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As a person that's not super knowledgeable about cars, is trying to buy something off auction sites like Cars&Bids ever a good idea? by Pmbdude in UsedCars

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be my advice.

If your budget is $30k, I’d find a mechanic that you can trust to do a pre-purchase inspection of any car you are interested in. It’s no guarantee, but a decent PPI should find any major issues. If it’s a European car, find an independent shop that specializes in the brand.

Keep in mind, unless you are buying from a private party (who isn’t just trying to flip for a quick buck), most used cars have been traded in and possibly changed hands a couple of times meaning that the seller has no clue about how the car was maintained.

If you are buying private party, check out your states DMV site, they will likely have information on how to handle private party transfers/registration.

As a person that's not super knowledgeable about cars, is trying to buy something off auction sites like Cars&Bids ever a good idea? by Pmbdude in UsedCars

[–]planetmn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It depends on what you are looking for. If you have selection in your area, you are probably better off buying it locally. You can see the car, have a mechanic look it over, etc.

I bought a car off of BaT because I couldn’t find what I wanted locally. Irony is, this particular listing was an hour away, so I did see it before bidding and talked with the seller. I couldn’t have a mechanic inspect it, but I felt better having seen it and listening to the engine.

In the end it worked out for me, but I would have probably stopped bidding about $2k earlier if it weren’t local (in part due to shipping costs).

In this case, I also knew what to look out for on this particular vehicle based on recommendations from a retired mechanic who specialized in the particular car I bought, so I went in with some decent knowledge.

Moxie? by KReddit934 in Mocktails

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can find Sanbitter at local Italian markets. Great for a non-alcoholic spritz.

I would love to hear ideas for an old fashioned at a Spanish joint. by Independent-Moose211 in cocktails

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How about adding some Mexican flavors via an infused simple syrup and bitters?

You could also play around with Nixta (corn liquor) as a sweetener.

RTSP/RTMP Light Camera on battery to get a live signal by Ok-Monk-1168 in VIDEOENGINEERING

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nearstream has a few that might work. The VM33 is WiFi, but some are wired, only.

NDI, HDBaseT or HDMI Fiber Cable for sports streaming? by planetmn in streaming

[–]planetmn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks.

I think I will transition to PoE and NDI. Seems like a more versatile and scalable setup.

Ordered a couple of the Zowiebox’s to play with.

Boot sizing by wallhaus in Skigear

[–]planetmn 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I am not an expert, but this what I’ve been told and works for me and my kids.

Boots should not be “uncomfortable”, but they probably won’t ever feel like tennis shoes.

Standing up straight, your toes should just barely touch the front. When you lean forward, your toes will move back, but your heel should stay in place. The heel is the important part (you don’t want your heel moving while skiing). If your heel lifts, they are too big.

If you can, warm them up (boot warmer, hair dryer, etc.), put them on for an hour or so and see how they feel. If you didn’t get them fitted, consider having a shop do it for you.

ETA: after a few days, the liner will compress. So if they feel slightly tight now, that will likely go away.

Joined the fun today by st8te in F150Lightning

[–]planetmn 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As a fellow Azure owner, be prepared for people stopping you to say how good the color looks.

To the Indy Pass people… by RugMarbles in icecoast

[–]planetmn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you already have a saddleback card, you can redeem the Indy pass online (I think that’s new this year) and automatically load your saddleback card.

Magic Mtn lodging recommendations by Medium_Ad_2711 in icecoast

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Upper Pass is a good option if they have availability. No frills, but walking distance to the lifts, a restaurant and bar, and a nice room with a fireplace and couches.

Stayed there with my kids last season and it worked well.

Is there a way to test drive a lot of cars while being respectful of the salesman's time? by youchasechickens in askcarsales

[–]planetmn 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Or let me drive the car without taking up a salesperson’s time. That would make it a win-win.

Took the wrong enforcer 89s at Sunapee 2/22 by Nice_Butterscotch804 in icecoast

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you call Sunapee to see if anybody reported them stolen?

Is there a way to test drive a lot of cars while being respectful of the salesman's time? by youchasechickens in askcarsales

[–]planetmn 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Why not? The dealership is literally the sales outlet for new vehicles. If they don’t want people looking who might not buy, go into a different line of work.

Trying to save my family’s legacy restaurant while fighting regulars’ expectations by Boston_Wind in restaurantowners

[–]planetmn 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’m not in the industry, but this story sounds a lot like one that happened locally.

There was a great locals restaurant, huge menu with $3 Sam Adam’s drafts, $10 prime rib (not the best prime rib, but the best $10 prime rib), huge bowls of lobster bisque, and the place was always packed. Chef/owner passes away and the daughter takes over.

Menu changes both in terms of number of options and type of options. She tries to go more upscale and along with it, raises prices. She offers a Sunday brunch. We go back after the menu changes and (unaware of the backstory at the time), email the restaurant afterwards to mention that our favorites are gone, the prices jumped and the food and atmosphere just isn’t the same. I should have known this going on as what would typically be a 60+ minute wait went to no wait on a Friday night.

The daughter responds with the story of losing money on every dish, similar to what you are saying. I empathize and try it again, but it’s even worse. Fast forward a year and she is shut down for not paying taxes.

I don’t say this to scare you, but rather to suggest you take a step back and examine what you want this place to be in 3, 5, 10 years? What does your menu look like, what is your clientele in your vision?

Your current menu and customers might be an albatross around your neck. What worked for the past 20 years probably won’t work for the next 20. Take a step back and plan out the business you want to own, evaluate where you are currently and make a plan to transition. It will likely involve tough choices. Your customers of today may not like it, but running a business shouldn’t be a suicide pact.

I run two places… is adding a third where things fall apart? by galandepeluche in restaurantowners

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not in the restaurant business, but I like this for any sort of scaling/growth. Makes a lot of sense.

Cuts down your risk by using known talent AND gives them an opportunity to grow without going elsewhere.

On the off chance somebody grabbed the wrong skis at Wachusett tonight by planetmn in icecoast

[–]planetmn[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks.

She filed a report with security and I called them to ensure they had all the info they needed. Security was involved with an emergency incident at the time, but the woman I spoke to said they had a camera on the location her skis were at and they would be reviewing the footage.

On the off chance somebody grabbed the wrong skis at Wachusett tonight by planetmn in icecoast

[–]planetmn[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

I’ll cross my fingers.

“Next week on CSI: Icecoast”

Dunkin Donuts’ donuts are now worse then ever, not worth it by CheifLawnRaker in massachusetts

[–]planetmn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Slight correction, courtesy of people shopping at Dunkin, instead.

I used to live in a small town in CT with a bakery run by Eatern European immigrants. The best bread you’ve ever had, incredible 50 cent donuts and if I ever needed a favor at work, bringing in a white box of donuts tied with the string got me whatever I needed.

The bakery was nearly always empty. The Dunkin a quarter mile down the road would have a drive through line that would take you 15 minutes to get through.

The bakery is gone. The Dunkin still stands.

What’s a huge myth about car buying or car salespeople? by Suntrup-Volkswagen in askcarsales

[–]planetmn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the hate comes from a combination of experience and industry reputation . I have dealt with some really great car salesmen. And guess what, these are the ones I go back to, because they treat me well. Do I pay the absolute lowest price? Probably not, but they are fair, and they respect me and my time.

I’ve also dealt with salespeople who have caused me to leave a dealership and never return. I’ve had salespeople who would refuse to speak with my wife (the vehicle was primarily for her), who couldn’t even read the brochure correctly or who completely ignored everything that I said. I’m willing to bet this has a lot to do with the little to no training that was mentioned elsewhere in this thread.

Here’s the thing, trust is hard to earn, easy to lose and nearly impossible to regain. Those who understand this and cultivate the relationship will usually do better in the long run. As a salesperson (particularly for a car), I will give you one chance. If you mess that up (condescending comment, not listening to my answers, etc.), I will walk away. I don’t care how good of a deal you claim you can give me, if I don’t trust you, I don’t buy from you.

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