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+π

VTSAX (or VFIAX) and Chill. Invest excess cash in the above after paying bills if your emergency fund is loaded and you're not paying off bad debt. 401k and IRAs (traditional or Roth) are better than taxable, but taxable is fine for long term (>5yrs) saving goals. Best not to blow off retirement savings, especially if you can get a match from your employer along the way. Rinse, lather, repeat. Don't get cute.

Nooooo...we all know David keeps the TGO money safe by converting it into tricked out Glocks.

I look at American guns like I do American beer. The domestic heavyweights have been so lackluster that my money has been going to the small business and European brands providing a superior product anyway. So this latest development won't matter much if it doesn't work out, and might fix things if it does. Either way, I'm fine with it.

Hoping for the best. Thanks for letting us know, @bigun.

So it's a vendor issue, not a USPS issue. Sounds like they're trying to save costs they would have to do some measure of cost they'd have to eat (dealing with multiple shippers) or pass along (the actual cost plus overhead). Not uncommon practice.

FedEx/UPS have easy ways to hire temp workers to handle surge times...the USPS has government hiring burdens and union contracts, though they do make allowances for holiday season workers. Outside of that, they have a normal staffing roster like any government agency. You're never going to see a fast response to peaks from them, and that's okay...their set up to be a steady provider of a service outlined in the Constitution, not a flexible private industry. If you want the business solution, go with FedEx/UPS...just be ready to pony up more money.

I don't think it's too much to ask for folks to cite what they're starting a conversation over if it's about some proposed legislation or executive action. It's a waste of time when we get into, "I was reading" or " a friend told me", when there isn't anything substantive to back it up.

This is why I use an Android device. Much simpler and safer to get what I might want to install outside of apps approved on Google Play. Apple products are apparently very user friendly, and I recognize how good the iOS software is...but that ease and convenience has always been at a cost that for some is finally coming due.

Yup. I also look at each news source and ask myself, "who is their target audience" because they're also a business, and businesses cater to their market. I then go into the question of can I still trust the information being presented, even with the biases known. The Washington Post was a great example of this over the last few years...they're in general, a dependable news organization for information and content. Sure, their editorial side has a liberal bend, but most large papers outside the WSJ do. More and more, however, I could see their news being run on a business model of information, often unflattering, about one certain person or their efforts in our government. That's not inherently a bad thing, both on the grounds of an independent media, and holding those in power to account...but it was something I had to keep in mind whenever reading.

It was surreal to say the least. Brought a sense of vulnerability because as you mentioned, these kinds of things were what you saw in other countries. Even if you try to compartmentalize and say, "we'll I've seen something like that before", it's still different because "other places" isn't home. One thing some vet friends and I have talked about is just how crazy things we've learned to mentally categorize as normal are anything but. There's a certain mental resiliency in that for the moment, but I wonder how the long term effects are. Ties into what you mention about the D in PTSD being a misnomer because when a person reaches their limit of stress (and we all have one, I promise you), it's not a disorder, but a reasonable reaction when the mental and/or physical limit has been reached. James Mattis makes frequent mention of how those moments should really be focused on post traumatic growth, because that's going to get an individual through it faster than thinking there is a problem, or falling into an identity of victimhood. Sometimes people need a friend to help them, other times they can do it themselves, just needing the space and time. But you're absolutely correct in saying this isn't someone anyone has to feel bad about, or go alone if the buddy route is their best way forward. Thanks for opening the dialogue.

Still haven't read that book, but I know I need to. I was working with your battalion sniper section once we got to Mosul in 2003. My GSR team was out at that water treatment plant a bit northwest along the Tigris with them for two and a half months while the rest of the battalion was taking up residence in the Mosul Hotel and wondering when the elevators were going to be fixed.

I only spent a few weeks in direct support of his company, and a week at a shooting course between deployments with him, but it was instantly clear this guy was a helluva Soldier and leader. Not only did he excel in what I think is the toughest job in the Army- Infantry Company First Sergeant- but he went through hell and back to do the job getting injured, and going through rehab so he could go back to Iraq and finish the deployment with his troops. You can read about then 1SG Skidis here. https://tulsaworld.com/news/battle-scars-cant-keep-soldiers-out-of-the-action/article_13c5ccfb-1b3e-5dc7-a82a-feab28ed5f67.html @Wheelgunner, you might remember 1SG Skidis better than I do (can't remember which BN you were in direct support of during OIF 05-07), and if you do, please chime in. You'll also smile reading that Clark is in this link too. I still tell stories about how unlucky his 4x Purple Heart wearing ass was and how funny of a guy he was to be around.

It's all fun and games until this meme becomes a government meeting.

Is what it is. I'm not getting any this go around, only got a bit less than half last time. But if that money keeps people from having bills go into arrears or makes it way to local businesses who could use it, I'm good. I'll bet it's funny for some to see what side of the makers vs. takers spectrum I'm on.

This may be one of the best threads on TGO I've read in over six and a half years hanging out on this site. Very cool to be able to read the vignette and replies presented. @MarkSas others have said, thank you for being so open and self-reflecting on the incident. We're learning from the benefit of your experience and the conversation it sparked. It's a great benefit to all of us. I think you handled it as well as can be expected when presented with a threat. I also think you have a lesson learned on flipping people off, But these are two separate points in my mind since your actions don't lend any sort of justification to the person's actions in response. Giving the guy a warning may well have had a butterfly effect that kept him alive, and you out of legal hell. I hope for their sake it was a wake-up call about how to live with others...but I'll not get my hopes up. I'm also grateful to learn about these what you experienced with the vehicle lock...I'm still driving a Ford Ranger I bought in 2002, so that a door will unlock after putting the vehicle in park is (disturbing) news to me. Glad there is a way to fix that after purchase.

They aren't turning away COVID-19 patients at the current time. Even if the laws requiring them to treat emergency patients were amended, I can't see a change when enough of the population is vaccinated to let this stop being pandemic level.

That just looks like a fun gun for range time games. Also a great trainer if you know any teens you want to get used to AR pistols as a trainer before the real deal.

Yeah, it's all kinds of crazy to think people had to leave their families on Christmas morning to do damage control on a bomb site with work hazards galore and temps in the 20s. But most folks probably just want their phone or internet back.

This tracks pretty much word for word with an update I had passed along by the leader in my organization getting info. Add in the update by AT&T ln their website earlier today and this isn't a quick fix at all.

I was just typing something similar. This bomber seems to have gone out of their way to avoid casualties, and I see those things you mentioned as proactive steps to prevent loss of life. Everything about this is pointing to something downtown being the focal point. AT&T is a believable target, but it could be unintended collateral damage of somewhere else being the real target. And I'm with you on having to respond to the telecom outages...I have docs leaving their families and headed to the hospitals (who are working through those issues you mentioned) in response to systems that let them work from home being down. One told me he's bringing a bag to just stay until everything is good. Small sample of the best being brought out in a crisis. I'm also curious as to what actually took down the network; the bomb itself and backups failed after a few hours of coverage, or are they doing something with the response that took it out. Suppose we'll figure that part out soon enough.

An RV in downtown Nashville is about as conspicuous a vehicle to use for a bomb delivery system as can be. That and the timing given the location of downtown being empty on Christmas Day makes no sense to me.

I have a friend who lives in Knoxville, and she's ecstatic about a White Christmas for her family. Already sent me pictures of her German Shephard in the snow.

China is just trying to poke a finger at us in a PR war. They also harangue us over racial disparity and healthcare if memory serves. It is very much an American concept. Even in a country like Israel where gun ownership makes a lot of sense, the gun laws are vastly in line with the state regulating things tightly. In America, we see gun ownership as security from the state first, then part of a plan to defend the state if needs be.