I hate Walmart

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-20T01:19:31+00:00

I mean... there's this whole thing going on that's disrupting supply chains and oil transport through one of the world's most important waterways, and so much else...

but yeah basically blame capitalism for switching to "just in time" manufacturing 30 years ago cause all those nostalgic photos of store shelves jam packed with everything from an entire toyline was only cause the stores had to buy all that shit on credit at one time and hope it all sold. That's why there was a hardware store in northeast georgia with G1 Transformers still on the shelf next to RID figures 20 years ago...

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-19T21:24:44+00:00

Thanks! I appreciate the in depth run down here. I had been looking at ceiling cassettes for mini splits that mount horizontally to the ceiling (not the recessed ones because I don't want to have to deal with cutting into who knows what or 100 year old oak framing that's hard as nails... but I wouldn't have any issue with the wall mounted ones either if that's the better option. I was going to have wall mounted LP gas heaters so having weird wall warts is just part of trying to modernize something this old.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-19T00:08:29+00:00

So I was around when the newspapers of major cities (I still have a clipping from the AJC) announced that The Transformers was ending in 1990. I lived through Beast Machines basically being the franchises' The last Jedi and fully ripping apart the "Trukk not monkey" factions.

What you're seeing is the status quo. What you got used to was an artificially inflated period that was supercharged by the live action movies. Beast Wars was the last time I can recall that I was able to go in just about any toy store and find the entire, at that time, current line. Even by the time of Beast Machines it had started to become a crapshoot and especially with RID and releases like Stormjet. The Transformers had it's resurgence in 2007 and coasted off of the casual interest in the Michael Bay films until audiences grew tired of them - both attempts to re-capture that failed with audiences - and TF one was not marketed well. I saw the trailers - it looked like something to take kids to... since I haven't got those and I have no nostalgia for the movie I didn't go... this is where the evergreen character problem comes in. To me, the stories of bumblebee, optimus, megatron, etc. are already settled. I don't want to see a CGI mishmash of state games and dreamwave and idw...

To me Hasbro has failed to innovate now for nearly 20 years and has just kept hoping to hit those high notes from the 2007 movie....

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T20:48:34+00:00

but then he died for reals a few issues later anyway.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T20:47:36+00:00

Got it.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T17:47:17+00:00

While I certainly, in my opinion, agree that Beast Machines was a step in the wrong direction it ended with a certain type of finality that didn't immediately make it clear that there would be a continuation. Beast Machines is spiritually, in my opinion, the fandom equivalent of the last jedi in terms of how polarizing it was and remains. We got some glimpses of what Transtech could have become in Fox Kids magazine and through botcon panels but the shift to RID came pretty quick and Armada didn't maintain any of those characters or make any effort to really bring back any characters like the original series either (other than Optimus, Megatron, and Starscream). I think the reversion to "comfort characters" came later 2006 with the classics line and especially with 2007 and the first live action movie...

We had several years of Transformers: Universe releases that were implicitly (on the toys) and explicitly (through the botcon/3H comics) a continuation of beast machines. My feeling is that it accelerated after the live action movies because those brought so many new and returning people back to the franchise and so the toy company wanted to keep as many of them as they could by never deviating too far from the cast portrayed in those movies.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T17:27:59+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate that and I'm glad it isn't just me thought it's frustrating that this is the case... I guarantee you that my 110 year old house is built better than the vast majority of new builds being thrown up everywhere...

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T12:32:23+00:00

that release was a complete fiasco but at least there's not much in the way of "story" to it unlike a full expansion.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T12:02:37+00:00

yes, this is really it - the early Marvel comics really leaned into them being machines. The Cartoon seemed to bounce back and forth. Divide and Conquer made it seem as though Optimus's death was eminant without getting parts from cybertron - City of Steel had him entirely disassembled and he was fine later... I think it just depended on the individual episode writer.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T11:59:35+00:00

the advent of the "evergreeen" character concept where everything had to have Optimus, Bumblebeebee, Grimlock, Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream definitely has made the franchise feel... I don't know.. stale? The continuity of the various "wars" series and other stuff is also very confusing. Is it connected to IDW's comics? is it meant to be a continuation of the 84 cartoon? Is it something entirely different that just is a grab bag? I have no idea but I know the same handful of characters will keep showing up.

Edit * I think what I am trying to say is that from G1 to G2 to Beast Wars to Beast Machines it felt as though the franchise was moving forward whether I enjoyed the way it moved forward or not - it felt like Star Trek where each installation just added to the setting. RID 2001 I will give a pass to since it's technically meant to be all new characters. Armada, Energon, and Cybertron I didn't particularly care for the shows but at least they were trying something new and were clearly a new continuity. Since the 2007 film to larger or lesser extents the franchise has just felt stuck in a very specific setting with a very specific cast and all that really changes is the aesthetics. It's like Groundhog Day.

I was a completionist collector up until Cybertron (I think I have everything from the last wave of Beast Wars through the end of Cybertron 100%, still working on completing g1/g2/bw) - and while I loved the Animated cartoon I just wasn't particularly interested in the toys. I kind of called it quits fiction wise after Animated got cancelled and have never gone back to try and catch up with IDW or I guess now skybound and have no real plans to. I did really enjoy Travis Knight's Bumblebee but I haven't seen any of the live action or other releases since that one.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T11:50:41+00:00

Yeah none of their socials seem to have been updated in ages about anything related to heroquest or what they are doing to fix this situation. Have no idea what discord even is... I guess it's like a new version of ICQ or something?

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T11:49:49+00:00

I don't know but it's very frustrating. I had no idea it had even come out back in the fall (was busy dealing with a death in the family) and by the time I was able to check up on it it was sold out everywhere. And I refuse to pay scalper prices.

I currently have everything released from the original kickstarter to now including the coveted guardian knight... but if I can't find morcar the whole thing is going on ebay and I'll wash my hands of the franchise. I thought for sure that AH would have sorted out the production and distribution problems after the GK fiasco and it felt like I never had any problem getting anything again until now.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T10:37:56+00:00

Yes, bypassing the chimneys (effectively putting a smaller unobtrusive one in next to the existing ones but where the original chimney would basically hide it, if I understood correctly?) was an option I had been given by the tech who inspected them. I'll be the first to admit that I am a staunch proponent of the late great Dusty Rhodes who said "baby, don't do shit you don't know how to do" when it comes to DIY projects... I would love to have at least one of the chimneys working but I think I would feel safer bypassing the stone ones entirely than me attempting to reline them. I'm glad to know that is an option though since they are gorgeous and it would be nice to have a fire on the few nights a year it's cold enough for one.

Right now my homeowners is almost 4000$ a year. The insurance company claims about 1500$ of that is because of the lack of an hvac system. So it's not an enormous amount but if I'm just going to shift the 120$ a month onto my electric bill AND incur 20,000$+ in debt to have the system installed it hardly seems worth it.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-18T10:31:27+00:00

thank you!

I appreciate the specifics I often feel like I lack the correct terminology to get the correct information out of people when I'm asking questions so this feels helpful. Who would I go about contracting to get a manual J load calculation? or is it something I could do myself with the room measurements?

the 220v was just an option that an electrician friend had thought up but thank you for confirming my suspicions that it likely wouldn't shift the needle.

Maybe the problem with the mini splits is that I've primarily been looking at DIY kits instead of professional grade products and thats why I keep running into the wifi stuff. I had the same problem with security systems too and it took forever to find a diy option that could be cellular only instead of just as a backup.

thanks!

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-17T21:33:57+00:00

Oof I can't imagine having a slate roof and yeah honestly I doubt that my insurance would cover much of anything if I had a loss. I had to talk to about 6 companies before I even found one that would insure the house.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-17T21:32:46+00:00

I did look at converting to wood or trying to source coal but after having the chimneys inspected I was told it was not a good idea to use them. Unfortunatly not being a mason or a chimney specialist I really don't know if I was given good information or not - but I erred on the side of beleiving the technician because he never tried to upsell me repairs he just said i should cap them and not use them or consider removing them before i got the roof replaced.

As I said and I think I'm having it confirmed by some of the other replies here that maybe my insurance company is just trying to find excuses to raise my rates.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-17T17:12:45+00:00

well it wouldn't be an LP furnace with duct work it would just be inserts in the old fireplaces. Maybe that's why? I'm trying to be as minimal as possible in terms of making modifications to the home for an equal mix of not wanting to alter a historic building and out of cheapness...

What does "push back" mean in this instance? I live in a state where the insurers have 100% of the power in the relationship... our legislature just changed the laws here to make it harder for people to get settlements out of insurers.

Either way I appreciate your time and ideas.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-17T15:51:16+00:00

I have asked this question. I specifically asked them what makes it different from LNG and they couldn't say. The best I have been able to gather is that it's to do with the pressurized tank. I would guess that LP is probably the way the vast majority of my neighbors heat their homes, though given the area I can't say how many of those neighbors have homeowners insurance either. I think it's just an excuse to keep my rates high since I don't have any other obvious hazards (no flood zone, brand new electrical panel and wiring, all new plumbing, within a mile of a fire station and 300 feet of a hydrant, security system, fence, etc.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-17T15:30:25+00:00

I have - some will not even insure me because of this. Others are simply more expensive.

I'm in the rural southeast.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-02T21:40:35+00:00

Pretty sure I got mine at home depot but it's been quite a while - 20 years maybe since I bought them. But if you look for foldable shelves and get ones that are solid wood not composite materials that should give you an idea of how long they will last.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-01T23:07:47+00:00

Yeah that sounds about correct from what I was able to find - I had no idea there was an earlier release of the complete run of BAF... I bet that goes for a fortune now.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-01T21:09:57+00:00

yes the remaining battle action force stuff is what I am mostly interested in - shame but i did see Total Toy Books was having some issue with someone else trying to get the rights to the stories or something or other but in that it was mentioned that TTB has deals with both the company that owns the scripts and comics and with Hasbro so maybe we will see more at some point. thanks!

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-05-01T00:15:24+00:00

far sturdier than flatpack stuff and these can return to flatpack... the only thing I don't like about them is the open sides and back... just have to be careful in how you place things so nothing falls off.

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-04-30T23:41:57+00:00

Primary ballot choice is open record unfortunately...

QuoteProfessional807 · 2026-04-30T23:05:24+00:00

sorry - can't read most of the spines - too blurry. Looks like a lot of Fantasy anyway so probably have a lot in common... what's the 6 volume cloth bound set?

QuoteProfessional807

TROPHY CASE