ClearedHot

Penis reduction x 2. Local doc at my airport worked the process and he was awesome. The FAA was slow but no hiccups on that end.

Fully-vaccinated people can pass on the Delta variant at home, including to other vaccinated people, a study finds - but unvaccinated people are still at most risk

That was not my experience, perhaps it depends on location. I started by making an appointment with the DAV rep at Family Support Center. The DAV rep spent 4 hours going through my medical records page by page and asked questions about every entry. He submitted the paperwork on my behalf. Next I had a very brief appointment with the Flight Doctors basically telling me I would be moving to Family Medicine and continuing my prescription (Flonase). A few weeks later the VA sent me a list of appointments, some on base, most off base at civilian providers. At no point did I step inside a VA facility despite having a large VA hospital 20 miles away. First I had to have a LOT of blood drawn on base. Next I was referred to an imaging center off base where I had 21 X-Rays of my back, shoulder and knee. I was in treatment and eventually had surgery for a herniated disc in my lower back, also a knee injury from Afghanistan getting out of a burning plane. The most maddening appointment was with an ENT. They scheduled me for an appointment TWO STATES away in Biloxi. It was the oddest doctor's visit of my life. The Doctor's office was in an industrial park in a metal building in a very odd neighborhood in Biloxi. I walked into the lobby and was greeted with the motif you see in the pictures...yes that is Tweety Bird and Sylvester. I've also attached a video of the exam room which was nothing but movie posters and action dolls. The Doctor came in to do a hearing loss and tinnitus evaluation. He gave me a 20 minute dissertation on how he was fired fromt he VA because he spoke up too much. For the actual exam he asked me "Are you left or right handed when you shoot your rifle?" Huh? I fly gunships Doctor....."Oh...what side are the guns on?" The left...."Ok, that makes sense, with your left ear, have a nice day." Two weeks after all of these appointments I had an appointment with a local doctor who has a contract with the VA to do an eval based on all of the above plus a physical exam. The doctor was actually amazing. That dude checked every possible way I could bend, move my legs and arms and took measurements of each movement. I remember at one point I was trying to contort in a certain direction and I was in pain but trying to push through it. The doctor stopped me and asked what I was doing. I basically I told him I was not trying to cheat the system and I could push through it. The doctor stopped me right there and told me "I don't think you are trying to cheat and I am not going to let you cheat, but 26 years of flying takes a toll on the human body and I will make sure we document it." If you are like me I spent most of my career avoiding the doctor so nothing would get in the way of me flying. Let go of that approach and let them document so you are covered later in life. The doctor submitted his report and about 60 days later I got a note from the DAV telling me what my rating would be. The VA mailed me a letter but some how the DAV found out first. I took my eval to my local FAA doc and he went through it, no show stoppers, I did need one common waiver which the FAA granted no issues. IMG_6631.MOV

I figured the thread would morph into how airline pilot develop alimony mitigation strategies to deal with four ex-trophy wives.

Here is how poorly the mandate is being managed...in the words of the folks I talked to at Robins AFB, it has turned into a witch hunt. They are actively mandating EVERYONE get the vaccine regardless of circumstance including those with established December and January separation dates. Take the shot or be extended, subject to UCMJ and change class of discharge. Numerous other retiring folks at Robins with established terminal dates starting within the next few days have been told, get the jab or retirement is delayed, UCMJ and change class of discharge. I've been vaccinated but don't believe in mandates....this is pure lunacy going after these folks.

Very sad to hear this. Had the opportunity to meet him a few times, truly a gentleman. His book A Soldier's Way is a superb read and story of how dedication and hard work and can off in this country. He was a consummate public servant who likely could have been the first African American President had he decided to run, his wife was against it and he stated he never felt that calling. His detractors will obviously point to his "Case for War "presented to the UN. Years later he accepted fault and wished he had trusted his instincts calling the events a great failure of intelligence. In addition to his autobiography I highly recommend It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership where he lays out 13 rules common sense rule for life. I need to do a better job using these in my life. RIP General Powell. 1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning. There’s a silver lining in every cloud, you just have to find it. That’s not always as easy as it sounds. Things might look bad today, but if you’ve put in the effort, tomorrow will be a brighter day. It’s a state of mind; believe it and you will make it happen. 2. Get mad, then get over it. There’s always going to be days when events—or people—push you to the edge. When you do lose your temper, don’t lose control at the same time. People always remember the leader with a bad temper, and never in a good way. 3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. People who think that their way is the only way tend to experience a lot of disappointment. Things aren’t always going to go your way, that’s just a fact of life. Be humble enough to accept that fact. 4. It can be done! Just about anything can be accomplished if you set your mind to it, have the necessary resources, and the time to get it done. Don’t succumb to the skeptics; listen to what they have to say and consider their perspective but stay focused and positive. 5. Be careful what you choose. Don’t rush into a bad decision. Take the time to consider your options, weigh the relevant facts, and make reasoned assumptions. Once you pull the trigger, there are no do-overs. So make it count. 6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision. Powell was fond of connecting good leadership to good instincts. Be a leader who hones judgement and instinct. Take the time to shape your mental models. Learn how to read a situation for yourself. Become the decision-maker your people need you to be. 7. You can’t make someone else’s choices. Never allow someone else to make your decisions for you. Ultimately, you’re responsible for your own decisions. Don’t duck that responsibility and don’t succumb to external pressures. Make your own decisions and live with them. 8. Check small things. Success is built on a lot of seemingly minor details. Having a feel for those “little things” is essential. In a 2012 interview, David Lee Roth shared the story of how Van Halen used brown M&Ms as an indicator of whether large concert venues paid attention to the minor details critical to a major performance. Leaders must have ways to check the little things without getting lost in them. 9. Share credit. Success relies on the effort of the entire team, not just the leader. Recognition motivates people in ways that are immeasurable. Don’t be a glory hog. Share credit where credit is due and allow your people to stand in the spotlight. It ain’t about you. It’s about them. 10. Remain calm. Be kind. Keep calm and carry on. Kill ‘em with kindness. When chaos reigns, a calm head and a kind word go a long way. When everyone is under incredible stress, be the leader people want to follow, not the leader people want to avoid. 11. Have a vision. Be demanding. Followers need to things from leaders—a purpose and a firm set of standards. When you see leaders fail, it is almost always for one of those two things. They either lead their followers in a flailing pursuit of nothing, or they don’t set and enforce an example for their people. 12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers. Fear can be a powerful motivator, but it can also paralyze a leader at the worst possible time. Learn to understand your fears and channel them in ways that you control rather than allowing them to control you. Think clearly, think rationally, and make decisions that aren’t rooted in emotion. 13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. Optimism is infectious. Maintaining a positive attitude and an air of confidence is as important for you as it is for those around you. People will feed off your optimism. Believe in your purpose, believe in yourself, and believe in your people. And they’ll believe in you.

Add the documentary Restrepo

War college classmate, you should read his book When the Tempest Gathers

The pandemic was NOT the sole cause of the microchip shortage. I actually made some good cash tracking the chip market per-pandemic. Poor planning, poor return on automotive chips (they use a different size), trade sanctions (thank Trump), and limited investment in production all combined to cause a perfect storm. Intel TSMC and Samsung are all building new factories but they take up to two years to reach full production. Intel alone is spending $20 BILLION to build two plants in Arizona. At least one positive outcome it production is moving back to America.

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.

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"?

I agree on people skills, you either have them or you don't and you certainly can't teach them at Berkeley. I never said we should push for nothing but STEM majors, the world needs artists. The problem comes when people with good people skills can't do basic math, as you know and underlying requirement for high end IT/Cyber/programing. I was a STEM major pilot, I guess I am the exception 🙂

100% agree, but don't expect a living wage this choice. As you said, supply and demand and there is very little high paying demand for the overwhelming pool of soft degrees.

Do you have any idea how hard this is? Maddening brother! It is so easy to just wave a hand and say "just pay more" or "fix your business model." Not trying to insult you but have you ever run a business? First, you have the federal government telling you who you can and can't hire and crawling up your ass if the employee population is not a perfect reflection of society. I have seen companies go to extraordinary lengths to meet these government quotas but fall short and be punished when the reason the goal can't be achieved is there simply were no qualified applicants. Second, American kids are far more enamored with a liberal arts degree from Berkley that allows them the time to "find themselves" and identify social injustice rather than investing in the hard sciences and technical degrees. For the record we have invested in recruiting and retaining talent. We have gone to HBCs, opened paid internships ($23-$25 an hour for College Juniors), and offered to hire 30-40% of those interns. We offer free lunch on site via catering and food trucks, tuition assistance, excellent benefits, box seats to sporting events and concerts. In certain jobs we give $30K spot bonuses to keep talent and we still can't keep up. Simply not true...absolutely not true. The government dictates many business models and I am sorry but I can't waive my hand and have a Berkley female studies major perform the same duties as a C++ or C Sharp Dev. And, while I pay many new college grads 6+ figures eventually I run into the brickwall of the government telling me what my profit can and can't be.

I think the press was mistakenly reporting it was Jax Airport when as Huggy notes it was Jax center. The FAA spin was many had to take a mandatory two day break after getting the jab.

Sorry but all I hear is a lot of excuses. Is there risk, absolutely but there are many thousands of millionaires and hundreds of billionaires that started with nothing. Immigrants who arrived with $100 in their pocket and they somehow overcame all the drag of no college degree, low wages, housing and poor transportation.

That is a common and so far closely held fact among MANY defense companies. I think numerous critical DoD contracts will be impacted. The current EO fines companies with DoD contracts $5000 PER employee PER day.

It is an interesting coincidence and I heard the union put out a statement saying it wasn't them. There is other information on the margins that is feeding the false narrative, didn't the union petition the court last week to shutdown the vaccine mandate? Also, I believe I saw a report that said 40% of the pilots are still not vaccinated.

And it is still not enough according to some! Even if everyone paid the same rate (and I am not saying it should be that way), if I made 10 times as much I would pay ten times as much...but that is not enough. Under the current progressive tax structure I pay 36.5 times as much...but I am greedy? Make ZERO sense. No other country in the world offers so much opportunity. In this great country the only thing standing between you and wealth is hard work.

Very simple, when you start dropping insults...just like your passive aggressive comment above...the "discussion" is over. Your reply is riddled with anger rather than logic so I see no real point is going back and forth.

I hope your anger keeps you warm this winter.

Yes first time doing a 1031, have owned the home for 27 years. Three items; 1. Identify the new property soonest and have a backup. I am lucky already had a property that I am buying from a friend. Would have to go back and review the rules but I think you have to close on the replacement "like kind" property within 120 days. 2. You will need an intermediary, by IRS rules you can't touch the proceeds of the sale. In my case I have a lawyer in South Carolina (where the original property is), that performs this service. He will hold the funds in escrow and deliver to title company in Florida upon closing on the new property. 3. Try to find a replacement "like kind" property that is slightly more than the property you are selling. Some of the literature says it has to be equal to or greater but checked with my CPA and you can actually go lower. It does trigger capital gains on the difference and you don't want to pay that out of your "winnings." Good luck.