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ClearedHot

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Everything posted by ClearedHot

  1. ClearedHot
    Spending my spare time waiting in the pharmacy and counting down to 1 April so I can bum-rush the Commisary and Class VI.
  2. ClearedHot
    Pork Bellies. There are several index funds that go beyond the "bigs" people typically associate with the mercantile. I am trying to carefully target my position because I want nothing to do with oil right now (OPEC is getting their ass kicked by America and chances are oil is going to the $42-$40 range), I prefer commodities associated with consumer consumption of manufactured goods. I am going to sprinkle a bit on precious metals staying away from gold...a little platinum, palladium and silver along with a few others specific to consumer electronics production.
  3. ClearedHot
    I'm moving a portion of my portfolio into commodities with the following rationale; given the rapid market growth the past two months (my portfolio is 11% since 1 Jan), increased job creation, increased manufacturing, and tax reform which will certainly bring home some overseas orphaned money...I think we will see increased consumer spending in the coming months. Time will tell.
  4. ClearedHot
    The lessons should have been learned but they were not, there is blame on both sides. The pointy nose crowd was running the show and lived by the "nothing but 5th gen mantra" at a time when it was not affordable. The did everything within their power to crush the rebellion including having the CSAF personally take a WIC patch away from an Albino kid who wrote a blasphemous IDE paper that dared to suggest when didn't so many F-22s. The rebels...well they are rebels and in their effort to fight for enough table scraps to build 1,000 lite attack airplanes they ended up pissing off everyone and created just enough doubt in Congress and DoD to let people like McCain and Gates dictate our terms of surrender. If you think we have enough fifth gen or we won't need it, go into the vault and have an honest look. If you come out still thinking we have enough, choke yourself. We are and were our own worst enemy. The truth is, we need BOTH and a LOT more. Space and RPA are bills USAF pays but take away from our piece of the pie which hasn't gotten bigger. It is time for a CSAF to stand up and put it all on the line...communicate the urgency and if they don't listen, RESIGN and make a stink. The guy behind him should do the exact same thing until someone listens.
  5. ClearedHot
    Becker was a warhorse. Godspeed brothers.
  6. ClearedHot
    Don't hold your breath, AFSOC can't pay the rated officer bills it has right now let alone absorb another mission.
  7. ClearedHot
    Valid point points...however. There is no denying decisions at the very top, particularly strategic ones are often a choice between two uncomfortable paths. I liken it to decisions made by senior generals in wartime who know men will be lost in combat and find a way to disconnect from reality as they make choices that will most certainly send men to their death in an effort to save a country or a way of life. What gets me is the double-speak, the slight of hand, the outright lies as he says one thing to your face then goes behind your back to advocate a lower hours requirement with Congress. Be a fucking LEADER, stand up and tell the truth to your men and women...Ive done what I can within my power and I am left with no other choice to save the service. I know Goldfein, Rand, and many of the others and I don't simply understand why they surrendered their integrity.
  8. ClearedHot
    It would appear there will be an Airburst of discipline to follow...key words included "participating in or BEING AWARE OF."
  9. ClearedHot
    Spoo is happy, the dude never works...if I see another picture of you drinking beer and skiing I am going to file a congressional.
  10. ClearedHot
    It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as Brick pointed out there are potentially 30,000 suspects (group members), and the fallout could fundamentally change the leadership structure of the USMC for many years to come. At first glance this sounds like a systemic issue that has been going on for some time. If they are truly draconian (as the Marines tend to be), this could destroy the career of anyone who ever came into contact with this FB group.
  11. ClearedHot
    Target got creamed this week, down $8 a share. They are feeling the heat from Amazon (as are all brick and mortar stores), and political backlash from their stand on gender and bathrooms. Some think they still have upside and they took a lot of steps this week to correct the downturn, I just don't know if I can take a chance on them.
  12. ClearedHot
    It can and is being done by other services and commands. I have a friend from high school who flew Falcon jets in the Coast Guard, he retired after 20+ years and they brought him back as civilian instructor on a two year contract (turned into four years), and now he is at jetblue. AFSOC uses civilian IPs for PC-12 and U-28 training, the Rockhill Group always has openings. Location is of course the issue for UPT bases, but if the pay is high enough I would think the supply demand curve would bring some folks in. I would NOT make the GS types, limits the pay options, cut a contract with room to pay location bonus and try to surge production for a few years until the airline demand goes away...oh wait...it is not going away. Edit - I would not limit the contracts to T-6s, every platform will eventually be short, but the shortage on the fighter side is helping drive the argument right now...don't eat your seed corn sending a bunch of O-3 fighter pilots to teach T-38's. Preserve, season, and grow your combat capability in the CAF with some contract guys in T-38's as well.
  13. ClearedHot
    Back to the main theme of the thread, you are getting distracted, and that plays to their hand. Bottomline, Fingers listened to the problems (like Boomer before him), and decided it was easier to go around the identified problems and ask Congress to take action to make every pilot less marketable. A big GIANT FU to those that serve. I will not address the issues that make you want to leave, I will simply ignore your complaints and take external actions that will make it harder for you to find a job on the outside. Anyone else want to vomit at the hypocrisy? It was the same thing from a former MAJCOM/CC, a guy I used to respect, who said "they will stay out of patriotism and if they don't we will just make more" Good luck with that one...of course he was a Nav.
  14. ClearedHot
    The investment showdown thread seems to be more focused on types of investments and strategies. I thought a thread to discuss specific stocks and rationale might be interesting to some. Stocks I have been watching as of late: 1. Western Digital (WDC), mainly because they bought Sandisk (I bought Sandisk years ago in the low single digits and held it through four splits and the acquisition), I ended up with a large number of shares from the acquisition so I continue to follow. 2. Cisco (CSCO), This is an interesting beast because it appears their software/cloud sector is poised to surpass their hardware division. Interested in the thoughts of others.
  15. ClearedHot
    This thread has generated a lot of interesting discussion so I thought I would create another thread for those interested in discussing specific stocks. If no interest I will delete or merge back to this one.
  16. ClearedHot
    I would say that is up for debate. Most earn less in retirement than during their peak earning years. Worrying about future tax rates is valid given our national debt... For now I am happy with my strategy, the current market is certainly not typical but I am up 7.1% since 1 Jan and I glad I have more $ in play.
  17. ClearedHot
    You shouldn't call your Mom a ladyboy.
  18. ClearedHot
    I would tweak the statement "put aside the max the government will match" to say put aside the "max allowable." Most view these vehicles and contribution rates as a function of trying to get the most "free" money you can from a match, when in fact they are also a tremendous way to reduce your current year tax burden. My current company has a 4% 401K match but I contribute 25% of my paycheck which of course lowers my tax basis in the short-term and puts a much larger chunk of coin in play for investment growth. I will worry about the withdraw taxes in a few years when I am in Thailand chasing hookers and withdrawing from my 401K. I am lucky to have a retirement that supplements my income and not everyone is in the same position, but if you have the discipline to maximize your contribution from your first paycheck you will likely never miss it and your future self will send a thank you note.
  19. ClearedHot
    That is my biggest problem with the ruling. Past precedent has extended Constitutional protection to aliens while they are on American soil, but the moonbean 9th circuit seems ready to extend those same protections to non U.S. citizens while they are on foreign soil...simply staggering. With rulings like this it is easy to see why 90% of the decisions made by the 9th are eventually overturned.
  20. ClearedHot
    How does it end, I fell asleep at 2:11.
  21. ClearedHot
    What happened to the commitment to the RPA community?
  22. ClearedHot
    A slightly better way of stating the cost...during WW II we lost more aircraft and people to training accidents than we did to combat operations...staggering. I also disagree with the "go do this and come back alive construct", losses of 25% in a single raid would be unacceptable in today's world. The second raid on Schweinfurt is a great illustration of the cost...Of the 291 B-17's sent on the mission, 60 were lost outright, another 17 damaged so heavily that they had to be scrapped, and another 121 had varying degrees of battle damage. Outright losses represented over 26% of the attacking force. Losses in aircrew were equally heavy, with 650 men lost of 2,900, 22% of the bomber crews.
  23. ClearedHot
    Absolute truth....sickeningly true. During my two sentences in the building my trips to the Hill were the least favorite experiences because of the inept and generally "what can you do for me and my district" attitude. We repeatedly tried to explain complex issues that needed attention, serious thought, action and funding now to prevent future catastrophes. More often than not the staffers (you rarely get to the elected official), looked at you with a blank stare. McCain was one of the worst, anytime the Air Force proposed a basing action, regardless of where it was, he wanted to know why that function, unit, aircraft wasn't being moved to Arizona. I feel like I need a shower just remembering it.
  24. ClearedHot
    There are some mitigating factors in that the PBR is VERY delayed and might not be submitted for another 60-90 days (typically the RMD is out by now. With approval not likely until the summer it adds to the confusion. Regardless, they are fucked...
  25. ClearedHot
    Cute little jets hauling two bombs around the battlefield, precious.
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