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Lots of good points

I saw something the other day that suggests you should have 25 times your typical annual spending

So if you Spend $80k/year
To retire comfortably in the same lifestyle you would need to have saved $2 million

If you spend $120k/year
To retire comfortably in the same lifestyle you would need to have saved $3 million

I guess the problem with any of these numbers or calculations is the great variable
How long will you live?
No one knows the date of their death
Much easier to figure out if you knew exactly how long you did or didn't have to live

Oh, memories........

I can agree. We are finding out how much is enough, on papaer at best. We have had medical bills and also real life repairs. Been close a few times. Er are comfortably living now. Both are retired, and one RMD so far, soon to be two. We are trying to save some every pay, live simpler, and I have been building fixed income and grow some passive cash. With stupid war, inflation, rates, some taxes, etc. we are putting more money and effort into preserving capital and building emergency cushions. Having some success. Fingers crossed. Good luck to all.

This season should be at least interesting to watch.

The great rookie class from 2025 will be starting their second year which usually brings a bump in production.

The free agents and draft of this season should bring improvement.

The woolly mammoth in the room is of course the quarterback. Whoever that may be.

Shedeur now beginning his second year with seven games under his belt should improve.

Last year made it difficult to actually judge him because of what was around him. Not much in the way of talent at receiver, OL and the running game because Judkins was injured.

DW actually playing well is hard for me to imagine honestly. For DW to resurrect a career after what he has been through is highly unlikely.

Sheduer is a "still don't know."

I like what has been done in free agency and the draft but until we have a man we can trust at quarterback.

Everything goes on to the wait and see burner.

I guess how much is enough ends being however much you have.

Yeah BADdog, we need to hit on about 4 draft picks to make the needle move from last year. Hit on the right ones and this could turn into a special year. That defense from a year ago was elite with Schwartz. Now the hope is it was 80% the players 20% scheme/coach. If the pendulum swings the other direction, we could be picking in the top 5 again. I hope Rutenberg is the real deal and he can at least mimic the schemes from last year.

Then, with the addition of EMW, IF he can improve the defensive backfield, we will be in business and the turn around will truly be about how the offense improved this off season.

I heard really good things about our safety pick Emmanuel McNeil-Warren including steel of the draft. That wont hurt !

His reputation is that he is all in. A fiery type guy with lots of energy.

Schwartz is not easy to follow because of his vast experience and leadership qualities.

The defense is experienced. We have a strong core of guys.

I am starting to feel football urges again mostly because we have so many fresh faces.

Interesting story lines.

Trump Says Iran Ceasefire ‘On Life Support’ After Bragging He Has ‘The Best Plan Ever’

President Donald Trump said Monday that the ceasefire with Iran is not in a great place at the moment because he believes Iran’s proposals to end the war have been “unacceptable.”

“It’s unbelievably weak,” Trump said of the ceasefire. “It’s on life support.”

"Life support is not a good thing," he continued. "I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support where the doctor walks in and says, 'Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.’”

Speaking before reporters and allies gathered in the Oval Office moments earlier, he boasted about his "plan" to end the war.

“You know, a lot of people said, ‘Well, does he have a plan?' Yeah, of course I do have a plan. I have the best plan ever," Trump said. “I have a plan. It’s a very simple plan.”

Trump then laid out his plan, which is no plan at all: “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”



https://www.huffpost.com/entry/late...3Q&brid=YWdncwGqwKmG8cReBnbkchAEu24r

Trump Rejects New Iran Peace Offer as ‘Totally Unacceptable’

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump and Iran rejected each other’s latest peace proposals to end the 10-week conflict as the two sides struggle to maintain a fragile ceasefire.

“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives,’” Trump said in a social media post. “I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”

Iran offered to transfer some of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country, but rejected the idea of dismantling its nuclear facilities, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier. Iran disputed the report, according to the country’s semi-official news agency Tasnim.

It was unclear whether the exchange of proposals would offer a path to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Under its latest proposal, Iran would dilute some of its highly enriched uranium and have the rest sent to a third country, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the response, but it also called for guarantees the transferred uranium would be returned if talks fail and ruled out dismantling its facilities.

Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim said the WSJ’s reporting on proposals for handling nuclear material was “not true.” The statement emphasized Iran’s desire for an immediate end to the war, the release of its frozen assets, a lifting of US sanctions on oil sales, an end to the US blockade of the Gulf of Oman, and ultimately Iranian management of the strait. State-run IRIB News added that Tehran rejected Trump’s plan as tantamount to surrender and insisted the US must also pay war damages.

Trump had proposed that Iran permit passage through the Strait of Hormuz and Washington end its blockade on Iranian ports in the next month, with nuclear talks to follow.

Oil rose with the dollar after Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal. Brent was up about 3.5% to above $104 a barrel, recovering some of last week’s losses. US equity-index futures edged lower as the standoff weighed on risk sentiment.

Iran has been “playing games” with the US and other countries, Trump said in a social media post earlier Sunday. “They will be laughing no longer!”

Trump and his advisers have repeatedly suggested the war is over, even while threatening to escalate attacks if Tehran does not agree to a peace deal. Trump is scheduled to travel to China this week despite the ongoing conflict.

The president has said repeatedly that Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and claimed as recently as last week that the country had already agreed to give up its nuclear ambitions.

The president did not say in his social media post what the consequences, if any, of his dissatisfaction with Iran’s response would be. In recent weeks, Trump has appeared eager to draw a line under the conflict as he faces rising political pressure to bring down gasoline prices across the US ahead of the November midterm elections, when his fellow Republicans hope to hold on to control of Congress.

The conflict has killed thousands of people across the Middle East and upended oil and gas markets, with soaring fuel prices piling pressure on governments and consumers worldwide.

Here’s more related to the war:

Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, warned it would take several months for the market to return to normal even if the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes that he would like to end US financial support for Israel’s military over the next decade. The US currently provides Israel with $3.8 billion a year in military assistance under a 10-year agreement originally negotiated by the Obama administration that lasts through 2028.

Despite the ceasefire in place since April 8, a drone strike briefly set a cargo vessel ablaze off Qatar in the Persian Gulf, marking the latest shipping attack in the region. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait both said they had intercepted hostile drones.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trum...r-as-totally-unacceptable-013346837.html

I'm with you Bone. I don't know enough about Rutenberg. He is a wild unknown. He must have come recommended, then hit it in the interview. He was only interviewed by us and the Titans.

I haven't heard enough about the Vets and how they feel about changing coaches after a top 5 finish in the league. I'm glad they have kept it to themselves, hopefully that means they are going to give Rutenberg a chance.

I am super curious about where we go from here?

Monken made a comment early on that was "kind of don't fix what works."

As Camp unfolds we will learn more.

Carson was a big piece and he is now entering his second season. I expect even more.

E-man is already getting attention. He is going to get attention because big guys like him stand out.

I am looking forward to the season because there are many new parts.

Monken will be different than KS. Because of all the new pieces both players and coaches. I think Monken will want to establish his first string early on.

The offense will be completely different. The OL will need lots of work to get ready. Calling coverages learning how each guy fits. The OL is a unit and needs coordination. Monken wants to know who the QB is because he needs to be ready and there is a lot to learn.

Listening to Monken his pet peeve is sloppy football. It points a finger at the coaching staff for not getting the team ready.

IMO first string offensive guys are going to play more in Camp. Vets like Myles will be given some slack.

But Monken wants to win badly and he is going to play the guys who perform the best.

Yes, about two thirds of all bankruptcies are due to medical debt. You work your azz off your whole life, then get seriously ill and POOF! it's all gone.

I was actually surprised to see how much zone they played in 2025. You are certainly correct that they are built in a manner that allows them to match up well in man coverage. But they played zone coverage in 52.9% of their plays.

https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/stats-nfl/nfl-coverage-schemes/

And something that took me off guard when they played the Dolphins......................

Browns did something vs Dolphins they’ve never done under Jim Schwartz

the Browns ran zone coverage 86 percent of the time in Week 7, the highest rate since Schwartz took over.

https://dawgpounddaily.com/browns-did-something-vs-dolphins-theyve-never-done-under-jim-schwartz-

I agree. He'll have a similar role with them that he had in 2025 here with an emerging Harold Fannin.

I don't disagree, at least on paper. The problem is real life numbers don't always equal the paper numbers. IRA withdrawals, at least mine, are taxed at income rates. Brokerage accounts get hit at capital gains rates...which thankfully are lower. Interest is taxed.

I am not saying you aren't better off than many, but it's not like you are living in the lap of luxury.

Another factor is you are trying to hedge against end of life expenses. Everybody doesn't go "here one day, gone the next". Its often a process that takes months to years. That alone can wipe out a family.

I don't know much about Mike Rutenberg.

I read what he has coached in the NFL. He rose up the ranks as a defensive position coach etc.

Schwartz was very popular. The players loved and respected him.

He is a hard act to follow.

Rutenberg has to carve his own identity. The team was made to run the defense we have run under Schwartz.

The players fit a defense that can man up and play straight man on man. The line moves with stunts and loops by it is based upon "get upfield and apply pressure. The back end plays some zone but we played a lot of man coverage.

Because the Browns have a new staff Camp will be new. I am curious how Monken will run it. Based upon his personality I have some expectations.

As good a landing spot as any for Njoku. He’ll be competing for touches with the TE, Gadsden, who showed promise as a rookie last year.

I agree about EMW. I think some undrafted FAs we signed could be good for us like Logan Fano, Tyreak Sapp, Zion Washington and Michael Coates. They could be solid depth and be used in rotation.

Trump Rejects New Iran Peace Offer as ‘Totally Unacceptable’

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump and Iran rejected each other’s latest peace proposals to end the 10-week conflict as the two sides struggle to maintain a fragile ceasefire.

“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives,’” Trump said in a social media post. “I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”

Iran offered to transfer some of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country, but rejected the idea of dismantling its nuclear facilities, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier. Iran disputed the report, according to the country’s semi-official news agency Tasnim.

It was unclear whether the exchange of proposals would offer a path to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Under its latest proposal, Iran would dilute some of its highly enriched uranium and have the rest sent to a third country, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the response, but it also called for guarantees the transferred uranium would be returned if talks fail and ruled out dismantling its facilities.

Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim said the WSJ’s reporting on proposals for handling nuclear material was “not true.” The statement emphasized Iran’s desire for an immediate end to the war, the release of its frozen assets, a lifting of US sanctions on oil sales, an end to the US blockade of the Gulf of Oman, and ultimately Iranian management of the strait. State-run IRIB News added that Tehran rejected Trump’s plan as tantamount to surrender and insisted the US must also pay war damages.

Trump had proposed that Iran permit passage through the Strait of Hormuz and Washington end its blockade on Iranian ports in the next month, with nuclear talks to follow.

Oil rose with the dollar after Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal. Brent was up about 3.5% to above $104 a barrel, recovering some of last week’s losses. US equity-index futures edged lower as the standoff weighed on risk sentiment.

Iran has been “playing games” with the US and other countries, Trump said in a social media post earlier Sunday. “They will be laughing no longer!”

Trump and his advisers have repeatedly suggested the war is over, even while threatening to escalate attacks if Tehran does not agree to a peace deal. Trump is scheduled to travel to China this week despite the ongoing conflict.

The president has said repeatedly that Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and claimed as recently as last week that the country had already agreed to give up its nuclear ambitions.

The president did not say in his social media post what the consequences, if any, of his dissatisfaction with Iran’s response would be. In recent weeks, Trump has appeared eager to draw a line under the conflict as he faces rising political pressure to bring down gasoline prices across the US ahead of the November midterm elections, when his fellow Republicans hope to hold on to control of Congress.

The conflict has killed thousands of people across the Middle East and upended oil and gas markets, with soaring fuel prices piling pressure on governments and consumers worldwide.

Here’s more related to the war:

Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, warned it would take several months for the market to return to normal even if the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes that he would like to end US financial support for Israel’s military over the next decade. The US currently provides Israel with $3.8 billion a year in military assistance under a 10-year agreement originally negotiated by the Obama administration that lasts through 2028.

Despite the ceasefire in place since April 8, a drone strike briefly set a cargo vessel ablaze off Qatar in the Persian Gulf, marking the latest shipping attack in the region. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait both said they had intercepted hostile drones.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trum...r-as-totally-unacceptable-013346837.html

Well it's not like he fired them on purpose. That was an accident too.

A million, in a decent investment account, even at only 5, 6, or 7% annual return,(not at all unreasonable) can bring in $50,000, $60,000, or $70,000 annually. That is without touching principle. If you have Social Security, or an additional mandatory draw IRA type retirement account, that could add another $4000 - $5000 monthly. (max benefit on SS, taken at 67 - 70). That could double a person's investment account, bringing in over $100k while not touching your base investment.

Maybe it's because I live in an area with lower COL, but I am curious as to what people do with more money than that per year in retirement. Typically people with higher incomes have their homes paid off by retirement age. The average income for a person living in the US is around $65,000. You could draw far more than that without a great deal of pain, esspecially if you live in a state without state income tax and/or property tax. Assuming people fund investments with post tax dollars, the draw would only be partially taxable.

Average income in the US is around $65,000 and median savings at retirement is around $200k. I have a friend who drove himself to stupid levels to save as much as he possibly could, and now has a couple million in investments. We were talking the other day and he said "Man, what the heck will I do with all of this?"He's had some health problems, and while I didn't say it, the most likely answer is that his only son will eventually wind up with most of it.

NFL Network: Chargers agree to terms with TE David Njoku

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-network-chargers-agree-to-terms-with-te-david-njoku

The off season has been a focus on offense.

They signed free agents and then invested in the draft on offense.

It was obvious that things had to change. The OL and receivers needed a major overhaul.

In 2025 the Browns defense was ranked as the league's 4th best defense in overall EPA per play. The defense allowed the 4th fewest total yards per game and the 3rd fewest passing yards per game (167.2) in the entire NFL.

We have the best defensive player in the NFL. And we had DROY.

In the draft we added EMW a highly ranked safety and Justin Jefferson a linebacker and special team player.

The big change is that Jim Schwartz is gone.

If the Browns are going to compete for anything it will the defense that has to lead the way.

Myles, Carson and Denzel are key players. We may have another in EMW a Big safety.

If he comes as advertised he will be that third layer guy to the defense that hopefully will impact coverage and add to run defense.

EMW will be an interesting guy to follow in Camp. Last year Carson made his presence known early.

Man it would be very cool if this guy could equal what Carson did.

Accidents?

When confronted, the first thing MAGA does is deny it happened., Then it wasn't us, then afters 3 or 4 more excuses, they never admit it was an accident.

Ask yourself, how many Middle East experts did Hegseth fire? Is it possible in your mind that one, just one of them might have known of the existence of that school and may have been able to inform the military to avoid that particular area?

You can't fire those that know this stuff then call it an accident.. It was incompetence.