strickj

How is it cost effective to pay someone else when we are already paying our military to do it? Sounds like the proverbial double dipping to me. And then, I'm hearing that contractor's hire untrained people from other countries for unskilled, low-combative positions. Yet, we have a HUGE military force that is being unused... but would be spread too thin if we used them to fill these positions. Why do we have a military force of 2.5mil if they're not being used? Seems to reason that one of these could go....

Sorry, I still do not buy it. We have enough military and enough money wrapped up in it as is. If 2.5 mil is not enough then we need to rethink our priorities. FWIW, I have no problems with Blackwater's past problems and controversies. I just have a hard time seeing 3rd parties doing a job that we pay our military to do. If our military is unable to do the job, then why the hell do we have them?

No. Numerous studies have found that anti-texting laws actually increases accidents. Without texting laws, people text openly, usually towards the top of the steering wheel where some view of the road is still maintained. With texting laws, people hide their phones in their laps to text where no view of the road can be maintained.

By the sound of your first quote, sounds like any one of that 2.5mil could do the job. Hell, by those standards, I could do it... Signed, Strick-have gun,will travel-J

Two things I must ask. Why would a man risk his life in a war zone for 6 bucks a day? What were the actual costs of hiring Blackwater for those "gigs"? Not the soldiers' take home pay, but the actual costs. I just find it hard to believe that it's cheaper to source out when there are already 2.5mil on the payroll.

I had a couple of rats once. Those little ****ers are smart! The old fashion traps did not work at all. They would set off the traps, somehow, and eat the food on them. I then set out some glue traps. Nope, little ****ers would jump over them. Even with 4 in a row. [scratches head] I eventually cut the bottom out of a box, turned it on it's side and set several glue traps up against each other. Success! One caught... but the other one wised up to this technique and would avoid my sticky tunnel-o-death. Next, I sat a garbage can on a milk create, filled it half full of soapy water, scooted it against the counter and bridged the gap with a thin piece of wood. On top of the can I stretched a piece of saran wrap with a piece of bread with peanut butter on it. Next morning I awoke to a very clean dead rat Once both were dead, I placed them in a shoe box and left them on the doorstep of my neighbor with the horses, whom I suspect they came from. Ok, I didn't really leave the rats on her door... but it would have been so much cooler if I did

This is the first of a series of 360 degree panoramas I'm working on. Thought I would upload it and get some opinions before making a Java.... and my brain explodes... lot's left to do 360 HDR (for you camera nerds, that's 45 shots HDR\tonemapped + 3 additional source pics) Next 360 preview

It's not "financing" so there's no repo. It's a high rate credit card through them... like they try to get you to buy a TV with at the box stores. I'd be interested in seeing the actual prices for each gun. Here's betting they charge least double retail for the convenience of that "low" monthly payment Terms: Application Agreement

Santa may bring himself an OD S&W 15-22 from Academy's Workshop this year

IMHO, a child's imagination is the greatest thing in the world. And it's only something they have for a few short years. After it's gone, they are left with the sad realities of an adult world. I wouldn't think of Santa as a lie. But more so a play on a child's imagination. No more then letting them pretend they're a construction worker with a Tonka truck. Or letting them pretend they're a truck driver on their bicycles. Or a cop with a cap gun. You wouldn't think about not giving them a cap gun because it's a lie for them to think they're a cop. So why remove Santa from their imagination because it's a lie? Why would you want to remove this joy from your kid? Cutest Santa Claus Picture - Ever! by Jim Frazier, on Flickr [image courtesy of Flickr's Explored]

OBD II is the connector for your ECM. I think I might not be saying this clearly 'nuff. What I'm trying to say is, if you constantly change your driving habits (one trip you're driving like John Force, the next trip like the Clampetts), then your OBC can not accurately estimate your MPG. Your OBC will estimate your MPG by using both sensors and your driving habits. If you constantly drive like John Force, then your OBC will give an accurate MPG reading, as it knows what to expect based on this learned given. If you constantly change your driving habits, then your OBC can not give an accurate reading because there is no given. To make an analogy; imagine for a moment that you are a hind catcher in baseball. If your pitcher always throws the ball between 90-95 MPH and 12 inches above the plate, then you will always know where to put your glove and how hard to squeeze it so you don't drop the ball. But if he randomly throws the ball at different speeds and in different locations, then your guess on how and where to put your glove will always be wrong. Same thing here. There has to be a given before you can get an accurate reading on you MPG. In addition, you will get much better gas millage by having a consistent driving habit. Your car will learn and temporally store your driving habits in order to adjust engine and trans performance. If you drive fast and hard all the time, then you will get better gas millage then if you drive fast and hard half of the time. If you have ever heard an old married couple say that their shared car doesn't get good gas millage, this is why. Hubby probably drives hard and fast while the wife drives soft and slow. The car's computer will be confused and will feed too much fuel at the wrong times. This is what I meant earlier when I said I drive consistently.

Chattanooga Judge Reprimanded for Comments | bales, judge, bond - WTVC NewsChannel 9: Chattanooga News, Weather, Radar, Sports, Lottery We need more judges like this that are willing to call out other judges that are enabling the revolving door.

Yes, I am constant and "smooth" with my driving... and also have a life. You don't have to drive like granny to do this. Actually, they do. Even says so in my manual. Did you read your manual? And it's not just for MPG calculations, either. A vehicle will even adjust engine and transmission performance based on your driving habits. I think GM started this in 2000. Though the info is only stored over a few dozen driving cycles, but there is software available that will allow you to download this info to your laptop via OBD. There are also modules available that you leave plugged into your OBD that will record the info for longer periods.

I was once given a really nice detector by a salesmen trying to get us to carry his brand. The only thing I discovered by using it was the detector was no where as accurate as my eyesight. You see a cop sitting, slow down. You see break lights on the interstate, slow down. Of course, this method is way too simple and cheap for the masses to ever pick up on...

Guess I wasn't too far off... You try that at PC? You catch the sunset down there and you can see bullets flying down the 100yrd range.

It also calculates by your driving habits. I drive consistently each time I go somewhere. All three of my estimates (instant mpg, avg mpg and run out millage) are accurate. And yes, I have, umm... "tested" my run out millage. IIRC, it read 6 miles as I drifted off the side of the road. That's 1\3 of a gallon of accuracy. Maybe you're inconsistent on the gas peddle?

I used to sell Seafoam by the pick-up truck load. Literally. It is the only brand of additive that I've seen that does what's promised. For me, I add a little to my gas occasionally, as well as the other 'recommended' applications (letting a cap full suck through vacuum lines, etc). For oil, a little trans fluid will do wonders at each oil change. For an old sagging engine, I'd put a couple quarts of it in there, followed by oil filter changes every few hundred miles or so until the gunk is gone. My truck has the real time and the avg MPG display. I've never seen a lick of difference when using ethanol free gas, either. :shrugs:

Damn it! I blame SWYPE

Wow... a lot of movies here are in my regular rotation. Lord of War, Raising Arizona, Bloodrayne - all get watched semi-regularly. I also liked Bad Teacher, Balls Of Fury and Matchstick Men. And how in the hell can someone not like Water World?

Same thing. I can understand giving him some lee-way given the circumstances. But, he still did the crime when it comes down to it. Doesn't matter how drunk he was. Doesn't matter how old she looked. Doesn't matter where they were. He committed a crime. Flat out. Point period. And he still accepted the plea deal. He ****ed up twice there, didn't he.... He get's no sympathy If a man breaks into my home to steal from me, he will leave in an ambulance or a body bag. It doesn't matter if he's hungry or not. If he's really hungry, he can ask me for a couple bucks or to feed him. He can ask a convenience story clerk for one of those day-old hod dogs. He can ask a restaurant for leftovers after breakfast and at the end of the day. He can go to a food bank. He can go to a church. He can go on welfare. Don't give me that which is worse BS. A thief is a thief is a thief.

I think most would say that it's perfectly reasonable to temporally "seize" a weapon used to kill another while an investigation is conducted. YMMV

I would feel privileged to have Myth Busters shoot a cannon ball through my house. Kari: "I have grown quite fond of firearms. I have always been an anti-gun liberal, but the rush you get from an M134D Gatling gun with 30 caliber bullets firing at 3,000 rounds per minute is unbelievable." (Source: Geek Monthly, January 2008)

Replace "park" with "bar" and we have your brother (and no, I'm not calling your brother a pedophile). You can split hairs all you want, but that's what happened...

Looks a little rinky dinky with that mount to me. Think I would try a mount like this American Defense Quick Release 1in Scope Mount [ADMRECON1] - $187.95 : Bowers Tactical, featuring products from Accuracy International, ARMS, Bianchi, Blackhawk, Buffer Technologies, Bulldog, CQB Solutions, Don Hume, First Samco, Fobus, GG&G, Gemtech That should give you enough offset to mount it with the rings on the front and back of your scope. NCStar makes a similar mount if you're on a tight budget

Hi, you have just been involved in an accident that has left you severely injured and immobile. You have cuts, scrapes, internal injuries, broken bones and possibility a brain injury. These injuries, along with your hospital room and board, meds, nurses, doctors, surgeons, x-rays, ambulance, god help you if you had to take a life force flight($$$$!), and the multitude of other 3rd party billers have left you several thousand dollars in the red, with no estimate of when you might be able to return to work. In addition, your nice and shiny 201* vehicle has been totaled.... and, the other vehicle you hit is also totaled which you are going to be responsible for. But, we will make sure that you get your $8.00 in bullets back when you are well enough to came pick them up. Sarcasm aside, I'd kinda like to know, too