“But here are two things you need to know about life after an arm amputation: First, your center of gravity changes dramatically when you are suddenly eight pounds lighter on one side of your body. Second, while my arm may be missing physically, it is there, just as it always has been, in my mind’s eye. I can feel every digit. I can even feel the watch that was always strapped to my left wrist.” Miles O’Brien on life after losing his left arm.

+ Mike Hessman has hit more than 400 home runs in his career. But you haven’t heard of him. Why? He’s hit them all in the minor leagues. Howard Megdal on a life of baseball.

+ Unsettled by the reality that the cops can’t help them, Oakland residents are hiring private patrols. Crime is down. But is the cure worse than the disease?

+ The Longform Guide to the World Cup. This is an excellent collection of reads, and you don’t have to be into soccer/football to get a kick out of them.