Source

I cannot tell from the listing but are they actually ‘armoured’ in any way other than the steel bumper bar (which is a common addition to any farm truck, and cheap) - like are the fender panels all just painted plastic like most modern vehicles?

This is just my conjecture, but the front windscreen incl. frame and doors appear thicker than what I saw in other stock images of the vehicle. For all I know, it may not be legit armor plating but just a body kit, but if someone can directly purchase one of these, then perhaps they could afford actual armor plating. There is a company in my hometown (south-central Texas) that offers vehicle armoring services, but my impression has always been that this service was more for individuals/businesses that have concerns with cartel, etc.

They may cost $250k new, but as I pointed out in another comment they seem to hold fuck all resale value. Here’s one selling for less than 1/5th its initial value ($48k), one year after purchase - seems brand new and lists no issues/damage…

Ouch, that’s horrific depreciation! Wow! If that’s the case, that’s definitely the way to go if this vehicle would scratch the itch for someone’s inner child.

Looks like an armored Rezvani Hercules 6x6.

These are $$$ in general:

But they’re also driveable in SnowRunner for much less money.

Legend has it, Tom Cruise forgot what Josh looked like and approaches every skateboarder with the same intro.

If a company is particular about me using Windows for work, I’ll be particular about choosing a company that uses Linux for work. But I’m in a unique/privileged position in this regard; my job involves making it easier for people to use Linux for business or personal use.

This is mostly true, but farming/ranching is constant work once you have even a modest amount of land and livestock.

I grew up in a low-net-worth family, working on a farm that has been in our hands since 1873. I worked 3 jobs while studying my butt off, and eventually got a degree in Electrical Engineering with a Computer Science minor. I was recruited into various government programs and defense contracting companies, made my way to consumer electronics and medical device companies, then finally free- and open-source hardware/software. I now gratefully hold a very prestigious position while living full-time in my RV while prepping a fully self-sustainable homestead back on my family’s ranch.

There is no substitute for the beauty of nature in the small amount of time we’re able to appreciate it. That said, there are many many many to enjoy nature without sacrificing vacations for the vocation of fixing fence, herding cattle, plowing fields, eradicating invasive species, calling the game warden on poachers, fixing fence…

1. Either when I was in elementary school or early middle school, I was pushed from behind into the deep end of a pool (~10 feet IIRC) not knowing how to swim. I didn’t have the chance to take a breath, so I wasn’t buoyant and struggled to make any more progress than ~3 feet below the surface. I was underwater long enough to get tunnel vision and start to pass out; I was pretty upset at the kid that pushed me in and why it took him so long to help me out. Sure, not really life or death, but enough to get me exhausted and have memories of my young life flash before me.
2. While working at a grocery store, I was nearly hit by a car driven by some dick kid flooring it in the parking lot while I was bringing in shopping carts. To this day, people zooming through parking lots really aggravates me.
3. Heard and felt a ricochet from a .243 Winchester FMJ round next to my left ear when sighting in a scope as I shot a target pinned to a round hay bale ~50 yards away. The round/shrapnel was estimated to be within 2 inches of my head. I’m unsure how the ricochet traveled at almost the same angle of incidence. I just know that I felt it whiz by.
4. Fell 8-12 feet while free soloing the King and Queen Seat in Maryland and managed to turn during the fall and blindly catch my arm. I estimate that I caught myself 35-40 feet from the ground.
5. Had a gun pulled on me a couple times.

Mitosis gone wild

Worst dates? How about bizarre ones? I’ll omit my actual worst dates because I suspect they’d be too intense or bring down the mood, and I’m guessing that may not be the intention of the post.

I briefly dated this one girl in Portland, Oregon. Let’s call her Marie. I planned everything for the first date, drove all the way across town for the sake of meeting at a memorable place on a pleasant day - effort I put in when I think there’s a chance for something with real potential.

We met up at a farmer’s market, awkwardly scooted around looking at various produce and tasted spicy chocolates while talking about who knows what. Positive, light-hearted conversation. Cool, Marie passed the vibe check, so I took her to my favorite bakery in the area. Better conversation this time - enough to want a second date. We started walking maybe two blocks until she excused herself and dipped out - no hug, kiss, or handshake. Huh. Well, it was less than a 90-minute date. OK, bye bye.

A few days passed as we kept in touch over text and agreed to another date. I, again, made all the plans; I don’t remember what they were exactly but do recall that it was a very thoughtful and cute idea based on some cute thing that we bonded over when we were last together. Marie said no, she’d actually prefer to go to a book signing at Powell’s (which is downtown, across the city for me) in the middle of the week at, like, 5pm. Hmm, OK, I’ll give it a shot. I appreciated her proposing a date idea and hadn’t been to a book signing in a long time, anyway.

The day came. I scrambled after my last meeting for the day to shower and prep and whatnot, hopped in my car and enjoyed a ~45 minute drive in heavy traffic toward the heart of the city. I eventually found paid parking about 4 blocks away, tossed a few coins to my Parking Kitty, and rushed off to the bookstore.

I composed myself while looking around but saw no sign of Marie. 5 minutes until the signing, whew. I texted her to say I’d arrived. I started to meander, peeking around the stacks to see if she’s browsing but stayed to the entryway. It’s cold and drizzly outside, enough where people weren’t loitering around, so I didn’t think we’d miss each other that way. 0 minutes until the signing. 5 minutes late. I texted again. 10 minutes late. Then there she is - there’s Marie! A brief “hey!” later, we scurried upstairs and, thankfully, saw that the group was seated but the crowd was still murmuring, so the event hadn’t yet begun.

We grabbed our seats and enjoyed the event, after which I anticipated that we’d walk and talk around the bookstore or do… something date-y, but she said “OK I’m gonna head out.” Uh. “Alright, can I walk you to your car?” She nodded, and off we went. We made it about two blocks and only chatted for maybe 2-3 minutes before reaching her car. “OK, bye!” she said as she got in her car with a timid wave.

After I got back home, I texted Marie, asking if she was OK because it felt like we only shared a few sentences before departing and I’m not used to that kind of communication, especially on dates. No response. I waited two days, still no response, so I told her that it was nice seeing her but I need better communication with people I’m dating.

Does the 21 year old need a father figure at that age? Is their biological or step-father not around? I don’t see the need for the 21 year old to accept an 18 year old as a father figure since they’re already an adult. Express personal boundaries but let them live their own life.

I’ve daily-driven my Librem 5 since March 2023. I will certainly not state that this device will meet everyone’s needs or expectations and would consider myself a patient prosumer, but comfortable daily use is possible and is proving easier in testing the next major PureOS release (crimson).

Yes, I am a Purism staff member. Here are a couple Purism forum search results of things I have posed related to the Librem 5 version 2:

• https://forums.puri.sm/t/librem5-v2-design-opinion-on-headphone-jack/29875/11
• https://forums.puri.sm/t/esim-on-librem-5/29843/14

the PinePhone Pro looks the most promising one of the bunch

I’ll have to advocate for the Librem 5 over the Pinephone Pro for the following reasons:

1. The Pinephone Pro has officially been discontinued as of August 2025 [source].
2. The Librem 5 and Liberty phones are still in production [source].
3. Librem 5 PCB board design files are also available - not just schematics [source].
4. Purism is already working on a Librem 5 version 2.
5. Purism is pushing toward FSF RYF certification for the Librem 5 and future models.

I’d consider it a significant advancement. Phones have much tighter regulations than many consumer devices and this may not necessarily align with Valve’s long-term business objectives, however, so I have some skepticism but would be pleasantly surprised if they pursued such an endeavor.

Who else zoomed in on the screen to figure out what game they’re playing?

Agreed. A few of my physician/nursing friends mentioned that they see these kinds of injuries on rare occasions and have always been attributed to patients in serious mental/emotional distress, so this level of desperation is unfortunately still out there.

It was the DOD long after I left, so however you want to interpret that. :)

It could be a desperate suicide attempt. The magnets get trapped in the bowels by sticking together at various points, necrotizing or rupturing the intestines or other tissues, which can cause peritonitis or ultimately sepsis, which can be fatal.

Dear DHS,

These are just cowards with guns. Do better. Become an agency with dignity, honor, and basic human decency.

With all the respect you deserve,
An ex-DOD civilian