectives highlight one of the unique joys of homeschooling: there is no right or wrong way to do it. You can tailor your homeschooling experience to you and your child's needs.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. At the time many pledged a catastrophe such as the Holocaust would never happen again. Sadly, political conditions are such that many worry that it will.

Sunday the Super Bowl will be played in Miami. Dave Barry has some helpful tips for fans visiting Miami for the game. 

And finally, my favorite tweet of the week:

I bought this @designingannie print - inspired by a scene in my book Framed - as a present for someone but now I can’t bear to give it away. Such a thrill
When someone responds to your work with work if their own. Also it’s lovely pic.twitter.com/goa1yaRkUi

— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 29, 2020

Full disclosure: @designingannie is my oldest daughter. As you can imagine, I am a very proud father.

Lessons in Leadership

David Ross takes over as manager of the Chicago Cubs this season continuing a recent trend in Major League Baseball to hire managers with no prior managerial experience. Ross is making the most of this off season by preparing for his new job. In truth, though, he has been preparing for this job for quite some time.

As this article points out, Ross has been meeting with other successful managers and coaches. As I read this article, two important lessons stood out:

David Ross is a man who knows what he doesn't know. A common trap among leaders is to believe that either have all the answers or need to have all the answers. Ross has clearly been spending time this off season taking inventory of what he knows and in what areas his knowledge is lacking. This healthy sense of self-awareness will pay off in the long run.

David Ross is a man who is willing to seek out help from others. Another common trap among leaders is an unwillingness to seek out advice from other leaders. But Ross exemplifies one of the healthy quality of leaders in that he is continually learning. As part of that process he is intentionally seeking out advice from other successful leaders. That reputation also leads to successful leaders seeking him out too and being more willing to share their knowledge with him.

As a Cubs fan, I am excited about the possibilities that this season and beyond hold for the team. But I am even more excited to see how David Ross develops as a leader not just for his team but as an example for other leaders as well.

Weekend Links 1-24-20

A plethora of links for your weekend reading:

Meet the stewards of the James Bond film franchise: Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. With Daniel Craig due to retire from the role following No Time To Die this spring, the producers will be looking for a new actor to take on the role. My suggestion would be to hire Anthony Horowitz to adapt his own Bond novel for the next film. It's an origin story of sorts and would work well as a screenplay especially since they will have to cast a new Bond anyway. Related: Daniel Craig pokes a little fun at his cinematic alter ego:


DeWolf Hopper made a name for himself on the vaudeville stage with his dramatic recitations of Ernest Thayer's poem Casey At The Bat. But it turns out that Hopper was quite the baseball fan.

Sometimes a seemingly small decision can pay big dividends: how a single mail order ad transformed a family owned business into a billion dollar enterprise.

Strange but true: Sesame Street was once banned in Mississippi.

A fascinating deep dive into the world of ghostwriting. It's a problem for readers when they don't know if the person whose name is on the cover is actually the one who wrote the book. It's a bigger problem than you might imagine.

Last year for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the NASA History office tweeted out the mission in real time. This year for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 13 they are going to have the mission audio available in real time on their website.

Trivia buffs rejoice! Some fans have created the Jeopardy! question database featuring almost every answer (and question) contained in the last 36 seasons of the show.

Dr. Howard Conyers is on a mission to preserve the tradition of the whole hog barbecue. He also happens to be a rocket scientist.

Before there was Photoshop, the Soviets had mastered the method for removing people from photographs.

At one ski resort in Sweden after a day on the slopes you can ski right into McDonalds for a quick bite.

How to Read More Books

It's always a challenge to read more books. Even though you might realize there are plenty of benefits to reading regularly it can be difficult to develop a habit of reading. Here are a list of tips (in no particular order) that can help you develop a habit of reading:

Make time to read. In this age of Netflix, smartphones, and other similar digital enteratinment it has become easier to entertain ourselves by things other than books. One of the first steps to developing a habit of reading is to make time for it. For example, as part of my daily routine I have time set aside for reading before I start my work day. I spend a few minutes reading the Bible and then a few minutes reading part of a book. The books either coincide with my devotions or may be connected to my work. Either way, I am setting aside time before I get immersed in my job to make time for reading. Apart from the benefits I gain from what I am reading it also helps put me in a peaceful frame of mind before the chaos of the work day unfolds.

When I travel, I always carry books with me. If my travel involves flights I use all of my down time both in the aiports and on planes as opportunities to read.

There are other options too. If you are waiting at a doctor's appointment that's another time to read. If you have a commute on a train it's another chance to read. Or if you have a long commute to work you can listen to audiobooks.

Set goals. This may seem a little counter intuitive especially for someone who recently stated they aren't setting numeric goals but just hear me out.  In the beginning when you are getting into the habit of reading more books a numeric goal is not such a bad idea. However, I encourage you to go beyond simple numeric goals into other types of broader goals. For example, this year in addition to my numeric goal that I set on my Goodreads account, I am going to try to be intentional in some of my other reading goals. Some examples of these types of goals include:

• Reading an author you've never read before
• Reading literary fiction (a.k.a. classics)
• Books from a specific genre (for me it is self-improvement books that dovetail into my work life
• Reading from a genre you wouldn't normally select (for me it will be science fiction)

These are but a few examples but the possibilities are endless if you think in terms other than just numeric goals.

Decide what you like or are interested in. There are books on literally every subject so it shouldn't be hard to find something that is of interest. In addition, the internet makes researching potential books to read very easy.

Start small. If you are just getting started on a reading habit it's probably counter productive to pick up a book the length of War and Peace. Instead start with something shorter that won't take such a huge time commitment to finish. You will find once you have a book or two under your belt it's much easier to keep going.

Don't be afraid to give up on a book you don't enjoy. Life is to short to be spent on books you don't enjoy. There is nothing wrong with deciding that a book is not enjoyable to you. If after forty or fifty pages you aren't enthralled with the book you should consider whether you should abandon it and move on to another. This is one of the most freeing things I have come to understand about reading. I've given up on a number of books that I didn't enjoy. Some of those were even by authors whose other works I really liked. In the end it's better to give up on a book if it is not working for you and move on to something else.

Read more than one book at once. I used to think I could only focus on one book at a time. But as I came to understand that different things I am reading serve different purposes it has become easire to read multiple books simultaneously. Also, since I understand that different books serve different purposes and therefore are going to be read at different times in my day it has become easier to have more than one book I am reading at a time.

Sign up for Goodreads. Goodreads is the social media account for readers. But it is much more than that. It is the perfect place to track what you read. It's also a place for setting your numeric reading goals (if you have them). But perhaps its greatest strength is in its recommendations. The more books that you record that you have read there the better it becomes at recommending other books to you. It also has a handy place for you to make a list of books you want to read. There's also an extensive database of ratings and reviews that will help you make choices about what to read.

Buy books. This may seem somewhat obvious but in otder to develop a healthly reading habit it helps to have books on hand that you want to read. Books can be expensive so I recommend going to used books stores. When I travel I have several of my favorite stores that I visit where I know I can trade books I no longer want to keep for books that I want to read. I have a large stack of books waiting to be read so I don't have to be paralyzed by deciding what to read next. Alternatively if you are on a budget visiting your local library is a great free option. Also, librarians can help you find good books to read and can make recommendations based on your interests.

Don't be afraid to go digital. Personally, I prefer physical books for most of my reading. However, I have occasionally dabbled in audiobooks especially on long car trips. I also have the Amazon Kindle app on my phone and sometimes can get better deals on digital versions of books than physical ones. The key is to figure out what formats work best for you.

Get recommendations. Books are a great topic of conversation with friends and family Find out what they have enjoyed. That might lead to something that you want to read. Social media has also made it easier to get recommendations. For example, a couple of the podcasts I listen to periodically feature interviews with authors. Hearing an author talk about his or her book has often led me to want to read it. All of you have to do is be willing to ask. Readers enjoy talking to other readers about books.

My hope is that these tips will help you develop a habit of reading. It is one of the best things that you can do for yourself.

Weekend Links 1-17-2020

While you are waiting for me to get my act together and write some original stuff here are a few items of interest I ran across this week:

I am a traditionalist when it comes to the designated hitter rule in baseball. I am strongly opposed to it. If I were commissioner I would abolish it in an instant. However, I understand with the entrenchment of the DH in the American League it's only a matter of time before the National League adopts it. This proposal from Jayson Stark (subscription required) might be the best proposal yet:

Did you know the designated-hitter rule has been around in the American League for nearly 50 seasons now? So apparently, this isn’t going to be a short-term fad. In fact, it’s hard to find anyone in the game who doesn’t believe that one of these years — possibly as soon as 2022, once the new labor deal is done — every team will be writing a DH into its lineup. 

But wait! Here’s one possible wrinkle that has been kicked around in behind-the-scene brainstorming sessions: How about a rule that would allow teams to use their DH only as long as their starting pitcher remained in the game? Then, once the starting pitcher exited, that game would revert to old-school rules. The more we think about this idea, the more we like it. Starting pitchers would no longer hit, which would eliminate some teams’ injury paranoia. It would create incentives to keep starters in the game longer, which could lead to more offense. And it would preserve some elements of late-inning managerial strategy that fans of “NL rules” still love. 

 OK, so this part of the plan might never happen. But it’s at least worth having a long conversation about – even if it’s just a segment on “MLB Now.” 

There's lots more bold predictions about how baseball will change in next decade that are worth reading. Incidentally, I find The Athletic to be an outstanding source of sportswriting. It's well worth the cost of the subscription. 

Also at The Athletic, Molly Knight follows up on the sign stealing story from last weekend's post. Her solution is to abolish instant replay. (language warning) Emma Baccellieri adds her own thoughts. While I believe it's important to get calls right the whole system has done more harm than good.

I had no idea that Charles Schulz once worked as an art instructor. This is fun:

An instructor for the mail-away Art Instruction Schools in the late 1940s, Charles Schulz reminisced, “Those were days filled with hilarity...[We'd] receive drawings of thumbs, and...realized...a student had misunderstood the expression ‘making a thumbnail sketch.’" [📸 c.1949]. pic.twitter.com/u6eo3rZPPd

— Charles M. Schulz Museum (@SchulzMuseum) January 14, 2020

When No Time To Die premieres in April, it will mark Daniel Craig's last appearance as James Bond. Here are 10 things that his Bond did differently that the franchise should keep. Related: the recipe for James Bond's Vesper martini.

Solving life's important mysteries: why button down shirts have loops on the back.

An interesting observation:

Observation:

We tend to be political REALISTS with our FAVORED party or candidate (overlooking flaws, acknowledging the inevitably of compromise etc) and political IDEALISTS with our DISFAVORED party or candidate (condemning them on principle; noting inconsistencies etc).

— Jonathan Leeman (@JonathanLeeman) January 10, 2020

Weekend Links 1-10-2020

Back when I was blogging on a semi-regular basis I ran a feature on Fridays of collection so stories that had caught my attention. As I ease back into a more regular writing schedule I thought it was an opportune time to revive this series. Here are a handful of items that caught my attention in recent weeks:

It's hard for me to believe that it has been 40 years since the Miracle on Ice. The U. S. Olympic Hockey team's victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Games was one of the most improbable victories in sport. Here is a terrific profile of the man who was behind the microphone for the game and coined one of the most memorable catchphrases in broadcasting history.

It's a new year which means setting goals for 2020. But in order to succeed first you need to address some common myths that inhibit achieving your goals. It also helps to align your habits to the goals you want to achieve.

By the way, if you want to become more focused in your productivity, this book is a great place to start. 

Speaking of books, this list of book towns look like great vacation destinations for a bookworm like me.

This is a pleasant surprise: vinyl records are on pace to outsell CDs for the first time in 30 years.

Baseball teams stealing signs has been in the news a lot this offseason. MLB could fix the problem very easily if they wanted to. 

Longtime baseball writer Peter Gammons is being honored by the people he covers. Definitely well deserved

Baseball history: In 1919, the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. The reasons why are fascinating. 

More baseball history; my current favorite Twitter feed is Flagstaff Films. Click on their media and fall down a worm hole of old home movies. Your welcome.

Pitchers and catchers report in 32 days. It will be spring before you know it.

Have a great weekend.