Smokin

The House just passed the bill with more than the 2/3rd vote, so if there is a shutdown, then it is 100% on the Dems. They pulled the debt ceiling increase/removal, which was the worst part. Still spending way too much, but only the bill is 10% of the original length, which is progress. I would still rather have seen the shutdown and a massive spending cut as the requirement to open the government back up. We're spending money we don't have like a SNACKO who put everything on black in Vegas and is now borrowing money trying to double up to catch up.

It also could go the other way. The silencer he used was apparently 3D printed. If I can buy a 3D printer and make a gun and a silencer, why regulate them at all? Clearly the laws regulating silencers were made completely irrelevant by a printer anyone can buy on Amazon.

It would be a good way to test our physical and political capability to respond.

I didn't say anything about "feelings", so strange to bring it up and even stranger to put it in quotes as if I said it. Thoughts and feelings are very different and far too many people confuse the two. I don't put any trust in rumors, especially rumors from DC from 'someone closer to the issue' (apparently I only get to "feel", while they get to "think"). Assuming the rumors are true, which is a monumental assumption, needing to learn and people not liking her are no problem. Likeability is not a qualification for a cabinet position. Needing to learn sounds like an insider critique of someone that isn't an insider. Washington, and thus our country, would be better off with fewer insiders. Unprepared is a different matter, but I think (not feel) that it would be far easier to walk in prepared for a meeting with the President on a specific subject than to walk into a firing squad that can ask anything they want.

Based on the fact that she was a Democrat and is now a Republican, she is likely fairly centrist unless she had a massive swing in her beliefs or is a slimy politician (redundant?) that saw an advantage by switching sides and went full tilt right. Saying that she is a D wearing R's clothing is not very enlightening considering how far many Rs (like Trump) are from historical core conservative principles. I'm starting to think that all it takes to be an R in Washington these days is to adopt the D's platform from 10 years ago.

Leupold's Deltapoint Micro looks awesome, but currently only available for Glock and SW M&P. Only $250 with their military discount. I really hope they expand the line to Springfields. Most of the additional bulk for the sight is at the back of the slide rather than on top.

Interesting... everyone knows that blue tape means blanks meant to confuse the enemy

Props to the opposition Parliament members. Ignored the threat of martial law, climbed fences, stared down guys with guns, and held a unanimous vote to end the martial law. Technically has to be signed off by the President, but clearly he's done.

You know nothing about me other than what I have posted on here, which has been less than 1000 posts over the last 20 plus years. Hardly enough to be able to decide that I live in a bubble. Perhaps you're just projecting? i have not called out Trump's crimes because, as Bashi pointed out, they are actually misdemeanors that were elevated to felonies by AGs that are clearly out to get him. It is my understanding that for one of the crimes he was convicted of in NY, he is literally the only person that has ever been charged for that specific crime. He was convicted of a business crime that the supposed victim made a bunch of money off of. Convicting someone for a felony for a victimless business crime is unheard of. I stand by the statement that if he had not made enemies of the left by becoming President, zero of those crimes would have been prosecuted. On the other hand, someone evading $1.4M in taxes and illegal gun purchases is something any AG should prosecute. This is only partially about Hunter. There is enough evidence that Biden used his office to influence foreign states to profit his family to easily merit a grand jury, but that will likely not happen now because of the pardon. Which crime should we be more concerned about: a business man claiming he properties are worth 10% more than market value to get better loan terms or a sitting VP selling favors to foreign powers to bring in millions for his family?

I compromised nothing by voting against a politician that would continue our last four years of national decline (which has only helped China). Calling out corruption in our government is not cognitive dissonance, it is the lifeblood of a republic. I also have no problem calling out Trump or any other Republican for corruption. I don't think Trump is a saint, but I also think that your calling him a criminal when he has clearly been targeted by the exact type of personal prosecution that Biden used as an excuse to pardon his son is ironic. If Trump had not be President and simply stayed a business man and still did everything that he has been charged with, I think there is exactly a zero percent chance that he would have been charged with anything, let alone convicted. On the other hand, people are charged with gun law violations every day, so Hunter's prosecution is entirely reasonable and could just as easily happen to a nobody. But the big story here is not that Biden pardoned his son, but by doing so he is trying to hid his own guilt.

To be fair, I'm pretty sure my truck would be sticking out past the white hashes... Small parking garages are a pain, just one of the MANY reasons I try to avoid going to big cities. @Duck's commuter car use, that sounds pretty nice. But even saving $300 a month, there's no way I ever actually save money buying a commuter car since I'll still need a truck. Maybe I'll need to look more carefully to see about chargers in the commuter lot because auto-drive to/from would be pretty sweet.

Not even remotely surprised. First, as many have said, Joe's a corrupt politician at his core and closing all investigations into this would protect himself as well. Second, his son was facing a potential lengthy prison term. I get that the right thing to do was to let justice happen, but I doubt many fathers would have been able to let justice run its course when they could just sign a pardon.

Just make the playoffs a round 16 teams, that way you can figure out who is really the best while still getting most of the SEC in regardless of record/ranking to make the money people happy because we all know that's what the sport is really about anyway.

I think there is also a large group like me that is solid middle of the road. Have an EV, don't have one, I don't care. Just don't make me subsidize your car purchase and charging. Also, don't try to convince me that they're the greatest invention ever, that there are zero downsides to them, and any potential problem is simply that not enough people are buying them which causes production issues. That is a one sentence summary of multiple conversations I've had with Tesla owners. It's BS and any rational person would see it. I drive an F-150 and I like it in general, but just like any other vehicle, there are significant pluses and minuses to it. For example, Tesla's autopilot makes Ford's Bluecruise (autopilot-ish) look like the code was written by a bunch of jr high kids for a science project. But I can drive 750 miles without stopping for gas, and when I do, I have another 750 range 5 minutes later. Or a 5 gallon jerry can in the bed gives me another 100 miles in an area where I can't depend on finding a gas station. I'm happy that Musk is doing what he's doing and pushing technology development. Once battery advances make an EV reasonable for me, I'll be happy to read a book as my car drives me to the airport.

I doubt there is a much dirtier energy than lithium ion batteries from materials mined and largely assembled in countries that either only pretend to follow environmental agreements or don't even pretend to try. And that's not even starting with the slave labor problem.