d-dave

Been a bit. Welcome back to your place? I guess..??

I have no problem with him saying that. CMC was a really fun player to watch. He was a great asset, but this is a QB driven league. If Cam hadn't been broken by the NFL - the last few years could have been VERY different for CMC and the Panthers. It just didn't workout, and that's OK. I wish him nothing but the best in SF. As we saw, he got one heck of an upgrade in SF. Good for him. With the picks we got, we were able to get our QB so we'll see what happens here.

Is that a compliment or an insult? =P

Yep, that's a really good use-case I didn't think about

Try blink cameras. They are part of the amazon eco system. I've had them for years and they have been great - though not tied into my current security system. With the water leak sensors - do you really need them? Personally, I never saw a reason for them - I thought they were just a cash grab kind of thing. I'm just curious if you have an actual need that I don't know about.

Because I timed out of the edit: There's the silver purchase stuff, like the armor set loos nice. The scout rifle is OK, more Mida less Hung Jury. There are some interesting perk combos, but it's not a huge deal if I don't get it. Now Supremacy... What a poo show. It's a straight Connection Based Match Making (CBMM). My first game I ran into a fully grouped bunch of unbrokens with adept Immortals. Without a mercy rule, we got rolled 150 something to 30... It was that way all Saturday when I played six games. I still need to collect another 20 crest but I'm not sure I care enough. It's just not fun when my team is of guardian rank 2s versus 10s and 11s... Heck, I'm still a 6 because I haven't put in the time to level the other stuff because of life! So needless to say, I'm not thrilled with the state of D2 right now. Heck, I was just trying to do some "chill" weekly strikes and I kept getting booted each strike. Weaseled...I was at least able to pop back in but WTF guys. I've got other games I want to play much more right now.

Nah, there's another week.

Here's what I'll say about Austin Proehl - he has a lot of his father in his game. But he's just not talented enough. Would Ricky have been as successful in the 2023 NFL versus the game 20 years ago? Even then, he was a WR4-5. Someone who could play, but not a game changer. Best of luck to him! It's a nice story, but I'm not placing any wagers on him. Then again, he could surprise everyone.

Where the budget allows. The $600m is from the travel and leisure budget. Now do we need to make sure all children have a warm bed, enough to eat, and a place for their families? Yes! Is that far more important than a sports team? Yes! But I'm not in the city council or county commission so what I think is pretty moot. Are there plenty of schools that need help with their roofing? With plumbing? With a litany of other issues? YES!!! Lord knows I taught at several schools that needed work that never got budgeted. It's just how elected officials play games with the tax money.

Since I'm no longer a Charlotte resident, I can't really weigh in on their local politics. Cabarrus county is it's own stupid animal! While I'm not in favor of giving money to Tepper or any billionaire for a private business, I understand the pressure to do it anyway. There are only 32 NFL teams, and each team is a very valuable asset. Does it create enough economic activity? I don't know. But I do know there is a certain "pull" to having an NFL team. Your city is shown in wide shots on game day. At night, your city becomes a star of the game. For a while, it was the mark your city "made" it. Was that a good one? No, but it's all fluff, right? The games can create a sense of community, give your city something to rally around when politics are so dumb. Game Day is infectious. I remember going to Panther games and feeling this sense of excitement throughout downtown. I loved that. If I could do that again, I'd love to. Will it be the end of Charlotte if our local sports team leaves? No. Will $600m be better spent in other areas the budget allows? I don't know enough about all of that to have an opinion.

I never said ban the gun. We're never going to ban any firearm in the US with the money and power of the gun lobby. Sure, I've said that in the past, but I've realized that's not the most helpful position to have. Many people just love their guns more than anything else. Who am I to stop being from being happy? How often are the other "deer hunting" rifles used in mass shootings? How many people are shot per year in an AR-type weapon versus a deer hunting rifle? While I did actually look for a "damage" comparison or impact comparison - you are correct that a "deer hunting rifle" is a deadly weapon. It has a larger, more powerful bullet. BUT - there is a significant difference in how the damage occurs. The smaller round starts it's expansion sooner than the larger. The larger will more often blow through a human sized target before it expands and tumbles. At least, that's what I researched in 10 minutes of googling. Is there a way to "solve" the ammo issue while still respecting gun owners who enjoy target shooting or legitimate hunting (animals not people)? I don't want to pile on the demonization of gun owners because while it is fun and easy, it's not productive. Hence why I think dealing with the ammunition the is the least bad way of trying to do some good.

My wife and I were considering a move because our neighborhood is full of renters and the HOA cares more about the colors on people doors and shutters than trashy renters. Oh, and Cabarrus county is a complete poo-show. We looked at the rates and the prices per sq. foot, and while we're still OK, we're going to stick it out. Like we could sell well, but what are we going to be able to get else where? So we're going to try to stick it out as much as we can.

I'm kind of surprised we're not in the TB yet, to be honest =P My problem with the AR-15 is less the gun and more the ammo. The bullets do TREMENDOUS amounts of internal damage. I mean, the base of the AR-15 and the M-16 (Source: https://special-ops.org/whats-the-difference-between-an-ar15-m4-and-m16/#:~:text=The distinction between an AR,military in close-quarters combat) are similar in nature, and both fire the same ammunition. This is not a weapon made for civilians, it was made for combat and the ammo was designed for war, not self-defense. So fine, people wants their "cool" looking AR-15s and other tacti-cool gear for Insurgency Cos-Play, hog hunting or scaring people with whom they have a disagreement. My biggest problem is the actual wounds caused by the weapon are much worse than other firearms. Time after time, when the super popular AR-15 is used in a violent attack, there is always a medical professional who is saying that the wounds are just worse. https://abc7.com/why-ar15-semi-automatic-weapons-dangerous/13051721/ That is the MUCH larger issue. While the 2nd amendment says, and has been interpreted, as buy as much guns as you want - there is nothing about limiting the ammunition. Or is there a way to redesign the round so that ammo sold to civilians would be more of a straight shot through a target as opposed to the devastating wound pattern the military round causes? I've fired some higher powered, long rifles before. There is a certain cool "this thing is powerful" feeling. I get that. You feel it from your tingly bits on up. The dopamine rush is real. Last time I did, I was at an outdoor "not strictly regulated" range. There were some bowling pins we could set up, and being able to see those things hit and fly was cool as crap. I think for many people, that's where the fantasy ends. Like you can shoot a bunch of random stuff, and it's cool and all; but then you have to ask yourself the hard question: what happens if I shoot a living creature or a person with this weapon? Hopefully I won't get this thread tossed in the TB, but while I respect people who collect cool and antique firearms, or those who responsibly own guns; I do think there is more that can be done to protect the greater public from the people who want to abuse the good behavior of the larger population.

I heard about it this weekend. Just horrible. I have no idea how you move on from such a tragedy.

When my dad died, I got his guns, mostly antiques, but some that are still fun to shoot. I have a Stevens Marksman-12, a Marlin lever action 22, a Remington Shotgun, and my favorite: a Savage over/under .22/.410 model 24. I've shot that one since I was a kid - I've always been able to get those .22s to line up really well at around 50 yards. My father's favorite was his Browning .22 challenger 3. That's a nice little pistol to shoot. I enjoy shooting them, and when my son is ready, he'll learn how to handle them. Realistically, I don't have anything remotely for home security. I do have two dogs who will tell me when anyone comes to the door, lol. I have a bunch of target guns for fun. I don't have the money to go out and buy anything new. I've got bills to pay as I get further out of debt, and it's not a priority. Though a buddy let me shoot his .45 once, and I loved that one. Felt really good. Maybe one day. Oh, and no tacti-cool gear for me. When I go to the range I have my fire arms in their cases, ammo in a left over tool bag with my safety gear.