Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, July 3-9, 2016

With all the shootings of African Americans and police this week, I must admit to despair. Others have posted much more eloquently than I. Here is one post that spoke to me.

Justin C. Cohen offers some advice for white people in the wake of the police murder of a black person.

David Wong explains why anxiety is the plague of the modern world. Cracked.

You must die to live. Science and non-duality.

This is a bit distressing. Chanty Binx speaks up after three years of harassment and a bizarre privacy breach. We Hunted the Mammoth.

Shahida Arabi shares twenty tactics highly manipulative narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths use to silence you. Thought Catalog.

Zack Beauchamp writes: Canada is the least xenophobic country in the western world. Vox.

But we have out problems:

How Karoli Kuns became a Hillary supporter after reading the candidate’s emails. Blue Nation Review.

Mike Wall covers Juno’s move into obit around Jupiter for Space.com. And Phil Plait covers the event for Slate.

This is the last thing Japan’s Black Hole satellite saw before it died. Ria Mizra for Gizmodo.

Maddie Stone reports that the prospects for alien life on Titan keep getting better. Gizmodo.

Why do you hate the sound of your own voice? ASAP Thought.

 

Dr. Seuss’s secret artwork is displayed at Vancouver gallery. CBC.

Animals transition to freedom as Argentina transforms zoo into a refuge. AP.

A woman uses an ancient Viking song to call cattle. LifeBuzz.

Lindsey Stirling: The Arena

 

See you Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 26-July 2, 2016

Lightheaded this week, but it’s all guaranteed to pop your mental corn 🙂

The Toronto Star posts all 113 of the new Order of Canada recipients. Yay, Canada!

Samantha Bee does an awesome job of summarizing Brexit for the rest of us. And David Tennant helps out, too! The Week.

The chief who said no. One northern village rejected residential schools and built their own instead. Bob Weber for The National Post.

Lindsay Harrison shares ten lessons her mother’s death taught her about healing and happiness. Tiny Buddha.

Sarah Schuster shares what it’s like to have high functioning anxiety. The Mighty.

Pride Toronto members respond to messages of hate. Robin Levinson King for The Toronto Star.

The next time someone says women aren’t the victims of harassment, show them this. Tickld

John Pavlovitz writes about young men, sex, and urge ownership (and why it’s not the girl’s problem). Standing ovation. Bravo, man.

Wonder Woman became the feminist hero the 70’s needed. Gwen Ihnat for the A.V. Club.

Julie D’Aubigny, also known as La Maupin, is profiled on Badass of the Week.

A small meteorite punches through the roof of a house in Thailand. Phil Plait for Slate.

Maddie Stone reports on Jupiter’s stunning northern lights. Gizmodo

One of my recent faves. Nothing but thieves – Trip switch.

 

See you Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 15-21, 2016

A small, but interesting assortment of goodies.

So this happened: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accidentally elbowed an NDP MP in the process of trying to escort a Conservative MP to his seat. Yes, he shouldn’t have done it. He apologized three times. Gabrielle Gallant explains why associating ‘elbowgate’ with violence against women is an insult to victims. The Globe and Mail.

Aboriginal children express their pain through art and story. Peggy MacDonald for CBC news.

Why we live in an age of anxiety. A special feature by The Guardian including pieces by Paula Cocozza, Lindy West, Chitra Ramaswamy, and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslet.

Anna Lovind searches for a simpler life.

Ruth Whippman says people with more money are less lonely. The Guardian.

The record-breaking temperature trend continues. Phil Plait for Slate.

Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone. Arthur Nelson for The Guardian.

Recyclable six pack rings could save a lot of turtles. Popular Mechanics.

What hiking does for the brain is pretty amazing. Michael Pirrone for Wimp.com

Yuval Harari’s latest book predicts the rise of the useless class. CNet.

From ‘little people’ to shape shifters, Lucy Tulugarjuk shares the encounters she’s had with some of the North’s most fascinating otherworldly entities. Edge North.

Dancing with the devil: the history of satanic burlesque. Dirge Magazine.

The Presets: Epic Fail. Shared by a friend following the previous week’s DIYMFA post 🙂

 

And that was your thoughty for the week.

On Saturday, I’ll be tackling the topic of resistance for DIYMFA.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 8-14, 2016

Lots of thoughty for your big squishy brains this week!

The Jian Gomeshi case was in the news again this week. Another complainant came forward, but chose not to go to court and accept a peace bond. The agreement? Gomeshi would admit his wrongdoing and apologize publically. Kathryn Borel released this statement outside court after the unsatisfying apology. The Toronto Star.

Sandy Garossino reports that Borel’s counterpunch blindsides Henein and knocks out Gomeshi. National Observer.

The UN champions essential services for survivors of violence against women and girls.

 

Here are a couple of fabulous articles by Lindy West. First, the ‘perfect body’ is a lie. Then, break the period taboo. The Guardian.

Are you a cool girl? ASAP Thought wants you to help dismantle the patriarchy 🙂

 

Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in California. The Los Angeles Times.

You may remember that I’ve mentioned in the past how careful we need to be with media reports of scientific studies. This explains why. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Scientific Studies.

 

How World War II changed Walt Disney. Time.

Clint Edwards gleans lessons from The Goonies, and from the loss of unsupervised time for kids. The Washington Post.

John Reed tells a tale almost too creepy to believe: my grandma, the poisoner. Vice.

The CDC releases new statistics on suicide in the US.

And on the other side of the death coin: when patients and doctors disagree about end-of-life care. The Washington Post.

Sarah Kurchak shares depression-busting exercise tips for people too depressed to exercise. The Establishment.

Not to be facetious, but Emily Hartridge lists 10 reasons why . . . she’s grateful to have anxiety.

 

BigThink offers proven tools for lifting a bad mood.

IndiHope lists 51 Dr. Seuss quotes on happiness.

This is just cool. The brain dictionary, on AmpLIFEied.

Kepler reveals a new bounty of exoplanets, including nine in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone. Phil Plait for Slate.

It’s okay to be smart. The cosmic afterglow:

 

William Gadoury discovers a link between the constellations and the locations of Mayan cities. YourNewsWire.com

And this is just funny. Ken Ham tried to disprove science using . . . science. Epic fail. Slate.

It’s okay to be smart: the most important moment in the history of life:

 

Weird science: can corpses turn to stone?

 

David Bowie on being authentic:

 

The Buddha Weekly focuses on the consciousness of non-human beings. I’m really sorry. I enjoy the meats 😦

Have a happy Friday, and we’ll see you on the weekend!

Thoughty Thursday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, May 1-7, 2016

And we’re still on a roll 😉

K.M. Weiland offers six tips to help you finish your book. Helping writers become authors.

Janice Hardy helps you get your novel to the finish line: staying focused enough to write (part two). Fiction University. And part three: resisting the shiny, new idea.

K.M. Weiland shares how to harness the dark side of your impact character. Helping writers become authors.

Jami Gold answers the question, what’s the difference between plot and story?

Talking yourself down and talking yourself up: the two-headed dragon of insecurity. Ella Joy Olsen on Women Writers, Women’s Books.

Donald Maass: pixie dust, the secret ingredient to adding sparkle to your writing. Writer Unboxed.

Fantasy Faction explores languages in fantasy.

Chris Winkle offers four tips for depicting characters with disabilities. Mythcreants.

Chuck Wendig: Hello, I have anxiety. How are you?

Sarah Selecky is back with part three of her writing retreats for your wish list series: make your own retreat 🙂

Sarah Letourneau offers five reasons to do market research on your work in progress. DIYMFA.

New research explains how the pen is mightier than the keyboard. The Literacy Site.

Mallory Ortberg looks at publishing, weight, and writers who are ‘hard to look at.’ The Toast. This really pissed me off.

Jael Richardson launches the Festival of Literary Diversity. Donovan Vincent for The Toronto Star.

CBC Books lists twelve Canadian novels that describe living with mental illness.

Buzzfeed shares 21 examples of exquisite handwriting.

Gregory Woods offers his top ten landmarks in gay and lesbian literature. The Guardian.

Nicholas Lezard reviews Seven Miles of Steel Thistles.

Book Riot shares this massive list of 100 science fiction and fantasy novels by women.

Wil Wheaton mansplains the Star Wars: Rogue One hate. The Nerdist.

Alisdair Stuart reviews Captain America: Civil War (without spoilers!). Tor.com

Fire and Launch wonder if Brandon Stark is the hero of Game of Thrones (contains spoilers). Tor.com

Norman Descendants explores the historical truth of Ragnar Lothbrock.

This Harry Potter themed wedding was tasteful as fuck. Buzzfeed.

See you with your weekly dose of thoughty on Thursday!

Tipsday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 10-16, 2016

It’s mega-thoughty Thursday this week 😉

This is the next emergent issue in Canada: the quality of life in First Nations. This is our Prime Minister’s next big challenge. One First Nation has become the focus of media, recently, but it is not the only place where living conditions have been shown to be deplorable.

Attawapiskat in the news:

Just because our Prime Minister’s a geek (and yes, I realize he was dodging a question, but he did it well, don’t you think?).

 

Sandra Martin explains why we need better end-of-life policies in seniors’ residences. The Globe and Mail.

North Carolina passed ridiculous legislation that discriminates against transgendered people in the name of safety. Lindsay King-Miller covers the issue for role reboot.

Carla Ciccone wrote an article to warn women about Jian Gomeshi and it nearly destroyed her life. Chatelaine.

Samhita Mukhopadhyay wonders, will ‘it’s on us’ finally put an end the sexual assault on America’s college campuses? I hope so. It’s time and long past. Mic.com

Jia Tolentio explains how empowerment became a product for women to buy. The New York Times Magazine.

Leah McLaren explains why she’s teaching her son to embrace the ‘girlish.’ The Globe and Mail.

James Phelps, MD, makes the distinction between borderline personality disorder and bi-polar disorder. The Psychiatric Times.

The Mighty shares the secrets of people with anxiety.

 

Nancy C. Andreasen shares the secrets of the creative brain. The Atlantic.

I didn’t know where to put this tasty tidbit: How to see all the companies tracking you on Facebook and block them. Tech Insider.

The Shell Grotto in Margate, England.

 

Göbeklitepe. An amazing ancient site.

 

Photos of the Fukushima exclusion zone show how nature has taken over in a few years. BoredPanda.

Phil Plait debunks the planet nine comet scare for Slate.

Yuri Milner develops Breakthrough Starshot. CBC.

Phil Plait presents a tale of three Jupiters in four parts. Part one: A lonely young Jupiter wanders the galaxy. Part two: A Jupiter analogue orbits another star. Part three: Jupiter’s brother has three suns. And, finally, part four: Great Jupiter’s ghost! Slate.

Where do minds belong? In this fascinating essay, Caleb Scharf speculates on the fate of human, and alien, intelligence. Aeon.

Ariana Eunjung Cha examines Sean Parker’s revolutionary project to ‘solve’ cancer for The Washington Post.

Sarah Laskow considers the original copy of the Malleus Malificarum in Cornell’s witchcraft collection for Altas Obscura.

Food in its growing state 🙂 Bright Side.

Dog shaming always makes me smile. They know we’ll always forgive them 😉 Here are a couple of sites to bookmark in case you need a mid-week pick-me-up. Dogshaming and Dog Shame Awards.

Be Deutsch! Just AWESOME.

 

All the best.

See you on Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 3-9, 2016

I hope you’re all visual learners, ‘cause this thoughty Thursday’s jam-packed with videos!

It’s autism acceptance month 🙂

Photographer, Michelle Marshall, documents Afro-Caribbean gingers. Black Girl Long Hair.

Ten inspiring Muslim women every person should know.

 

Mike Veny: Mental illness is an asset. TED Talk.

 

A psychiatrist thinks the key to happiness might be swallowing the right bacteria. Business Insider.

Things about anxiety nobody talks about. The Mighty.

 

Six reasons why touch is amazing. ASAP Thought.

 

Vi Hart muses on the tools we use.

 

Crash course physics is here! Phil Plait for Slate.

The first photograph of light as both particle and wave. Phys.org

The music of the spheres. Literally. EWAO.

Jessica Cail on NOVA’s secret lives of scientists 🙂

 

WWF Hungary released this amazing video – Paper world. Vimeo.

It’s okay to be smart asks, how do bees make honey?

 

And for your entertainment:

MsMr – Wrong Victory

 

And Florence + The Machine. Queen of Peace & Long and Lost.

 

Enjoy, my friends.

See you on Saturday for an origin story and some anime series discoveries.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 27-April 2, 2016

Here’s your thoughty for the week.

Buzzfeed features Katie Joy Crawford, a young photographer who has captured the essence of anxiety in her photographs.

Christine Denewith and Creigh Ferinas debunk eight myths about autism. Everyday Feminism.

Steven W. Thrasher says, don’t tell cancer patients what they could be doing to cure themselves. It’s our urge to do something to help that bites us in the butt here. Just be there. Take care of their kids for a while. Offer to do the running around for an exhausted partner. Hug them, if they can bear it. The Guardian.

Katie Roiphe explores the beauty of our final moments. CBC’s Q.

Silence may help to regenerate brain cells among other important functions. LifeHack.

Dublin observes the Easter Rising centenary. Irish Central.

Lifebuzz shares amazing footage of the Himalayas.

Take a virtual visit to Iceland’s Museum of Witchcraft. ScoopWhoop.

Australia’s Carnegie CETO wave power generator.

 

Yes. I confess I was attracted to this article by the word ‘unicorn’ (is it any relation to the badass unicorn?) but this rhino ancestor is still amazing. Shaena Montanari for Forbes.

Japan’s Hitomi satellite disappears and reappears mysteriously. Gizmodo.

This is the most detailed map to date of our place in the universe. Vimeo.

Hubble reveals the heart of the Milky Way. Phil Plait for Slate.

Do ravens know what you’re thinking? The California Academy of Sciences.

Your kawaii of the week: orphaned magpie bonds with boy. Photography by Cameron Bloom. This is Colossal.

Costa Rica’s land of the stray dogs is heaven for the unwanted. Bored Panda.

Not as extensive as Tipsday this week, but still, a solid showing in the brain pan department 😀

See you on Saturday for some series discoveries.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 17-23, 2016

Oh noes! I’ve rediscovered YouTube and the videos have invaded . . .

Canada is named the second best country in the world. How Canadian 🙂 We’re excited about coming in second. Global News.

Some of our new Syrian friends enjoying tobogganing for the first time:

 

Peter Denton wonders, where have all the readers gone? The Globe and Mail.

Dear parents: Everything you want to know about your son or daughter’s university, but don’t. Michael Enright interviews Ron Srigley for The Sunday Edition on CBC.

Education is performance art. Penn & Teller share their thoughts in The Atlantic.

When Trent Hamm thinks of the times he’s been the happiest, he notices two common threads. The Business Insider.

The powerful benefit of exercise that’s rarely discussed. Guess I’d better get my ass in gear. Quartz.

Dinah Laprarie of NISA champions mental health in Sudbury. CBC.

Cyndi Roberts of The Elephant Journal shares seven steps to easing anxiety without a pill.

Anna Lovind finds her own way to divine guidance 😉

So now a new study says smoking pot doesn’t lower adolescent IQs. IFLS.

Watching a water bubble freeze (in Finland):

 

Space-X attempted another booster landing last Sunday. And then this happened. Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Slate.

That weird star with the Jupiter-sized planet and the suspected . . . something else orbiting it? Well the more they learn about it the stranger things get. Slate.

A constellation has been named for David Bowie (though it’s not officially recognized yet). IFLS.

Check out this planetary alignment through February 20. IFLS.

Phil Plait features this alignment on his Bad Astronomy column too. Slate.

xkcd charts possible undiscovered planets.

Rick Mercer’s rant on anonymous comments:

 

Gypsy Vanner horses:

 

Ms Mr performs “Reckless.”

 

And that was your week’s edutainment.

Hope you enjoyed it.

See you on Saturday for more CanCon 2015 reportage.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 3-9, 2016

Aaaannnd, we’re back 🙂

This is cool: National Park passes will be free in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday 🙂 The Edmonton Journal.

And this is weird: Dr. Michael Persinger has been banned from teaching the Introduction to Psychology course. CBC.

Linda Carroll is a life coach who has panic attacks. Here’s what she wishes more people knew. Body Mind Green.

Fifteen things you should know about people who have concealed anxiety. Thought Catalog.

Sleeping with weighted blankets helps insomnia and anxiety. Life Hack.

Is depression a kind of allergic reaction? Caroline Williams for The Guardian.

How to help someone with depression. Ink and Feet.

Clara Hughes opens up about Olympic success and her struggle with depression. CBC.

Some antidepressants cause weight gain, and not a little weight, either. Read this article about Amy Willans’ battle against hunger and fat shaming. The Globe and Mail.

Former neurosurgeon (and writer friend), Swati Chavda, shares her experience with burnout.

They say you have to get out of your comfort zone. Here’s why: Sixteen uncomfortable feelings that mean you’re on the right path. The Unbounded Spirit.

The myth of learning styles persists (and is still being taught). Quartz.

Neanderthal DNA helps resist disease, but gives you allergies. Yay? The LA Times.

The seventh row of the periodic table is completed with the discovery of four new elements. IFLS.

No, Apophis still won’t hit Earth in 2036. Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Slate.

When worlds elide. Phil Plait. Slate.

The Dawn spacecraft gets up close and personal with Ceres. Phil Plait. Slate.

IFLS offers their guide to the best meteor showers of 2016.

Richard Feynman: Why science enhances the appreciation of beauty.

 

Artist creates an awesome image of the universe. IFLS.

Koko is one smart gorilla. IFLS.

This snowy owl is photogenic. CBC.

Michio Kaku and Noam Chomsky pwn conspiracy theorists. Open Culture.

And that was Thoughty Thursday, folks. See you Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday