Hey, whatchu lookin' at? Well, we're looking at this:
Navel Gazing, Chicago-media Style: The last week has been a brutal one in the Chicago media world, with layoffs at both the Tribune and Sun-Times and the end of Afternoon Shift show at the local NPR outlet, WBEZ. Scott Smith, who blogs at ourmaninchicago.net, blasted the moves and blamed the media for the low turnout in the most recent mayoral election, citing a study from the Knight Foundation. Smith's piece prompted a response from Mike Vouchey, one of the founders of Aldertrack, who has a long history in hyperlocal news and startups. Just because a news organization produces great news, it doesn't mean that will translate into great audiences or great revenue, Vouchey wrote. News organizations just have to survive in a world "undergoing a tremendous transition" that is likely to mean more tough times at publications like the Trib and Sun-Times, Vouchey said.
Weight and see: Gina Rodriguez, star of TV's "Jane the Virgin," talks with Glam Beliza Latina a bit about her childhood in Belmont Cragin, says senior editor Andrew Herrmann. "Growing up, I never saw my home life reflected on-screen, and that made me feel a certain way about myself. It’s not only about my ethnicity; it made me feel a certain way about my beauty. Not seeing a woman like me as a lead made me feel like I’d never be skinny enough, I’d never be pretty enough," she said. Rodriguez says her show "is about a beautiful, normal girl. We don’t talk about her weight or her looks."
Rodriguez also says she is not completely comfortable speaking Spanish. "Spanish is my second language— my parents didn’t want us to be teased for having an accent the way they had been — and so I’m nervous speaking it," she says.
Chicago's very own.
Yuccies, the New Hipster? Reporter Stephanie Lulay, 29, is fascinated with the labels used to describe millennials. In this case, 26-year-old David Infante's suggests a new add to the label list: Yuccies, or Young Urban Creatives. ""Like any other privileged member of a so-called 'creative class,' being called a hipster offends me for its inaccuracy. I demand to be snarked in precise terms," he writes in this Mashable article. Want to know if you fit the bill, 20-somethings? Refer to Infante's Yuccie check-list, which includes gems like "doesn’t like gentrification in theory; loves artisanal donuts in practice" and "really wants to go to Austin soon because hears it’s incredible."
Chicago, America's best food city?: On the heels of Chicago's inaugural James Beard Awards gala, the Washington Post dives into the city's food scene in search of the best food cities in America. Reporter Paul Biasco says this take does us proud. The Post even does some historical research on our food scene dating back to ice cream being served at the Lake House hotel and Cyrus McCormick's move to Chicago to be closer to customers in the Midwest. Hot dogs and Italian beefs are obviously and rightfully featured in the piece, but the most interesting takeaway is a section on the innovations that were started in Chicago and spread to other cities, such as Blackbird's early inclusion of farm-to-table modern cuisine and Avec's minimalist design, which inspired Momofuku in New York.
Yum! Enough said, right? [Getty Images]
A Few Reasons Why The Switch-Pitcher Isn't Just A Novelty: The Oakland A's may be losing a lot, but they've been getting a lot of media attention lately. That's because their new relief pitcher, Pat Venditte, is the first pitcher "in anyone's memory" who throws from both the right and left sides on a regular basis, according to Emma Span with Sports Illustrated. Span went on NPR to talk about the ambidextrous (not amphibious) pitcher, whom she called "remarkable." Reporter Mina Bloom found the whole thing pretty fascinating.
Span explained that he throws similar pitches from either side that have similar velocity and similar control. To do that, he uses a special six-finger glove imported from Japan so he can switch easily back and forth.
There are at least a few reasons why Venditte's special skill could be troublesome for hitters, Span said. He can throw twice as many pitches as most relief pitchers and he can switch when one arm gets tired. Plus, he can pitch to either left or right-handed hitters.
Piglets, Everywhere: In a strange but tragic accident Monday night, a semi-trailer carrying about 2,200 adult and baby pigs overturned in Xenia, Ohio — killing 300-400, according to ABC affiliate WCPO Cincinnati. Around 7:30 p.m., the driver of the truck is reported to have taken a sharp curve too fast, causing the trailer to turn on its side and roll, releasing thousands of pigs onto the highway where some of them fled into the wild. Dean Fox, Xenia Township Fire Chief said he wasn't hopeful all the swine would ever be captured. "They're in the woods, so I don't think we'll ever get all of them — I really, really don't," he said. Reporter Linze Rice, who grew up on a pig farm in rural Illinois, was relieved to hear that surviving pigs were being taken to the local county fair grounds where nearby farmers were helping to provide the hogs with cool shade and water.
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