Weekend Links 2-14-20

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned with your special someone. Here's a roundup of this week's interesting links:

Advances in technology have been bad for work life balance. Turns out the laptop is the culprit.

The pictures tell the story: Architect spends 45 years converting a cement factory into a fairy tale home.

I endorse this list: 10 movies that will make any child into a lover of classic suspense.

Here are some neat ways to unlock the power of Alexa.. Plus a list of the best Alexa Easter Eggs.

Sadly legalism is alive and well.

Long read of the week: How Ian Fleming was the darling of critics until he wasn't. For what it's worth I have read all of Fleming's James Bond novels and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Last week astronaut Christina Koch set a record for a woman in space. But what she learned during the mission is more interesting.

The remarkable true story of  Dutch sisters that were a key part of the Resistance during World War II. 

Daily Links 5-1-14

In today's edition: things you're not told about marriage, beggars along the road, how to protect the church in one simple step, and more.

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Marriage is not always easy but always rewarding. Part of what makes it difficult is that there is no way to know in advance everything that you need to know in order to prosper in marriage. But this is a good place to start. 

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A neat photo gallery that celebrates technological marvels of yesteryear. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

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Nate Pyle gets this right: we are all blind beggars along the road.

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Just who is this guy Murphy of Murphy's Law?

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There is a simple way to protect your church according to Tim Challies: preach.

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Need to ask a girl to the prom? No problem! Just get Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez to help you out.

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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Daily Links 9-25-13

Where to find the best burgers, why men aren't singing in church, Babe Ruth getting plunked, pitfalls of modern technology, and more in today's link roundup.

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When I lived in Raleigh, North Carolina years ago I used to frequent a little dive of a burger joint that had some of the best burgers that I have ever tasted. I was happy to discover they are still in business (and still very reasonably priced). So, if you're in the Raleigh area and you want a great burger you have to visit Char-Grill. You will not be disappointed. (Hat tip: Serious Eats)

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I hadn't noticed this but I wonder if it's true that men have stopped singing in church. (Hat tip: Challies)

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A little baseball history: How Babe Ruth brushed off getting plunked.

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I am ashamed to say I can totally relate to this:

This morning I awoke to discover I had no internet access. I don’t mean that after a leisurely breakfast and shower I eventually sat down to my computer and couldn’t get online. I mean I literally “awoke to discover” it, because the first thing I did when my eyes opened was to grab the cell phone from my night stand and check my emails. My inability to do so immediately left me as agitated as a junky in need of a fix, highlighting for me just how addicted I, like countless others, have become to being perpetually connected to the outside world through my phone.

Except that it doesn’t really connect me at all; if anything, my phonedisconnects me from the outside world. Yes, it links me to a multiverse of information and distractions. But there is something about experiencing the world through the addictive central portal of a smartphone that creates a psychological and spiritual distance from the experience and from the world itself.

Read the whole thing.

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I'm not sure whether any of these tips would really be effective, but here are 25 productivity secrets of successful historical figures.

Facebook Ruins Friendships

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day that has teenagers and we were discussing problems in relationships. It seems that her daughter was having some problems with friends that was exacerbated by things that were being posted via text message and Facebook. I then ran across this column about how Facebook can ruin friendships and thought it really struck a chord.All of this made me think about all the stupid things I did as a teenager and how glad I am that I didn't have technology available to make me more stupid. Frankly, I don't know how teenagers today manage. Perhaps we're all better off not relying so heavily on technology to help us maintain contact with our friends.