solitude

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 2-8, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

The thoughty is a little more substantial this week.

Jim C. Hines considers all that “pro-life” encompasses, or what it should.

Darius Foroux says, the purpose of life is not happiness, but usefulness. Medium

Emily J. Smith: the art of being completely alone. Medium

Christopher D. Connors lists the ten qualities of an emotionally intelligent person. Medium

Brian Handwerk reveals that the benefits of probiotics might not be so clear cut. The Smithsonian Magazine

Sarah Chodosh explains how much your food waste harms the environment. Popular Science

Jane C. Hu goes inside the all-female trek to the north pole. Wired

New Evidence of Water on Jupiter! SciShow Space

 

Eric Mack celebrates NASA’s 60th anniversary: all about the space agency’s past, present, and future. CNet

True Facts: Bobbit Worm and Polychaete Pals – Ze Frank

 

I hope something in this modest curation got your mental corn popping.

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

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 16-22, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

I hope something in this grab bag gets your mental corn popping! On with the thoughty!

Heather MacDougall explores the pagan roots of Easter. The Guardian

Zdravko Cvijetic lists thirteen things you need to give up if you want to be successful. Medium

George Monbiot: neolibralism encourages loneliness and that’s wrenching society apart. [Mel’s note: this introvert says being alone is not necessarily lonely. Keep the distinction in mind as you read.] The Guardian

For balance: Michael Harris promotes the benefits of solitude. The Walrus

Alice Klein reports that creative people see and process the world differently. New Scientist

Tracy Moore says, we have to talk about women who regret having children. Jezebel

Kat Chow: the “model minority” myth is again used to drive a wedge between Asians and blacks. NPR

Itai Palti thinks that the next industrial revolution will be driven by human creativity, not machines. We can always hope. Quartz

D.T. Max reviews how humans have shaped our evolution. National Geographic

Why are you so tired? ASAP Science

 

Following up on last week’s postmodernist post, have a look at an animated introduction to Roland Barthes’ Mythologies. Learn how to deconstruct popular culture. Open Culture

Carol Off interviews biologist David George Haskell about the songs of the trees. CBC

April 22 was Earth Day, so here are some topical posts:

See you on the weekend. Be well until then.

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, April 16-22, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

And here we are with another week full of informal writerly learnings 🙂

K.M. Weiland: what does it mean to move the plot? Helping Writers Become Authors

Later in the week, Kate shows up with three ways to test your story’s emotional stakes, the latest in her lessons from the Marvel Cinematic Universe series. This post focuses on Doctor Strange.

Parul Macdonald shares six myths and truths about what editors at publishing houses are looking for. Writer Unboxed

Dave King tells you how to wrap it up. Writer Unboxed

Colleen M. Story explains how to use writer’s intuition to strike creative gold. Writers in the Storm

Jenny Hansen profiles social media personalities for Writers in the Storm.

Laura Drake helps you write a great last line. Writers in the Storm

Jami Gold looks at fixing big problems with small changes.

When is the right time to start building your platform? Kristen Lamb

Gabriela Pereira borrows a pop quiz from Kristen Lamb: are you an aspiring writer? DIY MFA

Stacy B. Woodson: when is a story a romantic suspense? DIY MFA

Gabriela Pereira interviews K.J. Howe about writing strong female characters. DIY MFA

Sara Letourneau shares five reasons to attend the Iceland Writers Retreat. DIY MFA

Kris Spisak guest posts on Jane Friedman’s blog: five commonly confused words starting with A.

Angela Ackerman says, to become a successful writer, you have to develop your intuition. Writers Helping Writers

Adam Haslett examines the perpetual solitude of the writer. Literary Hub

Oren Ashkenazi: five perspective mistakes to avoid. Mythcreants

Chuck Wendig shares the wisdom he’s gained over 5 years and 20 books. Terribleminds

Why isn’t Irish mythology more popular? Tale Foundry

 

Kaitlyn Johnson: mastering the dreaded synopsis. Writer’s Digest

Steve Fahnestalk: where do I send the SF/F book I just wrote? Amazing Stories

Charles Chu lists the six strategies Isaac Asimov used to write almost 500 books in his lifetime. Quartz

Nisi Shawl continues her crash course in black science fiction series by revisiting Samuel R. Delaney’s The Jewels of Aptor. Tor.com

Martin Rezny: how (and why) to write realistic magic and aliens. A-MA-zing! Electric Lit

Laura Miller reviews Jeff Vandermeer’s Borne. The New Yorker

Jane Eyre – Thug Notes Summary and Analysis (funny, but fabu)

 

Terri Kapsalis offers a brief history of hysteria, witches, and the wandering uterus. Literary Hub

Emily Temple: The Handmaid’s Tale adapts more than the novel. Literary Hub

The Outlander season 3 trailer (I can’t wait!):

 

Emily Asher-Perrin reviews the series 10 Doctor Who premiere. Tor.com

AutoCrit shares some writing memes.

I hope you picked up some tasty bits that will help you improve you craft, open your mind, or that entertained you in that special, writerly way 😉

Be well until next I blog!

And virtual hugs all around 🙂

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Oct 18-24, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

An interesting mixed bag this week.

How science helped to swing the Canadian election. The Guardian.

Michael Kimmel explains why gender equality is good for everyone, even men. TED Talks.

Shirley Cheechoo makes Brock University history. The Brock News.

Why blacks have Irish last names. Note: It was pointed out to me that there is a difference between indentured servitude and slavery. Something to keep in mind as you read. I’m not looking to be inflammatory.

Care for a road trip? You should try Ireland’s wild Atlantic way. National Geographic.

Eric Barker offers three anger management tips from neuroscience. Time.

Happiness: eight awesome new facts you should know. PsyBlog.

How solitude can change your brain in profound ways. Jane Porter for Fast Company.

i09 presents the creepy world of abandoned asylums.

The teen who hacked into the CIA Director’s email explains how he did it. Wired.

What New Horizons is showing us about Pluto’s moon, Charon. Phys.org.

Jackfruit might be a meat substitute. And yes. It’s a fruit. The Business Insider.

The Issus coleoptratus is the only insect that has biological gears. The Smithsonian.

There are whales alive today that were born before Moby Dick was written. The Smithsonian.

An animal shelter on Kauai allows visitors to take dogs on day trips. This is sweet. The Los Angeles Times.

Florence + the Machine: Delilah.

Sorry to say, but Saturday posts are on hold until NaNoWriMo is over. Then, I’ll start in on the Can-con panel reportage.

In the meantime, look forward to Tipsday and Thoughty Thursday between now and then.

Have a great weekend!

Thoughty Thursday