VGC's Anonymous/"General" Topic:

[turf]

Been noticing low to no water pressure in my home, so I called up my home warranty to get them to send someone out.  Paid my service fee.  Never get a call from a contractor about coming, so I have to reach out to them.  They tell me they called and no voicemail was available, told them I answered every local call since putting in the request and my voicemail is set up and receive non local voicemails daily.  Excuses, they schedule me for like a week out.  They finally come and the thing that was thought was bad was bad, but they have to do a bunch of prerequisite work before doing the repair.  Home warranty doesn't cover access costs, modifications for access, and any new work that needs to be done due to local, state, or federal codes... so I get to pay $600 out of pocket (that includes my service fee) to get the work done... and it sounds like they might change their mind and not cover anything because the part they do cover is located outside of the foundation of my home... which I'll fight tooth and nail because the contract definitely says nothing allowing them to decline that.

In general I've been having a shitty time lately.  My car started having check engine light stuff right before PAX South.  Decided to do the repair myself because it sounded easy.  Went to get the code cleared and the code didn't go away.  Tried another repair.  Looked easy.  Was a royal pain in the ass and hurt my arm, not too badly, but it felt like it was bruised but doesn't look bruised.  Went to get the code cleared, waited on purpose so I could get a different person to clear the code this time.  Code went away.  Occurred to me that the person who cleared the code the first time didn't clear the code at all, so the second repair was likely for nothing.

Stray cat appeared outside my house and kept hanging out because my wife was giving it attention.  Adopted the cat and had tons of vet bills.   Can't keep the cat because our cat really doesn't get along with it (like kind of violently doesn't get along).  No clue how we are going to get rid of this cat, but I'm sure it's going to cost me more money.

And before the car/water stuff occurred JJgames started the process of going out of business so I bought a shit ton of PS1/PS2 games.  And I've gotten into collecting PS1 which I really didn't want to start, so I bought a bunch of PS1 games.

Edit: Plus timing has seen us having our annual doctors appointments and new glasses and contacts.  Kid had allergy appointment and bloodwork done.  Dentist appointment which might turn into dental work.

And I can't even do my taxes because there is always something that comes last minute tax wise.

I'm just hemorrhaging money lately.

Look at the bright side. At least you had the money to cover it.

[ignition365]

Been noticing low to no water pressure in my home, so I called up my home warranty to get them to send someone out.  Paid my service fee.  Never get a call from a contractor about coming, so I have to reach out to them.  They tell me they called and no voicemail was available, told them I answered every local call since putting in the request and my voicemail is set up and receive non local voicemails daily.  Excuses, they schedule me for like a week out.  They finally come and the thing that was thought was bad was bad, but they have to do a bunch of prerequisite work before doing the repair.  Home warranty doesn't cover access costs, modifications for access, and any new work that needs to be done due to local, state, or federal codes... so I get to pay $600 out of pocket (that includes my service fee) to get the work done... and it sounds like they might change their mind and not cover anything because the part they do cover is located outside of the foundation of my home... which I'll fight tooth and nail because the contract definitely says nothing allowing them to decline that.

In general I've been having a shitty time lately.  My car started having check engine light stuff right before PAX South.  Decided to do the repair myself because it sounded easy.  Went to get the code cleared and the code didn't go away.  Tried another repair.  Looked easy.  Was a royal pain in the ass and hurt my arm, not too badly, but it felt like it was bruised but doesn't look bruised.  Went to get the code cleared, waited on purpose so I could get a different person to clear the code this time.  Code went away.  Occurred to me that the person who cleared the code the first time didn't clear the code at all, so the second repair was likely for nothing.

Stray cat appeared outside my house and kept hanging out because my wife was giving it attention.  Adopted the cat and had tons of vet bills.   Can't keep the cat because our cat really doesn't get along with it (like kind of violently doesn't get along).  No clue how we are going to get rid of this cat, but I'm sure it's going to cost me more money.

And before the car/water stuff occurred JJgames started the process of going out of business so I bought a shit ton of PS1/PS2 games.  And I've gotten into collecting PS1 which I really didn't want to start, so I bought a bunch of PS1 games.

Edit: Plus timing has seen us having our annual doctors appointments and new glasses and contacts.  Kid had allergy appointment and bloodwork done.  Dentist appointment which might turn into dental work.

And I can't even do my taxes because there is always something that comes last minute tax wise.

I'm just hemorrhaging money lately.

Look at the bright side. At least you had the money to cover it.

Geez did that text get small quick.

I guessssssssssss.  But that money is draining fast.

[pzeke]

Stray cat appeared outside my house and kept hanging out because my wife was giving it attention.  Adopted the cat and had tons of vet bills.   Can't keep the cat because our cat really doesn't get along with it (like kind of violently doesn't get along).  No clue how we are going to get rid of this cat, but I'm sure it's going to cost me more money.

Cats are fickle – in your situation you need to introduce the newcomer to the resident cat slowly. Put the newcomer in another room, and make sure they don't see each other. After a while, take the newcomer out of the room it's in and place it elsewhere where the resident cat can't see it, then place the resident cat in the room where the newcomer was. By "resident cat" I'm obviously referring to your cat, so while your cat is in the room, let the newcomer explore your house. Do this for as long as possible until they get along. The basic premise is your cat will slowly get used to the other cat's scent, which is basically how cats operate.

You can also place a bowl of food on either side of a closed door. The bowls should be placed close enough, but with enough distance so that the cats have to walk up to them, eat and then go about their business once they're done. This helps them—especially the resident cat—know that there's another cat in the house and eventually they will get along.

Please, refrain from scolding your cat if it behaves unfavorably in this juncture. If it has been the only cat you've owned, especially if it's older, it's very normal for it to behave the way it has. Just give it time and they will get along.

[ignition365]

Stray cat appeared outside my house and kept hanging out because my wife was giving it attention.  Adopted the cat and had tons of vet bills.   Can't keep the cat because our cat really doesn't get along with it (like kind of violently doesn't get along).  No clue how we are going to get rid of this cat, but I'm sure it's going to cost me more money.

1) Cats are fickle – in your situation you need to introduce the newcomer to the resident cat slowly. Put the newcomer in another room, and make sure they don't see each other. After a while, take the newcomer out of the room it's in and place it elsewhere where the resident cat can't see it, then place the resident cat in the room where the newcomer was. By "resident cat" I'm obviously referring to your cat, so while your cat is in the room, let the newcomer explore your house. Do this for as long as possible until they get along. The basic premise is your cat will slowly get used to the other cat's scent, which is basically how cats operate.

2) You can also place a bowl of food on either side of a closed door. The bowls should be placed close enough, but with enough distance so that the cats have to walk up to them, eat and then go about their business once their done. This helps them—especially the resident cat—know that there's another cat in the house and eventually they will get along.

3) Please, refrain from scolding your cat if it behaves unfavorably in this juncture. If it has been the only cat you've owned, especially if it's older, it's very normal for it to behave the way it has. Just give it time and they will get along.

1) New cat lives in a bathroom mostly.  We occasionally let her out and put her in a crate so she's still contained and our cat can see her without fear of being attacked.  New cat is a year younger than our cat and super friendly, she just wants to play.  Our cat is super scared of every little thing and gets super defensive when uncomfortable.  She doesn't attack people, she usually chooses to hide and does fine if she's left alone, but new cat wants to play so our cat winds up cornering herself and freaks out.  She's the type of cat that needs to be put to sleep to get shots or anything done.  We haven't tried putting our cat in the bathroom when the new cat is out, but our cat knows how to open doors, she's quite long.  My wife was stupid and let the new cat loose early on and it caused a whole situation that probably set it a net negative in progress, and I told her because of that we need to see about rehoming her, this is her fault.

2) We try this and usually our cat will just refuse to eat until we move the bowl away from the door, she has slowly let us move it closer and closer.

3) Any time our cat gets near or interacts with the new cat we generally give her treats.  From what I understand cats don't understand negative reinforcement, so any scolding won't help anyway.

[pzeke]

Yeah, a negative experience could affect the potential relationship between the two, but it can still be worked out. I would still suggest to follow my advice, especially making sure your cat doesn't see the new one for a period of time—they need to be acquainted, so having your cat stay in the place you keep the new one so that it can get used to the scent is a great way to "stimulate" a bond between them. It takes time, but works. Do keep in mind that not all cats necessarily become friends, but they will at least tolerate each other.

Remember that your house has been your cat's territory, and the addition of a new one will undoubtedly put a strain on it.

In regards to the bowl, don't place it directly behind the door, it's preferable to place the bowl at a distance and move it closer to the door each day.

Like I said, cats are fickle; one alone can be quite a hassle, two are a chore, so if you believe it would be best to find the cat a new home, please do.

[turf]

Stray cat appeared outside my house and kept hanging out because my wife was giving it attention.  Adopted the cat and had tons of vet bills.   Can't keep the cat because our cat really doesn't get along with it (like kind of violently doesn't get along).  No clue how we are going to get rid of this cat, but I'm sure it's going to cost me more money.

1) Cats are fickle – in your situation you need to introduce the newcomer to the resident cat slowly. Put the newcomer in another room, and make sure they don't see each other. After a while, take the newcomer out of the room it's in and place it elsewhere where the resident cat can't see it, then place the resident cat in the room where the newcomer was. By "resident cat" I'm obviously referring to your cat, so while your cat is in the room, let the newcomer explore your house. Do this for as long as possible until they get along. The basic premise is your cat will slowly get used to the other cat's scent, which is basically how cats operate.

2) You can also place a bowl of food on either side of a closed door. The bowls should be placed close enough, but with enough distance so that the cats have to walk up to them, eat and then go about their business once their done. This helps them—especially the resident cat—know that there's another cat in the house and eventually they will get along.

3) Please, refrain from scolding your cat if it behaves unfavorably in this juncture. If it has been the only cat you've owned, especially if it's older, it's very normal for it to behave the way it has. Just give it time and they will get along.

1) New cat lives in a bathroom mostly.  We occasionally let her out and put her in a crate so she's still contained and our cat can see her without fear of being attacked.  New cat is a year younger than our cat and super friendly, she just wants to play.  Our cat is super scared of every little thing and gets super defensive when uncomfortable.  She doesn't attack people, she usually chooses to hide and does fine if she's left alone, but new cat wants to play so our cat winds up cornering herself and freaks out.  She's the type of cat that needs to be put to sleep to get shots or anything done.  We haven't tried putting our cat in the bathroom when the new cat is out, but our cat knows how to open doors, she's quite long.  My wife was stupid and let the new cat loose early on and it caused a whole situation that probably set it a net negative in progress, and I told her because of that we need to see about rehoming her, this is her fault.

2) We try this and usually our cat will just refuse to eat until we move the bowl away from the door, she has slowly let us move it closer and closer.

3) Any time our cat gets near or interacts with the new cat we generally give her treats.  From what I understand cats don't understand negative reinforcement, so any scolding won't help anyway.

Cats are assholes. Just let them work it out. They won’t kill each other. A little ass kicking just establishes the pecking order.
They’ll be licking each other’s buttholes in no time.

[Warmsignal]

I was unfortunately involved in a mass eBay fraud for the first time. Seller took my money, never heard a peep out of my item or from him again. Turns out, probably about 100 other people got the same treatment from this seller, who was actually very established with thousands of positive feedback. He just went awol somehow while people kept ordering, and not getting their stuff. Now he's closed up shop. He left me positive buyer feedback the day I bought, but never sent anything, so he wasn't missing. I think eBay might have shut him down.

What's worse, in a situation like this you're looking at 2-3 weeks to get it resolved. The first two weeks are just given to him by the platform, then the resolution process is another week or so before you'll see a refund. Hate getting my money tied up in mistakes and mishaps online. Very slow process.

[pzeke]

Cats are assholes. Just let them work it out. They won’t kill each other. A little ass kicking just establishes the pecking order.
They’ll be licking each other’s buttholes in no time.

Unfortunately with cats things don't work that way. Sure, he can let them "work it out" but it would pretty much be at the expense of his sanity. And yes, that sounds exaggerated, but like you said, cats are assholes, so it's usually their way or the highway. Once you own a cat, you have to assert yourself so the cat knows you're the alpha, as trite as that may sound. Cats aren't as independent as most people lead to believe, so when you own one you have to set rules and boundaries. Like ignition365 correctly stated, cats don't particularly react well to negative reinforcement, so it's always a patience game with them.

[kashell]

I'm super excited to announce that after who-knows-how-long, I'll be vacationing to Japan for two weeks later this year. This has been my top bucket list item since I first learned about some of Japan's history and culture in middle school. Obviously, getting into anime and certain games enhanced the interest. Learning the language in college and continuing to study it on my own was the icing on this cake.

My husband and I will be going with another couple that has been to Japan twice. So, not only do we get to go with some of our best friends, but we'll be going with folks that already know some of the cool places to check out. It hasn't fully hit me yet that this is happening. I'm already counting down the days.

[soera]

I'm super excited to announce that after who-knows-how-long, I'll be vacationing to Japan for two weeks later this year. This has been my top bucket list item since I first learned about some of Japan's history and culture in middle school. Obviously, getting into anime and certain games enhanced the interest. Learning the language in college and continuing to study it on my own was the icing on this cake.

My husband and I will be going with another couple that has been to Japan twice. So, not only do we get to go with some of our best friends, but we'll be going with folks that already know some of the cool places to check out. It hasn't fully hit me yet that this is happening. I'm already counting down the days.

Im so jealous. You want to come to Oklahoma and pick me up? I should fit in a decent sized suitcase.

[Warmsignal]

Just got snagged by another fraud. It's not my week. Bought from the seller because he shows an excellent condition copy in photos, then he sends me a mangled, mangy, beater copy riddled with stickers and nastiness. 

It's going back.

EDIT: Just realized the disc is cracked as well. Nice!

[kashell]

I'm super excited to announce that after who-knows-how-long, I'll be vacationing to Japan for two weeks later this year. This has been my top bucket list item since I first learned about some of Japan's history and culture in middle school. Obviously, getting into anime and certain games enhanced the interest. Learning the language in college and continuing to study it on my own was the icing on this cake.

My husband and I will be going with another couple that has been to Japan twice. So, not only do we get to go with some of our best friends, but we'll be going with folks that already know some of the cool places to check out. It hasn't fully hit me yet that this is happening. I'm already counting down the days.

I think one of the planes lands in Texas - we can meet halfway!
Im so jealous. You want to come to Oklahoma and pick me up? I should fit in a decent sized suitcase.

[pzeke]

Remember fellow gamers, a sub-genre in a video game is highly important, as unbelievable as it may seem—it's what defines the game, one would say. A first-person shooter is wholly different to a third-person shooter; a racing game is entirely different to a kart racer; and, most importantly, sports games have their respective sub-genres because the distinction is undeniably important. I know, it's crazy, but trust me when I say that it's common sense.

[turf]

Remember fellow gamers, a sub-genre in a video game is highly important, as unbelievable as it may seem—it's what defines the game, one would say. A first-person shooter is wholly different to a third-person shooter; a racing game is entirely different to a kart racer; and, most importantly, sports games have their respective sub-genres because the distinction is undeniably important. I know, it's crazy; but trust me when I say that it's common sense.

Don’t be a dick. Leave that over in the thread it was started in. 
This string of bullshit doesn’t need that negativity.

[seether]

The rules of this forum are kinda all over the place.

The post containing the rules claims that the rules are 'clearly defined': https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10628.0.html

However one of the rules is
"Low Quality Posts
a. Posting a high volume of low quality posts is not allowed on VGCollect.  Spamming the forum, even in the Off Topic section, is not allowed."

First of all, what constitutes 'low quality' is both subjective and not defined - secondly by the absolute letter of this law only 'a high volume' is prohibited and this too is both subjective and not defined.

Thirdly, while the law is stated to explicitly apply even to the Off Topic section, the off topic section by its inherent nature is stated to be an area of anything that is off topic.

I have raised this with the moderator to which the reply was "Subjective or not, rules are enforced at moderator's discretion." Meaning essentially you can be banned for anything at any time if a mod doesn't like you.

This forum is basically a dystopian dictatorship with ill defined rule of law held to the standards of arbitrary honey words that call themselves rules.