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Learn The History (And Help Map The Future) Of Chicago’s Block Clubs

SOUTH SHORE — How well do you know your neighbors? Do you want to form a better bond between the people who live in your block? Or in your building? 

On Wednesday, a Chicago Humanities Festival event will explore the history of block clubs in Chicago: how they began, what they became and whether their future is in jeopardy. 

The event is part of the festival’s South Shore Night at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday. 

Block clubs were created by the Chicago Urban League in the early 1900s, according to Amanda Seligman, author of “Chicago’s Block Clubs: How Neighbors Shape the City.” The clubs would unite longtime black Chicagoans with newcomers from the south during the Great Migration.

Seligman will be part of the Wednesday event along with Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City. Cole, a longtime community organizer, has spent the past two years working to get young people more involved in their neighborhood block clubs — from helping them repaint and re-message outdated and offensive signs, to encouraging community clean-ups and gardens.

Block Club Chicago co-founder and Director of Strategy Jen Sabella will moderate the panel and Block Club is a media sponsor of the event. 

The event, Signs For Community, is part of an entire night dedicated to highlighting creative and impactful projects happening on the South Side.

The South Side Home Movie Project will kick off the night at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. University of Chicago Cinema and Media Studies professor Jacqueline Stewart has spent more than a decade gathering “8mm, Super-8, or 16mm reel-to-reel gathering dust in a basement, garage, or Granny’s attic” from Chicagoans. She’ll play some of her favorite footage and discuss why keeping these films alive is important.

At 6 p.m. in the Cultural Center’s gorgeous dining room, Tonika Johnson, who has made national headlines with her Folded Map project, will be discussing the wildly popular project, which highlights the city’s segregation.

Johnson had set out to photograph “mirror points” in the city — corresponding addresses in North and South Side neighborhoods—and let pictures tell the story of disparities caused by segregation. But then, something bigger happened: residents on both sides of the map wanted to meet one another.  

“The beauty of what art can do [is that] it offers an opportunity for people to engage in difficult large issues,” Johnson told CityLab.

She’ll be joined by architectural and urban designer Paola Aguirre. 

Signs for Community, the event focused on block clubs, runs from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the Cultural Center’s Paul Robeson Theater.

Entry to South Shore night is $15 for the general public and $5 for students and teachers. Entry is $10 for CHF members. Pick up your tickets here. 

Source: https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/11/06/learn-the-history-and-help-map-the-future-of-chicagos-block-clubs/

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Free Agent Contract Projections from Jon Heyman and His Expert

Late last week, we kicked off our 2018-2019 offseason preview with a look into Bryce Harper’s exciting trip through free agency from the perspective of the Chicago Cubs. Ultimately, it is still our hope that Harper will be the front office’s primary target of the winter, though multiple, recent developments have indicated otherwise.

But there are a lot of potential free agents out there – 131, give or take – and whether the Cubs decided to spend freely or not, they should be at least involved in many of those discussions. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the full set of contract predictions made by Jon Heyman and his “expert” to get a sense of the market. We couldn’t possibly share everything here, so be sure to check out the full list at FanCred. We also discussed the financial projections from MLBTR here this weekend.

Bryce Harper is listed first, as he’s expected to land the most lucrative contract of the offseason. Heyman has him at 11 years and $330M total, while his expert has him at 11 years/$374M. That’s a difference of $4M/year (both in actual dollars and AAV), so that’s a pretty sizable gap. Ultimately, I think he’ll land closer to Heyman than his expert, but $350M isn’t out of the question. As for potential landing spots, Heyman lists the Nationals and Phillies as “for sure,” before adding the Giants, Cubs, and Yankees.

Unsurprisingly, Manny Machado is listed next, and he’s expected to get slightly less than Harper. Both Heyman and his expert expect Machado to land a 10-year deal, but the expert is going on the high-end of total dollars ($325M) compared to Heyman ($300M). Of course, Machado’s overall earning potential will almost certainly be decided by Harper’s deal, so their thoughts on Harper probably influenced this position. And that means that, once again, I think Machado could land somewhere in the middle, but probably will not exceed $325M. Heyman believes the Phillies and the Yankees are the most obvious suitors, and I would agree.

A trio of pitchers follow these two prime-aged bats – Dallas Keuchel, Clayton Kershaw, and Patrick Corbin – but I don’t actually expect the Cubs to be involved with any of them. Note that Kershaw wound up extending with the Dodgers for three years and $93 million, a far better deal than the 4/$100M he was projected to get.

The next free agent listed who could be of interest to the Cubs is Craig Kimbrel. The formerly dominant closer wasn’t quite his usually dominant self this season, but he was still good, and should probably ride his name into a big deal. Heyman and his expert are both predicting four years, which sounds right, but their money, is once again spread widely: $60M for the expert, $72M for Heyman.

One of the questions I asked on Twitter the other day was If you could get Andrew McCutchen *and* Manny Machado for the same price as Bryce Harper, would you do it? And the results were almost completely split down the middle. Of course, some people thought the entire premise was unlikely, based on what McCutchen should get in free agency. But, well, maybe that’s not so true. According to Heyman’s expert, McCutchen is in store for just 4 years and $15M/year ($60M total), while Heyman thinks he’ll get fewer years (3) and less money/per season ($13M/year, $39M overall).

So by Heyman’s standards, McCutchen+Machado would cost you $339M total, while Harper would cost $330M, and his expert sees the duo costing $385M total with Harper at $374M. So, basically, the premise is almost exactly spot on … have you changed your mind? Does it even matter?

MLBTR projected McCutchen to the Cubs on a three-year, $45 million deal. While he might not be the top choice for an offensive upgrade, at that price tag, he might not be a bad addition in concert with other moves.

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

One very intriguing – perhaps unexpectedly so – free agent to keep an eye on for the Cubs this winter is Marwin Gonzalez. The versatile Houston Astro could play second base for the Cubs, back up Javy Baez at short, and spend time in the outfield as needed. Because of that versatility, however, he won’t come cheap. The expert has him at 4 years and $56M overall while Heyman is just behind that: 4 years, $52M. Ben Zobrist’s 4/$56M with the Cubs is clearly being used as a comp.

Some outgoing Cubs free agents, just as an FYI: Jesse Chavez is projected at one or two years, and about $6 million per year, Justin Wilson is projected at two or three years and $7 to $8 million per year, and Jorge De La Rosa is projected at one year and $2 to $3 million.

The crop of free agents is enormous, so head over to FanCred Sports and check out all the contract projections to get a rough sense of the market.

Brett Taylor contributed to this post.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2018/11/05/free-agent-contract-projections-from-jon-heymand-and-his-expert/

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Steelers reveal helmet decal in honor of deceased WR coach Darryl Drake

The funeral of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake took place Saturday, with a bevy of NFL players and coaches in attendance.

On the same day, the Steelers revealed the helmet decal they will wear for the entire 2019 season in honor of the late coach.

Drake was found unresponsive in his room last Sunday and had visited the hospital the previous day after complaining about chest pains, according to The Athletic. Heart tests reportedly showed no abnormalities, but Drake turned down the doctors’ request that he stay overnight for observation.

Drake’s death was met with shock around the league, with tributes flowing in from his Steelers colleagues, as well as those who had worked with him when he was with the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals.

Among those reportedly in attendance at Drake’s funeral were Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, former Bears head coach Lovie Smith and a few Cleveland Browns coaches who worked with Drake on the Cardinals.

Those Browns coaches even skipped a preseason game to attend the funeral.

The Steelers honored Drake with a moment of silence on the field Saturday night ahead of their preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field, too, and held a team prayer near midfield before kickoff.

Steelers coach Darryl Drake was laid to rest on Saturday. (Getty Images)

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Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/darryl-drake-steelers-helmet-decal-funeral-213450838.html?src=rss

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Fred Hoiberg fired as Bulls head coach

Just...wow

Breaking news this morning has Fred Hoiberg fired as head coach of the Chicago Bulls. The team has confirmed the reports, including that lead assistant Jim Boylen is taking over.

Fred not seeing through his 5-year guaranteed (?...still won’t believe Reinsdorf agreed to this) contract, gifted from his Ames pal Gar Forman and approved by part-time executive John Paxson after the worldwide coaching search of 2015, wasn’t unexpected.

The timing of this certainly is weird though. The Bulls have been terrible this season, starting off 5-19, though Hoiberg has been saddled with a ton of injuries, plus big free agent signing Jabari Parker not being injured. One of those major injured pieces, Lauri Markkanen, just returned on Saturday, coming off the bench (fireable offense?) for around 25 minutes.

Rumblings this weekend, first from Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times (begrudging credit...) and then KC Johnson of the Tribune, were more to the effect of: that the timeline to evaluate Hoiberg was starting now that Markkanen returned.

Apparently the Bulls front office had already seen enough.

Hoiberg’s hiring was a complete sham, a move telegraphed for a year while the paranoid incompetents in charge undermined their previous coach to get a more malleable subordinate in to ‘improve communication’. The kind of crony patronage that exemplifies this mom-and-pop (or pop-and-son) operation in one of the largest markets in the league.

At that time they thought they had a championship-quality roster, and with those expectations Hoiberg failed miserably in his first season. He then was subsequently handed more odd-fitting teams, including the Three-Alphas and this new rebuilding direction.

Through it all, Fred Hoiberg was allowed excuses to why his teams didn’t perform better, but he also never proved he could get a team to be better than the sum of their parts. He had difficulty coaching superstars, yet also didn’t do very well developing young players (though more time likely could’ve been afforded, there). The vaunted (likely always overhyped) system of ‘Hoiball’ was never really realized, questioning both the roster and Hoiberg’s ability to motivate. There’s less value in a system, on offense or defense, if the players can’t be coached to run it.

Jim Boylen has the reputation of more of a defensive taskmaster of a coach, and though the Bulls have had horrible defenses under him they actually were somehow better than expected.

It’s reasonable to think that both coaching was a problem, yet not the only problem. We’ll have to see how the front office spins this into more job security, their best trait.

Source: https://www.blogabull.com/2018/12/3/18123724/fred-hoiberg-fired-as-bulls-head-coach

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Innovative library and housing communities open in Irving Park, Little Italy

Two new Chicago Public Library branches with apartments opened on Tuesday in Irving Park and Little Italy. The community-focused projects have a combination of affordable and senior housing.

The two completed library and housing projects are the first of three which are designed to renew and improve neighborhoods. Each library offers programs tailored to all residents, and some services include early learning play space, a digital media space for teens, tutors, job search help, book clubs, and educational and cultural programming.

The developments were designed by top architecture firms following a city design competition. Rather than construct a standard “cookie-cutter” government building, Mayor Rahm Emanuel hoped the contest would inspire creative community centers.

“Chicago is breaking the mold and uniting the strengths of our neighborhood libraries with great housing that is affordable and accessible,” the mayor said in a statement. “Bringing together world-class libraries together with housing builds strong neighborhoods and provides a place for all community residents to gather, share and succeed.”

Chicago-based John Ronan Architects designed the modern, colorful Independence Apartments and Independence Branch at 4024 N. Elston Avenue. This library will replace the former location on Irving Park Road which was lost after a fire in 2015.

The new two-story, 16,000-square-foot library has an open floor plan with graduated staircase seating, a children’s area, and flexible community rooms. The 44 brightly colored apartments have their own balconies and a large roof garden that covers the parking lot. There will be 44 senior apartments, 30 CHA units, and 14 affordable units.

Taylor Street Apartments above the Little Italy Branch Library

Photo courtesy of Related

Over at 1336 W. Taylor Street, the Taylor Street Apartments and Little Italy Branch Library was designed by the Chicago firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The ground-floor library features tons of natural light, a landscaped outdoor reading area, and a YOUmedia space. The 73 apartments have floor-to-ceiling windows with open floorplans and shared spaces on each floor to foster a sense of community. The housing will comprise 29 affordable apartments, 37 CHA units, and 7 market-rate units.

“Bringing these two vital civic services together as one project created a tremendous opportunity to think about how a learning and social center could be integrated with housing to contribute holistically to the community,” said Brian Lee, Design Partner at SOM. The firm has also designed the West Loop and Chinatown branches.

Both the Taylor Street Apartments and Independence Apartments will welcome residents in the early spring. The Independence Branch Library will be fully open on Saturday, February 6 and Little Italy will celebrate the building’s opening on Saturday, February 23.

Construction on the last project, the Northtown Apartments and Northtown Branch at 6800 N. Western Avenue in West Ridge, will be complete later this year. Designed by Chicago-based Perkins+Will, Northtown will have 44 senior apartments, including 30 CHA units and 14 affordable units.

“We know how essential our libraries are to the communities of Chicago as neighborhood anchors,” said Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon. “Thanks to Mayor Emanuel’s vision, our partnership with CHA, and the creativity of renowned designers, we’re able to provide our award-winning programs inside innovative spaces that reflect the vibrancy of the communities we serve.”

Source: https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/1/23/18193046/library-housing-little-italy-irving-park

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Cubs' Happ to start season at Triple-A Iowa

The Chicago Cubs will option outfielder Ian Happ to Triple-A Iowa, meaning he won't start the season on the big-league roster.

Happ, 24, was unhappy with the decision, according to manager Joe Maddon.

"He's not happy and he shouldn't be happy," Maddon said at soring training on Saturday.

"I really don't blame him. The guy has really performed very well for us at different periods of time on the major-league level. He is so ingrained in the culture within the building and within the clubhouse. Great teammate. A lot of the veterans have accepted him very readily, which doesn't happen often with young players."

At Iowa, Happ is expected to get time in centerfield, second base and third base. The Cubs also are hoping he'll get more comfortable batting from the left side of the plate.

"We just want to make sure that he gets down there and really gets a lot of consistent at-bats, especially from the left side," Maddon said. "Obviously, we consider him a huge part of our future, but just based on the conclusion of last year and what we're seeing at this point this year, we think it's really important."

In 2018, Happ batted .233 with 15 home runs and 56 runs scored in 387 at-bats.

A first-round pick by the Cubs in 2015, Happ has 39 home runs and a .242 batting average in 751 career at-bats.

--Field Level Media

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/cubs-happ-start-season-triple-160702641.html?src=rss

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How Much Does a Home with Killer Views of Grant Park Cost?

In past decades, the Loop wasn’t exactly known as a residential destination. That reputation, though, has changed in recent years as the city’s central business district has developed as a hot spot for locals and tourists. No longer a desolate skyscraper canyon once office hours end, the area has maintained crowds well into the evening with new downtown attractions, apartment towers, and hotels.

How much does it cost to have a view overlooking the bustle of Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park? A budget of roughly $1 million seems to be the sweet spot, affording dramatic views of the city and a fair amount of living space. But with a median sale price of just $380,000 over the last 30 days, the Loop drives a hard bargain compared to neighboring downtown communities like Streeterville, River North, and the West Loop.

Buyers seeking a posh place in the heart of the Loop will find some great options currently on the market.

Photo: jameson sotheby’s int’l realty

One of the standout features of Michigan Avenue is its long stretch of historic skyscrapers. The buildings on the blocks between Randolph St. and 11th St. are protected as a landmark district, forever enshrining the so-called “Michigan Avenue Streetwall.” Likewise, the public space in Grant Park — forever open, clear, and free to visit — is protected from new development, meaning that views overlooking Millennium Park and Lake Michigan will never change. This spacious three-bedroom in the historic tower is a prime example that blends the Loop’s architectural pedigree and contemporary luxury.

Photo: vht studios

Here’s a real first-world problem: It might be difficult to watch television when you’re surrounded by windows overlooking Millennium Park and all its different attractions. Located on the eighth floor of this vintage property, this unit will make you feel like you’re still a part of the action down below. With finely appointed interiors and nice extras like a shared rooftop deck, this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom apartment will delight friends and family members for its location and luxury amenities.

Photo: vht studios

Bumping a million-dollar budget up by $100,000 can get buyers a more contemporary space such as this 1,750-square-foot three-bedroom in the Legacy. There’s a lot to like here, but this unit’s most striking feature is its dramatic views of Millennium Park and downtown. Its location on the 23rd floor offers a sweeping and serene perspective of the park and Lake Michigan. The space itself is fully loaded with standard luxury finishes like upscale name-brand appliances, but another big plus is that the asking price includes a garage parking space.

Photo: redfin corporation

Imagine having dinner parties in the sky. Now, imagine dinner parties in the sky with sweeping views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan. A budget of $1.4 million can make this dream a reality, plus some bonuses. With three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bedrooms spanning more than 2,000 square feet, this upscale Loop residence does not skimp on space. Plus, within the building are desirable amenities such as a proper fitness center and a rooftop deck boasting a pool and outdoor grills.

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Source: https://www.chicagomag.com/real-estate/October-2018/How-Much-Does-a-Home-with-Killer-Views-of-Grant-Park-Cost/

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Four takeaways: Blackhawks push back, but can’t overcome hungry Blues

ST. LOUIS — Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 7-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Saturday:

1. A four-goal first period

The Blackhawks and Blues barely gave fans a chance to get settled into their seats (or couches at home). There were four total goals in the first period, including three in the opening 5:28 and the first coming 18 seconds in. All four goals came at even strength.

Ryan O'Reilly, Patrick Kane, Zach Sanford and Artem Anisimov each found the back of the net, alternating goals throughout the period.

"Even after we went down 1-0 we had that nice response to make it 1-1," Kane said. "It seemed like they were playing with a little bit more intensity than we were. We knew that was going to happen especially with the media attention, a lot of talk they've been getting about their team and kind of what happened last game. So we just didn't come out and match it."

2. Blackhawks dig hole in second period

The first 5:14 of the second period was a nightmare for the Blackhawks. They committed two penalties and gave up two goals within a span of 3:35, and essentially were forced to play catch-up the rest of the game.

The Blackhawks pushed back and were the better team for the next 15 minutes, recording 17 shot attempts to the Blues' five at even strength, but it was too much to overcome against a hungry Blues team.

"When we give up four goals, it's tough to come back against any team," Duncan Keith said. "They've got a lot of good players that have been around for a while. It wasn't a good start. We did some good things to get back into it, but at the end of the day when you're trying to come back against a team it's always tougher."

3. Second line comes alive

The second line of Anisimov, Kane and Brandon Saad was the driving force for the Blackhawks, combining for three goals and four assists. Anisimov and Kane each had three-point games.

With two more goals, Kane has taken over the NHL lead with 11 on the season and is four away from the lead in points with 17. Meanwhile, Anisimov quietly has seven points in his past seven games after going pointless in his first four. 

"Our line had some chances tonight," Kane said. "I thought we had a few that could have went in as well. Would have been nice to get a couple more there and tie it up and see what could happen after that. A couple breakdowns defensively that kind of killed us tonight."

4. Blues shut down Blackhawks in third period

Going into Saturday's matchup, the Blues had allowed 18 third-period goals through nine games, which was the worst in the league. But they tightened up in the final 20 minutes, limiting the Blackhawks to only five shots on goal and keeping all five out of their net.

The Blues scored three goals in the last 4:20 to seal the deal.

"I still think the game was there to be had but unfortunately we weren't good enough and we weren't at our best for whatever reason," Keith said. "Give them some credit, they moved it around on the power play and capitalized on their chances. But I still think the game was to be had, it was up for grabs, but it wasn't good enough at the end of the day."

Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/blackhawks/four-takeaways-blackhawks-push-back-cant-overcome-hungry-blues

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Call for Entries - Street Shooting Around the World

Deadline for Submission: Monday, December 10, 2018

Notice of Acceptance: Thursday, December 27, 2018

Framed prints (if accepted) due in gallery: Thursday, January 31, 2019

Show Opening: Friday, February 8, 7-10 pm, 2019

Show Dates: February 8 – March 8, 2019

The Los Angeles Center of Photography is pleased to announce our 5th Annual Street Shooting Around the World Exhibition! The exhibition will run from February 8 – March 8, 2019, with opening night reception scheduled for Friday, February 8, 7-10 pm, 2019. The theme is street shooting around the world. The juror, Nick Turpin, will select between 40-50 images based on creativity, originality, and quality. In addition, another 50-60 images will be chosen for a virtual gallery display via LACP’s website. There is no limit to the amount of images which can be submitted.  

1st prize will receive $1,000 in cash, plus an invitation to show work during the STREET WEEK in LA presentations (February 4-7, 2019). Honorable mentions will be recognized as well. (NOTE: To be eligible for the 1st prize, you MUST submit at least SIX IMAGES.)

The Juror

Nick Turpin was born in London, UK in 1969, Studied ‘Art and Design’ at the University of Gloucestershire then ‘Photography, Film and Video’ at the University of Westminster until 1990 when he left to work as a staff photographer with The Independent Newspaper leaving in 1997 to pursue a second career in Advertising and Design photography. In 2000 Nick was the founder of the international street photographers group in-public and in 2010 he established Nick Turpin Publishing. Nick has also taught and lectured on contemporary street photography at Museums, Universities and on TV.

Source: http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/calls-for-artists/call-entries-street-shooting-around-world

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Overflow Coffee in Build-out Mode at 1449 S. Michigan

Congrats to the peeps at Overflow Coffee on their build-out at the long vacant 1449 S. Michigan building: 

Non-corporate coffee shops have always been a desired business in the neighborhood.  Happy to hear that Overflow is keeping their dream alive! Best of luck and looking forward to checking out your new space.

Source: http://www.sloopin.com/2019/07/overflow-coffee-in-build-out-mode-at.html

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Chuck's Daily Check-in: 11.03.18

GAME NIGHT FROM THE UNITED CENTER

Houston (2-5, 2-1 on the road) at Bulls (2-7, 1-4 at home)

TV: WGN TV: Neil Funk and Stacey King 7PM

RADIO: 670 THE SCORE: Chuck Swirsky, Bill Wennington and Steve Kashul.

LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 27 ppg. Rockets: Harden: 28 ppg. LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Carter, Felicio and Parker each with 6 per. Rockets: Capela: 11 per. LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: Arcidiacono: 5 per. Rockets: Harden: 9 per

CCI PREVIEW: Two crushing defeats in as many games for the Bulls (Denver, Indiana) and with little prep time to get ready for the Houston Rockets, the Bulls must bring their "A" game as Houston welcomes back James Harden to the lineup. Harden has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury but is expected to be in the lineup tonight. The Rockets won at Brooklyn last night 119-111 ending a four game slide. Their two wins have come on the road.

This is a potent Houston team that led Golden State 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals when Chris Paul went down as the Warriors seized the moment and went on to win their third NBA title in four years. Who knows if Houston would have held off Golden State to advance but they were playing great ball before Paul was sidelined.

Carmelo Anthony is coming off the bench and is averaging 15 points per game in his 16th year. A healthy Harden and Chris Paul will give it their best shot at dethroning Steve Kerr's team but with ongoing rumors about a possible Jimmy Butler transaction it remains to be seen this how will they play out. The Bulls need to keep their composure when the Rockets make runs and not get caught up on attempting to match one on one iso ball from Houston. The Bulls must be cognizant of those soft lobs to the rim.

CCI RECAP FROM THE UNITED CENTER:

Indiana: 107 Bulls 105.

LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: Blakeney: 22 points. Pacers: Oladipo: 25 points. LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Felicio: 9 Pacers: Oladipo: 14 LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: Payne: 8. Indiana: Oladipo : 5

CCI RECAP:

The Bulls led by as many as 18 in the first half but as any NBA fan knows, a healthy lead with plenty of time left can evaporate in a hurry. Antonio Blakeney’s four point play tied the game at 105 before Darren Collison's mid range jumper lifted Indiana to a 107-105 lead. The Bulls just couldn’t make a game tying/winning shot as time expired. Antonio Blakeney had another sensational game coming off the bench scoring a career-high 22 points. His three point shooting has dramatically improved and he's supremely confident shooting the rock. Zach LaVine notched his ninth straight 20+ game. Cristiano Felicio nearly had a double-double. Justin Holiday is on fire from three point range draining five against the Pacers. Victor Oladipo showcased his enormous skill set leading his team in points, rebounds and assists. The Pacers will be in a ton of games this year because they play defense.

CCI GAME BALLS: Bulls: Blakeney who is emerging as the go to guy on the second unit for the Bulls. Indiana: Oladipo and Myles Turner who recorded six block shots.

CCI QUOTE OF THE GAME: "I thought we came out the gate (first quarter) with unbelievable energy... We just need to find a way to make one more play" - Coach Hoiberg.

Houston 119 Brooklyn 111. Vintage Chris Paul: 32 points 11 assists and 7 rebounds. Melo with a season-high 28 points. James Harden sat this one out but is expected to play tonight against the Bulls.

Golden State 116 Minnesota 99. The Warriors won their seventh straight and improve to 9-1.

OKC 134 Washington 111. The Wizards got some good news and some bad news. First, the good…Dwight Howard made his season debut, his first game in a Washington uniform scoring 13 of his 20 points in the first quarter. The not so good news…the Wizards surrendered 44 second quarter points losing their fifth straight and falling to 1-7. After starting 0-4, OKC now 4-4.

New York 118 Dallas 106. The Knicks youth movement is on...Allonzo Trier scored 19 of his career-high 23 in the second half. Another rookie Mitchell Robinson had his first double- double handing the Mavs their sixth straight loss.

Toronto 107 Phoenix 98. The Raps 8-1. The Suns 1-7. Enough said.

Los Angeles Clippers 120 Orlando 95. The Magic have lost four straight and ten straight in their series to LAC. The Clippers' Marcin Gortat's streak of 186 straight starts ended with a DNP-CD.

Memphis 110 Utah 100. The Jazz played without Donovan Mitchell (hamstring). The Grizzlies have won three straight.

Thanks for reading CCI. You can reach out cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter: @ctsbulls.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/chucks-daily-check-110318

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Javy Baez: Still the Best Tagger in the Universe (VIDEO)

Trying to steal second base in the 9th inning when you represent the tying run isn’t the worst idea in the world, especially if you get a nice jump and the catcher doesn’t get off a great throw.

The problem? If Javy Baez is at the base, it might not matter what kind of jump you get or what kind of throw comes at you. Because Baez will no-look tag you OUT:

Javy Baez is just so special.

That tag deserves a one-night sale (and free shipping as always):

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/07/20/javy-baez-still-the-best-tagger-in-the-universe-video/

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Are black coffee lovers psychopaths? Here's what the research says about bitter food and personality

If you have a taste for bitter foods and drinks, one study suggests you could be more likely to exhibit psychopathic and sadistic personality traits -- but, as always, there's a catch.

In 2015, researchers working with the University of Innsbruck in Austria surveyed nearly 1,000 Americans about their food tastes. In two different studies, they asked about subjects' taste for sweet, sour, salty and bitter food and drinks. They then cross-referenced taste preferences with self-reported data from four different personality surveys designed to gauge antisocial personality traits like psychopathy, sadism, narcissism and aggression.

While researchers did ask those surveyed how much they liked individual bitter foods and drinks, they found that those who broadly said they enjoyed bitter foods were more likely to exhibit antisocial personality traits, not those who said they liked individual bitter foods like black coffee, radishes and tonic water.

"The results suggest that how much people like bitter tasting foods and drinks is stably tied to how dark their personality is," researchers Christina Sagiogloua and Tobias Greitemeyerb wrote. They warned, though, that research linking taste preferences to personality traits is "still in its early stages" and "evidence is still scarce" in general.

Writing for The Conversation in 2015, Australian Catholic University senior lecturer Megan Willis, who was not associated with the Innsbruck study, pointed out that "psychopathy is...conceptualized as a personality trait that falls along a continuum," meaning that those who exhibit the trait aren't necessarily "the most calculating of criminals." She also took issue with media reports labeling those who drink black coffee and gin and tonic as psychopaths.

"The only thing this study found was a weak positive relationship between psychopathy and a general penchant for bitter things," Willis opined. "In my view, this link is negligible compared with other, more well-established predictors of psychopathy, such as a person's genes or sex."

In a more recent interview with Health magazine, Roosevelt University Professor Steven Myers echoed Willis' sentiments: "The findings need to be interpreted with caution, and the results would need to be replicated by others before they deserve widespread attention."

The research, "Individual differences in bitter taste preferences are associated with antisocial personality traits," was published in the peer-reviewed scholarly journal Appetite in 2016 and has recirculated on the internet repeatedly, most recently in November 2018.

Source: https://abc7chicago.com/health/are-black-coffee-lovers-psychopaths-what-the-research-says/4610485/

[virgogear0-blog]

Holiday gift book sale! 40% off–one week only!

You know that what folks on your holiday gift giving list want is books, right?

Fortunately, that’s what we’ve got: book after book after book, including art, biography, science, literature, poetry, and much more, all 40% off this week only–December 3 through 9–if you order directly from our site.

Get The Writer’s Map, which the Weekly Standard called the book of the year. Or Philip Ball’s Beyond Weird, which the Washington Post said was the easily best book for general readers on quantum physics they’d ever seen. Or the David Ferry’s brilliant new translation of The Aeneid; pair it with a different sort of epic, the Bodleian Library’s stunning catalog Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth. Or Alligator Records founder Bruce Iglauer’s rollicking memoir of his life in the music business. There’s something here for everyone on your list, and it’s all 40% off this week. Time to get shopping!

Source: http://pressblog.uchicago.edu/2018/12/03/holiday-gift-book-sale-40-off-one-week-only.html

[virgogear0-blog]

Metro Owner Joe Shanahan Battles Cancer

The Chicago Tribune reports that legendary music club owner Joe Shanahan is battling tongue cancer.

He shared the news with staffers at his venues such as Metro, Gingerman Tavern and Double Door on Tuesday, reassuring them it would be business as usual. Here's to sending Shanahan some positive energy and wishes of a speedy recovery!

Source: http://312diningdiva.blogspot.com/2014/03/metro-owner-joe-shanahan-battles-cancer.html

[virgogear0-blog]

Player Has Fun, Soft Babies Can’t Handle It and Throw Stones

The White Sox and Royals were involved in quite a dustup yesterday, which then reverberated around baseball, and brought back up the age old questions of how much pimping is too much pimping, and what retaliation – if any – is appropriate.

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson crushed one off of Royals starter Brad Keller, and celebrated thusly:

A lot for that particular moment at this point in the season? It’s a pretty standard home run, so yeah, even I would agree that was a bit much. Gotta save something for the big dingers. In my mind, though, the response should be to have a discussion about whether that was too much, whether Anderson therefore looked silly in this instance, or whether there was context there that we didn’t know about.

The response shouldn’t be that the next pitch he sees is chucked at him:

As White Sox broadcaster Jason Benetti put it:

The Royals, of course, were supportive of the decision to throw a rock at a batter because their feelings were hurt by his bat flip (MLB.com): “When you do something like that [a bat flip],” Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier said, “you kinda know you’re going to get hit. Once you get hit, just deal with it. Go to first. That’s my take on it. Keller did the right thing. He aimed for the lower body. Hit him. It should just be like ‘OK, go to first and move on.’”

It’s amazing how sometimes a pitcher can’t even throw one in the entire strike zone, but when it comes time to plunk a batter, suddenly he’s William effing Tell.

Royals bench coach – and former Cubs manager – Dale Sveum blamed the scuffle on Anderson for not just taking his base: “I’m an old-school guy and if you just take your base, everything will be fine.” MLB should really think about what Sveum is saying here.

Oh, but by the way, the pitch was TOTALLY an accident:

For his part, Tim Anderson is not apologizing for having fun:

… and calling out dopes:

The craziest thing is people talking about respecting the game and acting like they’ve done it before and drilling batters … because they’re so soft that they can’t handle a guy flipping his bat after a homer. Toughen up. Worry more about your next pitch to the guy and less about the last crappy pitch of yours that he obliterated.

In the end, I think Reds pitcher Amir Garrett put it perfectly:

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/04/18/player-has-fun-soft-babies-cant-handle-it-and-throw-stones/

[virgogear0-blog]

Amazon, home sales in the city and more

by Scott Klocksin December 21, 2018

A look under the hood of Chicago and Illinois’ joint bid for Amazon’s second headquarters shows that the state was prepared to part with $2.3 billion incentives.

Crain’s published details from a document detailing the package earlier this week. The documents also show that The 78, a 62-acre mixed-use development by Related Midwest in the South Loop, had become the tech behemoth’s top choice in Chicago, beating out other contenders like Sterling Bay’s Lincoln Yards, which will sprawl over 70 acres between Bucktown and Lincoln Park.

Amazon executives were impressed enough by the Related site that they returned to it on a second visit to Chicago, before ultimately deciding to split up the second headquarters between a neighborhood in Queens, New York and one in Arlington, Virginia.

In other real estate news:

•While existing home sales got a 1.9 percent bump in November over October nationally, the picture in Chicago was a little less rosy. Sales were down 8.5 percent from a year earlier in the city, according to an Illinois Association of Realtors report. Still, the median price managed a 2.3 percent rise over a year earlier.

•The run of very high-end sales at No. 9 Walton continues. A 32nd floor sold in early December for a land trust, for $8.87 million, the Tribune reported. The list of names to buy in the building so far includes Illinois’ richest man, Hedge Fund manager Ken Griffin, and several professional athletes, including Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward.

Source: https://chicagoagentmagazine.com/2018/12/21/amazon-home-sales-city/