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I have zero issues with private companies requiring the vaccine or mandating or forgoing* drug testing. I have every issue with government overreach and mandates.

I mean with the rapid rise of inflation, a $600 transaction is pretty minimal. I can't understand how they are arguing this targets the super wealthy? I probably make 3-5 $600 transfers a month between wife's account, my account, etc....

I'm trying to remember if the pushback was this bad when they mandated the Anthrax vaccine a minute or two ago. I got 9 rounds of that burning hotness and never heard a peep about how experimental is was or not. Did guys quit the military over that thing too? I was too focused on flying and deploying to really care at the time.

He’s right. The DoD has not figured out cybersecurity, because to do so requires them to spend a lot money. Those go towards boats, jets, and weapons, not cybersecurity architecture or training. Sorry, an A1C or Lt with a Sec+ cert isn’t going to be a SME in cybersecurity architecture. No one will care until it directly impacts their life, then they’ll really start to care. Unfortunately, it may be too late by then.

If the Feds really wanted to cut the cheating then they would adopt the Fair Tax, but they won’t. The Feds are about picking winners and losers…and they suck at that as well.

A second part of this legislation, Biden also plans to DOUBLE the size of the IRS and hire 87,000 new employees. Before you say great, catch all the cheats, remember every agent comes with a mandate to bring in funds. I am all for catching the cheats to raise revenue but with the IRS it rarely turns out that way.

Some very damning statements and interesting to hear he thinks we have already lost. Part of me hopes his is falling on his sword to get the attention the issues deserves (he is testifying before Congress next week), part of me is terrified he is right. When...not if...China goes for Taiwan the American public likely won't know, we will be too bust trying to figure out why the lights are out, the water is out, the internet is out, the traffic lights are out. It will be ugly.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/10/12/pentagon-official-says-he-resigned-because-us-cybersecurity-no-match-china.html I think what I find most interesting in his post is calling out Google. Why did we let Google seize the narrative on that? At the end of the day, google caved to 12 employees that through a hissy fit that Google wanted to work with the USAF to reduce civilian casualties in Drone Strikes.

Yeah, went generally unnoticed because it was during the Del Rio debacle among other things, but it will allow monitoring of nearly every financial transaction of almost every American. Sounds like one big warrant.

Speaking of government involvement, anyone else see the proposal hidden in the Build Back Better bill that mandates banks provide the total inflow and outflow data of all accounts with over $600 in transactions? That’s probably one of the most blatant invasions of financial privacy the government has ever attempted. Even the awful “Patriot Act” caps mandated reporting at $5,000 for suspicious transactions. Nearly every American would be subject to this, yet the administration will still tell you with a straight face that it’s to catch rich people who are cheating on their taxes… As an example, I could potentially draw the attention of the IRS simply because my fiancé and I do not have joint accounts, so she pays her portion of rent to me and then I pay the full amount to the landlord. As such, my bank account would show $18,000 in cash inflow that is not reflected on any W2. As far as I can tell under this proposed new system, that could get me noticed by the IRS even though I have done nothing wrong. Pretty sure that meets the definition of 1984 style Big Brother. Edit: Perhaps a better example is selling a car. I sell my several year old used car as a private party to another private individual for $17,500 that is wired to my account. I am under no obligation to pay tax on this money. However, IRS AI algorithm flags me because my tax filing claims I made $100k in taxable income, yet my checking account shows $117,500 went into my account in one year. Mr IRS then wants me to prove I actually don’t owe taxes on that money. Provable? Yes, but it’s basically akin to “show me your papers”. Here is an article discussing it, however plenty of others out there as well. https://fee.org/articles/treasury-department-seeks-to-track-financial-transactions-of-personal-bank-accounts-over-600/

Holistically, now that you bring it up, I mean getting to manned flight (i.e. eval successful and unsuccessful to pilot candidates) as well as unmanned, AI-piloted aviation successfully piloting. Pilots/piloting and pilot-duties (being manned and AI-piloted) are sinkholes of time and money. [Ask Mother Blue/ref 19 AF budget]. Researching how to best invest in these areas through a disertation/thesis topic upon how to save and wisely expend $/time WILL be of interest to those deep pockets and big spenders of aviation. Aka...a widely read topic vs dust collector in a virtual library.

Not too long after I got hurt I spent a couple of extremely long years in Memphis, prior to going back to school, working for the Paralyzed Veterans of America. I met a C-130 driver out of Little Rock who was paralyzed in a car accident (1996-1997 time frame). Her husband was a nav and they fell asleep driving. He had slight injuries, but she was a complete paraplegic at the same level as me (chest / thoracic-6/7). I forget her name and I lost touch with her so I'm not sure if she got back into light aircraft flying or not. It was incredible the first time I soloed again after my accident. I felt whole again and still every time I fly (for 45 to 60 minutes usually two times a week) I forget for that hour about any daily wheelchair issues or concerns. Relatively cheap therapy. With the help of my EAA chapter I modified my airplane a Titan Tornado S for complete hand-control flying. I use the rear seats rudder pedals (welded on a handle that I can reach with my left hand) for rudder/ground steering and a hand brake on the center control stick for braking. I think God every day for the use of my hands and arms. My heroes are the quadriplegics who live fulfilling lives (I can't even imagine their obstacles)!!

There were several law suits in the late 90s and dudes were kicked out. Some dudes actually won their lawsuits and the anthrax vaccine went away for a bit until it got some new labeling/certification. Came back in early 2000s after the anthrax mail attacks, which ironically, were sent by the dude who invented the vaccine because he was angry the military stopped mandating the vaccine. (No shit look it up). We didn't know that at the time though and his identity wasn't known until a decade later, at which point he committed suicide before he ever faced justice. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Edwards_Ivins

Barely noticeable side effects the day after for me. Might have been what I ate that day as far as I know. In addition to being only one shot, some studies have shown it’s the most effective for people who already had COVID, but there are so many conflicting studies that who knows anymore. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My wife & I both got it. It’s fine I guess. Felt a bit under the weather for a day then got over it, NBD. We both still got COVID afterwards so it’s totally bogus, but that’s par for the course on this issue. If you’re just looking to check the box, J&J does it faster than the others.

Follow the $$$...conversely lead the $$$! Research how and where and in what flying applications can pilots be eliminated with present day technology or a short leap forward in tech (just before the cutting edge, i.e. where to invest).

Ran into a dude that knows the dude who invented the rotatable rudder control on the HOTAS for Logitech flight sticks. Since you mentioned it let me see if I can make contact and see what he knows about.

Almost like that episode was written for you and your measly* social science degree. I know several including a classmate from ASG. He was brilliant and spoke terribly of his time there being and brainwashed. Yes, it is a prestigious school but as he said "that nice sheepskin also came with a health dose of ultra liberal dogma brainwashing." 1000% agree. The pay we give teachers is a national crime, this is our future and it is horrible don't make a better investment. That being said teachers unions have become far too political which is not making the problem any better. What do you think about some liberal school districts cancelling and discouraging gifted programs in the name of "equity"?

Alternative sources for PNT and how starlink and others could play a role?

While I used to take this line, we can't leave it up to the market-there's a lag between demand and supply. From a national security standpoint, it makes sense for the government to invest in talent, especially in STEM, to create a pool of talent for industry to draw on. This helps keep the US at the forefront of technology and innovation, which helps us both economically and in equipping our warfighters with equipment and technologies that give them an unfair advantage when they go to fight for our country. K-12 is an important investment in our country's future, especially in minority populations for the reason you state. But that takes money, especially if you want better teachers. But that alone won't fix it, it takes support from the families and embracing academic success as a good thing (rather than labeling kids who want to do well in academics as nerds...). So while money is probably needed, throwing only money at the problem won't work.

At one time slavery was the law. And internment of innocent Japanese. And prohibition. And obeying the British crown. And segregation. Etc. But people resisted unjust laws and eventually the laws changed. What’s interesting here is these aren’t even laws. These are edicts that never passed the legislature. And are clearly controversial. Yet you’re in absolute glee watching peoples livelihoods wrecked as they voice dissent. You’re usually a smart dude whose posts I enjoy; don’t always agree with but I know you’ve thought it through. So as a thinking person, watching the “science” change as efficacy shrinks to months, seeing the slow leak of info about the origins which contradicts the certainty of “expert” opinions, watching flip-flop-Fauci, seeing the hypocrisy of democratic leaders who say one thing but act totally different when folks aren’t watching…. I have to ask you: do you think these posts will age well? Do you think 3 years from now your smug condescension will still seem justified?

SWA - what a perfect example of how fast misinformation spreads and how quick people spread it to try to push their agenda. What a sad social media world we live in when this is our reality. Nobody wants the truth. They want confirmation bias.

get out of here nav

Oh good! pawnman is in the airline thread now. Finally some real perspective on all of this.

As someone who was similarly disqualified from an AF FC1 but who has held an FAA Class 1 since 2016, no, nobody in the AF cares. It makes no sense, it is frustrating as hell, but IMO the AF is looking for every reason to tell you no, whereas the FAA seems to only care if you meet the standard or not. My buddy was also permanently DQ’d by Wright Patt for a condition that they contradicted themselves on in the paperwork (no joke, they said it is not a rapid onset condition but we’re worried about sudden loss of eyesight), while a civilian ophthalmologist said he would absolutely not suffer a sudden loss of sight and should be qualified. Welcome to dealing with AF medical… I’m honestly a bit jaded, if that’s not obvious, but it’s the Air Force’s loss. They created this mess and keep turning away otherwise highly qualified people who would gladly give them another decade of service on the cockpit. I’m going to take my talents (and my FAA Class 1) and fly for somebody else. If I were in your shoes, I’d look at doing the same. The regionals are throwing six figure bonuses at people…the regionals! It’s a pilot’s market out there right now. Go find your opportunity!

Retention will tank further; every passing day proves it…I agree. I disagree about the 30%, they were at worst willing to stay. I also disagree it takes any of those thing listed to make it to 20 years. That said, we’re in a bad way. Centralized Command, Decentralized Control, and the lower echelons of Command AND the highest levels of Control are both incentivized to just say yes, beyond reason. It’s clear to those who can see it, at the highest and lowest levels. It’s a great job (calling even) this AF pilot gig…it’s a horrible place to spend a career. Don’t ever think it’s the same for 20 years…be a pilot, serve your country, then choose for yourself if this is what you want. Most of us stay because we think others need help/protection. If no one cared about people, the take rate would round down to zero. IMO. Don’t take the bonus unless you love/will love what you’re doing…to each their own. ~Bendy Sent from my iPad using Baseops Network mobile app

Stunning. I for one have literally never read a pawnman post without thinking to myself: "holy $hit, this guy is such a douche."