(Part 2) Best products from r/chicago

A neat trick I use on super cold days is to use a pair of long stretchy gloves under my mittens (I bought mine from Kohls a season or two ago). They go halfway up your arm. It goes like this: tuck jeans into my sorel boots (warm winter boots with rubber bottoms), wrap scarf around neck/lower face, pull cute knit hat on, put on stretchy gloves, put on long giant down coat with elastic cuffs, zip said super long coat, then put on warm mittens over the stretchy gloves. Bam. Winter.

A few suggestions for OP:

http://reviews.eddiebauer.com/9015/36001/eddie-bauer-yukon-classic-down-duffle-coat-reviews/reviews.htm?page=2 (I own this exact coat. It is awesome, but you'll have to wait until the fall for stuff like this to show up in stores.)

http://www.sorel.com/Women%27s-Joan-of-Arctic%E2%84%A2/NL1540,default,pd.html is a great example of some footwear you'll want. Warm and waterproof.

http://www.amazon.com/Fingerless-Long-Glove-Black-W20S44E/dp/B002QCC0B2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1343969387&sr=8-3&keywords=long+gloves -- an example of what I'm talking about when I say "long gloves". Definitely find some warm down (or down alternative) mittens to put over them. Do NOT use fingerless gloves on their own if it is very cold outside. Your fingers will be so cold that they'll feel like they are burning (and they are -- it's one of the first stages of frostbite).

http://www.amazon.com/Marmot-Chunky-Pom-Hat-Womens/dp/B005C44Q0O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343969801&sr=8-4&keywords=women%27s+wool+hat - you'll want something that covers your ears. On the worst of days, I will bring my hood up even over my hat. Trust me. Ears.

http://www.cuddlduds.com/ always a good idea! If that's too expensive for your taste, use long t-shirts under your sweaters and invest in a pair of thick opaque tights for under your jeans. Trust me. When it's -17 outside with wind chill, you'll think of me and go "that girl was right".

Good luck! I hope some of these will help.

Under layers are important. Long johns and a thermal-knit top under your regular clothes. You don't need to splurge (I usually buy Hanes) but if you want to splurge, Under Armour is great stuff. My running gear is all UA, and then regular long-sleeved tee and sweatpants over that. Of course, only when it's really cold, so far it hasn't dipped much below 40. But the daily stuff I wear to work/out-and-about is just whatever I found at Target, and it works.

I use these gloves and swear by them. Super warm, and with the fingerless option and thumb hole you can easily use your smart phone. And the cuff rolls down pretty far up your forearm, so you don't have a gap between your coatsleeve and glove where wind can get in.

I'd recommend a hat with ear flaps, I have one lined with fur, and when it's far below zero and there's a biting wind off the lake, you can wrap the ear flaps under your chin and wrap a wool scarf around your face and neck over the flaps and no wind gets in. But a really thick wool beanie would probably be OK too.

Boots, you don't want anything that isn't completely rubber on the bottom (lined inside, of course). Not just a rubber sole, a rubber bottom, like this. Any type of fabric will get wet when walking through snow and puddles and then your feet will be freezing.

Those big bulky sleeping bag coats are pretty amazing, and enough people wear them that you won't look like a tool, but if you dress in layers you can buy something more professional looking and still be warm.

Of course all that stuff if for the super cold days, which there usually aren't more than 10-15 of. When it's above zero you can just dress in layers and wear normal gear and be fine.

Sooo, if you look at stats about bites and take out "Guard Dog" incidents most bites happen when 1 or more dogs are on leash. Considering the # of dogs in the US there are exceedingly few bites and fatalities but leashes are generally involved. There's a dude who wrote a book about how slippers kill more people.

So that's a sort of fuzzy stats will tell you what you want kind of thing, but you can also compare places without leash laws to those with or look at other countries that have Pariah dogs, just wild dogs out all the time, and they don't have the bite situation that the US does.

There are a lot of reasons a dog bites, but if you have amazon prime here's a documentary about Dick Russel. In it he talks about some of the issues that leashes exasperate.

https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Man-Dick-Russell/dp/B01N144CR2

Basically the theory is, dogs are social animals who play rough, so they need to be exposed to other dogs off leash -- it's best if it's when they are puppies, but needs to be continual throughout their life -- and in an environment where they can rough house without getting seriously hurt.

Basically, when dogs are socialized properly they learn how to control their bite so they don't seriously hurt anyone, they also learn how to get away from dogs that play too rough. They learn both by doing, and seeing other dogs play/fight.

As someone else mentioned, there is a thing called leash aggression that stems from a number of issues. But two are, the dog feels protected when he's attached to you, I can do what I want because this guy is going to back me up. On the flip side are dogs who say, "Oh shit, my owner doesn't trust me/this situation I need to react." Your energy - for lack of a better term - travels through the leash.

While walking my dog, I see this all the time. A dog starts making playful motions inviting my dog to come over, and I ask, "Is it okay for me to come say hi?" The owner freezes up and pulls on the leash, the dog immediately changes into a defensive mode and starts to bark. "My dog doesn't like people/dogs/hats/purple shirts/etc etc." Your dog doesn't gaf about those things, it thinks you do! and so it reacts.

If I have the time, I'll test it out. I calm the dog's owner, chat with them for a bit and as soon as they release tension in their body and on the leash, their dog runs over, says hi, and boom, "That's crazy you must be a dog whisperer. My dog never does this for anyone!"

Obviously there are times where I run into people who have socialized their dog to be anti-social and you can usually tell the difference right off the bat.

Lots of issues are mitigated by holding the leash correctly. Short, loose leash, where you are projecting calm assertive confidence. But it'd also be fine if the dog was just off the leash, because the dog isn't feeding off the owner's energy as much.

You'll also talk to people who are like, "We go for walks and my dog is crazy, I take him to the dog park and let him off leash and he's fine! It's soooo strange."

Zip line leashes, retractable leashes cause issues. Because the dog doesn't know it's range. So here are a couple examples that end in a dog getting bitten that are easily avoidable if a leash doesn't exist. Two dogs meet, dog's leashes get tangled, someone gets pinched or snagged and then bam--a bite. Aggressive dog runs up to another dog, says get out of my space, other dog is stuck on a leash can't get away, get's bit.

Dogs on leashes who bark and act aggressively learn that there are no consequences for their behavior, and there is a thrill to the barking. Barking and aggression in this case can be self reinforcing.

Dogs have been domesticated for like 15k years. They bond to humans and other dogs. So like the way ducks imprint on a mama duck, dogs do that to human's and dogs. While we know that the "pack" is it's family. They are also social. Wolves don't get along with other wolves. Not so for dogs. All domesticated dogs group up and hang out together when left to their own devices. They've evolved to enjoy our and each other's company. So when they bite other dogs or humans it's against their nature.

And this is speculation/hypothesis but there are studies about unsafe sections of road, or places where the lanes are super tight and they've found that counter intuitively less accidents happen in these areas. The reason -- presumably -- is that we don't zone out in these areas. Similarly, if you are playing with your dog off leash, you are much more engaged.

I can say this is true for me.

I'd say, for the past two years, Oz park has been a defacto dog park. And you just don't see instances of bites or problems outside of minor inconveniences. "I am not a dog person and a dog said hi to me." While I think that's minor, I don't think it's insignificant! Especially given the responses in this thread! Dogs in Chicago bug people, and I'm def. going to be more vigilant about who my dog says hi too and be even more careful with him when he's off leash.

shrug

Anyway, I can see it both ways and I don't begrudge anyone their opinion. I'm open to mine changing. But for now, if I ever get a fine/ticket for my dog being off leash in a restricted area, I'll happily pay it. But just like I will occasionally speed on an empty road, I'll let my dog off leash on an empty baseball diamond so we can work on recall or doing behavior/obedience training with light distractions.

There are a lot of laws in Chicago, some are enforced in such a way as to be pro-active. But leash laws are enforced to be re-active. They are only trying to stop it if it's a problem. And I currently think that's fair.

You can pick out an Adventure (like this one and have one of your friends read through it and run the adventure for the rest of you. Adventures like that take much of the creation work off of the DM and typically provide a sort of stepping stone into play.

If you're open to trying other games:
Fiasco is a pretty good role-playing game you and your friends can play. It's much easier to learn and gives you a shot to try out role-playing with. Fiasco also lends itself very well to playing one session of it, then moving on. Most RPGs, D&D, Dungeon World and Fate included, tend to reward multi-session play.
I'm more interested in playing/running Fate Core or Fate Accelerated myself. As a game, it's more focused on narrative and player-characters doing cool stuff than D&D.
Dungeon World plays and feels similar to D&D, only it's far simpler to pick up and play. There are also a number of other games very similar to Dungeon World customized to different settings/genres, like Apocalypse World (post-apocalypse), Sprawl (Cyberpunk), Blades in the Dark (If you've ever played the video-game Dishonored, you'll see parallels in Duskwall), and probably more that I don't feel like looking up at the moment.

I'd be happy to introduce you to Fiasco or Fate, schedules willing. I've played and run both.
I have, but have never played or run Sprawl, Blades in the Dark and Dungeon World; if any of those sound like more fun and you don't mind me learning along with you, they're also an option.
While I've played and run D&D before, I don't find it fun anymore and would rather play/run other role-playing games.

No one has mentioned snow! Here are the basics of what you'll need.

• Boots. Something similar to LL Bean Boots would be ideal. It will snow and slush and you want your boots to be warm and waterproof. People will wear normal shoes during winter, but they'll also have cold and wet feet.
  
• Gloves. Try to avoid really thin materials. Fleece should be good enough until you realize what you're comfortable with. Old Navy sells cheap fleece ones to get you started.
  
• Jacket. You want something with multiple layers with a waterproof exterior. Bonus: has a hood and the ability to tighten around the waist with little bungee knobs (wind up your jacket sucks). North Face is a very popular brand, but can be expensive (>$250). North Face and Columbia also sell jackets that have a removable inner fleece jacket, so you can wear it across multiple seasons.
  
  Other goodies:
  
  
• Hat - anything goes, from beanies to those big furry ones
  
• Scarf / one of these thingies - fantastic for covering your chin and nose on a super windy day
  
• 180s
  
• Wool socks
  
• Long underwear / Under Armour style tight-fitted shirts and pants
  
  And if you ever drive in the snow, two things: accelerate slowly and brake before you turn, not during the turn.

Cost of living in Chicago is not bad at all. If you're considering a 1BR apartment for $1,000 then the cost of food here will not be a concern to you. Keep in mind that if you decide to live downtown you might get hit with a higher sales tax than other parts of the city.

I would suggest living outside of downtown as most of Chicago does. I would suggest if you're looking for an area that is safe, affordable, and accessible then head north towards Lakeview / Roscoe Village.

The best tool I've ever found to finding apartments is PadMapper. If you expand the toolbar in the bottom left corner you'll find ways to sort things based on price, bedrooms, etc. They also have a crime overlay that you can toggle on and off. You could also do some research on a part of town through Everyblock. Although I will admit it will make you paranoid.

In regards to a car, I don't personally have one nor have I found it necessary to have one with me at all times. Chicago is a very accessible city via public transit with things like "the EL" which is short for Elevated Train. Its pretty good to get you from north to south and the busses here are good for east & west. You could also look into services like iGo or Zipcar for short car rentals. They're great for things like big purchases or IKEA runs. Not to mention that Chicago is pancake flat with over 150 miles of dedicated bike lanes in the city.

I would also suggest a book like this for learning about specific areas.

If you have any more specific questions, let me know.

I was also a transplant from a warmer climate when I first moved to Chicago. I highly recommend:

• A down filled parka style coat with a hood that will cover your butt. Like this one. Coats like this are an investment but your coat will be the most important part of your winter wardrobe and if you choose a high-quality coat it will last for years. No matter what coat you purchase the key things are: down filled, butt coverage.
  
  
• A neck gaiter or a wind-proof scarf.
  
  
• Insulated gloves. My favorites are Thinsulate or Isotoner. If you use a touch screen phone, you might want to investigate winter gloves designed to be used with touch screens.
  
  
• Wool socks. I prefer Smartwool because they keep my feet warm, dry, and cute.
  
  I hope this helps, good luck, and WELCOME TO CHICAGO!!!!!
  

I 'm the host of the PopFury Podcast.

/r/podcasts can suggest some cheap equipment.

I don't know what your budget is or what your longterm plans are. At bare minimum you will need:

Editing/Recording Software: Audacity is what I use and it is free

Microphone: if you're planning on having guests, a USB blue yeti snowball that directly plugs into your computer is a cheap way to get multiple people on mic. Get a pop filter on the cheap.

A hosting website: Podbean is free.

I'm not pretending the above will yield the best sound or is the best hosting solution, but it does provide quick and low cost entry. If you want each person to have their own mic (or need multiple mics for multiple guests), you're heading into additional costs of buying XLR mics for each person and a mixer.

My current equipment:

• 2 Blue Yeti Pros (each with a pop filter)
  
• 2 of Sony MDR7506 headphones (so we can hear ourselves on mic)
  
• Headphone Amp (we can control our individual headphone volumes)
  
• Behringer XENYX 1202 -- went with 4 inputs in case I expand to more guests
  
• BEHRINGER U-CONTROL UCA222 -- connects mixer to my computer
  
• Audacity -- to record and mix
  
• Auphonic (online service) -- to save time adjusting levels, reduce hum, etc
  
• Libsyn -- hosting
  
• (soon, website costs as I'm getting ready to create one)
  
  If I could go back in time, I'd trade out the Blue Yetis Pros (condenser mics) for a pair of dynamic mics.
  
  eta: alternate recording solution, portable mic like the H4n
  

I photograph the city a lot (check my posts here on Reddit for some examples I've posted) and could go on and on about locations but it really depends on what you're into. I highly recommend my friend's e-book, "The Photographer's Guide to Chicago". It has a ton of great info on interesting locations and details about hours, restrictions, where to park, etc.

I know it won't help you immediately, but if you're willing to "throw $20 at somebody" for a jump, just buy one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Jump-N-Carry-JNC300XL-Ultraportable-Starter-Light/dp/B000XQ9MGE

$65 and it's insanely useful. I just had to use mine last week for the first time and it was super fast and easy, and it still had its charge from last winter.

I'd probably go with http://www.amazon.com/Mohu-Leaf-Paper-Thin-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B004QK7HI8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1411839430&sr=1-1&keywords=mofu+leaf. It works very well. Has better reviews than the RCN antenna and you can get a thin version with up to a 50 mile radius.

Antennas will work inherently better placed in a window and something like the Leaf is perfect for window placement.

Has anyone curated the history of this station, how its programming has changed over the years, how it balanced "popular" music and/or pushed daring or local sounds onto the air, or even just an account of its changes in management/on-air personalities, etc?

Folks involved in the early days of Q101 really did this in detail (both in book form and in lots of other interviews) and I'd love if there was some kind of "history of B96" to read or watch or whatever. I listened so much as a kid (1988-1993 or so) and I'd love to revisit what that station really was/was trying to be instead of just my fuzzy memories.

And also the same man who wrote a book praising Trump: https://www.amazon.com/Donald-J-Trump-President-Other/dp/1621577872/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=conrad+black&qid=1558096243&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Honestly, knowing Trump's narcissism, I wouldn't be surprised if the book was a bigger reason he did this than the property sale.

The hands down best book on Chicago history (and I've read almost all of them) is The City of the Century by Donald Miller it can be had on Amazon for 0.01 (plus shipping)

In case anyone is looking for an air compressor now, I have this one and it works like a champ: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ASY23I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I attached this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ZVL7N4/ to my phone and keep my Ventra card in it. Cheap and works great!

Here is the non-mobile link from the comment above
***
This bot is supported by the referral link above. If you wish to not use a referral link, you may use this link instead.

get a duffel bag that you can use as a backpack.

Get one of those kneeling hands free crutch things for walking and going up and down the stairs. They are so neat I almost want to break an ankle!

https://www.amazon.com/iWALK2-0-Hands-Free-Knee-Crutch/dp/B00092RB06

if youre at this level you dont use accountants, you use "wealth managers"

​

https://www.amazon.com/Capital-without-Borders-Managers-Percent/dp/0674743806

If you want to know more about Q101, read James Van Osdol's book We Appreciate Your Enthusiasm.

City of the Century by Donald Miller. Epic read, but totally worth it.

>and to political and historical thought.”

he wrote a fawning book about Trump... not kidding... Write a pandering book about Trump, get a pardon

Donald J Trump - A President Like No Other - By Conrad Black

I have the Mohu Leaf and it picks it up great. but it also depends on what floor he is on, distance from the tower, etc.

Here are the top 100 locations.

https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Chicago-Locations-Photograph-ebook/dp/B00F08993Q

Can't help you now, but buy one of these and keep it in your trunk and you won't have to worry about needing someone else to jump you in the future.

Wow that sucks. To help deter that from happening again at the gym get a disk lock they are more difficult to cut with bolt cutters. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004SQKX/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1416160152&sr=8-1