Friday, June 25, 2021

Weekend Links 6-25-21

 Welcome to the last Friday of June. Hard to believe that the year is already half over. Here is an assortment of fun links for your weekend reading.....

Think of the possibilities: a straw that cures hiccups?

 I had no idea that golf was so popular in South Korea that night golf is becoming a trend. I have actually played night golf in Florida before. It is definitely more comfortable to play at night in the dead of summer instead of during the day. 

Meet the folks who make a hobby out of collecting radioactive glass. 

The benefits of reading across genres. 

With the announcement that the Negro Leagues would be recognized as a major league comes the herculean task of assembling statistics. That means a treasure hunt through libraries and newspaper archives. 

Answering the important questions: who invented chicken nuggets?

In 1961, Disney introduced a new method of animation in creating 101 Dalmatians. The innovation ended up saving the studio. 

Travel with us to Bristol, England and their accidental cat pub.

A look at a new biography of Sydney Taylor, author of All-of-a-Kind Family


Friday, June 18, 2021

Weekend Links 6-18-21

 The weekend is upon us which means it is time for another fun assortment of stuff I found on the internet. Hope you enjoy!

A group of fans are trying to raise money to save the family home of Agatha Christie and turn it into a literary center. 

A true heist story reminiscent that you have to read to believe. The most  interesting aspect is the escape of the mastermind of the heist. 

A letter penned by Roald Dahl that was recently sold at auction gives fascinating insight into how he constructed his stories for children.

Looking back at the comic book debut of Superman.

Answering the important questions: Where did the term up to snuff originate?

Joe Posnanski is one of the best writers working today. I loved this article on his love/hate relationship with chess (and I do not play chess).

What makes New York bagels than any other bagels? It could be because they roll their bagels by hand. 

You've probably been told all your life that carrots are good for the eyes. Turns out that is just a clever bit of World War II propaganda. 

Coming soon: a new museum spotlighting television game shows. 

The true story of one of the most successful con men in American history. 

Alfred Hitchcock is known as the Master of Suspense. Equally interesting are the films he didn't get to make. 

Every detail in a Disney theme park is carefully thought out. Occasionally those details can be surprising. For example, the fact that there are no mirrors in the bathrooms

Friday, June 11, 2021

Weekend Links 6-10-21

Back in action after an unexpected absence last week. Nothing serious happened, It was just a matter of not having material to share. Not a whole lot going on this week but enough to at least justify a post. 

On a personal note, I have a new Instagram account dedicated to featuring the best of Golden Age detective fiction. Be sure to check out my new account Bunter and Hastings

Now on to the handful of items I have to share this week:

Rather than rank the best baseball films of all time, official MLB historian John Thorn gives us the best baseball films by era. 

An appreciation for Disney's 101 Dalmatians as one of the greatest crime films of all time. 

Nostalgia alert: American Girl dolls are making a comeback

A new documentary on Charlie Brown and his creator Charles Schulz will premiere later this month on Apple+.

A miniature version of the Statue of Liberty currently resides in Paris. Soon it will come to the United States.

One of the most daring prison escapes ever conceived started with two prisoners making a Ouija board. That was just the beginning of a long con that would ultimately lead to their freedom.