Margaret Killjoy, the self-described “mistressmind” of North Carolina-based Feminazgul, announced on March 16 via Facebook that due to the pandemic-slash-shitstorm, her atmospheric black-metal band would release their first full-length, No Dawn for Men, ahead of schedule and make it available for purchase on a pay-what-you-can basis. Killjoy, a trans woman, also writes queer anarchist steampunk and folk horror, which helped Feminazgul’s debut EP, 2018’s The Age of Men Is Over, make big ripples in subcultures beyond the metal scene. The themes she explores in her prose often bleed into her songs; the new album’s monumental “Bury the Antlers With the Stag” reminds me of her 2017 novella, The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion, in which a rural squatters’ commune is terrorized by a vengeful spirit in the shape of a stag with three antlers. Though Killjoy made The Age of Men as a solo endeavor, on No Dawn for Men the Feminazgul lineup includes lead vocalist Laura Beach and California-based violinist and theremin player Meredith Yayanos–and the fleshed-out instrumentation lends an ethereal dimension to the hair-raisingly shamanic “The Rot in the Fields Is Holy.” Killjoy enjoys playfully appropriating quotes and imagery from mythology and classic fantasy to flavor her anti-patriarchal, anarchist message–both of her album titles are quotes from The Lord of the Rings, and the band name of course riffs on the word for the Ringwraiths in the Black Speech. On No Dawn for Men she deals with vengeance, defiance, the ascension of nature, and the acceptance of death: opening track “Ill, Mother of Death” begins with a pastoral idyll and turns into a Maenad-mad invocation of a death goddess. Lovely instrumental “Look Not to Erebor” provides an eerie and melancholy respite after the renouncing fury of “Forgiver, I Am Not Yours.” This is a rich and unsettling album, full of horror and beauty, and I’m going to be revisiting it a lot. Killjoy also expresses her worldview through other musical endeavors, making neofolk as Alsarath (the EP Come to Daggers dropped in January), blackened doom as Vulgarite (the EP Fear Not the Dark nor the Sun’s Return came out the same month), and electronica as Nomadic War Machine (the track “The Flood Came Over Me” arrived in March). Killjoy has a methodical bent to her prolificacy; she sorts and organizes the different aspects of her creativity into categories, and uses varying sounds to conjure varying energies. As in her work as an author, she tailors the style of her prose to the vibe of the story at hand. v
This COVID-19 interlude will have a place in history. We can too.
On Thursday, the Chicago History Museum announced the launch of “In This Together,” an effort to collect a digital record of the pandemic era as we’re living it, in “real time.”
CHM is inviting residents of Chicago and the suburbs to contribute stories, diaries, photos, videos, and audio recordings of their lives during this time of illness, economic disaster, and isolation.
“Now more than ever, the Chicago History Museum is committed to sharing Chicago’s stories,” CHM president Gary T. Johnson said in the announcement. The museum will post much of this material at chicagohistory.org/documentingcovid19. Some will go into the permanent collection.
I’m sending them my snapshot of Millennium Park in shadow, barricaded and empty on a sunny April afternoon. The only other time I’d seen the city this vacant and eerily quiet was on 9/11, a few hours after New York had been hit.
Each year, the number of employees who quit their jobs increases. Last year, 45 million Americans voluntarily quit — many of whom worked in the construction, hospitality and entertainment industries. Regardless of their reasons for leaving, this trend doesn’t bode well for businesses. Once an employee quits, companies must fill the vacant position — something easier said than done.
Luckily, retaining workers is relatively simple, as long as you know what’s making them leave in the first place. Below are a few areas where your business may be lacking and how you might improve, thereby decreasing turnover.
Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits
While your employees may appreciate the workplace culture, atmosphere and the positions themselves, they’re ultimately there to earn money. Use this incentive to your advantage by offering a salary that will make your workers stay. Moreover, try to offer pay that’s just as good as or better than competitors. If the majority of your industry offers benefits packages, do so as well. These perks will minimize the chances of employees leaving to join other organizations.
Connect and Build Relationships
Another major culprit responsible for employee turnover is a lack of community or connection in the workplace. Money may retain employees for a bit, but a lack of camaraderie will eventually result in turnover. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to make yourself approachable. Get to know your employees. Then, focus on creating an inclusive, positive workplace culture. Host social events outside of office hours to give people more opportunities to develop relationships.
Try to Be Transparent
Be open and honest with your employees. Instead of asking yourself why you should tell your team something, ask yourself why you should keep it from them. Maintaining open lines of communication will show your staff that you prioritize transparency and value their opinions. Communication is especially important in industries where employees work independently, like trucking, construction and various contracting jobs. Being transparent tells your team you respect and trust them enough to involve them in decision-making processes.
Fairly Distribute Workload
Up to 50% of workplace turnover is due to employee burnout. Often, this burnout is a result of overworking. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to prevent this situation by fairly distributing workloads. Ask each employee how well they think you balance work assignments. An anonymous survey is a great way to understand how everyone feels about the subject. Moreover, meet with your team each week to discuss project progress and identify how you might better distribute tasks.
Provide Resources and Feedback
Prevent fatigue by ensuring your employees have the resources needed to accomplish their work. Make sure office technology functions correctly, and the internet speed doesn’t lag. You might also provide workers with opportunities to grow and improve their skill sets through online modules and challenges. Further, remember to give your team individualized feedback so that they know what they’re doing right and how they might improve.
Express Your Appreciation
Above all, employees long to feel appreciated. They want to know that what they’re doing matters and that they’re not just another cog in the machine. Therefore, it’s crucial to express your appreciation for them every chance you get. Verbally and publicly commend their successes. You might also reward them with bonuses or other incentives.
Analyze Turnover to Discover a Solution
The cause of turnover differs from one business to another. As a result, it’s essential to analyze your workplace to determine the reasons behind lost employees. Only then can you find and implement a solution.
Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn (2) has been projected as a likely second-round NFL draft pick. (photo by SIUSalukis.com)
At the beginning of March, Pro Football Focus projected Chinn as a sixth-round selection for the NFL Draft. Oh, how times have changed.
Fueled by impressive performances in Senior Bowl workouts, at the NFL Scouting Combine and through interviews with prospective teams, Chinn has risen up draft boards.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Chinn rated as No. 2 safety behind Alabama’s Xavier McKinney. Brugler projects Chinn as a second-round pick and has him No. 43 on his overall board.
Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, Jr. have Chinn rated as the fourth and sixth best safety respectively in the upcoming NFL Draft (April 19-21).
Chinn began working out New Year’s Day at Michael Johnson Performance in McKinney, Tex., in preparation for the draft process. Along with speed, weightlifting and agility training, Chinn worked on positional drills.
Quality combine
Chinn measured at 6-foot-3 and 221 pounds at the Combine, held in Indianapolis in February.
That event was virtually in Chinn’s backyard. The Fishers (Ind.) High School graduate finished among the top three for safeties in the 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jump at the Combine.
In addition, Chinn recorded a 41-inch vertical jump and a 138-inch broad jump. He clocked a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. Chinn also did 20 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press.
High praise
Jim Nagy, executive director for the Senior Bowl and ESPN draft analyst, recently tweeted: “Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons got all the headlines coming out of the Combine (and deservedly so but @SIU_Football Jeremy Chinn has similar tools and hybrid versatility. Also one of the classiest young men we had at @seniorbowl. Could go in Round 2.”
Scott Gorman of profootballnetwork lauded Chinn: “His range, size, and versatility are the most important aspects of his game and will play a huge role in where he gets drafted. The blocked field goal during his junior season was a nice rabbit in the hat for Chinn, as it shows his value on special teams as well.”
Jeremy Chinn
The Athletic’s Brugler listed Chinn’s strengths: “Tall, long-limbed frame with a ripped physique . . . rangy, long-striding athlete with cornerback experience . . .outstanding ball pursuit skills, flashing the secondary speed to close on throws . . . condor wingspan and and uses his length to get his hands on the football . . . recorded at least three interceptions in four straight years in college . . . averaged 11.1 yards per interception return (13/144/0) . . . widens his feet at contact and uses his long arms to expand his tackling radius and lasso ball carriers . . . aggressive run angles and works off blockers well . . . started all four years and was named a senior captain.”
Brugler cited Chinn’s weaknesses: “Flows well to the ball, but needs to be quicker on the trigger . . . bad habit of attacking before diagnosing, taking the cheese . . . needs to better anticipate and sort through route combinations . . . needs to show better patience and discipline with his footwork to eliminate wasted steps . . . needs to use his length better to make receivers feel uncomfortable . . . missed at least two games in three of his four seasons in college; suffered a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum (Nov. 2016); suffered a torn labrum (Nov. 2018), ending his junior season; missed two games his senior year due to plantar fasciitis in his foot (Sept. 2019).”
In the conclusion of his summary Brugler wrote: “Overall, Chinn is caught guessing too often and must develop his football instincts to see immediate reps in the NFL, but his range, length and closing burst give him the versatility to fill various roles, projecting as a matchup starter and special teamer.”
His own words
Last season Prairie State Pigskin asked Chinn to assess his strengths as a player.
“I take pride in everything on the field. Versatility is probably my biggest strength, being able to play in zone coverage with range. I can tackle. I can play in man coverage as well. Saturday I had a couple of blitzes (against Youngstown State),” Chinn said.
When asked what coaches and scouts told him he needed to improve to play at the next level, Chinn said, “A lot of people talk about the level of competition (I played against), but that’s not something I can control. I just continue to work on my game in every aspect, focusing on the small details as far as steps and reaction versus instinct.”
Chinn’s 13 career interceptions are fifth-best in SIU history and his 243 career tackles ranks 25th all-time.
Other draft-eligible Salukis
Four other SIU players — headlined by defensive back Madre Harper and tight end Nigel Kilby — are also getting looks from NFL teams.
Brugler rates Harper as the 28th best cornerback, listing him as a 6th-7th round pick. Harper played his last two seasons at SIU after transferring from Oklahoma State . He was fifth on the team in tackles and led SIU in passes defended this past season.
Madre Harper
“Overall, Harper needs to become a more disciplined player, but his combination of length and athleticism is unique and he has the awareness and energy that should serve him well as a press-man corner or free safety. One of the draft’s most intriguing sleepers,” Brugler wrote in his summary.
Brugler added that while SIU coaches state that Harper is a reliable team leader, his character requires investigation following his dismissal from Oklahoma State in 2017.
Tre Strong landed 52nd on Brugler’s cornerback list. Strong, who began his career at Utah before transferring to Carbondale, made seven starts last fall before an injury ended his season.
Meanwhile, Adam Schefter, ESPN Senior NFL Insider, recently tweeted about Kilby.
“Sleeper tight end alert: Southern Illinois TE Nigel Kilby worked out at Northwestern pro day today in front of at least 25 teams. Here are his numbers: Height 6’7 1/2 Weight 254 83 wingspan Hand size 10 4/8 40 yd dash 4.66 Broad 10’6,” read Schefter’s tweet.
Kilby began his collegiate career at Eastern Michigan. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native caught 13 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games this past season.
Running back DJ Davis played in the Hula Bowl after completing his four-year career for the Salukis. In a profile on the SIU athletics website, Davis was asked where he saw himself a month after the draft.
“I just try to give it all to God. I do believe something good will come out of this all. Whether I am a late-round draft pick, free-agent pickup, or rookie mini-camp signee — I’m going to give it my all. I’ve prepared myself mentally, physically, and spiritually. I’ll be ready for whatever is coming,” Davis said.
History lesson
The last SIU player drafted was tight end MyCole Pruitt in 2015 (fifth round by Minnesota). The last Saluki defensive player drafted was corner back Korey Lindsey (seventh round by Cincinnati).
The highest pick in program history was offensive tackle Lionel Antoine, the third overall pick in the 1972 draft (Chicago).
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
The 2020 Summer Olympics…cancelled! The 2020 British Open…cancelled! 2020 Wimbledon….cancelled!
All events scheduled from now through June has been pushed backed. Most say they’re postponed, but don’t be fooled. It’s only a matter of time until they’re cancelled, too.
The entire world is on shut down status!
For the majority of us, these cancellations make little to no difference in our lives. Chances are small that we were going to Tokyo or England. Sure, we would have liked to watch on television, but not having them available is just a minor inconvenience in our lives.
But what if you had something major scheduled in your personal life? How is the postponement or most likely cancellation of an important event affecting you? How are you dealing with the disappointment?
For me, it started with the postponement of this year’s Homeless Monologues. This would have been the fourth year that we put on a play that brings needed money to a local homeless shelter. All the monologues were written, the theater and date was set and we were ready to begin rehearsals. Then came the stay at home order. It certainly isn’t safe to have one thousand or so people seated next to each other. This was an easy postponement!
We’re looking to move the play from May to sometime in August, but I’m not optimistic. Even for a small production, there are too many moving parts to pull it off. It’s more likely we’ll see the return of the Homeless Monologues in 2021…and while it’s disappointing, I’m good with this. I pretty much have to be, right?
That one is minor and easy to handle. But what about a big one?
Last month I received a call from my youngest daughter:
“Dad, we’re having a baby! It’s due in September.”
WOW!! That’s some big time family news. Very important! Very exciting! But because of the coronavirus quarantine, I heard it over the phone. Because of the coronavirus quarantine, I’ve only seen my daughter through a Zoom meeting. Because of the coronavirus quarantine, I can’t hug her and make sure she’s doing okay.
It’s frustrating and painful not to be able to do this….but I understand, sorta!
Look, I understand that all of the things we’re missing are really minor. Compare my issues to the more than thirty thousand who have died and it’s small….extremely small. I’m sure I’ll get over this….we all will. Eventually we’ll get back to normal, even if it’s a somewhat new normal. The good news is when that does occur, we can make more plans for the personal events that mean so much to us…that makes us happy….that makes life better.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
Welcome to your weekly dose of my Release Radar. The place where I break down all the new music Spotify thinks I should hear.
Mike Skinner of The Streets has enlisted the help of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker for his new single, “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better.” Skinner’s style of rap takes a bit of re-acclimation. It’s been a while since I heard his off-kilter delivery, but after a couple of listens, I’m starting to like this song. It doesn’t hurt that Parker croons the beautiful chorus. None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive is out 7/10 via Island.
Frank Ocean drops another song if you can call it that. I want a real album, like Channel Orange, but we may never see that again. We get broken bits of genius here and there, but it’s not enough for me. I need the full enchilada with Frank at the helm, not pieces of melodies, and synth layered effects.
Car Seat Headrest returns to form this week with the rocking, “Hollywood.”
How about this cover of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” by Glass Animals, where they embrace the simplicity and take it in a different direction.
Matt Pond continues to impress with his new single “Specks.” Here’s an acoustic version of the song for your enjoyment.
It’s great to see Declan McKenna return with a rocker, he’s such a young, talented guy.
Looks like Milky Chance is collaborating during quarantine, and Tim Burgess releases his third single from his forthcoming solo album.
I love the innocence of this Diet Cig song, “Who Are You.” The band continues to impress with each new release. They created a dance around this single and I want my girls to do it with me.
Another woman I’ve been digging is this Girl In Red. I liked her “Bad Idea!” single and from what I’ve heard so far, “Midnight Girl” is a winner.
The always lovely Norah Jones returns with “How I Weep.” Man, she is a looker and has a voice to match.
Louis Armstrong is your slice of jazz this week, is that Ella in the background?
At least that’s what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi believes. He wants the world to buy the fiction that the communist regime is the perfect answer to fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
He said, “China’s signature strength, efficiency and speed in this fight has been widely acclaimed. And the institutional advantage of China’s governance is for all to see.” [Emphasis added.]
It’s “the system and culture of socialism” that does China proud, he crowed.
In other words, it’s him against us. Autocracy versus self government. Socialism versus the free market. As Wang would have it, a centralized government run by a dictator is better than mere people deciding what’s best for the people.
With the despot “Comrade Xi Jinping at its core,” Wang indicated, communist China can more easily order 1.4 billion people around at his whim and fancy than a democracy, with all its competing interests and voices, to fight the pandemic.
Playing out in the background of this pandemic is an existential challenge to Western Democracies and their governing principles of liberty, equality and the sanctity of the individual. Wang has thrown down the cudgel.
In fairness, Wang published this chest-thumping early last month, before it became apparent to all that China not just botched its handling of the pandemic, but gifted it to the world.
It originated in China and spread from China. The communist regime hid the dangers from its own people. The doctor who tried to warn China and got punished for it died a martyr. Can you really trust any of the “data” ginned up by the secretive autocracy? It was China that first proclaimed that there is, “…no evidence of significant human-to-human transmission and no health care worker infections have been reported.”
Socialism continues to provide evidence that it’s unworkable junk. Communist leaders like comrades Xi and Wang will defy reality by continuing to insist that they are oh-so-smart that they alone can engineer an adequate response to the pandemic. Toadies will instinctively repeat the lie.
Western democracies and their love of liberty have endured now for centuries, led by the United States, against the onslaught of tyrannies of the left and right. It will continue to do so.
China has set a high standard for improving global public health governance. This outbreak is a major test for China’s governance system and capacity, and for the global governance system and capacity. China’s signature strength, efficiency and speed in this fight has been widely acclaimed, and the institutional advantage of China’s governance is for all to see. Under the unified command, coordination and direction of the Party Central Committee, an inter-agency task force was set up immediately after the outbreak; first-level public health emergency response was activated in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities; and tens of thousands of medical workers and massive amounts of medical supplies and daily necessities were rapidly delivered to Hubei from across the country. These are vivid examples of the institutional strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics in pooling resources for major undertakings.
The international community shares the view that the speed, intensity and scope of China’s epidemic response is rarely seen in the world, that the leadership, response, mobilization and implementation capabilities China has demonstrated are exemplary for the rest of the world, and that China has gathered valuable experience for the international community in handling emergencies caused by infectious diseases and advancing global public health governance.
654 N. Oakley Boulevard in Chicago: $1,249,500 | Listed on April 6, 2020
This 4,500-square-foot West Town home was renovated in 2015 and has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The kitchen opens to the family room and features granite counters and Wolfe, Subzero and Bosch appliances. The home includes a living room with a fireplace and a lower level with a recreation room, built-ins and a fireplace. A rooftop deck, landscaped garage deck and front porch make up the outdoor space.
Agent: Mario Greco of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, 773-687-4696
The Chicago Cubs should prioritize starting pitching in June’s draft, and Bryce Jarvis is a perfect option. Let’s get to know him a bit more.
As we approach June’s draft, the Chicago Cubs are likely to prioritize pitching as they will lose 60 percent of their rotation after this season. How does taking a guy who got progressively better each year in college and one who’s learned from the prestigious Driveline Academy in Seattle?
That’s exactly what the Cubs would be getting in Duke Blue Devils’ starting pitcher, Bryce Jarvis. As a true freshman, he made 25 appearances – including five starts – and struck out 67 batters in 47.2 innings while allowing a .142 average.
In his sophomore year, he made 19 appearances – including 11 starts – and struck out a team-high 94 batters while allowing just a .239 average in 75.2 innings of work. As noted, he spent some time at the Driveline Academy between his sophomore and junior seasons.
The work paid dividends as he posted a 0.67 ERA in four starts, including the first perfect game in school history. I recently had the chance to chat with him:
Q: Hailing from Franklin, Tennessee, what made you choose to continue your collegiate baseball career at Duke? And how important was it to you for Coach Pollard to have faith in you to make five starts as a freshman?
A: The unmatched combination of academics and athletics is a big part of why I chose Duke. There was also a buzz around the baseball program specifically. Although they had not had the proven track record of many of the schools that I was being recruited by, it was clear that they were about to take a huge leap forward into the top ranks of college baseball, and that was something that I really wanted to be a part of.
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I also wanted to go to a school that would allow me to have an impact as soon as I stepped on campus. Having the role that I did freshman year was cool because I got to be a part of the biggest moments we had as a team that year and not many freshmen can say that.
Q: What would you say was the biggest takeaway from your time at the Driveline Academy and how did it help you achieve such great command of your pitches?
A: At Driveline, I was able to work on pitch design with their team and get on their motion capture software. The main focus with them was tweaking my slider to make it a little more east-west instead of north-south so that I could add a true curveball into my arsenal this year. That was definitely the biggest takeaway from Driveline.
The jump in velocity, however, I attribute most to the added weight and functional strength that I put on at CSP (Cressey Sports Performance). I gained about 20 pounds in 7 weeks and felt more sturdy and robust on the mound overall. The added velocity to all of my pitches gave me newfound confidence to attack hitters more, and I think that helped with my command and walking fewer guys.
My fastball command is in a place that it has never been before, and that makes all of my other pitches play up as well.
Q: With the draft not far off, how have you been keeping sharp despite the pandemic shutting everything down? I know your father played at Wake Forest and spent 13 years in the MLB. What have you been able to learn from him? Is there a friendly rivalry in the house between you two ACC products?
A: Since the shutdown, I have been living with 5 of my teammates from Duke. Mike Rothenberg and his family were gracious enough to open up their home to a bunch of college baseball players for the foreseeable future so that we could all stick together with our training and throwing. I am able to train at Cressey Sports Performance here in Boca Raton and get two bullpens a week in.
It really is about as ideal of a setup as you can hope for in times like these. As far as it goes with my dad, there really is no rivalry. I attribute a lot of my success to his teaching and training growing up.
Q: Duke has progressively gotten better every year since Coach Pollard has been at the helm. What makes him so successful, and what technology (if any) are you using to help develop your pitches?
A: His ability to create a culture of commitment to a process and working towards the collective goal of reaching the College World Series is unparalleled and is a big reason why Duke has had the success that it has over the last few years. The pitching staff uses Rhapsodo, Trackman, and Edgertronic Cameras to help with our development.
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