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I'm expecting more American citizens in this count before it's final. Not only is it a beautiful time of year over there that makes tourism appealing, but I'm sure this number will count dual citizens who divide the year back and forth.

I'm gonna preface this with I hope for no mercy on the Jihadists who made their strikes against civilians in contravention of every standard of decency the civilized world holds. But this is a situation coming to a head. You can't pen up a generation into an open air prison and not expect something. The only thing shocking is the surprise and scope. Palestinians have no hope beyond a bleak existence, and that's been weaponized by external and internal extremists. When someone doesn't have a future, fighting or dying for one is an attractive enough option. The current Israeli government wanted nothing to do with a peaceful solution because it has wasn't good politically. Well, now they've lost their status quo and are being baited into an impossible position of having to prepetuiate as haunting a result as they received. This part will be indirect as war often is to civilians as opposed to how Hamas went direct...but the end result will be civilians with no hope in the crossfire. Even a military as well trained and well equipped as Israel has can't prevent the collateral damage coming while protecting their forces.

Dude was the spirit of football. What a life to celebrate.

Are we talking about a real digital currency or just a form of virtualization for the USD? There's also a program FedNow that recently went online...which is confusing some folks who think it's a digital dollar. It's not, just a way to make bank payments as fast as the computers that process them. https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/other20230720a.htm I fully expect to see a digital currency for the US in my expected lifetime. It may happen concurrently alongside paper currency still being legal tender, but it's a matter of if, not when a digital USD is official. I'm sure among all the reasons you listed, there just aren't many folks who are insisting on using cash these days as a condition of doing business. Some may want the option, but won't go elsewhere if it isn't available. So all the hassle, risk, and costs you outlined...just ain't worth it for a really small fraction of revenue. Probably a net negative on analysis.

That's good because I'd imagine this side gig only pays you in that love you mentioned. And grief, lots of grief.

A lot of the polling that helped support the special session was done very close to the Covenant shooting. Those feelings have cooled off a good bit for the general public. So, there might not be the support for red flag laws as you might think, and I'm be shocked if assault weapons got serious traction beyond some discussion under formal rules of order. But please remember, those who post here and have feelings like you and I are the underwhelming minority. Even those who aren't ardent anti-gun types likely have no loyalties or sympathies for gun rights, so don't expect them to take up the cause for us. Just have to hope those elected hold a line when it comes time to vote for legislation.

I think they know how effective it will be. And they probably believe enough people will comply for the risk/reward result if nothing else to call it a win. But they also understand others won't. So, that just becomes a tack-on charge that can convict someone if you don't think a jury would agree to something else. Federal prosecutors love to have a stack of charges to pile on, especially sticky ones that still have real teeth to entice a plea.

He's just keeping his name floating around. Easy enough to do with donor money. And while I would never want this amendment to come into existence, it's at least the most Constitutionally sound way they ever could do it. Usually they just pass something and cross their fingers the courts don't strike it down.

Hoping for the best outcome.

And they're down on 12th South, not West End by Centennial Park. Good pizza. There or the Franklin location which is a pretty chill spot as well.

Mac is right about these just being political games. But don't think funding for veterans programs will be safe from cuts. Just hope they are logical ones as time changes the mission. Everything in federal programs comes back to head counts. The VA Healthcare system is still supporting a lot of Vietnam Era Veterans, but eventually that generation will reduce in VA Healthcare enrollees through natural passing (hopefully after long and happy post-military lives). So, when the VA is around to serve the numbers from the all-volunteer era which had a huge drop-off from the Vietnam years, there will be tough choices about how much infrastructure to keep around in terms of hospitals and clinics...especially in distance between facilities. The cuts may look huge on paper, and will be harder for some locations than others. It would also be a decent time for the government to start thinking about how to use the healthcare system at-large for veterans services through a Medicare/Medicaid/TriCare type program where they just reimburse physicians and facilities in a fee for service model. They started this with Veteran's Choice, but that was for delays and to a lesser extent distance, not a going forward transition. It can certainly be done for a lot of things veterans deal with. For those more specialized disabilities, I would think opening military hospitals is an avenue to explore. I've never seen a Wounded Warriors Project effort in action that wasn't fundraising. That may just be my lack of visibility, however. Their CEO since 2016 who came in to help clean things up after the issues surfaced was the Brigade Commander of 3 BCT; 101st ABN DIV while I was supporting that unit off and on in Afghan and Iraq. He was an alright guy back then, hopefully he still is. I do know that if you want to make sure your charity dollars to veterans causes has a good impact, The Fisher House Foundation is still doing important work, as is the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. So if you want to consider any of those, your money will be well spent. Way less advertising from both, so the impact of every dollar into their programs and not their marketing is more. WWP https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/202370934 Fisher House https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/113158401 SOWF https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/521183585

Once the initial craze and price gouging died down... The would be a forgone conclusion auto version of the CZ Scorpion and an SBR with suppressor in .300BLK for subsonic shooting. I already have a SBR for 5.56mm with a Tax Stamp. Aside from that, don't see the prudence in cost of more full auto and certainly not a belt fed. Not unless I win the Powerball or Mega Millions.

Initials of my nickname and the MOS of first and best job in the army.

Hoping for the best outcome.

The inflation of recent times has shown us people want their food cost back down, quickly. That means migrant workers in the fields. Nowhere close to even half of Americans are willing and able to meet the productivity to pay ratio of migrant. Also, the news is queueing up their summer stories to fill time when Congress takes summer vacations once the debt ceiling is in the rear view. See y'all back here in this thread or a new one in a few years.

I heard from a friend that Clarksville is getting one too? I suppose I'll check it out when visiting my goddaughters and their parents after it opens.

2008 was a time when the Army was so hard up for able bodies, every unit deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan had a stop loss order to prevent people from ETS'ing during the deployment (yours truly included), and the words "moral waiver" entered our lexicon to help us understand the malcontents who a few years ago wouldn't have qualified arriving to the unit. I shutter to think about how loud the klaxons were sounding to make the Army kick this guy out in the middle of all that. Especially if he was in a line unit.

Using a flint was something I learned as a Cub Scout way back when. Pretty hard to beat for all around utility, plus some small, lightweight, and cheap kit. Still keep the lesson in mind even when I can use easier methods.

The veneer of mental stability is a lot thinner than people are comfortable acknowledging. I say this as someone who has had to fight off "the grey" as as Jay Glazer calls it because it's part of my genetic code, apparently. Reach out to someone if you need that anchor point, from someone you trust, a stranger if needed, a professional if you have the time...pretend your life depends on it, because it might.

This would have been questionable inside the store. Him following her out to the parking spot is not going to look good. Chuck has the right of it.

Not by choice, but everything you listed is by and large overwhelmed by Heller and McDonald, the adoption of Constitutional Carry in a lot of states, and the Bruen decision (which will be more important as time goes on). Legally, we're in far less danger of being disarmed than at any time since the post revolutionary war period. These are salad days for gun owners unless you're fixated on full auto.

He's only 27, so plenty of time. Especially now that he has national attention and a platform.

Given how they handle pretty much everything else as a legislature...I'm thinking option 1, the rules not applying to them, is their motivation. The pace and fury of this legislative session is just different, though. Not sure what is driving it other than the near impotence of the TN Democratic party as a political force, or maybe a governor starting his second and last term. Republicans driving the legislature are doing a lot more and doing it on the more extreme side of their politics it seems. Some of that is good for gun owners I suppose...but like you, I worry about Lord Acton's thoughts about absolute power.

The term mini riot is quite a stretch. Far as I know it was a civil disturbance more than anything. I actually like a reminder on occasion that when they feel like it, the people will visit legislators in their venue. I know a lot of us would support, and probably be among a crowd doing the same thing if a draconian gun control bill was coming up for a vote. Sometimes the minority needs to be forcefully vocal as part of the process. As long as they're not violent and destructive, it's political, indoors or outside. It's not something we can abide every time and on every issue, but politicians should be afraid of some vocal and in your face feedback like we saw here, Even if I disagree with their stance and wishes, I like the passion that compelled people to give their time to a cause and make their feelings know outside of voting and donations or a Thumbs Up button.