I always knew in the back of my head that growing up wasn’t going to be like I thought it was. 

Maybe that was because most of my life my mom kept telling me to stop trying to be an adult and enjoy being a kid… or maybe it was because my overly observant and nosy young self could see the adults around me while they faced hardships and struggles throughout their own lives.

Yet, I was always the young girl wishing for someday.

My plans, hopes and dreams for my life started at such a young age. My mom says that I was a three-year-old planning out my life and bargaining with her on what outfit I wore for the day like it was a business deal. Honestly, I am not shocked by that story even in the slightest because I have always been one to negotiate for whatever I thought was right, in this case, being I was so going to wear the glitter shirt.

With the years of growing up, the dreams and plans got more vivid and set in stone. I knew what I had to do in each aspect of my life to get me where I wanted to go and there was nothing going to stop me from doing that.

I remember so vividly being in junior high and writing my daily journal entry in my English class about my future and imagining the college experience that I wanted – while most normal students were probably thinking about their sleepover on Friday night or their spring break plans.

Thinking back now I want to say to myself, “Dang girl, you weren’t even in high school yet. SLOW DOWN!!!”

And as much as I wish that young girl would have just enjoyed the present, I have no regrets because that is just who I am.

During the last three months, this crazy world has taken every plan, thought, idea and dream that I have had and either put it on pause or threw it out the car window – and I would be lying if I said the young girl inside me wasn’t filled with fear.

My thoughts for someday, which would have been today, just aren’t like that little girl had once dreamed. But what I have learned recently is that it is okay, I am okay and that little girl who is scared out of her mind will be okay too.

The conclusion that I have come to is that the little girl didn’t actually plan for life. She was so wrapped up in the thoughts and dreams of it all that she forgot that life happens, obstacles occur and challenges present themselves. In the scheme of things, it is okay because I truly loved how that little girl had no doubt that someday she was going to be somebody and that no matter what she was going to have the life that she had always imagined.

It was that little girl’s dreams that helped me become the woman that I am today.

The woman that understands obstacles and challenges arise and instead of sitting complacently she does her part to fix them, the woman that takes the situations that she has been given and makes the best of them and the woman that has seen how important it is to the count the blessings in her life because those are what truly matter. 

So right now we might just be on a bumpy part of this uncertain road of life, but that is okay because that young girl still lives on in my heart and there is no way that she isn’t going to bargain or negotiate her way out of whatever comes next.

We will be just fine, I promise!

We hear with our ears, but how we understand happens at the level of the brain. Research has proven that hearing loss causes changes to the brain. And not in a good way. As an Audiologist, maintaining normal brain function is the most important reason to treat the mildest of hearing losses with hearing aids.

Providing volume specifically where it is needed is the easy part of correcting a hearing loss. An Audiologist with proper equipment will be able to make sounds audible. Soft sounds should be heard, average conversation should be comfortable and loud sounds should never be painful.

The brain, however, is responsible for interpreting, processing and separating speech from noise. This is where the art and skill in fitting hearing aids is important. We all have varied abilities to hear and understand. Based on an individual’s brain function it is possible to design a solution to maximize one’s potential.

Listening involves both hearing and interpreting the signal and it is possible to measure both. The more information we gather allows us to create an individualized plan that is designed in the best interest of each patient. Yes, hearing is complicated.

When you see a professional, correcting hearing will involve more than just ears. We will focus on what us important to your health. A healthy brain can pave the way for a better life. Make an appointment to see an Audiologist. You’ll be glad you did.

The Yankees have had a tendency for selecting NFL stars in the MLB Draft. From John Elway to Deion Sanders, here are five football players New York has picked.

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• Chicago Craft Beer Father’s Day Weekend, June 19-21

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The Major League Soccer PR hype machine went into top gear with the announcement of its MLS Is Back tournament.

The tournament represents the return of the league, thus the unimaginative name. We’ve seen soccer leagues around the world return over the past weeks. The German Bundesliga is nearing its conclusion while Spain, Italy and England are just starting up again.

Domestically, the NWSL and MLS are set for returns soon. The NWSL is headed to Utah while MLS recently announced its tournament will be in Orlando.

MLS and the NWSL both face similar issues at their events. Utah is not doing so great in terms of the coronavirus outbreak at the moment. Meanwhile, Florida is downright spiking in terms of cases.

Both leagues will face tough decisions in the weeks ahead as things unfold regarding the virus. For now, Utah is less concerning than Florida although MLS has more time before its July 8 restart. The question everyone involved has to determine is what the breaking point is? What would need to happen to cause a cancellation of these events?

It’s arguable that these events shouldn’t have been scheduled in the first place, but with very concerning trends in both locations . On top of that, it appears neither league made great choices in their locations, albeit with limited options to begin with.

Expecting a big business to make a decision with health ahead of profit is a big ask. They don’t do that sort of thing. However, we are nearing a point where they may have no choice.

Of course, these types of discussions are happening regularly behind the scenes. They are aware of what is going on and are monitoring it closely. To be fair to MLS, they don’t need to rush a decision. They can wait a while before canceling, and waiting longer allows them to have more information before making a decision.

Things could get better or worse and make the decision easier, either way. Until then, we wait.

Germany has been playing for weeks and has avoided major incident. So far, Spain has avoid catastrophe in its first week. Italy has played two matches in the Coppa Italia. England restarted today. None of those countries are playing in a centralized location though.

The United States has not done well with the virus and that is a big reason why the American leagues are picking one city to play all matches. It is, in theory, safer to minimize cross-country travel. However, if that city is experiencing a major outbreak, then what?

Let’s see how this unfolds in the coming days and weeks.

alfresco dining brings a taste of summer to Lakeview

This is Week Two of Dine Out on Broadway, one of the first of Chicago’s street closures open for outdoor dining, part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s “Make Way for Dining” pilot program.

In addition, there will be communal seating areas placed throughout Broadway for those who would like to order carry-out and enjoy it outside. 

With most of Chicago’s summer festivals cancelled for 2020 due to the corona virus,  Dine Out on Broadway is a fun option.

Wilde, Stella’s, Crisp, The Bagel and Chilean Balam are among the 30 plus restaurants participating. Click here to see the entire list. 

Broadway will be closed to traffic and open for dining starting this Friday, June 19th from 12pm-10pm, and Saturday, June 20th, and Sunday, June 21st from 11am-10pm.

Reopening guidelines

All social distancing, face covering, and other reopening guidelines are to be followed and will be enforced. 

Open containers and congregating in large groups are not permitted. Attendees should wear face coverings and maintain a social distance when traveling to and from dining establishments.

Street closures and public transportation

The 36 Bus on Broadway will be rerouted (check the CTA website for updates) and Barry, Oakdale, and Briar will become two way streets to accommodate local traffic.

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The Fourth of July annual Festival of Gluttony at Coney Island known as the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is happening once again, virus be damned.

At an undisclosed location. With five instead of fifteen participants. And no fans.

I mentioned before in this space that professional sports contests without fans is, at best, a ludicrous proposition, and at worst, just sad. I see this event shaping up as sort of the same thing.

Joey Chestnut will be on hand to defend his title from last year (and eleven other years), when he scarfed down 71 dogs in ten minutes. Miki Sudo will represent the ladies again this year, having won six other times. Last year, she downed 41 dogs.

I’m wondering if the straw boater showman George Shea will be there to stir up enthusiasm with his carnival barker style and undeniable enthusiasm. I can only hope that he will be. It will be broadcast on ESPN once again, and color commentators will have to work doubly hard to fill in the time pre-show and afterwards. It’s ten minutes of rather disgusting forcing down buns and condiment-less hot dogs, in which the natural inclination is to look away. It’s like the Kentucky Derby without the hats.

For someone who enjoys (okay, relishes) the whole hot dog eating experience, the contest is something of an anomaly – a joyless, intense gorging that does little to support the brand, which is a good one, by the way.

I have enjoyed both Nathan’s and Sabrett hot dogs in Brooklyn, purchased off umbrella push carts, where the vendors used a flat, wooden stick to spread the mustard, before spraying on an onion sauce out of a plastic bottle. You don’t ask for sport peppers and celery salt in New York. And I dare you to ask for a poppyseed bun. At best, the vendor would call YOU a poppyseed and move on to the next customer. At best. At worst, he’d take back the dog because you don’t deserve it, or tell you where to shove it.

But where’s the joy? Where’s the savoring? Six-time Nathan’s winner Takeru Kobayashi would dip his hot dogs in water before eating them. That can’t be pleasant to do, and it’s even more unpleasant to watch.

A big part of the contest has always been the convivial atmosphere – the people sporting hot dog hats and the good will. George Shea always knew how to bring the fun. It’s hard to know what to expect from this year’s offering. Odds are pretty good that
Chestnut and Sudo will each bring home the ten grand and the coveted Mustard Belt, but the whole thing can put you off your feed a little bit. Too many dogs, not enough good stuff on them.

Somebody once said of my Chicago-style dog: “That’s not a hot dog, it’ a salad.”

Fair enough, I told him. I like to eat healthy.

Sony unveiled several games and more information about its upcoming PlayStation 5 last week and there was a lot of information to dissect.

However, regardless of hardware, new game announcements feel familiar. I’m excited about Horizon Forbidden West and Spider-Man: Miles Morales among others, but getting excited by new game announcements and trailers is an annual thing during E3. Even seeing new hardware is exciting, but ultimately ends up being less relevant than the games you play on it.

The thing that has stuck with me the most is the announcement of two different PS5s, one version with a disk drive and one without.

An up-close look at the PlayStation 5 hardware lineup. Coming Holiday 2020: https://t.co/RcqrXBktNU pic.twitter.com/Lm8OYaue3E

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 13, 2020

This has been rumored for Microsoft’s new Xbox for months, if not longer, but we haven’t had official word of what the second console would be yet. Sony beat them to the punch with this announcement. So far, what we’re hearing is that it’s the same hardware that simply doesn’t have a disk drive.

The assumption is that removing the disc drive will allow for a cheaper price, especially as word of the upcoming consoles being expensive has been floating around for a while. If Sony and Microsoft are staring at expensive boxes, removing a disk drive is one way to minimize the price as much as possible. Microsoft came out with an all digital Xbox One S in the fall and it was $50 cheaper than the standard One S at the time.

We don’t know anything about storage yet. Would the all-digital version have a bigger hard drive because it would be relying on downloads more than a regular console? Would anyone go for the all-digital version if it had more storage but cost the same? That would certainly make it less appealing.

Console games have been shifting to an increasing importance of digital downloads for several years. Most indie games never have a physical release. Almost every game has post-release patches and/or updates. Then there’s the concept of DLC, which almost never has a physical release. With patches and updates, even games that you have a disk for can take a lot of space on your hard drive. One of the biggest downsides of going all-digital has been slowly eroded over the years as developers rely on post-release content more and more.

The other argument against all-digital is that games are cheaper with disks. Sure, you can play the used games market to get something back for a game you’ve finished and try to get a different game at a discount. The number of games you can do that with is shrinking with more and more major titles shifting to the “games as a service” model to keep you playing long after release.

By the time you’d be “done” with a game that you would be willing to sell, it could be a year or more after release. At that point, you’re not getting much from Gamestop. Speaking of Gamestop, who hasn’t had a bad experience with Gamestop? They may not be long for this world anyway.

There are plenty of sales on digital storefronts, although there is reason for concern that those would come less often if they are competing less with retailers.

We’ve seen a shift to digital come elsewhere. Laptops often don’t have disk drives anymore. That’s something I wasn’t thrilled with initially when I first bought a laptop without one years ago. I haven’t missed it once. By the time smartphones got rid of headphone jacks I already was using bluetooth headphones.

Digital always eventually wins and it will for video games as well. The infrastructure has been growing for years and it could and should be a smooth transition for anyone who takes that plunge with the next generation consoles. Let’s see what happens.

Tamika Hall is a mother of four beautiful children, a media mogul who juggles the everyday tasks of iWorship96, an international radio station, TamikaINK a design and marketing firm, She Wins film company and is the social media auntie to young women around the Globe. Like most women, she runs on little sleep, ambition, and goals to create a legacy for her children.

A former beauty queen turned radio host, bestselling author of more than a dozen books, and filmmaker, Tamika has more than 20 years in the public eye and exuded an abundance of confidence on the outside. Those around her, had no idea that she carried a secret of obsessing about body odor to the point of showering five times a day, washing in between and applying deodorant everywhere. Late 2017, after suffering from bacterial vaginosis for eight months induced by her obsessive washing habits, Tamika decided she’d had enough.

Pouring hours into internet searches, videos, and speaking with different Gynecologists, Tamika discovered two things – body odor is often impacted by what we put into our bodies, and secondly, women don’t speak about these body challenges. Women are raised to always smell sweet and never have a fragrance that is less than pleasing, but what happens when you’ve done all you can, and you still don’t smell like roses? Tamika wanted answers; better yet, she wanted a solution.

After more than a year of research and cold calling manufacturing companies, She’s Ready was born. An all-natural supplement that attacks the odor-causing bacteria in the body. One capsule that essentially strips away bad breath, stinky feet, underarm, groin, and sweat odor. 

Tamika credits She’s Ready with changing her life, “A woman with a healthy dose of body confidence can command any room, close any deal, and She’s Ready to conquer the world.”

She’s Ready is your new favorite body confidence company beautifying women from the inside out.

To learn more about She’s Ready and or purchase products, visit https://www.shesready.co/or IG @tamikahall1

It has taken me awhile to actually admit it, but I miss quarantine. Yes. I’m talking about the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak when businesses were just starting to close and lockdown was just starting to kick in. Crazy, right?!

The reason why it has taken me so long to admit this to myself is because during the midst of the self-quarantining and chaos, all I could seem to preach at the time was how much I missed reality. I missed going out to eat, visiting my family, and craziest of all; going to school! Due to the pandemic, I was unable to celebrate my high school graduation in traditional fashion, and even as someone who hated high school, at the time I was still a little bummed out by this. However, looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

As bars and restaurants in Chicago and all over the country are transitioning into outdoor seating and opening up non-essential businesses, I am beginning to realize how much I miss the comfort of quarantine. Despite being petrified of me or possibly a family member catching the coronavirus, I didn’t realize at the time how much I loved having no worries, no responsibilities, and all the time in the world to just focus on one thing: MYSELF! Being in quarantine was a once in a lifetime experience and I have decided to use every day of it to expand my horizons as a human being. (Yes, that entails learning how to cook from Rachael Ray’s stay home show and painting naked women on dollar store canvases.) 

When I talk to people about the coronavirus and how it has affected them, it always surprises me how much they claim to hate this “new normal” that we’re living in. They complain about having to wear facemasks and how the economy needs to open back up fully amongst many other aspects of this virus. It surprises me because personally, at least my opinion now, couldn’t disagree more. I can’t be the only one who finds comfort in wearing a face mask in public (no makeup!) and there’s nothing I miss more than the empty roads of early quarantine. You know…that time when everybody was hoarding toilet paper and buying ramen noodles in bulk as if it was the apocalypse. Open roads = no road rage!

All I am trying to say is that it is easy to look at the cons of the quarantine. Obviously many of us miss our regular lives and are saddened that some of the events we look forward to each summer have been cancelled (I won free Kenny Chesney tickets…I get it) but if we continue to move forward with this mindset, we won’t return to our regular lives (when the time comes) with a healthy mindset. That’s why it’s important to look at the pros of quarantine; you are living in an unprecedented time in history (that is super cool!), you are potentially saving lives by taking the precautions, and most of all…you get to listen to your favorite celebrities sing Stand By Me by Ben E. King during almost every commercial! I mean c’mon, it doesn’t get more comforting than that!

Thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Triple Crown has gone…a little topsy-turvy.  The Belmont Stakes, usually the last race of the three, is the first this year.  Usually the longest race of the series, it’s now the shortest: just a mile and an eighth.

The race drew a field of 10 to contest for a million dollar purse — and, for the first time in its history, the Belmont is also a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race, with 150-60-30-15 points allotted to the top four places.

Belmont Park – Saturday, June 20

Race 10: Belmont Stakes (G1), three-year-olds, one and one eighth miles on the dirt, post time 5.42pm EDT

#1 TAP IT TO WIN (6/1) – He has shown plenty of speed, and especially with the rail draw, he will be forced to use it. He won’t be alone on the lead: both MODERNIST and FORE LEFT outside him both have plenty of gas, and should ensure an honest pace. TAP IT TO WIN still has to prove is class, as he has finished up the track in both his stakes tries.  But, on the positive side, both of those stakes tries were last year, he is unbeaten in two allowance tries this year, and his last-out allowance win at Belmont shows he can handle the footing at Big Sandy. There is also enough in his pedigree to suggest he could handle the stretch to nine furlongs: though his second dam being by Unreal Zeal raises questions, he is by Tapit out of a Medaglia d’Oro mare, and they put some stamina closer up in the pedigree.

#2 SOLE VOLANTE (9/2) – He won a top-shelf allowance at Gulfstream on June 10, something that qualifies for a last-minute prep nowadays. But, that race couldn’t have gone any better: he got a pace battle to attack, he came rolling in the lane, and he got to the wire first without being implored. He should get honest fractions to chase in the Belmont, which plays in his favour, though Belmont isn’t always the best track for a true deep closer.  He also has to prove that he is up to the challenge of being TIZ THE LAW, who is both the divisional leader and a horse who should, if he sticks to his running style, get the jump.  SOLE VOLANTE is one of the better horses in this year’s three-year-old class, and the mile and an eighth should suit him well. But, with the running style questions?  He is a must-use in the exotics, though don’t take too short a price on the win end.

#3 MAX PLAYER (15/1) – He makes his first start since February. With only three starts underneath him, he cedes experience to most of his foes, though he is one of the only three entrants who already has a victory at a mile and an eighth. That came in the Withers (G3), in which he sat midfield early before rallying into a sharp pace. He doesn’t have to drop back quite as far as a deep closer like SOLE VOLANTE, which plays in his favour. The question is whether he can improve enough: he has to take a sharp step up from that Withers, which was already a career best, in his first start off a four-month layoff.

#4 MODERNIST (15/1) – He returns for his first start since a third-place finish in his division of the Louisiana Derby (G2) three months ago. He was rounding into good form as the Fair Grounds meet drew to a close; he won the weaker division of the Risen Star (G2), then held his own behind Wells Bayou and Ny Traffic. The mile and an eighth suits MODERNIST nicely; both his maiden win and his Risen Star win came at the trip. And, his score in the Risen Star showed that he doesn’t have to have it easy on the front end, something that should serve him well with both TAP IT TO WIN and FORE LEFT to deal with on the front end as well. He has the stamina and the tools — the question is whether he has matured enough in the last three months to run a race fast enough to contend with some of the best horses of his class.

#5 FARMINGTON ROAD (15/1) – This deep closer has been an underneath type in all his prep race tries.  He ran late for fourth in the stronger division of the Risen Star, then second in the Oaklawn Stakes, then fourth in the Nadal division of the Arkansas Derby.  He got torrid fractions to chase in both the Risen Star and the Oaklawn Stakes; the running in front of him should be honest, but a pace collapse in the Belmont seems unlikely. The scariest thing about FARMINGTON ROAD is his trainer; Todd Pletcher does well in the Belmont. Though, the timing and the distance make this an odd Belmont…and the “rally from the clouds” running style makes Farmington Road most usable for tickets that spread a bit on the lower fringes of trifectas or superfectas.

#6 FORE LEFT (30/1) – He makes just his second start of the year, and his first since his frontrunning score in the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3). It was a positive sign, especially after his two-year-old form had begun to suggest that other horses were catching up to him after his precocious start. But, this is a tougher assignment than a G3 dirt race in the UAE — and with TAP IT TO WIN and MODERNIST drawn in, FORE LEFT will have a tougher time on the lead than he did in any of his victories so far.  There’s also the question of whether he will stay the mile and an eighth.  Perhaps — he is by Twirling Candy out of a half-sister to Reveron, who ran second in the Florida Derby. But, in the balance, FORE LEFT will be a longshot for a reason.

#7 JUNGLE RUNNER (50/1) – He looked like he was going the right way in the late autumn at Remington, winning a maiden special and then the Clever Trevor Stakes. But, in each of four stakes starts since, he has been beaten double-digit lengths. Perhaps he will be a bit sharper in the Belmont than he was in the Arkansas Derby, since this marks his second start off a layoff of almost two and a half months. Even with that potential, though, he would have to make a monumental move forward to hold his own with even the mid-level contenders in the Belmont.

#8 TIZ THE LAW (6/5) – The price will be short on this Sackatoga Stable standardbearer, but he is also the best horse in his class. In five starts he his three quarters of a length shy of perfect; that loss came over a wet track at Churchill, and he should get dry footing this time. In both starts this year, in the Holy Bull (G2) and the Florida Derby (G1), he tracked the pace before taking complete control in the lane. That’s the sort of trip that should work out well in the Belmont. Even though both of his wins this year came at Gulfstream, TIZ THE LAW is no Gulfstream Park Horse: he is already a G1 winner over the Belmont dirt, as he dominated the Champagne last year. He has proven he runs well fresh, and he has been drilling like clockwork leading into the Belmont. There is every reason to think the real TIZ THE LAW will show up to the Belmont; if he does, the other horses are going to have to improve to keep up.

#9 DR POST (5/1) – The likely shorter price between the two Todd Pletcher entrants, DR POST makes his graded stakes debut in the Belmont. He has raced just three times, and looks like a horse who just needed a bit of time to blossom. He ran fourth in his only start at 2, a maiden special at Belmont, but returned this spring to win both a maiden special and the Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream. His running style should suit the race, as he is a stalking to midpack type. He stretches to a mile and an eighth for the first time. Whether he stays it is a question; his dam’s progeny have tended to be sprinters, though the Quality Road on top helps his case. All told, DR POST has plenty of upside, though don’t take too short a price as he takes such a step up in class.

#10 PNEUMATIC (8/1) – The “A” entrant from the Steve Asmussen barn, he is lightly raced, with only three starts underneath him. After clearing his maiden and N1X conditions in short order, he did get a good test against tough horses in the Matt Winn (G3) a month ago, disputing the pace before flattening to third behind Maxfield and Ny Traffic. His two previous wins were enough to show that he does not need the lead; he is tactical enough to carve out a trip from this outside gate. He also has pedigree potential to get the mile and an eighth, being by Uncle Mo out of a Tapit half-sister to Pyro. All told, he has some price potential in the Belmont.

Selections:

#8 TIZ THE LAW (6/5)
#10 PNEUMATIC (8/1)
#2 SOLE VOLANTE (9/2)

Longshot: #4 MODERNIST (15/1)

***

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