Weekend Links 2-28-20

Scouring the internet for the most interesting articles for your weekend reading.....

A detailed look at the cars that will appear in the upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die. Probably what's more interesting is the history of Aston Martin's relationship with Eon Productions. I am surprised it does not involve any long term contracts.

Here's a review of Billie Eilish's theme song for No Time To Die (link to the song in the article). I've had a chance to listen to it a couple of times and have a feeling it's going to extend the Bond film Original Song Oscars streak next year. The song has already hit #1 in the UK. 

On my bucket list: a visit to Louis Armstrong's home in Queens. I am amazed that it has been preserved and turned into a museum.

When fiction imitates truth: famous noirs and crime novels based on real-life crimes.

There are no doubt many reasons why Crash Landing on You has been such a hit among Korean drama fans. Perhaps one reason is that they had an actual North Korean defector on the writing staff.

Ever wonder why daylight savings time starts at 2 a.m.? 

In 1778, future president John Adams was appointed ambassador to France. He barely survived his transatlantic voyage. The story is not well known but Adams documented it in his own memoirs.

This is fun: I went to Hogwart's for 7 years and now I can't get a job.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice: the U.S. Hockey team's upset win over the USSR in the Winter Olympics. Al Michaels who was on the microphone for the game reveals he got the assignment because of his experience calling hockey: exactly one game. Here's his iconic call:

#OTD 1980 A game that will never be forgotten,Al Michaels Classic Call,at the end of the Unbelievable USA vs USSR Upset at the 1980 Olympics.#USA #Olympics #LakePlacid #Hockey #1980s #MiracleonIce

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— Tom's Old Days (@sigg20) February 22, 2020

Related: The men who missed out on the Miracle on Ice and how Hollywood got their story wrong.

The day the Atlanta Braves signed Satchel Paige to a contract so he would qualify for an MLB pension.

Elizabethan poet laureate Ben Jonson was a murderer. What's more remarkable is how he escaped punishment.

Weekend Links 2-21-20

It's quite the plethora of links for this weekend's reading:

In 1920, a group of men gathered at a YMCA in Kansas City to attempt to organize a professional league of black baseball players since they were not welcome in the Major Leagues. Here is a terrific profile of the man who was the driving force behind this league: Rube Foster.

This is a fascinating article about a baseball player you've likely never heard of and one man's mission to make his legacy known. Find out more about John Donaldson who is one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

Whenever Joe Carter publishes an article I pay attention. In his latest he helps you know whether you've made an idol out of politics. I think that we are often much more guilty of this than we would like to admit.

I could easily fall down this internet worm hole: old book illustrations from the 19th and early 20th century. 

Speaking of worm holes, another great site to explore is Atlas Obscura  Here are a couple of fun entries I found this week. First, the owner of New York's oldest phone number. If you know anything about music you should be able to figure out the answer before clicking the link

I've enjoyed a number of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novels. So when I discovered this existed I was particularly excited: a plaque that marks the likely location of Nero Wolfe's New York brownstone. 

This is an example of something I've always known but never known the reason why: Why actors won't say Macbeth in the theater. 

Eyewitness to history: meet the man who worked behind the counter at Woolworth's during the 1960 sit-in in Greensboro, NC.

My favorite Agatha Christie novel And There There Were None is getting a new screen adaptation. As good as the novel is the film adaptations have not been all that great. The best adaptation I have seen is the 2015 BBC version. I am curious to see how they handle the novel in this new film.

The greatest mysteries of life are revealed through ordinary circumstances at least according to G. K. Chesterson's Father Brown. 

Long read of the week: Baseball, Fiction, and Life: Roger Angell's Era-Spanning Career at The New Yorker, The amazing thing is that he is still going strong at ninety-nine.

Answering the important questions: Is coffee good for you? 

Having seen and enjoyed this year's Best Picture Oscar winner I found this article extremely interesting: The real star of Parasite is the house.

Movie magic: thanks to a cameo in Parasite this snack company's sales have taken off.

Finally, this seems appropriate given that tomorrow marks the first spring training games of the baseball season:

“Old Days”George Carlin explains the differences between Football and Baseball.#comedy #1970s #SNL #entertainment #nostalgia

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— Tom's Old Days (@sigg20) February 18, 2020

Weekend Links 2-14-20

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned with your special someone. Here's a roundup of this week's interesting links:

Advances in technology have been bad for work life balance. Turns out the laptop is the culprit.

The pictures tell the story: Architect spends 45 years converting a cement factory into a fairy tale home.

I endorse this list: 10 movies that will make any child into a lover of classic suspense.

Here are some neat ways to unlock the power of Alexa.. Plus a list of the best Alexa Easter Eggs.

Sadly legalism is alive and well.

Long read of the week: How Ian Fleming was the darling of critics until he wasn't. For what it's worth I have read all of Fleming's James Bond novels and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Last week astronaut Christina Koch set a record for a woman in space. But what she learned during the mission is more interesting.

The remarkable true story of  Dutch sisters that were a key part of the Resistance during World War II. 

Opportunity Cost

A practical definition of opportunity cost:

If you spend too much time working on good things, then you don’t have much time left to work on great things.

Understanding opportunity cost means eliminating good uses of time. And that's what makes it hard.

— James Clear (@JamesClear) February 1, 2020

I would venture to guess that most of us have too many commitments. By that I mean that we are involved in too many good things to the point that we don't have enough opportunity to focus on things that are the most important in our lives. It's an easy trap to fall into and one that can be difficult to climb out of. Here's a simple exercise that can help you eliminate the less great uses of your time. Write down each of your commitments on a Post-it Note. Stick the notes up somewhere where you can see them all. Then examine each commitment and decide whether it is truly the best use of your time. My guess is that you will end up eliminating a number of things that you are doing right now. Those things might truly be good things but not necessarily the best use of your time. It's hard to say no particularly when there can be a wealth of good opportunities available to you. But by being willing to say no to good things you open yourself up to having the opportunity to pursuing great things. Recommended related reading: Essentialism - The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Gregory McKeown.