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In today’s news, Biden trades a prolific arms dealer who conspired to kill Americans for POS Brittney Griner, but leaves another American who’s been in Russian prison for 4 years. What a jackass.

The problem isn’t masks, it’s mandates. We are incapable of intelligent mask mandate enforcement. The nature of a mandate is brute, unreasonable enforcement focusing on compliance regardless of circumstances. This leaves no room for nuance, a core aspect of real life. Also noteworthy that two non-doctors are arguing we force doctors to dress a certain way in their own hospitals. Here in FL I do not see the majority of doctors voluntarily wearing masks all day in the hospital. Shouldn’t their opinion carry some weight? The majority of Americans and doctors are sick of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats imposing rules that defy common sense. Like you I don’t want to sit next to an obviously contagious hospital patron in a waiting room, but if C19 taught me anything it’s the value of freedom. You take the good with the bad, it’s worth it. You are free to wear as many masks as you’d like; please stop pretending there’s a movement to restrict your decision to wear a mask. So bizarre to place demands on others while simultaneously acting like a victim… no one cares about your choice to mask yourself. TLDR: freedom good, mandate bad. But freedom hard, mandate easy. Still, freedom better.

No, I could smoke outside which still allows my freedom without inhibiting your freedom from second hand smoke. Requiring an action is fundamentally different than not allowing an action. Any of these statements can be taken to a logical absurdity, which is not my intent or yours. I’m guessing you thought it was unreasonable for people walking alone on a deserted beach to be arrested for not wearing a mask; unfortunately that outcome is the inevitable result of mandates by unaccountable parties.

I think the medical community has lost a lot of trust. Pretty sure I posted about this a few pages (or more?) back. Again from my EMS background, I knew people in the northeast who were in the thick of it from March of 2020 onward for a number of months. They had terrible stories. Some of them were understandably quite vocal from their experiences about people taking precautions, mandates being needed, and that people should just listen to "the experts." (Side note: Many of them spoke of being overwhelmed, and I have no doubt about that - but there have also been plenty of hospital closures/total bed losses leading up to 2020. This reduced capacity, partially because hospital CEOs wanted to run leaner operations.) The problem is that when circumstances change/new data arises, experts these days seem to not adjust. I asked some of my friends if, when we go to war, the country should just be quiet and listen to the "experts" (generals, DOD civilian leadership, etc) regardless of what else is seen or heard. We were constantly turning the corner in AFG. Some of them got it. Some didn't. The more the experts dug in their heels, the more people started losing trust in the medical community. And when hospital CEOs started letting their infectious disease specialists (who are some of the most hypochondriac/risk averse people out there) make lots of decisions for the entire hospital community, further trust was lost. People weren't allowed to be with their loved ones when they passed. Fathers weren't allowed to be present for births. Plenty of other boneheaded decisions as well, which I and others eventually saw as not so much needed to control the virus, but which instead made life easier for some of the less friendly or cordial medical professionals (and there are plenty of them out there, unfortunately). I have no problem with people choosing to wear a mask - and if the data ever overwhelmingly supports it (like smoking and secondhand smoke is bad for you), places requiring people with certain symptoms to be masked. Masks for all, no matter what, all the time, is a silly policy, and the field would be much better off investing in HVAC/ventilation upgrades.

Don’t think we don’t have a “solution” for that at HRC… We surveyed 100 people… top answers on the board. What is the way Army leadership will address the critical manpower shortage in aviation… “14 year ADSO!” Survey Says!…. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am super in favor of banning Congressional members from trading individual stocks. I’d be happy to see the GOP House pass something to that effect next Congress and I’d encourage Democrats to continue supporting that idea. I won’t hold my breath though! 😅 CHIPS is still really good and I look forward to the US being the world leader in microchip manufacturing in the future.

I find Juan Brown's approach to be: -These are the known facts. -For the lay person, this is the definition of what those facts mean, in plain english -Tries to avoid speculation beyond historical trends. Dan Gryder just can't help but go balls deep within the first 30" of any video. He really lost me when he went after the AOPA Air Safety Institute director Richard McSpadden in a Nancy Grace style hit piece.

Masks have become the progressives' MAGA hat.

I think that’s the one positive thing that’s come out of this disaster. Talking to friends from all over the work spectrum, it seems like this old line of thinking is changing. I don’t give a shit if someone chooses to wear a mask, but I honestly will still think you’re a complete idiot when I see your mask around your chin talking to a stranger 2 ft from your face, or when I see you rip your mask off as you leave the plane, only to see you standing nuts to butt in the Jamba Juice line without it. Those people are just virtue signaling douchebags who can’t let go, and I don’t feel bad about thinking that.

NDAA 2023 authorizes service secretaries to approve an increase to the flight pay cap from $1000/mo to $1500/mo. Additionally, authorizes bonus yearly cap increase to $50k/yr.

To your specific argument, the safety precaution of the risk from a highly flammable material (100% Oxygen) in close proximity to an ignition source (cigarette/cigar/pipe/joint...whatever) is backed up by science that is devoid of any political argument. In a free society, mandates from the government are always an exercise in how much power can the government assume that the populace is willing to tolerate.

Damn right it's good law...GREAT law. $$$ Law. June: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nancy-pelosis-husband-buys-millions-worth-of-nvidia-stock-ahead-of-chip-manufacturing-bill-vote-11658179117 August 9th: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHIPS_and_Science_Act September 1st: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/paul-pelosi-dodged-extra-20-loss-selling-nvidia-stock-july-august-us-restrictions

The protocols in hospitals, even before COVID, for wearing masks, when, what for, who's being protected, etc., has precisely ZERO resemblance to public masking. Public masking (any old piece of cloth strapped to the face) is not only ineffective, it is unhealthy for the wearer, and possibly for those who come in close contact.

Ain't got time for the border though.

Dead on! No matter how much Alabama squawks, they don't deserve to be there! UGA vs Michigan will be an outstanding CFP National Championship game!

What’s everyone thinking about the final 4? Obviously a larger playoff would be favorable, but I think they got the 4 teams in that should be.

So true...

Very true, especially in Africa. The tyranny of distance is a real thing, INDOPACOM is even worse.

Jimbo taking it on the chin (sts), with the transfer portal...what were the Aggies thinking with that contract.

Got to get her back so she can make a few layups with nobody watching. Let's ban Twitter too!!! After that we can return to turning our children into theys and thems and giving abortions for convenience. Guns murder people but abortions don't? Lol.

False, they objectively do not even accomplish that!

I also can't whip out my dong and start banging a chicken in the waiting room. Or pull out my axe and start chopping up the staff. Are we truly free? Lol. Dude, inhaling smoke is "scientifically" proven unhealthy and therefore I comply. Walking to my table at the Sizzler wearing a mask and then taking it off to eat has not been proven to do anything except keep me from smelling a fart. If they did a good job proving to the public that all of these safety precautions (mask, social distancing, not leaving your house and etc...) worked, then most would get on board. Kinda like speed limits, seat belts and smoking in waiting rooms.

MAGA hats are the progressives MAGA hats. They get triggered by the slightest hint that progressive ideals don’t make America great.

Also, Biden wants another “assault weapons” ban because “common sense and things,” meanwhile you only have to look a few days back at the Netherlands to see precisely why the 2A exists and is critically important to the survival of a free society. Thank God the GOP was able to narrowly take the house, else bullshit like that may actually pass.

From my prehospital care knowledge (working EMS), the data on surgical masks doing good against respiratory illness is unsettled at best (hence why there is normally a disclaimer on the boxes). There are even studies suggesting they aren't that great at blocking fluids, etc, in a surgical environment and that plastic face shields would be better for that purpose. Yes, N95s can be useful for protecting a user against tuberculosis and other such illnesses, but they are a royal PITA to wear when worn properly and are only supposed to be used once (just like medical gloves or pretty much any other PPE). We always donned 95s when we suspected a patient had TB and the ER staff would do the same, even placing them in a particular room for isolation (when facilities were available). ICUs would go further for certain types of infectious diseases, utilizing things like Tyvek suits or respirators - which is understandable when you are in close proximity of a particular individual with a very infectious and harmful illness for long periods of time, performing treatments/intervention - but they would only be used for that patient's room. It was not common and certainly not mandatory to be wearing a mask in a "normal" medical environment. They hinder communication, are uncomfortable when worn properly, and are really only usable once, if you want them to be as effective as advertised.

And if it had been a border control act, you'd be in here bitching about the money that's going to China. Take the win, man.

Huh, is almost like the attention-seeking type that are drawn to (YouTube) celebrity are also less stable than those who prefer a more normal existence.

It was passed…. It was also overturned in a bipartisan manner both of which occurred during the Obama admin. Yeah we’ve been here before bro. So you can stop acting like the GOP is some sort of problem to this.

Loosely based on a true story. The real bear was apparently posthumously named “Pablo Escobear”. 🤣

Dude. I don't give a fxck if you wear a mask. I agree that masks in hospitals makes sense and if you're sick wear a mask. Cool, I get it. What I don't like is how a county very close to where I live (within a 1/4 mile) is considering the indoor mask mandate for everyone....again. I live in OC and in HB you didn't have to wear a mask at most places during the pandemic. Guess what? Nothing significant happened. Just down the street they would kick me out of a 7/11 for not wearing a mask. They attack you verbally and treat you like you just shit on their sidewalk. I'm tired of stupidity and feelings being used to justify "science". It's the virtue signaling armband. It makes sense to wear it if you're sick and in hospitals but come on man, do I really need to wear it to eat at the Sizzler?

Everyone: "Nothing is new in Hollywood anymore. All they do is reboots and comic book movies." Elizabeth Banks: "Hold my beer...."

Signed the legislation that brought all that critical chip manufacturing to the USA though…😎 The CHIPS and Science act is really a good law and I’m glad it got done. Thanks to the 14 Republican Senators who came on in for the big win as well as all 50 Dems obv.

We’ve always maintained that capability through crypto. We did the same with partner nations during the GWOT exercised use of GPS guided munitions. Yeah we gave them to the nation for their inventory, but we held back the SKL with the codes that make it useful for a level of control. Doing so puts our say so directly into their targeting cycle. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I find Juan Brown is usually at least respectful. Dan Gryder is condescending and exceedingly full of himself.

The US Army has something like 2,100 Blackhawks, so I assume V-280 Valor buy will eventually be somewhere in that neighborhood. And obviously more opportunities to replace Air Force and Navy Blackhawk variants down the road, USMC H-1s / V-22s, etc. I don't like the "Winner take all" approach of these competitions. Proponents talk about "economies of scale," and the like, but there is never a focus on the benefits of a split buy. Keeping competition in the industrial base, for one. Along with protecting yourself from any technical/reliability issue grounding your entire fleet. I would have liked to see the US Army do a split buy between the Valor and the Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant-X.

The 214th ATKS (Arizona ANG MQ-9s) in Tucson, AZ is currently hiring pilots for both rated and URT (Pilot training for RPAs) positions. Pertinent information is attached in the appropriate files. 214th Hiring Guide URT.pdf 214th Hiring Guide Rated.pdf

Good thing they’re not accident investigators.

Maybe they'll declare war on Ukraine? I don't understand the thought process that Ukraine somehow should have their hands tied about what targets they can strike. I get that the rest of the world doesn't want to the war to bring other countries in, but Russia invaded and all of Russia's targets have been in Ukraine. Why should Ukraine be held back from striking Russia? With how much Russia is struggling against Ukraine, I don't imagine Putin wants the war to widen either. The interesting thing to think about if these are drone strikes; does Ukraine now have drones capable of reaching that long range of a target or are there Ukrainian SOF units inside Russia?

I love the number of PA announcements my brown boxes require.

Years ago flying the Stupid-80 into LGA and I was following some corporate type on the Expressway arrival. Tower asks, "American 69, you have a corporate doofus way long turning final so don't turn final until you seem him." We pick him up and turn final with LGA standard min spacing. On short final we hear "CORPORATE DOOFUS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING??..... YOU CAN'T STOP ON THE RUNWAY!!!"...."American 69, go around" CA immediately goes heads down MAKING A PA while I employ single man rules for the go around. About the time I'm abeam the runway after flying the Expressway arrival again, the CA rejoins the conversation in the cockpit and asks, "Where are we?" I do not miss domestic flying.

US: Field in sight Mohalab: No no no, I tell you when you have field in sight.

Oh, that's racist, too. You have to raise cows to eat hamburgers. Cow farts cause global warming. Global warming disproportionately affects people of color. Ergo, hamburgers are racist.

FCS has 24 teams in the playoff and it works great. For the FBS, I'm pulling for TCU. Any team going hard with HypnoToad memes deserves to win the whole damn thing.

Not a video but a cool google maps image. I was dicking around online (what happens when one retires) and stumbled on a 4 ship of Blacksnakes in the pattern. Ft Wayne boys coming back home. In google maps at their heritage park (street view) you can see all four of them make the break. Pretty cool.