My first “mock” draft for 2015 went up for Insiders on Wednesday night, although I’d already change a few things (e.g., the Red Sox’ pick). There’s also a new Insider minor league scouting roundup, with notes on Dylan Bundy, Luis Severino, Reynaldo Lopez, the Royals’ Cody Reed, and more. I held my regular Klawchat on Thursday.
And now, the links…
- George Howell, artisan roaster and founder of the Boston-based chain The Coffee Connection (RIP), is
opening a new cafe near Downtown Crossing. - Ozy interviews Bill and Melinda Gates about the Gates Foundation’s work for global health, answering questions on new innovations, accountability, and working with non-democratic regimes.
- The theft of rare books and/or pages cut from them is a rising problem in the rare-books world, so there’s a new effort afoot to stop them.
- A great Washington Post piece on how a fish sandwich reflects the gentrification of a black DC neighborhood.
- It hasn’t made global waves, but a young woman from a conservative part of Turkey was shot in the head for appearing on a reality singing competition. Her ex-boyfriend has been charged with the shooting.
- Relevant to my work life: A somewhat frivolous NY Times piece on fighting over seats on airplanes.
- Yet another study showing benefits of organic agriculture, this one saying it may promote biodiversity. You shouldn’t buy organic produce or meat because you think it’s more healthful for you – it’s almost certainly not – but you should buy it because it’s far better for the planet and thus for the future of our species.
- From reader Garrett, a great longread provocatively titled Why it pays to be a jerk. The argument is more nuanced, though; the conclusion is more along the lines of “be a jerk when it can help other people too.”
- The New Yorker ran a great summary/analysis of this week’s revelation that a major study on gay marriage support was a fraud. The grad student who claimed to have produced data showing that support for gay marriage could increase with just one conversation with a supporter is now accused of fabricating his results. This essay asks a number of pertinent questions, foremost among them whether confirmation bias among those who wanted to see such results made them less willing to see the signs the data might be faked.
- Alton Brown offered NPR some basic grilling tips for the weekend, including the important tip that “flame is bad.”
- The NRA fought to water down an anti-domestic violence bill in Louisiana. Because, you know, guns.