Oh, Interwebs!

Stephen Orlando's photos capture the hypnotically repetitive motions of kayakers, canoers, and swimmers
as they paddle through the water, turning their movement into beautiful woven braids of light. 

Welcome to my periodic round-up of things I've found online that make me smile, cry, laugh, think, shout, or drop my jaw. 

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THINK

Anyone who has ever been in a "crowd crush" will recognize the primal fear that comes when you realize that you have absolutely no control over what is happening around you and no escape. In Paris, on Bastille Day in 1979, I was caught in a crowd crush while leaving the main event. I watched an elderly woman get caught in a V where two barricades formed an angle. I couldn't reach her.

This New Yorker article talks about the dynamics of crowd control and how event managers can make a huge difference in crowd safety.

For myself, I will continue to avoid crowds. You won't find me on Parliament Hill on Canada Day or the mosh pit at a concert.

(Hat tip to Kathy Frederick.)

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MEDITATE

Here's why: MRI Study Shows Meditation Rebuilds the Brain's Grey Matter.

"It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life,” says Britta Hölzel, first author of the paper and a research fellow at MGH and Giessen University in Germany.

(Hat tip to Margot Andresen.)

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SMILE

Hospital stays are a fact of life for people like my nieces Diane and Laura who have Cystic Fibrosis. It can be especially hard for a teen to be pulled out of her regular life. As People magazine explains, Claire Wineland really shows an indomitable spirit, as she jokes about the perks of being in hospital.


Donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have made a dramatic difference in research that benefits those who struggle with the disease. If you're looking for a charitable organization to receive your Christmas donations, consider the CF Foundation. Links here:

• Canada
• USA

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LAUGH

Have you ever read a supercilious restaurant review and wondered, "What does he even mean by that?" Well, the folks at The Bold Italic decided to get some truly honest restaurant critiques. From four-year-olds. They do not hold back in their judgments at all.

If you can take frantic, heartbreaking sobs as a critique, one can assume this was Della’s least favorite. One bite and she was toppling over the table for her rose soda in a sudden outburst of tears.

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LAUGH SOME MORE

I'm a little bit addicted to advice columns, but then, who isn't? It's a voyeuristic schadenfreude delight to read the complaints of self-absorbed people and then watch them get taken down a notch. Well, the tumblr blog here's that bad advice you were hoping for kind of takes the whole concept to the extreme and answers the questions in the way that the askers probably hoped. (Drizzled heavily with sarcasm.)

How should you feel about your sex life? Well, that’s a question only a total fucking stranger can answer for you. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place: the internet, where you will find no divergent opinions on what constitutes a desirable sexual lifestyle.

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SMILE


This girl and her cow.

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LAUGH

If you are a Blogess follower on Pinterest, you've already seen this. If not, click on over and revel in the glory of Juanita Weasel.

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PAUSE

Brené Brown is my touchstone for balance and compassionate living. Read what she has to say about the "driven" Christmas.