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. 

Weekend Links 3-27-20

It's been a struggle finding articles of interest that are not related to coronavirus. Some of this week's selections are somewhat related to the pandemic while others are not. Hopefully they will be of sufficient distraction.

Last week I mentioned that Capitol Hill Books in Washington, DC was allowing customers to browse through the store by themselves. Now they are going one better by sending mystery packages to customers. 

The pandemic has been hard on independent booksellers. Here are some great ways to show them some love during these difficult times.

What is it like to be an independent bookseller in a remote part of the country? Check out this article: Bookselling at the End of the World.

You can't get out of the house and the libaries are closed anyway. Not to worry you can still borrow books online. 

Stuck at home? Get caught up on some classic mysteries. If you prefer to stream your mysteries, check out this list of classic cozy British mysteries.

It's also a good time to join an online book club. Here's the information on the P. G. Wodehouse Book Club. We'll be discussing The Inimitable Jeeves this week.

You can now virtually explore the Smithsonian Institution museums. 

Did a letter from a boy with  toy bullet enclosed lead to a famous publicity photo by Don Knotts in his Barney Fife uniform? You decide.

This is neat: an architect repurposed an old baseball stadium into apartments.

If you are missing baseball (like me) you can always check out the MLB Vault on YouTube. 

Yesterday was supposed to Opening Day for the 2020 baseball season. Thomas Boswell has some thoughts on missing Opening Day as well as other sports. 

There's no doubt in my mind that Vin Scully is the voice of hope and optimism that we need. (audio embedded in the article)

If you've seen The Natural you are familiar with the scene where Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) knocks the cover off a baseball. But what do the rules say about when that actually happens? It has and the answer might just surprise you. 

Podcasts of the week: with so many people now working from home for the first time I thought these two podcasts would be particularly helpful. In the latest episode of Focus on This tips are shared on how to be more productive at home. The latest episode of Lead to Win addresses the challenges of working from home while balancing family responsibilities.

Tweet(s) of the week: take time to read this whole thread. I love that this guy felt compelled to get answers to his questions.

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.