https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/11/middleeast/afghanistan-taliban-analysis-intl/index.html

I don't bring this up much, but once upon a time I was an Army grunt immediately post high school. I was a senior and vividly remember 9/11. Anyway, fast forward a bit and I'm in basic train 4 months after my graduation. Landed boots on the ground in Afghanistan for my first tour 4/20/2004, OEF V.

I knew back then that the Afghan National Army(ANA) was weak but damn did I not realize just how weak they were. It is 14 years later and they are far worse than I could ever have imagined. They've been overrun in a matter of months and realistically could control the country by the end of the year. All those stupid hearts and mind missions, all those talks with the village elders, the wells dug, generators given away, national elections, and weeks long missions - all of it pissed away because they can't/won't stand up for themselves. Reports of soldiers leaving their uniforms so they could blend in civilians makes my blood boil. All the guys that got chewed up or worse.

I rarely get upset but I'm legitimately angry. What was the point of it all?

This is me doing a word find in 100+(probably) degree heat. We lived in those wood frame tents for 9 months.

I'm doing a reunion next week with the guys I went there with. Some are still one. At least one is SF and will most likely have to go back.

I don't know where I'm going with all this but I just needed to vent a bit.

HMMWV pic for your time. I'm 2nd from the right with my head down.

Took the kids to a new playground yesterday with the missus. I tagged along on the bike because it was too nice not to ride and I had just put a new battery in it.

Last year at this time they were both scared to sit on daddy's motorcycle. Now the more adventurous of the two is all about it. Decent posture for her first time. They grow up fast.

Potato pic because life happens fast.

@highlander Neither.

On vacation deep in weird and remote places in Colorado. Ouray, to be specific. I found my next car, of they still make it in ten years. It's not the
V90 but here's hoping I can replace the TourX with another wagon.

There's hope Oppo. Keep it weird.

I see no option for all of them.

Here is a video of a project I am working on. It has been years in the making to get to this point. This is just one half of the construction. There is a whole other portion of the facility that has the design finished and will get built once the construction on this finishes. The cost of this thing will be in the hundreds of millions once it is all finished.

The day I signed the title over.

I still miss the Taco sometimes.

I baked some home made banana "bread" on Sunday. It's not really bread as it doesn't have yeast but that's neither here nor there. It turned out amazing. It was very hard not to eat the entire loaf in one sitting.

Fortunately, it no longer exists to tempt me with its delicious, moist, sweet morsels. I just had the last piece. Sugar, butter, and brown sugar crumble make everything better.

Just thought I would share. Now back to your regularly scheduled shit posting.

Now that I've got you with a click baity title, a good friend of mine is taking delivery of his 2021 M3 with a manual today around lunch. The dealership isn't too far from my house, so he said he would swing by after he finishes the paperwork. He ordered the car this spring, so its been quite a wait.

I don't know what options he got or what color it is but I'll update with some pictures once he arrives. I'm excited.

Sweden has a law that the power company owes you money if the power goes out for x amount of hours and goes up with each passing hour. The reasoning is, you pay them for power as you need it. If they can't provide it, they are impacting you and you should be compensated.

I always liked that law.

Also, it's at times like these that I'm glad I have a stack of wood and a wood burning fire place. I could keep the living room warm until the power comes back on.

Good work!

@rallywrench This is the correct answer.

Daily Buick
Track S2000
Burn 911

@qaaaaa This may be just me, but a real gun loaded with blanks isn't a prop. It's still a real gun. What you load into a weapon doesn't change it's status from real to prop or vice versa. Maybe I'm just a simple minded fool, who knows.

@qaaaaa That's my question. How does a prop gun even have the capacity to fire anything. Did they get hollywood blanks and real bullets mixed up on set?

I'm pretty sure that's how Bruce Lee's son was killed on set.

@snakesm13 $30,000

Give me the Aston all day, everyday. I'd let it do things to me.

@krustywantout Sure for certain people it grows on them but I immediately went from ugly to that's not bad actually once I saw it in person.

I'm going to be the odd ball here, it doesn't look as bad in person. My friend just took delivery on his new M3. Yes it's aggressive but photos make it seem worse than it is in person.

@qaaaaa Nah. Those are common sights when you grow up in the rust belt.