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The Dead Zone - Random thoughts and ramblings

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MrTim View Drop Down
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    Posted: 16 Mar 2024 at 10:21pm
I'm going to fix the car myself anyway. Found headlight units on ebay for around $100, and it's easy pullout/plugin. Not going to go through the totalling bullsh*t just to keep my own car, a busted headlight is no reason to 'junk' it. P can keep their money, and I'll just keep my car. Salvage yard value?  Heh, they'd pay sh*t, then turn around and sell it as a used car for 10-15 grand (or more.)
Nope, I don't trust them, so they can go f**k themselves...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2024 at 3:20pm
That's exactly what happened to me in 1998 after that taxicab pulled out in front of me and caused me to t-bone him.

They wanted to total my truck but I said no, so they gave me the current sale value of the truck, plus what they'd have gotten from the scrap yard.

I used about a third of it to put my truck back together using parts from junkyards and put the rest in the bank. 

Kept the truck another 20 years. 
...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
Joe Biden - 46th President of the United States
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2024 at 10:23am

I found this on the net:

What if insurance wants to total my car but I want to keep it?

If you decide to accept the insurer’s decision to total your car but you still want to keep it, your insurer will pay you the cash value of the vehicle, minus any deductible that is due and the amount your car could have been sold for at a salvage yard. It then will be up to you to arrange to make repairs.

“They will cut you a check,” says Ward, and then you’re on your own.


https://www.insure.com/car-insurance/totaled-cars.html

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrTim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Mar 2024 at 5:28am
Yeah, it was the bumper cover that got knocked off. It's got one crack on the bottom, and I just need to buff out the paint scrape from the other guy's truck...  ;-)

The P-agent called this morning & said they'll send me a check for $2400-something for repairs and they'll collect it from the other guy's ins.co.   Yeah, right, I won't be cashing it until I look through all the fine print, because I sense a trap (the agent has a hard-on to get my car totaled, so I don't trust them to not pull some crap to try it, because endorsing a check is just like signing a contract...)

And also today, AOL sh*t on me as well, updating their software, and now I can't sign in to any of my accounts (I'm here through a search page.)  I think I'm about ready to give up on the internet...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2024 at 11:29am

Nowadays, I think most cars have bumper covers. The actual bumper is underneath. The cover is just some sort of painted fiberglass mold. They're pretty expensive to replace, and you can't really repair them.

My Chrysler had shiny 12-spoke chrome rims. In the center of each rim was a shiny plastic hubcap about 3 inches in diameter. Real cheap. They snapped on. I once lost one. It cost $55 to replace. That was 20 years ago.

Car parts are expensive. Repairs are ridiculous. I remember years ago, labor was $90/hr. Not sure what it is these days.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrTim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Mar 2024 at 4:52am
Well. The Progressive agent called me up today and said they aren't going to cover repairs ("It's an old car and the cost of the repairs is more than the car's value") and that they would total out my car and pay me $370 for it.  No, f**k you, Progressive.  So I called the collision center, got my car back (even they were shocked at the lowball attempt), found another auto place in town, and paid 80 bucks to put the front bumper back on (which turned out to be pretty easy, and it helped that I had collected almost all the plastic rivets that had popped off.)  And the car drives fine. So the next step is to track down the headlight parts I need & replace'em myself.  The fender has a small chunk out of it which I'll eventually epoxy back in.  Can't trust anyone these days...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 6:31pm
Wow, that IS weird!!!! 😯 

...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
Joe Biden - 46th President of the United States
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 6:03pm

And I just finished up a bag of Kettle Brand Black Pepper potato CHiPs.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 3:12pm
Originally posted by Thor Thor wrote:

But I did report it to CHP, just in case.

Another weird coincidence... I'm watching CHiPs on TV right now. 
...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
Joe Biden - 46th President of the United States
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 2:46pm

Naaah, I would've seen and smelled burning flesh coming from under the engine compartment or chassis.

But I did report it to CHP, just in case.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 2:24pm
It was probably a human body. 
...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
Joe Biden - 46th President of the United States
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 9:34am

^ Back around 2005, I was driving at around 11pm on Rte 80 in California when something went sliding across the freeway in front of me. It happened so fast, I had no time to react, not even emotionally.

Another car drove up on my left side, honked and the passenger pointed to my rear bumper. I got off the freeway and found my bumper cover hanging from my car. I removed it, put it in my back seat and went home.

Next day, I contacted my insurance, went to a body shop got a rental (big ol' Dodge Ram), and within a few days, my car was fixed. Good matchup with the paint color, too.

The car also had a little gouge in the front bumper cover that was there when I bought the car. I told them that was new, too, and they covered it.

My insurance was Mercury. I think the total damages were $2,500. My deductible was $500.

I never did find out what it was that slid across the median in front of my car. It was weird.

Good luck.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrTim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2024 at 5:15am
"What the hell?!" I said as I watched my front bumper peel up and bounce off the hood and into the street.  Was stopped at a stop sign and a pickup truck making a left turn came into my lane and clipped my left fender.  Angry  I had a neighbor call a cop for me, the other guy drove to his driveway up the street (he wanted me to drive over & exchange insurance info.)  Long story short, I wasn't at fault & his ins.co is going to be paying for my repairs.  Already have an appointment at a repair shop Thursday (Say what you will about their ads, Progressive moved pretty fast setting it up.)  So, lost a headlight, cracked fender, torn off bumper (could actually fix it myself if I got the parts, but since the other ins.co is going to be paying for it...) Car is still driveable & looking back, at least the airbag didn't deploy... Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 2024 at 12:18am
Sounds to me like MrTim should just buy a new TV.

Put the old one in the bathroom to watch while he's sittin' on the turlet takin' a dump. 

Probably wouldn't need a remote because if he needs to adjust the volume or change the channel, he could likely just lean forward.


...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
Joe Biden - 46th President of the United States
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 11:36pm
Originally posted by MrTim MrTim wrote:

Of course, LOL, the UR I bought didn't work (the TV's are too old, apparently.)  So, I'll take it back tomorrow, hit a couple of thrift stores (they sometimes have bins of old electronic stuff), but most likely the option I'll use is to get one or two from ebay (most of them are described as 'vintage'... )


Try to find one that has buttons to operate the built-in VCR the set probably has.

Right after my cat Mal kicked my 19" set to the floor around 2014, I scored another boxy 19" TV from my dead neighbor's house. This one had a built-in VCR. That was my bedroom TV. Worked great. I even watched my one remaining VHS tape on it.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 11:28pm
Originally posted by Jimbo Jimbo wrote:

Someday, if mankind lasts long enough without destroying itself, you'll be able to...


Sounds nice, especially if I find myself at Pooky Park.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrTim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 11:13pm
Of course, LOL, the UR I bought didn't work (the TV's are too old, apparently.)  So, I'll take it back tomorrow, hit a couple of thrift stores (they sometimes have bins of old electronic stuff), but most likely the option I'll use is to get one or two from ebay (most of them are described as 'vintage'... )
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 2:54pm
Someday, if mankind lasts long enough without destroying itself, you'll be able to remotely operate TV's and other devices with your brain waves.

Or... you won't even need TV sets or computers or phones, etc.

Everything will flow in and out of your mind via brain waves. 

One "router" type device plugged in and running continuously that streams everything into your skull. You just choose what you want to watch, listen to or interact with, sit back, close your eyes and that's it.

No remote control, no keyboard, no nothing.

Just sit back and enjoy the home entertainment system conveniently located between your ears.



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...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
Joe Biden - 46th President of the United States
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 2:43pm

At Walmart, we had a big old Roku TV in the lunchroom. The remote (which had like 6 buttons on it), would go missing a lot. One of the guys downloaded the remote on his phone, and solved the problem (for himself, anyway).

Maybe this can be done for any TV. Cable, too.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 2:36pm
TV remotes go bad just from regular use or even sitting unused.

Especially if you let them sit for long periods with the batteries in them.

I've got a whole box full that don't work anymore.

I think the conductive graphite on the buttons where they make contact with the circuits wears out. 

Or maybe the circuits themselves wear out.

Or maybe some kind of dirty film develops on the surfaces.

Who knows.

They're probably designed to go bad so you'll have to keep replacing them.

There's probably a big deep, dark TV remote scandal going on behind the scenes that needs to be exposed and reported.

But nobody will dare go up against the ruthlessly powerful, deadly and feared TV remote control industry. Dead 





...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 2:22pm

What the hell you doing to them? I don't think I've ever had a remote go bad.

Then again, I don't think I've had any TVs for 20 years. (So what the hell am I doing to my TVs? 😆).

I had one 19" for almost 20 years. My cat Mal used it as a launching pad to get to a higher dresser one day, and kicked it to the floor, cracking the circuit board inside.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrTim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2024 at 6:13am
Yeah, I'll be looking for a universal remote next time I'm in Wallyworld.  The other remotes I have are also fried (they died similarly years ago) and the old one I'm currently using also acts up. I hate technology*...  ;-)


*  It also hates me...  ;-)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Mar 2024 at 6:26pm

I see universal remotes are all under $10 wherever you go...except for one that's $226. I have no idea what that one's all about. Well, here's the description:

Universal Remote Control MX-450 Custom Programmable Remote Control with On-Screen Macro Editing.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Mar 2024 at 1:40pm
Originally posted by MrTim MrTim wrote:

Well, damn, my 20+ yo TV decided to act up tonight.  Most of the buttons on the remote wouldn't work (except the mute and volume, really weird, and the power button only worked on the VCR), so I scrambled to hook up another TV so I could tape stuff. Did that, and tried to use the remote on another TV, discovering that the remote was the problem. Put batteries in other remotes (that had also acted up in the past) so got a temporary work-around.  Guessing something got fried inside it (probably static electricity...  Confused)

Try cleaning the printed circuit board inside. 

First, take the remote apart. 

The front and back just snap together, though there might be a small screw or two in the battery compartment. 

If you have a can of it, use some CRC electronic contact cleaner spray....



....or you can use rubbing alcohol. 

I like the spray better, but I've had a can of it for years, so I just use it.

Next, take the board and the rubber keypad out.

Spray all the contact surfaces and wipe them down with a paper towel.

Do that a couple of times making certain that you get everything.

Put it back together and put the batteries in. 


If that doesn't work, head to Walmart and get a new universal remote. 

...the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
Jackson Browne - The Pretender

C'mon, man!
Joe Biden - 46th President of the United States
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Mar 2024 at 11:11am

^ Well, better than having to get a new TV, I guess. But even then, TVs are pretty cheap these days. I see Target has a 40" Insignia TV for $130.00 right now, and a 32" one for $90.

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