Chicago -
By Jill Richardson/Other Words
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrated its 30th birthday this July. Three decades ago, the ADA represented a huge step forward for the rights of people with disabilities. In 2020, it’s time to advance even further.
Posted on July 30, 2020
By The Art Institute of Chicago
‘Started in 1909 and completed in 1917, Henri Matisse originally painted this work as a pastoral scene, but over the next decade transformed it into the cubist-inflected composition seen today. When the painting was acquired by the Art Institute in 1953, Matisse told the museum’s director that he viewed the painting as one of his five most pivotal works.’
Posted on July 29, 2020
By Richard Gunderman/The Conversation
What do coal, viruses and DNA have in common? The structures of each – the predominant power source of the early 20th century; one of the most remarkable forms of life on Earth; and the master molecule of heredity – were all elucidated by one person. Her name was Rosalind Franklin, and the story of her triumph over sexism and rise to scientific greatness is made even more remarkable by the fact that she lived only 37 years.
In Franklin’s day, sexism ran rampant in science. Her own father, judging science no career for a woman, actively discouraged her aspirations.
Her doctoral supervisor at Cambridge, eventual Nobel Laureate Ronald G.W. Norrish, called her “stubborn and difficult to supervise” and offered little support.
James Watson, whose Nobel Prize hinged in large part on her work, referred to her in his memoir as “Rosy” (against her preference), and stated that, because of her “belligerent moods,” colleagues knew she “either had to go or be put in her place.”
Despite the attitudes of those around her, Franklin maintained her scientific acumen and thirst for knowledge, crucially contributing to one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century.
Posted on July 27, 2020
By E.K. Mam
Upon hearing “cynic,” what comes to mind? A snarky, arrogant, disillusioned person with a know-it-all-attitude, claiming that the thing preventing the world from being a better place is the greedy and corruptive nature of humans, perhaps? That’s one definition of “cynic,” but there are two. There’s the first, written with a lowercase c, that refers to a person with a pessimistic, distrusting view of society. This is the definition that’s used most colloquially, and the one we see most often in films, TV, and everyday life.
There is, however, one more definition. Capital c Cynics are those who follow the ancient Greek philosophy, Cynicism, described by Simply Philosophy as “a “natural way of life, asceticism, and individual virtue.” Cynics, SP says, felt “a demonstrative disdain for accepted norms and traditions that interfere with the solution of pragmatic tasks and those that are of little use in a practical sense.” Or, as the BBC 4 podcast In Our Time explains, Cynics wanted to “expose the meaninglessness of society.”
Posted on July 23, 2020
By Anna Swartwood House/The Conversation
The portrayal of Jesus as a white, European man has come under renewed scrutiny during this period of introspection over the legacy of racism in society.
As protesters called for the removal of Confederate statues in the U.S., activist Shaun King went further, suggesting that murals and artwork depicting “white Jesus” should “come down.”
His concerns about the depiction of Christ and how it is used to uphold notions of white supremacy are not isolated. Prominent scholars and the archbishop of Canterbury have called to reconsider Jesus’ portrayal as a white man.
Posted on July 20, 2020
By General Design & Innovation
General Design & Innovation’s patented Solar-Image™ process can transform unattractive panels into a solid color, a full-color pattern, or a panoramic photo, all while maintaining high output power.
Panels on a terracotta tile roof, for example, could present a photo-like image of the tiles underneath, making them practically disappear. An acre of panels in a field of clover could present an image of a field of clover. Virtually any preselected color or image can be produced.
Beyond camouflage, the imagery chosen could be promotional: a large ground mounted solar array could display a corporate logo and message, or a rooftop or field array could become a billboard, displaying an advertisement.
Posted on July 17, 2020
By 3Fun
The coronavirus pandemic has caused thousands of swingers in the United States to revise their hook-up strategies. According to a report by the leading threesome dating app “3Fun,” the American city with the highest rate of active swingers is New York. These statistics are based on the number of people who have used the 3Fun app since the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States back in March.
Top Cities With The Most Swingers During The Pandemic
The report shows that out of the 721,927 total active swingers in the country, New York City saw the highest number of swingers with a total of 22,874. Second place was Los Angeles with a total of 12,228 swingers. The next down the line was Houston at 9,068; Chicago at 7,347; Las Vegas at 5,744; San Antonio at 5,375; Philadelphia at 4,894; Phoenix at 4,606; Dallas at 4,509 and San Diego at 4,251.
Posted on July 16, 2020
Compare And Contrast
Weiss: Didn’t get enough love.
White: Can’t get enough of your love.
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White: Worked with Lisa Stansfield and Chaka Khan.
Weiss: Worked with David Brooks and Bret Stephens.
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Weiss: Previously worked at Wall Street Journal.
White: Previously worked for local gang.
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White: Signed by Forward Records.
Weiss: Worked for The Forward.
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Weiss: Criticized #MeToo.
White: I’ll Do For You Anything You Want Me To.
Posted on July 15, 2020
By E.K. Mam
Before social media:
Flex. Verb. Merriam-Webster defines “flex” as “to bend especially repeatedly” or “to move or tense (a muscle) by contraction.”
After social media:
Flex. Verb. Urban Dictionary (clearly an authoritative voice in this matter) defines “flex” as “showing off your valuables in a non-humble way.”
As someone who doesn’t use social media, I tend to be oblivious to the trends budding and blossoming on a weekly basis. Despite my rejection of social media, though, it’s been impossible to avoid its influence on popular culture, and the people around me, so I’ve always been all too painfully aware of influencers and their “product culture” social media, mostly on Instagram. They are the culprits who have brought flex culture to the rest of us. Whilst flexing (“back then” known as just showing off) existed long before social media, social media platforms have invigorated, encouraged and normalized this grotesque act.
Posted on July 10, 2020
By The National Insurance Crime Bureau
DES PLAINES, Ill., – Unsuspecting drivers in the Chicago and Houston areas are scammed out of hundreds to thousands of dollars due to the deceitful deeds of tow truck drivers, according to special agents of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The NICB is warning consumers about dishonest tow truck drivers through PSAs and billboard ads in the two regions.
Posted on July 9, 2020
