Something Random

[Stereodude]

So eBay is nice and slimy. A seller I'm looking to buy a number of used CDs from has a buy one get one 10% off promotion. So of course eBay calculates the discount in the least favorable way to the buyer by pairing the least expensive item with the most expensive to minimize the total discount.

So lets say you're buying 8 CDs. Four are priced at $3 and four are priced at $5. Ebay will pair a $3 CD with each $5 CD to give you $0.30 off each $3 CD for a total discount of $1.20 instead of pairing a $5 CD with a $5 CD and a $3 CD with a $3 CD where you would get $1.60 off the total purchase instead. Obviously I'm not expecting them to pair a $5 CD with each $3 CD for a total of $2.00 off, but...

Of course the fix in this example is to place 2 orders instead of 1 so they can't do that since shipping is free from this seller, but when you have 10+ CDs and they're all different prices it's a pain to place a bunch of orders to avoid getting screwed out of a relatively small savings.

 

[snowhiker]

So of course eBay calculates the discount in the least favorable way to the buyer by pairing the least expensive item with the most expensive to minimize the total discount.

That blows. Is there another seller you can buy from?

Barnes & Noble at least does things the right way. I get a 20% off one item e-coupon and the discount is applied to the most expensive item in the order. I think they figured out people would just place multiple orders and with free shipping/handling (if you are a B&N member) is would just ends up costing B&N more money.

 

[snowhiker]

This might be telling you to ditch the car for a bike. Never had a car myself. The bike worked just fine in cases where public transit or walking weren't viable. Cars have been money pits for everyone I know who owns one.

Everything and everyone is 5-30 miles away from me here in the "Valley of the (holy shit it's hot) Sun." The greater Phoenix area is the definition of urban sprawl.

Brakes and rotors are wear parts, but I would be a bit suspicious of the need to replace other parts of the brake system. How old is the vehicle and is it possible there was water ingress?

Are there signs that you're losing fluid? Like juicy components? Brake fluid on the wheels? Replacing rotors and pads is a pretty easy DIY fix, but I don't know how mechanically inclined you are.

The car is a 2002, so it's nearly 15 years old. I don't know about water ingress. I did notice a tiny bit of "oil" on the garage floor but I assumed it was engine oil and not brake fluid. I have no real tools, knowledge or desire to do car repairs.

Personally I would expect brake lines and fuel lines to last the life of the car but I only buy imports. I assume you are talking about the brake master and slave cylinders and not the calipers. Rotors and pads are wear items and wear worse the more hilly your area.

Upon looking at the work order I see they didn't replace brake lines (they were just leaking) or the calipers, but did replace wheel cylinders on the rear. They replaced brake rotors and pads on the front and shoes on the rear.

For the A/C they replaced the compressor, filter drier + service. They also replaced the radiator fan motor.

I've read the average trip length by car is something like 4 miles. That's easily done on a bike, even for someone in average shape. Don't know how long a commute snowhiker has. It might not be feasible by bike but if it is it's worth considering.

My one-way trip distance (via car) to work just 19.5 miles. If I was to bike I'd have to take diversions to get over I-10 and that would push the distance close to 25 miles. And with 110+ heat in the late afternoon. Ummmm No. 10.5 hour work day + 3 hour bike ride (both ways) = TOO much time out of my day even if heat wasn't a factor.

It's not nice to drive anywhere in the NYC metro area unless traffic jams are your thing. And cars cost a hideous amount of money for what they are.

The cost is real, especially for an older car but again the greater Phoenix area is just way too spread out to live without a car.

Anyway, Snowhiker doesn't live in NYC. I remember many times as a child being crammed in the back of a 1962 Corvair with no A/C driving around the Phoenix area. It was horrible in the summer after the car had been parked. After even a short bike ride I'd be sweaty mess at the least or dead from the heat stroke.

This. I live in Surprise. Very north-west part of the valley so it's a bit farther from most everything. And even with A/C a car sucks for the first 10-15 minutes as it takes a while for the car to cool off.

The other option is a new car.

Yeah a new car is something I need to do, eventually. I just don't want to think about that huge expense right now.

I at least checked the internet to see what the relative cost of replacement parts and labor would cost so I wasn't gouged that way. I'm sure I could buy the parts for half-priced at a local auto parts store and save money, but again, no skill, desire, time or tools to do the job. So I have to pay. At least I have lifetime warranty on the brakes and pads (minus labor).

 

[Stereodude]

That blows. Is there another seller you can buy from?

Sure, but this particular eBay seller basically has the lowest prices on the CDs to start with...

 

[jtr1962]

My one-way trip distance (via car) to work just 19.5 miles. If I was to bike I'd have to take diversions to get over I-10 and that would push the distance close to 25 miles. And with 110+ heat in the late afternoon. Ummmm No. 10.5 hour work day + 3 hour bike ride (both ways) = TOO much time out of my day even if heat wasn't a factor.

Honestly, taking a bike to work under those conditions would be crazy. 25 miles each way plus working 10.5 hours really isn't feasible. That said, in the long term if it's possible to live closer to work that would make much more sense. 19.5 miles is way too far. That must take you at least 1.5 hours each way. In the NYC metro area ~20 miles is often a 2 to 3 hour each way commute regardless of which mode you use.

 

[Stereodude]

About 25 minutes here to go 18 miles and that's counting the 5 minute walk from the parking garage to the office. I work somewhat odd hours to avoid rush hour traffic though. I get into work around 10am and leave between 6:30-7:30pm.

 

[jtr1962]

That's actually pretty decent travel time for 18 miles. My sister's commute is ~35 miles, entirely on Long Island, and it regularly takes her well over an hour. My brother takes about an hour to go 15 miles and he's driving entirely within Queens. When I worked in Long Island City it took me at least 45 minutes to go about 8.5 miles (and this was actually good compared to a lot of other people's commutes).

 

[timwhit]

It takes me 30-40 minutes to go 5.5 miles from Lakeview to downtown on either the bus or train in Chicago.

 

[Howell]

12 miles in 17-20 minutes to work. 25-35 back home. 3/4 of it freeway.

 

[CougTek]

2.5Km in about 4 minutes. 25 minutes on foot when I'm in no rush and there's no rain.

 

[LunarMist]

Wow, that is living close to work. I once was housed within a manufacturing site for months at a time. Every morning I could see the workers in another building across a courtyard.
I remember when they all scurried around after a small explosion. I was so glad to leave that country after the project ended. It was still in the Soviet era.

 

[Handruin]

Takes me about 40-60 minutes to go 15 miles to work depending on what time I leave. I've shifted my hours to go in for 10-10:30 to avoid a large portion of it.

 

[snowhiker]

19.5 miles is way too far. That must take you at least 1.5 hours each way. In the NYC metro area ~20 miles is often a 2 to 3 hour each way commute regardless of which mode you use.

My commute to work time is about 30 minutes. There is no heavy traffic that reduces my MP/H to below posted speed limits. 11 miles of my trip is on the highway @ 75-80 MP/H. The rest is city streets and includes a few time consuming detours around the I-10/Loop 303 interchange construction.

 

[LunarMist]

My commute to work time is about 30 minutes. There is no heavy traffic that reduces my MP/H to below posted speed limits. 11 miles of my trip is on the highway @ 75-80 MP/H. The rest is city streets and includes a few time consuming detours around the I-10/Loop 303 interchange construction.

Now that the vehicle is repaired, perhaps you can achieve another 6-8 months of use from it?

 

[snowhiker]

Now that the vehicle is repaired, perhaps you can achieve another 6-8 months of use from it?

God, I hope I get more than 6-8 months out of it.

 

[Stereodude]

So I just got done taking some odd online test as part of the process of getting a new job. It was like a personality test combined with a math and English test. There were 100+ agree / disagree questions that were pretty much nonsense. Containing real gems like, "I've never lost my temper." and "Nearly all people are inherently honest." The next section had some goofy juxtaposed scenarios where you were supposed to say which you preferred (strongly or somewhat and to which). An example: building something with your hands vs. leading a group. There wasn't enough context IMHO and some of the opposing scenarios were really odd.

There were straight math problems (multiple choice). Then math story problems (multiple choice) and lastly a complete the pattern section where there was a sequence of numbers and you had to fill in the missing blank with the missing number (multiple choice). In the English section there was picking the synonym for some different words (multiple choice). They were not exactly commonly used English words you'd come across in day to day communication or reading. Then there was the word relationship problems where you had three words. The first two have some relationship and you have to find the 4th word that has an equivalent or similar relationship to the 3rd word (multiple choice).

I've never had to do this before as part of a hiring process. I already had in person interviews and they liked me, but apparently they have to make sure you're not a nutjob sociopath loner or aren't an ACT/SAT flunky.

 

[Howell]

Sounds like a competitive environment.

 

[LunarMist]

So I just got done taking some odd online test as part of the process of getting a new job. It was like a personality test combined with a math and English test. There were 100+ agree / disagree questions that were pretty much nonsense. Containing real gems like, "I've never lost my temper." and "Nearly all people are inherently honest." The next section had some goofy juxtaposed scenarios where you were supposed to say which you preferred (strongly or somewhat and to which). An example: building something with your hands vs. leading a group. There wasn't enough context IMHO and some of the opposing scenarios were really odd.

There were straight math problems (multiple choice). Then math story problems (multiple choice) and lastly a complete the pattern section where there was a sequence of numbers and you had to fill in the missing blank with the missing number (multiple choice). In the English section there was picking the synonym for some different words (multiple choice). They were not exactly commonly used English words you'd come across in day to day communication or reading. Then there was the word relationship problems where you had three words. The first two have some relationship and you have to find the 4th word that has an equivalent or similar relationship to the 3rd word (multiple choice).

I've never had to do this before as part of a hiring process. I already had in person interviews and they liked me, but apparently they have to make sure you're not a nutjob sociopath loner or aren't an ACT/SAT flunky.

Was that exam at a certified testing center or accessed at home and easy to cheat?

 

[LunarMist]

God, I hope I get more than 6-8 months out of it.

Oops, I thought you were not happy with the car. At some point you have to figure out repair costs vs. new car payments and TCO.
Years ago I made the mistake of keeping a car too long because I liked certain aspects of it. Every time there was a $2000+ bill I tried to keep driving it another 6 months to get some of that back, but then something else would happen. In the last two years I spent far more than it was worth.

 

[Stereodude]

Sounds like a competitive environment.

I get the impression they're pretty desperate / not rolling in potential candidates. However it's apparently their standard practice / policy.

Was that exam at a certified testing center or accessed at home and easy to cheat?

It was online. I could have easily cheated, but what's the point in that? The personality questions were pretty transparent. If they think certain people are not a good fit based on the results of their test then why fight fate? I don't want to work in a job I won't like but got anyways because I circumvented​ their screening.

 

[Bozo]

The other day I ordered new brake pads for my car. The front pads were delivered yesterday from Newegg.
The world has been turned upside down.

 

[snowhiker]

The other day I ordered new brake pads for my car. The front pads were delivered yesterday from Newegg.
The world has been turned upside down.

I think Newegg is trying to become a baby Amazon. Sell everything. Newegg has gone down is quality, at least from all the random posts I've read regarding there quality of service. The original owners sold the company.

Oops, I thought you were not happy with the car. At some point you have to figure out repair costs vs. new car payments and TCO.
Years ago I made the mistake of keeping a car too long because I liked certain aspects of it. Every time there was a $2000+ bill I tried to keep driving it another 6 months to get some of that back, but then something else would happen. In the last two years I spent far more than it was worth.

I'm happy enough with the car. It's just transportation. I am not a "car guy." I don't care how it looks, or how it drives or what people think about it. I just want it to get me from point A to B without breaking down and with the A/C blasting away. The car is worth less than the $2000 it cost to repair it. But $2000 is less than the cost of a new car.

I do need to eventually get a new car but was hoping to hold out for another 2-3 years. And yes, I've probably have made the mistake of holding onto my money-pit-of-a-car too long.

 

[LunarMist]

I get the impression they're pretty desperate / not rolling in potential candidates. However it's apparently their standard practice / policy.


It was online. I could have easily cheated, but what's the point in that? The personality questions were pretty transparent. If they think certain people are not a good fit based on the results of their test then why fight fate? I don't want to work in a job I won't like but got anyways because I circumvented​ their screening.

Of course, but I meant that the company is not very diligent, just checking off some boxes. I don't enjoy the personality inventory but I hear the poly is worse lately. Fortunately I am grandfathers, so I don't get tested for anything nowadays.

 

[Stereodude]

Of course, but I meant that the company is not very diligent, just checking off some boxes. I don't enjoy the personality inventory but I hear the poly is worse lately. Fortunately I am grandfathers, so I don't get tested for anything nowadays.

For what it's worth they tell me my test results were great. I guess I answered the questions acceptably.

 

[Chewy509]

Something random:

On the way to work today on my bike, I past a car for a mobile beautician... the company name as advertised on the rear window: "Luscious Lady Lips".

 

[Chewy509]

Don't you hate it, when looking for a bit of older software, and you can't find it on the developers website anymore just because it's EOL.
Now, I'm not talking about older versions which have been replaced with newer versions, but software that has no replacement...

Case in point: Microsoft Movie Maker. (Part of the Windows Live suite). Even though there is no replacement, Microsoft have removed this software entirely from their website, other than having a reference that it's EOL and no longer available. Thanks MS! I get that you don't want to support it, it may have bugs, but why remove the download?

Oh, the installer for Movie Maker also includes Microsoft Mail, so if you have local mailboxes created with Mail, then forget being able to read them in the future... (especially if you need to reinstall the OS for whatever reason).

ok, rant over.

 

[Stereodude]

You don't save installers for things? That's a standard part of my routine. Download installer, use it, and copy it to the installer folder on my server in the basement.

 

[Chewy509]

You don't save installers for things? That's a standard part of my routine. Download installer, use it, and copy it to the installer folder on my server in the basement.

Typically I do for stuff that I use on a regular basis, but for stuff that I may only need once or only once in a blue-moon, then I typically don't.

 

[LunarMist]

Typically I do for stuff that I use on a regular basis, but for stuff that I may only need once or only once in a blue-moon, then I typically don't.

I always save installers where possible. Many old ones are no longer available.

 

[sedrosken]

You don't save installers for things? That's a standard part of my routine. Download installer, use it, and copy it to the installer folder on my server in the basement.

I used to do that, and indeed I still do for certain things that took forever to find/I'm concerned about disappearing.

 

[snowhiker]

^^ Welcome back Sed.

 

[LunarMist]

For what it's worth they tell me my test results were great. I guess I answered the questions acceptably.

Did the Chinese make you an offer?

 

[Handruin]

Last night I couldn't find my cat Booster as she's normally social and spends time in the same room as one of us. After looking throughout the house she was quietly focused in the corner of my kitchen. When I called her she turned around and inside her mouth was a mouse. She dropped the mouse on the kitchen floor and chased it around as it was fleeing for its life. There was a little bit of blood on the floor after she caught it the third of forth time so I know it was injured. I wasn't expecting her to have this mouse in her mouth. I grabbed a bundle of paper towels and tried to get it out of her mouth be she was fighting me for it. After a little while she let go but was running around with the crazies. If the mouse wasn't injured I would have walked it outside over to the nearby park but I know it was hurt. I felt pretty bad but I euthanized it so that it didn't suffer while tossed in the trashcan.

Over the past few months my cat has caught three mice and killed two of them in the house. We've never had mice before, at least no signs of them and we've had Booster for several years now and she's never caught any before. She's indoor only so this must be a new experience for her. I don't know if this is because of large quantity of rain we've been having over the past few months or maybe a family moved in somewhere and they're getting taken care of over time. I'm guessing I should have a conversation with my vet to understand if she's at risk for the various diseases from mice. So far she hasn't eaten any of the three we've found which is some of what I read online as concerns for cats getting something from a mouse. Others recommended giving a de-worming med just in case. The first two I just naively thought this was a thing cats do but like anything the more you read and investigate the more opinions there will be on a topic.

 

[Stereodude]

Did the Chinese make you an offer?

You must have misunderstood my situation. I work for the Chinese now. I'm talking to a company now that is European. I had another phone interview with some more of them this morning and had some odd Q&A "survey" paperwork to do that was apparently overlooked as one of the intermediate steps. Presumably the offer comes next.

 

[LunarMist]

France was more difficult.

 

[Stereodude]

France was more difficult.

It's not the French, but a 35 hour work week wouldn't sound that bad to me.

 

[LunarMist]

I thought you were above that grade.

 

[Howell]

Handy, I'm not sure I understand the dilemma. Primarily you're worried about the cat's health? I think I'd be worried about secondary ingestion of rat poison if you love in a multi unit building. The rabbits and chipmunks my dogs catch are free range so I only have to worry about bad breath.

 

[LunarMist]

There is no plague or rabbies in TN?

 

[Handruin]

Mainly for the health of the cat getting some kind of disease from killing a mouse. Otherwise my one cat is getting rid of this problem for us to some extent. We're in a single-family house and we don't have any mouse/rat poison out, just the humane traps. I am impressed that she's catching the mice. My cat is a bit on the hefty side at 21lbs but she's still very quick and nimble.