Weekend Links 4-17-20

Congratulations on making it through another week. Here is a collection of items for your weekend enjoyment.

During Prohibition, breweries had to engage in other businesses in order to survive. For example, Pabst made cheese.

This seems somewhat ill-advised but I can see how current circumstances provide a unique opportunity. A Cannonball team set a new cross-country record. This story naturally makes me think of The Cannonball Run although I have always thought The Gumball Rally was the better film. This guide to the New York locations from The Gumball Rally is a lot of fun.

Folks are doing a lot more cooking these days and some places are sharing their recipes. For example, Disney has shared the recipe for their iconic Dole Whip treat sold in the theme parks. Meanwhile, Doubletree by Hilton has shared the recipe for their signature chocolate chip cookies. 

Last weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 13 moon mission. How NASA turned what could have been its greatest failure into a triumph.

In every baseball box score you will see runs/hits/errors. Why those statistics used to define the game but don't any longer. 

I really miss baseball. I agree with this columnist's thoughts. 

Video of the week: why are ballparks all different dimensions? The answer might surprise you.


These are tough times for independent booksellers. However, thanks to Bookshop there is a way for them to sell their merchandise on line.

Some recommendations of classic detective novels to read while quarantined. Quite a few of my favorites made this list.

Lots of folks are baking while quarantined but are having trouble finding yeast. Here are a collection of yeast free recipes to try. Beer Bread has been a staple in our household for years. Also, here's an easy recipe to make your own bagels with just a few ingredients. My oldest daughter made these the other day and they were terrific.

What I am listening to: my current favorite podcast is the Shedunnit Show. Author Caroline Crampton discusses classic crime fiction as well as some of the real cases that inspired golden age fiction.