Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Sept 4-10, 2022

September 15, 2022September 11, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Tomorrow is Friday, and we’re halfway through September (!). Get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend 🙂

Jordan Laird provides a timeline of the Columbus police fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis. The Columbus Dispatch

Jamie Ducharme reports that US medical schools are struggling to overcome centuries of racism in healthcare. Time

Matthew Wills reveals the truth about Isabella Van Wagenen. JSTOR Daily

Lorenzo Tondo and Julian Borger: UN calls for demilitarised zone around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The Guardian

Hanna Arhirova and Yuras Karmanau report that Ukraine claws back territory. Associated Press

China earthquake death count rises to 74 as lockdown anger grows. Associated Press

Two suspects sought for Saskatchewan stabbings now face charges, 10 dead and injured count rises to 18. CBC

Julie Steenhuysen and Jennifer Rigby reveal long covid’s link to suicide: scientists warn of hidden crisis. Reuters

James Gallagher: new malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists. BBC

Buckingham Castle announces that Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. BBC

Clark Quinn recommends you test and tune your learning solutions. Learnlets

Derek Thompson: your career is just one eighth of your life. The Atlantic

Why you should daydream. Elizabeth Cox | TED-Ed

Simon Lewson explains what Canada’s largest art heist reveals about the art world’s shady side. The Walrus

Manuel Ausloos and Sybille de La Hamaide report that restoration of Notre Dame’s smoke-damaged stained glass begins. Reuters

Maggie Zhou: you’re not scared of failing, you’re scared of succeeding. Refinery 29

Guy Kawasaki interviews Cassie Holmes about applying the science of happiness to life. The Remakable People Podcast

Hasima Khatib tells you how to survive 2022’s third Mercury retrograde starting September 9^th. Vogue

Will Sullivan reveals that a lunchbox-sized device is making oxygen on Mars. The Smithsonian Magazine

Donna Lu reports that a new solar-powered invention creates hydrogen fuel from the atmosphere. The Guardian

Scott FaLee explains how changes in length of day affect the brain and subsequent behaviour. UC San Diego

Yvaine Ye reports that embryos with DNA from three people develop normally in first safety study. Nature

Brian Handwerk: the earliest known amputation was performed 31,000 years ago in Borneo. The Smithsonian Magazine

Yvonne Gordon wonders what ancient secrets lie beneath this little-known Irish bog? National Geographic

Bob Yirka reports that over 90% of identifiable trash in the North Pacific Garbage Patch comes from just six countries. And Canada and the US are two of them 😦 Phys.org

Clodagh Kilcoyne and Conor Humphries: Irish nuns bid to turn their convent green. Reuters

True facts: parasitic birds. Ze Frank

How tardigrades bear dehydration. University of Tokyo

Giulia de Amicis presents a fascinating infographic depicting 40 different animal sleep patterns. Visual Capitalist

Thank you 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, July 24-30, 2022

August 4, 2022August 1, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

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

Amy Forliti reports that the last to ex-cops involved in George Floyd’s murder have been sentenced. Associated Press

Porter Braswell explains the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. Fast Company

Julia Métreaux: how to dismantle systemic ableism, according to disabled people. DAME

Matthew Rodriguez: the House passed the Respect for Marriage Act. 157 republicans voted against it. Them

Tom Yun and Melissa Lopez-Martinez report that Pope Francis issues apology for residential school abuses: “I ask forgiveness.” CTV News

Eric Reguly and Joy Spearchief-Morris: Pope Francis holds second mass amid calls for broader residential school apology. The Globe and Mail

Simon Lewis introduces us to the Ukrainian fighters standing in Russia’s way on the eastern front. Reuters

Helen Regan and Rhea Mogul report that Myanmar junta executes leading democracy activists. CNN

Maria Cheng: WHO declares monkeypox a global emergency; Canada confirms 681 cases. CTV News

Consent … is messy. Khadija Mbowe

Guy Kawasaki interviews Ayelet Fishbach about the art of goals, incentives, and motivation. The Remarkable People Podcast

Ellen Scott wonders, could “quiet quitting” be the answer to burnout? What you need to know. Metro

Darren MacDonald reports that more than $38 million in LU scholarship and bursary money gone, court filing shows. CTV News

Eclipses that don’t eclipse? SciShow Space

Vladimir Isachenkov and Marcia Dunn report that Russia to drop out of International Space Station after 2024. Associated Press

Amelia Soth: gold weights and wind scales in the Asante empire. JSTOR Daily

Willow Defebaugh: burning out. On the intersection of climate change and personal burnout. Atmos

Serge Pellissier wonders, can electric vehicle batteries be recycled? Fast Company

Olivia Box examines the interaction of ecosystems and extreme weather events. JSTOR Daily

Linda Geddes announces that fossil of earliest animal predator named after David Attenborough. The Guardian

Anna Kate Cannon introduces us to the plant of the month: white sage. JSTOR Daily

Vanessa Gera reports that Polish institute classifies cats as invasive alien species. And cats (and cat-lovers) ain’t too pleased. Associated Press

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

This weekend, I should have my super-massive July next chapter update posted (trying something new—we’ll see how it flies).

Until then, keep staying safe and well!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, July 17-23, 2022

July 28, 2022July 24, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

It’s been hot and humid for the past couple of weeks. Nothing to compare with what some areas have experienced, but climate change is having its effect even up here in northeastern Ontario.

Grab a cooling beverage, put your feet up, and get your mental corn popping.

Steve Karnowski: ex-cop gets 2 ½ years for violating George Floyd’s rights. Associated Press

Katie Fustich says that Handmaid’s Tale imagery hurts the abortion fight. Teen Vogue

Ukraine and Russia: what you need to know right now. Reuters

Khadija Mbowe tackles the topic of men in pearls. You can always change your mind

Erica Alini explains why Canadians with long covid struggle to access financial aid. The Globe and Mail

Laurentian files plan of arrangement; announces Haché’s retirement. One thing the article doesn’t mention, that subsequently emerged on the news, is that they’re liquidating grant, scholarship, and research funding. I’m thinking some people aren’t going to stand for that. Sudbury.com

Gloria Liu: in praise of pointless goals. The Atlantic

Maggie Zhou explains why anti-goals might be the best approach to future planning. Refinery 29

Stephanie Vozza defines the four boundaries your brain needs to feel less overwhelmed. Fast Company

Guy Kawasaki interviews Pamela Hawley about how to foster volunteerism and social activism. The Remarkable People Podcast

Clark Quinn considers templates as content extensions. Learnlets

Pema Bakshi explains the 14 types of romantic crushes. Refinery 29

The JWST pictures you probably haven’t seen yet. SciShow

Will Dunham: scientists find a black hole deemed a “needle in a haystack.” Reuters

Why no one can agree on what’s really the tallest mountain. Be Smart

Ian Rose: every good bird does fine. JSTOR Daily

Carolyn Kormann is saving the butterfly forest. The New Yorker

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

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

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, July 3-9, 2022

July 14, 2022July 10, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday, your opportunity to get your mental corn popping. And happy Friday eve, all!

Steve Karnowski reports that Chauvin sentenced 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Associated Press

Samantha Beech and Dakin Andone: Jayland Walker suffered at least 60 wounds in fatal police shooting, Akron police chief says, as authorities release bodycam footage. CNN

Ashley Domingo Hendricks explains what dance activism is. JSTOR Daily

Aborting the sun: the facts, the feels, the action. Khadija Mbowe

Rebecca Deczynski says that, with Roe gone, entrepreneurs and brands are fundraising for reproductive rights organizations. Inc.

Crystal Echo Hawk: women’s bodies are no longer their own. For Native people, they never have been. Elle

Cazembe Murphy Jackson is a trans man who had an abortion: reproductive rights is everyone’s fight. Esquire

Satoshi Sugiyama and Chang-Ran Kim reveal that Shinzo Abe’s assassin used a handmade firearm. Reuters

Martin Finucane reports that Boston researchers may have found the biomarker for long covid. The Boston Globe

Clark Quinn wants instructional designers to think about activities beyond the course. Learnlets

Guy Kawasaki interviews Esther Dyson on what’s after success. The Remarkable People Podcast

Joe tries to land a plane (to prove a point). Be Smart

The Next Big Idea Club says it’s time to reframe our thoughts about anxiety. Here’s how to use it productively. “Treating all anxiety as a disease hinders us from finding ways to manage and use anxiety to our advantage, and from benefiting from treatments when we do need extra support.” Fast Company

Alex Pasternack wonders what physicists have found and what they’re looking for next at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Fast Company

Meet the microbes that could eat your trash. TED-Ed

Olivia Box admires sacred trees in Japan. JSTOR Daily

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, June 26-July 2, 2022

July 7, 2022July 3, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

I’m hoping the early days of summer have been kind to you. Now refresh your brain and get that mental corn popping 🙂

Ashawnta Jackson: race, rock, and breaking barriers. JSTOR Daily

Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland (of the Pantsuit Politics Podcast) declare that even though Roe is gone. We have to keep fighting. Marie Claire

Roe vs. Wade: law professors break down what happened. The Problem with Jon Stewart

Andréa Becker: as anti-abortion laws pop up across the US, Mexican activists are helping Americans access free abortions. Insider

What does Dirty Dancing have to do with abortion? (A lot, it turns out.) PBS Origins

Yuliya Talmazan, Phil McCausland, and Artem Grudinin report that Russian missile strike hits shopping mall with more than 1,000 people inside, Ukraine says. NBC News

Ukraine secures release of 144 soldiers in biggest prisoner swap of war. Reuters

Amanda Macias: NATO reaches a deal with Turkey to admit Sweden and Finland, secretary-general says. CNBC

Guy Kawasaki interviews Margaret O’Mara about what we can learn from history. The Remarkable People Podcast

Sabrina read 700 years of history to fix her glasses. Answer in Progress

Allie Volpe says emotional exhaustion is real, but your friendships don’t need to suffer. Vox

Clark Quinn: LXD by design. Learnlets

Heidi Ulrichsen: Sudbury arts community gathers for frank talk on STC-YES Theatre merger. Sudbury.com

Related: Mia Jensen reports that theatre board faces criticism over merger. The Sudbury Star

Diana stays overnight in the most remote camp in the world. Physics Girl

Jacqueline Kilikita: here’s the problem with “reef safe” sunscreen. Refinery 29

Annie Proulx thinks swamps can protect us from climate change, if only we let them. The New Yorker

Kieran Mulvaney explains what a carbon footprint is, and how you can measure yours. National Geographic

George Monbiot says there’s a simple way to unite everyone behind climate justice—and it’s within our power. The Guardian

True facts—the beaver. Ze Frank

An eagle snatched a baby hawk … and ended up adopting it. CBC’s “As it happens”

Thanks for stopping by, 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, June 19-25, 2022

June 30, 2022June 26, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

It’s the last thoughty Thursday of June! Early happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends and early happy Independence Day to my friends south of the border.

Mon M: the Uvalde shooting is just the latest example of why we need abolition. Prism

Jia Tolentino says America’s not going back to the time before Roe. We’re going somewhere worse. The New Yorker

Vanessa Taylor explains why Muslim teens love surveillance memes. Teen Vogue

Max Hunder and Tom Balmforth: Ukraine to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk as Russia closes in. Reuters

Laurentian gets court approval to sell the Art Gallery of Sudbury. They haven’t said what they’re doing with the art collection. Yet. CBC

Frances Solá-Santiago wonders what’s really behind TikTok’s “weird girl aesthetic”? Refinery 29

Why you can’t smell yourself (and other ways your senses lie to you). Be Smart

Clark Quinn is all about reality checks. Learnlets

Danielle D. King and Megan R. McSpedon explain what leaders get wrong about resilience. Harvard Business Review

Guy Kawasaki interviews Gloria Romero, former senator, author, and feminist. The Remarkable People Podcast

Rina Torchinsky says, get your binoculars: five planets are lined up nicely for you to see at dawn this month. NPR

“Do fabulous science”: Jane Rigby. SciShow Space

Robert Lea: fastest nova ever seen “rings” like a bell thanks to feeding white dwarf. Space.com

Nina Lakhani introduces us to the farmers restoring Hawaii’s ancient food forests that once fed an island. The Guardian

Olivia Box spotlights improving communications around climate change. JSTOR Daily

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

This weekend, I hope to post my June next chapter update (we’ll see how that works out).

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

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, May 22-28, 2022

June 2, 2022May 29, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Welcome June, the unofficial beginning of summer (the solstice is only three weeks away …)! Celebrate by getting you mental corn popping 🙂

Brett Samuels reports that Biden to sign policing order on second anniversary of George Floyd’s death. The Hill

Anthony Conwright explains the trouble with white fragility discourse. African American Policy Forum

Seth Freed Wessler reports that Erin Edwards warned that a new grain elevator would disrupt sacred Black history. Her employer deleted her findings. ProPublica

Barbara Ransby: Black feminism insists that we not take the attack on “Roe” as an isolated issue. Truthout

Acacia Coronado and Jim Vertuno: gunman kills 19 children, 2 teachers in Texas school rampage. Associated Press

Luis Noe-Bustamante, Neil G. Ruiz, Mark Hugo Lopez, and Khadijah Edwards: about a third of Asian Americans have changed their daily routines over concerns about threats and attacks. Pew Research

John Sudworth reveals the faces from China’s Uygher detention camps. BBC

Chris Brown reports that somehow, cherished Blackfoot items ended up in Devon, England. Now, they’re heading home. CBC

Laverne Cox honoured as first transgender Barbie. BBC

Rob Picheta and Hafsa Khalil report that we’re finally learning more about long covid. CNN

Brigid Schulte says it’s not your job to fix your work stress. Slate

Clark Quinn recommends the late adopter strategy. Learnlets

Guy Kawasaki interviews Zoe Chance: writer, teacher, researcher and climate philanthropist. The Remarkable People Podcast

Ali Sundermier announces that superconducting x-ray laser reaches operating temperature colder than outer space. Phys.org

A simple but compelling question: where does the candle wax go? SciShow

Linda Geddes: scientists create tomatoes genetically edited to bolster vitamin D levels. The Guardian

Helena Horton reports that an ancient forest found at bottom of huge sinkhole in China. The Guardian

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

I should be posting my next chapter update this weekend.

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

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, April 17-23, 2022

April 28, 2022April 24, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

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

Ibram X. Kendi: the danger more republicans should be talking about. (Spoiler: it’s white supremacy.) The Atlantic

Whitney Bauck interviews Reverend Lennox Yearwood: culture-building as climate work. Atmos

Mariupol mayor urges residents to flee as Russia mounts eastern Ukraine offensive. CBC

Emily Zarevich introduces us to Lesya U k rainka: Ukraine’s beloved writer and activist. JSTOR Daily

Amy Cassidy, Mostafa Salem, Caroline Faraj, Obayda Nafaa and Jack Bantock: dozens injured in Sweden in riots after Quran burning. CNN

Laurentian mess didn’t bubble up; it trickled down. Sudbury.com editorial board

Melody Wilding lists eight signs of overfunctioning that lead to burnout (and how to stop). Forbes

Sadhbh O’Sullivan says there’s a reason we procrastinate, and it isn’t laziness. Refinery 29

Deepa Purushothaman and Lisen Stromberg: leaders, stop rewarding toxic rock stars. Harvard Business Review

Clark Quinn says we’re using the wrong bucket lists. Learnlets

Harold Jarche considers writing at electric speed. Then, he looks at the power of story.

Erin Blakemore tries to explain why Easter is celebrated with bunnies and eggs. National Geographic

Doyle Rice and Dinah Voyles Pulver: UN IPCC report shows the globe is on “track toward an unlivable world.” USA Today

Solar superflares and aurora science. Physics Girl

Guy Kawasaki interviews Neil deGrasse Tyson: astrophysicist, planetary scientist, and author. The Remarkable People Podcast

Nadia Drake explains why NASA has been ignoring Uranus. That may soon change. National Geographic

Bob McDonald interviews Riley Culberg about how the ridges on the surface of Europa could mean water—and life. CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks”

Florence + the Machine – Free

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

Even though May first is Sunday, I won’t be composing my next chapter update until the first full weekend in May. That’s the May 7-8 weekend. Just so you know.

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

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, April 3-9, 2022

April 14, 2022April 10, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Another week, another batch of cool stuff to get your mental corn popping.

Kevin Breuninger announces that the US Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman to serve as justice. CNBC

Marlene Lenthang reveals that police won’t be charged in the death of Amir Locke. NBC News

Why did it take so long to pass an anti-lynching law? The Amber Ruffin Show

Anthony Conwright: white anxiety, redefined. African American Policy Forum

Killings in Ukrainian city of Bucha are “clearly war crimes,” says Joly. CBC

And after Russia denies responsibility (the Ukraine’s murdering their own citizens? Yeah, right), Gerry Doyle reports that satellite images show dead civilians in Bucha while it was still in Russian hands. Reuters

Joshua Yaffa: prisoners in a Novyi Bykiv cellar. The New Yorker

Anna Piela: Muslim women and the politics of the head scarf. JSTOR Daily

Reshma Saujani says no one wants to go back to the office as much as white men. Time

Katie Tobin: antiwork feminism asks women to imagine a life without work. Vice

Sarah Laing wonders, have you ever been the victim of “weaponized incompetence”? The Kit

Michelle Fox reports that a four-day workweek pilot is underway in the US and Canada. CNBC

Derek Thompson explains what happens when there are too many meetings. The Atlantic

Rebecca Deczynski says employees spend more time coordinating their work than actually working. The remedy? Fewer meetings! Inc.

Clark Quinn: confidence and correctness. Learnlets

Rebecca Klar wants you to check out this report: Instagram failed to act on abusive DMs sent to three female public figures. The Hill

Guy Kawasaki interviews Susan Cain, NYT bestselling author and introvert. The Remarkable People Podcast

What is life (featuring Brian Cox)? Be Smart