https://i.imgur.com/x1jWBog.gif

Sort of, but in a darker, grittier way with powerful guilds. Guilds capable of holding governments, entire planets and even systems hostage to get their due.

Indeed. Optimism is very important.
From what I've learned before and during this process, you:
- You can't cure cancer, but you sure as hell can beat the odds by beating it into submission... or rather, remission. Do this by following the expertise and leadership of your physicians and nurses.
- Be reasonably optimistic. Take it one day, appointment, diagnosis and treatment at a time. Don't get slogged down in the minutiae of future what ifs and mights. Focus on now, plan for tomorrow.
- Get connected with a Paliative Care Nurse as SOON as possible. They will do their best to make you as comfortable as possible through the whole process. This helps with attitude and outcome with the treatment.

HOLY CRAP, IT WORKED!
Thanks Mia, I had no idea it would work like that. :)

Oh yeah, for sure. I've had the distinct honor of working and training with Marines. Don't get me wrong, they absolutely Get Shit Done, but they also have an almost supernatural ability to Fuck Shit Up.

Well, reduction to 500-1000 years is a big step in the right direction, but there's something else I'd like to add, hinted at above, that takes it a step further.

4th Generation reactor designs aren't just more efficient and produce less waste. They are capable of using the "waste" from older reactors as fuel. I seem to recall that the 4th Gen byproducts have a similar hazard as above.

That's right. What used to be pants wettingly radioactive waste, is now viable fuel for the next generation of reactors.

Now imagine what may be possible with future 5th Gen and Thorium.

Nice, a second layer.

For the Russian one, the mouse is knitting, but it's a DNA strand.

Technically correct, the best kind of correct.

Wait untill you see the Autumn pics when the bots post then in 6 months. XP

I jest, but the Autumn pics are breathtaking. Not just from Vermont either. New Hampshire and Maine too... they look like a Thomas Kincade postcard.

That said, where do you stand on the age old trope of, "Old enough to join and die for your country, not old enough to drink."

Personally, having served in the Army and been in a position of leadership, I think drinking age should stand as is. In my experience, junior soldiers 18-20 are still essentially children, often still behave as such and therefore should not drink. Even a few of the ones who are "of age," were utter raging morons and should have been prohihibited from drinking entirely.

Now, that wasn't necassarily true, but I would nod in appreciation as the senior winked at me because it often made my job easier as the one with the training and tools.

"Army Proofing" isn't necessarily enhanced simplicity or durability either. Often, it's making equipment hard or impossible to mess with to such a degree it's like child proofing. It's not enough to tell a Joe, "don't do this, that or the other thing." You have to make it impossible to mess with.

Case in point with the aforementioned armor. The crews are only equipped with the absolute bare minimum needed to maintain the vehicle. There are certain key points inside that are assembled with fasteners that are completely incompatible with the tools crew has. In other cases, some fasteners are locked with lacing wire.

Just to reinforce this a little further, I've heard senior guys tell juniors when asked what the big deal was that, "not only are you not trained, you don't have the clearance to see inside. If opening it doesn't kill you, you might still face a court martial."