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See No Evil (Melissa Powers for Real Life Mag)
A casual perusal of Street View reveals that something has gone very wrong on this block, but it’s the absence of a landmark that reveals the truth of what happened.
Clicking up and down the unpopulated block, you have that exact sense of being unhelpful and alone in your terrible knowledge of what is happening right in front of you. It’s 2018; it happened. It’s 2009; it’s happening. The survivors of Castro’s violence remain in that blur on Seymour Ave, where you cannot see them, they cannot see you, and neither of you can offer each other comfort. No matter how hard you try, you cannot send a message to any neighbors or passersby that could stop the atrocity.
Why Tips Won (Nikita Richardson for Grubstreet)
For a moment it seemed like the U.S. was headed for a tipless revolution. What happened?
When Danny Meyer announced in October 2015 that he would eliminate tipping at all of his restaurants, the idea was hailed as a move that would “save the hospitality industry,” and other big-name restaurateurs — Tom Colicchio, David Chang — adopted similar tip-free models at some of their own establishments. The moves made national headlines. “There was this idea that it was inevitable, and a huge groundswell,” Vogler says. “But that was bullshit — it wasn’t catching on, and it was very difficult. As much as I agree and I believe in the principle, it was too hard.”
Blessed Be (Ruth Graham for Slate)
Sexual education steeped in evangelical Christian values can give people some strange ideas.
The physical mechanics were briskly glossed over within a few days. But the moral minutiae was the subject of much more intense study over the next few years in school, Sunday school, and church youth groups. How far was too far? What would it do to my future husband if I gave my virginity to someone else? I can still see my beloved eighth-grade homeroom teacher—warm and pretty and funny—perched on a stool, telling the class that she regretted even kissing other men before meeting her future husband. They would later divorce.
Who’s Tracking Your License Plate? (Tanvi Misra for Citylab)
License plate scanning is ubiquitous. It shouldn’t be.
A total of 173 entities (largely police departments and sheriff’s offices, but also some federal agencies) in 23 states scanned a total of 2.5 billion license plates in 2016 and 2017. On average, 99.5 percent of scans belonged to cars that weren’t associated with crimes.
The New Tech of Relationships (Margaret E. Morris for Nautilus)
How does tech affect the ebb and flow of relationships?
Elana is not a gadget person. She has minimalist sensibilities and wouldn’t normally spruce up her home with networked appliances, but allowed her boyfriend, David, to install smart lights. David lived 400 miles away from Elana—a separation required by their jobs. The distance was a major source of tension in their relationship. He often got upset about it and refused to talk by phone. She, in turn, worried about him and their relationship.
Photo credit: Benjamin Hollis