Minor rant thread. Post your rants o' the day here!

Bought Brick Rigs for the kids thinking it was just a fun sandbox Lego-type game. Turns out there is an online multiplayer component full of weirdos and losers. Spent an hour this morning trying to block the online portion of the game. Tried to block the online server request via the firewall. Tried to block network connections to the app itself. Finally ran a packet sniffer and the server list calls are going straight to Valve, which means I can't block them without disabling Steam. I need a network rule based on if the Brick Rigs app is running, then block a certain IP address, but I can't find a way to do that. So I guess I'm uninstalling the game. My own fault for not checking to see if the game had online play.

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

The battery the E46 came with appears to have finally died, so I pulled up the Advance site to see what a replacement would cost- $200 is the cheapest they have for it, or for $40 more I can get and AGM battery for it.

In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :

If you are a Costco member, check their prices. They tend to be substantially lower than the usual auto parts stores. 

Looks like about $150 at Costco.

slefain said:

Bought Brick Rigs for the kids thinking it was just a fun sandbox Lego-type game. Turns out there is an online multiplayer component full of weirdos and losers. Spent an hour this morning trying to block the online portion of the game. Tried to block the online server request via the firewall. Tried to block network connections to the app itself. Finally ran a packet sniffer and the server list calls are going straight to Valve, which means I can't block them without disabling Steam. I need a network rule based on if the Brick Rigs app is running, then block a certain IP address, but I can't find a way to do that. So I guess I'm uninstalling the game. My own fault for not checking to see if the game had online play.

If a local OS-level block is sufficient, it is possible to block certain applications from accessing the Internet - if the Brick Rigs traffic comes from a Brick Rigs executable rather than Steam, you can block this to prevent online play:

https://www.howtogeek.com/227093/how-to-block-an-application-from-accessing-the-internet-with-windows-firewall/

BoxheadTim said:

In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :

If you are a Costco member, check their prices. They tend to be substantially lower than the usual auto parts stores. 

Interstate batteries sold at Costco have their own Costco specific labels.  They also fail a load test within six months.

We sell Interstate batteries off the truck and I have not had to warranty one of ours yet.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

BoxheadTim said:

In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :

If you are a Costco member, check their prices. They tend to be substantially lower than the usual auto parts stores. 

Interstate batteries sold at Costco have their own Costco specific labels.  They also fail a load test within six months.

We sell Interstate batteries off the truck and I have not had to warranty one of ours yet.

Just had to replace our Costco purchased battery in the van. Lasted less than a year. That said, the return was incredibly easy. They didn't even check it. I just walked in with the battery in the cart, told them it was dead, they looked up the receipt, and I walked out with a new battery. 

BoxheadTim said:

In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :

If you are a Costco member, check their prices. They tend to be substantially lower than the usual auto parts stores. 

I'm not- with just The Dancer and I, we've never figured it would be worth having the membership. I'm also leaning toward the AGM battery anyway.

Murphy, please, please, can I have a break?

Not only is there a hurricane bearing down on me, I also almost have the Miata registration debacle figured out but now am broke and can't afford the registration/tax, and my Bronco just got delivered to the dealer. On top of everything going on right now, the Tahoe decided today would be a great day to start horribly misfiring. I barely made it home.

Pull the codes, find out it's cyl 6 misfiring. Order plugs. AAP sent it to the store 15 miles away instead of the one down the block. I drive through a nasty thunderstorm to the store, all while praying that the Tahoe keeps running. Grab the plugs, drive back through the torrential rain. Go to pull the boot off of cyl 6 plug and.... it falls apart in my hand . Welp, found the cause. Luckily AAP has a set of plug wires. I'll have to drive the unregistered Miata to pick them up but at this point, I'm all out of berks to give. 

Now it's beer-thirty. 

Remember that $8,100 that I owe unemployment because someone/something berkeleyed up last year and they over paid me? I filed an appeal because I had nothing to do with the approval mistake and the determination came today. They lowered the repayment amount.

I owe $7,900.

Did your toddler refuse to nap today and then lay screaming on the kitchen floor because you wouldn't let her coat herself in ketchup?

No?

Then you missed out on some good times.

At least the littlest one has been pretty chill tonight.

WHAT?

At in-laws and due to hearing issues the TV is way too loud.  REALLY LOUD!!!!!!!!

Was gonna go out to see Jupiter tonight because closest in over 50 years. Took out the little table, came in to grab the telescope, went back out and table is gone. Seriously? Someone stole the kids folding table? Y'all needed a $5 folding table with paint stains? It's not even nice. I've done the same thing most nights for a week now. It takes me 3 trips to set up. Not 150' from my door. Asshats. 

Had been talking to a girl for a couple months, she was funny, attractive, no kids, and actually lived locally, we went on a few dates and had a great time. And then she completely ghosted me, its now been two weeks since I've heard from her. 

berkeleyed up my knee good. Playing ultimate frisbee last night. I need help from my wife to put on my sock...

Called the dentist a week ago and told them I had a broken tooth and it was going to need a root canal and a crown. The appointment was this morning at 8:30. I'm all psyched up to get a root canal so I can stop chewing ibuprofen and acetaminophen like candy.

The dentist looks at the tooth, "Looks like you'll need a root canal and a crown."

I'm like, "No E36 M3, my HS dropout education told me that much 30 seconds after the tooth broke. As a matter of fact, I passed that information on to your staff when I made the appointment."

"Well, we can't do those in this office you'll have to go to office B. Do you want to do that this morning?"

"Absolutely!" While thinking, 'Why the hell did you schedule me for this office when I already told you it would need major work?'

So I drive to office B. Orthodontist looks at the tooth and says, "Looks like you'll need a root canal and a crown."

Again I'm like, "No E36 M3, Sherlock. Can we do it now?" 

"I'll have to get my staff to give you an appointment."

"Berkeley!" A wasted morning, followed by another week of chewing pain pills. 

In reply to Toyman! :

Went through exactly that about a year ago.  At least the endodontist got me in the same day.  Still cost $1k... 

Rant of the day:  It shouldn't take 3+ days to get callbacks from your Credit Union.

For the love of Bob, boss, you send me 5 or 6 emails every day, on a variety of topics.

Could you PLEASE invest 5 seconds in putting a subject line once in a while?

I have the best timing  It's not like I'm trying to prepare for a CAT3 hurricane or anything. But $60 later and it's fixed. It just ate some time, which is very very valuable right now

So you can have 4 employees milling around the self checkouts to keep us honest, but can't open an actual checkout?

And tear down that Xmas E36 M3, the best holiday of the year is only a month away and you're already putting all the decorations away. 

In reply to Toyman! :

When you berk up an appointment,  they charge you for it.

How much are you charging berked up Office A and berked up Office B.

They would have heard loud words likely never spoken in said offices had it been me. Don't mess with me or my time especially when I'm in pain.

In reply to RevRico :

Home Depot?

In reply to RevRico :

Our Lowes has both Christmas & Halloween stuff set up on either side of the aisle at the front of the store... it looks like two rival gangs of giant inflatable things about to rumble...

In reply to Appleseed :

Lowes. Close enough, except home depot usually has what I need in stock, not just warm bodies that stare like a dog who saw a card trick when I ask for something. 

I don't understand how this Lowes has no competition in the area, they're beyond incompetent, and even pre pandemic usually half empty. 

Ashyukun (Robert) said:

In reply to RevRico :

Our Lowes has both Christmas & Halloween stuff set up on either side of the aisle at the front of the store... it looks like two rival gangs of giant inflatable things about to rumble...

This needs more pictures.