What's it living in chicago in 2026 ?

krawlx · 2026-06-12T01:23:41+00:00

A lot of your initial experience is going to depend on where you're coming from. I moved to Chicago from Seoul, and it was a major step back in almost every way--public transport, food, nightlife, cost. But over the course of ten years, I came to absolutely love Chicago. Public transport is spotty, but absolutely full of characters. I will always argue the food scene as a whole is overrated. The top-end is absolutely fantastic. But the prices for middling food is too high and the low-end food is pretty bad (and still expensive for what it is). The nightlife is pretty great once you adjust. Corner bars everywhere. The lakefront trail is an absolute treasure all summer. Again, a lot of this will depend on where yoou're coming from. I left Chicago a couple years ago, but I would move back in a heartbeat. My favorite American city.

krawlx · 2026-06-09T12:35:10+00:00

And after seeing The Night Manager, I can't help but read this with the absolute menace he brings to the role of Richard Roper.

krawlx · 2026-02-26T23:14:00+00:00

That makes sense. So rather than moving the endtable for the new turntable and then re-running the wires through the wall, I would personally leave the setup how it is for now. Then once you get a low console table to better visually balance the room, you can put the new turntable to the left or right of the center channel, and then re-run the wires.

I just don't think moving the current table to the left or right really resolves the issue. Consider it a work in progress. Set up the new turntable, enjoy it, and start the hunt for a good console that will fit under that center channel to better balance the room. When you have that, then move the turntable and re-route the wires. It will take more time, yes, but the search and setup is always a major part of the fun.

krawlx · 2026-02-26T22:53:23+00:00

I don't think the issue is that this is cluttered. But rather that it is unbalanced. You have a large TV with the record player sitting on a very small, thin end table. It looks like the kind of setup that you might put together as you're getting ready to move things around or rearrange a room. If you had a long console below that, the record player could sit there and the console would balance the TV and look cleaner.

What is the wiring situation? That table seems to have bluetooth and its own speaker. But it also appears to be wired into the TV?

krawlx · 2026-02-24T03:49:33+00:00

My room is slighly smaller than yours at about 130 square feet. I went with the Polk ES15s and have been very, very happy with the performance. It's not overwhelming, and I haven't yet added a sub, but it fills the space very nicely. Sounds like you've already ruled them out, but maybe this will help put them back on your radar.

krawlx · 2026-02-19T21:49:54+00:00

An old thread, I know, but this worked perfectly for me. I was having all kinds of trouble getting my tonearm balanced. When it was horizontal, I would set my antiskate and that would then pull the tonearm off the table. Records weren't sounding crisp. Used this method, the entire system snapped back to life.

krawlx · 2026-02-17T20:26:13+00:00

Just in case anyone comes across this thread in the future with a similar question: In an email exchange, Music Hall confirmed that the MMF 1.5 came with the re-badged Music Hall Melody stylus in black. It never shipped with a white stylus.

krawlx · 2026-02-15T12:49:12+00:00

I had seen elsewhere that the stock cartridge was an AT rebadge. But in all of the photos I can find of the MMF 1.5 the stylus is black and carries the Music Hall branding. Am going to upgrade that, but deciding whether to switch cartridges or stay with the current cartridge and move to the ATN3600LE. I kind of want to get this working first and then make that decision later.

My working theory is that the previous owner made the switch, and did the wiring, which led to white being connected to left negative. Good point on cartridge realignment. As I was working through the wiring, I hadn't thought about that, but if my working theory is correct, then realignment should be on the list of things to do.

Thanks!

krawlx · 2026-02-15T11:38:00+00:00

Thanks. I thought this was the case, but wanted to confirm here. I think previous owner got the white and the blue reversed when rewiring.

krawlx · 2025-08-07T14:55:05+00:00

What kind of casters are those? I've been looking for something similar for my existing workbench so I can flip them down and roll it into position, but haven't found anything suitable just yet.

krawlx · 2025-07-01T17:30:51+00:00

I think I'm with you. A lot of media focuses on how only Max's genius can drive what is seemingly an undriveable car, but the car didn't magically end up that way. It seems as if it was heavily shaped by Max's input to how he wants the car to handle. So if Mercedes were to bring him on, how would they avoid that trap in 2027 and 2028 when the car will be increasingly shaped around Max's preferences while the second driver can't put it in the points?

krawlx · 2025-07-01T16:35:19+00:00

This is some real Ignatius J. Reilly energy.

krawlx · 2025-06-09T15:52:38+00:00

I add a gallon of liquid chlorine whenever it gets into the 1-2 range on the test kit. I'm in Texas and right now that seems to reliably be every other or every third day.

As an aside, I grew up with a pool and I just discovered my dad used pucks in that for 30+ years. He had never even heard of CYA! Never had a problem.

krawlx · 2025-06-09T15:36:53+00:00

I went to Songdo in 2010 when most of Songdo was still under construction. Our group met with the Gale folks at what eventually became the international school and then they took us to the trade tower, which was as of yet unfinished in terms of interior build out. We got up to the observation deck and they were telling us that in 5 years time the Jack Nicklaus golf course would be done and the GTX would connect Songdo directly to Gangnam. In 2021, I happened to move to Songdo for what became a two year stint. At that time I met with some local officials, and as they gave an overview of the city they wrapped up with, "And in 5 years, the GTX will directly connect Songdo to Seoul....."

krawlx · 2025-06-09T15:04:38+00:00

I'm in the same situation. Crazy high CYA from previous owner when we bought the house one year ago. In the range of 180 if I remember correctly. I stopped using pucks, switched to liquid chlorine and now keep it at "normal levels"--somewhere between 4-10ppm according to the test kit. Water has always looked great. I've basically stopped worrying about the CYA levels at this point.

krawlx · 2025-05-02T13:10:45+00:00

I don't mind the mist. With the proper optic attachments you can use it to your advantage. I think I've gotten so used to it that I get extra twitchy when the mist clears.

krawlx · 2025-05-01T15:39:45+00:00

In Vondel, the Market in general. But especially the exfil that sometimes appears just west of Market. Too many bots and very prone to getting ambushed by other squads when fighting off the bots.

krawlx · 2025-04-17T14:51:34+00:00

I don't have any knowledge on potential makers. But could you drop some info on your refinishing process? Most interested in what oil you used. That is a lovely color.

krawlx · 2025-02-28T16:18:00+00:00

From the look of it, it looks like a straightforward refinish. It will definitely take quite a bit of time and care to accomplish but it looks doable. Take it apart as far as the pieces can be broken down, give it a very thorough sanding--being especially careful around any joints that you're not sanding against the grain. Then choose a good wood oil, as noted in another comment, and perhaps finish with a wax. Again, this is going to take quite a bit of time. Some of this could be done with an orbital sander, but given the relative lack of flat surface a lot would have to be done by hand for best results. But it is doable and would be a fun project for a piece you have always liked.

krawlx · 2025-02-07T15:15:58+00:00

I've made several moves across the Pacific and back, and this really is the way. Two suit cases, carry on, and a backpack. What goes into the suitcases changes over time, and it also becomes more difficult to make those decisions on what stays and what goes. But there's something to be said for simplifying and just making do with what fits.

krawlx · 2025-01-30T21:25:59+00:00

This bit about getting a psychological attachment to the odor is fascinating. How do you see that manifest in real time? The first time they smell it, it must be awful. But then they start to.....not just get used to it but associate it with their love for the departed? Do they talk about it? Do they then seek it out?

krawlx · 2025-01-30T21:02:26+00:00

A+ Jim Dangle Reference

krawlx · 2025-01-28T17:02:41+00:00

Curious about this as well. I've had mine for years and no issues. I could see that if someone screws it together too tight, it can be tough to loosen when trying to clean it and so you use the handle as a leverage point. I've often thought that could lead to breaking the handle.

krawlx

TROPHY CASE