MegHidd

Is Neopets down for anyone else? One second I was entering a contest and now the whole website tells me Error 543, the website is currently unavailable. Does anyone else think it might have to do with the glitching in Charity Corner? 
 
A side note, anyone else want to see Scrap appear with the Captain in Charity Corner. He was always one of my favorites from the comics. 

I've been playing on my main account for almost eleven years and that's a really long time to NEVER see some things...
Here's my conspiracy list. Does anyone concur? 
1.) I've never won Guess the Marrow.
2.) Smuggler's Cove never has anything to sell.
3.) The Almost Abandoned Attic has always just ran out of items.
4.) Refreshing for avatars and battledome challengers has never actually worked. 
5.) I've never gotten past The Gatherer (and that petpet) on the Altador Plot.
6.) The Turmaculus can never be woken up apparently ever.
7.) Qasalan Expellibox gave me neocash once, and a disease twelve hundred times.
8.) The Daily Puzzle often isn't refreshed very daily.
9.) I've found the guy sleeping at the magma pool four times, but gathered all the worms for the cave quest once.
10.) I can't beat the first guy on Neoquest and it sucks.
And a Extra Side Note just because I saw it today, did anyone notice that they changed the Altador Cup Trophy from looking like....you know....to a normal cup? 
And that's my list. 

I guess I'm kind of in the middle of the road here, I seems to have reasonably good luck with REs and faerie quests (have had a couple of FFQs over the years) but I cannot for the life of me do other things:
I can wobble coconuts at the Shy every day but never knocked one down Turmy has woken for me a couple times but never eats my pet Daily Kiko Pop play but no avatar Daily telling special joke to King Skarl but no avatar (am really, REALLY tired of that "joke") My last worm in Moltara does not exist either I cannot get a fortune with "Kyrii" in it for that avatar Completed my lab map a couple months ago, but have had one species/color change. ONE. Every other day it is +2 points in some stat, then the very next day it is -2 points in the same stat LOL "Random" avatars (neomail, graveyard, etc) do not like me Wonder how many of these "random" things are truly random or if the game is specifically weighted for them to be nearly impossible ?

Oh I feel ya too! For me the list is a bit different as I focus on getting all the avatars:
Playing for 17 years:
Deserted Tomb will not give me an avatar Wheel of excitement will not land on the star Kiko pop same, no avatar Turmaculus won't eat my petpet Snowager blast me plenty but refuses to give me that one hit with that avatar Qasalan Expellibox has never ever given me NC I have never found a major Buried Treasure I have never been able to feed a kad (have not really tried a lot tho) I have never had a lucky Robot Kacheek zap from the labray (or a pea chia or a chocolate pet)  
I'm sure I could come up with more but I'm tired and going to get me some sleep XD
 

I've been playing on my main account for almost eleven years and that's a really long time to NEVER see some things...
Here's my conspiracy list. Does anyone concur? 
1.) I've never won Guess the Marrow.
2.) Smuggler's Cove never has anything to sell.
3.) The Almost Abandoned Attic has always just ran out of items.
4.) Refreshing for avatars and battledome challengers has never actually worked. 
5.) I've never gotten past The Gatherer (and that petpet) on the Altador Plot.
6.) The Turmaculus can never be woken up apparently ever.
7.) Qasalan Expellibox gave me neocash once, and a disease twelve hundred times.
8.) The Daily Puzzle often isn't refreshed very daily.
9.) I've found the guy sleeping at the magma pool four times, but gathered all the worms for the cave quest once.
10.) I can't beat the first guy on Neoquest and it sucks.
And a Extra Side Note just because I saw it today, did anyone notice that they changed the Altador Cup Trophy from looking like....you know....to a normal cup? 
And that's my list. 

I've been playing on my main account for almost eleven years and that's a really long time to NEVER see some things...
Here's my conspiracy list. Does anyone concur? 
1.) I've never won Guess the Marrow.
2.) Smuggler's Cove never has anything to sell.
3.) The Almost Abandoned Attic has always just ran out of items.
4.) Refreshing for avatars and battledome challengers has never actually worked. 
5.) I've never gotten past The Gatherer (and that petpet) on the Altador Plot.
6.) The Turmaculus can never be woken up apparently ever.
7.) Qasalan Expellibox gave me neocash once, and a disease twelve hundred times.
8.) The Daily Puzzle often isn't refreshed very daily.
9.) I've found the guy sleeping at the magma pool four times, but gathered all the worms for the cave quest once.
10.) I can't beat the first guy on Neoquest and it sucks.
And a Extra Side Note just because I saw it today, did anyone notice that they changed the Altador Cup Trophy from looking like....you know....to a normal cup? 
And that's my list. 

It's broken for everyone. That or there is nothing for sale but we are all getting this same page. ?
 

This happened to me too. I hope they can fix it soon, I actually needed my pets to be healed  and one of them is a kyrii...I don't think the apple will do quite what the 'doctor' intended. 

This happened to me too. I hope they can fix it soon, I actually needed my pets to be healed  and one of them is a kyrii...I don't think the apple will do quite what the 'doctor' intended. 

That's totally fair, it depends A LOT on the size of you versus the size of your car! And I did forget that I do also have a brush in my car for clearing the snow off..... Sorry! That brush really does help a lot. I have to (usually) use the sleeve of my parka to access the backseat of the car, where I keep the brush, but after that the brush does help to get the snow off. Also, I don't know about this rubber windshield wiper-like thing you mention, but I am going to look into it! 
Yeah, I think that is a really good point... it helps a lot to be prepared for this stuff. If you try to go buy a shovel the night before the first big snow storm, you will be SOL. Plan ahead and deal with this stuff as early as you can. Whenever that happens to be for you personally. If it makes you feel more comfortable, when you first move just buy an extra can or two of whatever you normally eat and put the extras in the back of a cupboard. The first time you buy pet food in Philadelphia, buy an extra small bag or fill up a well-sealed container and throw it in a closet... or wait until the first time there is a great sale and stock up then. Whichever works better for you, your life, your budget, and your personal anxiety. (I am someone who would rather spend a ton of money but cross stuff off a list ASAP, some people would rather be intentional and methodical about preparing for the winter in a cost-effective and non-panicked way, ymmv and that's okay.) 
I second the lightbox idea, actually. It can be hard to adjust to the darkness, and there is no shame whatsoever in taking care of yourself. I personally, in the winter, use a lightbox (which is basically just a VERY BRIGHT LAMP) that's on a timer, so it turns on right in my face like 15 minutes before my alarm goes off. There are also alarm clocks that gradually turn on a bright light, mimicking the sunrise. You can also just shine a lightbox on yourself for 10-15 minutes while eating breakfast. Whatever works for you, go for it. The lightboxes tend to be considerably cheaper (on Amazon maybe ~$30-40 versus $50-60 or more for a light alarm clock), but do whatever works for you. I know my university has lightboxes you can borrow from the library, and I bet the public library in St. Paul does too. If you want to try something like this out before committing to spending a lot of $$$, I would look into libraries or community centers in Philadelphia to see if you can borrow a lightbox for a week or two before making a purchase. 
I have infinite suggestions about winter clothing, but I shall keep them to myself until asked lol >.< 

Have a kit for inside your house as well.   Very possible to lose power in a winter storm, you'll want a flashlight somewhere you can get to it easily in the dark.   A couple night lights that have their own battery power can be a huge help.   Depending on just where you live, might also want to make sure you have food and bottled water for a couple days, just in case you get snowed in.  I live out in a farm house, so I also keep a kerosene heater handy to keep the house warm enough the pipes don't freeze.

Be aware of your shoes and socks.   Ideally, you can avoid stepping in semi-frozen slush, but if you do, a good shoe can make a world of difference.   And if your foot does get wet, you'll very much want a pair of dry socks handy.   Wet feet in winter aren't just uncomfortable, they can be dangerous if you can't get out of them right away.   Frostbite is not funny.

Think in layers.   A t-shirt and a heavy coat might be good when you head outside, but when you get to work or where ever, a t-shirt might be too light, and the coat too heavy.   Or if you're outside doing something, coat might become too warm.   Try something like a T-shirt, sweat shirt, jacket, and a light coat... little more effort, but way more options.   Also, it's not just the cold, it's the wind.   Get something that's windproof, most quality coats will be fine, but are many that work well in a cold room but are near worthless once you step into a breeze.

If you have pets, be aware of their winter needs.   Letting the dog out into the yard in summer is one thing, it's quite another if it's -10 outside.

Might not be a big deal, but worth mentioning, it can get dark very early, and stay dark until quite late.   Depending on your schedule, you might not see the sun for months.   For some people, that's fine.   For others, it has a huge impact on their mood.  A light box can really help to stave off winter depression.

Warm clothing, think about all the details.  Thick socks, warm gloves, warm pants, hat, earmuffs, maybe even a facemask and goggles if you're going to be out in the elements.   Not everyone needs all that stuff, but if you do, you don't want to wait until the last minute to get it.

Adobe Flash just released an update, this past Tuesday. Chrome has Flash "built-in". See if Flash is update, and if not, update it. To do so:
1. Type, in Chromes address bar, without the quotes, "chrome://components", and then click "go" or hit the "enter" key.
2. In the list, look for "Adobe Flash Player" and see what version. Latest version is 30.0.0.113.
3. If "Adobe Flash Player" is not version 30.0.0.113, then click the "Check for update" button. Chrome will then check, download, and install the Flash update.
4. Once completed, close that tab. Refresh your Neopets tab, or close and reopen Chrome, and go back to Neopets. See if Kiko Pop now works.
It may also help to clear Chrome's cache. To do so:
1. Type, in Chrome's address bar, without the quotes, "chrome://settings/clearBrowserData" and then click "go" or hit the "enter" key.
2. It will then take you to a page, with a pop-up window.
3. In the pop-up window, make sure the checkbox is "checked" for "Clear images and files", and click the "Clear Data" button.
4. Once completed, close that tab. Refresh your Neopets tab, or close and reopen Chrome, and go back to Neopets. See if Kiko Pop now works.
If you use "incognito" or "private browsing" mode on Neopets, try it in "regular" mode. You could check to see if Chrome has an update, too. Hopefully, this helps. If you already tried this, my apologies.

I thought xanthocomically's winter driving advice was excellent, with one (possible) exception.
If you are very short (like I am), you WILL want a more expensive scraper. I have a very hard time reaching to the centre of my windshield and getting the giant snow pile off my roof (if you don't get that off before you start driving there's a decent chance it'll slide and cover your windows at a random and possibly inopportune moment). I need a scraper that has kind of a telescopic handle that allows it to be very long. As well, I have found that i REALLY like the ones that have all 3 - a scraper, a brush, and also a rubber thing thats just like your windshield wiper. They really do each have their own strengths depending on the texture of the snow/ice. 
I also LOVE studded tires in winter if that is an option where you are. Seriously, it's like night and day between regular winter tires and studs. 

Hiya! I live in Minnesota, which is definitely colder than Philadelphia but I think you'll get more snow than we do. I can offer you the following advice regarding your car:
If you are even a little bit worried about your car, go to a reputable place for an oil change and a general "checkup" to make sure it's ready for the winter. They'll look at your tires and engine and idk, all the other car parts or whatever, and make sure that they are in good shape. If nothing else, it gives you the opportunity to talk to a mechanic about the particulars of your car in the particulars of Philadelphia's winter.  Windshield wiper fluid is CRITICAL... you can find it at any gas station or hardware store for sure, and most Targets/Walmarts/etc. It comes in different varieties though, and it is important to buy stuff that won't freeze in the winter. It's slightly more expensive (like $3 versus $2) to buy the stuff that stays liquid until -35F, but if you buy the cheaper stuff and it DOES freeze... well, it will probably pop the tubing and replacing that will be very expensive. At least here the -35F stuff is always purple, but check the label and be very sure!! You will also need an ice scraper for your car. These are little plastic things that you can find anywhere, a super basic one is like a dollar. I recommend buying like three of them: keep two in your car, and an emergency one inside of your house. There are more expensive ones with longer handles, but imo the normal ones are the easiest to use/do the best job.  You should also make a (winter) emergency kit for your car. Most of it is the same as any other emergency kit (non-perishable snacks, a weather radio, first aid supplies, a map, etc), but you should also include a blanket (or two), an extra set of gloves/a hat, possibly a small shovel, and SMALL water bottles. (The small is important because they will melt faster.) I am sure that like, FEMA has a good list of things to keep in a winter car emergency kit. Philadelphia probably does too--most northern cities do, so you definitely should be able to find several lists on google. In St. Paul the city mails everyone a little flier every autumn, which is mostly for people that have not yet experienced a Minnesota winter and do not know what they are getting themselves into. Oh and also, you are supposed to keep the kit in the backseat of your car instead of the trunk, because if you get stuck in the snow you might not be able to get out of your car. For me the location of my snow kit depends on if I am driving other people or if I am going grocery shopping lol. If your car is very light, I highly recommend getting a set of snow tires and/or keeping a bag or two of sand in your trunk during the winter. At least in the Twin Cities, the city doesn't plow side/residential streets. There is generally a nice person every two or three blocks who has a pickup truck and a plow who will clear the side streets, but even if they do the roads can be... difficult. My car is very light and in the winter slides like a solid 50% of the time I make a turn. (Honestly I've just learned to embrace this and just incorporate it into my driving style, rather than trying to force my car to break the laws of physics.) Snow tires will give you more traction, as will putting lots of weight in the trunk of your car. In the winter hardware stores here sell tubes of sand that are literally just for putting in your car. Your needs will be very specific based on your particular car and how Philadelphia deals with snow, but at least now you know that these are things you can consider if you are having a hard time driving in the winter.  Inevitably, you will get stuck at some point. This is okay, it happens to literally everyone. People are usually quite kind and will stop their cars or run over from down the street to help you out. This is where the shovel can be helpful! If you need extra traction to get out of a slippery spot, you can use sand, cat litter, or the floor mats from inside your car.  In the spring, once it is warm enough for all the snow to melt and the runoff to go away, get a carwash asap. I mean a GOOD one, one that includes the bottom of your car. The salt from the road will get all over your car, which makes it look dirty but much more importantly, it WILL start to rust your car if you don't take good care of it in the spring. Washing the underside of your car is very very very important, as that is the easiest place for rust to start (and it gets rained on less often, ofc). Once the snow melts, it'll be several days/weeks until all the salty water is completely gone. If you get a car wash as soon as it warms up (which I recommend), until ALL the salt water is gone you will continue to get salt on the bottom of your car, so it's important to get another car wash once you are sure that it's "safe."  Finally, take your time! Be patient! Be calm! Driving in the winter can be intimidating, but you WILL get used to it and it WILL be okay. Drive the speed you feel comfortable at. Give yourself extra space to slow down or stop. Make turns carefully. Take a deep breath. Don't drive lots of people around in your car until you feel comfortable--not because you are a danger to them, but because they will be distracting and/or stress you out. Be patient and calm. It's not nearly as terrible as I am making it sound, this is all planning for the Worst Case Scenario. You can always ask for help, anyone and everyone who lives where it snows understands and appreciates how winter driving can be. If you are too nervous about the weather on a particular day, it's okay to just say screw it and cancel whatever plan. But don't be too afraid to give yourself credit: you've already learned how to drive in the summer, on the highway, when it's raining. It took time to learn and you probably made mistakes. You CAN learn this skill too! ❤️