Weekend Links 4-17-20

Congratulations on making it through another week. Here is a collection of items for your weekend enjoyment.

During Prohibition, breweries had to engage in other businesses in order to survive. For example, Pabst made cheese.

This seems somewhat ill-advised but I can see how current circumstances provide a unique opportunity. A Cannonball team set a new cross-country record. This story naturally makes me think of The Cannonball Run although I have always thought The Gumball Rally was the better film. This guide to the New York locations from The Gumball Rally is a lot of fun.

Folks are doing a lot more cooking these days and some places are sharing their recipes. For example, Disney has shared the recipe for their iconic Dole Whip treat sold in the theme parks. Meanwhile, Doubletree by Hilton has shared the recipe for their signature chocolate chip cookies. 

Last weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 13 moon mission. How NASA turned what could have been its greatest failure into a triumph.

In every baseball box score you will see runs/hits/errors. Why those statistics used to define the game but don't any longer. 

I really miss baseball. I agree with this columnist's thoughts. 

Video of the week: why are ballparks all different dimensions? The answer might surprise you.


These are tough times for independent booksellers. However, thanks to Bookshop there is a way for them to sell their merchandise on line.

Some recommendations of classic detective novels to read while quarantined. Quite a few of my favorites made this list.

Lots of folks are baking while quarantined but are having trouble finding yeast. Here are a collection of yeast free recipes to try. Beer Bread has been a staple in our household for years. Also, here's an easy recipe to make your own bagels with just a few ingredients. My oldest daughter made these the other day and they were terrific.

What I am listening to: my current favorite podcast is the Shedunnit Show. Author Caroline Crampton discusses classic crime fiction as well as some of the real cases that inspired golden age fiction.

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 2-28-14

Your weekend roundup of links: cooking with Jane Austen, the cult of the visioneer, perfecting timekeeping, romantic Disney moments, why we sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch, and more.

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You love Jane Austen's novels. You also love to cook. This literary cookbook is just for you.

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When wading into the fashion wars with your kids it's best to tread lightly.

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Why Christians should engage with non-Christian art. Good food for thought.

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How often have you heard it said in a church that "God has given the pastor a specific vision and it's up to us to follow it"? That's a very dangerous line of thinking as Todd Pruitt explains. Background on this issue here.

Hat tip: Challies

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Another endorsement for The Gospel at Work. 

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How Omega has perfected the art of timekeeping.

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The most romantic moments in Disney movies.

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What you have to do first before you can agree or disagree with someone (from How to Read a Book).

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Why we sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch at baseball games. You can thank Harry Caray and Bill Veeck for this tradition.

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Do the math: there are plenty of reasons to order the bigger pizza.

Daily Links 2-18-14

In today's edition: missing the point of Let It Go, the real Monuments Men, World War II propaganda, you will never be ready for marriage, and more.

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Let It Go is the wildly popular song from Disney's Frozen. Trevin Wax wonders (correctly) whether we are missing the point of the song.

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A preview for the movie Unbroken. It looks really good. If you haven't read the book you really should.

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15 helpful uses for vinegar. It has all kinds of uses I never would have thought of.

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The story of the real Monuments Men. Needless to say it's a lot different from the Hollywood version.

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Private Snafu - World War II propaganda cartoons created by Dr. Seuss, Mel Blanc and Frank Capra.

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You will never be ready for marriage. I certainly wasn't.

If there’s one thing about life that I wish everyone would consider — particularly my peers, and those younger than me — it’s that you’ll never do the big things if you’re waiting until you’re ready to do them.

You’ll never be ready.

You. Will. Never. Be. Ready.

You can’t possibly understand the reality of marriage — the joy, the commitment, the love, the anger, the pain, the hope, the fulfillment, the excitements, the banalities, the journey, the sacrifices, the rewards, the journey — until you’re in it. Same can be said for parenthood, only more so.

How many people have been scared away from the altar because of this phantom notion of “readiness”? How many marriages destroyed because, confused and struggling, one or both partners suddenly decided that they were “never ready” to be married?

Look, I wouldn’t presume to give marital “advice.” In my life I’ve met a few people really qualified for that job, and I’m not one of them. But I come across this “divorce is high because people aren’t ready for marriage” shtick quite a bit. Predictably, it’s mostly unmarried folks who say these things. And it only results in more and more people my age hesitating to break out of the cocoon of adolescence and get going with their lives.

We commonly view living together as a logical step before marriage, but it isn’t. It’s something some people do, but it isn’t a step to marriage. Your marriage is defined by the commitment you make to the other person — not by the bathroom or mortgage you share. Living with someone is not a “warm up” for marriage or a “try out” period, precisely because it lacks the essential, definitive characteristic of that permanent commitment. You can’t comfortably transition into an eternal vow. You make it, and then it’s made.

Period.

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Why writers make the worst procrastinators.

Daily Links 2-14-14

Here are a few links for your weekend reading enjoyment. In this edition: the great animation renaissance, some fascinating history about Abraham Lincoln, a Christian in Hollywood, and more.

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The greatest renaissance in Disney animation is due to a group of CalArts students who attended the school in the 1970s. This is their story.

It was a staggering number. In November 2012, the  Los Angeles Times reported that directors who had been students in the California Institute of the Arts’ animation programs had generated more than $26 billion at the box office since 1985, breathing new life into the art of animation. The list of their record-breaking and award-winning films—which include  The Brave Little Toaster, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story, Pocahontas, Cars, A Bug’s Life, The Incredibles, Corpse Bride, Ratatouille, Coraline—is remarkable. Even more remarkable was that so many of the animators not only went to the same school but were students together, in the now storied CalArts classes of the 1970s. Their journey begins, and ends, with the Walt Disney Studios. As director and writer Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) observes, “People think it was the businessmen, the suits, who turned Disney Animation around. But it was the new generation of animators, mostly from CalArts. They were the ones who saved Disney.”

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Seven challenges of activity-driven churches. There is definitely a downside to having too many things going on at church.

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Houses sure to please any book lover as they are built out of books.

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This is an interesting bit of history. Months before President Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed he was almost shot and killed. 

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Kevin DeYoung offers some guidance to sports writers with some interesting results.

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Is it possible to be an actor and remain a faithful Christian? Yes, but it's not easy.

Daily Links 2-4-14

In today's post: work that makes a difference, an astronaut's guide to life,

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Tim Challies on the meaning of work:

Here’s the thing I had to see, and the thing I still need to call to mind: Work is not significant only when it utilizes my full capacity or full capabilities. Work is not significant only when it offers unusual challenge or special opportunity. Work is not significant only when it is measurable in dollars and cents or praise and compliments. Work has intrinsic significance because it gives me the opportunity to do something with joy—with joy in the Lord. I can do my work in such a way that it glorifies God, or I can do it in such a way that it dishonors him. Anything I can do to God’s glory has significance. It has great significance! 

How do I do my work to the glory of God? I embrace that task, no matter how menial or insignificant it may seem. I do it when I’m told to do it, I do it to completion, and I do it with joy. When I do it this way, I am glorifying God.

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Astronaut Chris Hadfield on success:

If you view crossing the finish line as the measure of your life, you’re setting yourself up for a personal disaster. … Commanding a spaceship or doing a spacewalk is a very rare, singular moment-in-time event in the continuum of life. You need to honor the highs and the peaks in the moments — you need to prepare your life for them — but recognize the fact that the preparation for those moments is  your life and, in fact, that’s the richness of your life. … The challenge that we set for each other, and the way that we shape ourselves to rise to that challenge, is life.

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How to deal with the dreaded "to be read" (TBR) list:

What we do, I think, is throw away the lists. Delete the anxiety-inducing, peer pressure-based apps. Break up with the social networks and the reading challenges and the book clubs we like attending because the people are great even though we never finish the books. We kick prescriptive reading plans to the curb. We remind ourselves that there are no “shoulds” in the reading life, that there are myriad reasons for reading, and that we can read whatever we want, whenever we want, for whatever reason floats our bookish boats. We are not beholden to the list of hundreds or thousands of want-to-read titles we’ve been tracking for years.

We are not the same people we were when we began those lists, and it is not only okay but actually good for us to do some culling. If your TBR list has become a source of stress, get rid of it. If that pile of unread books in your home gives you guilt rather than anticipatory pleasure, spread those suckers out on the floor and yank out the ones you’re no longer interested in. If you really wanted to read that book you’ve had sitting around for a decade, you’d have done it by now. So what that you spent fifteen bucks on it back in the day? Donate it to a shelter or charity, and give yourself the gift of reading freedom. If buying books makes you feel committed, try your library or an ebook subscription service. You’re not going to get a better seat in heaven or earn imaginary reader brownie points or get any recognition or reward at all for making yourself read a book you felt obligated to. You’re just going to lose time you could have spent reading something you would have gotten more out of.

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The amazing story of the woman who survived three ship accidents including the sinking of the Titanic.

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13 Sleeping Beauty facts in honor of the film's 55th anniversary. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Sleeping Beauty was not a darling at the time. Critics thought the movie moved slowly and lacked character development. 

Sleeping Beauty was such a box office bomb (at least, compared to the cost of production) that the company decided that princess movies weren’t exactly the wave of the future. They didn’t make another princess movie until 30 years later, when The Little Mermaid was released in 1989.

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Ethical concerns and the Oscars. Which begs the question of how you deal with the art of people who are despicable.

Daily Links 12-30-13

Good morning. Here are a collection of links that will help start your week off right. In today's edition: minimalist Disney posters, the art of conversation, reflections from Richard Sherman, and more.

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A really cool collection of minimalist Disney posters.

Hat tip: Neatorama

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Seven weird (and sometimes dangerous) ways that kids amused themselves before video games.

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Author Sherry Turkle is on a mission to save the lost art of conversation:

The conclusion she’s arrived at while researching her new book is not, technically, that we’re not talking to each other. We’re talking all the time, in person as well as in texts, in e-mails, over the phone, on Facebook and Twitter. The world is more talkative now, in many ways, than it’s ever been. The problem, Turkle argues, is that all of this talk can come at the expense of conversation. We’re talking at each other rather than with each other.

Conversations, as they tend to play out in person, are messy—full of pauses and interruptions and topic changes and assorted awkwardness. But the messiness is what allows for true exchange. It gives participants the time—and, just as important, the permission—to think and react and glean insights. “You can’t always tell, in a conversation, when the interesting bit is going to come,” Turkle says. “It’s like dancing: slow, slow, quick-quick, slow. You know? It seems boring, but all of a sudden there’s something, and whoa.”

Occasional dullness, in other words, is to be not only expected, but celebrated. Some of the best parts of conversation are, as Turkle puts it, “the boring bits.” In software terms, they’re features rather than bugs.

Hat tip: Acculturated

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Speaking of conversation, here is some timeless advice on the art of conversation from 1866.

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Richard Sherman reflects on what it was like to work on bringing Mary Poppins to the screen with her creator, P. L. Travers:

"Nobody knows the Sturm und Drang we went though," said a vigorous Mr. Sherman last month, sitting near his two Oscars and assorted other honors in the library of the spacious Tudor-style house he has lived in for some 40 years. "Let me make a calculated understatement: She was a very difficult woman. It was awful to be in a room where everything you said was contradicted. She made us feel terrible constantly. But Walt said: 'Don't let her get to you. Just keeping doing what you do.'" 

As depicted in "Saving Mr. Banks"—and corroborated on audio tapes made at her insistence during story conferences—Travers was as determined to exclude songs or animation from any adaptation of "Mary Poppins" as Disney was to include those very things. "She didn't recognize that her character lent itself to a musical," Mr. Sherman recalled. "She had no imagination for other mediums, just the page. We added to what she had already created."

Travers wrote eight "Mary Poppins" books before she died, at age 96, in 1996, but in the 1960s there were only five—all loose collections of vignettes ill-suited, in their original form, to screen adaptation. "Everybody thinks Mrs. Travers wrote the story for the film, but it was Don DaGradi and Bob and Dick Sherman who wrote it," Mr. Sherman said. "Walt asked us to read the first book and tell him what we thought. We knew the gauntlet had been thrown. But these stories had no plot, so we created a viable storyline. And then Bill Walsh came in and made a great screenplay with Don."

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Three influential writers share why they blog. I think folks will start blogging for any number of reasons and all three have some interesting things to say about writing and why they have chosen to blog.

Daily Links 12-19-13

In today's edition: how Tom Hanks became Walt Disney, fun facts about Mary Poppins, the psychology of grocery stores, and more.

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Tom Hanks portrays Walt Disney in the new movie Saving Mr. Banks which opens nationwide tomorrow. Here's the story behind how he transformed himself into the entertainment icon:

“This film portrays a side of Disney we haven’t seen before,” Director John Lee Hancock reveals.

“It’s not the Walt we know from The Wonderful World of Disney, which was fun to explore,” Hancock continues, “but, someone had to play Walt Disney, become Walt Disney. Who would that be? There was really only one person that all of us could think of—Tom. I wasn’t trying to put a rubber mask on Tom and make him look exactly like Disney. I wanted Walt Disney to come from inside. Tom is such a fine actor that that’s where he begins his work—from the inside. 

“Tom grew his own mustache,” Hancock continues in describing Hanks’ physical “transformation” for the role. “There’s a lot of voice work, the way he walks, the body position, the way he holds his hands, the way he touches his mustache. How he phrases things and lets sentences roll off the end. He simply became Walt Disney to me and I was completely amazed.”

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And, since we are on the subject of Mary Poppins, here are 21 things about the film you probably didn't know.

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This looks like a fun site: Pulp! the Classics.

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Yes, the way your grocery store is laid out is designed to mess with your head:

As we’ve seen in Guy’s Grocery Games, navigating a grocery store is not an easy feat. You go in for milk and leave with six bottles of wine (on sale!) and a bag of chips. Our friendly grocers are just honest businesspeople trying to sell some food. We would never accuse them of Jedi mind tricks. 

Okay, yes we would. No consumer arena has been as psychoanalyzed as much as the grocery store. Like any responsible business owner, grocers have studied their consumers and learned what makes us tick. Often referred to as “the racetrack,” a grocery store is designed to get you into the “track” and make you go as slowly as possible through every aisle. Most of the major products have been strategically placed to maximize your time and money spent.

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The incredible story of one of the most amazing pieces of music every written, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (complete with links to the song).

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Some words of wisdom from Casey Stengel

Daily Links 12-18-13

Good morning! In today's roundup of links: bestowing a long overdue honor, surprising ways to make decisions, Frozen, Saving Mr. Banks, Tim Keller on pastors who write books, and more.

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Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, and Joe Torre are all being inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame next year for their managerial careers and rightly so. But there's another inductee who is receiving some long overdue recognition as well: Roger Angell. Follow the link for a sampling of his terrific work. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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Six surprising ways to make decisions. It's an interesting list.

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Another interesting review of Mansfield's Book of Manly Men: An Utterly Invigorating Guide to Being Your Most Masculine Self.  Perhaps most interesting is that it is written by a woman.

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Disney celebrates sisterly love in Frozen. Haven't seen it yet (at least as of the writing of this post) but plan to take the family soon.

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Speaking of Disney, another movie I am looking forward to seeing is Saving Mr. Banks. Here's a list of 10 things you should know about this real life story.

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Tim Keller on whether pastors should consider writing as part of their ministry and when they should start to write books:

Pastors can write as a valid part of pastoral ministry. It is part of the ministry of the Word. The ministry of the Word does not mean only the spoken word. But when they should write is the question.

I don't think ministers should produce much in the way of book-length writing in the first half or even two-thirds of their ministry. Why? 

1. Because they are still growing in their wisdom and understanding of the Word, and they are likely to change their mind on some things. 

2. Because (yes) it will distract them from the two main ways they can grow into wise and skillful ministers with something to say. Those two things are regular preaching/teaching and a lot of pastoral involvement. 

3. I think younger ministers should earn their credibility through building up some fruitful and effective ministries. That takes literally all one's time for a long time. They should not divert valuable time for ministry to writing. I know that if a young minister sees his church grow rapidly he will be bombarded with offers to write books, but even if his church grows to thousands of people by the time he is in his early 30s, he is still not really time-tested, nor does he yet have the insights and knowledge of the Bible he will have later.

4. If you wait to write until you are older, the writing will go much faster, because you will have reams of material and many layers of thought about a lot of subjects and texts. Writing a book in your 50s will go twice as fast and be twice as good as if you try the same book in your 30s. It's just good stewardship to wait.

Hat tip: Justin Taylor via Twitter

Daily Links 12-12-13

In today's link roundup: some neat history, Stephen Mansfield on why he wrote his latest book, behind the scenes of Disney animated movies, how to listen to music, and more.

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This is cool. The actual immigration form completed by the Apollo 11 astronauts when then returned to Hawaii.

Source

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One of my favorite books I have read recently is Mansfield's Book of Manly Men: An Utterly Invigorating Guide to Being Your Most Masculine Self (my review of the book is here). In this post, author Stephen Mansfield explains why he wrote the book. 

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A neat gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from Disney animated movies.

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Helping men dealing with pornography addiction by understanding why they look at pornography in the first place.

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A vintage guide to 7 essential skills in listening to music.

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A classic novel that almost wasn't. George Orwell nearly drowned in a whirpool midway during writing 1984. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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Here's a fun post for your kids: the faces behind the Disney princesses.

Daily Links 11-21-13

Playing Poirot, the secrets of the Zapruder film, how to be a man at home, cool book nooks, and more in today's roundup of links.

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David Suchet shares his secrets to playing Hercule Poirot. Some of the tips are a little surprising. For example, I didn't realize that he would watch each previous portrayal before filming a new installment. Plus I love the fact that he stays in character all throughout filming.

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Brian Howard has five tips for how to be a man at home. These are all great suggestions.

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Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy. The most famous piece of film from that day is the amateur 8mm movie taken by Abraham Zapruder. Life Magazine has the story of how they managed to acquire this precious piece of film.

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This is surprising:

Full story here.

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Some people love Disney so much they decided to move there. Not a bad deal if you have a couple of million to spare.
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Here's a collection of book nooks that will warm your heart. I think this one is my favorite.

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How C. S. Lewis led the way to better apologetics.

Daily Links 10-31-13

Catching up with the Robertsons, don't follow your passion, why introverts make good leaders, plus a couple of bonus Halloween links in today's post.

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Leave it to Si Robertson to succinctly state what is wrong with the world: "It ain't gun control we need; it's sin control." He made this statement in a lengthy profile of the Robertson clan of Duck Dynasty fame that appears in the current issue of Men's Journal. The whole article is worth reading. (Hat tip: The Blaze)

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Darius Rucker first hit it big as frontman for Hootie and the Blowfish. But he's gone on to have a successful career in country music, too. The video below is a perfect example of his music. Be sure to watch carefully for some special cameos (and make sure to watch all the way to the end).



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Dilbert creator Scott Adams has some advice on how to be successful: don't follow your passion:

For most people, it's easy to be passionate about things that are working out, and that distorts our impression of the importance of passion. I've been involved in several dozen business ventures over the course of my life, and each one made me excited at the start. You might even call it passion. 

The ones that didn't work out—and that would be most of them—slowly drained my passion as they failed. The few that worked became more exciting as they succeeded. For example, when I invested in a restaurant with an operating partner, my passion was sky high. And on day one, when there was a line of customers down the block, I was even more passionate. In later years, as the business got pummeled, my passion evolved into frustration and annoyance. 

On the other hand, Dilbert started out as just one of many get-rich schemes I was willing to try. When it started to look as if it might be a success, my passion for cartooning increased because I realized it could be my golden ticket. In hindsight, it looks as if the projects that I was most passionate about were also the ones that worked. But objectively, my passion level moved with my success. Success caused passion more than passion caused success.

Hat tip: Lifehacker

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Readers can save the world! Not really, but reading is good for you according to our friends to the north.

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Four things introverts do that make them effective leaders. This is an interesting read. (Hat tip Adrian Warnock)

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Five myths of leadership. I have to admit I have heard every single one of these and thought they were all true. (Hat tip Vicki Whiting)

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It can now be revealed that Disney's Imagineers tested the Haunted Mansion special effects on the night cleaning crew:

Hat tip: Neatorama

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Today marks the 75th anniversary of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast. You can listen to the entire broadcast here. Welles' sign-off was priceless:

"This is Orson Welles, ladies and gentlemen, out of character to assure you that “The War of The Worlds” has no further significance than as the holiday offering it was intended to be. The Mercury Theatre’s own radio version of dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying Boo! Starting now, we couldn’t soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night …so we did the best next thing. We annihiliated the world before your very ears, and utterly destroyed the Columbia Broadcasting System. You will be relieved, I hope, to learn that we didn’t mean it, and that both institutions are still open for business. So goodbye everybody, and remember the terrible lesson you learned tonight. That grinning, glowing, globular invader of your living room is an inhabitant of the pumpkin patch, and if your doorbell rings and nobody’s there, that was no Martian …it’s Halloween!"

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.

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This is a cool idea:

The best part? The materials all came from Target.

Hat tip: Food Riot

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

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

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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.

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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. 

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

Daily Links 10-2-13

A little photographic history, words that don't exist in English (but should), John Coltrane, and more in today's link roundup.

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Why didn't people smile in 19th century photographs? The answer is somewhat surprising. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

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25 words that don't exist in English (but probably should) (hat tip: Eliana Johnson)

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A baseball fan's bucket list (and a mighty fine one at that).

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John Coltrane's handwritten outline for A Love Supreme. Check out the entire story here.

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Are you studying or reading? Unfortunately I can relate to this post. (Hat tip: Blogging Theologically)

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Disney quote of the day:

I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost. –Pooh
— Disney Words (@disneywords) September 24, 2013

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A profile of the real-life Indiana Jones. Yes, there is someone who really resembles the movie character.

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Wally Pipp is best known as the guy benched in favor of Lou Gehrig. But do you know the rest of the Pipp story? 

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Just how close did we come to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis? If it weren't for one Soviet submariner disobeying orders we would have gone to war.

Daily Links 9-30-13

Ernest Hemingway's Reading List for young adults, just because a book is labeled "young adult" doesn't mean you should ignore it, Instragramming your meal, and more in today's link roundup.


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Ernest Hemingway once wrote out a reading list for a young man. But that's only the beginning of the story.
(Hat tip: Buzzfeed)

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Young Adult Fiction is better than you think. Or as my daughter (who pointed this out to me) put it, a good story is a good story.

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Disney quote of the day:

Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day. –Pooh
— Disney Words (@disneywords) September 21, 2013

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Want to Instragram your meal? Bobby Flay is okay with that:

“Listen, if you want to come to my restaurant, where you’re paying for your meal, and you want to take a picture of my food and advertise it all over the world and the internet, be my guest,” Bobby responded.

Hat tip: Food Riot

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When someone says to you, "God Told Me", how do you react?

Hat tip: Blogging Theologically

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No Shirt, No Shoes, No Sagging, No Service? (via Food Riot)

Weekend Links 9-28-13

A little nostalgia, Alfred Hitchcock, some odd Disney facts, and more fun stuff for your weekend reading pleasure.


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If you are of a certain age, you likely had a Trapper Keeper while you were in school. Here's a wonderful history of our favorite school accessory.

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All of Alfred Hitchcock's cameo appearances in one video:




Source

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An assortment of odd Disney movie facts.

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Grammar rules: how to use a comma without looking like an idiot. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

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Five curious cases of international borders.

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Going the extra mile: A woman loses her wedding ring. A Panera Bread store manager finds the ring in their parking lot.  Key quote:‘This is Panera. This is what we do, we build relationships so our guests can come back."
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Ten baseball songs you probably have never heard (at least I had never heard of any of them).

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A guide to reading the Federalist Papers (hint: you don't have to read them all)

Daily Links 9-17-13

Work, misspelled cakes, introverts, switching careers, and more in today's link roundup.

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Five encouragements for your work.

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Why do baseball teams bunt so much? And is it effective? (The short answer is no)

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When spelling names on cakes goes horribly wrong. (Hat tip Neatorama)

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"I'm an introvert, and I don't need to come out of my shell." I couldn't agree more. Also, his points on homeschooling are dead on.

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This just goes to show that it's never too late start over in your career: 10 People Who Switched Careers After 50 and Thrived.


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What's the Difference Between Women Preaching and Women Blogging? There is a difference. I think the author is right on the money in her analysis of this issue.

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The real life inspirations behind Disney Princesses.

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Finally, a little Cubs humor:

Friday Tweet Roundup 8-23-13

Happy Friday everyone!  I continue to be amazed at what I find on Twitter. Here is a roundup of this week's links. Please follow me on Twitter if you are so inclined.

About three years prior to writing 1984, George Orwell wrote a letter detailing the theories that would shape the novel.

This is a great question: "What will be the cost to the church if young men continue to give themselves to pornography?"

Settling the important questions: when grilling is it better to marinade or rub? Go for the rub. Related: my favorite way to prepare steaks only involves using salt and pepper.

I didn't really understand the appeal of Duck Dynasty until I saw a couple of episodes. Here's an explanation as to why it's so popular (and that's a good thing). It's become one of our favorite shows.

Marian McPartland, hostess of NPR's Piano Jazz passed away this week at 95. An appreciation of her remarkable career.

A young man gets stranded at the airport with no money and nothing to eat. What one restaurant did really shows what great customer service is all about.

Legendary Disney songwriters Richard Sherman and Alan Menken recently appeared in concert together at the D23 Expo and it was as magical as you would expect it to be.

The late Elmore Leonard had some great rules for writers.

Baseball's National Hall of Fame should be about those who played the game with honor. This is an interesting case for one such player who is not currently enshrined in the Hall (but should be).

A 911 operator comes to a bride's rescue. Then they become friends.

15 companies that started out selling something else than what they became famous for.

TIME finally reports on a story that a lot of parents already know about: Public schools are hostile to boys.

It's always tough when you're facing the prospect of leaving your church. Here are 10 questions you should ask yourself if you're considering such a step. It's a serious decision and is worth careful thought and prayer.

What Disney taught one person about leadership.

According to Dr. Albert Mohler, the antidote to anemic worship is expository preaching.

An American POW's prized gold ring returns home after he gave it away for food during World War II.

Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching ace Clayton Kershaw would rather talk about what he's doing off the field. Key quote: "Kershaw said he wants to be known as a Christian who happens to play baseball, not as a baseball player who happens to be a Christian."

There are some that say e-books will be the death of the publishing industry. But one publisher is starting to reward customers with free e-book copies of physical books that they buy. This makes sense to me. Amazon had already done this with CDs purchased through their site so it makes sense that publishers will want to do the same.

From Art of Manliness, five traits of true leadership.

Five habits of highly effective communicators.

How to go from being a good leader to a great manager.

This is amazing: historical black and white photographs are colorized. The results are incredible.

A brief history of everyone's favorite summertime memory: the ice cream truck.

The plucky investigative reporter who got herself committed to an insane asylum. On purpose.

Did you know before she became a famous television chef Julia Child was a spy? The stories of five unlikely spies.

Let's call this your bookstore bucket list. 16 bookstores to see before you die. Judging by the pictures, I'd say they were right.

An interesting interview with the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Convention, Russell Moore. His observations on the role of Christians in culture today are right on the mark.

That's it. Have a great weekend.

Friday Tweet Roundup 8-16-13

It's Friday and time for another roundup of links of interest that I tweeted about this week. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest.

26 problems only introverts would understand. Yes, this post speaks to me.

Some good tips on writing and speaking for introverts.

Who knew that churches had spies? They found out some interesting things in looking over churches.

Seven expectations of every church member. If more churches set these expectations of their members they would be a lot healthier.

How the temperance movement almost killed root beer.

Lou Gehrig was called the Pride of the Yankees. By contrast Alex Rodriguez can be called the Disgrace of the Yankees.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice marks its 200th anniversary. Austen addiction is alive and well. 

Film and fashion collide: The suits of James Bond.

Today marks the beginning of a Michigan man's quest to visit all 30 major league parks in 30 days to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research. His website is here if you want to support him.

Disney songwriting legends Richard Sherman and Alan Menken reflect on their careers.

Here's a great list of books to read with your child before they are 12 years old.

Did you hear the one about the time a cat was sent through pneumatic tubes? It's a true story

Then there were the time(s) Disney animators plagiarized themselves.

Attention Whovians: you can use Google Maps to view inside the TARDIS.

One thing you never, ever do is run on Yasiel Puig. This throw is insane. What's more amazing is the play at third isn't even close.

That's it. Have a great weekend.

Friday Tweet recap

It's Friday so it's time for a recap of some things of interest I found on Twitter this week for your weekend enjoyment:

This past week marked the 44th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin did something unusual during the mission: he took communion on the moon.

More Apollo 11 from LIFE Magazine: Up Close with Apollo 11. These are some amazing photos (some of which weren't published in the magazine.

This is from one of my favorite sites: Fathering With Intentionality: The Importance of Creating a Family Culture.

From one of my favorite book-related blogs, 3 steps that will help you read more books during the summer.

Former President George H. W. Bush shaved his head to support the 2 year old son of a member of his Secret Service detail who is battling leukemia.

The best students don't go to public school.

For my bookish friends, 10 pieces of Jane Eyre swag.

Is reading worth the effort?

10 Insights to Help Us Better Relate to Others.

If you're travelling to London (or perhaps live there) be on the lookout for Books on the Underground. This is a neat idea.

A must-see interview with Eric Metaxas about religious freedom.

How you can make your life better by sending 5 simple e-mails.

Here's a sure sign that you're in the South.

How to cook a steak at home that will be better than anything you can get in a restaurant. I put this to the test and it worked perfectly.

So my team (the Cubs) are pretty much out of the pennant race for this season barring a miracle comeback. How about projecting which World Series matchups we'd like to see? 

Ever find yourself in need of a Disney quote? Here's the place to go.

"But God pursued me." How a liberal columnist came to know Christ.

8 Brilliant Scientific Screw-ups.

That's it. Have a great weekend.