Sniper

His last sign in and visit was July 2021.

Yeah, and those are the most popular rounds that most are looking for... so the problem is? Not a supply issue. I see plenty of the other calibers I shoot, 22LR and 40. Do you want them to produce a glut of other, rare calibers, so they have to sell them cheaper. Another point of the article was the evil term, "profit".

Not mine, it's AWD... and I hate it, but I didn't have much choice. It's a really good feature, not sure why it hasn't been more popular. Leaning over the tailgate to get something out is a real pain.

Not sure where you're looking, but at my normal haunts, there's plenty to choose from.... but the pricing still sucks... (as the article above notes).

Honda did some things that all the other pickup manufactures didn't. Like the dual action tailgate, I usually swing it out versus the conventional way of swinging it down. Then, they put the big trunk under the bed, which comes in handy. Yeah, the bed is a little shorter, but I've carried a ton of stuff, like 4x8 sheets, furniture, etc., you just fold down the tailgate, like the longer beds. I also like the way the split rear seat folds up to make room for poochie to jump in, and there's no driveshaft hump in the way. I've had virtually zero issues with my Ridgeline, had a starter die suddenly, but that's it.

Maybe because their wives take it all from them? I had to beat that into my kid's heads when debit cards first came out. They kept running to the ATM to grab $20 (when they only need $5) multiple times a month. When they got their bank statements, and looked at all the crazy ATM fees (because they would go to non network banks), the amount they pissed away on fees was amazing.

So, buy a Honda or Toyota.... problem solved..

Many common colds are caused by the Coronavirus (about 20%), and others caused by the Rhinovirus.... so there's that... Anyone ever remember being quarantined in past years for multiple weeks because of the common cold? I didn't think so...

Wait... what?? Oh. No..

Another point of reference, make sure you stay stocked up with your basic necessities and groceries, and don't let supplies run down. Wifey came back from the grocery store and said items that were always available , were really light or empty. Seems the grocery stores are also having staffing/delivery issues, so stuff isn't making it back on the shelf. This is predicted to go on for another week or two, until Omicron dies down. But it will take the supply chains even more time to catch back up.

Reading this article, it's interesting, the ammo shortage and high prices wasn't about over demand, it also seems to be from the consolidation of suppliers and control... ...."Concentration is increasing prices and keeping them high. The ammunition duopoly and the "Great Ammunition Shortage" is just one example. One of the more interesting questions in the discussion over inflation is the relationship between concentration and pricing changes. Most economists believe that supply shocks are increasing profits, but that this increase will serve as an inducement to more productive capacity. Ammunition is a highly concentrated industry. There are many ammo brands, like CCI, Federal, Remington, Winchester, and Speer, but they are all controlled by two firms - Vista Outdoor and the Olin Corporation. As Elle Ekman wrote in the American Prospect, Vista and Olin rolled up the industry through mergers, as well as taking advantage of the privatization of government facilities making ammunition and government contracts. But the industry hasn’t experienced such competitive dynamics. Profits, said Priyadarshi, have gone to share repurchases and paying down debt. There are several reasons for this, but the main ones are consolidation and high barriers to entry in the industry. Ammunition is difficult to produce, as it requires careful manufacturing processes to safely handle explosive materials. Vista recently bought its competitor Remington out of bankruptcy, lowering the number of firms in the industry that could even build a factory and distribute ammunition effectively. In other words, Vista executives are planning to ensure that prices won’t come down. They have expanded some capacity on the margins, but because there are only two real firms now, they can easily pull that extra production offline if necessary. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/what-great-ammunition-shortage-says-about-inflation

NO, just beer...

In the end, this is what it's all about. Each person has to decide the level of protection they want to carry, if it's nothing, a knife, Mace, a Taser, or the Byrna. It also depends on the situation you're in and how you can conceal. I originally would carry the Taser or Pepper spray, but they are both close range deterrents. Doesn't really give you much distance. Plus, the Taser is a one and done weapon. Don't hit with both prongs the first try, you'll have a really pissed off attacker! I carry the Byrna primarily with me in my RV. I do have multiple CCW permits, so I can carry a handgun in some states I go to, but I also travel through Blue states, so the Byrna ends up being better than nothing, and I don't have to play legal jeopardy in some Blue states.

This is a biggie to think about. It also hold true for ALL municipal services. What happens if the water treatment staff is short handed, can't keep the pumps running or they don't have the treatment chemicals? How about the sewer authority, do they have enough staff to keep the crap flowing downhill? Power company, enough staff to keep the lights on, and let's hope we don't get an ice storm. You need to be prepared for any disruption in services. Add in Fire, rescue squad or police. Are YOU prepared? Also, this isn't just because of people being actually sick. It's also the quarantine policies that are keeping the healthy people out of work for 7 - 14 days after exposure.

I don't know if I'm lucky, or not, in that area. Wifey doesn't say a word when I bring something new home, and doesn't question it at all... But, on the other hand, I think she plays an "eye for an eye", and I see new pairs of shoes or purses come home shortly after...

I was going to mention something similar, to have a sizable amount, readily available, in case a good deal comes around, or you want to buy something "off the radar". Some of my best purchases and deals were cash. I was originally doing that too, with $100 bills, to save space, but it started to get more difficult to break them when making small purchases. Local retailers were looking "funny" at the $100s. So, I got wifey in the habit to use them for the bigger purchases (like groceries) and then bring back the smaller bills as change. Plus, periodically you need to change out the older $100s with newer bills. Make sure the old ones stay dry or keep them packed with silica-gel packets to remove moisture. Wanna get a funny look, go to the bank and cash a big check, and ask for the cash in $20s.... I love the look the teller gives me... like WTF...

Tell me about it... now you're talking about a REAL Pandemic and natural disaster!

It's also important to keep cash in your pocket everyday, you never know when the card processing services go down. It drives me nuts to watch people swipe their card when they buy a $1.50 bottle of Coke! Hardly anyone today carries a few bucks in their pocket. The younger generations are the biggest example of this. I can remember when Hurricane Sandy came through. The only stores open were the ones accepting cash, like pizza places and Chinese takeout. If you didn't have cash, you starved...

You could be on your own, plan and prepare accordingly. I put this here as a Public Service Announcement. Just be aware, you might not be able to access the services you need in a timely manner. ......"The current explosion of omicron-fueled coronavirus infections in the U.S. is causing a breakdown in basic functions and services — the latest illustration of how COVID-19 keeps upending life more than two years into the pandemic. First responders, hospitals, schools and government agencies have employed an all-hands-on-deck approach to keep the public safe, but they are worried how much longer they can keep it up. In New York City, officials have had to delay or scale back trash and subway services because of a virus-fueled staffing hemorrhage. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said about one-fifth of subway operators and conductors — 1,300 people — have been absent in recent days. Almost one-fourth of the city sanitation department’s workers were out sick Thursday, Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson said. The city’s fire department also has adjusted for higher absences. Officials said Thursday that 28% of EMS workers were out sick, compared with about 8% to 10% on a normal day. Twice as many firefighters as usual were also absent. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-education-pandemics-76830eee3a8c2a5688df4fc77488195a

NNoooooooooooooo........ Potato Shortage Leads To Global Shortage Of French Fries, Potato Chips Fast food restaurants across the world are experiencing a shortage of french fries. The United States is one of the top producers of potatoes globally — but lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced U.S. farmers to destroy hundreds of tons of potatoes in 2020, and the supply has not fully recovered. On top of that, supply chain issues have hampered the exports of this year’s crop. Japan is also home to more than 3,000 McDonald’s franchises, according to The Washington Post, and relies heavily on U.S. potato exports. The Post reported that Japan was considering flying in potatoes to ease supply bottlenecks, but snowstorms battered the West Coast of North America and further delayed shipments. McDonald’s was forced to restrict french fry orders in Japan to just the small size for the foreseeable future. Days after McDonald’s Japan made the announcement, leading potato chip manufacturers in South Africa warned that global supply issues and low local crop yields due to adverse weather conditions had created a short supply of potatoes for chip-making. https://www.dailywire.com/news/potato-shortage-leads-to-global-shortage-of-french-fries-potato-chips

Absolutely aren't a joke. Anyone want to step up and experience one? I load a kinetic round as the first one, as a "wake up" call. The next four are the combo pepper/tear gas. You definitely don't want to experience them. See the video below. That's exactly the reason. You sure ain't going to kill the dude on the spot. But, it will give you plenty of time to escape, and the stand off distance is much better than a Taser. Here's the effect of taking a round. Plus, it doesn't have to be a direct hit, you can hit a wall or hard object nearby, and the cloud can drift into the perp:

Sure beats throwing rocks...

Everyone should consider these.... you can never be too careful, and cover all your bases:

That's for sure. On deck first is a new SUV for wifey. But inventory is really slim in the configuration she wants. I'm not majorly concerned about paying a few more bucks, but there's nothing to choose from, and I just want to get it done. Ordering and waiting ain't in the cards, we did that for her last car. I've been searching for a used cargo van, to turn it into a Camper van, but the pricing on them the past year has increased over $10K.... it's nuts!!!

What I like about the Byrna is the ability to put different types of rounds in the mags, and the mags changeout just like a conventional pistol. I can choose between kinetic rounds, 2 types of pepperball rounds or combo pepper/tear gas rounds.