Ask Slashdot: Starting From Scratch After a Burglary? 770
New submitter sc30317 writes "My house got robbed on Friday, and all of our electronics got stolen. Everything. Now, I have to go out and buy all new electronics with the insurance money. We had five TVs (don't ask), three laptops, a Bose Sound dock with iPod, a digital camera, and a desktop stolen. It's looking like I am going to get around $10K from the insurance company to replace everything. What would you do if you had to replace ALL of your technology in your house at once? I'm thinking:
replace TVs; nice Desktop; new speakers; and new, cool stuff I don't know about (suggestions welcome). I already added a DVR security system, so hopefully the new things won't get burgled! Looking for suggestions to utilize my money in order to get the best stuff. Also, no Windows computers allowed in my house."
sorry about your loss (Score:3, Interesting)
...However, I would be worried about how to replace the content that was lost. Going to work on cutting a backup copy this weekend myself.
Re:Wait to see what you need based on use. (Score:5, Interesting)
Unfortunately a lot of the time insurance claims don't work this way. I had a lightning strike recently that took out 90% of my electronics.
My policy was "new for old", but until I bought the "new", I received only the depreciated value of the "old".
If it were only this, I would still advocate your strategy, however there was also a 6 month time limit to purchase the "new", send receipts in, and get reimbursed for the depreciation.
Long story short - you may lose out on a lot of money if you don't replace that stuff now.
Re:If you had a Windows computer (Score:4, Interesting)
Modded funny . . . ? I just got back from a business trip to Brussels. The folks there told me that their office was recently burglarized. The thieves took valuable iPads, but didn't touch worthless ThinkPad W520s.
So there is value, in having something, that doesn't look valuable.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Interesting)
I had a female huskey while living in an apartment growing up, and we could be rough with that dog to our hearts content and she'd either love to play, or would just get annoyed and run off. One day someone jumped the fence and broke the glass door into the apartment, and all we saw when we got home (other than the glass) was a nice bit of blood and a trail going back towards the fence.
You say don't ask, but I just have to... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why only 5 TVs ?
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Interesting)
Barking dog is good. Don't need mean.
My friend's house was broken in twice. Their barking dog didn't help at all. First time she was thrown out of the window and was found wandering outside later, and the second time she was locked up in a closet.
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually American English in key respects is the most divergent in spelling, and you will find that most other countries where English is dominant (ie. Canada, the UK, Australia) or very common (India) tend towards British spelling. I notice this is changing in Canada where the "u" in words like "colour" and "neighbour" is being dropped.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Interesting)
A dog will let the members of his pack do a lot to him. Some stranger shows up on the scene, and watch out.
We had a little dog (terrier poodle cross), friendliest and silliest little dog you could imagine, and one day we had a building inspector come over to the place we were renovating for a surprise inspection. Our little dog picked up on our stress, and stood between us and the inspector bearing his teeth. He knew this was an unwanted stranger, and despite his small size, his instincts to protect the pack from danger kicked in.
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Interesting)
A large dog with a protective streak (like a Great Pyrenees!) make amazing guard dogs. When they "stand" (e.g., put their front paws up on something)... well, ours gets close to 6' tall when he's upright. 30" at his hind quarters right now, and he's about 8 months old... over 90lbs probably. He is not a nice looking dog when he thinks you are a threat and barks to tell you so. On the other hand... he's remarkably gentle, especially with kids (livestock guardian dog by breed - we do live on an acre and will have some livestock), loving (if rather independent and sometimes resents being told or forced to do something), and is more or less like a giant teddy bear that gets really upset when something is on his property that isn't supposed to be. Really upset... though, in general, they try to bark/scare off, not attack.
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Interesting)
Some other words do fit the pattern. Antagonists don't antagon, they antagonize. Capitalists don't capital, they capitalize. But, communists could either commune or communize, with somewhat different meaning.
Re:Shotgun and big scary dog. (Score:2, Interesting)
Oh yes, because interfering on a situation where a person and his 5 year old daughter are pointed up at gunpoint is going to end up well, sure... the BEST you can do in a situation like this is to just let them take whatever they want. Unless someone is at risk or the situation is going beyond the robbery, it's not worth the risk to do anything about it.
Re:Personal Information (Score:4, Interesting)
Everyone asks why on earth you'd want to use Bitlocker or Truecrypt. Here's the reason.
It really is surprising (Score:5, Interesting)
It seems like almost all dogs can get really protective when they feel the need, even when you wouldn't think so.
We had a really doofy standard poodle. She was an idiot, even on the demeaning scale of dog intelligence. If dogs rode buses, she'd ride the short one. The most loving dog you ever saw. Just wanted to be petted and cuddled and lay on your lap (despite being 90 pounds, she thought she was a lap dog) all day, every day. The least fearsome beast I'd ever met.
Then one day I'm taking the dogs on a walk. A friend of mine is biking by and decides to try and scare me, so he yells as he rides by. The poodle goes in to attach mode. Fangs bared, loud, menacing barks, back down on her legs ready to lunge. She then recognized him and turned in tot eh friendly teddy bear she usually is.
I never thought she had it in her, but she was ready to kill.