Chicago - A message from the station manager

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?

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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?”

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Posted on July 18, 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?

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Posted on July 11, 2016

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.

july-BOM.jpg
Osprey have a good grip on things. A diet of almost exclusively live fish means manipulating slippery prey on the fly:

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Posted on July 4, 2016

At The Art Institute | Vanishing Beauty: Asian Jewelry And Ritual Objects

Badass Silver Making, Dresses, Headdresses, Pendants

“Immerse yourself in the rich cultures of some of Asia’s most remote regions with this summer’s exhibition Vanishing Beauty,” the Art Institute says.
“Drawn from Art Institute Trustee and accomplished photographer Barbara Levy Kipper’s sweeping collection of Asian jewelry and ritual objects promised to the museum in 2014, the exhibition presents more than 300 exquisitely crafted works – highlights from this expansive, diverse, and thoughtfully assembled collection – that offer a panoramic view of the fast-disappearing nomadic and tribal cultures of Asia.”
Highlights:
1. Miao Silver Making.
“The Miao people constitute one of China’s largest ethnic minority groups, living in tight-knit communities across Guizhou province. For thousands of years, silver jewelry has played an important role in Miao culture. It serves as dowry, is worn in weddings, and indicates clan membership. Today, highly skilled Miao silversmiths continue to create intricate jewelry with traditional techniques.”

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Posted on June 23, 2016

Chicagoetry: Night Jets

By J.J. Tindall

NIGHT JETS
Then comes the white-hot shriek
Of the street jets,
The racing motorbikes
That tear up the expressways
In the middle of the night
In summer, when the windows
Are all open.

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Posted on June 20, 2016

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