Gripes

[Witness]

Here's mine for today.

Relatively new dishwasher, just off guarantee (of course!), stopped working. The error code says "something amiss with the outflow". Troubleshooting pages at hand I look at the filters (clean), the pump (seems OK but barely accessible, so…) and the runoff hose (not bent, perhaps clogged?).

Should I call in some guy or try to tackle things myself? To get an idea of the difficulty I head to YT and watch a dude working on a similar model. Filters, pump, hose, yadda, yadda. But wait! What is he doing there? He scrubs a discreet little thingy near the pump. What is that? A bloody sensor!

Sacrificing my current toothbrush I did the same and… it works again.

Now what really pissed me off is that this sensor and its cleaning aren't mentioned anywhere in the user manual (I even downloaded a PDF version to check). Isen't that great?

[robinson2]

It’s designed that way

[Bruce]

ALWAYS use Finish Quantum All in one pods.

NEVER use Cascade liquid detergent.

The latter leaves behind a waxy film that will eventually jam your pump. You'll think you're saving money, but you'll be spending all that money you saved on a new dishwasher and new floor soon enough.

[Rob Lister]

[ed]

ALWAYS use Finish Quantum All in one pods.

n.b. DO NOT EAT!!!

[gnome]

Car insurance companies are weird.

My stepson (being a dumbass) allowed his Direct car insurance policy to lapse. They wanted to charge him an arm and a leg, and a much higher monthly rate, to reinstate it. He calls up Progressive as a new customer and gets a much more reasonable starting payment and rate.

A few weeks later his father (being a dumbass) allowed his own Progressive car insurance policy to lapse. They wanted to charge HIM an arm and a leg, and a much higher monthly rate, to reinstate. He calls up Direct as a new customer and gets a much more reasonable starting payment and rate.

I understand the desire to deter deadbeats by pricing delinquent members out of renewing. But they seem blind to the fact that they're giving perfectly good deals to their competitors' castoffs that are just as unreliable. So in the end they're only punishing themselves by sending customers across the street--not improving the consistency of their customer pool.

[sparks]

What did you expect from a batch of insurance brokers?

[Witness]

NEVER use Cascade liquid detergent.

I use some powder (sold in 2 kg bags) + non-foaming surfactant at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBO8neWw04

I thought you too were allergic to dudes blathering on camera? All that could be compressed down to ~ 3 minutes, but thanks.


Anyway, I bought a small flask of dishwasher cleaner and everything looks like new.

[Bruce]

I understand the desire to deter deadbeats by pricing delinquent members out of renewing. But they seem blind to the fact that they're giving perfectly good deals to their competitors' castoffs that are just as unreliable. So in the end they're only punishing themselves by sending customers across the street--not improving the consistency of their customer pool.

Funny, my company is doing a similar thing with their good employees....dumping on them until they get overwhelmed and quit. Then hiring idiots who don't know shit and won't do shit.

[Fid]

A home appliance story.

My washing machine is located on an unheated porch. Yeah it's Georgia and it sometimes gets below 32F (lookin at you ed). So long story short, light bulb to keep the pump from freezing.

Just dodged the bullet few days ago because I didn't fucking turn it on.

I'm pretty sure I could replace the pump but chances are that wouldn't be the end of the story.

[gnome]

I understand the desire to deter deadbeats by pricing delinquent members out of renewing. But they seem blind to the fact that they're giving perfectly good deals to their competitors' castoffs that are just as unreliable. So in the end they're only punishing themselves by sending customers across the street--not improving the consistency of their customer pool.

Funny, my company is doing a similar thing with their good employees....dumping on them until they get overwhelmed and quit. Then hiring idiots who don't know shit and won't do shit.

Related, a friend of mine who worked tech support for a company I won't name, but which rhymes with Horizon, for many years went through a cycle of crippling layoffs followed by panicked hiring and back again.

[Witness]

My gripe today is that I have no immediate gripe.

But I'm confident: tomorrow will provide.

[gnome]

Hey, I forgot this was an option.

[DJ]

Hey, I forgot this was an option.

[Fid]

Well fuck me...there's even a shark.

[Anaxagoras]

I got one.

My son is in his senior year of high school. Here in Japan, to get into university you generally have to take that university's special examination.

Then, if you pass and are accepted, they give you only a few days to decide whether you actually want to go to that university. And you have to give them a big down payment, several thousand dollars of which is non-refundable to attend, and if you don't do it by their deadline, you cannot go. Well, the way they have it set up, you may be forced to make this payment before you get the results back from another university.

It's highway robbery. I blame Shuize.

[Witness]

Tried to get in line for our (free) Covid vaccination. On their website: you can do it online… if you have a cellphone so they can call you back. Specifically cellphone, landline is nOK.

Alternative solutions proposed on the site:

• ask by e-mail
• call some number

Sent a mail to get instructions. Answer: call the number.

[Witness]

a cycle of crippling layoffs followed by panicked hiring and back again.

Avoiding retirement costs?

[Anaxagoras]

Tried to get in line for our (free) Covid vaccination. On their website: you can do it online… if you have a cellphone so they can call you back. Specifically cellphone, landline is nOK.

Alternative solutions proposed on the site:

• ask by e-mail
• call some number

Sent a mail to get instructions. Answer: call the number.

You don't have a cellphone?

[gnome]

You forgot we're all a bunch of old fuddies?

[DJ]

Me too.

[gnome]

I'm so old I remember when "Me Too" meant someone from AOL demanding UseNet posters email them the content because they couldn't figure out the encoding.

[xouper]

I had forgotten about those days. But my brain got full and I needed to make room for new stuff.

[Witness]

You don't have a cellphone?

No cellphone has me. And no car nor television either.

Will I get expelled from society?

[xouper]

No cellphone has me. And no car nor television either.

Will I get expelled from society?

Not if you live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania or Holmes County, Ohio.

[gnome]

You don't have a cellphone?

No cellphone has me. And no car nor television either.

Will I get expelled from society?

Of course not! Society doesn't expel people.

I DO!

[Witness]

No tar & feathers? How benevolent!

[gnome]

a cycle of crippling layoffs followed by panicked hiring and back again.

Avoiding retirement costs?

That could be--though I can't help but wonder if it remains true savings once the disruption to operations and thus risking damage to the brand is factored in.

[Witness]

↑ Yup. But the former you can quantify, the latter not so much – easy choice for some type of thinking (i. e. Dilbert's boss).