Daily Links 3-24-14

Good morning. Here are some links to help start off the week. In today's edition: features of the New Calvinism, marketing the moon, things we should get rid of to help our kids, and more.

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John Piper recently spoke at Westminster Seminary and spoke on the features of New Calvinism. Tim Challies has a nice summary of his address. 

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If you are looking for a way to waste time on the Internet, here's the best way I know how.

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On the other hand, here are three ways to get more out of every hour. 

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Marketing the Moon: The Selling the Apollo Lunar Program appears to be a fascinating look at public relations in the era of the Space Race.

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The perfect thing for a book lover: literary greeting cards.

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George Washington didn't lose his temper often but there was one time when it was reported he swore "like an angel from heaven."

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9 things we should get rid of to help our kids. Some very sound advice in this article.

Daily Links 3-6-14

In today's edition: Wasting time on Pinterest, the spouse checklist, the making of a bestseller, spiritual schizophrenia, and more.

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Top 10 Pinterest time wasters - tips that don't work. Good to know that these have already been tested. I can safely disregard them.

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This is fun: 16 signs your sidekick material.

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The Spouse Checklist:

It dawned on me a few years later when I heard a wise man mention a spouse checklist (hey, I know what that is!), but not one that I'd made for my spouse (oh, guess not), one that I would create for myself (all right, now I'm listening). He suggested a list of requirements to prepare myself to be the person I knew my spouse would need. As I listened to him explain, I felt a small pressure in my chest. Yes, this would have helped me earlier.

So I've begun a different list. This is by no means exhaustive! There's still plenty of room to add more ways to grow as a spouse. Also, for any given couple, some things will come easily in the relationship, and some will feel unnatural or even impossible. I'll share my own spouse checklist along with updates on how things are going — all the while fully acknowledging that no line-item will ever be perfectly complete in this lifetime.

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The dark underbelly of marketing of Christian books: how a marketing company turned a Mark Driscoll book into a New York Times bestseller. Whatever you may think of Driscoll these tactics give one cause for concern.

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Are those Star Trek Federation symbols I see? Maybe.

Hat tip: Neatorama

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Paul David Tripp on the problem of Spiritual Schizophrenia:

I want to write today about something that I call Spiritual Schizophrenia. I can summarize it with a question: does the public persona of your faith live in harmony with the private realities of your life?

Hat tip: Challies

Daily Links 10-25-13

In today's roundup of links: origins of Star Trek, pitfalls of our celebrity culture, why restarting your computer is the easiest way to fix problems, and more.

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Willie Nelson once sang "Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys." Now it might be more appropriate to say, "Don't let your babies grow up to be celebrities."

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Star Trek only ran for three years on television but became an instant legend. The irony is that it wouldn't have made it on air at all if it hadn't been for a rather unlikely producer: Lucille Ball.

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Most people know that performing a complete restart on your computer or other electronic device is often the easiest way to fix a problem. Why is that?

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Why we overestimate the power of technology and underestimate the power of words:

Many experts assume that Amazon’s social recommender system is its killer feature. But what exactly about this feature makes it a killer? 

What — in fact — is the magic sauce of Amazon? 

Sure, there is some predictive value in keeping track of many different variables. There always is. It’s probably Amazon’s best kept secret. But I am guessing it’s not only a secret for people outside of Amazon.

If you would ask me what the most persuasive ingredient is of the sauce, I would say it’s copy.
The smartest algorithms make sure you get to see products that you love (to buy). A recommendation engine knows what you really want, what you really really want. Computing thousands of variables is the key to predicting consumer behavior. Right? 

Nah, I don’t buy it. The black box probably does have an impact, but I know for sure that the copy does.

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Play with your food! Some amazing food art:

More here.

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