Basically DVDVR LiveJournal

[Doragon]

My inner monologue sounds like the unsolved mysteries guy. 

[Tabe]

On 7/19/2024 at 8:53 AM, The Old-Fashioned Gamer said:

Honestly. my advice is just do your civic duty. Not much of a fan of people dodging jury duty just because.

I used to try to get out of jury duty. Then I realized, if ever I was falsely accused of something, I'd want me in the jury box. So I don't try anymore. I've served once, as foreman on an appeal. It was a good experience. 

[Cobra Commander]

apparently living in a large county gives me the mathematical edge to always get my jury duty sessions cancelled. Even if my county has 2 courthouses.

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

The one time I ever actually got called in for questioning for jury selection was when I was 19. I was asked if I thought a police officer could lie. I said yes. They asked why, I said that my father was a police officer and he lied to me all the time, and the only experience I have with the police is with my father, so by the experience I have, police officers could indeed lie.

I was dismissed. I was kind of sad about it because I wanted to serve (I think it's important for people of all walks of life to be on a jury at some point, to ensure a better representation for the accused). I get why I was dismissed, though. The way I responded could indicate a refusal to listen to police evidence. Such as it is.

[Shartnado]

9 hours ago, Stefanie Sparkleface said:

The one time I ever actually got called in for questioning for jury selection was when I was 19. I was asked if I thought a police officer could lie. I said yes. They asked why, I said that my father was a police officer and he lied to me all the time, and the only experience I have with the police is with my father, so by the experience I have, police officers could indeed lie.

I was dismissed. I was kind of sad about it because I wanted to serve (I think it's important for people of all walks of life to be on a jury at some point, to ensure a better representation for the accused). I get why I was dismissed, though. The way I responded could indicate a refusal to listen to police evidence. Such as it is.

A really good and logical answer, though.

[Kevin Wilson]

I can't judge people too much either way that try to get out of it, as while it is an important civic duty, not everyone has the job/availability. At least in VA, employers aren't required to pay you while you are on jury duty (many do), particularly people at hourly jobs. Or if people have child care issues, someone sick at home they take care of, etc. unfortunately not everyone in the US can "afford" to sit on a jury for a couple weeks and its hard to know going in if its a one day trial or a longer one.

I do think if at all possible, people should do it. I've only had it once but I never got called in during the two weeks, and I was on summer break from college so the timing was good.

[Death From Above]

Dentist appointment booked for Wednesday. Apparently the last time I was there was 2009. You can imagine how impressed they sounded about that lmao

[Cobra Commander]

On 7/21/2024 at 4:00 PM, Stefanie Sparkleface said:

The one time I ever actually got called in for questioning for jury selection was when I was 19. I was asked if I thought a police officer could lie. I said yes. They asked why, I said that my father was a police officer and he lied to me all the time, and the only experience I have with the police is with my father, so by the experience I have, police officers could indeed lie.

I was dismissed. I was kind of sad about it because I wanted to serve (I think it's important for people of all walks of life to be on a jury at some point, to ensure a better representation for the accused). I get why I was dismissed, though. The way I responded could indicate a refusal to listen to police evidence. Such as it is.

it's possible the defense would have wanted to bounce you from a jury for being related to a police officer (depending on the charges)

And the following was inspired by the announcement/warning posted on here: when I was in college (late 2000s), it seemed like MLK Day was the unofficial holiday for frat dumbasses to get their chapter suspended, I think it happened at the place I was going to or it was happening somewhere close one of those years. So what i'm saying is that hopefully the dumbasses on the first name of the current VP stay on Twitter and away from here.

[The Natural]

22 hours ago, Death From Above said:

Dentist appointment booked for Wednesday. Apparently the last time I was there was 2009. You can imagine how impressed they sounded about that lmao

Issac Yankem and Britt Baker look on disapproving.

[The Natural]

I'm 39 and I've never broken a tooth, had a filling or a root canal. I just have an occasional clean. That's all. Even with my record, it's very rare I smile showing my teeth as I don't like them. Ironic all things considered.

[Shartnado]

3 hours ago, The Natural said:

I'm 39 and I've never broken a tooth, had a filling or a root canal. I just have an occasional clean. That's all. Even with my record, it's very rare I smile showing my teeth as I don't like them. Ironic all things considered.

As you may remember (well, probably not, since I'm not even sure if I elaborated on that) my mom was a dental hygeinist, or a dentist's assistant (nurse), I don't know the exact terminology, but dental hygiene was like a big thing in our household. I've gone about a decade without a trip to the dentist and I still have no cavities, but plenty of tartar, though. I need to go and get that removed a couple times in a decade. I still have 3 of my 4 wisdom teeth in my mouth, too. The only beginning (nascient?) cavity I ever had (so far) was in the one wisdom tooth that was pulled out in the 90's.

Edited July 23, 2024 by Shartnado
How does a cavity start, exactly?

[Death From Above]

3 hours ago, The Natural said:

Issac Yankem and Britt Baker look on disapproving.

Listen brother, if Britt Baker was my dentist I would actually live in the office.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

I'm going on 44 and I've never had a cavity. I try to go to the dentist twice a year, but there's been times where I've only gone once a year. 

[Dolfan in NYC]

So, quick confession here.  I'm 48 and I've never owned a car. I am licensed and can drive, but I've actually never bought or owned one in my name.

I'm probably grabbing one this weekend (maybe this one?), but a couple of questions for y'all, since I'm assuming I'm the weird one for never having done this before.

1) Own vs. Lease - The car above is nice and decently low mileage, and above all the monthly will be under $400 which is where I'd like it to be.  However, they've got a lease incentive with a new car that would come in even cheaper.  Since I'm planning to use this to drive around up in the Catskills and back to the city, does it make sense to go for a new leased car or a relatively lightly-used ownership?   I know the benefit of leasing is I can change it up for a new one in a couple of years, but aside from my parents leasing their cars, I'm not sure which one is better to do.

2) I know about gap insurance and think it's relatively worthless on a used car, but am I wrong in thinking so? 

3) Is an extended warranty worth it? 

4) I've got a pre-approval from my bank on a car loan and a pretty good APR, can I use this to leverage the dealership to give me a better rate?  I've been told the price may change based on whether or not I use their financing.  But I figured if they're offering 8.5% and I've got a 6.5% letter in my hand, it may be worth it? 

5) Anything else I should look out for?  Bait and switch, new random fees, etc? 

6) Last, is there any real difference between AWD and 4WD?

Thanks in advance y'all.

[(BP)]

@Dolfan in NYC 

One thing to think about is what kind of insurance payments you want to be making on top of the car payments. Dealerships typically require full coverage to lease or for an extended warranty, so if you’re looking to save money by just getting liability those options would be out. 

[Zimbra]

Leases also typically have mileage limits, so if you're going to driving back and forth the Catskills quite a bit that might be something to consider.

I have no other useful info to give since the only car I've ever bought was my mom's old Geo Prizm for $200. but congrats!

[Contentious C]

I'm very much in camp "Own if you can".  I think leases are basically the car industry's worst contribution to late-stage capitalism.  And it's not like it makes a difference to you with respect to "where do I put this?" when you're in the city; it's going to be a fucking headache either way.  The only good thing is if it turns out you don't like it, you can cut bait with the lease and go back to no car at all.  Then again, you might be able to sell the used car in the same window and get a tiny bit of your money back.  It's worth asking yourself whether you can shell out 10K-plus (either in repairs or finding something else) if it shits itself and dies in 2 years.

I just quickly Googled your trip distance and it looks like 250+ miles round-trip, so yeah, the lease mileage limits would stand some chance of being eaten through within the usual 3-year time frame of a lease.  The only real benefit to a lease, at the end of the day, is that it is/should be more or less perpetually under warranty by virtue of being a lease.  I have a Hyundai, which was very much bought with the 10-year powertrain/hybrid system warranty in mind.  And nothing used is going to come with *that* good of a warranty; the only manufacturer that transfers its warranties to new owners (within its initial 10-year window) is Mitsubishi. 

That said, I don't know whether an extended warranty is necessarily a good thing; my gut says there's a pretty good reason why *those* calls specifically are so often phone spam/scam calls.  I guess it depends on what the dealership offers and whether you have any flexibility there.  Mine was completely new, so I have the ability to take it to any Hyundai dealership, and you probably won't have that option if it breaks down on you upstate.  Also depends on the brand.  Those surveys about which brands are most reliable are fairly accurate, but you could always dip to the library and leaf through a few Consumer Reports if you have time.  Check the difference between the '22/'23/'24 models for instance.  Usually it doesn't matter; sometimes there are big improvements or losses in quality.

Your insurance rates are going to be potentially monstrous, but it largely depends on (I think) the Blue Book value of the car and (for a fact) your location.  So yours are probably not fun regardless just due to location.  But I traded in an '02 Saturn for my '19 Hyundai and the rates doubled instantly in the DC area.  Get whatever your insurance company's "Drive Safe" app is and maybe you can shave some off, as long as you don't drive like a fucking maniac.  Otherwise I agree with BP - it's hard to get away with bare-minimum insurance if it's the only vehicle you own.  They have to make the assumption you could use it for just about anything.  It's not like having a Corvette that sits in the garage 95% of the time and is just used for fun.

It sounds like the lease might make more sense to you, even if it is consumerism at its worst.  I would 100% go with your bank loan or wave that in their faces if that's the better deal for you.  Use absolutely every bit of leverage you have, because there are no worse people to deal with on a regular basis than people in car sales.  Look for really anything that sounds hinky in the price description, ask them to describe what literally everything means if that's what gets at a real answer: if it sounds like nonsense, it's probably just an attempt at mark-up. 

If you don't drive with regularity in snow and know exactly how to handle a 4WD vehicle in those conditions, you want the AWD.

Also, right now isn't a great time to buy something anyway: not because of interest rates, but because, like a lot of companies, car dealerships and manufacturers base things off the Fiscal Year beginning in October.  If you can wait 4 months, you might be able to get an even better deal as they try to get rid of stock (i.e., picking up a '24 model for less, or a '23 for even less than that if one sat that long).  Then again, that might be why the lease is whatever cost you're seeing: they're trying to avoid it becoming old stock once this October rolls around.

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

7 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

4) I've got a pre-approval from my bank on a car loan and a pretty good APR, can I use this to leverage the dealership to give me a better rate?  I've been told the price may change based on whether or not I use their financing.  But I figured if they're offering 8.5% and I've got a 6.5% letter in my hand, it may be worth it?

If their pricing changes based on whether you use their financing, threaten to walk. If they stay firm, then it's not worth it. There are plenty of cars out there and if they are that concerned about 2% that they're going to change the price on you when you've already got your financing worked out, then they're going to fuck you over in some other way.

I have had good luck in getting dealers to come down on price by saying I am ready to buy right there if they are willing to make a deal. That got me about $2,000 off my current car. A good dealer will always take a commission on a lesser amount than the zero they'll get if you walk. You've already been approved for outside financing, so you hold the cards here.

[Raziel]

@dolfan  Yes, the warranty can be worth it depending in who your buying the car from and what the terms are.  I bought a 15 Hyundai from a "not major" used dealer, and while I got a decent deal, it wasn't "certified used" from an affiliated dealer, so it wasn't checked for the engine issues that Hyundai's had from 13-17.  So when the engine gernaded 6 months later, Hyundai was still doing outreach recall replacements on the engine,  but since I didn't buy at a dealer, they only covered 75%.  When I bought the car, I got the extended warranty the dealer I bought from offered, which claims to cover all mechanical so long as I kept up on maintenence with licensed shops (which my main mechanic is) for as long as I own the car, i just need to cover the $200 deductible.  They covered the rest of the engine replacement minus my deductible.  Long/short, I got a $4000 engine replacement for $200.  

Your milage may vary.  But I just spent $800 to replace the alternator on my wife's car that the warranty would've covered on my car.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

@Dolfan In NYC

Be leary of the salesman if he tells you he's got a LeBaron for sale that used to belong to Jon Voight. 

[The Natural]

On 7/23/2024 at 6:38 PM, Death From Above said:

Listen brother, if Britt Baker was my dentist I would actually live in the office.

You and me both.

Settle down, HollyDeath From Aboveetico.

Settle down, Holly The Naturaletico.

[The Natural]

22 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

So, quick confession here.  I'm 48 and I've never owned a car. I am licensed and can drive, but I've actually never bought or owned one in my name.

I'm probably grabbing one this weekend (maybe this one?), but a couple of questions for y'all, since I'm assuming I'm the weird one for never having done this before.

1) Own vs. Lease - The car above is nice and decently low mileage, and above all the monthly will be under $400 which is where I'd like it to be.  However, they've got a lease incentive with a new car that would come in even cheaper.  Since I'm planning to use this to drive around up in the Catskills and back to the city, does it make sense to go for a new leased car or a relatively lightly-used ownership?   I know the benefit of leasing is I can change it up for a new one in a couple of years, but aside from my parents leasing their cars, I'm not sure which one is better to do.

2) I know about gap insurance and think it's relatively worthless on a used car, but am I wrong in thinking so? 

3) Is an extended warranty worth it? 

4) I've got a pre-approval from my bank on a car loan and a pretty good APR, can I use this to leverage the dealership to give me a better rate?  I've been told the price may change based on whether or not I use their financing.  But I figured if they're offering 8.5% and I've got a 6.5% letter in my hand, it may be worth it? 

5) Anything else I should look out for?  Bait and switch, new random fees, etc? 

6) Last, is there any real difference between AWD and 4WD?

Thanks in advance y'all.

I don't drive. Sorry I can't be of further help or I would otherwise.

[Tabe]

On 7/22/2024 at 6:54 AM, Kevin Wilson said:

I can't judge people too much either way that try to get out of it, as while it is an important civic duty, not everyone has the job/availability.

Trying to get out of it for your job, child care, etc., is totally cool in my books.  Getting out of it because you don't wanna do it, not so much.  And I admit to having been in the latter group for awhile.

[madl]

Lol, kids,

my 23-year-old niece is staying with us while her parents are out of town (she moved back home to save money until she gets married next year). Apparently she was doing some cooking while we were gone today and decided to clean the oven for us. Oven has  a self-cleaning feature so not a big deal.  Except apparently there were enough food bits on the bottom of the oven to somehow start a fire.  And when that happened, the oven locked so she couldn’t open the door to put out the fire.

Niece turns around, freaks, doesn’t know what to do. Sees a neighbor outside she knows, so she runs out to get the neighbor. Except neighbor is on her daily walk & has ear buds on, so doesn’t hear niece & continues on her way.  At which point niece whips out her phone, call 911 then chases after neighbor.

By the time neighbor & niece get back to house, fire has burned itself out and all is good.  Except, of course, that enough time has passed that fire dept. is pulling into neighborhood right then. Lol, at least it got straightened out before they kicked down my door or sprayed my house with a high pressure hose.

Lol, kids

[Doragon]

Very early version of Popeye the Sailor Man will be entering the American Public Domain next year. I remember eating the candy sticks and playing the NES port.