Weekend Links 4-10-20

Unfortunately this week's links are not as bountiful as previous weeks. I blame the pandemic dominating the news. Hope you enjoy this brief selection of links.

This is probably the most intriguing headline of the week: Do We Want to Go Back to Normal? Lots of interesting things to think about here and whether we want things to go back to the way they were before the pandemic started. I don't think there is any doubt that things will change dramatically in the coming months. Exactly what will change and to what extent remains to be seen.

Audible is making a number of audiobooks available for free right now.

Strange, but true: Ludwig Bemelmans, beloved author of Madeline, once shot a man. 

In 1995, Major League Baseball was recovering from a work stoppage that caused the cancellation of the World Series the previous year. Fortunately they had Cal Ripken, Jr. who helped saved the sport.

The Washington Nationals won their first World Series last year. They came a long way from that inaugural season in the nation's capital.

Leave it Dave Barry to give us something to laugh about during these trying times.

Finally, this made me chuckle especially since I am spending a lot of my free time playing Animal Crossing:

Well now. I've started this thing called #AnimalCrossing – I'm very much taken by the voices of hosts Timmy & Tommy, but am so far somewhat perplexed by the POINT of it all. Is it, in this sense, a metaphor for life itself? I hope not, for I may have pitched my tent ill-advisedly

— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) April 4, 2020

Weekend Links 1-31-20

Each Friday I feature links to articles of interest that I have found. Here is this week's edition for your weekend reading enjoyment.


The weekend is coming up which means it's more than likely you will have brunch at some point over the next couple of days. Have you ever thought about the origin of the term brunch? This article will help. 

So you want to read more books? Here are some ways to make that happen. Some of these suggestions to similar to ones that I offered in a recent post. Related: How to read 100 books in a year.

Here's a potential money saving tip: a new browser extension will let you know when new books are ready for checkout at your local library. 

Prohibition seems like ancient history. Did you ever stop to think why there is no anti-alcohol movement? 

I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from writing but it's likely you don't have a book in you.

Our family watches a number of Korean dramas so naturally we were interested in seeing the movie Parasite while it was still in the theater. It's an extremely well made film and hopefully will win a number of Oscars. While it is not necessarily an entertaining film it is certainly thought provoking. We have been discussing it off and on for days after seeing it. This review explains why the film resonates so deeply with the audience. Related: a profile of the film's director Bong Joon Ho. Also don't miss this: The Oscars need Parasite more than Parasite needs the Oscars.

This is certainly the funniest thing I read this week. I think it's because it is so spot on: Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village.

Personality tests such as the Enneagram are all the rage these days but they don't excuse your sin. 

New research suggests procrastination is about managing your emotions not your time. Interesting stuff.

Another new study suggests skipping the easy tasks and tackling the hard stuff first. I've always heard the opposite is true that it's better to tackle easy tasks first to build momentum to handle the harder tasks. I think I will have to put this into practice to see if it works.

I appreciate the honesty in this column: things I wish I had done differently when I homeschooled. (Hat tip Susan Wise Bauer) Both of these perspectives highlight one of the unique joys of homeschooling: there is no right or wrong way to do it. You can tailor your homeschooling experience to you and your child's needs.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. At the time many pledged a catastrophe such as the Holocaust would never happen again. Sadly, political conditions are such that many worry that it will.

Sunday the Super Bowl will be played in Miami. Dave Barry has some helpful tips for fans visiting Miami for the game. 

And finally, my favorite tweet of the week:

I bought this @designingannie print - inspired by a scene in my book Framed - as a present for someone but now I can’t bear to give it away. Such a thrill
When someone responds to your work with work if their own. Also it’s lovely pic.twitter.com/goa1yaRkUi

— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 29, 2020

Full disclosure: @designingannie is my oldest daughter. As you can imagine, I am a very proud father.

Daily Links 2-26-14

In today's post: a father's advice to his daughter, Opening Day should be a national holiday, how to choose a college major, and more.

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A dad of three has some wise words for his daughters about truth and beauty. (Hat tip: Acculturated)

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14 fun facts you may not know about The Brady Bunch.

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Dave Barry has launched a campaign for men to reclaim their manly skills. While this is funny it's a little serious at the same time.

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Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith has launched an online petition to have Opening Day declared a national holiday. That is a brilliant idea.

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Reflections on the Gettysburg Address:

Lincoln made three great points. He reminded us who we had resolved to be at our founding, invoking the ideals that fostered our revolution. He then mourned with all Americans that the cost of preserving the union that cherished these ideals had been so great. He concluded it was the task of the living to honor the dead by a renewed and continuing devotion to “the new birth of freedom” they had given their lives for. It was as though he was saying, “We must get it right, and never cease trying. What has happened here must never be repeated.”

And so we must keep faith with the compact that Lincoln invoked on a battlefield in Pennsylvania. We must keep the memory of that event and what emerged from it alive and ever present to our minds.

“In the midst of the continual movement that agitates a democratic community,” Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote, “the tie that unites one generation to another is relaxed or broken. . . .” This is a great danger, and surely one that Lincoln recognized in the context of the lessons of Gettysburg.

How do we strengthen the ties that bind? We can do it by reading Lincoln’s words. Sometimes, we can also do it by acting on them.

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Is it worth the money to go to college? Part of the answer to that question lies in what a student decides upon as a major. Here's a handy cost benefit guide to help a student select their major.

Daily Links 2-6-14

In today's links: was a Christian film a victim of bias, how to become a professional author, how Christians should engage culture without falling into the fundamentalist trap, and more.

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I previously noted that Alone Yet Not Alone was honored with an Oscar nomination for best song. But not long after the film was honored the Academy decided to rescind the nomination based on the efforts by the song's producer to lobby Academy members for votes. But his behavior does not seem to be all that different from many other producers. This begs the question whether the film was really victim of some anti-Christian bias in Hollywood.

Related: the producer of Schindler's List says the Oscars are bigoted. Perhaps there is something there after all.

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There's been an ongoing discussion in evangelical circles about how to properly engage the culture and how much we can safely engage before running the risk of sin. Now, Aaron Earls weighs in with some further observations as well as a word of caution for all concerned.

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A good read from Relevant Magazine: the most damaging attitude in our churches.

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Seven ways to judge the effectiveness of your church. Notice that none of these are how many people show up for Sunday morning services.

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Some advice on becoming a professional author from Dave Barry. Hilarious.

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Loads of surprises to be found in these special edition LEGO sets. Fun stuff.

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Five Favorite Audiobooks

Author's note: I'm on the road this week with my family and so blogging will be light. The following is a post that I originally wrote in 2008. Looking back over it I would have to say these are still our favorite audiobooks.

One of the ways we pass the time on our long roadtrips (besides the XM radio) is listening to audiobooks. These are our favorites:

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce
A quirky and charming story inspired by a newspaper clipping the author ran across in a scrapbook. During World War II, paintings from Britain's National Gallery were stored in a slate mine for safekeeping. Boyce imagines what the impact that art would have on the citizens of a small town with absolutely hilarious results. This is one we never get tired of listening to and many of our own family's inside jokes have come from this book. It's a winner.

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Kipling's stories are timeless in and of themselves. But their even better when read aloud. Although several editions exist, our favorite is performed by famed British actor Geoffrey Palmer. He brings a perfect performance to these wonderful stories.

Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The first three installments of the "prequels" to Peter Pan are sheer fun and adventure. Both Pearson and Barry show themselves fully capable of handling the task of writing adventure novels that are geared towards kids. All three are performed by the wonderful Jim Dale who uses a variety of different voices to bring the characters to life. These are especially well-suited for longer road trips.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
These are wonderful books to read aloud as a family. Like many other classic tales, numerous versions of the Chronicles have been made with different narrators. However, the Focus on the Family Radio Theater production (linked above) is by far the best. This is an unabridged dramatization of all seven books and the production is absolutely top-notch. Each installment is also introduced by Lewis' stepson Douglas Gresham who provides some wonderful insights into the writing of each of the volumes. Each time we listen to the books we discover something new and wonderful about the land of Narnia.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
This thirteen-volume saga of the Bauderlaire children has something for both kids and parents alike. The books are both tragic and comic at the same time and like many other good audiobooks remain entertaining over repeated listening. Almost all of the books are narrated by Tim Curry (except for the third, fourth and fifth books which are narrated by the author). Curry's performance is absolutely wonderful and like other great audiobook performers knows how to create unique characters with his voice. Just to hear him bring the oft-coughing Mr. Poe to life is worth the listen.

Looking Back on 2009

It's fitting to look back on the year that was 2009 with Dave Barry's annual year in review column. Enjoy.

Book Review: Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson are back with the fourth installment in their popular Starcatchers series. Click here to read my review of the book at Blogcritics.

Dave Barry and Free Speech

More than anywhere else, colleges and universities consistently restrict students' rights to free speech. Recently a quote from award-winning humor columnist Dave Barry was at the center of a free speech controversy at Marquette University. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education caught up with Barry and spoke with him about the controversy and his advice for students.



Hat tip: Kevin Glass at Townhall

A Look Back at 2008

2008 is drawing to an end and was a long, strange year. Dave Barry takes a humorous look back on the year that was. Read and enjoy.

Serious Coverage of the Democratic Convention

I was going to post something serious about the Democratic Convention but ran across this item instead.

Dave Barry and James Lileks covering the convention is much more fun than reading all that heady stuff about all the bloviating going on at the convention.

Friday Fun - Five Favorite Audiobooks

One of the ways we pass the time on our long roadtrips (besides the XM radio) is listening to audiobooks. These are our favorites:

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce
A quirky and charming story inspired by a newspaper clipping the author ran across in a scrapbook. During World War II, paintings from Britain's National Gallery were stored in a slate mine for safekeeping. Boyce imagines what the impact that art would have on the citizens of a small town with absolutely hilarious results. This is one we never get tired of listening to and many of our own family's inside jokes have come from this book. It's a winner.

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Kipling's stories are timeless in and of themselves. But their even better when read aloud. Although several editions exist, our favorite is performed by famed British actor Geoffrey Palmer. He brings a perfect performance to these wonderful stories.

Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The first three installments of the "prequels" to Peter Pan are sheer fun and adventure. Both Pearson and Barry show themselves fully capable of handling the task of writing adventure novels that are geared towards kids. All three are performed by the wonderful Jim Dale who uses a variety of different voices to bring the characters to life. These are especially well-suited for longer road trips.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
These are wonderful books to read aloud as a family. Like many other classic tales, numerous versions of the Chronicles have been made with different narrators. However, the Focus on the Family Radio Theater production (linked above) is by far the best. This is an unabridged dramatization of all seven books and the production is absolutely top-notch. Each installment is also introduced by Lewis' stepson Douglas Gresham who provides some wonderful insights into the writing of each of the volumes. Each time we listen to the books we discover something new and wonderful about the land of Narnia.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
This thirteen-volume saga of the Bauderlaire children has something for both kids and parents alike. The books are both tragic and comic at the same time and like many other good audiobooks remain entertaining over repeated listening. Almost all of the books are narrated by Tim Curry (except for the third, fourth and fifth books which are narrated by the author). Curry's performance is absolutely wonderful and like other great audiobook performers knows how to create unique characters with his voice. Just to hear him bring the oft-coughing Mr. Poe to life is worth the listen.

An Interview with Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

My kids tell me that I have a really cool avocation. It's hard to disagree especially when I get to review all sorts of free stuff and interview authors. Recently, I had the great privilege of sitting down to chat with Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, authors of the three Peter Pan prequels. The final installment of the trilogy, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, has just been published and we had a chance to talk about the book, the writing process, and lots of other stuff. Check out the interview at Blogcritics.

UPDATE and bump: Dave Barry links to the interview.