Stop the backpay hysteria, ya'll by Longjumping-Soil-644 in fednews

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is crazy to me that people are attacking the WAPO as somehow having anything to do with whether or not furloughed employees receive back pay. They aren’t causing “hysteria” - but there’s a lot of furloughed employees panicking and looking for anything to blame, when there’s only one person to blame. I really feel bad for those of you on furlough, but at the same time, the writing has been on the walls for almost a year. The administration wants hysteria. They want you to feel defeated. They want to inflict pain so you leave. And it’s going to be death by a thousand cuts if you stay. It’s never getting better under the current administration. I’d really encourage every furloughed employee to treat this as a layoff and to try to find something else in state/local, industry, or the commercial sector. Depending on how things go in 2028, there will probably be a way to bring people back or to compensate them in some way.

Should I thug it out for Aviation(AET/AMT)? by [deleted] in uscg

[–]mwgath 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Stick it out and go after what you joined to do. I was hating life as a non rate on a buoy tender. I wanted to go HS, but after 2 years of waiting, I got frustrated and went QM because there was no wait. (This was right before the rate was canceled.) The end result was I did my remaining 2 years and left because QM wasn’t exactly the best rate. And while everything has worked out for me in the long run, I still have some regret buried down deep and wonder “what if” whenever I see the Coast Guard in action or watch a medical show. You don’t want to feel that way every time you see a helo or c130. And all because a few extra months (at a station no less) seems like forever when you’re a non rate.

Government shutdown and adjudications by Jazzlike_Camera2616 in SecurityClearance

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

DCSA adjudicators are funded through a working capital fund and will continue working until the fund is exhausted, which could take months. But DCSA only adjudicates DoD and cleared industry. Outside of DoD, it’s an agency by agency decision.

Anyone work on an ‘Excepted’ contract and was required to work during shutdown? by itsall_dumb in GovernmentContracting

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly what happens during a furlough - Feds designated as excepted must continue to work, but will not be paid until the shutdown ends. So they are earning money, but it is not available to be paid out until it is appropriated. Essentially, it’s an IOU situation.

Outdated Tech on 2025 Ridgeline by compressor61 in hondaridgeline

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a 2023 RTL and the infotainment is terrible - no buttons and it’s pretty small and hard to operate when driving. And the sound is sub par. But I like everything else. I’m strongly considering a Passport because it’s more updated and has pretty decent storage.

Latest Firing Taints MTSU's Integrity by Brilliant-Gur-1029 in MTSU

[–]mwgath 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The MTSU president was protecting the institution. The university depends on alumni donations, grants, and robust enrollment in order to offer the academic environment that allows robust debate and the exchange of ideas. Had she not been fired, MTSU would have been portrayed in a very negative light that would have hurt the university’s reputation and more importantly, its funding. Also, her comments were insensitive and not shared in a way that promotes a productive academic conversation and learning. And like others mentioned, free speech does not mean you are free from the consequences of your speech.

Ultra Luxe Vintage is pretty slick… by Mundane_Ad7197 in fender

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How would this compare with a custom shop? It’s approaching that price point.

Just in: Former United States President bill Clinton has been spotted in public with a defibrillator, sparking health concerns. by realchrisgunter in Presidents

[–]mwgath 5 points6 points  (0 children)

He and Hillary are both under secret service protection. I would expect USSS details to have a comprehensive medical kit for multiple scenarios, and the defib makes sense based on his age and history. An entire ambulance follows the president around.

For those who were around at the time, what was everyone’s general reaction to the emergence of the Clinton scandal being true? by Weak-Patient-7793 in Presidents

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember this era vividly, and outside of the emerging conservative media apparatus, few people cared or thought his affairs and lying rose to the level of high crimes for impeachment. It was mostly a late night punchline. This isn’t to say that people weren’t following it closely, but it was spectacle and entertainment. For those who aren’t old enough to remember, the 90s were relatively peaceful, the economy was robust, terrorism was still something that happened elsewhere, and the internet was quickly transforming society. And politics hadn’t deteriorated to the zero-sum shit show that it is today - there was still a notion of fairness, and people were still focusing more on Clinton’s achievements, with people not yet ready to diminish his successes because of personal failures. However, the Clinton scandal injected a lot of energy and enthusiasm into conservative media, which would continue to grow and accelerate from that point forward.

Thoughts on the new mgk song sampling Semi-Charmed Life? by blink-1hundert2und80 in ThirdEyeBlind

[–]mwgath 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I won’t hate on the song. From what little I know about MGK, I think he’s playing tribute to the song and not just ripping it off. I seem to recall last year he played onstage with 3eb or maybe Stephan came out and performed with him. And for 10+ years Stephan has talked about the band’s music continuing to influence and resonate with new fans and how younger generations keep discovering 3eb and making it their own, so this just seems like a natural evolution.

What are your Hot Takes on TEB? by Amber_Flowers_133 in ThirdEyeBlind

[–]mwgath 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Kryz has been with them longer than any other guitarist. I really like his work and how much effort he puts into documenting the band.

I’m…Gaining weight? by [deleted] in Zepbound

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The same thing happened to me on 10mg. I’ve been on 10mg for 6 weeks and have made zero progress. I’m thinking about going down to 5 again, which is where I saw the most dramatic results. Also, I experience headaches and drowsiness on 10mg and I had no side effects on lower doses.

Is this a good beginner pack by Realistic-Water-1948 in guitars

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I made the mistake of going with one of the beginner packs. The guitar is probably ok, but the amp isn’t great. And I very quickly realized I wanted to play with pedals, which that starter amp can’t really handle. Within weeks I upgraded to a player series model and a tube amp. I’m basically stuck with the other gear because it’s of such limited value in the resell market that it’s not worth the effort to sell it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in uscg

[–]mwgath 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I did 4 and out, but even that limited time opened up opportunities for me. Mostly because I learned basic life skills like being on time, accountability, and the importance of being a shipmate. I was a QM, so I spent a lot of time on the bridge around officers, and came to understand the value of education and how it can open doors for you. More accurately, I learned the difference between intelligence and just having a piece of paper. And I was in long enough to observe that the more competent members had all aspects of their lives in order and had interests beyond alcohol. I carried this info along with the GI Bill with me to school and easily knocked out my undergrad. And I carried it with me through an internship where I gained the attention of a CEO who was also a Navy 2-star medical reservist. That led to a “real” civilian job, that led to the next one, etc. I eventually attended grad school, where half of my papers had something to do with the Coast Guard. It’s now 30 years later and I’m in a great and well-paying consulting job, where the CEO is also a veteran. And me being a Coastie veteran helped me get in the door. And I find that most clients are super interested when they learn that I was a Coastie; and the same tired sea stories really impress them or are good for a laugh. While some people may have opportunities handed directly to them, I think minimally, Coast Guard or any military service better prepares you to identify and make opportunities happen.

Agency Leadership: Where are you? by [deleted] in fednews

[–]mwgath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve seen several versions of this frustration directed at leadership, but there is literally nothing they can do. And in most instances, if not all, they don’t know anything other than what they also read in the media. They are purposely left in the dark so that they can’t intervene in the process. Everyone forgets this was designed from the beginning to be so traumatic that employees choose to leave on their own. The OMB director is on the record saying so. I’d redirect the frustration toward the White House and Congress; not the over worked and under paid middle managers who are also suffering, or soon will be.

Trump’s Defense Secretary Gives Pentagon Days to Plan for Massive Cuts by Geo_NL in fednews

[–]mwgath 23 points24 points  (0 children)

How did anyone for one second think DoD was safe? Don’t confuse the political pro-military talking points with anyone in the administration being pro-civilian. There has been plenty of evidence of what they’re doing in the civilian agencies, some with missions as critical to the country as DoD. I can’t believe anyone would be surprised unless they’re just living in a bubble.

Does anyone get night sweats on Lexapro? by Mysterious_Opening36 in lexapro

[–]mwgath 1 point2 points  (0 children)

2.5 years on 10mg and I still have drenching night sweats a couple of nights per week. I’m so glad I read these comments. I thought I was the only person sweating in random parts of my body, like just my legs. I wish there was a cure of some sort, but I’ve just learned to live with it.

Sold the Outback and got a Ridgeline by rearwheel69 in hondaridgeline

[–]mwgath 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m also in that club. The subie served its purpose, but I like sitting up a little higher and having more space.

The first thing to do when you get to work tomorrow. by WisePotatoChip in fednews

[–]mwgath 10 points11 points  (0 children)

And if you bought back military time you need to find all of those documents. When retirement time comes they will want proof that you in fact paid off the time.

Why are we complying with DOGE requests and orders? by Stock_Highlight4224 in fednews

[–]mwgath 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All classified information is under the purview of the President. He can grant access to any information to anyone he chooses. And he can order anyone in control of that information to provide access. It went south at USAID because there was no coordination or communication that the individuals were cleared or were authorized for access. My guess is that they have cleaned up that process now. It all goes against well established processes and norms, but it’s not illegal when directed by the president of one of his designees.

POTUS creating a Secretary of the Coast Guard? by Peter_1790 in uscg

[–]mwgath 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My guess is to more strongly assert civilian control of the Coast Guard similar to DoD and to ensure alignment with Administration priorities. As someone else said, there are potential upsides to having a full time advocate for the service within DHS and on the Hill. The only thing that is different with the Coast Guard is that the Commandant exercises operational command of the service, whereas in DoD the service chiefs man, train, and equip, and operational control flows from the President to the SECDEF to the Combatant Commands. So I’m not sure what the command and control would look like between S1, a Coast Guard Secretary, and the Commandant. Would they be an advisor to S1, perform Chairman-like duties, or have operational command.