Weekend Links 8-28-20

 Better late than never....I usually try to have these posts written so that they post first thing Friday morning but nothing has gone as planned this week. At least I can still share these links with you before the weekend gets started. Hope you enjoy these articles as much as I enjoy assembling them. 

Their ads appear on Facebook and other social media sites all the time. But what is MasterClass actually selling? 

Ranking the greatest crime films of all time. There are a lot of excellent films on this list though I am not entirely sure I agree with all the rankings particular the films in the top 10. 

Odd, but true: how a brand of chalk achieved cult status among mathematicians. It's also kind of surprising there are some of the last people to give up chalkboards. 

Anthony Horowitz's latest novel Moonflower Murders has just been published in the UK and is due to arrive in the US in November (review coming soon to this blog).He's making the rounds of British media outlets. First, he talks to the BBC about writing mysteries. Then, a longer interview with Sci-Fi Bulletin about his writing career including his Alex Rider novels.

The wildest insurance scam you have ever heard of and one man's determination to reveal the truth. 

How has Dolly Parton managed such a long and illustrious career in music?

A brief history of the Mason jar. 

Walk into any bookstore and you're liable to find a book on almost any subject written "for dummies". Here's how the long-running series came into existence.

This is what happens when you have too much time on your hands: employees at a Krispy Kreme run a donut through the glaze machine 25 times. This story reminds me of when my daughters were younger. We used to take them to the Krispy Kreme in Richmond, VA they would spend countless hours just watching the donuts being made. The store had a large glass window that allowed you to watch the entire process from start to finish. Just the thing to keep your kids occupied.

The true story of the con man who sold the Eiffel Tower - twice. 

Speaking of cons, Olivia Rutigliano checks in to explain why The Sting is still the greatest grifter movie of all time. Warning: this article contains spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie do yourself a favor and go watch it first. 

Weekend Links 8-21-20

This week doesn't feature quite as many links as past weeks. I attribute that mostly to lack of time to search out interesting stuff. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as I am often tweeting other articles that I don't feature in these posts. Also you can send me a tip if you see something that you think should be included in a future post. Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the blog (see the sidebar) so you will be notified of future posts. Here are this week's links:

This article about the lawyer who tracks typos at The New York Times is a fascinating look at the modern state of journalism and its current lack of editorial oversight. By the way, I don't think the Times is alone in struggling with typos and grammatical errors. I have seen the same issue crop up at other media outlets too. It's just interesting to me that someone makes a pastime out of catching these errors. 

Followers of this blog probably know I am a big fan of Agatha Christie's novels. This year marks the 100th anniversary of her debut novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Here's a look at the novelist's lasting legacy.  Related: mystery novelists with upcoming new releases talk about Christie's influence on their own works. 

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Baseball Leagues. At a time when racial discrimination was institutionalized in many places the Negro Leagues flourished. Major League Baseball commemorated the anniversary last weekend and is starting to discuss officially recognize the Negro Leagues as official major leagues which is a designation that is long overdue. The Negro Leagues are also responsible for the rise of the popularity of baseball outside the United States. Finally, take time to listen to this conversation with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.  

Strange snacks: the curious history of Astronaut Ice Cream. 

It's the time of year when kids are normally thinking about going back to school. But in the midst of a continuing pandemic, many kids are having to shift to online learning. For families that are considering homeschooling textbooks might seem like a good investment. But as this writer argues, instead of textbooks, parents should be relying more on primary sources. 

Longread of the week: twenty five years and the theft of millions of dollars worth of rare books. 

Weekend Links 8-14-20

Your Friday roundup of interesting stuff for your weekend.......

I have always heard that you can't train cats to do anything apart from using a litter box. I guess that is just wrong. 

This was never really up for debate: Sean Connery is the best James Bond of all time. 

You can build just about anything with LEGO including a grand piano. I love the fact that you can actualy play it. 

To Catch a Thief is arguably one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films (and a personal favorite of mine). Here is the story behind the novel that inspired the film that was based on an actual crime. 

Maybe it's because I love cheese that I found this article on how a cheese goes extinct so fascinating. 

Victory gardens were common during World War II as a way to contribute to the war effort. However, when the war broke out the U.S. Government was opposed to them. 

The history of the Ponzi scheme and the man whose name became synonymous with fraud. 

Weekend Links 8-7-20

It's been another interesting week. Today's post contains quite the assortment of interesting links. Hope you enjoy.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Gary Larson had started creating new editions of The Far Side cartoon. The world has changed a lot since Larson stopped drawing the comic. Can the new version adapt to our new world? 

Here's an interesting list of defunct Disney rides. I actually remember some of these from my first visit to Walt Disney World many, many years ago. 

John Donaldson may not be a household name but if you look closely at his record he deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Hard to believe that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy turns 42(!) this year. Here are some fun facts to celebrate. 

Netflix has announced they are going to create a series based on the beloved C. S. Lewis series The Chronicles of Narnia. Here are some things to be simultaneously hopeful and concerned about in the new adaptation. 

The incredible story of Henrietta Lacks. Hard to believe now that she received no credit for her contribution to medicine. Related: a 2010 interview with the author who brought her story to light and turned it into a bestselling book. 

These are difficult times for many of us. But some would argue that it is a time of great distraction. Some practical tips on how to deal with these difficult times. 

Ranking the best caper movies of all time. I haven't seen all of these movies so I can't full attest to the rankings though a number of my favorites did make the list. I have no argument at all with the film ranked #1. 

Finally, why P. G. Wodehouse is the perfect antidote to the pandemic.