Weekend Links 6-5-20

We are back after an unexpected hiatus. Actually, I had taken some time off from the day job and consequently spent less time online than normal. As a result, this week's post is a little bit longer as I have been saving a few things that I had wanted to share. Hopefully this week's post will offer you will a needed diversion from the concerns of the week.

As I write this I am waiting for baseball to return. Tom Verducci from Sports Illustrated checked in with Vin Scully to see how he is recovering from his recent fall. Turns out he is missing baseball too. 

Meanwhile, MLB.com writers share their favorite baseball books. Lots of great titles on this list. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Negro Baseball Leagues. Check out this article on why black baseball still matters after all this time. 

Recently at Arlington National Cemetery they opened a 105 year old time capsule. They discovered that the contents had hardly aged. 

Nostalgia alert: Necco Wafers will soon be available in stores again.

This is a fascinating story: a real life Lord of the Flies that turned out far differently from the novel. 

Ranking the 10 best Sherlock Holmes stories.

Why is classic crime fiction still so popular? You can't do any better than asking Martin Edwards. His book The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books is an indispensable resource. 

More interesting history: How the Black Plague gave rise to the British pub culture.

Alan Jacobs' advice to journalists: stop saying "experts".

This brings back memories: the history of Pac-Man.

An appreciation of one of the best crime dramas of all time: The Rockford Files.

Finally, if there is one writer I can heartily recommend in these dark times it is P. G. Wodehouse. His sunny dispositon and endless optimism is the perfect antidote to these dark times. This New Yorker article explores what happened to Wodehouse following his ill-advised radio broadcasts from Germany during his internment.  Meanwhile, this BBC article headline says it all: the man who wrote the most perfect sentences ever written. 

Daily Links 10-10-13

Build your own beverage station, whether testing measures educational accomplishment, Amazon destroying literature, and more in today's roundup of links.

*************************

This is a cool idea:

The best part? The materials all came from Target.

Hat tip: Food Riot

*********************

Is Amazon destroying serious literature? One novelist thinks so. I'm not so sure about that.

*********************

10 Old English words you should be using. Personally, I'm fond of mugwump.

*********************

What if Disney characters had Instagram accounts?

One common critique I hear of education reform is its heavy reliance on standardized tests to measure outcomes. But does testing really accomplish anything? I don't think so.

*********************

Making the case for engaging the culture:

We, you and me and everyone else alive, do theological thinking every day. It’s just that some people do it more consciously than others. That doesn’t mean they do it better, but they are at least more intentional and aware of it.

We’re also all affected by culture, and unless you’re Amish and therefore I’m not entirely sure how or why you’re reading this right now, you interact with pop culture every single day of your life. Thus, it makes great sense for us to take these two everyday realties and acknowledge their deep and important connection. Notice I didn’t say bring them together. That’s important here. These are not two realities that need to be brought together. They already are overlapping, interacting, and informing each other all the time. Theology, spirituality, culture….they mingle as one. 

**********************

An interesting list of 10 things you should know about goals.

Daily Links 9-3-13

Discounts, grammar, literature, beer and Nutella all in today's links. Enjoy.

************************************************

From Lifehacker, Top 10 Tricks to Get Discounts on Almost Anything. Just as an aside, last week I canceled my cable television and satellite radio services (mostly to save money). In both cases the customer service reps tried to offer me substantial discounts to stay with them. If I could have afforded it they might have been deals to consider. If you think you're paying too much for a service it's worth seeing if the provider will offer you a discount to stay with them. Chances are they probably will.

*************************************************

One girl took her love for Nutella and turn it into, well this:

Hat tip: Neatorama

*************************************************

17 famous literary characters that were originally called something else.

*************************************************

Sorting out the thorny affect vs. effect problem.

*************************************************

Who says a little alcohol doesn't help get the creative juices flowing? Ten things that were created over a couple of beers.