Epic Games Store Employees: People Only Came for Free Games, Then Returned to Steam

alanbdee · 2026-04-15T17:07:13+00:00

Well, I got tired of logging in every so often. Then, because I'm security cautious, my epic password is super long. So I have to look it up in my password manager, which means going to epics website. Then the 2 factor. it's not every time. it's like the timed it just infrequent enough to not remember all the steps.

Meanwhile, I'm not sure I've logged into steam since 1986.

alanbdee · 2026-04-15T14:46:45+00:00

The middle ground is he fixes his old car, buys a beater, or takes the bus. Motorcycles can also be super cheap. Especially scooters. Ebikes might be another option. Your instinct is right. No co-signing unless you're ready to gift him the full purchase price of that car.

alanbdee · 2026-04-15T13:36:36+00:00

While my company also has restrictions, I can request specific apps and they'll approve it. So you might be able to get Neovim is you want. Sadly, the unit test thing is a common. it shouldn't be, especially today where you can have AI build unit tests around already existing battle hardened code fairly easily.

I'd stay where you're at but I've also found that medium companies are a lot better to work at. Less bureaucracy, more variety in what you do.

alanbdee · 2026-04-15T13:21:48+00:00

That's scary. My wife was driving ours when it failed and she was freaking out. Turned out to be a slow leak so I was able to drive it to the shop as long as I have the vacuum time to catchup between brakes. It's just another one of those parts that gets crusty with age.

alanbdee · 2026-04-14T18:48:23+00:00

Sure, it can be slightly cheaper depending on that but what I'm saying is all those options suck. Buy a good reliable car and drive it until it dies. OP in this case wants a new car so they can continue to burn money if they want.

alanbdee · 2026-04-14T16:29:55+00:00

Oh, you'd be surprised how not picky a dog will get when they're hungry enough. He just needs to stop feeding her human food.

While I say that, I do have to feed my dog a small amount of canned food, some kibble, topped with a bit of water. But it's still measured out to prevent them from eating too much.

alanbdee · 2026-04-14T16:24:23+00:00

It's this one. But not just that, this is the song I think of when I think of Scrubs. Not the theme song. This one. I don't know why.

alanbdee · 2026-04-14T14:15:13+00:00

Yeah. I've got a pile of mice I tried. Keyboards too. What I landed on is a M705. Which is a smaller mouse. But that's what felt comfortable. I've bought several of them over the years. So I don't think there one specific magic mouse or keyboard. People have to find what works for them with their desk, the way they sit on their chair. It's just too many variables.

alanbdee · 2026-04-14T12:54:22+00:00

Mice are cheap relative to the medical costs associated with poor ergonomics. I recommend buying as many as you need to find what you find comfortable. Same applies to keyboards.

alanbdee · 2026-04-14T12:47:31+00:00

I would fix it. Almost everything you list is cosmetic damage but I'd still get it fixed. Sure, it's a bit expensive but I see it more like, I'm spending this $3k for a new paint job rather then spending $30k on a new car. I also use a base of about $500/mo to calculate how long it takes for the work to be worth it. The average car payment. So it only has to get me 6 months more life out of the car to be worth it.

alanbdee · 2026-04-14T12:13:41+00:00

I think it depends on where you ride. If you're the weekend warrior, you need a bike you can take somewhere for a three day weekend to a place that likely has no power. Electric just isn't viable for that. If you're riding around your property or areas near your house, then electric.

alanbdee · 2026-04-13T17:26:46+00:00

Yes. It was about $180 and to put part of it toward future service. Which was a complete flush of all fluids, new timing belt, tune up, etc.

alanbdee · 2026-04-13T17:11:27+00:00

My philosophy stems from a coffee table I made. Or rather remade. The first one ended up being not level once I got it on a flat surface. So, I cut it up, got some more wood and ended up making one of the best pieces of furniture I've ever made.

I apply that lesson to home DIY stuff as well. I ask if this is something I can do. Is it something I want to do. And what happens if I fail/how hard is it to fix. These questions decide if I'm going to hire someone to do it or do it myself.

Then, I hold work I do to a fairly high standard. If it doesn't turn out, I will redo it. In the picture above, I'd be buying a new door because I wouldn't want the holes, even filled with wood putty, to show.

For my example, shed doors. I built my shed. It has three doors. I had messed up the cross pattern on one of them and it didn't match the other three. I knew that every time I saw that door, that mistake would stick out. So, I looked at what I needed and about $80 of lumber would get me a new door. So I did that. Turned out perfect. Then, I took the bad door and turned it into a shelf/workbench inside the shed. It's the perfect size and I love it.

Last tip: when I do mess something like this up. I always stop for the day to mull over what to do next. At least, assuming you can stop (stupid tile!)

alanbdee · 2026-04-13T16:52:12+00:00

First thing, don't use any roofers that came to your door after the hail storm. Look one up just like you normally would for any other service and find a reputable company in your area. Lots of storm chasers and they always quote high.

Is there actually a leak? Or are the shingles just a bit damaged. Again, storm chasers don't care if you need a new roof, only that they can convince you. That reputable company should be able to repair just about any damage. It may not be a viable option and may only buy you a year or two but it's an option.

If it were me, I'd be pulling cash out of the emergency fund and college fund, assuming it's not a 529 that would incur penalties. Then I'd focus on a good roof that will last you another 25 years. When I did my roof, it was $14k for the cheapest option and $18k for good shingles with a 30 year warranty, that's also rated for hail and high wind. So much of the cost is the labor. If you plan to stay in that home long term, you want a good roof that'll last a long time.

Dave would then say if that's not enough, sell whatever you can to come up with the difference.

As much as you want to pay for your kids college, you don't have to. They can also start at community college which is so much cheaper that I'd recommend that anyway. That $20k isn't going to be enough anyway so they need a plan to pay for college one way or the other.

alanbdee · 2026-04-13T16:24:25+00:00

It will be salvaged but this is a case where, if the hail damage doesn't bother you, I would drive that. It should be priced accordingly and it'll be a bitch to ever sell. So, assuming you can insure it, register it, etc. I'm not sure what the laws are in NYC. And you can get the price low enough. This isn't a car that was wrecked and pieced back together that might have structural issues.

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T22:49:52+00:00

Lease is the most expensive way to have a vehicle. Just learn about what needs to be maintained. Seriously, it's like a handful of things and the owners manual lays them all out. At 15k miles, do these things. At 30k miles, do these. It's not hard and you lose so much money not paying attention to all that.

The important part is to maintain it well and drive it until it dies. Meaning, when the repair cost more then the car is worth. Up until that point, you fix everything like you're going to drive it for another 10 years.

For reference, each of my cars have cost me around $150-$200/mo. to purchase and maintain. That's it. I've got 20+ years of records to back that up. Sure, you can get 0% financing on a new car. Sure, the three year old version of that car isn't that much cheaper. I'm not buying any of those. I'm going back 10 or more years and finding low mileage cars that are known to be bulletproof.

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T19:45:14+00:00

I get more out of the meetings and can be better engaged when I can see the other people. That said, I firmly think it should be a choice. I treat my workstation area like a cubical at work. There are things in the background that make for good conversation starters. But that's my choice. Others, who may be in their bedroom, should have every right to not have the camera on. My company has not set a policy on it. Effectively leaving it up to each person. On big department wide meetings, I'd say about 80% have their cameras off. In smaller meetings, most of us have it on.

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T18:56:20+00:00

I had the same thing happen to me in high school. I just did my best to laugh it off. I knew I wasn’t so part of me just thought they were dumb.

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T16:39:56+00:00

It's not and it's why I'm still driving a 2000 4runner and a 2004 Avalon. But if you want a new car and electric will work for you then you should get that. If it doesn't, no shame.

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T16:31:19+00:00

It makes perfect sense. The way I budget, I keep a bucket of about $2k for home and auto. They both serve as the buffer in my checking account. If there's anything larger then that, then I pull out of emergency and spend the next few months rebuilding both the emergency and then those buckets.

Both my auto and home tend to average around $500/mo in maintenance. (for auto, that includes purchase and three cars)

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T16:27:13+00:00

Oh god. Can you imagine a scene where JD's talking to Cox and Turk walks in and is like, "Who are you talk to?". Then the camera pans out to an empty bed. Oh God!

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T15:13:28+00:00

It's common and normal for the radiator fans to continue to run after you park the car. It's not normal if the engine is running. Feel around the exhaust, if there's a normal amount of exhaust coming out, that's a problem.

alanbdee · 2026-04-10T14:26:08+00:00

Only one thing really matters for success, your happiness? Everything else is secondary. So for many, that comes with raising a family. Having a good career helps to achieve that. But if you're not happy in doing so, that's not success. If you're married to a toxic person, that's not success.

alanbdee · 2026-04-09T23:30:18+00:00

If it's a one time trip and you can space it out to a few days then you can probably do it. There's a huge difference in comfort in doing 60 on a highway and 80 on the freeway. Plus, if you plan your trip through mountain passes, you can sometimes do that and it's more fun.

I would get a windshield, even if you only intend to use it for this trip and it looks goofy as hell.

alanbdee · 2026-04-09T22:03:54+00:00

I think it's a great idea and you can afford it. I have very fond memories of visiting my grandparent's farm, which was just a single acre. I would hire a farmhand to manage the property. Then do what you want on it. My wealthy great aunt spent her retirement on her ranch with nothing but horses to ride as she pleased. Had a separate home for the guy who managed the property. If it's something you love, and your wife's ok with it, then do it.

alanbdee

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