ClearedHot

Supposedly the SEC is already investigating and they are looking at the Reddit folks as possible manipulators...I don't know the answer here but I do know the hedge funds have been acting as market movers for years, driving prices up or down based on their deep pockets...when they finally get a taste of their own medicine that has made them billions and billions of dollars, they scream bloody murder.

While Robinhood is saying they are allowing people to close positions, the reality is they locked many people out today. I have friends that were locked out of their accounts for hours and the stock price tumbled thus saving the hedge funds millions. I saw a report a little while ago saying a South Korean firm had been watching Gamestop and did not agree with the hedge fund short recommendation so they purchased a lot over the past two weeks. Their trading was not inhibited and they sold near the peak making approximately $1Billion in profit.

Several lawsuits including a class action suit were filed against Robinhood today. I know some VERY pissed off people right now....several had large positions they tried to sell but were locked out of their accounts with no warning before Gamestop tumbled 50% today.

Did you have Blackberry in the bullpen? It is funny how the recent actions around Gamstop, AMC and Blackberry started. I giant FU to moneymakers trying to short. The Reddit mob punked them hard out of their short position.

Gamestop....kidding. It looks like today's Reddit Mob Market Mover is American Airlines.

I've seen you drink beer, I can't afford that bill.

I start with investments, I've built wealth and want to protect it. I had three numbers when I first started. The first number was the lowest number I needed to retire, we could be careful, manage our spending and cover our expenses no issues. We hit that many years ago. The second number was living at our current quality of life now but not having to work. I have raised that number over the years as we have raised our standard of living, we keep acquiring toys and some of them (airplane/RV), are expensive. I have a very nice retirement as a 26 year O-6, my wife works and makes a great salary, I work and am over compensated for my capability, we also have a side business that brings in about $10,000 a month in passive income. I won't into specific numbers but I am forced to make quarterly tax payments of $15,000 in addition to our withholding and still have to make a huge tax payment every April...I know tough problem to have. We hit the second number several years ago. My third number was to be stupid rich and I never really thought it possible, but it is. Sorry for the long section on investments but I grew up poor and it really shaped me. The rest of the reading is loosely related because all of these policies and actions by the different political parties really impact where I put my money. I use Morgan Stanley as my wealth manager and they have a host of products I sort through each morning. CNBC has a great pre-market snapshot which also links to great articles about trends and emerging opportunities. The Motley Fool has a nice daily summary, but also has a lot of fluff and hidden advertisements. I also use Market Watch which is a great tool to get down in the weeds of investing should you so choose. I used to have a bridge between investments and the news and would read daily articles in the Economist, but they completely jumped the shark in the last two years and went full retard political which is truly sad because they have some great analysts. Around 0600 the Early Bird hits my email, it used to be so much better but still provides a summary of the previous day and the overnight actions in the defense industry. You can sign up, it is free. Next I look at BBC, like most they are biased but they also provide a world view. I think taking a few minutes to see how the rest of the world views us is very important. Keeping the previous theme in mind next I go to Al Jazeera which has excellent coverage on some things. Most days I cycle in the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. I work most of the day and that requires other reading, some of it technical, most of it more strategic. As part of my job I spend an inordinate amount of time looking at the Federal budget. While not a lobbyist, for several years I have been going to the hill as an expert on a few key areas and technologies. During the week I cycle through Foxnews/CNN/ABC/CBS/NBC for an update, while we make dinner. My son is very active in sports so while he is practicing most nights I tend to read to pass the time. I have about 10 books going right now, a great one written by a good friend called When The Tempest Gathers I am purposely reading the book slowly and a bit at a time. Last week I finished Oliver North's new book The Rifleman, Admiral McRaven's book Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations and Rum Curious which is a great book about the origins of Rum and a tasting guide which I found very useful...I also learned some things about the rum market and actually changed an investment because of it. This week I started a re-read of the classic The Odyssey by Homer. The classics are important and were used to frame the thinking of the founders of our country.

I read prolifically, have since I was a kid which has really helped me in the stock market, currently buying a new airplane as a result. Also, I care about my country and the issues. I think when the mainstream media shifted from print to TV and Digital the depth of stories and understanding began to shrink until today when they rush through every 30 second story and knowledgeable people who are interviewed never get more than a minute to talk. In reality news today is about the sensational topic and a brief "Tik Tok/Snapchat cursory summary"

I have no issue with teaching science and yes I believe climate change is a legitimate concern. The problem is the accord doesn't mandate education the science, instead it mandates education on how to protest. I truly hope this doesn't turn into the evolution versus creationism argument.

Under the banner of you can't make this shit up... Amazon seeks to block workers from voting by mail in landmark union drive

I don't agree with his wishing away COVID-19 approach, but the reality of the government response was not that as Biden has learned. Tweaking on the margins is fine, but we need some serious effort on the supply chain and the way the states are administering the vaccine. Are you serious on the Ethics EO? You seem intelligent and I am not trying to insult you but have you actually read what the Trump EO did and what this "undoes?" Trump's ethics pledge EO actually tightened restrictions. His EO put a five year ban on things like lobbying to an agency the person worked for and a ban for those in the executive branch that basically said they could not lobby the executive branch for the remainder of the administration. Also, he closed the "Shadow Lobbying" loophole that Obama put in place. Here is an excerpt from a 2017 assessment of Trump's Ethics EO - "Because the five-year post-employment ban applies to behind-the-scenes activities in support of lobbying, the employment prospects for administration officials will be significantly more limited than in the past. The Pledge appears to prevent hiring a former Trump political appointee to serve as a strategic advisor for government affairs, even if that person operates in a manner that does not require registering as a lobbyist. The five-year post-employment ban also appears to bar other types of behind-the-scenes work in support of lobbying, such as research, drafting leave-behind documents, and creating issue scorecards." One thing that both Obama’s and Trump’s Ethics Pledges contain is a prohibition on gifts from lobbyists — the Executive Order bars appointees from accepting gifts from registered lobbyists and organizations that employ them. Realistically Biden just loosened the rules and in total I don't think that was very well thought out or a good thing.

As a WIC/SQ CC I flew as much as humanly possible, often at the expense of my family. I discussed with my family before becoming the DO, they already knew the importance of relevance and competency and the agreed to support me. I also valued the relationship with the Ops Squadrons and as were were colocated I often flew basic qual rides with new students going through RTU which I found very rewarding. Being a CC was the highlight of my career, it was also the realization that I was on an island. Many things happen with people behind the scenes and often you can't share that with the masses. I made several VERY unpopular decisions, one nearly causes a revolt by my WIC instructors, but they didn't have all the data and I couldn't tell them. One thing I did notice was experience provided a base that didn't require me to fly 4-5 days a week. Not trying to brag, but I returned to fly twice and both times had an extensive requal syllabus presented. Both times I proficiency advanced through about half of the syllabus, I even "out-shot" evaluator who challenged my on my checkride. Personally, I felt comfortable after five rides, things came back very quickly. My real focus was on tech, tactics and procedure changes that occurred while I was off at school/staff. As a Wing/CV I flew at least one day a week, I forced the staff to build a brick wall around that item on my calendar, often it meant I would work another 12 hours after a 10-12 hour mission plan, fly, debreif cycle, but it was completely worth it.

Truly sorry for your loss.

I've had and I do NOT advocate shutting everything down. I believe we can use mitigation to protect those most at risk and be prepared to help the not at risk groups when and if they get it. Yes we have needlessly crushed many small businesses and we need a better strategy, but the strategy is not FU to the 1%.

Which ones do you agree with? Paris Climate Accord? I love the part that requires member nations to teach all their children not about global warming, but how to protest global warming. Rejoin the WHO? Maybe we should be in the organization from a symbolic point of view, bu tit is one of the most corrupt organizations in the world (more spent on executive travel than fighting AIDS and Malaria combined), and the way they protected China when this kicked off. Killing the Keystone Pipeline? Have you ever seen the pipeline map of the U.S.? All this does is kill U.S. jobs, piss off our neighbor to the north and impact our energy independence. Executive order to promote racial equity? This should frighten folks, this is not about equality, it is "equity" meaning the DNC now wants to divide you by color, race, sex and that is how the plan to reallocate resources under the banner of poverty. Good old Robin Hood story. Seriously, I hope folks dig on this one and look at what they are trying to do. Executive order coordinating a government-wide Covid-19 response? Didn't last very long, a few days later "there is nothing we can do." Proclamation pulling funds from border wall? Jeez, why would a sovereign nation ever want to have a border? I guess it is ok for other countries like MEXICO to have border walls but not that racist America that should let everyone in. 90 day freeze of Trump regulatory process? Again they hate Trump so much they stepped in with the cancel culture without looking at the impact. What they actually stopped was 340B, a Pprogram federal discounts on insulin to low-income patients. The rule was supposed to go into effect January 22, but has now been delayed until late March, nice job and FU to all Diabetics! Executive order revising immigration enforcement policies. Very narrow and all this does is take the pressure off cities that declare themselves "Sanctuary Cities." I completely disagree with this one, we as a nation have an immigration policy (it certainly needs to be updated by Congress), when individual cities refuse to work with the federal government and harbor, hinder enforcement or down right help illegals escape (like releasing captured criminal illegals out the back door so ICE can't get them), then we have no rule of law. Now it is too bad for Karen Ruiz - killed in by an illegal in front of her five year old child rather than be turned over to ICE , Kate Steinle - shot by a release illegal and died in front of her parents, Maria Fuertes 92 years old who was sexually assaulted and killed by a 21 year old man who was again released and purposely not handed over to ICE. Last year Non-citizens accounted for 24 percent of all federal drug arrests, 25 percent of all federal property arrests, and 28 percent of all federal fraud arrests. This is the America the DNC wants. Executive order imposing a 90 ban on deportations? My personal favorite and straight up pandering the the left extremists. In 2020 the United States forcibly deported 180,000 people. Of the 180,000 92% were criminals, running a little pilot math through my pea brain that is Biden saying how dare you racist Republicans try to deport 165,600 illegals who are also criminals, we must keep them here to roam our streets. The only positive things I've seen was an Executive order banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. However, this was just a restatement of the Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga last year. And a Memorandum strengthening Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which is another symbolic action about DACA, something that needs to be resolved by Congress.

Capitalism assumes a free market. Right now, especially with 230, we have anything but a free market.

Biden gonna get a little taste of what Trump got at every turn. The longest lasting impact of the Trump administration will be felt for years in the courts which he successfully stacked with conservative judges. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-biden-deportations?fbclid=IwAR3H9PBwX01ZG8C6Owg9LS9FM07a2urEHvgJXhpYWChW1nqPGxp-beq3yzU

All good until you are in the 1% like me. While I am retired and a little older, I am not in any of the risk groups...no underlying heath concerns and it fucking humbled me. Guessing it is because I have A negative blood type. Truth be told I was scared. My pulse ox went below 90% and I was in a world of hurt. Perhaps even more concerning, I had to fight the dochebag military doctors for actual meds. I asked for therapeutics five days after the symptoms began and the reply was "take tylenol and cough drops." After 10 days when my pulse ox dropped to 88% dropped my ICU nurse sister stepped in and went mid-evil so I could get some real help. She had to explain when she wanted me on certain meds to the doctor. When I recovered and had a follow up with the doctor she changed her tune and told me I was her "test case"... I've already reached back to the base with that little gem. Seriously, I hope none of you get it.

This won't kill any of the big social media platforms, by their own doing and dopamine fueled tactics they have become too far ingrained our daily lives. I try to avoid thinking like the old fart that I am and look outside the container. 57% of Melienials get their news from Social Media platforms...these tech oligarchs have control on the information and put up huge barriers to entry for competitors. The only thing that seems to break that model is when something become super trendy or "hot." Tik Tok is a good example...also an example that is COMPLETELY compromised by the Chinese. I don't want the government deciding what we can or can't see, what we can or can't post but something has to change. I lean towards breaking the monopolies that are Facebook, Twitter, Apple and Amazon...yes I know it is a very slippery slope. Regardless, fundamental changes have to be made to 230.

The tech oligarchs are going to strangle opposing messages while basking in the protections of 230.

I think you missed the point. If you read your reply it could be taken as you AGREE with the legislation and that is what I found shocking. "1-3 I'll agree with 100%." Putting a "you" after agree might have changed that sentence, but as written it sounds like you agree with all three bills. For the record I think most Americans are in the middle and it is the ideologues on the extremes that are driving the narrative. I too am a moderate, I am social liberal and fiscally conservative.

My sister is an ICU nurse in the north east and had been in the thick of this since early on. When offered to the medical staff in her hospital 50% of the doctors and 60% of the nurses declined. From my time at the Pentagon I still WTOP in DC, last night they reported all vaccination in Northern Va have been cancelled for the foreseeable future due to vaccine supply. China...well yeah...China.

Major difference. The evangelicals are a private group, they embraced Trump and overlooked his obvious religious shortcomings because they were trying to get to the ultimate goal over reversing Roe V Wade. The NY Times is mainstream media. I think the same argument applies to Foxnews fawning over Trump. Sickening on both accounts.

Shocked he agrees with the first three... I understand and support the proper storage of weapons (many states already have these laws), I think the real concern is over ammunition.

True...with the exception of the latest mutations. There is a lot of concern about the B.1.1.7 variant which come out of Europe (primarily the UK). I am not en epidemiologist but from the basic reading I did they are concerned for three reasons. First, the mutation is in a different part of the virus (protein spike), and that may have implications on the vaccine effectiveness. Second, it is approximately 50% more infectious. Third, it is approximately 30% more deadly. There is also a brand new mutation called South Africa’s 501Y.V2. Initial reports indicate the vaccine will be effective but there is concern because much like B.1.1.7, this variant has several mutations. Again, not an expert, but the sooner we can get the masses vaccinated the sooner we can stop the spread. Also, I would hope the biotech are working to adjust the vaccine to account for the mutations.