MinnPost Picks: On the afterlife of junk, paint-by-numbers, and how the velocity obsession is killing baseball

“Downstream: The afterlife of American junk,” Harper’s

Say you need to send 20 mattresses, or a car, to northwestern Haiti. How do you do it? I haven’t checked, but my guess is UPS and FedEx would not be able to help. Enter the world of break-bulk shipping — the small and shrinking practice of loading cargo holds piece by piece and taking ships where container vessels fear to tread. — Tom Nehil, news editor

“Only Street Dogs Are Real Dogs,” Nautilus

Here’s an interesting read on dog genetics: People spend lots of money to buy dogs bred for their beauty, or their temperament, or their work ethic. But with all that human interference, are they even real dogs? This article posits that the real dogs are the street dogs, shaped by natural selection to adapt to their environment. That’s why the 75 percent of the world’s dogs who control their own reproduction pretty much look alike. — Greta Kaul, data reporter
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“How the Paint-By-Numbers Inventor Inspired Americans to Paint,” Artsy

Dan Robbins invented Paint-By-Numbers as a way to sell more paint. He was working for a paint company at the time. A commercial artist and Sunday painter, his idea made “every man a Rembrandt.” And he never took it personally when Paint-By-Numbers was mocked or heaped with scorn. You kind of have to love him.  — Pamela Espeland, Artscape columnist

“Velocity’s Vise Grip: Baseball’s appeal is being strangled by a generation of power-armed pitchers,” The Washington Post

If you enjoy home runs, strikeouts and four-hour games, baseball has become just what you are looking for. But for normal people, the game has become tedious and predictable. This article by Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post is the best explanation for why hitters swing for the fences and managers overmanage. — Peter Callaghan, state government reporter

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