By Helene Smith
You say you want it.
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Posted on July 29, 2016
Set It And Forget It: How Default Settings Rule The World
By Lena Groeger/ProPublica
We’ve seen how design can keep us away from harm and save our lives. But there is a more subtle way that design influences our daily decisions and behavior – whether we know it or not. It’s not sexy or trendy or flashy in any way. I’m talking about defaults.
Defaults are the settings that come out of the box, the selections you make on your computer by hitting enter, the assumptions that people make unless you object, the options easily available to you because you haven’t changed them.
They might not seem like much, but defaults (and their designers) hold immense power – they make decisions for us that we’re not even aware of making. Consider the fact that most people never change the factory settings on their computer, the default ringtone on their phones, or the default temperature in their fridge. Someone, somewhere, decided what those defaults should be – and it probably wasn’t you.
Posted on July 28, 2016
Field Museum: Phillipine Island Has More Freaky Mammals Than Anywhere Else On Earth
By Ben Garrod/The Conversation
We’re taught that evolution is all about “survival of the fittest.” But that’s not always the case. In fact, sometimes evolution can be the result of a lucky animal finding “any port in a storm.” And the finding that Luzon, an island in the Philippines, has the greatest concentration of unique mammals in the world – even more than Madagascar – is the perfect example.
Islands are often examples of an evolutionary free-for-all, where a newly introduced species may find themselves in the perfect situation, whether that’s a new and different type of habitat and resources or even a complete lack of competitors and predators. Being introduced to an island ecosystem can turn a rather mediocre mainland species into a weird and wonderful new creation.
Posted on July 26, 2016
Beachwood Photo Booth: Hello, St. Joe
By Helene Smith
The St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Amtrak station around the corner in Michigan has shared its building with Silver Beach Pizza since 2005.
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Posted on July 22, 2016
Chicagoetry: I Walked Into Rainbo
By J.J. Tindall
I Walked into Rainbo
I walked into Rainbo
I was naked, of course,
I was dreaming, of course, but
The place was packed and
I became naked (I
Didn’t walk in naked)
But I was suddenly naked so
What do you do?
Posted on July 20, 2016
A Tribute To The Most Interesting Uncle In The World
By Natasha Julius
Editor’s Note: Last Wednesday, our very own Natasha Julius announced to the world that she had birthed a son, Djuka Julius Peterson. “Pronunciation guide, please!” editor Steve Rhodes asked. “JOO-kuh,” Natasha replied. Then, a few days later, the following e-mail landed in the inbox of a few lucky folks. We thought we’d share.
Dear Friends,
In 1939, fearing a Nazi occupation, my father’s family fled their home in Zagreb, Croatia, and joined the partisan resistance. My father was ten and his older brother 14. The resistance needed every hand they could get, so once my father’s family fled their home in Zagreb they all joined up. My father worked as a messenger until he was evacuated to Italy two years later. His mother, a nurse, joined him shortly thereafter. His father, who prior to the Nazi invasion had run one of the only psychiatric hospitals in Yugoslavia, served as a medic near the front lines. The older son joined the infantry.
When he was about 16, my uncle’s unit was ambushed and he was shot in the shoulder. After the fighting stopped, the triumphant SS soldiers walked through the field shooting any partisan survivors. The one that found my uncle stood over him for a moment and crowed in German, “How does the SS shoot?”
Posted on July 18, 2016
Beachwood Photo Booth: The Dome Car
By Helene Smith
On the Amtrak, Grand Rapids to Chicago.
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Posted on July 15, 2016
Freaks, Geeks, Norms And Mores: Why People Use The Status Quo As A Moral Compass
By Christina Tworek/The Conversation
The Binewskis are no ordinary family. Arty has flippers instead of limbs; Iphy and Elly are Siamese twins; Chick has telekinetic powers. These traveling circus performers see their differences as talents, but others consider them freaks with “no values or morals.” However, appearances can be misleading: The true villain of the Binewski tale is arguably Miss Lick, a physically “normal” woman with nefarious intentions.
Much like the fictional characters of Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love, everyday people often mistake normality as a criterion for morality. Yet, freaks and norms alike may find themselves anywhere along the good/bad continuum. Still, people use what’s typical as a benchmark for what’s good, and are often averse to behavior that goes against the norm. Why?
Posted on July 11, 2016
Beachwood Photo Booth: Skyway Sculpture
(Cook County Bird Of The Month: The Osprey!
By The Forest Preserves Of Cook County
Throughout 2016, the Forest Preserves of Cook County invites visitors to see some of the most interesting native and migrating birds in the Preserves.
Each month during the Forest Preserves’ 2016 Bird the Preserves initiative, a new bird will be highlighted. Visitors will have the opportunity to spot the bird of the month at an event or program, and learn what makes that bird so special. The July Bird of the Month is the osprey.
Osprey have a good grip on things. A diet of almost exclusively live fish means manipulating slippery prey on the fly:
Posted on July 4, 2016