melch

Meh, she faked it. Nothing to see here folks. He made a 150 million in 2005 and paid 38 million in taxes. The rest is all just sensationalized conjecture and more speculation. . . So he paid at a lower rate than my wife and I. For shame. You need to find a new accountant and/or maybe get an accountant. Or we reform tax code and close loop holes that drastically change effective tax rates of progressive tax brackets.

I've had this conversation with Ron already. Ron doesn't care if Trump is a christian. If he is a christian, great! If he isn't it doesn't matter, he's going to be used by god to do christian things anyway. And Ron knows god has chosen Trump to use, because Trump is lucky and rich! It doesn't matter what Trump has ever said or done before, so it doesn't matter what evidence you have or reasoning you bring him. Trump is great because Ron bellyfeels it. That's it. That's everything. He has constructed an argument that dismisses any and all evidence to the contrary, because reality itself does not matter. I agree with what you stated above. Except I do not believe that God chose President Trump because he was lucky and rich. I believe God chose him to stop Hillary. Like I said before, now President Trump has to produce. Because God, if he exists, is so intimately interested in American politics... I for one, am thankful we are so fortunate that the supposed creator of everything prioritizes Americans over the other 700+million Christians. Praise be unto him for saving us from Hillary. ^This is literally how stupid you sound Ron.

It get's better. Fill, er... I mean drain the swamp. http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/03/02/donald_trump_jr_possibly_paid_50_000_from_russia_connected_group.html Trump Jr. receiving a smooth $50k from a Kremlin-Connected Foreign Policy Group.

It's also difficult to hold on to the narrative of meeting under the auspicious of your Senate job when you use campaign funds from your reelection accounts to pay for it. In which case, you are no longer traveling as part of your job, but traveling for purposes of campaigning. https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeff-sessions-used-political-funds-for-republican-convention-expenses-1488509301?mod=e2fb

It doesn't mean he's wrong, it just means he got his pee pee slapped for daring to slap the sacred cow. I recall a certain Republican presidential candidate attacking a Gold Star family as a political prop and he went on to be POTUS. I suppose it's was ok then because he tells it like it is, unlike those libtard fake news consumers attacking our outstanding veterans. The hypocrisy is rampant.

+1

Proposed $54bn increase in defense spending paid for by a 37% cut in the already inadequate $50bn State Department budget. Various sources have stated that the cuts would likely require reductions in staff, including security contractors at diplomatic missions abroad. I'm curious how Trump will justify this should an attack occur considering how much he held Benghazi over Clinton. After throwing the generals under the bus and trying to shift the blame to them over the death of the SEAL, I'm wondering who he will try to scapegoat for this one. Edited to add, at least senate and congressional leaders from both sides have said it will get very little support.

This is beautifully articulated. It certainly provides a more refined view of my rather coarse belief that Christianity is the consequence of how covering up an affair got wildly out of hand.

Careful Ron, that's only two times short of the daily mandate for Islamic calls to prayer. You fear Sharia, I fear the continued blurring of lines between secularism and a pseudo-theocracy that you and the rest of "the good Christians" would willingly accept...which would be ok because f*ck the Muslims right?

As a former infantryman, this article is garbage. Just another pissed off knuckle dragger with a hyper inflated sense of self worth that thinks citizens owe him more than he is actually due.

No. We're hoping we have at least a few folks in the military willing to disobey illegal orders. We're hoping he has trouble finding troops willing to kill US citizens with little provocation. We're hoping we don't fall into a civil war for no damn good reason. So for the Oath of Commissioned Officers, you need to expand to include: I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God." and for the enlisted guys: I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. That whole, "well and faithfully" and "according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice" which bounds us to disobey unlawful orders kind of cuts away at your domestic argument. Also, domestic doesn't imply average citizens/dissenters or rioters. You really need to start looking into the various Title authorities of the US Code to delineate what the Army can do domestically as opposed to police forces or the National Guard. I don't think you would have trouble finding troops who would obey his orders at the lower enlisted level, but thankfully, they are under the orders of officers and service SECs that would kibosh any of these shenanigans unless there was a true domestic threat.

Nah, he intends to do it himself because he is like, a really smart person. He knows more about State Department functions and international relations than the diplomats. You can learn all his secrets in Art of the Deal. Just buy his book and you can be almost as smart as him.

As a veteran it aggravates me when right-wing conservatives who never served in the military prevent the VA from filling thousands of open positions, and reduce the already low morale by insinuating that existing VA staff are all corrupt or incompetent. The wise approach is to let someone who knows what the fuck he's doing (like the Secretary of the VA) make management decisions instead of dictating from a position of complete ignorance. ^this. Also, as an active duty member, I hate when people place veterans on a pedestal. We blindly assume that someone holding a veteran status is an untouchable demi-god. In the last year, I separated 10 soldiers for a variety of reasons (drugs, domestic abuse, and BAH fraud, good 'ol fashioned oxygen thieves, etc.) all of whom get to claim the title "veteran" and serve as a political lever for others' agendas. Mostly because people don't care to make the distinction between honorable service and a title. As far as the VA, I'm thankful we get anything at all (something is better than nothing). In my opinion, we should embrace the selfless service aspect a little more and stop asking, what's in it for me and wean yourself off the government teat.

Many people supporting McCroy in his endeavor to undermine Cooper prior to Cooper's taking of office are the same crew that are appalled by Obama's failure to just be a lame duck president, namely his attempts to "box in" Trump...

He is already shaping foreign policy 140 characters at a time without taking any daily intelligence briefings or understanding second and third order of effects of his "decisions" and tweets. I've been working an emerging problem set daily for about 3 months and I'm just beginning to feel comfortable. I don't have an issue with his use of Social Media, but nothing about them (as far as I can tell) are calculated use. It's an out pouring of emotions and opinions on par with a 16 year old girl on her period jamming to TSwift after a breakup. I have friends that work in the State Department who are going crazy because they can't advise Ambassadors to key allies and partners on US Policy towards, well, anything or prepare anything meaningful because of an unfiltered Twitter account. This man is going to get people killed or inadvertently initiate a detrimental sequence of events 140 unfiltered characters at a time.

Bernie cannot run as a third party, independent, or write-in. He threw his name in the hat with the Democratic Party and did not file the appropriate paperwork before the deadlines to run as anything but a Dem. Sure, you can write his name down on election day but it will truly be a throw away vote. #bernedout

Afghanistan was hardly a civil war. Last time I checked that was the one an only time an Article 5 response was invoked in the history of NATO. Not arguing the result, just pointing out the fact that it was/is not a civil war.

In an attempt to elevate some of the discussion in SC away from the usual (Rep vs Dem, Gun control in America, Us vs Them police discussions, I read a very interesting article in the Atlantic this morning discussing the one of several undertones in many of the debates found in SC. The article focuses mainly on oversensitivity and the development of said oversensitivity. Here is the link http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/ Would love to hear some other thoughts on this.

Johnny, As a large amount of great advice has already been given I will keep my post short. Evaluating your intended use as an occasional range weapon and something to carry while camping, I would strongly suggest a .357 revolver. 1) I would avoid a long gun (shot gun/rifle) as they can be unwieldy with hiking gear in comparison to a handgun. I presume you would be carrying it as protection against wild life rather than a hunting weapon and a pistol will do just fine. I have found that a round fired near a curious predator is usually enough to send it on its way. 2) Revolver, not a semi automatic. Unless you intend to train regularly with your firearm then I would stick to a revolver for it's simplicity and reliability. Remedial action for a semi automatic (actions taken during a jam/misfire/misfeed) is relatively simple thing for an intermediate or advanced firearm owner with training. However, to one who does not train regularly, fixing a malfunction in a time of high stress could have detrimental results. Remedial action for a revolver: keep pulling the trigger until it stops going bang. 3) .357 long barrel. Arguments over calibers are like assholes and opinions, especially as a new gun owner. Again, if your intended use is protection while hiking, you are going to want something with a little more Powah behind it to stop, if necessary, some of those bigger critters you guys have running around in Colorado. As everyone else has already said, go to your local gun store and have a dialogue regarding your needs and concerns and they should point you in the right direction.

True...it is not SC though so I am hoping the jankyness stays low. I always tend to take advice on stuff like this with a grain of salt that is why my focus is more on the area of where people conduct their research/get started. That way I can do my own and as you point out, find things I understand to invest in. Thanks for the initial info :)

First off, this is not a 'Rich talks Stocks' or 'Where should I invest my money?' thread. Simply put, I am looking at getting serious about my investments as opposed to what I currently do which is put money in the same old mutual fund. I would like to get more serious about market research, diversifiying, etc. With that being said, my preliminary research has been rudimentary (Google for the win) but I am finding that the information available is simply overwhelming. In an effort to avoid janxy information, I was hoping that some of you with a little more...um, life experience (not that you are old or anything) in particular with investing would share reputable magazines, periodics, websites, companies with solid foundational teachings to narrow down my humble beginnings of financial research.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30710883 Apparently North Korea is not the only one with free press issues. Unfortunate incident. For those that get heated and have very strong opinions about gun culture in America, what are your thoughts? Also, those of you against big brother and surveillence of suspected bad people...will you now cry foul and ask why no one saw this coming?

+1 Also, with a 40 minute commute each way in addition to an 8 hour work day, I would honestly advise you not to adopt a dog. That is unless you are willing to take the dog to dog day care or hire a dog walker to let the dog out for an hour or so. You are asking your furry friend to hold urine for nearly 10 hours a day. I would invite you to consume liquids throughout the day and try not pissing for 10 hours. Unless you do not intend to leave water out which is equally cruel. In these 9-10 hour work days (adding in commute time to your 7.5-8 hours) how do you intend to house train or crate train? It is possible but it is going to take much longer as well. I also an a huge propenent of obidience school. Germany is a very dog friendly environment (dogs are welcome in most restaurants, sometimes more than small children) but something they all have in common is how well behaved they are in public. I do not know if it is a law but speaking in generalities, Germans will dedicate time to Hundeschule (Dog School/Obedience training) to ensure their dogs are well behaved in public venues. I highly recommend regular obedience training to any new pet owner. Start early! Marker training is fantastic. Adopting a dog is way more than just having a smiling face to come home to at the end of the day and scratch behind the ears, teach a few tricks and use to pick up Sky Queens. There is a significant time and monetary investment as well. I think that if you are asking for suggestions on breeds based on behavior, hair/shedding, etc. then you have not done enough research/thinking up front on the impact to your life. Maybe you have and it just does not come through on your post. Not to shoot down your dreams of dog ownership but serious consideration should be put into what you are getting yourself into over the next 8-12 years. @ Nat - I think our perceptions on the tendencies of certain breeds to bite are lead to by poor breeding standards from puppy mills looking to capitalize on popular breeds of dogs and popularity or particular breeds. 10-15 years ago it was German Shepherds and Dobermans (both which already have protective instincts) and now it is pitbulls. Shitty breeders inbreeding the same pack over and over to meet demand by families who are not always prepared to provide dogs with the attention they need (based on the breed) are a bad combination. Breeding dogs is much more than putting a bitch in heat with a stud and letting them go at it. There are sciences and methods to it based on natural order in order to promote healthy breeding, limit defects in the gene pool, prevent mental instability, etc. I am not an expert by any means, but like you I have friends that breed dogs for a living and to listen to them pontificate on the complexities of good dog breeding (which also involves vetting potential adoption parents) is fascinating.

I'll have to dig for the articles but there are reasons the OPEC countries (mostly the Saudis) are not acting on the plummeting prices of oil right now...it screws over US Shale oil business, tanks the Iranian and Russian economies and does not cost OPEC anymore than they were spending previously. Global economies and big business drive more politics and outcomes both abroad and domestically than any sitting president. The presidents past and present are usually reactive and usually to the detriment of the future.

You are forgetting to adjust for Cost of Living in the respective areas. NYPD pay/incentives may look good compared to average earnings of BFE NC, MO, or other rural areas but compared to average cost of livings of NY it is not that much. The Polizei can also administer brutal beatdowns with little or no provocation on the spot without much retribution (from my personal and limited experiences). I love watching a Turkish guy get mouthy with the Polizei just to see how fast the night sticks come out. Clearly education is not as big of an impact as you would imply.