The ChicagoBlackhawks have traded Dylan Sikura to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The National Hockey League season finally came to an end last night. One week shy of being a calendar year since the start, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars in game six to win their first Cup in 14 years. Well, a few hours before the game, the Chicago Blackhawks decided to make a trade to prepare for next year. They traded Dylan Sikura to the Vegas Golden Knights to reacquire Brandon Pirri. It is a trade that might make a difference in the short term and look good for the Hawks.
This trade is a bit comical because it is a swap of two players that the Blackhawks kept in the dog house for a long time. Dylan Sikura was never able to stay in the lineup under Jeremy Colliton and some much worse players were getting ice over him. The team isn’t as deep as it was a few years ago so it was always surprising that he wasn’t able to stick to the lineup regularly.
Well, he will get a chance with the Vegas Golden Knights who need some cheap depth in their lineup. Since coming into the league, they have spent a lot of money to remain successful on the ice to complement their pretty good farm system. Sikura will get a chance there to play and he has the tools to take advantage of any opportunity given.
Now, Brandon Pirri was sort of in the same boat with Chicago a few years back but the situation was a little bit different. Pirri was drafted by the Hawks in the second round of the 2011 NHL Draft and stayed with the organization through parts of the 2013-14 season. He had a hard time cracking the lineup a lot of the time because they were such a wagon at that time. The forward depth didn’t leave much room for the kids all the time and they eventually traded him away.
So now Pirri is one of the ten-plus players that Stan Bowman has brought back after letting them go prior. Patrick Sharp, Johnny Oduya, and Andrew Shaw are a few examples but Pirri might be able to be a little bit more worth it. He has a lot of flaws defensively but he has gotten a little better in that area since leaving.
One thing that he is usually very good at is putting the puck in the back of the net. He is a guy who doesn’t necessarily make everyone around him better but he can sure shoot. There is no doubt that if the Hawks put him with someone in the bottom six who can get him the puck, he will score some goals. This isn’t a needle-moving trade for either team but it is one that can give two guys a change of scenery they might need right now.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 31: Eloy Jimenez #74 of the Chicago White Sox speaks with Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 31, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
The final 10 games of the 2020 Chicago White Sox season were brutal. A 2-8 record is not how any team, let alone one that had hopes of a division title, wants to enter the playoffs.
That said, the slate is wiped clean for the Chicago White Sox going forward.
Not to mention, playoff baseball is a whole different beast.
The Sox got a much-needed day off after 17 straight with no rest, and while dropping to the seventh seed and going on the road to face the Oakland Athletics in a best two-of-three series is less than ideal, it’s not all bad.
It would be nice to be at home and have the last at-bat, but without fans due to COVID19, home-field advantage is a bit different this year. The Sox will be able to send their two best pitchers – Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel – to the mound in the first two games. Aaron Bummer is back, and the win or go home nature of a short playoff series means the Sox will hopefully set up their bullpen in such a way that struggling arms won’t be called upon unless the Sox are winning/losing in a blowout.
Eloy Jimenez is expected to return, though he may just be a DH. Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert have shown signs of breaking out of slumps. And while the A’s are a formidable opponent and the Sox have a history of horrors in Oakland, at least the Sox aren’t drawing the red-hot Cleveland Indians or the always-tough Minnesota Twins for this round.
The lost last week or so of the regular season left a bad taste in many Sox’ fans’ mouths, but the playoffs start everything anew. The Sox can shake off the malaise. Maybe the team can even draw from anger about finishing as the seven seed and play with purpose.
At the very least, winning the World Series matters more than winning the division.
This is the beginning of the end of a weird and wild shortened season. A season that serves as a reminder of just how much of a grind a normal 162-game season is. This has been, comparatively, a sprint. The Sox have had some stumbles – at one point they were hanging around the .500 mark before getting hot – but maybe they’ll find their stride going into the postseason.
It’s the beginning of the end. The final act. Hopefully, the Sox draw the ending out all the way to a trophy.
Eastern Illinois is in the midst of fall practice in preparation for a return to play in the spring. (photo courtesy of EIU Atheltics)
Like other football stadiums across the state, O’Brien Field in Charleston remains silent for the most part in a month that normally features Saturday games.
There have, however, been workouts for second-year Eastern Illinois head coach Adam Cushing’s Panthers. In the midst of a fall camp that resembles traditional spring practice, Cushing and his staff forge ahead.
“I’ve talked with a number of coaches around the country and I think the overarching issue is there’s still a bit of uncertainty of what’s next,” Cushing told Prairie State Pigskin. “All of us in this role are trying to create that long-term plan and reverse engineer it to get yourself to exactly the right place. We’re in that space where we’re getting week-to-week information.”
Despite the uncertainty, Cushing and his staff have a plan in place.
“So, using that as a preface, what can we accomplish? What does this make possible? We can get really strong. We’ve got a young offensive and defensive line. We’re going to play football again, and we’re going to play football this spring. Let’s get real strong. We’ve taken that and allowed our strength coach Joe Orozco to run with it.
“But we’ve also said okay, since we’re in the novel situation with the 12-hour rule different than the (traditional offseason) eight-hour rule, what else can we also incorporate football-wise? Normally we’re not into this football-wise. Twelve hours is brand new to everybody. It’s trying to find a balance.”
Youth being served
EIU’s roster has been remade significantly since Cushing took it over from Kim Dameron, who coached the Panthers from 2014-2018. In fact, the official EIU roster lists nearly 80 players that are either true freshman, redshirt freshman, sophomores or redshirt sophomores. In addition, a significant number of the remaining players labeled as upperclassmen are either transfers or players with limited game experience.
Adam Cushing (photo courtesy of EIU Athletics)
Like other coaches with youth-laden teams, Cushing strives for the future.
“Let’s get strong,” he said. “We know we’re going to win games on defense by running to the ball. Make them snap it again. Run to the ball; get ‘em down. We can work on that right now. That’s not hard if that’s our key to victory.
“Then, on offense, let’s protect the football and there’s a million things that go into protecting the football. It’s pitching and catching very cleanly. That’s suffered the most when our players were apart. That timing. That detail of that route to catch it. That dragging of the foot so it’s inbounds versus it’s out of bounds. Center-to-quarterback exchange. Handoff exchanges. It’s all those little things that add up to protecting the football. These are all possible for us to work on.”
Cushing, a former Northwestern assistant under both Randy Walker and Pat Fitzgerald, also sees the value in simplifying the message to a young team.
“Keep the main thing, the main thing. Coach Walker would say that all that time. Everybody always took it as he meant the football; he meant it in everything,” Cushing said.
Lessons from the fall
Cushing has also tuned into the schools that are playing this fall, including Ohio Valley Conference opponents Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky.
As with any football coach, he isn’t just watching as a fan; Cushing is trying to learn things that will help his team.
“The first thing is I see is how difficult it is to prepare for the game,” Cushing said. “I don’t care how many spring practices you had or how many fall practices you have with contact, the (actual) game is just different. You saw it in that opening game with Austin Peay and Central Arkansas. Sloppiness with the football. Because as soon as the lights go on, everything ramps up a million percent.
(EIU Athletics photo)
“So what have I learned? We have to put players in challenging situations. We have to do a little more unscripted. Not that it can ever simulate game speed. But, we have to push the envelope in that we have to create situations where everybody on the field has to react and just play. As controlled as you want to make practice, there’s a safety aspect to that too. If you don’t learn how to hit and be hit, come the first game, the ball is going to pop out or you’re not going to get that guy to the ground because you’re just not used to getting players to the ground.”
Cushing added that he might just spring a surprise on not only his players but also his assistant coaches in the middle of a workout.
“I might just put the ball down in a certain spot, rattle off the situation and see how everyone reacts in the moment. There are times you just can’t plan for; you have to be ready to go,” he explained.
Nevertheless, Cushing came back to player safety.
“We have to be extremely careful as coaches not to overdo the physical aspects of the game (this fall),” he said. “You can’t tackle every day (in practice). That’s not practical. But we have to do more than zero. We have to use the same appropriate ramp-up from the sports science perspective that we would from a conditioning perspective. We’ve got to do some of that hitting and tackling to learn how to play the game well.”
Falling forward into spring
When the Ohio Valley Conference made its decision to push its traditional fall football season to spring, EIU also made the decision to not play any autumn nonconference games. The annual Mid-America Classic rivalry game with Illinois State, for example, went by the wayside when both universities agreed not to play. This marks the first fall since 1943 — when the nation was in the grips of World War II — that Eastern will not play football in a calendar year.
Yet, Cushing remains focused on the present and what he can do to prepare his team for the day when football returns to O’Brien Field with live games against actual opponents. Additionally, he remains steadfast in a goal he shared the day he was hired as the 25th head coach in EIU history.
“How are we going to win the OVC?” Cushing said. “We’re going to be really strong. We’re going to run to the football on defense. We’re going to protect the football on offense. If we keep those as the main thing, then whatever comes next — all the uncertainty in the world — if we get better at those things, then when I put my head on the pillow, I feel good.”
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).
Unlike leisure trips, business travel doesn’t allow much room for flexibility because delays can negatively affect you, your superior, and the company as a whole. It can be a stressful endeavor to make sure everything goes according to plan and accomplish all the goals of the business trip. So we asked experienced business travelers what advice they would give for someone who has never done it before and this is what they said:
#1 Have a clear picture
Once the business trip is assigned to you, start to plan it step-by-step, as far in advance as possible. Download apps to help you plan your route, organize your schedule, and keep track of all reservations. Synchronize the tool with your email and calendar, so you will never risk forgetting a meeting. Also, create a detailed list of your activities and specific places you want to visit.
Most importantly, you should always have in mind the goal of your business trip. What is the ultimate aim? Who are the key people you need to meet? How much time do you have to fulfill all of your tasks? Address these questions early on so you can prioritize your time and make the most of your business trip.
#2 Put Together a Detailed Itinerary
As soon as you find out about your business trip, no matter how far in advance, you should immediately start organizing your itinerary. Complete a day-to-day schedule with all information including transportation times, contact details of your associates and addresses of your hotel and meeting places. When you finish preparing your schedule, check if you left enough time between appointments so you won’t run late and that you also gave yourself time to eat and rest.
#3 Arrange Travel and Accommodation
Arranging travel will look different for every company, but it’s usually up to you to decide how you will get to the airport – by car, taxi, or public transportation? For many business travelers, driving to the airport is the easiest option but parking at O’Hare Airport can be a hassle. It’s better to make a reservation online so your parking spot will be waiting for you when you arrive.
When it comes to flights and accommodations, you may not have many choices depending on your company’s travel policies. Many businesses have exclusive deals with certain companies, so you don’t get to pick the hotel or airline that you prefer.
However, if you have some flexibility with your travel plans, then it’s a good idea to compare your options in advance. Check the legroom, add-on conveniences, and luggage requirements for the airlines. For your hotel room, book one that is in a convenient central location and offers amenities like breakfast, health club, sauna, and pool.
#4 Packing List
When putting together the list of what to pack for a business trip, the first thing you should consider is the length of the trip. Of course, packing light is always smart and handy. You don’t need more than what you’ll end up wearing. You already know what the dress code is in your field, so you should know what’s expected for you to wear. Keep your ID or passport, other travel documents, tickets, cell phone, and laptop or tablet in a safe place at all times. Don’t forget your work-related documents or presentation kits, too. In fact, those should be the first items you pack in your bags.
#5 Network
If you are attending a group meeting or conference, then you should do a bit of research on the people you are meeting with before the event. Start networking before your business travel, so you can connect with them when you finally see them in person without losing precious time.
With networking platforms, such as LinkedIn, and other social media platforms, you can contact these people and let them know that you’re going to be there as well. Tell them about the company you’re representing and share some personal information about you to give a more intimate touch to your conversation.
If you’re traveling abroad, it’s best to learn about the local customs and social etiquette so you don’t insult someone without realizing it.
#6 Keep Track of Expenses
Most of the time, your company will compensate you for expenses, such as transportation, accommodation, and food but will require you to keep track of expenses. Take pictures of all receipts and organize them into an album on your phone.
Also, if you are a regular business traveler, then you should start looking for membership programs at hotels, rental car companies, and airlines that offer promo codes for business class customers. You can also ask the human resources department of your company if there’s a credit card that grants travel expenses points. Membership programs can make travel a piece of cake, and they also provide other benefits for as long you remain a loyal customer.
#7 Deal with Unexpected Delays
Becoming an experienced business traveler is a self-taught skill. Unexpected situations and delays will happen but it’s all about how you deal with the things that are outside of your control. Whether it’s a late train or heavy traffic, you have to keep your cool and adjust. If you are running late for a meeting, then notify them immediately and thank them for their patience when you arrive. Over time, you will learn from your mistakes and grow as an individual and as a business professional.
Britt is a sweet, gentle, friendly, healthy and extremely handleable, eight-week-old, female hairless Sphynx rat looking for a loving guardian.
This girl came into rescue all by herself and easy to pick up and handle.
Her main diet consists of rat blocks, but she also enjoys very tiny bites of a lot of other foods including brown rice and beans, fruits: apples, cherries, grapes, strawberries, melons and plums, and veggies including broccoli, peas, carrots, cooked sweet potato, kale, parsley, bok choy and squash. Rats can get diarrhea if you give them too many treats.
You can add a few drops of olive oil to her food to help her keep her skin from getting dry.
She loves to come out of her cage to crawl up your arm and body and spend time with you. She is not a biter or scratcher. She is very gentle and sensitive.
She is currently in a small cage and comes with food, litter, water bottle, and hidey toys and hammocks for an adoption donation of $100 to the Friends of Petraits Rescue.
She is currently being fostered in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.
To meet and possibly adopt Britt, please contact [email protected] for an adoption application.
The CEO of Lake Zurich-based Smalley Steel Ring Co. and his wife have been involved in nearly $16 million worth of residential real estate deals in recent months, as they paid $8.4 million for a five-bedroom, 6,240-square-foot condominium in Chicago’s Park Tower and sold homes in Chicago and Highland Park for a combined $7.5 million. (VHT Studios)
The failing New York Times published an expose concerning Donald Trump’s taxes. Actually, it was more about his lack of taxes. In recent years, he’s paid either $0 or $750 to the feds. Trump is either a tax cheat or he has the craftiest tax lawyers in America. I leave that for you to decide.
Yeah, this will be a talking point for a couple of days and then we’ll move on to whatever is the next scandal. You don’t really think this will drive his supporters away from him, do you? You don’t really think this is finally the deal breaker, do you? Phew! I’m happy to hear that no one is that naive.
There is one thing in the story caught my eye and piqued my interest. Trump claimed a deduction of $70,000 for hairstyling. SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! You’d think for that amount of cash his hair would look better…a lot better. I guess he should have called Vidal Sassoon. You know…when you look good, we look good!
Talking about looking good, I took a peek in the mirror this morning. I noticed that my hair is a bit unruly. Okay, maybe more than a little. I’m not sure how it got that way. I swear I recently had a haircut. Then, I remembered recently was actually in June. Three months ago. That’s so #2020.
I was going to wait another month before getting another haircut. I wanted it to get completely over my ears. Throwback look to the 60’s-70’s. But, now that I know you can deduct hair styling from your taxes, I’m having second thoughts.
If I cut it this week, I’ll probably need another haircut in December. Doing the math, that will be four haircuts in 2020.At fifteen dollars a pop, that’s sixty dollars I can claim for the year!
SCORE! BIG BUCKS! NO WHAMMIES!!!!!
Hmmmm….with savings like this, I can give my stylist for a righteous tip! Does five bucks sound good?
So I’m off to my local Supercuts. Then I’m going to think about taxes for 2020. Does anyone have the phone number for Donald’s tax attorney?
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.
For years we have been exposed to self-help and motivational instruction that focuses heavily on the physical world.
For some this has been highly effective while for others this hasn’t always been the case.
Why is that? I believe that success comes to those who have a manifesting mindset.
When I first decided to write this article, I had a different direction in mind. After speaking to Mr. McGrone in-depth, a basic informational article wouldn’t just cut it. I rewrote this article and took the direction that was spoken to me. This isn’t an ordinary success story. This story speaks of the power of prayer, manifesting, and support systems.
Jamie McGrone, a former educator, after going through a painful divorce, found himself in search of finding his true calling and purpose in life. When he turned his focus to prayer and meditation, his mission became clear.
McGrone is bringing a fresh, new vibe to television! He is the Creator and Talk Show Host of “That’s Why I’m Here”, a brand new television show, aimed at creating a platform for people to connect with others through their personal testimonies of challenge and triumph. Jamie is on a mission to inspire and encourage others to live their most incredible lives, despite the hurdles that life places in our way. “It’s all about living your most amazing life, and accomplishing the hopes and dreams that you see in your mind.” Be prepared to laugh, cry, smile, and be restored on his hot, new television show, “That’s Why I’m Here”!
“My objective is to use my platform to change the face of television, by bringing a positive, uplifting, inspiring, new vibe …where the most unbelievable, incredible stories get a chance to be told!” said McGrone.
What is the manifesting mindset? It’s simply thinking in a way that is in harmony with the universe.
I know that sounds spiritual, well it is. The reason some people seem to get everything they want and have abundant success is mainly due to their Manifesting Mindset.
If we have a subconscious belief that, for example, Wealth is good and rich people are happy than your mind will allow you to manifest that wealth.
However, if you have subconscious thoughts that are negative towards the attainment of wealth than you will vibrate energy that will not attract wealth.
Have you or anyone you have known ever had a successful business or made a lot of money, and then after a period of time, lost it all or in part?
Or how about; if you have had some business success or other personal achievements and caught yourself saying something like I’m so lucky or I can’t believe I’m doing this and then had a turn around in your luck or your achievements?
Those are examples of subconscious thoughts that are sabotaging your chances of maintaining your success.
Another example of the Manifesting Mindset at work is trying to solve problems; Manifesting Mindset techniques teach you how to solve problems in your sleep.
In speaking with McGrone, he spoke a lot about this. How topics came to him in his sleep or simply walking down the street.
It isn’t a new concept that if you focus too much on a problem with your conscious mind you will never find the best answer, but if you allow yourself to sleep on it. Think, where ever you are, there you are…
It will often come to you as an epiphany! In a conversation with McGrone, he spoke on how he had a vision and he boldly spoke it out to the world. However, with the power of prayer and manifestation, he was sent a super team of elite professionals to help his vision come to life.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without my team. I am so grateful for them. They are great and excellent at what they do. Each member does something different and special. Without them, this show wouldn’t have got off the ground.” said Grone
The same is true with the Manifesting Mindset; we are only now beginning to understand and harness the energy that makes up our universe, and while there is undoubtedly much more for us to learn, one thing is for sure, knowledge is power, and understanding the Manifesting Mindset will allow you to achieve all that you truly deserve.
On behalf of the entire staff at High Society Management, we extend our heartfelt well wishes and you can count on our support!
I’m Jerry Partacz, happily married to my wife Julie for over 40 years. I have four children and eleven grandchildren. I’m enjoying retirement after 38 years of teaching. I now have an opportunity to share my thoughts on many things. I’m an incurable optimist. I also love to solve crossword puzzles and to write light verse. I love to read, to garden, to play the piano, to collect stamps and coins, and to watch “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.
The Case Shiller Chicago index shows home prices rising a tiny bit faster than last month
S&P Dow Jones’ CoreLogic Case Shiller home price indices for July came out a few hours ago and it shows the nation’s single family home prices rising a bit faster than June with a 4.8% gain vs. 4.3%. As for the Chicago area…at least home prices aren’t going down. The Case Shiller Chicago area index did register a larger gain than in June but on a much smaller scale – 0.8% vs. 0.5%. Sadly, Chicago remains at the bottom of the 20 metro areas tracked, right behind New York city with 1.3% annual appreciation.
Surprisingly, despite soaring inventory, Chicago area condo price appreciation is picking up speed and you can see it in the graph below if you look closely. Condo prices were up 1.6% from last year compared to a 1.4% increase in June. However, I don’t know how much longer this can continue with the market for condos deteriorating.
Chicago area single family home prices have shown annual gains for 93 consecutive months
Craig J. Lazzara, Managing Director and Global Head of Index Investment Strategy at S&P Dow Jones Indices, was reluctant to get too excited about the numbers:
In previous months, we’ve noted that a trend of accelerating increases in the National Composite Index began in August 2019. That trend was interrupted in May and June, as price gains decelerated modestly, but now may have resumed. Obviously more data will be required before we can say with confidence that any COVID-related deceleration is behind us.
Case Shiller Chicago Area Home Price Index By Month
I’ve got the entire history of the Case Shiller Chicago area indices graphed below along with a trendline that I developed based upon single family home prices prior to the housing bubble. Single family home prices rose 0.5% in July while condo prices rose 0.1%, both of which reflect normal seasonal increases at this time of year.
There are a couple of things that should jump out at you from this graph. First, single family home prices are trailing that trendline by 28.0%. Second, home prices still haven’t recovered to the bubble high levels with single family home prices lagging by 12.3% and condo prices doing a little better but still lagging 4.7%. In fact, single family home prices are still below levels during the entire period from November 2004 – September 2008 while condo prices are below their September 2005 – August 2008 levels.
However, on a positive note, there has been a substantial recovery from the lows. Single family home prices are up 43.8% and condo prices have bounced back 57.7% from the bottom.
The Chicago real estate market still has a long way to go before catching up to bubble peak prices.
#ChicagoHomePrices #CaseShiller #HomePrices
Gary Lucido is the President of Lucid Realty, the Chicago area’s full service real estate brokerage that offers home buyer rebates and discount commissions. If you want to keep up to date on the Chicago real estate market or get an insider’s view of the seamy underbelly of the real estate industry you can Subscribe to Getting Real by Email using the form below. Please be sure to verify your email address when you receive the verification notice.
After 20 years in the corporate world and running an Internet company, Gary started Lucid Realty with his partner, Sari. The company provides full service, while discounting commissions for sellers and giving buyers rebates.
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