Weekend Links 5-1-20

Hard to believe we have already reached the first of May. This year certainly has flown by. Here are a few things of interest I found this week.

What do Alfred Hitchcock and Quentin Tarantino have in common? For one thing, they could have both directed James Bond films. Here's the story of films from the long-running franchise that didn't get made.  If you're new to the franchise and not sure where to begin these seven films are a good place to start.

The story of the enduring appeal of Scooby-Doo. We just introduced this series to our daughters not long ago and they immediately became fans.

Kansas City is famous for its barbecue. Now it has a vending machine to provide your late night barbecue fix. 

The Ironbridge Bookshop is one my favorite book stores. Even though I have never visited I have spoken to the owner, Meg Prince, a number of times. She's helped me expand my Penguin collection which you can see on my Instagram feed. Meg's story is an interesting one as she became a bookseller as a teenager and has been working hard to make her shop a success. She's also a delight to work with.

While we are in the midst of the coronavirus crisis it may seem like all the answers are obvious. The truth is that they aren't. .That pretty much applies anytime we are in the fog of a crisis.

Aficionados of yard sales will tell you the fun is in the unexpected things that you will find while shopping. It's safe to say that these shoppers had no idea they would find these items while perusing yard sales. 

Fake news is a commonly used term these days. However, the idea of reporters sometimes fabricating stories is not new. Here's the true tale of one false newspaper report that nearly derailed one of the most infamous murder cases in American history. 

Steve Dalkowski, who passed away last week, was known in baseball circles as the hardest thrower to ever pitch. He was even the inspiration for Nuke Laloosh in Bull Durham. Despite the fact he never pitched in the major leagues (he blew out his pitching arm while in the minor leagues) he was still known by many to be a pitcher like no other. The problem is the lack of documentary evidence besides those who actually saw him pitch. But if you listen to the eyewitnesses it's hard to dispute that he truly was the fastest pitcher ever. 

Weekend Links 4-3-20

Happy Friday! Hopefully you are staying safe and hunkered down at home. Here's your assortment of links of interest for your weekend reading.

You can virtually ride Disneyland and Disney World rides from the comfort of your own couch.

If you are like me and thought that word games began with the invention of the crossword you would be wrong. 

Due to the national shortage of hand sanitizer, many craft distilleries like this one in Massachusetts are stepping up production to help out.

Fashion inspiration from Ken Burns' Baseball. Incidentally, the series is free to stream from PBS right now.

How and why crime books (especially Penguins) embraced the color green.

These are tough times for bookstores but they can be saved. 

I couldn't agree more: Animal Crossing is the perfect way to spend quarantine. Full disclosure: our entire family of four has been playing since the day the game released. We may or may not have bought our Switch solely to be able to play the game.

The true story of Thomas "Toad" Ramsey (yes, that really was his nickname) who invented both a cocktail and the knuckleball. 

This is what happens when you are home with your kids with too much time on your hands.

Been isolating at home with my wife & kids for a week now. For my contribution to home schooling my kids (aged 6 & 4) I chose the most obvious thing - creating a shot-by-shot recreation of the jet pack sequence from THUNDERBALL out of LEGO. [turn sound on] #JamesBond @LEGO_Group pic.twitter.com/s1ivrODq7s

— Jon Opstad (@JonOpstad) March 27, 2020

This is fantastic.

Podcast of the week: Faithwire - Love in the time of Coronavirus. This is a very insightful podcast with Andy Crouch and Sarah Pulliam Bailey. A very interesting discussion about how things will change as a result of the pandemnic. Also helpful is this article which is referenced in the podcast that takes the view that this is only the beginning of a host of changes we are facing as a culture and that organizations would be well served to face the fact that changes are coming.

Weekend Links 3-13-20

Doing my best to find entertaining weekend reading to help you take your mind off pressing concerns. Forgive the brevity of this week's post. Interesting stories were harder to come by for some reason. Could be because certain topics are dominating the news these days.

The pictures tell the story: a beautiful bookstore filled with optical illusions.

Talk about finding a bargain: original Salvador Dali artwork found in an Outer Banks thrift store. 

Miles Wolff, the man who led the resurgence of Minor League Baseball in the 1980s, is calling it a career. 

Speaking of baseball, it might surprise you to know that all Major League Baseballs are stitched together by hand. Given the controversy in recent years over the construction of the baseball it's reasonable to assume that MLB would want a uniform baseball. Here's why that's not going to happen. 

Double Indemnity is without a doubt one of the best movies to come out the noir era in Hollywood. The story is fairly straightforward: an insurance salesman (played by Fred MacMurray) falls for a femme fatale (Barbara Stanwyck) and engages in an illicit affair. She convinces him to help her murder her husband so she can collect the insurance money. But not only is this film about a crime gone wrong it's ultimately a story of redemption.

James M. Cain's novel Double Indemnity, which was the basis of the film, made a list of perfect murders in literature assembled by Peter Swanson as part of his new novel. And yes, this book immediately went on my To Be Read list.

Ever wonder why books come out in hardback before paperback?

I've never read any Dean Koonz novels but I am far more likely to after reading this interview. It's intriguing to me to hear about his writing process, the publishing industry, and why he doesn't spend any time online (among other subjects).

Weekend Links 4-6-18

A random collection of links for your weekend reading:

ICYMI: my review of Brad Meltzer's The Escape Artist is here.

This is one of my favorite stories of the week. A couple decided to open an independent book store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of its more notable features is a typewriter in the store available for anyone to use. Those contributions have been collected and published in a book.

Uncovering the secret of Chick-Fil-A's success.

Ranking the best westerns ever made.

Once a rare sight, the C-flap is becoming more common among baseball hitters. Here's the story of how it came to be. 

Want to be a better writer? Study the habits of these famous writers.

This made me laugh out loud.

How to beat the Facebook algorithm by becoming your own curator. I don't really use Facebook for much of anything (except for friends who still want to stay in touch). It's definitely not the site to use to curate news.

Tweet of the week (watch the catcher carefully):

This is absolutely amazing. This is my buddy’s son up to bat but please watch the catcher. Let’s make this guy known! 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/M6goz7VYa1

— Tony Austin ⚾™ (@TonyAustin_10) April 1, 2018

Weekend Links 2-16-18

A weekly roundup of links of interest. Commentary included at no extra charge.

Pitchers and catchers report this week which means baseball season is right around the corner. The big story this offseason has been the extremely cold free agent market. George Will offers some very sensible analysis why teams aren't going to spend money on expensive free agents. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is the start of new trend.

This interview with Roy and Karen Prior on marriage is well worth reading. I found myself thinking a lot about how I met my wife and how much God has blessed our family in reading their story.

Some helpful advice here on how to become a morning person.

This is interesting: The Phantom Tollbooth and the Redeeming Power of Words.

This sounds like a dream job to me!

An important article from Russell Moore: How to Teach Boys to Respect Women.

Now we know the origin of "Who's On First?"

Who's on First? Apparently, Abbott.
Maybe the confusion all began when Costello plunked Abbott in this game played on June 19, 1927? pic.twitter.com/8XgG3XQLC9

— Tom Shieber (@tshieber) February 13, 2018

More productivity advice: why your phone's airplane mode is not just for flying. Because I use my cell phone as my work phone it's hard for me to disconnect at times. But this is a terrific idea.

Fun fact of the week:

All proceeds go to refurbishing the castle where the shop is located.

A post shared by Mental Floss (@mental_floss) on Feb 11, 2018 at 9:13am PST

Weekend Links 1-26-18

A roundup of interesting stuff that I ran across this week:

I really appreciate Tim Challies' analysis of the Billy Graham Rule and its practical application. As usual, he has taken a very thoughtful approach to a thorny issue.

This is cool: Trash collectors in Turkey use abandoned books to build a library.

That time Edgar Allan Poe pranked New York City and inspired Jules Verne.

This is right on the money: America needs more gentlemen. Thank you Peggy Noonan for writing this column.

This is the first of what promises to be a fascinating series of articles: How should Christians think about "the news"?

Why this guide to "intelligent reading" should be on your to be read list. It's definitely on mine.

"Follow Your Heart" has to be without a doubt the worse advice you can give to someone. Don't believe me? Here are ten great reasons why.

Tweet of the week:

Congrats, Chipper! Enjoyed watching you play way back when. “Anybody who can't get pumped up to play in Durham needs to be kicked in the butt a couple times." #halloffamer #bullcity #durm https://t.co/WQwrSMtEoB pic.twitter.com/bMCls9H66G

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) January 25, 2018

Congratulations to the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2018! Another fun note via Jayson Stark: with Chipper Jones' election to the Hall of Fame, he becomes part of the only foursome of teammates in the Hall of Fame that spent 10 or more years with the same club (the other three are John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux).

This speaks to me: 12 bookstores worth traveling for. I love visiting book stores when I go to different places.

What I'm Reading: The Rubber Band and The Red Box by Rex Stout.

I first became intrigued by the Nero Wolfe mysteries watching the A&E series A Nero Wolfe Mystery some time ago. Then last fall I read Fer-de-Lance and The League of Frightened Men (the first two Wolfe novels in the canon) and was immediately impressed by how well the TV series captured the essence of the books. Rex Stout managed to create one of the most interesting detectives in the history of mystery fiction. Each book has been tremendous fun to read so far. I count this series among the many that I am thoroughly enjoying.

Daily Links 4-22-14

Scouring the internet daily for the most fascinating and useful links. In today's edition: Free online college courses, how to prevent bacon shrinkage, photos of vintage book stores, and more.

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If you are in college or about to go into college you may want to bookmark this page from Open Culture: 1001 Free Online Courses.

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Looking for a job? Here's a list of the 50 best employers to work for in America.

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Answering life's important questions: how to prevent bacon shrinkage.

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10 ways to get the most out of your HDTV.

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A collection of vintage photographs of bookstores. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

Either/Or Bookstore, Hermosa Beach, California

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These days everyone is talking about e-readers are revolutionizing the publishing industry. But before the e-reader it was the paperback that changed the way Americans read.

Daily Links 4-8-13

Your daily dose of fun links. In today's edition: questions of Christian education, love and baseball, lessons in good listening, and more.

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Four questions that will help parents understand whether Christian education at either private schools or universities is successful. For anyone concerned about the education of their children these are questions you will want your child to be able to answer. (Hat tip: Aaron Armstrong) 

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Debunking myths about millenials and the church.

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More research about millenials and the news is not good.

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A children's bookstore designed to look like a long winding rainbow.

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Love and baseball: a pair of Red Sox fans who met on Twitter got married at Fenway Park.

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50 wonderful ideas for sprucing up your home library (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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It's difficult to be a good listener but applying these lessons will go a long way towards improving our ability to listen.

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15 grammatical errors that will make you look silly:
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

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Daily Links 4-3-14

Your daily dose of fun links from around the web. In today's edition: Pixar hidden goodies, baseball's new instant replay system, a class act, and more,

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The interconnectedness of everything: 30 Easter Eggs you will find in Pixar movies. Only goes to show what geniuses those folks are. (Hat tip: Wardrobe Door)

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Kids say the darnedest things especially in bookstores. Prepare to be heartwarmed. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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Baseball's instant replay system was supposed help umpires get calls right. Except when it doesn't. My prediction is there are going to be a lot more stories about an overturned call being a deciding factor in a lot of games this season. That is not what Bud Selig wanted.

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When Platt wasn't enough. I really like this insight on why a church needs a flesh and blood pastor:

These days, Christians can slip into treating preaching like a consumer commodity and preachers like buffet selections. With the internet, a believer can choose a different style and a different preacher for every mood and preference. 

However, my church realized they needed a pastor. A flesh and blood pastor is crucial for the local church because preaching is an act of spiritual warfare. A pastor is a shepherd who fights in the trenches next to his sheep, defending them from the wolves. You can’t simply phone that in! Only an in-person preacher can bear the burdens of the congregation, weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice. That’s what we see clearly in Scripture. Preaching and teaching are normative functions of the shepherding pastor (1 Tim 3:2b, 5:17, 2 Tim 4:2, Titus 2:1).

That is to say,pastors care for the flock by preaching and teaching, rebuking those who contradict sound doctrine (Titus 1:9). Can a preacher disconnected from a local church—in fact, completely oblivious of it’s existence—defend that flock from false teaching? Can he fend off the wolves? Can he shepherd the flock, exercise oversight, or rule well? 

A church ought to receive preaching from a man who knows the church’s struggles, their strengths, their needs, their victories—in short, knows them. True biblical preaching not only rightly interprets the Word, but it also lands and applies uniquely and specifically in the people who are sitting under that Word.

Hat tip: Challies

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Follow the truth:

Given what is taking place in the world today, do we have any indications that to follow Christ will become more and more comfortable? The Bible Belt, long the cultural bastion of “biblical values,” has long been heading toward the spiritual ruins of post-Christendom. Cultural Christianity is wasting away. And the outside world is becoming more and more hostile to the things of faith. Even some professing Christians are becoming hostile to those who will not move according to the shifting winds of the culture. And if God is doing anything in ordaining these cultural shifts to come to pass, it may be this: We are finding out who the real Christians are. (Even today, some are announcing in anger and embarrassment that they will never again call themselves evangelical, to which we must respond with all sincerity and soberness, “Thank you.”)

Hat tip: Aaron Armstrong

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Class act: Ed Sheeran grants a dying teenage girl's request by serenading her during her last minutes of life.

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Searching for a mentor? Look no further than your bookshelf.

It has become apparent to me that many people, especially young Christians seeking maturity, desire for someone to come alongside them and mentor them. I myself have profited immensely from sitting underneath the godly influence of men of faith. I believe it is a noble and holy thing to seek out men and women of faith that may speak truth into your life. You can pursue these people through getting involved in community and service. As you meet seasoned saints, you can ask them to carve out time to meet with you. However, in a church context where we have significantly more young people desiring a “mentor” than we have people who have walked through a long life of faith in God, we must be aware that there will not always be men and women of this stature at our disposal. 

We hope that a mentor will share their life with us, speak truth, lead us to pray and worship, share with us a greater knowledge of Scripture and offer insight into living a godly life. I believe that a great book can do some of these things. Your shelves can be overflowing with mentors.

Daily Links 4-2-14

In today's edition: churches remade to become bookstores, things good dads say, notes to write to change your life, and more.

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What happens when a church building is abandoned? In some cases, they are converted to libraries and bookstores with magnificent results. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

Selexyz Dominicanen by Merkx + Girod in Maastricht, the Netherlands

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A brief and fascinating history of one of the most popular game shows of all time: Jeopardy!

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Some excellent advice to fathers in this article entitled 7 Things a Good Dad Says.

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More unexpected ways to work smarter, not harder. Some good advice here and things that I will have to think about.

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This is interesting: scholars are studying Shakespeare's works to determine what his beliefs are about God.

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The idea of writing notes seems a little old-fashioned, but here are five notes to write that could change your life.

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Can you summarize the American Revolution in a tweet? A group of historians gave it a try.

Daily Links 2-10-14

Good morning. Here's a collection of links to start your week off right. In today's edition: is Pinterest like porn, must-see bookstores, why go to church, and more.

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Here's an amazing collection of bookstores that are must-see destinations for book lovers. (Hat tip: Book Riot). I could easily see planning a number of trips around being able to visit these stores.

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Two Men Who Marked My Life is a great testimony of two older men who intentionally invested themselves into the life of a younger man. I have been blessed by knowing a handful of such men and hope that one day I might have the opportunity to do the same for someone else. (Hat tip: Challies)

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Over at Acculturated, Chelsea Samelson asks Is Pinterest Like Porn (For Women)? Some very interesting insight into the appeal of one of the hottest social media sites around. I would be curious to hear what other women in particular think about this article.

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Over the course of one's Christian walk there are inevitably going to be some seasons of spiritual dryness. How do  you work through those times in the desert? Here are a few simple suggestions. 

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Why we should be involved in church. As someone who has struggled periodically with finding the right church I can say that it's much  more difficult being without a church than being in church.

Related: Why I still go to church.

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9 lessons in entrepreneurship from Shark Tank. I don't get to see this show often but when I do I have really enjoyed it. If you are thinking of starting your own business it's a good show to watch as there is much to learn.

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Baseball will be back soon (but not soon enough). Here's a handy guide to Opening Day for every team in the Major  Leagues.

Daily Links 1-28-14

In today's edition: who I'll root for in the Super Bowl, some really cool kids bookstores, our marriage obsessed culture, and more.

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I don't follow football at all. I doubt that I'll even watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. But if I had to pick a team to root for it would be the Broncos. Why, you ask? Peyton Manning gives me a pretty good reason:

Like my dad, I make it a point when I speak to groups to talk about priorities, and when it’s schoolkids, I rank those priorities as: faith, family, and education, then football. For me generally it had always been the big four: faith, family, friends, and football. And I tell all of them that as important as football is to me, it can never be higher than fourth.My faith has been number one since I was thirteen years old and heard from the pulpit on a Sunday morning in New Orleans a simple question: “If you died today, are you one hundred percent sure you’d go to heaven?” Cooper was there and Eli [Peyton's two brothers] but it didn’t hit them at the time the way it did me. It was a big church, and I felt very small, but my heart was pounding. The minister invited those who would like that assurance through Jesus Christ to raise their hands, and I did. Then he invited us to come forward, to take a stand, and my heart really started pounding. And from where we sat, it looked like a mile to the front. 

But I got up and did it. And I committed my life to Christ, and that faith has been most important to me ever since. Some players get more vocal about it—the Reggie Whites, for example—and some point to Heaven after scoring a touchdown and praise God after games. I have no problem with that. But I don’t do it, and don’t think it makes me any less a Christian. I just want my actions to speak louder, and I don’t want to be more of a target for criticism than I already am. Somebody sees you drinking a beer, which I do, and they think, “Hmmmm, Peyton says he’s this, that, or the other, and there he is drinking alcohol. What’s that all about?” 

Christians drink beer. So do non-Christians. Christians also make mistakes, just as non-Christians do. My faith doesn’t make me perfect, it makes me forgiven, and provides me the assurance I looked for half my life ago. I think God answered our prayers with Cooper, and that was a test of our faith. But I also think I’ve been blessed—having so little go wrong in my life, and being given so much. I pray every night, sometimes long prayers about a lot of things and a lot of people, but I don’t talk about it or brag about it because that’s between God and me, and I’m no better than anybody else in God’s sight.

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Three reasons why our culture is obsessed with marriage. I do seem to notice a lot of articles about marriage show up in my news feed.

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How to give childhood back to children:

All young children are creative. In their play and self-directed exploration they create their own mental models of the world around them and also models of imaginary worlds. Adults whom we call geniuses are those who somehow retain and build upon that childlike capacity throughout their lives. Albert Einstein said his schooling almost destroyed his interest in mathematics and physics, but he recovered it when he left school. He referred to his innovative work as “combinatorial play”. He claimed that he developed his concept of relativity by imagining himself chasing a sunbeam and catching up with it, and then thinking about the consequences. We can’t teach creativity, but we can drive it out of people through schooling that centres not on children’s own questions but on questions dictated by an imposed curriculum that operates as if all questions have one right answer and everyone must learn the same things.

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A fun slideshow of hip children's bookstores. Yes, kids always get the neatest stores. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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The triumphant return of wet shaving. I am a fairly new convert to wet shaving having received all the materials for Christmas last month. I thought with as tough a beard as mine it was going to be difficult. Not only has it been surprisingly easy to switch but I'm actually able to achieve much closer shaves that I had ever been able to get with a multi-blade razor.

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Are you more productive when working in a coffee shop? There's a reason that you might be.

Daily Links 12-24-13

Good morning! Here are a few links to brighten your day: how A Charlie Brown Christmas almost didn't get made, being offended, male friendship and the lost art of conversation, and more.

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It's a safe bet that if A Charlie Brown Christmas was being pitched to television executives today there is no way the program would get made. A brief look at the special's history explains why.

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On being "offended":

No one has a right not to be offended. Sometimes there are questions of such importance that we are compelled to engage in public discussion knowing that it will be upsetting to do so. Imagine how you would feel if someone suggested that you shouldn't be allowed to argue for positions with which they disagree simply because they are incapable of controlling their emotions.

Indeed.

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A library designed to look like a bookstore:

Wow.

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Speaking of libraries, one Ohio library unearthed quite a surprise: a first edition of A Christmas Carol was in their collection.

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A collection of 12 epic reading rooms:

I want one.

Hat tip: Book Riot

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Why we sing Auld Lang Syne on New Years' Eve.

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A wonderful piece from Acculturated on male friendship and the lost art of conversation:

Men tend to take more time to reach the good depths of conversation, the deep personal stuff that women can plumb to in a few minutes. This is why I believe that one of the factors leading to the erosion of male friendships is that our digital culture doesn’t allow men the time necessary to truly talk to each other, and thus get to know and love each other. I went to high school at an all-boys Prep school in the 1980s, and while a lot of the usual male traits were evident at the place – drinking, girl chasing, sports obsession – there was also the cultivation of conversation. We didn’t have cell phones. We would routinely stay up all night talking, especially in the summer when we would spend weekends at the beach. It was in such conversations that deep bonds were forged. You might start out the night with jokes and sports and girl talk, but as the hours passed you’d move into the heavier stuff: God, the meaning of life, what you live for, what makes you cry. A particularly vivid memory is when a popular kid was killed in a drunk driving accident. After the funeral a bunch of us went up to the roof of an apartment building where his family lived and stayed up all night talking. There was no bleeping iPhone, no constant texting to interrupt the rhythm of the journey ever deeper into a genuine and non-sexual intimacy. It just took us longer to deal with the heavy stuff than the girls, who were more in touch with their emotions.

Friday Tweet Roundup 8-23-13

Happy Friday everyone!  I continue to be amazed at what I find on Twitter. Here is a roundup of this week's links. Please follow me on Twitter if you are so inclined.

About three years prior to writing 1984, George Orwell wrote a letter detailing the theories that would shape the novel.

This is a great question: "What will be the cost to the church if young men continue to give themselves to pornography?"

Settling the important questions: when grilling is it better to marinade or rub? Go for the rub. Related: my favorite way to prepare steaks only involves using salt and pepper.

I didn't really understand the appeal of Duck Dynasty until I saw a couple of episodes. Here's an explanation as to why it's so popular (and that's a good thing). It's become one of our favorite shows.

Marian McPartland, hostess of NPR's Piano Jazz passed away this week at 95. An appreciation of her remarkable career.

A young man gets stranded at the airport with no money and nothing to eat. What one restaurant did really shows what great customer service is all about.

Legendary Disney songwriters Richard Sherman and Alan Menken recently appeared in concert together at the D23 Expo and it was as magical as you would expect it to be.

The late Elmore Leonard had some great rules for writers.

Baseball's National Hall of Fame should be about those who played the game with honor. This is an interesting case for one such player who is not currently enshrined in the Hall (but should be).

A 911 operator comes to a bride's rescue. Then they become friends.

15 companies that started out selling something else than what they became famous for.

TIME finally reports on a story that a lot of parents already know about: Public schools are hostile to boys.

It's always tough when you're facing the prospect of leaving your church. Here are 10 questions you should ask yourself if you're considering such a step. It's a serious decision and is worth careful thought and prayer.

What Disney taught one person about leadership.

According to Dr. Albert Mohler, the antidote to anemic worship is expository preaching.

An American POW's prized gold ring returns home after he gave it away for food during World War II.

Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching ace Clayton Kershaw would rather talk about what he's doing off the field. Key quote: "Kershaw said he wants to be known as a Christian who happens to play baseball, not as a baseball player who happens to be a Christian."

There are some that say e-books will be the death of the publishing industry. But one publisher is starting to reward customers with free e-book copies of physical books that they buy. This makes sense to me. Amazon had already done this with CDs purchased through their site so it makes sense that publishers will want to do the same.

From Art of Manliness, five traits of true leadership.

Five habits of highly effective communicators.

How to go from being a good leader to a great manager.

This is amazing: historical black and white photographs are colorized. The results are incredible.

A brief history of everyone's favorite summertime memory: the ice cream truck.

The plucky investigative reporter who got herself committed to an insane asylum. On purpose.

Did you know before she became a famous television chef Julia Child was a spy? The stories of five unlikely spies.

Let's call this your bookstore bucket list. 16 bookstores to see before you die. Judging by the pictures, I'd say they were right.

An interesting interview with the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Convention, Russell Moore. His observations on the role of Christians in culture today are right on the mark.

That's it. Have a great weekend.

Friday Tweet Recap 8-9-13

Here's a roundup of interesting things that I found on the web and tweeted this week. Quite a boatload of links in today's edition. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest:

A historian makes a case for examining the forgotten presidents.

10 signs you might be a Jane Austen addict. This link should in no way imply that I think any of the women in my household should be classified as addicts.

Two different stories on finding love and both of them are unusual: From Wrong Number to Wedded Bliss and From Hashtags to Holy Matrimony.

For some, college is not worth the debt. More and more, this is something that families have to consider before sending their kids off to school.

"How did you like the sermon?" is the wrong question to ask because sermons are not for liking.

6 Commonly Held Misconceptions about Introverts.

10 reasons parents need a date night (with helpful explanations for the kids).

A fascinating survey of book lovers. Some the stats in this survey are really surprising.

I was sorry to hear this news. I hope they will change their minds.

10 things that "Yahweh" means. I honestly didn't know this.

What strengthens and weakens integrity - it's the small choices that count.

Eric Metaxas argues that cultural elites are the next great unreached people group. He makes a very compelling case.

A controversy has arisen over the word "wrath" in a hymn. Timothy George explains the problem. And Thom Rainer has some insight on what this says about evangelism and the church.

A surprisingly positive New York Times profile of the business practices of Christian companies.

Dispelling 12 common myths about Calvinism.

In honor of the announcement of the 12th doctor, 8 pieces of Doctor Who tea swag.

This is one of the rarest things you will see in baseball: a one pitch strikeout.

Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees received a well-deserved 211 game suspension from Major League Baseball. For those unfamiliar with the story, Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan has an excellent timeline of how this came to pass.

More on Rodriguez: the reason why MLB needs to enforce the rules regarding drug use.

Here's one of the best baseball promos I have ever seen: Vin Scully for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

It's been 25 years since the first night game at Wrigley Field. Some recollections from those who were there.

Reclaiming excellence as a Christian virtue.

Some wonderful and weird places for bookstores.

Here's a great case of suburban renewal: abandoned Wal-Mart turned into America's largest library.

That's it. Have a great weekend!