Learning

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, March 27-April 2, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time, once again, to get your mental corn popping.

Paige Skinner: police bodycam footage shows Black Panther director Ryan Coogler mistakenly detained as a bank robber. Buzzfeed

Charlotte Nolin, a two-spirit Métis elder, says “Change has begun,” on Transgender Day of Visibility. CBC

Nebi Qena and Yuras Karmanau: Relief for Kyiv? Russia vows to scale back near the capital. Associated Press

Talks resume as Ukraine denies hitting depot on Russian soil. Nebi Qena, Yuras Karmenau, and AP staff for CTV News.

Morgan Godvin considers mothers and war. JSTOR Daily

Emily Zarevich lauds Marie Curie as a Polish resistor. JSTOR Daily

Olivia Stefanovich reports that Pope Francis apologizes to Indigenous delegates to “deplorable” abuses of residential schools. CBC

Nina Feldman: people with “medium covid” are caught in the middle with little support. NPR

Kim Fahner recounts her continuing struggle with long covid. The Republic of Poetry

Laura Zabel explains how artists can lead a pandemic recovery. Bloomberg

Let’s talk “gold diggers.” Khadija Mbowe

Megan Marples says that workplace “energy vampires” can drain your lifeforce. Stop them with these tips. CNN

Richard Fry: young women are out-earning young men in several US cities. Pew Research

Laura Vanderkam explains why you rethink that morning meeting. Fast Company

Clark Quinn shares his personal knowledge management approach. Learnlets

99 years later … we solved it! Physics Girl

Laura Ungar: scientists finally finish decoding the entire human genome. Associated Press

Hiroshima University develops new procedure to interpret x-ray emission spectra of liquid water. Phys.org

Nicole Mortillaro: a “cannibal” is on its way from the sun, but don’t worry, you may see the northern lights. CBC

Ashley Strickland reveals that Pluto has giant ice volcanoes that could hint at the possibility of life. CNN

Nadia Drake: most distant star ever seen found in Hubble Space Telescope image. National Geographic

Thanks 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, March 20-26, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Bid farewell to March by getting your mental corn popping! Fortify yourself for April Fool’s Day and everything that comes after.

Li Zhou: the Stop Asian Hate movement is at a crossroads. Vox

Murray Brewster: the war in Ukraine could force Canada to shed its peacekeeper image. CBC

Stephanie Halasz and George Ramsey report that jailed Kremlin critic, Alexey Navalny found guilty of fraud and sentenced to nine more years in prison. CNN

Celebrity relationships won’t save yours. Khadija Mbowe

Stephanie Vozza wonders which comes first, happiness or success? Fast Company

Harold Jarche says knowledge flows at the speed of trust.

Clark Quinn considers emphasis and effort. Learnlets

Molly Hayes, Elizabeth Renzetti, and Tavia Grant: coercive control can be a life-or-death issue in relationships, but few people know how to recognize it. The Globe and Mail

Imogen West-Knights introduces us to Angela Gallop, the queen of crime-solving. The Guardian

An Alheimer’s drug that doesn’t treat Alheimer’s? SciShow

How evolution beat cancer (in whales, at least). Be Smart

In cosmic milestone, NASA confirms 5,000 exoplanets. Phys.org

Séan McCann – Take off My Armour

Thanks for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

This weekend, I should be posting my next chapter update for March 2022. Until then, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, March 13-19, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Prep for the weekend by getting your mental corn popping.

Da’Shaun Harrison, Joy James, and Samira Rice wonder why the Department of Justice won’t recognize the vulnerability of Black lives. Scalawag

Hanaa’ Tameez: American journalism’s “racial reckoning” still has a lot of reckoning to do. Nieman Lab

Clout: the new fragrance from late-stage capitalism. Khadija Mbowe

Krishna N. Das: India court upholds hijab ban in schools, could set national precedent. Reuters

Hazel Shearing and Mary O’Connor announce that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori on way home to UK. BBC

Rescuers search for survivors from Mariupol theatre hit by Russian bomb. CBC

Ryan Faughnder reports that Disney LGBTQIA+ employees plan walk-out over Florida “don’t say gay” bill. Los Angeles Times

Julia Métreaux presents the working-class roots of Canadian feminism. JSTOR Daily

Clark Quinn has some further thoughts on working with subject matter experts (SMEs). Learnlets

Long covid and post-infection syndromes: what we know so far. SciShow

David Shepardson reports that US senate approves bill to make daylight savings time permanent. Provincial and federal governments in Canada have long said that they’d only adopt or revoke DST permanently if the US did. This makes me excited for a future with out intentionally inflicted time-lag. Reuters

Scientists giddy as NASA releases image of distant star, galaxies from James Webb Space Telescope. CBC

Liz Tracey: beware the Ides of March. (But why?) JSTOR Daily

Emma Yasinski reveals how a game-changing transplant could treat dying organs. National Geographic

Alys Fowler explains how she learned to love weeds and why we should, too. The Guardian

Mena Davidson wonders why there aren’t more dogs in doctors’ offices. JSTOR Daily

Dala – Carrickfergus

Thank you for taking the time to visit. 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, March 6-12, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

The workweek is nearly at its end. Fortify yourself for the weekend by getting your mental corn popping!

Shawna Chen: senate sends anti-lynching bill to Biden’s desk in historic first. Axios

John Oliver unpacks the moral panic over critical race theory. Last Week, Tonight

Erin Blakemore explains why Harriet Tubman risked it all for enslaved Americans. National Geographic

Jessie Yeung reports that, after decades-long fight, the Philippines raises the ages of sexual consent from 12 to 16. CNN

Bill Chappell: Ukraine libraries offer bomb shelters, camouflage classes, and yes, books. NPR

At least 17 injured in Mariupol maternity hospital airstrike. CBC

Matthew Wills: Lviv is open to the world. JSTOR Daily

Clark Quinn considers experts and explanations. Learnlets

Dr. Theresa Regan says if your autism experience has worsened during menopause, you are not alone. Adult and Geriatric Autism

Griffin Shea reports that Shackleton’s lost shipwreck discovered off Antarctica. Phys.org

Edna Bonhomme says women in science should be the norm, not the exception. Al Jazeera

The editors compile a collection of articles on the famous and forgotten women of STEM. JSTOR Daily

Saima Sidik explains why birth control side-effects have eluded science. Undark

Matthew Taylor: six key lifestyle changes can help avert climate crisis. The Guardian

Rina Torchinsky reveals how therapy dogs ease pain in the emergency room. NPR

And, to finish off this curation in style, a couple of Florence + the Machine videos. First: Heaven is Here

Second: My Love

So in love with this new music!

Thanks for spending this time with me. 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, Feb 27-March 5, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Fuel the thoughty moving into the weekend by getting your mental corn popping!

Daniella silva reveals that three former officers on federal charges in George Floyd’s killing. NBC News

People should cheat on their taxes. Every “How did we get here,” part 4. The Amber Ruffin Show

Marycarmen Lara Villanueva: in Mexico, erasing Black history fuels anti-Black racism. The Conversation

Liz Tracey annotates Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I have a Dream” speech. JSTOR Daily

Rina Torchinsky reports that in Texas, an unrelenting assault on trans rights takes mental toll. NPR

Yuras Karmanau, Jim Heintz, Vladimir Isachenkov and Dasha Litvinova report that Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert, escalating tensions. Associated Press

The editors provide a background reading list on Ukraine, Russia, and the West. If you want to distract yourselves from the news to get some perspective. JSTOR Daily

Ukrainians won’t be separated from beloved pets as residents shelter from Russian attack with cats and dogs. The Independent

Morgan Godvin: crime wave or moral panic? JSTOR Daily

Crappy hiring practices that have to die, and some new ones we need to adopt. Non-profit AF

Robert R. Raymond says that it’s time to shorten the American workweek. Truthout

Andrew Pulrang highlights ableist narratives that poison disability policy and disabled peoples’ lives. Forbes

Guy Kawasaki interviews Deepa Purushothaman, author of The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America. The Remarkable People podcast

Clark Quinn touts the value of examples before practice. Learnlets

Joe finds out what’s actually on the other side of the mirror. Be Smart

James Somers takes a journey to the center of our cells. The New Yorker

Corryn Wetzel: brain scans reveal that our life does flash before our eyes when we die. The Smithsonian Magazine

John Geddie and Joe Brock announce the “biggest green deal since Paris:” UN agrees on plastic treaty roadmap. Reuters

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale.

Thanks 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. www.melaniemarttila.ca

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Feb 27-March 5, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to tipsday, your opportunity to fill up on informal writerly learnings, every Tuesday (if you want more—moar—check out the archives). Enjoy!

Melissa Haas shares leisure learning links for February 2022. Then, Richelle Lyn shares tales of a solopreneur. Gabriela Pereira interviews Gillian McDunn about neurodiversity, family dynamics and cooking in contemporary middle grade fiction. Dana De Greff helps you open doors in your writing. DIY MFA

Tim Hickson focuses on the most important moment in any story. Hello, Future Me

Kim Bullock introduces us to the little library banned book project. Then, Tiffany Yates Martin reviews some words you’re probably using wrong. Donald Maass: theme vs. meaning. Liza Nash Taylor shares the arc of one author and two book launches in five acts: Freytag’s pandemic. Yuvi Zalkow: storytelling and the Hero’s Journey. Writer Unboxed

The myth of heroic masculine purpose. Like Stories of Old

K.M. Weiland shares five red flags that indicate you might need a break from writing. Helping Writers Become Authors

Tiffany Yates Martin wants you to dig deeper than description for more nuanced characters. Then, James R. Preston wants you to get out from behind the keyboard. Writers in the Storm

How to write your novel’s first chapter. Reedsy

Joanna Penn interviews Johnny B. Truant about pivoting on the creative journey. The Creative Penn

Lisa Poisso recommends best practices for working with an independent editor. Then, Becca Puglisi shares some tips for landing a guest-posting gig. Writers Helping Writers

Nathan Bransford wants you to show your characters getting from point a to point b.

Finding your writing process. Shaelin Writes

Jessica Conoley reveals what your writing is training you for. When you change alongside your book: Q&A with Mansi Shah. Jane Friedman

Chris Winkle explains how to write an unhappy ending. Then, Oren Ashkenazi reveals why sequels don’t erase errors in the first book. Mythcreants

Adze: the shapeshifting firefly from West Africa. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Kristen Lamb is creating dimensional characters with personality traits.

Ashawnta Jackson reveals the short but influential run of Ebony and Topaz. JSTOR Daily

Angelarium: The Book of Angels. Tale Foundry

George Saunders helps you overcome uncertainty in writing. Literary Hub

Priya Sidhar wonders, was Brandon Sanderson’s video about burnout relatable? Medium

Unreliable narrators: why we love to be lied to. The Take

Jonathan Thornton provides a readers’ guide to the Finnish weird in translation. More for my TBR list! Tor.com

Leigh Haber interviews Diana Gabaldon about season six of Outlander. Droughtlander ENDED Sunday! Yay! Oprah Daily online

Thank you for taking the time to visit. I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Feb 20-26, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time, once again, to get your mental corn popping!

Liz Baker: jury finds Amhaud Arbery’s three killers guilty of federal hate crimes. NPR

David K. Li reports on the sentencing of the officer who killed Daunte Wright. NBC News

Where are the missing Black towns? Every How Did We Get Here, part 3. The Amber Ruffin Show

Sophie Hurwitz: LGBTQ+ Ghanaian refugee faces “cruel” deportation after asylum claim denied in Canada. Xtra*

Olivia B. Waxman and Arpita Aneja reveal the legacy of the Reconstruction Era’s Black political leaders. Time

Cathy Free: she found her father’s segregated schoolhouse decaying in the Virginia woods. Now it’s on its way to being saved. The Washington Post

Vladimir Isachenkov, Yuras Karmenau, Aamer Madhani, and Eric Tucker report that Biden and Putin signal bigger confrontation ahead over Ukraine. CTV News

Alexandru Micu: the Dunning-Kruger Effect, or why the ignorant think they’re experts. ZME Scince

Clark Quinn critiques an article on microlearning: good and bad advice all in one! Learnlets

Maya Wei-Haas: Mars rover takes big steps in its most important mission. National Geographic

Stunning, 360-degree view of Mars from Perseverance Rover.

Rebecca Shedd sheds (sorry, not sorry) light on 15th Century clothing for writers. Then, Shannon Ferretti says it’s like learning to ride a horse. Dan Koboldt

Dominique Potvin considers altruism in birds: magpies outwit scientists by removing each other’s tracking devices. Corvids rule! The Conversation

Florence + the Machine – King

Thanks for spending time with me. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

This weekend, I should be posting my next chapter update for February.

Until then, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories (now, more than ever)!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Feb 13-19, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

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

Cornelius Fortune introduces the independent voices of the Black American press. JSTOR Daily

Ashawnta Jackson is remembering Emmett Till in song. JSTOR Daily

Police Brutality isn’t new. Every How Did We Get Here (part 2). The Amber Ruffin Show

Frankie Graziano and Laura Wamsley: families of Sandy Hook victims reach $73 million settlement with Remington. NPR

Catharine Tunney reports that the federal government invokes emergencies act for the first time in response to protests. CBC

Andrew Duffy provides a timeline of the occupation of Ottawa. The Ottawa Citizen

Michael Woods and Ted Raymond cover the Ottawa occupation: police hand out leaflets warning downtown protesters to leave. CTV News

Standoff between protestors and massive police operation stretches into night. CBC

Tara Henley says, “Get insanely curious when no one else is curious.” A conversation with Amanda Ripley about the Ottawa occupation and high conflict.

Harold Jarche outlines our new normal in perpetual beta.

Devin Dwyer and Sarah Herndon: “Broken Heart” cases surge during covid, especially among women. ABC News

Benjamin Ryan shares that scientists have possibly cured a woman of HIV for the first time. While the treatment is specific to a subset of patients who have Leukemia in addition to HIV, it could direct new research. NBC News

Carmen Leitch: human neurons found to be surprisingly different from other mammals. Lab Roots

Paul Withers reveals that Facebook to begin laying cable (for Metaverse) through fishing grounds off Nova Scotia. CBC

Move over, JWST! Five new telescopes to get excited about. Dr. Becky

Bob McDonald: astronomers are fighting back against satellite constellations. CBC’s Quirks and Quarks

Victor Tangermann reports that scientists propose permanent human habitat built orbiting Ceres. It’s like something straight out of The Expanse. Futurism

Are we finally on the road to fusion power? SciShow

Structured thermal armor achieves liquid cooling above 1000 degrees Celsius and solves challenge presented by the Leidenfrost effect. It should work for both aero and space engines as well as nuclear reactors. Phys.org

Simon Akam reveals a new story for Stonehenge. The New Yorker

Iceland to end whaling in 2024 as demand dwindles. The Guardian

Thanks for spending some time with me. 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, Feb 6-12, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend.

Sarah Burnett reports that Amir Locke, shot by Minneapolis cop, wanted music career. Associated Press

Derecka Purnell interviews Sybrina Fulton about her son, Trayvon Martin: grief over time. The Cut

Systemic racism? No thanks. How did we get here (part 1) | The Amber Ruffin Show

Livia Gershon considers music and spirit in the African diaspora. JSTOR Daily

Matthew Wills: Buffalo Soldiers and the bicycle corps. JSTOR Daily

Diana Opong Kuow reports that, for the first time in generations, Snoqualmie tribe has land. Indian Country Today

Natasha Lennard: anti-trans bills are moving through US state legislatures at alarming speed. The Intercept

Sam Knight examines the misogyny that led to the fall of London’s police commissioner, Cressida Dick. The New Yorker

Sudbury councillors push to establish living wage for city employees. CBC

John Michael McGrath: the loudmouths are losing. When this is all over, remember the helpers. TVO.org

Sharon Pruitt-Young reports that a new program in Canada gives doctors the option of prescribing national park visits. NPR

Anne Trafton: MIT engineers create the impossible—new material that’s strong as steel but lighter than plastic. Remember Star Trek IV? SciTech Daily

Tasnim Ahmed reports that new spinal cord stimulation study puts people with paralysis on their feet again. CNN

NASA fears SpaceX plan for 30,000 satellites could hamper space missions. The Guardian

We’ve never seen this before – JWST. Physics Girl

Ian Semple: nuclear fusion heat record a huge step in quest for new energy source. The Guardian

Tracey Anne Duncan reveals that scientists are trying to figure out how to make your dog live longer. MIC

Hannah Ryan presents the wildlife photo of the year, as chosen by the public. CNN

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, 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!