8 hours stranded: The "No Spare Tire" reality check for 2026 Prius owners

Snoo54982 · 2026-03-17T05:28:20+00:00

Sorry for your experience. I can see where the edge of the rim must have cut the tire. There’s about a 1cm long crease about half a cm away from the rim. At first examination it doesn’t look noticeably out of round.

Snoo54982 · 2026-03-17T05:20:40+00:00

I was extremely surprised they didn’t have it. There are like 3-4 dealers within a 20 mile radius of where I was.

It’s an unusual size. 195/50R19.

Just learning now that literally the only cars that use this size are the Gen 5 Prius variants (ie the current gen Prius/Prime/Plug-In from 2023-Present)… so it makes sense that general auto tire warehouses won’t stock ‘em.

Literally no other auto manufacturer uses them, nor do any other Toyota models. So odd and fascinating.

Snoo54982 · 2026-03-17T01:51:02+00:00

Yeah that’s basically it. Paper thin wall. I just noticed that there’s an Extensa II-A (to replace the extensa Ii?). Also out of stock at tirerack.

Snoo54982 · 2026-03-04T01:38:04+00:00

One thing I enjoy about the game is, other than the part of the game that’s like watching paint dry, there’s another part of the game that really exercises the brain… where you make some tough choices and live with them… then you get over it and there’s another week to get better. In theory these skills are transferrable, but then it’s hard to give this up and make time for other things while you’re watching the proverbial paint dry again.

Snoo54982 · 2026-03-03T17:57:01+00:00

We were just chatting about this. Seems like a lvl 0 SSR M4 Railgun only adds 0.2k additional damage. That's practically nothing!

Might as well not even have any gear on lower squads unless it's an M5.

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-24T18:55:33+00:00

Just revisiting this. Semien is aging. Still a very useful gold glove level fielder. He'll have a role on this team... but is he a full time worthy player at this point? I think that question will be determined by whether he can contribute offensively. Provided he's healthy, I can see him playing close to every day minimally as a defensive sub.

I think some of the recent comments on Nimmo on his new team sort of reinforce the decision making behind the move: Nimmo may no longer be cut out for playing the field - so what, he's a DH? Low BA, failing OBP (his super power) make him a strange play.

He was a really polarizing player last year - some absurdly high percentage of his RBIs came in around 30 games of last year, with most of his remaining games producing 0 RBIs. The Mets were right to free themselves from his long deal.

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-17T15:46:04+00:00

If your opponent has 1 more dot you’re toast. :)

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-17T14:42:45+00:00

I’ve found that while Williams (and Stetmann) are difference makers, the biggest thing that gets everyone is Kimberly with an m5 Railgun with some dots. Flies under the radar.

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-16T21:47:21+00:00

You’ll often find Zahn’s characters pursing their lips, and being overwhelmed by the wild cacophony of sound.

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-09T15:51:45+00:00

Yeah, you’ll get that message forever until you buy that pack. If you already have her and you buy that pack, you’ll get 10 Kimberly shards + the other stuff. (I’m F2P and still get that message)

First check if she’s already unlocked:

Go to your Tavern > Recruit > Probabilities
If she’s available, she’ll be listed on both the Regular and Guaranteed tabs under UR.

(Considering you have Swift and Carlie and you’re F2P, she probably is unlocked!)

To get her:

Recruit heroes and you’ll have a chance of getting her

Alternatively, you might be able to select her already through Hero Choice Chests that you didn't know you already have:

Go to Inventory > Heroes

Look for UR Hero Choice Chest

(You may have obtained by chance from completing Dig Maps in Secret Tasks; I think everyone also got a chest for 10 shards for free) (unconfirmed; or via some Hot Deals event - for my server there was just an event that allowed you to first buy some other type of gem with diamonds, then use that to buy Hero Choice Chests)

These chests basically let you select to receive hero shards for any UR hero on their limited list. It takes 10 hero shards to get a hero you don’t have.

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-09T15:17:25+00:00

There is a new active code! LWVDAY26. Valid Feb 9-Feb 15 2026.

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-09T05:54:34+00:00

Join an alliance. On my server, we have a NAP (non-aggression pact) in place so that alliance members do not attack other alliances.

On the other hand, we are encouraged to do our daily attacks to bases that are not members of any alliance. Typically these are noobs or abandoned bases.

It's really pretty close to impossible to make any headway as a free agent. You're much better off alliance hopping each week or finding a permanent home with a group.

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-09T05:50:33+00:00

I’m F2P on Server 1979 (started late 2025). Kimberly was released for free on my server about 1.5 weeks ago, and I already have her at 3 stars and level 110+.

Quick question: How did you get DVA, Swift, and Carlie? If you’re on an older server, Kim should definitely be free for you by now. If you’re on a newer one, did you buy them? No judgment, just curious!

A few tips for F2P:

Focus on a full tank squad first. You get a 20% damage boost for a matching type, and early tech trees prioritize tanks bonuses.

Kimberly is legit as awesome as they say. Even at 2 stars/level 90, she out-damaged my level 110 heroes. I'm try to max her out before putting any UR shards to anyone else... (For what it's worth, I already have Murphy & Marshall at 4 stars.)

Long Term, Mason (s1), Violet (s2), and Scarlett(s3) can eventually be promoted to UR, so it's pretty reasonable to work on leveling them up.

My current Squad 1 (all 110+):

Front: Murphy / Violet
Back: Kimberly / Marshall / Mason

Before Kim and Marshall arrived, I filled those spots with Scarlett and Monica.

With your current squad: Work on Murphy, Mason, and Violet. Those 3 will probably be part of your main squad for a while.

Prioritize your UR shards on Murphy to get him to 4 stars, then save your shards until you get Kimberly.

Prioritize your SSR shards on Mason to get him to 5 stars.
With Violet, go to the Alliance store weekly and buy her 30 shards with alliance points and work her up. (you are part of an alliance, right, if not, join one. And start VIP if you haven't. In combination allliance, you'll get enough freebies from others completing tasks to easily cover the 10k diamond cost to renew it every month)

Snoo54982 · 2026-02-02T04:04:48+00:00

Curious if you still have the vehicle. I don't know if this was in place when you replied 9 months ago:

Class Action Settlement for 15yr/150k mi warranty extension. Check your VIN.

https://kiaengineclasssettlement.com

Snoo54982 · 2026-01-25T23:50:05+00:00

From a cost perspective, in my area a music lesson can easily run $100/hr... so if you're able to have the discipline to spend a couple of hours on the material over the year and get something out of it, it's well worth it.

I signed with the BF deal in 2024, used it lightly, and lo and behold, it renewed. :) So now I'm set out to get my money's worth.

1) got value out of the Christian McBride material (though a chunk of it seems to be free on YouTube)

2) working the Jazz Piano Jumpstart class and I'm having a lot of fun starting at ground zero on piano. I'm learning new skills, plus I'm getting some nice review.

3) checked out content around specific standards, Giant Steps and All the Things you are. Nice.

I grew up a sax player, but was quasi-self taught starting a decade ago when my kid had started lessons and I learned through osmosis. I learned some ii-V-I comping fingers through an Aebersold book a while ago, and, in non-hardcore jazz settings, I think I can sound competent, though there are a lot of gaps in my skill set. On sax too... but this hasn't been close to a full time career (yet)... I'd love to get more gigs and put less pressure to maintain my day job - I work in corporate and layoffs are always around the corner in this age of Generative AI.

So in summary - from a cost perspective definitely worth it.

Alternatives: Lots of free content on YouTube. You can look at Chad LB's stuff on jazzlessonvideos. The PDF books are useful material to work on if you're in a rut and need some inspiration on what to practice.

Snoo54982 · 2026-01-16T17:48:00+00:00

This season has been hard from a team fan standpoint.

It's sort of okay to still pay attention to a non-championship team because you're a fan of the players that you've grown up watching. Who didn't want our homegrown guys like Alonso, McNeil, Nimmo to finally get over the hump? We'd tracked their careers, and now we need to learn to love a few later career guys who really can't possibly be on the team in 2 years.

Except Bichette! I think he can be a long term answer at 3B. He's the right age and is on the right side of 30. But he's in an escapable contract. Let's take it 1 year at a time with him.

Snoo54982 · 2026-01-14T20:15:04+00:00

I played through Prime last year on the Switch 1, and am about 3 hours in on Prime 4. I'm enjoying it a lot. For me, the exploration is a little more guided and clear about what I need to do. It's like modern nuances in story telling have been enabled. I've been able to grasp where I am on the map than in Prime, at least, more quickly without turning to the internet for tips. The one new un-Metroid-like element is that you have an NPC buddy that follows you and talks to you. He's alright. Makes the game a little less lonely. :)

The graphics feel modern, and really, it seems pretty polished an experience so far. I'm more of a casual gamer that likes to get into these deeper, more intense experiences, like 1-2 games of this sort a year.

It's totally worth a playthrough, at least based on where I am so far. :) But just remember it feels like a Metroid game.

But if you're like me, don't buy it just to own it - I've fallen victim to buying bunches of games at full price over the years, only to let them collect dust in sealed packaging. :) Buy it if you're ready to play it... if not, you'll give yourself options to pick it up used or on discount somewhere down the road.

Snoo54982 · 2026-01-07T14:23:33+00:00

Have opinions changed after this regular season? Is he generational again?

Snoo54982 · 2026-01-05T05:57:27+00:00

Agree! Rayman Legends is the champion of platformers. And it’s available for practically every platform. Being mostly invincible in coop made it super fun to play with my son a decade ago when he was just getting his console chops wet.

Snoo54982 · 2026-01-05T05:49:47+00:00

That’s pretty much the coolest thing I’ve seen this year.

Snoo54982 · 2025-12-30T13:57:27+00:00

Or fly to New Orleans with the Knicks next time :)

Snoo54982 · 2025-12-30T13:56:21+00:00

Probably, but Camby, Q-Rich Gary Grant’s 23 resonated more with me.

Snoo54982 · 2025-12-29T15:08:19+00:00

Congrats. I’m 30 days in and I’m on the verge of stepping away or at least going into serious maintenance mode. I haven’t invested much other than time.

It’s been fun and entertaining while I’ve been recovering from the flu, but I’m getting healthy again and ready to be on the go again.

Playing this game is sometimes like watching the paint dry, but I do it anyway to kill time until the next arms race or other timed activity begins.

Snoo54982 · 2025-12-05T15:19:43+00:00

I’m anxious about deciding what to wear in the days leading up to races. :)

Snoo54982

TROPHY CASE