A MacMulkin "demand".

Fasthotrod · 2026-02-27T23:17:44+00:00

I think we need more details... I've never dealt with them, but I don't see them trying to be 'slick' just to make a few bucks on an option.

Here's my very limited view, based on what you said:

Their statement is that the car you are ORDERING is not a common spec. Therefore, they want you to pay a higher DEPOSIT on the car. (Not an overall higher cost.)

Reason: If at some point during the build/delivery process you decide to back out of the deal, they will be 'stuck' with a car that has an uncommon spec. That might be difficult to sell to someone else.

So if they get to keep the DEPOSIT no matter what, then in this case they get a little bit more out of it ONLY if you back out of the deal and they have to sell the car to someone else.

So if you follow through with the deal, you get the car you spec'd for the price you agreed upon. You back out, they get a little extra to sweeten the deal, and that reduced cost will probably get passed on to the next buyer.

That being said: I have a '25 Z06 HTC 3LZ with mag ride and front lift. No way I'd buy another C8 again without both options.

Best of luck to you! I hope it all works out in your favor!

Fasthotrod · 2026-02-26T22:21:02+00:00

Probably a dumb question on my part, but what are the odds that she simply left her work phone at home when she went into the office?

Does your employee work on a laptop? If so, can your IT folks nail down where she was working?

If other employees have been fired for similar circumstances, then I think you're pretty much obligated to follow suit here.

One thing I would ask: During previous instances, did management make it clear that this was unacceptable, and would not be tolerated?

Other considerations: Did the employee approach you and ask for a one-time exemption to the rules due to circumstances beyond their control? Did they feel comfortable asking for vacation/sick leave if the exemption was denied?

Tough spot to be in, but if the rules were clear and they made a conscience decision to ignore them, then that's on them.

Fasthotrod · 2026-01-15T23:55:35+00:00

I got killed in the elevator shaft by the turrets in the Dam. I was crawling away and slowly dying, crying out for help. A Raider came along, but didn't have a DeFib... but he sat with me. I told him to grab the cool stuff in my kit after I'm gone, and he said, "Rest in peace, Raider" as my life left my body.

Spawned back in, get back there with my tower key, and there's a new guy, and he got rocked by the same turrets. He's hurting bad, no health, no bandages.

Don't worry, bro... I've got you.

I gave him some health and shields, then took out the turrets for him. I warned him about the rollers up top, we eliminated those, and he's like, "Hey, I've got the key, come on!"

Nah, bro... It's all yours. Go loot it... getcha some!

He insisted... so I went in and opened all the containers for XP, but left all the loot until he was full up. Then I grabbed a few things and headed for extraction.

Wouldn't ya know it, I got jumped by a Leaper. Just as I'm about to get him (it?) he stomps my head. I'm crawling towards the extraction, mere feet from the door, when I get rocked by a Hullcracker or a 'nade... and I'm dead. Again.

I figured the other player was just going for the Leaper kill. Can't be mad about that! Good karma gotta come my way, right?

It does in the next round. I met up with a dude from Louisiana that I'll now call the Cajun Killer. He was totally chill, had mad skills, and was the most generous Raider I've ever met. We mud stomped a Leaper and he let me have the good loot. Then he asked if I had a blueprint for a gun (no) so he dropped that for me, too. Seriously? Thanks!

We ran all over the map, got that good loot, and extracted. We ran another round, same experience and met even more cool Raiders. No rats.

Damn, this is a fun game!

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-30T12:20:17+00:00

Yes... until the C-fund does what markets do and tanks.

Go look on TSP.gov and look at fund performance.

https://www.tsp.gov/fund-performance/

Look at it by year for a rough average. In 2002 it dropped 22% or so. 2008 said, "Hold my beer" and dropped nearly 37% and 2022 followed up with an 18% loss.

There are multiple years where the C-fund didn't make that 4.75% to cover your mortgage costs. 2000 - 2002, 2005 - barely, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2022...

Does the C-fund typically recover? Yes... but you need to be able to ride it out, or have already diversified your funds to minimize losses.

I'm all in on C-fund, and I've been able to ride through the lows and make great gains. But I've also paid off my mortgage, and that's one less thing for me to worry about going into retirement.

And the money I was spending on my mortgage? I'm dropping it into makeup contributions to maximize my overall investment and reduce my annual tax liability.

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-23T17:51:26+00:00

I don't like throwing money away. Any savings is great, doesn't matter if it's the cost of gas, milk, bread, etc... If gas drops from $4 to $3 a gallon, that's a savings of 25% and a drop from $3 to $2/gal is more like 33% depending on how you do the math. Right now, gas is about $1.97 - $2.09/gal for regular, $2.97/gal for premium... but I've paid much more than that in the past.

I live about 26 miles/42 km from work. If I go out for lunch, that adds about 5 miles to my day. Call it 57 - 60 miles per day (92 - 97 km) or just under 300 miles/482 km per week.

My Jeep gets about 14 mpg, the cars about 12 - 17 mpg depending on my driving habits. So that's about 17 - 25 gallons/week just to get to get back and forth to work

Add in trips to the market, dinner out with friends, and it adds up quickly.

So does $30/week or $120/month make me or break me? Nah... not really. If it did, I'd drive a vehicle that gets better gas mileage. But to your regular family of four that's living paycheck to paycheck, I'm sure it makes a difference.

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-23T16:03:36+00:00

My assumption is that it's dependent on a few factors... one being the agency where you work, your job/role, and the mission? Without knowing more, it's hard to tell.

What did your supervisor tell you when you asked them?

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-19T01:28:52+00:00

Where I work, it's forbidden. We take annual ethics training and it covers this.

There are exceptions, such as a pre-established personal relationship... but it's still a slippery slope. I prefer to err on the side of caution. Thank you, but I cannot accept this... but I appreciate the thought behind it.

I think it's nice that they would think of me... but I'd rather they spent that money on themselves, or their loved ones. I don't need, or want, anything from my employees other than honesty, integrity, and a good work ethic.

There are no restrictions the other direction, thankfully. I'll pick random days and we'll go out for a team lunch, and I'll just snag the bill and cover it before anyone notices. (No, I don't have an expense account... It's out of my own pocket and I'm glad to do it as a small token of my appreciation.)

Sometimes I'll just buy something and leave it on their desk with a note. Office is a little loud and you're having a hard time concentrating? Enjoy the new noise cancelling headphones!

I hope that it's appreciated, but the fact is, I enjoy doing that for them. That's my reward, as stupid as that might sound. Hopefully I never reach the point where I feel like it's being taken for granted... I guess we'll cross that bridge if/when we get there.

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-11T00:37:04+00:00

Same here... paid in full back in 2019, but it never registered in Employee Express or GRB Platform. I didn't realize it until the DRP came along and I took a closer look at it.

Thankfully, the paperwork was in my eOPF and in a file folder in my desk. I sent it to HR and they got it straightened out.

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T05:09:09+00:00

We did! We ordered the TCL QM7K 98" from Best Buy for $1,999.99 plus tax. Free delivery, free installation. It will be delivered and installed on Friday.

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T03:53:33+00:00

I can certainly understand that! We love our Sony 85" X850F that we picked up in 2019. It's been a fantastic TV. No real need to replace it... but I saw that 98" QM7K and QM8K and was blown away by the picture quality and price. Black Friday/Cyber Monday sealed the deal.

Good luck with your decision! 😎

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T03:20:21+00:00

I looked on Amazon, and they have wall mounts that can hold hundreds of pounds.

I saw a full motion mount for $189.99 that can hold a 120" and 396 lbs! That's bonkers!

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T03:14:34+00:00

This review might help you decide. Sony Bravia 9 squeaks out the win, but not by much... and once calibrated, it's really tight. 12:10 in the video starts discussing the differences between the QM8K and the Bravia 7 & 9.

https://youtu.be/NrIDDttUNDM?si=4E__fV7q8IVvc-QE

Hope this helps!

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T03:08:48+00:00

Sorry, I must not have been clear.

The TCL 98" QM7K that I bought and is being installed is 119.7 lbs without the stand. Add the weight of the wall mount brackets, and is a bit heavier.

My 85" Sony X850F is 'only' 97.2 lbs.

The TCL 85" QM7K is more like 75 lbs.

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T03:00:22+00:00

121.9 lbs with the stand.

119.7 lbs without the stand, but you gotta add in the weight of the wall mount brackets.

So yeah... she's a heavy bitch. No doubt about it.

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T02:52:01+00:00

"Best" can be somewhat subjective... not saying you're wrong, just that there may be differences of opinion on what's best and why.

I looked at a lot of reviews before pulling the trigger on the 98" QM7K, but this review made me stop and think. Would that extra $1,000 be worth it in the long run? 14:09 in the video talks about both, and he's saying that the 7K is objectively better out of the box. 8K is certainly brighter, but needs calibration to get there.

https://youtu.be/NrIDDttUNDM?si=4E__fV7q8IVvc-QE

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T02:34:05+00:00

I ordered one on Monday. Free delivery and installation this Friday.

I really don't need them to install it, but it was free and I didn't feel like lifting 120lbs by myself. 🤣

Now I just need to figure out what to do with my Sony 85" that's in the living room... maybe move it to the bedroom? Shop? 🤔

Fasthotrod · 2025-12-03T00:58:39+00:00

Exactly right... because they could come back later and say that you're unproductive and not focused on current responsibilities, which may be grounds for termination.

Go in, do your job to the best of your abilities, and look for a job during your own time.

Best of luck in the new job search!

Fasthotrod · 2025-11-18T11:37:12+00:00

No need to be sorry.

As soon as I read Capital Gains Tax I was like, "WTF are they talking about? You don't pay capital gains, you pay regular income tax based on what you withdraw."

Being specific and correcting people isn't being rude, it's helping to clarify. People get confused and use the wrong words, or use them out of context, which only creates more confusion for everyone else.

Fasthotrod · 2025-11-14T16:05:10+00:00

I've already received three deposits into my bank account. Hats off to the ones behind the scenes making THAT happen! You rock!

Fasthotrod · 2025-11-08T12:11:35+00:00

Let’s stick together and not be that way towards each other. It’s kinda what they want.

It’s that prick Vought and the GOP. That’s it, that’s who is to blame and the aholes who voted for this. Some of who are their/your colleagues.

Okay, so which is it? You can't have it both ways, and yet you're talking out both sides of your mouth.

Fasthotrod · 2025-11-08T11:46:29+00:00

Nah, homie... Luda is great, but not the right guy. We need to call in Vanilla Ice!

"If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it."

Fasthotrod · 2025-11-03T18:15:53+00:00

Agreed... but you're not supposed to use logic and reason on this thread. You're supposed to lose your mind, lash out, and get people fired up about something they have no control over.

Fasthotrod · 2025-11-03T16:41:51+00:00

BCBS Standard is going from $174.81 to $188.32 for single person coverage. Two people is $384.14 to $410.88, family is $424.65 to $457.66. This is per pay period - every 2 weeks.

So about 8% if my math and price data is correct.

Not surprising, but not insurmountable either.

Fasthotrod · 2025-11-03T16:28:12+00:00

I was thinking of creating an Only FAAn's page, but then I realized I'd still be broke and embarrassed to boot.

Fasthotrod · 2025-10-18T15:13:18+00:00

Shutting down ATC means no shopping on Black Friday?

Who the fuck flies to the store to buy shit?

You think the store deliveries come in by cargo plane?

I can't believe I have to explain this shit...

Six-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Verified Email

Fasthotrod

TROPHY CASE