inspiration

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 30-Feb 5, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Another week, another opportunity to get your mental corn popping.

Alisha Ebrahimji, Holly Yan, and Paul P. Murphy: “I’m just tired of being terrorized like my grandparents were.” More than a dozen HBCUs got bomb threats on the first day of Black History Month. CNN

Omar Jimenez: former officer who shot Laquan McDonald leaves prison. CNN

Julie Hollar: NYT twists stats to insist we need more policing. Fair

Lexi McMenamin: fast-food workers are getting shot on the job. Teen Vogue

Paul Solotaroff introduces us to the man who spent 25 years infiltrating Nazis, the Klan, and biker gangs. Here’s what he learned about far-right extremists in America. Rolling Stone

Terry Trembath reports that puppeteer born in Tsuut’ina Nation says work on Fraggle Rock reboot a dream come true. CBC

The brain trick that makes video possible. Be Smart

Raimund Muscheler explains how ancient ice reveals mysterious solar storm. Lund University

A supermassive black hole forming new stars. Dr. Becky

Katie Hunt introduces us to the man who can explain the first 3 billion years of life on our planet. CNN

Katie Hunt reports that 99-million-year-old flowers found perfectly preserved in amber once bloomed at the feet of dinosaurs. CNN

How you could survive (and prosper) in the Middle Ages. melievalists.net

Ann Powers presents this tiny desk (home) concert by Tori Amos. NPR

True facts about the proboscis monkey. Ze Frank

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project, or that you were educated or entertained by this round up. Maybe both?

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 23-29, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s a real mixed bag of thoughty this week. Dig in and get your mental corn popping 🙂

Daniel Martinez HoSang , LeeAnn Hall , and Libero Della Piana: to tackle racial justice, organizing must change. The Forge

Susanna Ashton shares John B. Cade’s project to document the formerly enslaved. JSTOR Daily

Kelly Hayes interviews Bree Newsome Bass: “Capitalism has to collapse.” Truthout

Muriel Draaisma reports that Pickering’s Sir John A. Macdonald Public School to be renamed Biidassige Mandamin Public School. CBC

Bobby Hristova reveals that Burlington park is renamed Sweetgrass Park, no longer honouring residential school architect. CBC

Kirsten Grieshaber: 77 years after Auschwitz, Jews honor those who rescued them. Associated Press

Joe got omicron. Here’s what he learned. Be Smart

Evan Dyer reports that public outrage over the unvaccinated is driving a crisis in bioethics. CBC

Claire L. Evans is searching for Suzy Thunder. The Verge

Bob McDonald: researchers call for a new awareness of scientific colonialism. CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks”

Daniel Garisto: Euler’s 243-year-old “impossible” puzzle gets a quantum solution. Quanta Magazine

Amanda Morris reports that nearly 1,000 mysterious strands revealed in Milky Way’s center. Phys.org

Christy Somos: astronomers find mysterious object in space “unlike anything” seen before. CTV News

Ben Turner reveals that an “X particle” from the dawn of time discovered in the Large Hadron Collider. Space.com

Rahul Rao: curvature of space-time measured using “atomic fountain.” Space.com

Ashley Strickland reports that the JWST reaches its final destination a million miles from Earth. CNN

What’s next for the James Webb Space Telescope. SciShow Space

Rebecca Ruiz: politics is a huge stressor for some your people. That’s a huge problem. Mashable

Earliest human remains in eastern Africa dated to 230,000 years ago. Phys.org

Yessenia Funes examines the dark side of paper. Atmos

Sierra Garcia considers Bangalore’s green belt 50 years on. JSTOR Daily

Sophie Yeo reveals how Finland is restoring its river ecosystems: “We’re basically starting from zero.” The Guardian

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 16-22, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! It’s time to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend.

Janelle Salanga: realizing inequality in news goes a lot deeper than diversity numbers. Neiman Lab

Alexandra Martinez reports that Indigenous advocates in Florida say oil drilling at Big Cypress will destroy sacred sites. Prism

Duane Brayboy: two spirits, one heart, five genders. From the archives of Indian Country Today.

Özten Shebahkeget: exhibition of Buffy Saint-Marie’s digital art in Winnipeg reveals different side of iconic musician. CBC

Kalle Benallie announces that Dr. Chavez Lamar will be the first Native woman to lead Smithsonian American Indian museum. Indian Country Today

Iqaluit woman teaches Inuktitut online. CBC

The UN defines holocaust denial in new resolution. BBC

Lexi McMenamin: students walk out over covid in New York, Michigan, California, and Massachusetts. Teen Vogue

What omicron means for the future of the pandemic. SciShow

Monica Kidd reports that public health doctors have never been needed more—but the strain and burdens have never been clearer. The Toronto Star

Anna Turns explains how to clear dangerous pollutants out of your home. The Guardian

Kimi Waite says that Asian American studies is crucial for achieving climate solutions. Ms. Magazine

Why it took so long to launch the James Webb Space Telescope. SciShow Space

Olivia Box figures out what’s in an ice core? JSTOR Daily

Phoebe Weston says that if you love meat too much for veganuary, try regenuary. [To clarify, veganuary is going vegan for the month of January. Regenuary is opting into meat produced through regenerative farming for the first month of the year.] The Guardian

Discover khipu, the ancient Incan record and writing system made entirely of knots. Open Culture

Sarah Cascone: archaeologists have unearthed a 4,000-year-old board game. Now they just have to figure out the rules. Artnet News

Ashawnta Jackson considers creating the musical canon. JSTOR Daily

Ena Alvarado introduces us to Julian of Norwich, Anchoress and mystic. JSTOR Daily

Philip Hoare: seeing 1,000 glorious fin whales back from the brink of extinction is a rare glimmer of hope. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 9-15, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Gear up for a weekend of creativity by getting your mental corn popping 🙂

Annabelle Timsit reports that Maya Angelou to become the first Black woman on a US quarter. The Washington Post

Leah Asmelash announces that a new Barbie honors journalist Ida B. Wells. CNN

Enzo Dimatteo reports that Ontario’s school reopening announcement turns into a gong show. Now Toronto

Moira Donovan reveals how two-eyed seeing mixes Indigenous knowledge with Western science in Nova Scotia. CBC

Kate Harding: have we forgotten how to read critically? Dame

Harley Rustad explains why tourists experience “India syndrome.” The Guardian

China’s forgotten warrior queen – Fu Hao. Xiran Jay Zhao

Bianca Marschke-Kunz tells the tale of the scholar and the king: Alcuin and Charlemagne. Medievalists.net

Can Moon colonies get oxygen from … the Moon? SciShow Space

Nadia Drake feels relief as NASA’s most powerful space telescope finishes risky unfolding. National Geographic

Jess Romeo shares the real science of the multiverse. JSTOR Daily

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 2-8, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend.

Jelani Cobb: justice for Ahmaud Arbery. The New Yorker

Vanessa Romo, Becky Sullivan, and Joe Hernandez report on the conviction of the officer responsible for Daunte Wright’s death. (Dec. 23, 2021) NPR

Brett Forester and Fraser Needham report that Canada and First Nations report details of $40 billion draft deals to settle child welfare claims. It’s the biggest settlement in Canadian history. This is what the Feds were doing when they appealed to the HRC last year. You’d think they’d just come out and say they were aiming to provide a bigger payout, no? APTN News

Ryan Patrick Jones: Ontario’s new pandemic strategy risks “out of control” transmission, epidemiologists warn. CBC

Sharon Guynup: can covid-19 change your personality? Here’s what the brain research shows. National Geographic

Gavin Francis says, “We need to respect the process of healing.” A GP comments on the overlooked process of recovery. The Guardian

Joe Palca: a Texas team comes up with a covid-19 vaccine that could be a global game-changer. NPR

Jodi McIsaac relates her fumbling attempt to reconnect with the child she gave away. The Globe and Mail

Your brain once had a superpower. Could you get it back? SciShow

Cal Newport says that it’s time to embrace slow productivity. We need fewer things to work on, starting now. The New Yorker

S. Mitra Kalita lists three New Year’s resolutions for employers right now. Charter Works

Lauren Grush reports that NASA successfully deploys complex sunshield on James Webb Space Telescope. The Verge

Sidney Perkowitz introduces eight women astronomers you should know. JSTOR Daily

Jonathan O’Callaghan: graphene loophole could provide “clean and limitless” energy in the future. ILFS

We’re drowning in plastic pollution. Can we actually fix it? Be Smart

Nicola Davis reports that dogs may be able to tell difference between speech patterns. The Guardian

Carol Mithers: the veterinarian brings his healing presence to pets of the unhoused. The Smithsonian Magazine

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 26, 2021-Jan 1, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

We’re a bit short on the thoughty this week. What there is, is interesting, though. Get your mental corn popping. At least a little.

Maryn McKenna: covid will become endemic. The world must decide what that means. Wired

Nishita Jha: welcome to the jungle. On the Smithsonian’s #metoo moment. Buzzfeed

The real reason we’re all so busy (and what to do about it). Dorie Clark | TEDxBoston

The European Space Agency is opening a 50-year-old Christmas present from the moon. Phys.org

Louise Lerner: to find the very highest energy ghost particles in the universe, a new detector will soar over Antarctica. SciTech Daily

The most anticipated space missions of 2022. SciShow Space

Ayesha Rascoe: it’s not science fiction. Scientists have really made robots that reproduce. NPR

Becky Ferreira reports that cavers reach the bottom of an ancient “well of hell” for the first time. Vice

Andrew Curry reveals the immense mystery older than Stonehenge. BBC

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 19-25, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s New Year’s Eve eve! Get your mental corn popping for the last time in 2021.

Joshua Adams: Martin Luther King Jr. did not dream about banning critical race theory. Color Lines

Alexander Quon: Ottawa announces $700K in funding to support Cowessess First Nation’s efforts at former residential school site. CBC

Aliyah Chavez: solstice is a time to reflect and replenish. While solstice was last Tuesday, I think the whole holiday season shares this theme. Indian Country Today

Britt Julious wonders, who are Christmas movies for? On diversity and gender equity in romantic holiday movies. Harper’s Bazaar

Do CIS boys just wanna have fun, too? Gender policing. Khadija Mbowe

Kim Fahner shares her experience with breakthrough covid on Morning North. And here’s the print version. She’s not brave and strong because she shared her story. She shared her story because she’s brave and strong. CBC

Monica Kidd reveals that the fear of losing freedom common thread behind vaccine hesitancy, according to cross-cultural survey. Healthy Debate

Krissy Holmes and Ramraajh Sharvendiran cover barriers to physician recruitment and employment in Newfoundland. CBC

Why do we dream? It’s okay to be smart

Guy Kawasaki interviews Catherine Price: author, speaker, and creator. The Remarkable People podcast

Christin Bohnke: the disappearance of Japan’s third gender. JSTOR Daily

Diana talks to Katie Mack about our expanding universe. Physics Girl

Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the James Webb Space Telescope. Star Talk

Watch the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (Christmas Day!). NASA Space Flight

Thanks for visiting. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

I should be posting my December update and 2021 year in review post on the weekend.

Until then be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 12-18, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to gear up for the busy holiday weekend by getting your mental corn popping!

Nicquel Terry Ellis and Eva McKend: Black parents say movements to ban critical race theory is ruining their children’s education. CNN

Nylah Burton explains what we lose when we focus on whiteness in interracial relationships. Refinery 29

Gary Younge: what covid taught us about racism—and what we need to do now. The Guardian

Princess Weekes and Yhara Zayd celebrate Gabrielle Union (Gab the GOAT) and offer an F-U to colorism and tokenism. Melina Pendulum

Clara Pasieka: Popular N.W.T. tourist attraction becomes on-the-land healing camp. CBC

Dan Ninham: Boozhoo! Ojibwe-speaking puppets hit the airwaves. Indian Country Today

Dorothy Stewart interviews legendary Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin: much more profound than hope. CBC

Sarah N. Lynch reports that abuse survivors reach $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics. Reuters

Sudbury’s Laurentian University to get provincial bailout as members of board of governors resign. CBC

Three types of identity crisis (and how to deal with them). Like Stories of Old

Matthew Blackman: does law exist to provide moral order? JSTOR Daily

Diana explains what Schrödinger’s cat really means. Physics Girl

Sierra Garcia reports on the process of destroying “forever chemicals” for good. JSTOR Daily

Elisa Shoenberger says, go ahead, call your dog your “fur baby.” Science supports you. Slate

Thanks for visiting. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Merry Christmas, all!

And until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 5-11, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Now this is more like it! Get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend!

Elsa Keslassy announces that Josephine Baker becomes the first Black woman to enter France’s pantheon. Variety

Becky Sullivan: trial begins for ex-officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright. NPR

Khadija Mbowe explains youth liberation and why Gen Z will save us.

Ashley Belanger: the financial abuse shown in Netflix’s Maid is a growing problem offscreen. Teen Vogue

Reina Sultan reveals what it’s like when a climate disaster permanently alters your life. Vice

Rachel Aiello reports that conversion therapy will be illegal in Canada. CTV News

Jason Warick: residential school timelines, unmarked graves, part of new web resource for survivors. CBC

Shanti Escalante-de Mattei reports that the Nez Perce tribe paid $600,000 for their own artifacts. Now, they’ve been repaid. Art News

Lisa Respers France: Rebel Wilson got “pushback” from her team over weight loss. And do click through on that related Pop Life vid. CNN

Kim Fahner documents her experience with a breakthrough case: a covid diary. So, so important. You can still get covid, even if you’re double-vaccinated. The vaccine simply gives you a better chance of not going to the hospital or dying of the virus. Getting covid can still change your world, though. Please get vaccinated, get your booster when you can, and make sure your eligible children get vaccinated. More important than ever as cases rise again. The Republic of Poetry

Jacqueline Rose reveals how the pandemic has changed our psychic landscape: life after death. The Guardian

Collin Binkley and Hannah Fingerhut: poll reveals pandemic hit Gen-Z hardest. Associated Press

Anna Bruk assures you that other people don’t think you’re a mess. Scientific American

Jue Liang: Buddhist nuns and women scholars are gaining new leadership roles in a tradition that began with the ordination of Buddha’s foster mother. The Conversation

Erik White reports that the Ontario legislature to vote on issuing warrant for Laurentian University documents. CBC

Christopher Plain: DARPA-funded researchers accidentally create the world’s first warp bubble. Engage 🙂 The Debrief

NASA announces 2021 class of astronaut candidates.

Elizabeth Howell reports that NASA celebrates the life and career of Star Trek star, Nichelle Nichols. Space.com

Cody Delistraty: what if we’ve been misunderstanding monsters? JSTOR Daily

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 1-4, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

The thoughty was slow in coming last week. Admittedly, I didn’t resume curation until December 1st, so it makes sense that this post is half the size of usual.

Bidisha: Tudor, English, and Black—and not a slave in sight. From Oct 29, 2017. The Guardian

Mike Householder and Ryan Kryska: student kills 3, wounds 8 at Michigan school. Associated Press

New research suggests social issues are down to neurotypicals more than autistics. Critical Neurodiversity

Imagining inscape: The Human Soul (1913). The Public Domain Review

What is nothing? It’s okay to be smart

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!