# New Year’s Rant Solutions (January mini-rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 1, 2024, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437 "2024-01-01T06:00:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/401 "2024-01-21T00:24:00Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > BIG trouble with the dog boss. Why are you in trouble? It doesn’t sound like dog boss or the shelter are taking any responsibility or financial output for the puppies. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/402 "2024-01-21T01:03:03Z")
They are taking some. Shots, dewormer, and the puppies will be adopted out through the shelter once they’re ready. Part of the problem is that we have very limited vet hours and 30+ puppies waiting to be spayed and neutered. So if I wanted to wait til, like, April to have them neutered and available for adoption, then they would be done at the shelter. But a three-month-old puppy is very adoptable and a five-or-more-month-old puppy is whole lot harder. So I’m going to see if I can find a place that will do it at a price that’s anywhere close to something I can afford and try to get them fixed on my own so that they can be adopted while they’re little and cute without messing with the existing shelter status. Mostly, though, the dog boss is salty because she said no and we didn’t just take the “no” and quit asking. And I get the impression she thinks I’m going to have the puppies for a few days and then decide they’re too much and dump them back off at the shelter. Which is not my style. Give me some credit. I’ve been in rescue literally 13 years today (it’s my anniversary!) and have fostered hundreds of dogs and puppies and never pulled shenanigans like that. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/403 "2024-01-21T01:26:37Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > it’s just going to cost more to fix everything wrong with it than it’s worth. The Car Talk guys always pointed out that this is not a logical reason not to do repairs, unless you’re trying to sell it. Then it doesn’t make sense. But the cost to repair it will almost certainly be less than the cost of replacing it. But if the car will be good for x more years if you get the work done, that’s that much more time you’ll have without a car payment. If course, if you don’t like it, or just want a new one, or if it’s really ready for the junk yard, those are all fine reasons to get rid of it. But repairs being more than it’s worth isnt necessarily one. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/404 "2024-01-21T01:27:11Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > I’ve been in rescue literally 13 years today (it’s my anniversary!) The universe says, “Congratulations!” 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/405 "2024-01-21T04:40:10Z")
Rule of thumb I geerally go by, is $1000 per year. If I sink $2000 into a repair, it should give me 2 years of trouble free operation. As soon as it costs me more than $1000 per year in repair costs its time to look for a replacement. Mind you, I own my current driver outright and I’m savng for a replacement to buy for cash. Also note that typical car note runs $500/mnth in the US so do your own math for what a repair vs replacement would be. -DF ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/406 "2024-01-21T05:31:12Z")
Whenever I do the math on buying a car, I feel so fortunate that I’m a risk-taker. I’ve always gotten great cars for less than $2000 off Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace (or even NextDoor, where my last one came from). I do a lot of research, and when I decide I like a car, I leave the seller a deposit or my license, and drive it over to our local car mechanic. Car Guy usually says “This one’s got good compression and transmission, BUT it’s going to need new .tires/brakes/hoses . Figure $800 before you drive it.” I usually go back to the seller and say “It’s in good shape, but it’ll need new \_\_\_\_\_\_ for 800. So how 'bout the $2500 you were asking, minus $800? I’ve got $1700 in cash right here…” \* That’s worked every time. And my last three cars each lasted a long time. . \*In fact, that was how I bought the first hybrid (the 2000 Honda Insight) for less than 2k, and sold it to a hybrid expert who’s customized it and it’s getting 75 mpg. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/407 "2024-01-21T11:21:33Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > But the cost to repair it will almost certainly be less than the cost of replacing it. > > … If course, if you don’t like it, or just want a new one, or if it’s really ready for the junk yard, those are all fine reasons to get rid of it. But repairs being more than it’s worth isnt necessarily one. Back in the day when the local car repair place was competently run (today I wouldn’t take my car there if you paid me!) the manager gave me a fairly lengthy document about car repairs. One of the interesting things right at the end was a big chart purporting to show the financial benefit of keeping a car as long as possible. The example was obviously intended to convince people to keep and maintain their cars as long as they were serviceable, and used some financial chicanery to inflate the numbers, such as assuming that the lifetime depreciation cost is going to be invested at a rate of return of 4%. But some of the numbers I think were reasonably legitimate and made sense. The chart tracked two examples, person “A” who played the fool that bought a new car every 5 years, and person “B” who kept his car for 15 years (and of course regularly took it to my erstwhile friend the service manager). It then tracked the total ownership cost over a period of 30 years, during which the Fool would have bought 6 cars, and the Smart Guy just two. All the data in the chart is too extensive to reproduce here, but in summary the Fool benefited from higher resale values and lower maintenance costs, but these were greatly outweighed by depreciation costs. Specifically, if the cars in question cost $35,000 when new, over 30 years of total vehicle ownership the Fool would have suffered a total depreciation cost of $163,800, and the Smart Guy just $68,600. This more than made up for the fact that the Fool spent less on maintenance than Smart Guy (they estimated $37,500 vs $52,500) and got more resale value back. The total cost of transportation over 30 years, excluding fuel and insurance, was $162,800 for the Fool and $120,600 for Smart Guy. I’m not even going to get into the unrealistic (IMHO) artifice where lost future value due to depreciation is invested, but taking this into account they end up with Smart Guy ahead of the Fool by $220,176 after 30 years. There’s actually one other factor in favour of Smart Guy that they don’t account for, which is that the Fool will be paying more for insurance due to higher average vehicle value. The difference is even greater if Smart Guy at some point decides that he doesn’t need collision coverage at all for the aging old beater. On a personal note, I’ve always been of the inclination to keep a car as long as possible. The only two exceptions in my car-owing career were two that I just didn’t like, and that I got rid of in about a year or less. Every other car was kept until it either had to be driven or towed to the dump. The current one is pretty long in the tooth yet remains remarkably reliable, and it may be the longest-lived one yet. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/408 "2024-01-21T12:45:37Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > On a personal note, I’ve always been of the inclination to keep a car as long as possible. While I totally understand your way of thinking, for me _reliable_ transportation is the important part When I get in my vehicle, I want 100% assurance it will start right up and get me where I want to go. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/409 "2024-01-21T13:19:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > While I totally understand your way of thinking, for me _reliable_ transportation is the important part > > When I get in my vehicle, I want 100% assurance it will start right up and get me where I want to go. For me, too. But you never have 100% assurance, and while there’s a pretty good correlation between “new” and “reliable”, it’s far from absolute. New cars can be stinkers, too, and that can also vary drastically with model year. A friend had an Infiniti that was remarkably problem-free for many years, though he eventually sold it when he figured the maintenance costs were getting excessive (he always took it to a dealer, who seemed delighted to charge in the high three-figures or even four figures for virtually anything once it was off warranty). On one occasion the dealer gave him a new demo Infiniti as a loaner while his was in the shop. When he tried to start it one time, the fancy display screen suddenly went blank and this brand new luxury car refused to show any sign of life. Also, modern cars in general have come a very long way in reliability and durability. I’m not talking here about a 1956 DeSoto. And even though modern cars do need more maintenance as they get older, that doesn’t mean they’re more likely to just flat-out fail suddenly and leave you stranded. In nearly half a century of driving, that has almost never happened to me. One time that it did, it was a new company car back in the day when fuel injection was relatively new, and it absolutely refused to start one day because the ECM electronics had suddenly failed. Meanwhile, my old beater continues to be a paragon of reliability, and every single feature on it still works just like new. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/410 "2024-01-21T13:28:20Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > he always took it to a dealer, I took a car to a dealership where I bought it for a free oil change, _the car’s first_. The service guy asked what else I’d like done while they had the car, and I flippantly told him, “whatever it’s due for”, thinking there’d be nothing. When I picked it up I was handed a crazy bill. I thought they’d mixed my car up with someone else’s. That was the first and last time I took a car to a dealership for any service. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/411 "2024-01-21T13:48:41Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When I picked it up I was handed a crazy bill. I thought they’d mixed my car up with someone else’s. That was the first and last time I took a car to a dealership for any service. Continuing on with these interesting car anecdotes, once again I fully agree with you, but there are always exceptions to every rule. One time my previous car (a minivan) developed a leak in a line going all the way back to the rear seating area to provide heating and cooling back there. I made the mistake of taking it to one of those car repair franchises. I asked them if they could just rig something up with a hose or something, and they said absolutely not, because it was a high-pressure line. Then they found that they couldn’t get the replacement part, and all of a sudden the jury-rigged hose idea was perfectly fine. At which point I got my car the hell out of there and took it to a dealer. The dealer didn’t have the part in stock but was able to get it fairly quickly, and gave me a ride home. Then they called and said that the installation was proving more difficult than expected and the car wouldn’t be ready until the next day. They apologized, arranged for a free rental car to compensate for the inconvenience, and took me to Enterprise to pick it up. IIRC, the final cost was less than the estimate from the crooks at the franchise. Again, I fully agree with your sentiment, but there are always interesting exceptions to a general rule! I certainly don’t take my car to a dealer unless, as in this case, there’s a really exceptional problem. My friend with the Infiniti has lots of money and was really babying that car. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/412 "2024-01-21T14:44:17Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Aloe vera gel is good for that sort of thing. > > (My gf has (on more than one occasion 🙄 ) taken a pan out of the oven and > then forgotten…) The Aloe Vera plant is a miracle worker! It was my first response to snap a couple leaves and spread the goo on my hand. As the pain persisted the freezer cups brought additional relief. There are a half dozen of aloe slathered melty ice cream cups in the freezer. Today my hand is pain free, but slightly red and blistered. 🔥🍦 ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/413 "2024-01-21T15:11:20Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Every other car was kept until it either had to be driven or towed to the dump. Your local public radio station (or other charitable type organization) will likely come to your residence and take it away for you. You’ll also get a tax write-off (I got a receipt for $50(!) when they picked up my 1993 Ford Explorer two years ago). ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/414 "2024-01-21T18:38:01Z")
I feel a little guilty. Evidently, I kicked someone when they were down; not just short… down. I posted a pretty brutal beat-up about Hallmark Christmas Movies in December (maybe November) and it kicked one of the “Christmas Queens” below the belt. Who could forget this quote? > [@Ho Fucking Ho - December Mini-Rants](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ho-fucking-ho-december-mini-rants/993961/81): > > “It’s a Pregnant Cat that Needs a Man Christmas!” > “My Clock is Ticking Fa-La-La… La-La… La-La-La-La” > “I’m a Princess! Gimmee Mah Prince!” > “Where’s My Serviceman? I Can’t Swim Out to Troop Ships in Pumps” > “Where’s My Farmer? I Wanna Pony…!” > “Hidey-Ho, Cowboy! There’s Poutine In Mah Boot!” > “If I Have Smokey Eye, Where’s Mah Fireman…?” > “Desperate D-Band Diva Seeks Ken Doll” > “I’m Moving Back to my Hometown. Who Can I Bang?” > “I’m a Baker and Chocolatier, But I Only Like Thin Guys” > “I Married All The Leading Men; Time To Do Commercials Yet?” > “I Have So Much Christmas Spirit Ima Openin’ a Winery” > “I Have So Much Christmas Spirit that If Y’all Light A Match, This Whole Town Will Go Up Like a Cogeneration Plant!” > “If I Blink 50 Times A Minute, Will You Marry Me?” > "It’s a \< Insert Rich City Name \> Christmas ( notice that they never say Detroit ) > > What will they think of for 2024? > > “Ho-Ho-Ho… Ho-Ho-Ho… A Cringe-gal All The Way”…? Well, I’ve noticed that they don’t show her movies anymore on Hallmark. Knowing Hallmark as the skin-flint outfit that it is, she probably got a swift kick from a Timberland boot as a pension. Last week, while changing the channels, I saw her hawking fashion styles on QVC. It’s honest work, but she deserves better. Now, last night on SNL they had other original ‘Mean Girls’ on the show doing cameos… but not her. Today, while reading some of the shows reviews, I heard that she is the only ‘Mean Girl’ who was left out of the movie. ( How very ‘Mean Girl’ of that scumbag, Tina Fey. Somebody ought to nail her on a NYC street with an egg.) For my part… I’m sorry, Lacey. If you put your brand on boxed chocolate for Valentines Day, maybe you can laugh at Fey all the way to the bank? Best Wishes… ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/415 "2024-01-21T21:28:49Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > That’s what I thought when I had to spend almost that on a pair of well fitted work boots. I used to pay 40 bucks for a pair of work boots that would last about a year before falling apart. My expensive boots worked hard for about 10 years and are still comfortable. I still use them for gardening, I’d guess they are about 15 years old now so I actually saved money buying expensive boots…plus they are comfortable enough for my short fat feet to wear all day every day for months on end. What brand? I want boots, but I haven’t had any luck finding any for my oddly shaped duck feet. > [@kayT](#): > > Just to add a vote for SAS shoes. My DH has the opposite problem, super skinny feet, and can only wear SAS. If there is a store anywhere near you, in our experience the people who work at their stores are all very good at their jobs and will work really hard to find the right shoes for you, offer to email you when sales are on, etc. Good luck! Unfortunately, the store near me is not super-professional. I ended up ordering shoes because they didn’t have anything in my size, and I’ll be surprised if I actually get them. It takes 7 to 10 days for them to ship the shoes to the store, which is very surprising. I bought some shoes on ebay that are being shipped from Australia, and if the delivery estimate is correct, I will get them in 10 days. I don’t understand why SAS can’t get them to their own store a little more quickly. 😕 And now I need to buy new socks, which is another little nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/416 "2024-01-22T03:22:05Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > What brand? I Sadly, the company died of COVID. I have a ten year old pair of SAS walking shoes that are still very comfy but I would probably like better if the lace holes weren’t so finicky. Have you looked at men’s boots? They often have wider sizes than the same woman’s boot. I grew up wearing boy’s oxford shoes because the pretty patent leather Mary Janes didn’t come in sizes to fit my duck feet. I used to cry on school picture days despite knowing that the camera wouldn’t look at my ugly feet. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/417 "2024-01-22T06:56:38Z")
I have small fat feet. When I was a teen I wore a size 5C women’s as measured by the all sizes shoe store in existence at that time. I do not remember the name of the store anymore and as far as I recall they are no longer in business. After my last pregnancy my feet got bigger. I now wear a 6 - 61/2. I doubt that my feet are _less_ wide than they were in the old days. Many times I can wear boys shoes as they don’t make men’s shoes small enough. I did get a nice pair of Just So So’s that fit pretty good for work. It’s pure luck to find anything like that though. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/418 "2024-01-22T13:43:36Z")
My gf had an extremely traumatic experience yesterday. Freshly home from vacation, I picked our dogs up and brought them home. As usual, they were ecstatic; running from one of us to the other, happy as can be. Exploring the house, etc. Then I drove to our bird sitter’s house and picked up Rocco. When I got home I found my gf outside with blood all over her and a nasty bruise on the side of her head. She was nearly hysterical and had trouble telling me what had happened. Her voice was hoarse and she was shaking uncontrollably, saying a few words then crying and unable to speak. She had taken Kizzy and Simi out in the yard to romp. Loki was napping. A deer ran out of the woods and into our yard, despite the dogs and my gf being there. It had recently been hit by a car (I assume) and its one rear leg was pretty much ripped off. The dogs went after the deer like they would a squirrel, but the deer wasn’t able to get away. They took the deer to the ground, despite my gf screaming as loudly as she could. She ran up to them and pulled the dogs off by their collars. She was “punched” in the face by the deer’s flailing feet. I got my shotgun and followed the deer’s blood trail, but it eventually petered out. I made my gf some tea with honey. Hours later she was still shaken up. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/419 "2024-01-22T13:52:24Z")
Holy shit. Poor …everybody! Are the dogs okay? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/420 "2024-01-22T13:57:39Z")
The dogs are fine. They had fun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437.md?page=22)