inspiration

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

/ Melanie Marttila

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

/ Melanie Marttila

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, June 19-25, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

Yes, I caught up on my YouTube viewing 😉 So, it’s another visual learning week.

Andrew J. Hawkins looks at the hyperloop pods competing in Elon Musk’s big race, later this year. The Verge.

Marissa Gertz presents astronaut, Tim Peake’s amazing photos from his time in space. TIME.

Does Pluto harbour an ocean under all that ice? Phil Plait for Slate. And later in the week, Hubble shows us the colours of the night.

Add This shares Dieter Ram’s ten principles of good design.

You see crisis after crisis. This is what we see. Attawapiskat youth create video. CBC.

Wab Kinew got on his soap box: five aboriginal stereotypes.

 

Before European Christians forced gender roles, Native Americans acknowledged five genders. Pearson McKinney for the Bipartisan Report.

I respond to Orlando from a Canadian perspective on my friend, Mel Walsh Jones’s blog, Mel’s Madness.

Vi Hart: Feeling sad about tragedy.

 

Russell Foster: Why do we sleep? Ted Talk.

 

Lena Dunham shares her conversation with Sheryl Sandberg. On navigating workplace culture, tackling personal issues, and (of course) leaning in. Esquire.

Women having a terrible time at parties in western art history. The Toast. On a sad note, I just heard that The Toast is . . . toast 😦

Adrienne Pieroth: she was done. Elephant Journal.

Eight amazing aquatic animals. ASAP Thought.

 

Science vs. art. ASAP Thought.

 

Tom Vanderbilt shares the secret of taste: why we like what we like. The Guardian.

How did the entire town of Ashley, Kansas, simply disappear? Gregory Burkhart for Blumhouse.com

The fun side of Sudbury, my city 🙂

 

Musical Tesla coils featuring Physics Girl. It’s Okay to be smart.

 

Northern Lights Festival Boreal announces that Steven Page will be the final headliner of this year’s event.

Also appearing at NLFB: Natalie McMaster and Donnell Leahy – here they are with The One.

 

And that was Thoughty Thursday.

Happy Canada Day and Happy Independence Day to all my friends, north and south of the border.

Happy weekend to all my other lovely friends out there 🙂

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 12-18, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

The tragic news of the week was, of course, the Orlando mass shooting. And all of them are writerly types . . .

CIA undercover. Powerful message.

 

Will your job go extinct? Janet McFarland lists all the prospects for The Globe and Mail.

An estimated six million Canadians live in isolation. Social researchers are now calling it a hidden epidemic. Andre Picard for the UC Observer.

‘Forest bathing’ embraces the healing power of trees. CTV News.

Laser technology reveals cities concealed under the earth which would have made up the world’s largest empire in 12th century. The Guardian.

The Heraldic College of Arms includes rules for same sex couples.

13 untranslatable words that reflect the complexity of love. CBC.

 

A dying star metamorphoses into a butterfly. Phil Plait for Slate.

White curtain auroras over Finland. Design you trust.

The Public Domain Review features the Compendium of Demonology and Magic (c. 1775).

The unbelievable tale of Jesus’ wife. Ariel Sabar for The Atlantic. And for balance, Karen King responds to the unbelievable tale of Jesus’ wife.

It’s all good.

See you on the weekend for some DIYMFA catch-up 🙂

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 5-11, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

The Stanford rape case was all over the interwebz last week, as were the stunned reactions.

Jessica Valenti remembers her life as a sex object. The Guardian.

The rebel virgins and desert mothers who were written out of early Christian history. Alex Mar for Atlas Obscura.

Mallory Ortberg presents gleeful mobs of women murdering men in western art history. The Toast.

Hazel McCallion says, ageism is getting old. The Globe and Mail.

Adam Grant: unless you’re Oprah, ‘be yourself’ is terrible advice. The New York Times.

Teen suicides in Woodstock, Ontario prompt discussion of the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs. CBC’s The Current.

Iona Sharma: ‘A’gailleann’: on language-learning and the decolonisation of the mind. The Toast.

We learn more about our language by listening to the wolves. Holly Root-Gutteridge for Aeon.

John Beckett shares the reasons why he thinks the otherworld is bleeding through. Patheos.

Wow. Look at this self-sustaining community (Now This):

 

Indigenous communities are teaching scientists about nature. The comment that accompanied this article when shared by a friend: it took them this long to figure it out? Vox.

Gene drive therapy may be used to fight malaria. NPR.

Scientists discover a new cat species roaming Brazil. Monga Bay.

Oh, that’s what those bright spots on Ceres look like. Phil Plait for Slate.

Maryana Kopylova makes these alien toys. Space kittehs! Whatever, they’re cool. Brainberries.

This is Colossal shares Kevin Peterson’s hyperrealistic paintings of children and animals exploring urban remains.

ASAP Thought shares five ways to reduce mental health stigma.

 

Liz Fosslien and Molly West share six illustrations that show what it’s like in an introvert’s head. Susan Cain’s Quiet Revolution blog.

You’ll feel better at work with these two-minute habits. Robin Madell for The Business Insider.

This makes me happy 🙂 Pharrell Williams offers a masterclass to students at the NYU Clive Davis institute.

 

And . . . if you like lovely folk harmonies, you’ll want to watch this documentary of Dala’s tour to Alaska.

 

There is no light without the darkness and no darkness without the light.

Be well until next week.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 29-June 4, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

A nice variety this week.

Sudbury’s Health Sciences North put boots on the ground to help the people of Attawapiskat. Carol Mulligan for The Sudbury Star.

Laurentian University is now requiring all arts students to take Indigenous Studies courses. Kudos! CBC.

Morris Davis says he’s fine if goldfish have more patience than Millennials 😉 Ontuitive.

How Mark Zuckerberg led Facebook’s war to crush Google Plus. Vanity Fair.

Portland now generates electricity from turbines installed in city water pipes. Rafi Schwartz for Good.

Phil Plait shares footage of the latest SpaceX landing—from the Falcon 9’s perspective 🙂 Slate.

Here’s how the government on Mars will work, according to Elon Musk. Kurt Wagner for Recode.

I just—I can’t even. Apparently Texas representative Louis Gohmert wants to save us from same sex space colonies . . . ? Phil Plait, getting wacky for Slate.

When everyone got the vote. This is Finland.

For the women with balls who do give a fuck. Kate Rose for Elephant Journal.

Research reveals that a three day work week might be better for people over 40. I hope this research gets confirmed, pronto. Simplemost.

Lolly Daskal lists eight tiny habits that will make you happier. Inc.

A neuroscientist points out a benefit to exercise that’s rarely discussed. Quartz.

This is creepy-weird: there’s a mental illness called walking corpse syndrome that makes people think they’re dead. Medical Daily.

King Tut had a knife made from a meteorite. Slate.

Marian Evans explores Rosslyn Chapel’s ancient bee sanctuary. Bee-loved.

And that was your thoughty for this week.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 22-28, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday is weird and wonderful this week. Well . . . weird, anyway.

On refugees: a history of the ‘other’ in Sudbury. Nilgiri Pearson for Sudbury.com

This was one of the sad bits of new to come out in Canada this week: Gord Downie, lead singer of The Tragically Hip, diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The Globe and Mail.

Here’s the sensationalist article: bodies of strange creatures found in the basement of old London home. Design you trust. And now, the real story: the truth behind the viral story of mysterious skeletons in London basement. The Earth Child.

Complain all you want, but your busy schedule may be helping your brain. Angus Chen for NPR.

Angela Hanscom wonders why can’t children stay still in the classroom? It turns out that movement is critical to attention and learning. The Washington Post.

How to be happy: lessons from an Amazonian tribe. Rick Warren for Medium.

A psychologist identifies three elements that determine happiness. Diane Koopman for LifeHack.

Finding 16 cents on the sidewalk helped one person recognize something important about happiness. The Business Insider.

The more I learn about this man, the more I love him. Albert Einstein: racism is a disease of white people. Open Culture looks at his little-known fight for civil rights.

The #HeForShe Media Summit (it’s an hour and a half long) featuring Patricia Arquette and Joss Whedon. UN Women.

 

Maisha Z. Johnson offers a black feminist’s guide to the racist shit too many white feminists say. Everyday Feminism.

Amanda Vickery says it’s time to bring female artists out of storage. The Guardian.

This is too cool. This Finnish university gives its doctoral graduates a funky top hat and sword. This is so Hogwarts, I have the desire to get my PhD! Oh. Tuition. Dissertation. But top hat and sword!

Jupiter gets his by visible asteroid impacts six times a year. Phil Plait for Slate.

Ed Yong reports a shocking find in a Neanderthal cave in France. The Atlantic.

The gruesome history of eating corpses as medicine. Maria Dolan for The Smithsonian.

Coming up: The next chapter will be coming out this weekend. I might have one more DIYMFA QotW, too! Oh, the writerly life 🙂

Thoughty Thursday

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

/ Melanie Marttila

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

/ Melanie Marttila

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

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 1-7, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

CBC covers of the Fort McMurray wildfire and evacuation. Heart-wrenching.

Before you get teary (all over again), the answer to this somewhat sensationalist headline question is yes. Quite a bit, actually. Meagan Campbell asks, is there hope for the pets of Fort McMurray?  MacLean’s Magazine.

In fact, West Jet made it possible for evacuees to take their pets with them. This feel-good piece from Buzzfeed.

NASA names a facility in honour of Katherine Johnson, the mathematician who calculated astronaut trajectories. Collect Space.

Jon Mooallem reports on the amateur cloud society that (sort of) rattled the scientific community. New York Times Magazine.

Alex Newman shares the story of a nurse who helps the homeless die with dignity. The Toronto Star.

Jerrold C. Winter examines what the reporting on Prince’s death reveals about our understanding of pain management. Slate.

Depression is a disease of civilization: hunter-gatherers hold the key to a cure. Return to now.

Maria Konnikova explores how people learn to become resilient. The New Yorker.

Being vulnerable is one of the more important things to master in our lives. Jodi Fraser for Elephant Journal.

More western doctors are prescribing yoga therapy. Susan Enfield for Yoga Journal.

Steven Pace reviews a study that finds trees are linked to the reduction of psychological stress. PsyPost

Terri Windling shares some May Day love 🙂

Linton Weeks looks at female husbands in the 19th century for NPR history.

I didn’t know where to put this. Something to keep in your back pocket for your next trivia night? Opium soaked tampons were the Midol of ancient Rome. Atlas Obscura.

Melissa Wiley shares stunning photos of Africa’s oldest trees, framed by starlight. The Smithsonian Magazine.

Hefty shares 20 pieces of ingenious street art.

Hope you got a few inklings from this.

Now it’s time to go write 🙂

This weekend: The Ad Astra 2016 reportage begins.

Tipsday