Now that I’m working on my master’s degree full time, I need to find something to help me procrastinate a bit more when I have a major project due in just a few days, right? Blogging it is!
I’m going to start a quick feature for Sundays that will just be five things I’ve run into recently (usually in the past week) that I think you might be interested in hearing about. Actually, I don’t know if you’ll be interested in them, unless I know you personally, so I’ll just admit that they are things I’ve found interesting and not promise anything more.
This has kind of sprung up from the overly full bookmarks folder that I currently have on my bookmarks bar, into which I’ve stuffed “to be blogged about” items for a few years now. These are generally things that I’ve been meaning to eventually blog about in a longer format (perhaps an entire post for each item), but I haven’t, so you’re going to get the abbreviated format. Some might appreciate the brevity, which isn’t something I’m normally the best at. (Hey, I like to talk. Sue me.)
Without further ado (which would be about more nothing, unsurprisingly), here are this week’s five interesting (to me) things:
- Interested in how Americans view the etiquette associated with mobile browsing in social situations? Who isn’t? (Really, who hasn’t been aggravated by someone’s differing manners in whether they should be texting fifty other people while they are having dinner with you?) Pew Research Center has some interesting statistics for you on that front. On a related note, PRC also has information on how smart phones change how teens communicate with one another. To be honest, I love seeing how non-smart-phoned teens communicate, so this was an entertaining read.
- Males who have lower skills in-game are more likely to spout insults (negative comments) at female gamers (“female-voiced”) than males who are better players. Losing males actually tended to increase positive or negative comments to male gamers. Winning males generally give positive comments or encouragement to female gamers. Interesting…
- Have you been following the Carter/S.H.I.E.L.D. Dubsmash wars? Of course you have! Well, now you can actually vote to determine the winner in the upcoming three-round Dubsmash Wars for Charity 2015. TO THE DEATH!!!
- I was lucky enough to watch a panel on fantastical realism (yum) while at AWP in April with Neal, and it included both the amazing Laura Ruby (and her delicious Bone Gap) and the spectacular Nikki Loftin. I was able to talk to Nikki a bit after the panel and was taken enough to immediately read the three books she has out. Read a little bit of her personal background around her latest book, Wish Girl, which makes everyone long for a valley and an Annie of their own. (You can weep as much as you like over this book, and no one will blame you. Then think about this moment when Loftin said that a little boy once came up to her and said, “I’m just like Peter in my family.” Loftin responded, “I hope you find your Annie.” He sadly wished it as well.) Then go read her other two books immediately after you finish reading Wish Girl.
- I’m just going to leave the Swiss Army Librarian’s Reference Question of the Week right here. (I’m guessing a virus is anything that makes her computer do something that she doesn’t like.)
Have a wonderful week, everyone!
