Weekly Download 15.21

Here’s a recap of news and notes from around the Web that caught my attention over the past week or so.

7 Pieces of Wisdom That Will Change the Way You Work is written from the perspective of a writer, but the helpful, universal reminders can be applied to any career.

The Age of Disinformation addresses how to filter hype in broadcast and social media. It’s no easy feat.

Here’s a blast from the past: the phrase “nattering nabobs of negativism,” which I recently heard on talk radio. Its first known usage was in 1970 by Vice President Spiro Agnew, in a speech penned by White House speechwriter William Safire. It summed up his often-hostile relationship with the media and how he viewed the incessant, negative chatter by this prominent and influential group. Learn more from this entry in Taegan Goddard’s Political Dictionary.

The convergence of cloud technologies, the Internet of Things and big data analytics is real. As World Crowds In, Cities Become Digital Laboratories spotlights interesting applications in New York City. Their interactive graphics are incredible.

The capabilities of data mining seem to be only limited by imagination. Here’s one quirky, but interesting application: Data Mining Reveals How Smiling Evolved During a Century of Yearbook Photos.

Addicted to Distraction offers this definition: “Addiction is the relentless pull to a substance or an activity that becomes so compulsive it ultimately interferes with everyday life.” Reality check time—are you due for a detox? This is one addict’s tale.

I knew my journaling habit was a good thing! Famous Writers on the Creative Benefits of Keeping a Diary agree.