Mashable‘s social book club, MashableReads, met with author Juan Gabriel Vasquez for a Twitter chat on Sept. 24 to discuss his novel, The Sound of Things Falling. The novel deals with the aftermath of kingpin Pablo Escobar’s reign in Colombia. Mashable readers discussed their favorite characters and posed questions to the author. Vasquez shared his own experience writing the novel and where he draws inspiration from. If you missed the Twitter chat, you can check out some of the highlights in our Storify below. The next MashableReads book will be Necessary Errors by Caleb Crain. Make sure to follow @mashlifestyle for discussion about the book and tweet with the hashtag #MashReads during the chat. For an up-to-date discussion throughout the month, join our Facebook group and share your thoughts with other readers. [View the story “#MashReads Discusses ‘The Sound of Things Falling’” on Storify] Image: Mashable, Bianca Consunji Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/09/26/juan-gabriel-vasquez-twitter-chat/
Woodworking is a valuable trade, but it doesn’t come without risks. For the longest time, construction workers and carpenters had to operate with the utmost caution in order to avoid losing a finger to their table saw. But what if there was a saw that could tell the difference between a piece of wood and a finger? Read more: http://www.wimp.com/no-matter-how-hard-you-try-this-table-saw-cant-hurt-you/
I’m the youngest of three and after my mom’s second boy, she was so determined to have a girl that my parents kept on trying. Back in 2013, this couple had twin baby girls. While very exciting for them, it was an especially important announcement to the rest of their family. You see, all of the relatives of the family had been having boy babies…FOR 54 YEARS. So when Mom and Dad flew for 17 hours to surprise the girls’ grandmother with the two little tykes, you can understand why this is her reaction! For a while, I thought she wasn’t going to let go of those little ones. She just wants to hold and hug them forever. Eventually, grandpa gets a chance though! Congrats to the happy family. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/grandma-babies/
A guy named James saw a Facebook post about two deer that were stranded on Albert Lea Lake. It was iced over, so the poor deer couldn’t get their footing and make it to safety. They were there for as long as THREE DAYS before James saw this post. That’s when he and his dad took matters into their own hands. They got their hovercraft ready and headed to the lake. “” A father, son, GoPro camera, hovercraft, and two stranded deer… that’s apparently the recipe for an incredible video. Share this awesome act of kindness with others. And because it included a hovercraft, which is just awesome. Read more: http://viralnova.com/deer-on-icy-lake/
As children, we brought our action figures, dolls, and stuffed animals to life with our imagination. Now, filmmaker Patrick Boivin shows us what playing with toys really looks like through the eyes of a child. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/what-a-child-sees-when-they-play-with-toys/
What do you do when you’re an up-and-coming brand and you hit 100,000 “Likes” on Facebook? If you’re Bonobos, you evoke The Golden Girls to great comic effect. The people at the online menswear retailer appear to have had a good time mimicking the opening of the classic ’80s show’s tune “Thank You for Being a Friend” (get it?), though they acknowledge that there’s no substitute for Estelle Getty. Bonobos is the latest brand to celebrate a Facebook milestone with a musical tribute, following recent efforts from AT&T and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Is this the cheesiest yet though? Let us know in the comments. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/07/bonobos-golden-girl/
Have you ever heard a politician make a claim you just couldn’t believe, so you turned to Google or Wikipedia for the truth? You’re far from alone — 64% of “persuadable voters” use the Internet to fact-check political candidates, according to a recent study. The study also found that a majority of persuadable voters in several battleground states — 58% — are using the Internet to look up candidates’ voting records or stances on the important issues of the day. 49% are getting their regular fill of election news online, and 53% said the Internet provides them “with the information they need.” “The Internet is an increasingly important resource when it comes to getting information about this year’s campaigns and elections,” wrote Global Strategy Group and Public Opinion Strategies in a memo on the survey of 500 “persuadable voters.” But is the information found online trustworthy? Yes, according to most voters — 62% of “persuadable voters” trust the information they find online. That’s on par with television news (67%) and print (62%). Why the confidence? 41% of those surveyed reported it’s “generally easy” to tell the difference between truthful and inaccurate news on the Internet, more so than it is on television. And why the heavy use of the Internet to get political news and fact-check candidates? 63% of respondents said it’s important to be able to access information on their own time, and 73% said the Internet helps them do that. In aggregate, these numbers mean that persuadable voters are online — making candidates’ social media and online advertising strategies all the more necessary and important. “Persuadable voters are online. They are engaged and ready to listen. And they are looking for answers to the questions that will help them make up their minds come November 6,” reads the study, which is embedded below. Do you use the Internet to fact-check politicians? What are you favorite tools to do so? Share them in the comments. Google Voters Research Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sjlocke Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/10/voters-fact-check-online/
The Walking Dead Magazine Covers Newsstand Cover Midtown Comics Retail Variant Cover Only available at Midtown Comics in New York City. Comickaze Retail Variant Cover Only available at Comickaze Comics in San Diego. Wade’s Comic Madness Retail Variant Cover Only available at Wade’s Comic Madness in Levittown, Pa. Alternative Art Cover Only available at comic stores. U.S. Ultimate Comics Retail Variant Cover Only available at Ultimate Comics in Durham, N.C. Midtown Comics Retail Variant Cover Only available at Midtown Comics in New York City. Ultimate Treasures Retail Variant Cover Only available at Ultimate Treasures in Michigan. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/23/walking-dead-magazine-ipad-nook-kindle-fire/
The lengths our friends at the Wildlife Aid Foundation will go to in order to save an animal in need never cease to amaze me. When a baby kestrel fell out of its nest at the top of an enormous tree, Simon and his pals had to call in a highly trained climber so that the baby bird could be returned safely to it’s treetop home. It was a dangerous challenge, but as you’ll see in the video, it was all worth it in the end. I just love seeing how much some people care about animals. So much effort for one tiny little bird, now that’s what I call dedication. Good job, guys! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/treetop-rescue/
