Depopulation has been an issue in Russia for some time. At one point they created a holiday for everyone to stay home from work and fuck, though I think that was a regional thing.
I would love to halve the human population, but the economic situation is going to be horrific for decades as we figure out how to adjust.
This is not just an aircraft carrier. For starters, this is the USS Gerald Ford, a Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, the latest shit. A US aircraft carrier is a monstrous group of war machines, not a single boat (though it’s the size and population of a small town). We got 11 aircraft carriers in total, to cover planet Earth.
For context, US aircraft carriers are sent to regions to project force. “We can ruin you if you fuck around and we don’t have to be in sight of land to do so. Also, good luck fending us off, because you can’t.” Short of a boomer (nuclear sub which you’ll never hear about) an aircraft carrier group is the deadliest thing mankind has ever deployed.
So, we’re sending nearly 1/10th of our global naval warfighting machine, the very tip of the spear, to <checks notes> Venezuela?!
I have no snarky comment or bullshit prediction here. I cannot imagine WTF is going on except to guess… what? A major escalation against… who? And why? There’s something going on here that’s not going to be obvious until it kicks off.
That’s tomorrow’s test!
Cut the GFCI end off almost as soon as I got it. Those circuits on cheap power washers trip if you breath too loudly.
Tried a different outdoor socket. Rigid hose, very short, custom cut, no kinks or flow issues. Yes, water comes out with no motor, just as it always has.
Added to the OP before I saw your comment!
Lived in Chicagoland. It can go both ways. The buildings channel wind but blunt it at the same time. You can be on a street with no wind, turn the corner and get blown away. I can say for sure is that the open plains south of the city are far windier.
Chicago’s probably not the best example because it’s basically on the shore of an inland sea so they get “lake effect” weather. Downtown weather can be very different from just 15-20 miles away.
Cort
You the guy that trained Roland?
If a mistake in my code exposes me to criminal investigation, I’m getting a new job.
This whole thread is a test for who can read easily and who can’t. Takes me a beat and my brain runs with it. And I ain’t all that bright.
Anyway, I enjoy their comments, always relevant and often insightful.
FWIW, I enjoy your comments. Never read one that was even slightly unreasonable. Keep on keepin’ on!
Did you say 1911?! I’m one of those “TWO WORLD WARS!” fanatics. :)
Unfortunately I’m too small to conceal carry, but it’s the pistol I’m best at. :(
Every move in his first Presidency could be predicted by what was on Fox News the night before. This happened so often it was undeniable. Now that he’s well sunk into dementia it’s even worse.
Had a manager who would shoot the bullshit with me for our one-on-one time. I open about my life, he never pushed, but he genuinely wanted to make sure his people were doing OK. Guy that replaced him went straight to business and was hella uncomfortable talking about anything else. Not that his personality sucked, but he believed in working every second of the day. Talk about whiplash.
Clothing is the easiest answer. I’m continually stunned by guys saying nice clothes are uncomfortable, expensive, too much hassle, whatever. Just went to the fair tonight with my wife and friends. I looked about as good as I can outside of a tux. (And a tux, minus the cufflinks and such, is a whopping $110 on Amazon.)
Not tonight’s outfit, but the vest is a woman’s from the thrift, $2. The shirt in that pic is also a woman’s, $3 at the thrift. I’m not wearing $25 in clothes there, including the watch, shoes and other jewelry.
Clothes are stupid cheap. Keep experimenting, see what looks good on you. BTW, there is no permanent you style. I’ve changed many times over the years.
One more easy tip is tooth whitening. My dentist made me a mold for $70, you can roll your own whitener with H2O2 and baking soda. 20-minutes a month and your teeth will pop.
Having an SO to rate the smell helps, but different people like different smells. No one-size-fits-all answer.
I don’t blame Presidents acting in their own best interests. The legislative and judicial branch was to be the check on their power. Congress has failed in that role since the 60s.
ACAB and all that, but you are right on the money. Most cops will never draw their service weapon. Of millions and millions of daily police/civilian interactions, no problem.
They get up to some serious bullshit, been on the wrong end many times, and I’m a white guy, but shootings are rare given 340,000,000 Americans, many of whom are fucking nuts.
As with any shocking news, and I can’t stress this enough, you only see it because it shocking. An entire family can get smeared off the interstate, hardly worth mentioning.
tl;dr: Humans are shit are evaluating risk, didn’t evolve to navigate this huge and complex world.
You’ve got a dozen explanations as to what rubber bullets are and their possible lethality. But there’s more. From a ballistics point of view, there are garbage.
Probably the #1 measure the FBI uses in measuring the effectiveness of a round is penetration in ballistic gel. I forget, but I think they want 12" minimum? Cops and military, over much of the world use 9mm for several reasons, penetration is one. Speed is another. Recoil control yet another consideration, don’t kick as hard. Rubber bullets fail all three tests.
Consider, America used the 30.06 round in WWII, now we use the 5.56 (That’s a joke meme BTW.) Tiny bullet, but it hauls ass. We used the .45ACP round for pistols, a cannonball compared to the 9mm. Small bullet, but it hauls ass. Fast and light wins the day.
To circle back and address the original question. You do not unholster your weapon unless you are in fear of your life, or need to stop someone from endangering another person. If a life is on the line, you don’t want a half-assed rubber bullet.
We can argue rules of engagement, deescalation training, fear, all the things American cops fucking fail at, but for myself, if I draw, I’m firing, and I intend to end the threat instantly.
Consider this video where a guy shot a large man harassing him at the mall:
https://youtu.be/9QMkL5wlcaM?t=111
That was likely a .380, even smaller than a 9mm, considered the smallest viable self-defense round. Kid put a pill in his chest and the dude walked off! If your ass is on the line, would you consider an even less lethal round? What if that guy was truly muscular or fat or wearing thick clothing? What if the guy wanted to press the attack?
Fun fact: The US Army wanted something heavier because shooting Filipinos with a .38 wasn’t taking them down, even with a mortal wound they would keep coming. And that’s how we got the Colt .45, which Filipinos are crazy about to this day!
Depopulation was an issue a decade or more before the war. Which makes the meat grinder even harder to understand.