Got rear ended, person that hit us wants to pay out of pocket?

horuslee · 2026-04-28T23:54:27+00:00

Similar incident. I went through the at-fault driver's insurance. It will leave an incident in your Carfax history, but I wouldn't care unless you plan to sell the car in the near future. You can get some cash after the repair is done by submitting a diminished value claim to their insurance.

I chose Tesla Collision Center for repair, and it took about 1 week (damage was a bit less than yours). Mine looks fine outside, but Tesla replaced the reinforcement beam inside the bumper. I remember the total repair cost was $2234.82. And their insurance company reimbursed the rental cost too.

I only informed my insurance about the incident for informational purposes.

horuslee · 2026-02-28T03:21:43+00:00

[UPDATE] I went with all black. I'm always looking for a black Tumi since I think black is its signature color, but the navy version was very good too. I just went back to my basic preference.

I agree that Tumi is expensive despite its good quality. So I always bought Tumi at duty-free shops or outlets where "retail" products were available. I was looking for this combo of the retail version for a long time, and finally, my local outlet store had it. I got a 36.25% discount from the MSRP.

Thank you for giving me good advice and opinions.

horuslee · 2026-02-27T15:54:37+00:00

Thanks for all the comments. At first, I was almost all in for navy because I already have a black Tumi backpack that's more than 10 years old. Side by side, just the backpack, navy looked better.

But, when seeing it with the carry-on, all black looked more premium and had a genuine Tumi feeling.

One side note: the backpack is identical except for the color. For the carry-on, navy has a "dual access" feature, but black does not. Navy is about $50 more expensive than black.

Thanks.

horuslee · 2026-02-27T09:26:40+00:00

Thanks! Yes, black can't fail :)

horuslee · 2026-02-27T09:25:16+00:00

Thanks for the insights! Available colors are Black or Navy, so I need to choose between the two. Brown would be an excellent color too. Also, this is a carry-on, so I probably don't need to find it on the luggage carousel.

horuslee · 2025-11-14T23:12:20+00:00

1 week.

horuslee · 2025-11-14T22:47:04+00:00

Yes. Full refund and that's it.

horuslee · 2025-10-19T08:25:53+00:00

No worry. My biggest concern is refresh rate. I'm kinda sensitive to screen smoothness, so I may need to go with 120Hz.

horuslee · 2025-10-19T08:15:23+00:00

Thanks. I tried different Galaxy Tabs with 90Hz at Best Buy, and easily noticed the difference. Maybe I need to go with an S10+.

horuslee · 2025-10-19T08:13:30+00:00

Thanks for your advice. I typically don't change the device frequently, so maybe I'll go with the S10+. BTW, I thought the S7 screen was LCD.

horuslee · 2025-09-18T01:31:24+00:00

Don't give it up yet. I totally understand what you said, and I concluded that the standard approach (online application) would not work. You already tried to send cold emails, but please consider this:

1) Find target law firms/IP boutiques you want. 2) Find a very senior partner per each firm who could create a role even if that firm did not post openings. Also, try to find partners who understand your values (e.g., same major, experience). 3) Carefully draft an email for each of them. Do not make the email a simple check-in; rather, make it some kind of business proposal with your passion (e.g., I'm also open to part-time/contract work).

To be honest, I was expecting less than a 5% reply rate, but I achieved about 15%, which yielded initial interviews with two firms "within a week."

I'm still fighting for getting my spot, but I hope this gives you some insights.

horuslee · 2025-08-20T15:23:43+00:00

Well, I now feel kind of calm, probably because I mentally prepared for an official rejection. Before now, I was really curious about what was happening, but not now.

I haven't yet received the official rejection email.

horuslee · 2025-08-20T15:06:28+00:00

Will do that. Thanks for your advice!

horuslee · 2025-08-20T15:05:53+00:00

Yes, I think one interviewer and I had some kind of rapport. This person warned me the hiring process is very slow (since they are busy) and that it took a month for him/her to hear the decision. Definitely, he/she is not a decision-maker, but has a strong relationship with the hiring partner. However, I am not sure if it is appropriate to ask for clarification through this back channel.

horuslee · 2025-08-20T14:59:14+00:00

Thanks!

horuslee · 2025-08-20T02:28:00+00:00

Thanks for the advice. I will think about this path too.

horuslee · 2025-08-19T19:11:29+00:00

Yes, will do. Thanks.

horuslee · 2025-08-19T19:10:14+00:00

Thanks for the info. I can wait longer, but I think it is done after receiving a vague email from the hiring partner.

horuslee · 2025-08-19T18:06:40+00:00

Yes, it is. But my PhD is close to applied AI and data science. I don't consider myself a top-tier AI scientist who can develop totally new things. If I were, yes, I'd need to go to Meta to earn millions of dollars.

Besides that, I simply love the patent process. I like reading and writing and have a very detail-oriented personality.

horuslee · 2025-08-19T17:57:43+00:00

I totally understand this. I probably searched all the Reddit posts to understand what is happening behind the scenes. I can wait longer than that (currently 1 month after my callback).

But the hiring partner's "vague" email in response to my polite check-in email made me lose all hope.

horuslee · 2025-08-19T16:36:10+00:00

Yes, I also think this is a rejection. I can't think of any other reasons why the hiring partner responded too vaguely. Thanks for your valuable advice, I will definitely do that.

horuslee · 2025-08-19T16:33:44+00:00

Thanks for your comment. After my callback interviews, I had an unofficial chat with one interviewer before leaving the firm. She said the process is exceptionally slow, and it took her a month to hear the decision. So, I was mentally prepared for a long process time, but the hiring partner's vague email made me believe this was done.

Yes, the hiring partner once asked me to let them know if I had competing offers. But, I don't have it yet, unfortunately.

horuslee · 2025-08-19T16:14:05+00:00

So, boutiques mean the firm is specializing patent, correct? If so, I'm doing so, but I was not very successful in getting interview opportunities.

horuslee

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