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tankdude

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Posts posted by tankdude

  1. 3 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

     

    I may be misremembering, tankdude.....but I seem to remember Nadita getting into some trouble around these parts, with a post, or a topic or something.  I remember thinking how bizarre it was, because Nadita was always very cordial and helpful in her posts......My apologies in advance if I'm way off and offended anyone.  

     

    GO RV, then BV

    No - I believe you're right Shabs. If I recall she got involved with the "dark side" and was talking about some type of pre-RV trade in. Prior to that we had some good conversations.

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  2. 23 hours ago, SgtFuryUSCZ said:

    Yes, PG --- Our own PrettyPattyAngel was a true delight.

     

    We miss her, too.  :(

    Just an update on PattyAngel.  I keep in contact with her and her husband as we are involved in a business opportunity together. They are both wonderful, caring people. 

     

    They made it through the Texas flooding - but they are looking at another round of it.  She is taking care of her mother who has an advance case of Alzheimer's. it's to the point that there are days when her mother doesn't remember her name.  I'm sure she could use all of our prayers and good thoughts. She has been off the site because she is so busy and a bit tired of the infighting that was going on when she left.  I'll let her know she is missed and we are praying for her.  

     

    Anyone have a handle on Rayzor?  I've tried emailing her and no response.  Miss her too. She is one of the few here - other than PattyAngel and her husband - that I've met from here.

     

    The other one I wonder/worry about is ThaiExPat.  Last I talked to him he was battling a nasty infection - and he hasn't answered his emails either.  That was almost a year ago. 

     

    I also wonder about PinkPiggy many times.  Still have one of the Pink Piggy Brigade t-shirts. 

     

    BettyBoop - I hope she is doing well. I keep wondering if she ever emigrated to the US like she was pondering.

     

    Nadita is another one who's been gone a long time. 

     

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  3. Just so you know - this is again making the rounds. This warning has been around in one form or another since 2009 - and yes, they work.  Here is an '

    instructable"  on how to make them from back in 2006.  http://www.instructables.com/id/FlashWorksDrano-Bomb-I-think-that-covers-it/

     

     However, in most cases they don't make a very good booby trap. In almost all cases, the chemical reaction starts right away and builds up pressure to explode the bottle in a minute or two.  Doesn't really need any shaking.  If you have any question that a plastic bottle you found, shoot it with pellet gun - bow and arrow -= blow dart - pitchfork - whatever. Anything that can break the plastic bottle will release the pressure and "defuse" the bomb.   

     

    They do work - I've made them -  along with dry ice bombs - MRE Heaters work real well!  Powerade or GatorAde bottles are the bottles of preference because they are made of stronger plastic and it takes more pressure for them to explode.  Just saying....We have use them in the field as training aids for Improvise Explosive Device training.  We make one, then cover it with a plastic bag of flour.  Makes a pretty impressive white cloud to signal an "attack" 

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  4. Wonder why Dr. Clarke didn't SEE this - just goes to show that the US isn't the only one with government issues.

     

    http://cecaust.com.au/releases/2018_02_16_Govt_APRA.html

     

    Under siege from erupting public opposition, the Turnbull government whisked its APRA crisis resolution bill through the Senate and into law on 14 February. Of Australia’s 76 senators, only seven were present when the government rushed the bill to a vote, which passed “on the voices”, with no opposition from the Labor or Greens senators present. The process was hurried to ensure that senators who planned to move an amendment, to stipulate that the bill’s “bail-in” provisions must not apply to bank deposits, did not have the chance, and weren’t even present when it passed.

     

    The passage of this bill was a live demonstration of the incredible power that banking interests wield over Australian politics. (Before it sold out to those banking interests and embraced neoliberal economics, the “old” Labor Party called them the “Money Power”.) This bill is going to backfire on the Money Power, however. In their desperation for a law that confiscates people’s savings to prop up too-big-to-fail (TBTF) banks, they have further fuelled the revolt in the population against banks and the political elites who serve them.

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  5. 1 minute ago, bostonangler said:

     

     

    I guess I would have thought The White House might come before a few hundred thousand of those backlogged, but what do I know about the backroom workings of our government?

     

    B/A

    You would hope so - but even if they are given precedence - a Single Scope Background Investigation takes some time. 

     

    The scope of the SSBI investigation goes back 10 years for general information concerning finances, education and professional activities. The investigators will check 7 years back for more personal information such as relationships and character references. Some of the investigative techniques involve running a check to verify:

    • The date & place of birth
    • National Agency Check into the Department of Defense agencies, FBI, and other databases to see if any derogatory information exists.
    • Spouse or cohabitant check to determine allegiance, associations and other factors that a close relationship might bring.
    • Credit checks provide more information about the applicant. This query into the major credit trackers can verify residences, identity, financial situations, relationships, patterns and much more.
    • Local law enforcement check to identify any arrests or activities involving law enforcement.
    • Public records verification to determine associations and activities the applicant may be or has been involved in.
    • Citizenship verification to ensure applicant is a US citizen and eligible for a security clearance.
    • Written Inquiries are provided to education and employment institutions and references to verify education level and employment.
    • Interviews are conducted based on references provided by the applicant. These interviews include neighbors, former spouses and the actual applicant.
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  6. I'm with you on this on Shabb's - who knew what when needs to be answered in my book. 

     

    The Security Clearance thing is a bit of a "smoke and mirrors" thiing. Anyone who works with getting a background check for one of those - even at the Secret level - knows that it can take almost a year.  Top Secret is even worse...

     

    As of Sep of 2017 the National Backgrounds Investigation Bureau (Yes - they exist and work hand in hand with all intelligence agencies) had a backlog of over 700,000 applications.  That's why 'interim clearances" were created.   

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  7. Master Yota - 33 years so far - still in the National Guard. I'm 56 years old and pushing for retiring at 60 as long as my body lets me keep passing the PT test.  So far the only issue I have is the run because of some arthritis in the ankle from a training accident. I've had to switch to the walk in stead of the run - but still doing enough pushups and situps to pass if I was being graded as a 21 YO....

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  8. 4 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

    Perhaps the taxpayer money needed for a military parade would be more reasonably spent on further training and equipment, rather than on a personal political folly.  Do your military personnel a favor Donald....get on that big beautiful plane of ours and visit the troops in harms way, like every other POTUS in history.  I'm sure they would appreciate it.  Just this veteran's earned opinion.  <_<

     

    GO RV, then BV

    Personal Opinion from an old Infantry grunt -

     

    This could easily become overly politicized (All hail Prince of the Obvious!).  If they did something "failrly sedate" - Like a Veteran's Day parade - featuring veterans from all eras - equipment from all era's if available - maybe the Old Guard (They're right down the road) and NO massive display of rockets, tanks, APC's etc (Maybe a few - but not the rows and rows like you would see in the other countries) I think would make a tasteful way of honoring the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI.  With that being said -

     

    I also agree that there would be better ways of spending the money.  i know the military has a pretty large budget (but if you talk to the "Joes" they will tell you how things are always getting stopped because of budget concerns) and I think that another 10-20 million dollars (conservative estimate on my part of what a parade like this would cost) could go a long way taking care of some issues.  Just as a for instance (personal gripe here) maybe to finish completely fielding the new Scorpion camouflage uniforms? They started roll out of this uniform mid-2015. I was issued my blouses, patrol cap, boots, t-shirts belt about 6 months ago - got my light winter jacket a month ago. Problem - I'm still waiting on pants in my size!  Apparently Large - Long is such a popular size the inventory system can't keep up. Good thing I have until October of 2019 to have a full uniform - looks like I might have to wait that long.

     

    Lets talk about infrastructure repair costs!- I mean a company of M1 tanks (that's 14 of them for you who aren't military) are going to absolutely chew up the blacktop! Even with rubber track pads (which are the standard BTW) 70 tons of rolling armor just plain puts a hurt on roads.  An that's only a company - imagine if someone decides to bring in a whole Mechanized Battalion - that 2 companies of tanks, 2 companies of either Bradleys or Strykers, and a support company with all sorts of heavy equipment for everything from towing broken down tanks to setting up fueling points and mobile kitchens.  You think that might do a number on a road?  I'm betting just putting everything back the way it was even with NO minor "incidents" would cost another couple million.

     

    I'm all for showing military support - I'm probably one of the biggest patriots you would ever meet - but I'm also a pragmatist.  I see this as a tightrope walking exercise that could hit a point of diminishing returns in the world wide political scope. If I was in charge of the parade, I would really look at what other countries do. Maybe even invite other allied troops to participate - like France does. ( That is where he got the idea...)

     

    Just how I see it from my foxhole. 

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  9. 2 hours ago, numimaticmat said:

    Basically crypto to crypto is not a "like kind" exchange so essentially when you swap Bitcoin for Electroneum for example you are selling Bitcoin and paying taxes on any gain that you saw at that time and then buying Electroneum and thats your new tax basis for the Electroneum. I wouldn't necessarily call it a double tax but you are sort of right in the sense if you dump all your BTC profits into ETN and ETN goes down you paid taxes on money you'll never see so IMHO it's important to take profits

    good answer - and that's basically what the IRS is saying. This is going to be one of the biggest hurdles to cryptos being used as a "daily currency" in the US. Lets say if i go to Starbucks  and they have started taking Crypto for payment.  I buy a Venti Skinny Cinnamon latte. That is considered a taxable event. I use Reddcoin to buy a rug at Overstock.com (which you can do, BTW - They are taking a number of Cryptos) that is considered a taxable event.  

     

     There was a portion of the new tax rules that were just passed that was going to exempt any purchases under $600.00 - which is how fiat currency is currently treated - but it was removed from the final draft and what was voted in. 

    • Upvote 1
  10. 1 hour ago, BJinMontreal said:

    Hey Rod and everyone for that matter.  Yes you can start small - $25 - $50 in crypto.  I moved $25 into verge when it was under a penny in early December ... transferred $100 into Etherium in my Binance account and bought and sold DOT DON CFC CJ and XLM over the past few weeks gaining 15 to 150% on each one.

    Not making millions, but the right timing had turned that $25 into almost $1000 before the latest drop. I'm still holding about 6 different coins worth $500 now just waiting for the next wave.

    I'm not trading as much since I found out that each trade is considered a taxable event as far as the IRS is concerned.  As of Dec 31, like kind exchanges only apply to real estate only.  I started using cointracking.info to help out with that. 

    • Like 1
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  11. 1 hour ago, DinarThug said:

     

    Since We Have A Little Bit Of Time Until Adam Returns Later - I’ll Tell A Joke ! :o 

     

     

    Stop Me If U’ve Heard This One Already ...

     

     

    A Clown, An Italian DJ And A Truck Driver Dressed Like Santa Claus Walk Into A Bar...

     

    :D  :D  :D 

    The bartender looks up and says "Which one of you is the Rabbi?"

    The bartender looks up and says "This has to be some kind of a joke..."

    The bartender looks up and says "You want the Faded Yellow Umbrella - another block down"

     

    • Haha 4
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  12. Wow - didn't really think I was going to open this big of a can of worms! However - since I did, I guess it would only be fair for me to state my position and reasons for what I said about the crux of this discussion - mental health checks to buy a firearm. I know that this will not stop all mass casualty events. Evil is real - and if someone has evil intent to hurt others, they will find a way. I am in total agreement with that - heck, in the right hands, a barbecue fork can become a "weapon of destruction."

     

    Again - I understand that not all guns that are used in mass shooting events were legally obtained...however, there is some evidence to point that a majority of the weapons used in mass shootings since 1982 were acquired legally by the shooter. Possibly as many as 90% of the 143 tracked incidents.  Of these, incidents, 36 of the shooter committed suicide at or near the scene. I may not be a mental health professional, but I believe suicide could probably be an  indicator of mental health issues. Also - 7 more of those shooters died in shootouts where they had no real chance of survival (I would consider this "suicide by cop" - my opinion)

     

    http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map/

     

    Now I'm not saying that mental health screening would have stopped all of these -  but I DO think there is enough anecdotal evidence to support that at least 1 of these could have been prevented - if the background check that was run had shown there was a record of mental illness. the NICS database that is used for doing background checks is supposed to have this information - but is it most often not entered. There is no law mandating that this information must be entered, and the percentage of entries vary from state to state. Even Lauthenberg offenses are often not entered by the military - only in those cases where a Dishonorable discharge happen are they entered.  If what we already have in place were to be properly utilized, I believe it would make a difference. 

     

    First - I believe there is some common ground we can agree on. If someone has been  been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution they probably should not be able to own a firearm. Am I wrong in this? I don't think so.  Nether does the NRA - https://www.nraila.org/articles/20130124/mental-health-and-firearms

     

    In fact - this is the current federal law and has been since 1968.  A person cannot be federally disqualified from owning a gun based simply on a psychiatrist’s diagnosis, a doctor’s referral, or the opinion of a law enforcement officer, let alone based on getting a drug prescription or seeking mental health treatment.

     

    So - this is where it becomes fuzzier is - how do we treat someone who admits themselves to a mental institution? How about someone who was obviously displaying mental illness - such as the Fort Lauderdale airport shooter.  just 3 months prior to his committing the shooting, he had walked into the Anchorage office of the FBI claiming that the CIA was controlling his mind, forcing him to watch radical Islamic videos on the internet and urging him to acts of violence. He was detained and taken for a mental evaluation, and as I understand it, was given an initial diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Maybe I'm wrong, but to me me, this would be a HUGE red flag - but not so.

     

    His firearms were confiscated for 30 days, but because he had no serious crime convictions (he had a deferred conviction for allegedly breaking down a door and strangling his girlfriend) and had not been legally adjudicated as mentally deficient, his guns were returned to him in December - about a month before his obviously premeditated shooting. 

     

    I realize this is an emotionally charged issue. I can appreciate all the cogent and well thought out replies to this thread. I applaud those. A good debate should be exhilarating - even if it is vexing at times. In the end, I like to think I'm mature enough to admit points when I'm wrong, gracefully admit those, yet at the same time stand by my convictions. There are time when you have to "agree to disagree" and move on. I don't have to agree with someone to respect them. Shabbs and I spend more time nose to nose than we do eye to eye - but he is a brother in arms, and I will always respect him for that.  I like to think that maturity means being able to disagree - but continue to respect the other individual as a person

     

    That's one thing that I think has become a victim of the "social media" mentality. Things so quickly escalate to name calling and mud flinging...(let he who sinless cast the first stone...).  I'm no saint - but I will at least try to defend my viewpoints in a rational manner, doing what I think I do very well - research and knowledge dissemination.  At least - that's my intent. 

     

    “The best fighter is never angry.” 
    ― Lao Tzu

     

     

     

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  13. Synopsis - you and I are on the same sheet of music - Believe me! I tend to be a fairly staunch Constitutionalist (but I also consider myself pretty open minded - heck  - I've even agreed with @Shabibilicious a number of times).  In my mind - the 2nd Amendment is a no brainer

     

    "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

     

    A lot of people say "well - things have changed since the founding fathers wrote this."  While that may be true - but the does not mean that this right can be taken away. When this amendment was first enjoined - every male citizen was considered to be part of the Militia!  While we may now have State militias - read 'National Guard' - I firmly believe the right they had in mind was for every able bodied man to be able to defend the 'life, liberty or property' (as defined in the 14th amendment) that he has a right to.  That simple to me. 

     

    Do I think we have a problem with mental health and background checks? Yes. Do I think we should have more controls on firearms? In many ways - yes...but to keep it with the 14th amendment - there HAS to be some sort of due process!!  You can't just unilaterally say 'Guns are bad so we won't let you have them. 

     

    (For those of you hazy on the 14th amendment - here is the first clause - 

     

    "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

     

    What I was talking about here was really just  a "pet peeve" I have of these type of things resurfacing as "current issues' when they have been floating around the internet for years. To me it's almost a type of "fake news'. Facebook is terrible with it - and most people won't go check the facts themselves. I'm simply advocating  that you research! Do your own Due Diligence!

     

    Most people just don't want to do research!  It's there if you look - and just because you believe it doesn't make it true! Saying it EVEN LOUDER doesn't make it any truer!

     

     You have no idea how many times I've tried to tell  people Senators and Congressmen  - 

     

    don't receive their salary for life -

    can't vote a pay raise anytime they want

    Don't receive free health care

    Aren't exempt from Social Security

    Aren't exempt from Income Tax

     

    But of course, they don't want do believe that....so they don't - no matter how many places you send them to look - like this one!

     

    https://perry.house.gov/constituent-services/myths-about-congress.htm

     

    Sorry for the rant - guess I just needed to get on my soap box today.

     

     

     

     

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