Links of the Week: Virtual Reality, Benny the Bull and a Pledge to Prince

links-of-the-week-princeThe news came when I was on the couch, reeling from a sinus headache that had knocked me out of work for the day. My wife was home on her lunch break and she let out a guttural “Noooo!”. The news came out that Prince had died.

All Thursday and all Friday the news spread across the internet like wildfire. Rarely do you see someone pass without a mean-spirited takedown of “Person X Did this Wrong” or “Top 5 Things Person X Did that Were Bad”. I haven’t seen a single one. I didn’t know it, but it seems like no one has an approval rating as high as Prince’s.

I don’t know if I was just not in the right generation. I was born in 1986, so I was just a baby during the Prince Apex, so I never really was into the music, and it never was played on the radio or anything when I was coming of age. My only real reference point for Prince involved pancakes and blouse. I didn’t dislike the music or anything, I just never heard it.

Two years ago, I saw him in concert because my wife is borderline obsessed with his music (though, oddly I still hadn’t heard it a ton). When I saw him, he was really good. Really really late, but really good. He shred the guitar in the United Center and everyone was going nuts for the two hours he played.

Despite his size, it looks as though the music world has lost a little giant. I knew he was beloved and super-talented, but I have never seen such an outpouring of not only support, but articles like Definitive Proof Prince Is The Best Guitar Player Who Ever Lived.

I think I’ve been missing out. Clearly I’m in the wrong here. Time to rectify that.

Before the Links of the Week, I’ll pledge to go out of my way to go on a Prince binge over the next few weeks. But I need your help: Where should I start?

Leave a comment below - let's hit the Links of the Week:

The guy who wore the Benny the Bull mascot suit is leaving, which is rough because he was the only entertaining part of the Bulls’ season this year. He was “offered a contract”, which I am guessing - knowing the Bulls organization - was about $1.50 for the season. I have more thoughts, but this is a positive-only website. [The Atlantic]

FiveThirtyEight went ahead and debunked the whole “NCAA is broke” argument, so if you ever hear someone say that student-athletes are getting a sweet deal with a free ride, kindly remind them how much money everyone else is making off of their work. [FiveThirtyEight]

Here’s a good read on the newly-crowned NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the quiet Kawhi Leonard, who quickly went from “the guy the Pacers traded away on draft day” to “One of the Best Players Alive”. [San Antonio Express-News]

If you are into the burgeoning world of virtual reality, WIRED went deep this week on a secretive startup based in suburban Florida that is looking to turn the VR world on its head. [WIRED]

Ever want to watch a real-time simulation of the Titanic sinking? Here is a link to save for the next time you want to punish your children. [The Verge]

A new cool person to follow on Instagram: Tailjar, an artist who illustrates monsters on to everyday photos. [Mashable]

Because my pickup game is broke, here is the NBA’s All-Brett Fuller team, aka the NBA players no one passed to this season. [FiveThirtyEight]

I’ve always heard lifting free weights is better than using machines, but I’ve never known why. UNTIL NOW! [Lifehacker]

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I say “a competitor pays $200,000 to dissect your product” is the sincerest form of flattery. [Bloomberg]