Random Discussions

[ajalves]

things like this are tough for me to comprehend

[The_Niddler]

things like this are tough for me to comprehend

Me too AJ.
I can understand more if it is like the Boston Bombing where they want large crowds or if they are going to a business where a coworker goes "postal" kind of thing, but I don't get the attacks on innocent children.

[ajalves]

I cant imagine getting so upset about something that I started killing random people

[Cnasty]

I recently downloaded an AP News app that will send news alerts and stuff since I am out of the loop sometimes of what is going on in the world. I think I am going to delete that and will be better off being oblivious.

Honestly there is a shooting incident every single day it seems and yes the media hypes them up to no end but man its never ending.

Insert that graph that shows shootings havent actually "rose" or some shit that has been thrown around here.

[shel311]

Yea, it stinks that I have to actively avoid having even the local news on when my boys are around.

The positive stuff just doesn't sell ads, I guess.

[cougnix]

Yea, it stinks that I have to actively avoid having even the local news on when my boys are around.

The positive stuff just doesn't sell ads, I guess.

Because the "First to Break News" slogan for the positive isn't as cool. We have stopped watching the evening news as well.

[Cnasty]

One thing I read to take note of, was that by the time this gets released Tesla may have used all of its federal tax credits (I think the get it on the first 250k units sold or something if I remember correctly).

My uncle has a Tesla, and riding in it is quite the experience, although Im interested to see just how it handles in the snow and Michigan cold, particularly how the lower temperatures alter the range on a charge. Cut it by 25%? Half? Its definitely intriguing, as you say.

I am ready to donate a kidney at this point after seeing the auto pilot feature, the Model X, and "ludicrous" mode for speed.

[Weasel]

It was cool to experience, for sure, but big picture it doesn't do much for me (speed that is). I think my focus has only seen 2500+ rpms a few times

[The_Niddler]

It was cool to experience, for sure, but big picture it doesn't do much for me (speed that is). I think my focus has only seen 2500+ rpms a few times

I used to be the complete opposite, till my son was born.
Now, I am very much like you.

[Uuaww]

how often do you need to change your oil if mileage isn't a factor? like should it not sit for 6 months? a year?

[dakshdar]

how often do you need to change your oil if mileage isn't a factor? like should it not sit for 6 months? a year?

There will be a million answers for this that vary depending on your car type, oil type, what you're using the vehicle for (towing, lots of short stop and go trips), and the conditions where you live (dusty or not).

6 months is probably a good starting point for most average use vehicles that are not hitting 5k-7k miles in that time (as something in that range is the "new" recommended oil change for mileage and not the old standard 3k miles). I'm in that category (I think I hit 7k a year if that) and I tend to go for oil changes more on time than mileage as I'm commuting to work and have 8-10 stop lights in an 8 mile trip (depending on the route).

You can try looking up your specific car online (and checking the manual) and see what you can find. And, if you can change the oil yourself, it isn't that expensive and there isn't real harm in doing it more often than it needs (other than cost and waste of oil -- though it's somewhat recycled now-a-days).

Taking it to a quick lube place isn't a bad option, just never let them do anything else while you're there, especially the "cabin air filter replacement" which costs you $50 for a $19 part that you can swap out yourself in about 5 minutes.

[The_Niddler]

The rule of thumb is 3 months or 3,000 miles if it is conventional oil or 6 months or 7,000 miles if it is a synthetic blend or up to 10,000 miles for full synthetic.
If the car is barely driven, you still want to change it at least every 6 months for conventional oil and once per year for synthetic blends or full synthetic.

The problem is, if a car is driven, even if not that much, acids build up and can start to pit or corrode parts of the engine internally.
Synthetic oil does not break down nearly as quickly as conventional oil so you can go a lot longer between oil changes.

[Cnasty]

Another pro for the Tesla this exact discussion!!

I go synthetic currently and change every 7-10k.

[Uuaww]

I'll get good oil, and get it changed soon. I've owned the car for 4 months and have put on about 1800 miles.

[dakshdar]

There are few things I hate more than dealing with my health insurance company and medical billing companies. I want to reach through the phone and strangle people.

[Cnasty]

There are few things I hate more than dealing with my health insurance company and medical billing companies. I want to reach through the phone and strangle people.

I lead an entire team that does nothing but this on the daily. It takes a special personality to deal with the frustration that is America's insurance nightmare.

[Cnasty]

Simple, yet perfect.

[dakshdar]

It's like bizarro world. I have some bill that my insurance company processed, deemed out of network, but services were rendered in an in network hospital, so they sent me a check to pay 80% of the bill. I haven't received the bill from the provider (services rendered 4.5 months ago) and the insurance company has no phone number to get in contact with the provider. The provider has a name that appears to link them to the hospital we had our second child at. But that hospital has no record of the bill and says it isn't them. Meanwhile, the insurance company used up all my health spending account dollars to "pay" the bill.

I think it is some weird physicians network/"doctor's union" that bills separately. But, according to my wife's ob-gyn, the working agreement in the system is that whatever doctor is on call when the baby is delivered submits their bill to the woman's ob-gyn and gets paid through them, so we only pay her ob-gyn. Seemingly, we're getting billed by both of them this time around, and no one can work out the reason why.

[Cnasty]

In most major healthcare systems these types of providers are not employees of the hospital and practice under their own terms and bill separately.

They are out of network a very large portion of the time as they do not have the same contracts as the hospital. I bet Weasel is out of network for all the patients he is treating as a guess or hell he has no idea as most docs don't.

If you complain enough, the provider will adjust their bill to an in network rate and that check you got should cover you to pay the portion you owe. If you can't even find who they are, get the medical records and it will be on there and you can easily find the provider and follow up directly with their billing company and get it hashed away. If in an extreme circumstance none of that works, I would escalate it to the administration at the hospital even though they are not the ones billing you they should be willing to assist if you get to the right person. Call administration/patient advocate. Not the number on your bill.

If you need more 1 on 1 help, happy to assist as much as I can. Good luck.

[dakshdar]

Appreciate it. Don't know the number on the actual bill, haven't gotten it yet. Only see what is on the EOB form from insurance (which is a PO Box of a billing company and not the provider).

The whole fact that a doctor, that you can't choose, treats you in an in-network hospital but is out of network themselves, is mind-boggling.