Weekend Links 7-31-20

It's hard to believe we have already reached the end of July. I tend to think like a lot of other people I talk to that the sooner we can get 2020 behind us the better. In the meantime, here are a few links of interest for your weekend enjoyment.

I'm not into comic books much these days but I still found this history of the comic book fascinating. 

There is a sculpture at CIA headquarters in Langley that contains a code no one has been able to crack. 

Longread of the week: Why is Bob Ross still so popular? It's been 25 years since he passed away yet The Art of Painting is more popular than ever. His calm demeanor and relentless positivity seem to be a soothing balm for our troubled world. 

A list of recommended books for baseball fans. I have read most of these books. I would consider this a great place to start if you've never picked up any baseball books. Thanks to my sister-in-law for the tip.

Artist Mark Truelove shares an amazing gallery of colorized baseball photos from the early 20th century.  

What happens to all the baseballs being hit into empty stands? Zack Hample was unavailable for comment. 

The Blob has to be one of the campiest movies I have ever seen. But is the sci-fi classic based on a real life event? 

There are good reasons to be leery of adaptations of your favorite books. While there are some adaptations that are relatively faithful to the original books I can't think of an adaptation that I have been wholly pleased with. 

Some tips on how to start a long-running mystery series. It's harder than you think. 

Weekend Links 7-24-2020

Last night the Major League Baseball season finally got underway after a four month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. While there were only 2 games on the schedule last night the rest of the league will start their season today. An abbreviated 60 game season is sure to be a recipe for chaos. Bring it on!

In the meantime, here are a few things that caught my eye this week.....

10 strange weapons invented during World War II. Reading the descriptions its easy to see why none of these weapons made it into mass production. 

This is exciting: Anthony Horowitz is adapting his novel Magpie Murders into a miniseries that will air on PBS Mystery! I loved the novel and can't wait to see how they handle the adaptation. 

I don't normally post spiritual or theological pieces in these posts but I couldn't pass this one up. As someone who notices a lot of arguments on Twitter (and have been in the past guiilty of crusading on this blog in the past) I found this article challenging and very timely. 

I'm always curious to discover what writers I enjoy read in their spare time. Here's what John Grisham is reading this summer. 

Check out these unbelievably realistic book cakes.

Every episode of Psych, ranked. When I first saw this article I only cared about whether they picked the correct episode as the best which they did. It's not even close. The rest of the rankings are up for debate. Related: James Roday Rodriguez, Psych's fake psychic detective.  There's a lot of really cool insight information on how the show became such a huge hit. 

My rule of thumb is to read everything Olivia Rutigliano writes at CrimeReads. She doesn't disappoint with her latest essay on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Weekend Links 7-17-20

Happy Friday! If all goes well next week there will be baseball. Given how things are these days it's hard to predict the future. Personally I hope we have baseball. It has been a long summer without it. 

A quick word about the purpose of these posts. Each week I accumulate links of interest. These are things that I found interesting or particularly diverting. I hope that you will find them enjoyable as well. Now, on to this week's links.

Perhaps because we watch a lot of Korean drama in our household we have a pretty good feel for Korean culture. Maybe that's why this article on young South Koreans rebelling against cultural norms was so interesting. 

This is good news: The Far Side creator Gary Larson is sharing new cartoons after a 25 year hiatus.

I didn't know that burning the fields is a recommended method for growing blueberries.

Apparently country music is a big thing in Tokyo. 

Satchel Paige is arguably one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball. Here's a long look at his storied career.

Albert Mohler has released his list of recommended summer reading which features a selection of top non-fiction titles. I am currently reading The Splendid And The Vile which is on his list and am thoroughly enjoying it. I always look forward to this annual list. 

Speaking of book lists, here is a list of the top 10 Agatha Christie novels. Having read most of these I can vouch for this list. 

Meet the schoolteacher that sparked America's craft beer revolution. 

A history of playing cards from around the world.

The woman who inspired one of the first video games by mapping the world's longest cave.

Weekend Links 7-10-20

A roundup of interesting articles for your weekend reading...

This was supposed to be the farewell season for the Pawtucket Red Sox, AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Next season they will be moving to Worcester. When the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league baseball season, the Sox converted their ballpark's outfield into a diner. 

Wal-Mart is converting some of their parking lots into drive-in theaters.

Steve Martin remembers Carl Reiner who passed away last week at the age of 98. 

Ranking the five best James Bond books. In some ways the books are far better than the films. 

Everyone needs a hobby: meet the college student who has collected over 6000 take-out menus.

Long read of the week: The Hero of Goodall Park - a true-crime drama fifty years in the making.  It's a simultaneously tragic and fascinating story. 

Knowing our "mad" ancestors. This is a fascinating look at how mental illness has been evaluated through history. Key question: Can we accept that someone with mental illness might also be a competent hero?

A screenwriter and author shares what makes the best film adaptations of books.  It's not as easy a process as one might think. 

Answering the important questions: how many books will a Kindle hold? 

Who did what in every Agatha Christie novel in graphic form. 

 

Nothing says summer like ice cream or ice cream trucks for that matter. Here's how the invention of the ice cream truck changed summertime forever. 

Weekend Links 7-3-20

Hard to believe we are already halfway through 2020. What a year it has been so far. Hopefully you're taking time off to enjoy the long holiday weekend. Here are some articles of interest for your weekend reading. By the way, if you don't want to miss a future post be sure to subscribe in the sidebar.

Coronavirus has been particularly tough on the restaurant industry. One Canadian chef employed an ingenious technique for keeping his restaurant going despite the fact he can't serve customers in his eatery.  

The inventor of the pain killer ibuprofen once tested the drug on his own hangover. While it didn't cure rheumatoid arthritis as originally intended it did become one of the best selling pain killers of all time.

Ken Burns: Baseball is a mirror of our country. 

Speaking of baseball, minor league teams have to be creative when coming up with promotions for their teams. The Erie Seawolves have already announced that next year they will play a game as The Wonders to mark the 25th anniversary of That Thing You Do!

The fascinating story behind the efforts to restore the first Air Force One used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

35 years ago, a number of major pop music stars came together to record We Are The World to raise money for famine relief in Africa. This is the story of how the unlikely recording session occurred. 

Answering the important questions: why does everybody hate comic sans?

Author Leah Konen explains how reading novels by Daphne Du Maurier and Patricia Highsmith helped her to appreciate the films of Alfred Hitchcock. 

The amazing story of the accidental invention of that fixture of summer: the Slip 'N Slide. Though the warning labels on the package will tell you that it's not intended for adults it is possible to build one that will be suitable.