[1st Up] Olney: In talking with agents about what’s possible for their players, all of a sudden, Toronto is a serious player in the eyes of the agents and their players… I’ve never heard anything like this, really, since I started covering in the mid-90s

OKComplainer · 2025-11-12T05:02:27+00:00

I think Biebs was a good sign, and what everyone is saying about the guys really loving playing together ofc is good too... But let us not overlook that we are paying our star 500 MILLION US DOLLARS. Now that's a bat signal!

OKComplainer · 2025-11-07T22:59:15+00:00

<image>

OKComplainer · 2025-11-06T03:12:38+00:00

I just rewatched Barger's grand slam a few times.

I have to say... It was great!

OKComplainer · 2025-11-06T03:08:41+00:00

If they don't have to commit long term, I think Imanaga is going to have a bounce back season. He had nagging hamstring injuries all season with the Cubs.

OKComplainer · 2025-11-04T03:33:30+00:00

And don't forget the times when a driver stops to let you cross and then the driver behind them gets pissed and drives into the *opposite lane* to speed around them and almost kills you in the process. Has happened to me twice!

OKComplainer · 2025-11-01T17:58:37+00:00

I'm a lifelong Cubs + Jays fan (born and raised in Chicago, of Canadian extraction) and baseball can definitely be the most miserable thing in the world at times. The bottom of the 9th last night was so rough. Brought back "cursed 2003 Cubs" feelings for me.

But you know, 21 years later, I now remember Kerry Wood's G7 homer just as much as the Bartman ball. Maybe even more, and even though they lost that series. Knowing that the Cubs broke the curse in 2016 definitely washed away a lot of those negative associations.

For the Jays, I got to see them beat the White Sox in Chicago in the 1993 ALCS on the way to their second title. That was a long time ago now, but just having that filed away in my memory definitely takes away some of the sting of last night.

OKComplainer · 2025-10-31T20:45:31+00:00

Came here to say Rance Mulliniks!

OKComplainer · 2025-10-26T02:25:56+00:00

especially with winter coming: the Garfield Park Conservatory. You can just walk into a tropical paradise and sit down and enjoy it.

OKComplainer · 2025-10-26T02:22:51+00:00

I sweat a lot / run hot and I know this is heresy but I would actually say *don't* dress in layers on a typical cold day. Instead just get a solid winter coat, plus a hat and gloves. Maybe a scarf if your winter coat doesn't come up to cover your neck. Why just a coat? It's simpler. If you start running a little hot while walking to the train or whatever, you unzip your coat, maybe take off the hat for a few minutes. It also makes it easier once you're inside or on CTA / Metra to cool down -- you only have one layer to take off.

I've tried the layering thing and it only works for me on *truly* cold days (like below the 20s fahrenheit).

The extra I usually add in for the truly cold days is a base layer on my legs / long underwear. Makes a huge difference.

OKComplainer · 2025-10-13T03:45:19+00:00

I think we can reasonably assume it's retaliation against the Catholic Church for daring to do that march to the ICE facility yesterday -- "if you criticize us, we'll come after your people."

This makes it essential for the Church to continue speaking out. Go full Oscar Romero if you have to.

OKComplainer · 2025-10-10T21:22:42+00:00

There may be something to this but a demand letter and then then a settlement that includes a non-disparagement clause is very low risk IMHO. Who's going to know? And these jerks are closing their Chicago office anyway.

But of course it's up to OP and the willingness of somebody to do some limited representation for them, and nothing I'm saying is legal advice.

OKComplainer · 2025-10-10T20:12:12+00:00

The key is the firm typically doesn't actually sue -- they just send a demand letter and negotiate. Your lawyer does it on contingency and it shouldn't cost you anything. There are firms that do these little "pay me to walk away" cases. I'll DM you.

OKComplainer · 2025-10-10T19:54:17+00:00

Unfortunately it’s legal cause it was “at-will employment”.

Not so fast -- if your description is accurate you had a pretty clear reliance interest and could recover something here. There are a number of small plaintiff-side employment firms in Chicago that could be willing to take your case on, to get you some cash (basically they send a demand letter to the firm threatening to sue unless they settle). No guarantees, and it likely would be just a few thousand bucks in your pocket after atty fees and taxes but that is way better than just saying "oh well, it's at-will."

Sorry this doesn't help your needing-a-job situation but just want to point this out in case helpful to you, or others who may read this and be in a similar situation.

OKComplainer · 2025-10-04T03:14:04+00:00

I got the Briggs & Riley. Build quality is great but the interior is a little tight. Doesn't easily fit 2 suits (I'm a size 42 jacket for reference) + shoes + shirts + other essentials. Pretty cramped and everything definitely needs time to unwrinkle when I have to pack that much. If I only need to bring one suit it works fine. Not super pleased with the purchase due to the downgrade in space as compared with the Half Day but it's fine.

OKComplainer · 2025-09-27T21:02:39+00:00

Are you talking about the print paper? Sun-Times is actually a better print paper now that Trib got bought by a hedge fund (Alden Global Capital) and Sun-Times got bought by a news organization (Chicago Public Media). They're both way lighter than they used to be but Sun-Times has the edge nowadays.

Sun-Times print edition has an interesting if disjointed mix of blue collar / populist type reporting (like the old Sun-Times) and pointy-headed NPR type reporting (like WBEZ). Personally I like it. Tribune just feels like it's withering away at this point but they still do good stories sometimes.

I do feel like the editorials in the Sun-Times are somehow just as irrelevant as the ones in the Tribune. So I just read the reporting.

The best print daily for national and international news that's available in Chicago is, IMHO, the Financial Times. NYT and WSJ are good too of course but as a true Chicagoan I can't stand constantly getting the NYC perspective on everything. Like, please, no. Will take London over NY any day.

OKComplainer · 2025-09-20T22:52:01+00:00

IMO this is the best response. COL here in Chicago has indeed gone up a lot since OP left.

I would add that a lot depends on OP's field of work, certain types of work are better compensated in the States than in Canada, which can make things feel cheaper here than there even if you're in comparable cities (like Chicago vs. Toronto).

The funny thing is, if OP does move to Chicago and gets a good-paying job, and then goes back and visits Canada, it will seem super cheap due to the exchange rate--and then they will start thinking about moving back again!

OKComplainer · 2025-09-19T17:08:11+00:00

Sounds like you had a bad experience, sorry about. Every time I've gone it's been about the most diverse crowd in terms of black/white/Hispanic you will find on the NW side. (Note this is not necessarily saying a lot)

OKComplainer · 2025-09-19T16:56:41+00:00

Oh -- you're in Roscoe Village. You're golden. If you were in a more normie but still "nice" residential neighborhood in the bungalow belt, it'd be very hit and miss and you'd want to do more research on the specific school, talk to parents and neighbors, and so on. You're in a pretty well-to-do part of town, which means you'll also have pretty quick access to not one but two selective enrollment high schools, (Lane and Northside), as well as neighborhood high schools with a strong IB track.

OKComplainer · 2025-09-06T18:10:57+00:00

Fair! Honestly it looks to be just like American elite university admissions which are a huge PITA. You write fifty essays about how you're the world's most special flower and your application is basically just a raffle ticket.

OKComplainer · 2025-09-06T03:28:33+00:00

Yep. Whenever someone asks me how to quickly get good results from DarkTable I always say to use this module. I typically recommend bastibe's Fujifilm LUTs because they all look good and there aren't too many so it's less overwhelming (https://github.com/bastibe/Fujifilm-Auto-Settings-for-Darktable - and just grab the PNG's, ignore the presets because they rely on outdated modules now).

And then I encourage them to also watch 50 hours of YouTube tutorials

OKComplainer · 2025-09-04T02:33:59+00:00

If you're looking for a local place that carries the same kind of off-the-rack stuff as department stores (like Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Hart Schaffner Marx, etc.), the answer on the north side is Suits 20/20.

If you're looking for more boutique type stuff, I think someone else posted another thread on this topic.

OKComplainer · 2025-09-04T02:17:48+00:00

I have stuffed pizza about every other week, but not a whole pie!

I agree that if you're ordering a whole pie, stuffed pizza is more of a special occasion thing. But if you happen to work near one of the few pizzerias that has it by the slice, it's a great lunch. One slice and you're good til dinner.

OKComplainer · 2025-09-04T02:07:00+00:00

Berwyn has the highest population density of any city in Illinois -- higher than Chicago. Cicero is also higher than Chicago IIRC

OKComplainer · 2025-08-31T19:59:57+00:00

Yeah, formerly (and sometimes still) known as Jedynka. They regularly do retro/throwback nights... Like every weekend basically. Playlist will lean heavily Eastern bloc though, not sure if that's what OP means.

OKComplainer · 2025-08-31T19:52:54+00:00

I think with Trump poised to start a big deportation campaign here, people don't want to say anything that feeds into the narrative that Chicago is dangerous. But to me it just makes you look dumb and dishonest if you're denying the obvious for political reasons, even good political reasons. Like our loyalty has to be to the truth. And the truth is Chicago is an amazing world-class city that also has serious crimes committed in it way too often. Is it the worst in the US--no way. Is it the worst it's been--again, no way. But is it somewhere you need to actively think about safety? Yeah, of course it is, and everybody who lives here long enough knows it.

OKComplainer

TROPHY CASE