Jump to content

Clark Griswold

Supreme User
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,172

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    40

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Clark Griswold

  1. Clark Griswold
    Another article from the USAF's #1 fan: No, F-22's Can't Save Ukraine 22's by themselves would not be enough, but combined with a decent Combined Arms force (Typhoons from the Euros, Patriots & Armor from US/UK/Poles, etc..) might give pause to the Ruskies...
  2. Clark Griswold
    1. SAPR 2. Disco belts 3. Professional Relations CBT 4. GTC CBT 5. LOAC CBT
  3. Clark Griswold
    I wish I could go back and not Google what that term means too... pirates are sick...
  4. Clark Griswold
    Thanks for the post - just watched it. Nothing new learned but interesting none the less, doesn't change my opinion (worth approx. $0.02) that it is too expensive, too many compromises and too far gone to completely stop. Even all that said, if we just stop the bleeding at some point, i.e. buy only 700 or so and learn a lesson to give up when you are 7 years behind schedule and 160+ billion over-budget, perhaps it won't pull AF, Navy, and USMC down the drain but I'm an optimist. Buy enough so that when inevitable shit storm comes up when the program is curtailed, whatever hapless leader (mil or civ) who is forced to go on 60 Minutes to explain what things didn't go as planned has some small amount of maneuvering room by being able to say we achieved some of our objectives, just not all and it just cost too much. Somebody put the screws to the F-22 and we only bought 187 of planned 650 buy, somebody can do the same thing here.
  5. Clark Griswold
    This is bullshit... Beer-delivery drone grounded by FAA
  6. Clark Griswold
    More good news https://medium.com/war-is-boring/2ef94297330d
  7. Clark Griswold
    Return to course... Another screed from Mr. Farley... https://medium.com/war-is-boring/1a7733c66b52 Not that you should judge someone before you meet them but looking at his bio, he appears to have no real experience actually in the military, seems like a cheerleader/groupie. To have an iota of legitimacy on advocating for a MASSIVE shift in the Defense structure of the US, you have to have some real world experience. Reading a lot of Stephen Ambrose books does not count. Serving in some capacity, at a significant level to see the nuances, the strengths and the weaknesses of the culture and outlook of each of the branches is just a requirement.
  8. Clark Griswold
    More anti AF propoganda and the main "intellectual" behind this... Robert Farley https://prospect.org/article/abolish-air-force https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/140574/robert-farley/ground-the-air-force Pretty much his blather boils down since Strategic Air Power by itself didn't win the wars outright, it's all bullshit... therefore the Army is the only one who did anything in WWII and beyond, except Gulf War I, Allied Force, El Dorado Canyon, The Drone Wars, etc... This DB should expand his poor military history scope to oh let's say Israel vs. everybody in the Middle East and ask them if the Air Force is really not that important...
  9. Clark Griswold
    Just adding this little gem... C-27J getting mothballed in 2013 after being delivered in 2008, because that made sense... but with the recent news hopefully it's getting pulled out (sts) soon...
  10. Clark Griswold
    There's a good bit of risk but some of their CD products are FDIC insured. The main worry I see is the exchange rate, that is these countries like to inflate their currencies when they get into trouble; the high yield on the CD would be minus the inflation rate of the currency + change (+ or -) in value against the dollar + transaction fees. Looking into this, it seems longer term than I thought, people seem to keep the CDs for several rollovers and cash out when the time is right (currency strong against the dollar or at least stronger). Seems reasonable enough but I've just been thinking about it, looking for higher yield is great but the loss in potential return for keeping cash liquid is an insurance premium until things stabilize.
  11. Clark Griswold
    Restless natives.
  12. Clark Griswold
    On the subject of looking for greater rates of return on cash savings, I've thought about trying foreign currency CDs with Everbank Higher rates of return and diversification beyond the dollar but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Some currencies like the Indian Rupee can yield 6.25% for a 3 month CD but that yield come with a just a bit of risk.
  13. Clark Griswold
    Another couple of critiques of the JSF / F-35 program https://medium.com/war-is-boring/ddccb57f0e43 https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/MG1200/MG1225/RAND_MG1225.pdf
  14. Clark Griswold
    Yep, saw that and was that at one time (except as an Lt), had car loans, boat loans, all the things I despise now... about 10 years ago I read one of Dave's books and was hooked... what really got me thinking about my own finances was when i was asked by a SrA to sign a car note letter for him his bank and it was for a new Corvette, it was so ridiculous that I started realizing that I was doing the same thing he wanted to do (I wouldn't sign it for him) and that was when I started to plug the holes in the boat and bail the water out...
  15. Clark Griswold
    Cool, sorry to be preachy about it and I try to keep it in perspective, there are plenty of people who have their shit together but it pisses me off that there is no sense of shame with some people that have an education and should have a shred of decency not to encourage financial stupidity out the sea of mouth breathers, they just take advantage of all the future guests on the Maury Povich Show by getting them to take out pay day loans, roll from one car loan to the next and keep pumping out that bullshit that lotteries are good because they fund eduction.. ok, rant complete...
  16. Clark Griswold
    Yep, built in margin for error and Murphy's Law... Not a fanatic but a fan of Dave so I'll just have to disagree with you... listen to his show and you'll see how uncommon common financial sense is... We used to encourage savings and taught basic personal finance in this country but somewhere about the time we decided that "greed was good" we said f it as a culture and just went pedal to the metal with credit cards, car loans, lotteries and all the other shit we use to keep at the margins and to a minimum... so, someone has to say the obvious now and teach basic financial skills In reference to Dave Ramsey and Primerica, he worked for them for 3 months when he was 22 years old and before he began doing and teaching his current financial strategy, he does not recommend them now for financial or insurance products That's a whole lot of pro-Dave Ramsey pixels but I can see how he may not appeal to everyone, but his method is simple, clear, low risk, appropriate for the average person in that it encourages no leverage or speculation that would require a good deal of financial speculation and sophistication and keeps nutbergers from thinking they are smarter than the casino... Not that I have a strong opinion or anything...
  17. Clark Griswold
    Your prerogative and no judgement from me but others depend on me for food, shelter and cable tv... all the essentials of life, so you balance things out to live for today, plan for tomorrow and not leave chaos in your wake if you ride one in... The Baby Steps (Dave's plan) doesn't mean you'll always be on a financial diet but only for a period of time till your debts are gone, you've got two nickels to rub together and have figured out how to control your money... after that, within reason, live your life well...
  18. Clark Griswold
    I'm in Home equity: 100K Cash on hand: 100K ( job instability right now so keeping a large emergency fund ) General investments: 10K Retirement investments: 200K 529s: 12K Property: 250K I put investing (retirement, college, etc..) at idle to help some family members get out of the hole but looking to start investing more heavily this year. Dave Ramsey is my co-pilot: Live on less than you make, don't buy stuff on credit (home is the 1 exception), save/invest a bit, give a bit to charity... rinse, lather, repeat...
  19. Clark Griswold
    The political officer approves the new policy of "commitment" to EOT... The jobs program aspect of the AF is growing like cancer and getting to the point of overwhelming the actual military aspect of the organization.
  20. Clark Griswold
    The MC-27J at the Paris Air Show
  21. Clark Griswold
    No way, it's all good...
  22. Clark Griswold
    Thread Revival https://www.janes.com/article/29948/cad-images-suggest-strike-version-of-shenyang-j-31 Strike version of the J-31.
  23. Clark Griswold
    Drunk POS vs wife, the results are awesome...
  24. Clark Griswold
    Yep, the odds are somewhere between not in a million years and not ever ever going to happen.. but interesting none the less... My two $0.02, the LAAR would be a good mission for the Guard/Reserve. Keep the planes and aircrew qual'd and current, break the glass and spin up when needed.
  25. Clark Griswold
    Yep, it does not have the longest legs but that could be fixed, Conformal Fuel Tank. More money, but fixable. The Scorpion lists 150 NM to station - 5 hours on station - 150 NM home with a reserve so it may be the answer. LAAR Requirements: Rough field operations. Defensive package. Armored cockpit and engine. Long loiter time. The aircraft must be able to fly 5 hour sorties (with 30 minute fuel reserves). Range. The aircraft must have a 900 nautical mile (1600 km) ferry range. Data link capability. Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Weaponry. Looking at all of them and considering the financially austere future, I think it makes more sense to look at light jets for LAAR. The turboprops are good in uncontested airspace but once there is a significant threat they may need to be pulled back from the FEBA / AOR. If we decide to purchase more than a few for Partner Capacity Building training mission, we'll need an asset that can take part (realistically) in a conventional campaign also. Light combat jets like the L-159, Scorpion, M-346, etc.. seem to be a better overall investment than the pure COIN aircraft like a A-29 or AT-6. Be good at several missions rather perfect in only one.
×
×
  • Create New...