The infrastructure of Black Rock City
To the outsider, Burning Man (taking place now through September 3) has a reputation as a dusty, druggy art-orgy. But it’s also quite the organizational feat: As this Wired piece from last year notes, participants essentially build and tear down a 70,000-person city in the course of two months. The gathering is, of course, unlike a true city in many ways—its inhabitants are overwhelmingly white, male, and rich; it also takes place on federal land—but its implications for urban planning are still interesting to consider. So give that Wired article a read. [Kate Bernot]
Foul ball beer chug
Once again, summer draws to a close, and I realize I haven’t been to nearly enough baseball games this year. Which means I’m missing moments like this one, in which a Chicago Cubs fan behind home plate at Wrigley caught an Anthony Rizzo foul ball in his nearly full beer. To the delight of the crowd, the guy chugs the whole thing. An emboldened Rizzo then hits a stand-up double for an RBI, tying the game. I can’t even think of a Cubs-ier moment. Just wait ’til next year! [Gwen Ihnat]