Recent posts

#1

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by kkt - Today at 06:10:17 PM

A couple money-related ones.  One is the short expiration cycle for rewards points at Price Chopper/Market32/Market Bistro.  The checkouts only give the option to use them when you have more than 500.  You can use them before, but have to specifically request it, so I usually wait until then unless I see that some are expiring.  Well, I somehow missed the thing on my receipts mentioning points expiring (either it's gotten less obvious or I got so used to hitting 500 before this happens that I've stopped checking as vigorously as I should) until I finished checking out today, and now I have a few points expiring by the end of the month with no way to use them in time.

Well, yeah, the purpose of loyalty points is not to give you stuff for free, it's to keep you coming back.  Putting limitations in the way of redeeming the points keeps the program from costing them too much.

#2

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by jeffandnicole - Today at 06:08:49 PM

A couple money-related ones.  One is the short expiration cycle for rewards points at Price Chopper/Market32/Market Bistro.  The checkouts only give the option to use them when you have more than 500.  You can use them before, but have to specifically request it, so I usually wait until then unless I see that some are expiring.  Well, I somehow missed the thing on my receipts mentioning points expiring (either it's gotten less obvious or I got so used to hitting 500 before this happens that I've stopped checking as vigorously as I should) until I finished checking out today, and now I have a few points expiring by the end of the month with no way to use them in time.

A number of reward programs do this, and it sucks.  McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are 2 I've lost points on since they now expire. Actually with McD's, using the points usually results in a smaller savings than just using one of the basic rewards, so I rarely actually use them. Much of the time using the reward programs gets me discounts so I benefit from that, but I forget about or purposely don't use the accumulated points. 

#3

Canada / Re: Quebec's Highways

Last post by LilianaUwU - Today at 06:08:06 PM

They are happy with the 100 km/h speed limit with no plans to raise it to 110 km/h.

Of course they are, they can rack up more speeding tickets that way.

#4

Northeast / Re: Pennsylvania

Last post by jeffandnicole - Today at 05:52:17 PM

Penn State happens to publish old campus maps that I personally find interesting. I've yet to find a town map of State College in PSU libraries or published by the state, so for now this page has to suffice. Walking around campus, there's some geography notes I've found interesting:

• 1992 map: what on earth are those phone numbers? I've seen 7 digit phone numbers (area code is implied), but never 5 digit ones.

This is a product of the phone system the college uses.  Using a phone within the college's system, they only need to dial the 5 numbers shown.  The 1st number is the last number of the local extension (ie: 623-3064.  If you needed to call from outside the school's system, just dial the 7 digit number, which is now probably area code plus 7 digit number).  Each professor's office, classroom, administration and other offices all probably had 5 digit numbers as well. 

State offices in Trenton, NJ have the same (or at least similar) system, although some Divisions and Departments have changed to a newer system that involves dialing all 10 digits. 

#5

Weather / Re: Severe Weather

Last post by epzik8 - Today at 05:52:02 PM

Nebraska hit with tornadoes.

https://www.wowt.com/2024/04/27/live-updates-tornado-survivors-around-omaha-metro-take-stock-move-forward-aftermath/

Wild seeing clips of those massive tornadoes in Lincoln and Omaha.

#6

Canada / Re: Quebec's Highways

Last post by Great Lakes Roads - Today at 05:44:17 PM

Meanwhile in Quebec:

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/video/c2910630-should-quebec-increase-speed-limits-on-highways-

They are happy with the 100 km/h speed limit with no plans to raise it to 110 km/h.

#7

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by vdeane - Today at 05:14:03 PM

A couple money-related ones.  One is the short expiration cycle for rewards points at Price Chopper/Market32/Market Bistro.  The checkouts only give the option to use them when you have more than 500.  You can use them before, but have to specifically request it, so I usually wait until then unless I see that some are expiring.  Well, I somehow missed the thing on my receipts mentioning points expiring (either it's gotten less obvious or I got so used to hitting 500 before this happens that I've stopped checking as vigorously as I should) until I finished checking out today, and now I have a few points expiring by the end of the month with no way to use them in time.

Likewise, my endocrinologist changed how they coded my lab work a few years ago.  Since I work for NYSDOT and have the state health insurance plan, it's split up in odd ways, with medical/surgical care being under United, but hospital under Blue Cross.  When I first started going to them, the lab work was coded as lab work which paid out under United, but a couple years ago they switch coding to something else that gets paid out under Blue Cross for some reason, resulting in my copay doubling.  It also means that I still have to pay a bill for them, even though IIRC lab work with an office visit shouldn't be resulting in charges anymore.  I tried arguing with them over the bill the first time they did this, but they refused to change it.

In a non-money related one, Vivaldi appears to have adopted Chrome's large-text menus rather than using the system menus with no option to change back.  Ugh.  Chrome's are ugly and too big.

#8

Weather / Re: Severe Weather

Last post by bing101 - Today at 04:45:24 PM

Nebraska hit with tornadoes.

https://www.wowt.com/2024/04/27/live-updates-tornado-survivors-around-omaha-metro-take-stock-move-forward-aftermath/

#9

General Highway Talk / Re: Routing Decisions that can...

Last post by TheStranger - Today at 04:32:09 PM

This whole thread reminds me of when I had to go back up from Palmdale to the Bay Area back in 2019, and I was hearing inklings of snow in the Grapevine area:

My original plan for that day was 14-138-5-46-101, but my friend in the area suggested I go 14 to Santa Clarita, then 126-101, which ended up working out as there were some closures on 5 after all! 

#10

Mid-South / Re: April bid openings: $1.09 ...

Last post by Rothman - Today at 04:24:02 PM

As a UT fan, any use of my tax dollars to help OU fans get to Dallas is a non-starter for me.

The governor as a fellow longhorn must stand up to such fiscal frivolousness.

He better not rollover and let out of state crimson and cream influences dictate Texas policy.

Suggesting that programming of transportation projects should be based not on actual need but on college football loyalties is absolutely unhinged behavior.

Nah.  I'm with him on keeping OU fans out of Dallas.

That's ridiculous to oppose a highway upgrade based off of OU fans coming into Texas. It's not like they're going to be deterred from coming to a football game because a highway is 4-lanes instead of 6-lanes. Might as well get the upgrade because it will be needed in the future 

I don't know.  If you want to keep the riff raff out, it does seem like policy options are available.  Perhaps a toll on just out-of-staters would work...