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What we're watching today: Bad Lip Reading of MLB clips

Ever wonder what MLB players are saying to each on the field, or what a manager shouts at an umpire? It probably isn't "He's eating moss?" or "No cats, I hate cats! Now I can't be here." This Bad Lip Reading video of Major League Baseball clips is probably much, much better than the truth.

Source: https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20181030/what-were-watching-today-bad-lip-reading-of-mlb-clips

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10 most interesting neighborhood theaters in Chicago

Since 1985, Lifeline—a theater dedicated to original literary adaptations—has made its home in this converted ComEd substation in Rogers Park. The building, on the west side of Glenwood Avenue, which is split down the middle by the CTA Red and Purple Line tracks, isn’t a natural fit for a theater. Tall of height but smallish of footprint, with a blank red brick facade butting up against the sidewalk, it’s neither particularly welcoming nor technically well suited.

But Lifeline, which moved in as a renter before buying the building six years later, in 1991, turned it into a destination, shaping the theater’s productions around the limitations of the space. Given the high ceiling, the company installed stadium-style risers for 95 seats; the stage area in front of the seats is relatively small, with no wings or fly system to move set pieces on and off, but scenic designers can build tall, two– and three-level unit sets.

And from the beginning, Lifeline made a point of reaching out to its neighborhood, which was in a downswing when the company planted its flag here. It spearheaded beautification efforts, collaborated with the CTA on murals and other public art, and attracted more arts-related investment. Today, Lifeline is the linchpin of what’s now known as the Glenwood Avenue Arts District, a primary force behind the annual Glenwood Arts Fest, and—with the recent loss of the Heartland Cafe—might be the neighborhood’s longest-standing anchor. As a Chicago Sun-Times editorial put it in 2018, “Lifeline Theatre in Rogers Park shows how the arts can transform a city.”

6912 N Glenwood Ave Chicago, IL 60626

Source: https://chicago.curbed.com/maps/chicago-theater-near-me-neighborhood-shows

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30-Year-Old Beloved Bosnian Classic Closes in Lincoln Square

One of Chicago’s few Bosnian restaurants closes after 30 years

Restaurant Sarajevo, one of the few Bosnian restaurants in Chicago, has closed for good after 30 years at 2701 W. Lawrence Avenue in Lincoln Square. Ownership, which has not yet responded to requests for more information, announced the news on Sunday on Facebook, simply writing that “It was an incredible journey. Thank you for: support, friendship, memories and appreciation of our family and culture for all those years.” The property had been for sale but is now listed as “no longer available,” so new ownership could take it over. The longtime BYOB was known for cevapcici and other Eastern European and Mediterranean specialties.

Three community groups protest Progress Bar’s rap ban

After controversy swirled around Progress Bar last week following ownership’s decision to ban rap, three community groups protested across the street from the Boystown bar on Sunday despite policy reversal. The Windy City Times has the story with videos of the protests.

River North hotspot starts serving lunch and brunch

New York-imported River North restaurant and happy hour hotspot the Smith continued towards its all-day ethos by launching lunch and brunch services last week. Both menus are available on its website and downtown eaters can be lunch ballers with a $115 seafood platter while salads and sandwiches mostly cost in the teens. Breakfast service is coming soon too.

Publican Quality Meats’ burger battles come back Tuesday with big names

And finally, Publican Quality Meats relaunches its popular burger battles series tomorrow. Attendees can try limited edition burgers every Tuesday throughout the summer from local culinary luminaries, including some spots that don’t usually make burgers such as Bayan Ko, Birrieria Zaragoza, Dana Cree of Pretty Cool Ice Cream, Lost Larson, and more. The full schedule and more information are available here.

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400 North Clark Street, , IL 60654 (312) 312-5100

Source: https://chicago.eater.com/2019/6/3/18650466/restaurant-sarajevo-bosnian-restaurant-closed-lincoln-square-progress-bar-protest-rap-intel

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My Style: Jordan Pyle, Real Estate Broker, Keller Williams Chicago Lincoln Park

March 4, 2019

Number of years in real estate: 5

Describe your look: Sophisticated, polished and approachable

What do you consider a “fashion don’t”? I once was this guy, so I can speak from experience. If you are wearing a button-up collared shirt, get some magnetic collar stays. No one wants a floppy collar!

What is your favorite piece of clothing and why? A navy suit. The versatility of it makes it perfect for any occasion. Also, it goes with both brown and black.

What do you consider a must-have accessory? A nice watch ties the whole outfit together, and in a career with a lot of face-to-face interaction, a nice watch will stand out and make a statement.

What is a fashion crime you have committed in the past? Wearing clothes not tailored to my body type — a well-cut suit, shirt or pair of custom-fitted slacks makes a world of difference.

Where are your favorite places to shop? Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Banana Republic, J. Crew and Amazon

What, besides your wardrobe, completes your look? Confidence and a smile are both must-haves!

What is in your bag/briefcase? Laptop, notebook, phone and computer chargers, business cards and usually the book or magazine I’m currently reading

My closet is full of… Dress shirts, slacks, suits and workout clothes

Suit: Custom Tailor; shirt: Ben Sherman; shoes: Cole Haan; watch: Shinola

Source: https://chicagoagentmagazine.com/2019/03/04/style-jordan-pyle-real-estate-broker-keller-williams-chicago-lincoln-park/

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Listen: Rev. Sharpton Sits Down With Andrew Gillum on “Keep It Real”

Democratic Candidate for Governor Andrew Gillum appeared on Rev. Al Sharpton’s nationally syndicated radio show “Keepin it Real” Monday to discuss his gubernatorial race, hate crimes across the country and coming together in an age of Donald Trump.

https://ioneadwnews.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/kir-w-rev-al-sharpton-and-mayor-andrew-gillum-10-29-18.mp3

Listen: Rev. Sharpton Sits Down With Andrew Gillum on “Keep It Real” was originally published on atlantadailyworld.com

Also On The Chicago Defender:

Chicago is new fashion mecca for ethnic wear

34 photos

Source: https://chicagodefender.com/2018/10/30/listen-rev-sharpton-sits-down-with-andrew-gillum-on-keep-it-real/

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The Cubs and Chicago Muslim-Americans will work together to combat bigotry

A couple of weeks ago, the Cubs addressed a controversy that arose when a series of emails sent and received by Joe Ricketts were posted online. At the time, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts noted that the team would arrange to meet with Muslim-Americans in the Chicago area, since some of the emails contained content that can only be described as bigoted toward Muslims.

Monday morning, the Cubs and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) released a joint statement that is the beginning of what the team hopes will improve relations between the Cubs and the Muslim community in Chicago.

Here’s the statement in its entirety.

Today the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) released the following joint statement with the Chicago Cubs announcing genuine, meaningful and visible steps toward combating Islamophobia, bigotry and racism.

This follows a productive meeting held recently at the CAIR-Chicago office between the leaders of several Muslim groups (CAIR-Chicago, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago – CIOGC and the IL Muslim Civic Coalition) and Chicago Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts. The Cubs offered to meet with the groups after published offensive emails from Joe Ricketts spurred these groups to publicly condemn the language and content.

The meeting began with a discussion on the history of Muslims in America and in Chicago. Following the discussion, several Muslims in attendance shared stories about their personal history and experience as longtime Cubs fans and how the emails from Joe Ricketts raised doubt about the family and organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Tom Ricketts offered a heartfelt apology on behalf of the organization and expressed his desire to mend relationships in the Chicago Muslim community and lend his support in the fight against Islamophobia. Both parties agreed to convert the unfortunate circumstances that brought the groups together into a positive opportunity to work together against hate and bigotry.

The group concluded the meeting with a discussion on a proposed plan of action that included: the participation of notable Muslims in Cubs and Wrigley Field traditions, anti-hate PSAs featuring Cubs personnel helping to raise public awareness against Islamophobia, as well as Cubs support for three community initiatives: anti-bullying efforts, diversity and inclusion training and scholarships. The details of these and other initiatives, as well as the implementation timeline, will be discussed in subsequent meetings in the coming weeks.

“We are encouraged the Cubs, led by Tom Ricketts, responded swiftly and genuinely in partnering with us to turn the situation around. As a result, the Cubs are taking a significant step forward and will use the power of their brand and voice to fight Islamophobia, racism and bigotry. We hope other franchises follow their lead. This active commitment to our shared values of Everybody In is not only great for the brand, but for all fans, for the affected communities and for our city as a whole,” stated CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to further our commitment to diversity and inclusion by joining the Chicago Muslim community in its efforts to eradicate bigotry and Islamophobia,” said Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts. “My family and I want to thank Ahmed Rehab and Chicago Muslim leaders for the opportunity to meet and have a frank and constructive dialogue about building a better future.”

Undoubtedly, there will be more on this as time goes by. We’ll keep you posted.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/2/18/18229249/cubs-chicago-muslim-americans-work-together-combat-bigotry

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Melody Angel "Rebel" | CME Session

Source: http://www.youtube.com/oembed?format=xml&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_Fl8P3PdyqE

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Chicago Bears 2019 Roster Turnover: Don’t expect safety Adrian Amos to return

Adrian Amos Jr. - Free agent - Let me get this out of the way immediately, I like Adrian Amos and I think he’s a good football player. But I don’t think he’s going to return to the Chicago Bears. They tried to get a contract extension done with him a year ago, and that never materialized. My guess is Amos or his people — with him coming off the “elite” Pro Football Focus stuff — wanted elite safety money, and the Bears held firm in their offer.

Amos is sound player, he rarely makes mistakes, he’s a big hitter, and he’s a hard worker, but that doesn’t make him deserving of an average salary around $8-$10 million a year, which is the ballpark that “elite” safeties reside in.

My guess is the Bears let Amos test the market, and if he can’t find a salary to his liking, they’ll have something on the table for him if he comes back quick enough. But don’t rule out him wanting to go home to Baltimore if the Ravens offer him something close to what the Bears are. Also, don’t rule out the Bears moving on to a better player in free agency if Amos drags his feet.

Eddie Jackson - Signed trough 2020 - Jackson took the leap in play that many thought he would after his stellar rookie season and he made his first All-Pro team. His instincts, athleticism, and intelligence make him a tough player to scheme around. I’m looking forward to seeing his continued ascension through the record books. His 5 defensive touchdowns (in just 2 years) is already ranked fourth all-time behind Charles Tillman (9), Mike Brown (7), and Lance Briggs (6).

Deon Bush - Signed through 2019 - Vic Fangio was a fan of Bush’s, but with Fangio gone I wonder if the Bears will be willing to slot Bush in next to Jackson if Amos leaves. I think Bush is fine as a backup, but I hope the Bears can do better as a starter in 2019.

DeAndre Houston-Carson - Restricted free agent - DHC earns his money as a special teamer, but last year he played a career high 46 snaps on defense. He tied for the Bears lead in special teams tackles with 6 last year, plus he had a forced fumble. In 2017 he had 10 solo tackles and 2 forced fumbles in the third phase. I think he returns for another year.

2019 OUTLOOK - I’m a little surprised that the Bears don’t have any safeties in on reserve/futures deals, although Jonathon Mincy did get some safety reps last offseason. I’d imagine they’ll add a couple before OTAs get going. Drafting a safety seems likely as well.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for my next T Formation Conversation Podcast (dropping tonight or tomorrow) where I’ll be joined by our lead draft analyst, EJ Snyder, to talk about some draft options for the Bears.

If Amos does leave in free agency, a guy like Tyrann Mathieu would be an intriguing target and at least one Bear has already started the recruiting process.

Mathieu (5’9”, 185) isn’t a true strong safety, but in this day and age of the NFL, having two safeties that can cover and take the ball away is a good thing. He’s also a guy that can come down and match-up against slot receivers giving a defensive coordinator options. He’s on record saying he’d like to return to the Houston Texans, but he’s also on record in saying that wining a championship is more important than money.

The safety market will have some good players looking for contracts, so we’ll have to see how it all shakes out next month when free agency begins.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/2/7/18215288/chicago-bears-2019-roster-turnover-dont-expect-adrian-amos-return-free-agency-agent-nfl-draft-safety

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Chicago Bears Rumors: Potential trades that make sense - Da Windy City

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Chicago Bears (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears have had quite the week. Just eight days ago, they were sitting in last place in the NFC North after losing to the New England Patriots; their second-straight defeat. Now, after a win over the New York Jets, accompanied by losses from all three of their divisional foes, the Bears are once again on top at 4-3.

Tuesday afternoon will see a big-time moment pass for, not only the Bears, but the rest of the NFL. The league’s trade deadline will come to fruition, and I guarantee we are not done seeing teams make moves.

Already, we’ve seen notable guys like Eli Apple, Damon Harrison and Amari Cooper get shipped out of their respective franchises. Could the Bears be in line to make a move as well?

That’s a great question.

Over the course of the first couple of weeks, there weren’t any glaring needs. Now, they might have one or two that could be fulfilled through a trade. More importantly, though, this could be a chance for Ryan Pace and his front office to try and stockpile another pick or two for next year’s draft.

Let’s take a quick look at a few scenarios that might make sense for the Bears, prior to Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline.

Use your ← → (arrows) to browse

Source: https://dawindycity.com/2018/10/30/chicago-bears-rumors-trades/

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Following September Surgery, Yu Darvish is Now Throwing Again

After months of pain, rehab, and doubt, Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish finally received a diagnosis on his injured elbow in his lost 2018 season: he was suffering from a stress reaction, a repetitive stress injury in a bone in the elbow that can ultimately cause a stress fracture.

In addition to being shut down, Darvish ultimately had arthroscopic surgery in September on the elbow, presumably to remove a little tissue or bone or loose bodies that was causing inflammation and/or discomfort. Whether those bodies – or whatever was cleaned up – were a cause of the stress reaction or simply an additional elbow issue, we don’t know. What we do know is that, following rehab from this surgery and the stress reaction, the Cubs and Darvish are hopeful he will be full go when Spring Training rolls around in a couple months.

To that end, some very good visual news from Darvish himself, just shared to Instagram:

He’s throwing! Darvish is throwing!

He’s throwing on schedule, and that’s a checkpoint crossed off on the way to a healthy return in 2019. He will slowly ramp back up to throwing at longer distances and higher velocities, with an eye toward working off the mound in Spring Training with the rest of the Cubs’ pitchers.

Hopefully he will find that he was pitching through a lot of discomfort – as all pitchers do – but that following surgery and almost an entire year without competitive innings, he’s in a very good place physically to attack this coming season.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2018/12/19/following-september-surgery-yu-darvish-is-now-throwing-again/

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#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Sunny i

(Hat tip: DH!)

Source: http://www.sloopin.com/2019/07/shotsaroundthesloop-sunny-i.html

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Former Bears returner Devin Hester has 'no doubt' he'll be in the Hall of Fame

Devin Hester will be one of the most interesting Pro Football Hall of Fame debates in a long time.

Hester is either the greatest kick returner in NFL history or on a very short list. There are very few players who rank as highly at their position without debate.

[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]

But is that enough for the Hall of Fame? Hester had almost no impact on offense or defense throughout his career, which came mostly with the Chicago Bears. There are kick returners in the Hall of Fame, but none who got there on kick return prowess alone.

Hester is confident he’ll be the first.

Devin Hester sure he’ll be in Hall of Fame

Jon Greenberg of The Athletic caught up with Hester after he was named one of the 100 greatest Bears players ever, as the team prepares to begin its 100th season. And Hester left no doubt that he expects to be in Canton someday.

“Being in HOF, I have no doubt in my mind I [will] make it,” Hester said, according to Greenberg. “I know I will. When it’s all said and done, there’s no question I will be a Hall of Famer.”

Hester doesn’t lack confidence. While he said he was happy to be named the 20th best player in Bears history, he did tell Greenberg he thought he should be a “little closer to the top 10.”

Hester was one of a kind, and with fewer returns in the game these days due to safety, it’s unlikely we’ll see another like him anytime soon.

“My play on the field speaks for itself,” Hester told The Athletic. “Everyone knows that, from the legends to the little guys coming in to the old guys. When it comes to kick returns and punt returns, I’m one of the best that ever did it.”

Devin Hester believes he did enough in the NFL to make the Hall of Fame. (Getty Images)

More

Hester’s résumé is strong

Hester returned 14 punts for touchdowns and five kickoffs for scores. He had another memorable kickoff return for a touchdown in a Super Bowl. Hester was a three-time All-Pro.

Beyond the résumé, Hester was absolutely thrilling. He was a threat to score anytime he fielded a kick. Special teams coaches spent all week figuring out how to keep the ball out of his hands.

Nobody would question Hester’s greatness as a returner. The only real question is whether that specialized greatness is good enough to get him in the Hall of Fame. With punter Ray Guy and kicker Morten Andersen getting into the Hall recently, it seems voters are more open to including players who were phenomenal at one specific skill. Maybe that’s why Hester is so confident.

Hester retired after the 2016 season, so there’s still time on his five-year waiting period. Then the debate will really begin.

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

More from Yahoo Sports:

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/former-bears-returner-devin-hester-has-no-doubt-hell-be-in-the-hall-of-fame-134122264.html?src=rss

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Packers add three key defensive players, release longtime OLB Nick Perry

Adrian Amos is taking his talents to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

After four years with the Chicago Bears, the free agent safety is heading up north to join deep-seated NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Amos’ addition is a strategic move, as the Packers have yet to find a suitable replacement for safety Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, who they offloaded to the Washington Redskins last year.

The 25-year-old had an arguably productive final season in Chicago. Amos registered 73 tackles, nine pass breakups, two interceptions, two tackles for losses and one fumble recovery.

Rapoport also revealed Tuesday that Green Bay is also planning on signing ex-Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to Mike Pettine’s defense.

At 27 years old, Smith rejuvenates an uninspiring defense, one Pettine and company desperately need to strengthen if they want to challenge the Bears for the divisional title next season.

Smith tallied 8.5 sacks in his final season with the Ravens.

In a final move to jump start an indomitable return to winning ways, the Packers are also expected to sign former Redskins OLB Preston Smith, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

The 26-year-old has started every game the last four seasons in Washington, securing 29 tackles for loss and 24.5 sacks during his time at FedEx Field. Last year, Smith had 53 total tackles, four sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.

The Green Bay Packers are making quite a statement in this year's NFL free agency window. (Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Outside linebacker Nick Perry’s future at Lambeau Field has remained a mystery. On Tuesday, the Packers front office made it official. After seven years in Wisconsin, the former first-round pick was informed he was released by the team, Demovsky also revealed.

Perry was selected 28th overall in the 2012 NFL draft out of USC. Following an electric 2016 season in which he recorded 11 sacks, the Packers agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract extension. Last year, Perry only registered 1.5 sacks, and his season was cut short because of a knee sprain. Offloading Perry would create an $11.1 million dead cap his and $3,337,500 in new cap space for the Packers to bring in new talent.

More from Yahoo Sports:

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-add-three-key-defensive-players-getting-safety-adrian-amos-pass-rusher-za-darius-smith-and-olb-preston-smith-145631997.html?src=rss

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Pre-Gamin’: Rockies at Cubs (3:05 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

For the second straight day, the Cubs are rolling with a relatively “regular” looking lineup, featuring Ben Zobrist at the top. Zobrist is obviously not going to start everyday this season, but I’m willing to bet he leads off when he does.

It’s entirely possible, in fact, that we could see two of the other second basemen – Ian Happ and Daniel Descalso – lead off when they’re in there at that spot, as well. That sort of arrangement would allow the meat of the lineup to stick in their usual spots no matter who steps in next to Javy Baez up the middle.

Jose Quintana is starting for the Cubs today and will bat for himself. We’re getting closer. Go Cubs.

Game Info

Chicago Cubs (14-9) vs. Colorado Rockies (9-12) – Sunday, March 17th at 3:05 on CSN-C, audio on MLB.com

Starting Pitchers

Rockies: Chad Bettis (R)

versus

Cubs: Jose Quintana (L)

Colorado DiamondRockies:

Garrett Hampson, SS

Ian Desmond, CF

Daniel Murphy, DH

Mark Reynolds, 1B

David Dahl

Pat Valaika, 3B

Ryan McMahon, 2B

Noel Cuevas, RF

Tony Wolters, C

Chicago Cubs:

Ben Zobrist, 2B

Javy Baez, SS

Anthony Rizzo, 1B

Kris Bryant, 3B

Kyle Schwarber, LF

Jason Heyward, RF

Albert Almora Jr., CF

Victor Caratini, C

Jose Quintana, P

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/03/17/pre-gamin-rockies-at-cubs-305-ct-lineups-broadcast-info-game-thread/

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“luck is not a plan”, so after lottery failure the Bulls will have to be aggressive and creative. Uh oh.

My guy Ricky was on 670TheScore before the lottery and when asked if not winning a top pick would be a failure, astutely summed up everything in saying “the Bulls are already a massive failure”.

The opportunity for a top-1 (or if generous, top-3) selection wouldn’t actually validate anything about the latest in John Paxson’s many team building paths, it was more of a get-out-of-jail-free card. It meant that, like 2008, poor decision-making and planning were obfuscated by a transcendent talent.

Now that such a selection isn’t happening, we’re just stuck with these bad moves, generated by effortless outdated processes.

The brains behind this operation, John Paxson, had both immediate reaction to the unfortunate results as well as time the next morning after sleeping, thinking, and chewing nails to come up with a bold rallying point for fans of this team to believe.

And while it’s easy to make fun of everything the guy says...actually that’s it: it’s easy.

Paxson said a silver lining is that they gain a whopping $1.4m in cap space in dropping draft slots. This is the same team that didn’t even use their room exception last year.

Mentions of how at least the top 2 picks went to the Western Conference, another reason the league has to realign away from conferences. It gives losers like Paxson these goals of competitiveness in the bad conference, and losers like Gar Forman can say the team made so many playoff appearances or wins in the east or whatever he used to say.

Mentioned injuries again, at least not Derrick Rose this time, but ones they “couldn’t account for” like: Denzel Valentine, who has a punch-card for lower leg surgeries. Or Chandler Hutchison, who Jim Boylen credited for being tough playing through a broken toe that turned out to be a broken toe. (Also, like, these players aren’t good!)

Their “board” going beyond 7. But as we’ve seen, it likely does not go to 38.

This reference to their processes

“We do tier guys but now we have to get in to the process of getting to see them and know them and really dissect them. Our scouting department does a terrific job. It’s how we get to the point where we think we know who is in that next group. So we’ll just get to work now and we’ll get to have a lot of these young men into our building, get to know them. We’ll study them deeply and we’ll go from there.”

...but they notably did not do this with Lauri Markkanen and always remember they do not deserve credit for drafting him.

This talk about point guards being important (breaking news!)

We have not at all given up on Kris Dunn as a basketball player, but we need really good play from the point guard position. It’s too important of a spot in this game to not have a player or two is really good for you. And I think the point guard, in so many ways, you see it all the time, he can make the game so much easier for other players, especially when you have two young bigs like we have.

yet this is the same guy who said “I’m comfortable with Dunn and Cameron Payne” last year.

There was also, from Paxson himself and from ‘observers’, this general thinking that the Bulls may not keep their pick and take consensus selection (or fixate on a Mark Bartelstein client to promise or trade-up) and instead use the pick for more established talent. Paxson talked about this like it was some wild concept, but yes it’s possible that they have one of their multiple monitors on The Trade Machine. They did just make their first team-improving trade in 10 years when they added ‘veteran who knows how to play’ Otto Porter, and there was talk of more of that this summer, whether with this pick or definitely in free agency.

But here’s the problem with that logic: their head coach is Jim Boylen! He’s the burn it all down wind sprint toughness teacher exit meetings guy, not the actual good basketball coach who will get more wins guy. I suppose there is logic to a more veteran group making it coach-proof, but these are also the guys who will tune Coach CareFactor out first.

So when I see consternation over Paxson building a ‘mediocre’ team that gets bounced from the first round of the (East) playoffs, I don’t think that’s the right thing to worry about. This team is so far away from that, it’d be a hell of an achievement! It’d likely mean that Boylen isn’t an overmatched doofus, that the existing ‘core’ pieces show real development, and they make a couple smart transactions.

Given that they already boffed the rebuild so far in not accumulating assets, I would be ok if they kept steering in this direction! Become mediocre, where you can try and upgrade from that raised position, instead of going back to the bottom.

But while that seems far-fetched to accomplish, I’m not even sure that is Paxson’s goal. Per usual he’s aiming lower. When discussing Boylen’s attributes, Paxson again went first to being a ‘hard playing, competitive team’. Not any scheme or playing style, just effort and toughness. So likely they lean into that, say maybe overpay with cap space to get Patrick Beverley...

...and the squad still doesn’t get on the dreaded ‘treadmill of mediocrity’, but faceplant while stepping on the damned treadmill. Beverley has an ‘unpredictable’ knee issue, there won’t be absolutely perfect health elsewhere, Boylen and the roster depth negatively affect things to where they’ll be worse than their overall talent would suggest, and Paxson will be back in the lottery again next year saying how injuries really hurt and they don’t want to do this again. Again looking for luck to bail them out.

Source: https://www.blogabull.com/2019/5/15/18624889/luck-is-not-a-plan-so-after-lottery-failure-the-bulls-will-have-to-be-aggressive-and-creative-uh-oh

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The Last Session's backstory makes it more than a relic of the AIDS crisis

Fearing the final stages of dying from AIDS, a recording artist (Erik Pearson) gathers his closest musical colleagues to record an album inspired by his experience living with a terminal illness. Unbeknownst to everyone except his audio engineer (Benjamin Baylon), he intends for the performance to serve as his own artistic epitaph, a final love note to his friends and romantic partner, recorded the night before he plans to take his own life.

If that sounds like a romanticized, perhaps macabre, fantasy, it's not without good reason: Steve Schalchlin wrote this semiautobiographical 1997 musical as a therapeutic exercise during his own frightening period of declining health; he himself had been been diagnosed with AIDS during the tail end of the crisis. But in real life, Schalchlin received the deus ex machina that his onstage altar ego never did: after undergoing new and experimental treatment, Schlachlin's viral load fell to undetectable levels, and he survives to this day. That extratextual information about its development entirely changes the soft, gauzy, tear-jerky, sometimes schlocky comedic and musical aesthetic that otherwise date the piece into something more hopeful and defiant.

With musical direction by Pearson, Darilyn Burtley, Liz Bollar, and Baylon provide powerful and emotionally bare voices, and in Christopher Pazdernik's production for Refuge Theatre Project, the pop-gospel harmonies cut right down through the spine. In a contemporary production, though, there's no getting around how the central conflict—a conservative southern Baptist infiltrating the session—results mostly in a lot of hand-holding and basic-level PSAs about LGBTQ people's right to exist.   v

Source: https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-last-session-refuge-theatre-project/Content?oid=61401949

[poundjute2-blog]

Real Estate in Brief: Rent burden, global affordability and more

Freddie Mac: Florida metros among most rent-burdened

Housing affordability is an issue that dominates discussions of local politics, but the data on the topic can be hard to interpret. Studies from multiple sources regularly rank U.S. cities according to how affordable they are, usually comparing typical housing costs to average earnings. A new report from Freddie Mac’s multifamily lending unit combined four of these studies, including from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, NYU’s Furman Center and Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, into a single ranking of “rent burden.”

The Miami metro area earned the top spot on Freddie Mac’s list, having been ranked the No. 1 most unaffordable U.S. city by two of the four studies, and appearing in the top 10 in the other two studies. Florida cities figured prominently Freddie Mac’s list of unaffordable cities, with Orlando and Tampa in the top 10 and while Jacksonville ranked at No. 25. The report’s authors attribute this to the fact that in many Florida metros, typical incomes don’t align with real estate prices, at least for most renters.

“Rents in Florida are near the average for the top 50 metro areas. However because renter household income in these markets is significantly lower than the national average, many households are considered rent burdened,” the report explained.

Refinancing activity surges on low rates

Mortgage rates continue to dip lower, a development that some economists say will spur growth in the housing market over the coming months. It’s also been good news for mortgage lenders, who haven’t had much reason to celebrate lately. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported April 3 that home loan application volume grew 28 percent year-over-year in the prior week. Crucially, purchase loans accounted for only 10 percent of that gain, while 58 percent was attributed to refinancing. The latter is often considered more desirable for lenders, as it offers them greater profit margins.

The MBA report tempered some of that optimism, though, pointing out that this high refinancing volume was still 40 percent below peak refinancing activity in the summer of 2016.

What buyers don’t want in a home

Plenty of time is spent researching the latest trends and homebuyers’ deepest desires. A recent report from the National Association of Home Builders takes a different approach: finding what amenities buyers explicitly don’t want in a new home. Some of the top-ranked least-desirable home features may seem obvious, if only because of their absurdity. For instance, few would be shocked to learn that almost half of buyers surveyed said they did not want a master bath with two toilets or a two-story family room, whatever that is. Elevators were ranked the least-wanted of all, with 66 percent of respondents saying they didn’t want one, although this makes sense in context (77 percent said they were looking for single-family homes). Specific materials like cork flooring and laminate kitchen counters were also high on the NAHB list.

Housing affordability problem spreads globally

It’s not just American economists who might be getting tired of writing the same basic analysis of the U.S. property market: The housing market would be stronger if more homes at low- and mid-tier price points were available, particularly in dense metros. As it turns out, the affordable housing shortage is a familiar issue around the world, with politicians and developers at odds over how to best address it.

A January report from U.K. brokerage Knight Frank found that over the last five years, home prices in 32 major metros around the world have grown 24 percent. Over the same period, though, average income has grown by just 8 percent. The causes are manifold: On one hand, demand for housing in the world’s most economically strong cities has naturally pushed priced up. Meanwhile, some argue that international investment activity has never been higher in the real estate market, driven in part by a rapid advance in technology that makes it easier to transact on a large scale.

In a follow-up to the Knight Frank study, The Wall Street Journal reported that officials in Canada and Australia have responded by implementing new taxes on foreign property investors. As in parts of the U.S., stringent rent control laws are also becoming more popular with voters in Sweden Germany and the U.K.

“Global cities are suffering from affordability issues, partially as a result of their own success,” said Liam Bailey, global head of research at Knight Frank.

Trulia: Expect a mild housing downturn in spring

Optimism abounds from the buyer perspective as the spring market kicks into gear, but for the overall housing market, it could mark the first real signs of a mild sales slowdown, according to a new report from Trulia.

Staff economists Issi Romem and Cheryl Young noted in a March 26 forecast that “buyers are likely to benefit from incrementally more bargaining power than they have been used to,” likely giving sales volume a boost over the next few months. However, the fact remains that home prices will likely continue to rise through the summer, although more modestly than in recent years. In addition, a near decade-long slump in new construction activity means buyers don’t have all that much inventory to choose from. The end result, according to Trulia, could be a relatively mild downturn by the end of 2019 as more buyers and sellers become frustrated with their prospects. However, they emphasize that any cooling in the U.S. housing market will be temporary and is inherent to the industry’s cyclical nature. Few economists expect any coming downturn, if it arrives, to resemble anything close to the 2008 housing crisis.

Source: https://chicagoagentmagazine.com/2019/04/04/real-estate-brief-rent-burden-global-affordability/