Weekend Links 7-30-21

 Were back after a weekend off. Had a great time with my lovely bride celebrating our anniversary. The time off was well worth it. Of course, that means there was no post last weekend. But that also means this week's is longer than normal. Hope you enjoy!

With the release of Black Widow the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand. Here is how to watch all the movies in order. 

This seems timely with the Olympics taking place in Tokyo: how Wheaties became the breakfast of champions.

The history of America's first disastrous attempt to launch a satellite.

Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe explains why "following your passion" is usually terrible advice. 

One of my favorite singer/songwriters is James Taylor. Here is the story behind his iconic song "Fire and Rain."

A new game based on Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot will be released for the Nintendo Switch this fall.

The ten best Hitchcock villains. Numbers 2, 3, and 7 are my personal favorites. 

Why is English spelling so difficult?

How to score free refills on McDonalds fries. I haven't tried this so I am not sure whether it would work. 

If you pick up a book it is likely there is a blurb from an author or critic singing its praises. How did this become standard practice?

Here are some ways to have fun with Alexa. 

On an episode of M*A*S*H, Charles Emerson Winchester (portrayed by David Ogden Stiers) comes to the aid of a soldier being bullied because he stutters. For Stiers, the story hit close to home. 

The benefits of browsing in bookstores. It is one of my favorite pastimes.

Babe Ruth is a baseball legend in large part because of the efforts of Christy Walsh. Who is Walsh? He is widely considered the first baseball agent. 

Otto Penzler (in an introduction to his new book) discusses what constitutes Golden Age Detective Fiction. 

Podcast of the week: I really enjoyed this episode of Shedunnit (it is one of my favorite podcasts). It is an interview with Sophie Hannah on whether Agatha Christie is a great writer. There is also discussion about whether detective fiction can be considered great literature. Given the fact that most of the fiction I read is detective fiction and it is a genre that got me back into reading fiction I think you can guess where I land on these questions. 

Weekend Links 7-16-21

 Another weekend means another roundup of interesting stuff from the web.....

When I was a kid, a common place to stop on road trips was Stuckey's. Though the chain had fallen on hard times they are trying to make a comeback thanks to the efforts of CEO Stephanie Stuckey, granddaughter of founder W. S. "Sylvester" Stuckey. 

Brush with fame: coffee shop employee meets actor from her favorite movie. This is a sweet story. 

This is for gamers: how to activate Super Alexa mode. 

What you can do with all those extra Alexa speakers. I haven't tried this yet but it's worth a shot. 

And if that's not enough to convince you of the benefits of having an Echo device, check out these ways Alexa can make your life easier. 

Longread of the week: The legacy of Willie Mays. 

A new biography of Ian Fleming explores how his failures made him a success. 

You can now eat like Jane Austen with recipes from her sister-in-law's cookbook. 

Tips on how to improve your skee-ball skills. 

Weekend Links 7-9-21

 Welcome to the dog days of summer. Don't know what the weather is where you are at but here it's a typical summer: hazy, hot, and humid. Why not relax with a few entertaining links?

I haven't had a chance to try this to know for sure but reportedly Mexican Coke is better than American Coke. 

This is a fun quiz: guess the classic novel by its one star review. 

Speaking of book reviews, check out my review of An Ambush of Widows by Jeff Abbott. 

A Massachusetts man has returned library books that were originally checked out in the 1920s and 1930s. Thankfully he didn't have to pay any overdue fines. 

Something tells me that some of these old words for body ailments should be put back into common usage. I am partial to comfoozled myself. 

Coming soon: an official Animal Crossing Monopoly. For one thing, it looks really cute, and for another, the rules seem to be slightly different than the classic board game. 

Back during my all-to-brief radio career I had the opportunity to interview Pete Sampras. This was in 1987 just a year before he would turn pro. Sports Illustrated caught up with the man who dominated tennis in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

Although he is best known for creating Perry Mason, Erle Stanley Gardner briefly flirted with the idea of ditching him in favor of a completely different character. 

Fun facts about Tomie dePaula's Strega Nona. This happens to be one of my kids' favorite books. 

The history of that favorite summertime treat the freeze-pop. Though they appear as different brands most of them are made by one company. 

Book Review: An Ambush of Widows

 When Kirsten North answered the call she expected her husband Henry, a cybersecurity expert, was calling from New York. He had just left for a business trip. However, when the voice on the other end of the phone tells her that Henry has just been shot in Austin, her world is turned upside down. Now Kirsten must figure out why Henry was in Austin, who killed him, and what is his connection to Adam Zhang, the other man killed alongside Henry. Along the way she will uncover numerous secrets in her quest to obtain justice for Henry. 

In his new thriller An Ambush of Widows, New York Times bestselling author Jeff Abbott delivers a first class mystery/thriller. He starts the novel off with a bang (Kirsten learns about Henry's death on page one) and doesn't let up until the very surprising conclusion. With a clever premise reminiscent of classic mystery novels, Abbott spins a complicated yarn that will keep you guessing until the end. Honestly, I didn't see the solution coming and was totally surprised by the time I reached the climax of the novel. 

If you want a highly entertaining thriller for your summertime reading An Ambush of Widows will fit the bill. 

My rating 5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to Novel Suspects for providing an advance copy of this book. No consideration was received in exchange for this review apart from an advance copy of the book. 

Weekend Links 7-2-21

Welcome to the first weekend of July (and a holiday weekend to boot). Here are a few links of interest for your weekend enjoyment.

Minor League Baseball teams are known for having unusual nicknames. Here is a roundup of the best team nicknames. 

Chicago Cub fans are accustomed to seeing Obvious Shirts around Wrigley Field. Here s the story of Joe Johnson, founder of Obvious Shirts, who turned a simple idea into an apparel juggernaut. 

The history of the asterisk, or how a star was born.

Before interstate highways were built, Route 66 was the main east-west artery. Here are 20 interesting facts about the famous roadway.

Attention Potterheads: Diagon Alley is a real place. 

A painting falls off the wall and while being restored it was discovered to be a Rembrandt. 

A boat owner discovered a message in a bottle in the Cheboygan River in Michigan. That is just the beginning. Tracking down the family of the author is another story. 

Alan Turing is best known for helping to decode the Nazi Enigma code machine. But while Turing and his team were working on Enigma others at Bletchley Park were working on a far more complex machine that would help win the war.