Prozac

Hope everybody keeps their powder dry. Still not confirmed projectiles we’re Russian. Even if they were, it’s doubtful the targets were in Poland. Reports are that rockets struck a farm. Russians aren’t exactly known for their precision targeting these days & may have been trying to hit something more militarily significant inside Ukraine. If it was an accident, I hope the response will be something other than a kinetic one.

The Republicans need him out of the picture entirely. If he runs on a third party ticket he’ll split the conservative vote and sink the Republican candidate. That’s their main problem for the foreseeable future. They’ve created this monster and actively courted a voting block that would’ve been shunned in years prior. Now they can’t win without that block and it makes it really hard (giggidy) to push Trump and candidates like him out. I agree that DeSantis can appeal to a good portion of the Trump crowd, but if the Donald actively turns on him, he’s screwed. The Republicans have opened Pandora’s box & sold the soul of their party to win an election. Time to reap the whirlwind. And before anyone accuses me of gloating, I’m not. I want to see strong, high quality Republicans because that’ll force the Democrats to up their game too. Unfortunately, if the D’s see a split Republican ticket, they’ll have no motivation whatsoever to change the status quo.

Yep, there were some nutso libs after the 2016 election. Soooo…..the conservative response is to…..out nutso the nutsos??? 🤨 Seems like there’s a lot of people only too happy to join the race to the bottom.

I totally get the car thing & an FD RX7 is certainly a lustworthy sports car. But….like many here I’ve made my share of financial mistakes & taking on a load of debt on a car you don’t need, especially if you’re a full time student & your future isn’t secured, is probably not a smart move. Suggestion: there are some “cool” cars out there that are also practical and affordable. Think used GTI, Civic Si, Focus ST, etc. A car like that can scratch the performance car itch while also providing reliable transportation for four, fit a mountain bike in the back, and probably move you into your first apartment. If your parents are willing to help, but you want to be self sufficient, maybe see if they’re willing to do an interest free loan to get you into something reliable. Then, after you’ve been working a few years, living within your means, and (most importantly) still single (FOOT STOMP!), you can buy that RX outright, do a track oriented alignment, throw some sticky tires on, keep it garaged, & drive the beans out of it on the weekends while you put all the wear and tear of your commute on your still fun, trusty hot hatch.

The idea of a Chinese invasion of North America is a pretty epic leap for a country that can’t currently sail its navy more than a few hundred miles from its home shores. I don’t think we need to worry about putting AAA emplacements on top of the local big box store any time soon. Some of you guys have some big imaginations…

I’m tracking what you’re saying and I don’t necessarily disagree. The one caveat is that stating that the problem is a mass problem only is painting with a broad brush. Yes, mass is one of the problems that must be solved. Are we there yet? I don’t know. I’m sure the same problem seemed quite daunting to guys like Halsey and Nimitz when they were given a similar task seven decades ago. We solved it then, we can solve it now. Once we do, quality will absolutely play a decisive role. Also, let’s not forget that the Chinese face some significant logistical hurdles of their own when planning a Taiwan invasion. Personally, I think the best strategy is continuing to convince them that they will pay too high a price for that choice. A carrier battle group in the straight has filled that role nicely in the past. Convincing Taiwan to become a fortress (which is what we seem to have been doing lately) can have the same effect should we decide we don’t want to involve American assets in a potential conflict.

Dude, I never claimed to be a strategist & that’s so far out of my lane I literally LOL’d when I read your post. I’m just commenting on the differences I’ve seen in the way we operate vs what our adversaries do and think. There are lots of smart people thinking about the logistics of operating in the Pacific. Hell, somebody’s even putting floats on C-130s. Go ask them.

The difference being you guys will improvise and overcome when it comes down to a no-shit fight. I’ve said it before, but the US military owes most of its success to junior officers and NCOs who will keep the machine running and win fights in spite of the idiocy that often spews from senior leadership. I’ve seen the Chinese work, specifically in the current “zero Covid” environment. I’m confident that when their leadership sends them to certain slaughter, they will dutifully follow one another over the abyss, no questions asked. Don’t sell yourselves short just because someone thinks China is starting to look good on paper. Y’all are still the finest fighting force on the planet & anyone who wants to test that theory is going to find themselves in serious pain. Oh, and happy Veterans Day! 🇺🇸

Have you seen the Chinese try and do anything? Yeah, they can build shit quickly (and watch it crumble in a matter of months), and acquire weapons quickly (the quality of which is doubtful at best), but do you really think they’ll wield their power effectively when the time comes? I’m not arguing we shouldn’t revamp our acquisitions system or rethink some of our existing strategy. Far from it. We certainly need to get more agile. But let’s not go giving the Chinese too much credit here. They’re a rigid, top down, Soviet style system at the end of the day that’s going to fumble with the simplest decisions because they need permission to wipe their own ass.

Here’s my question: Why does it have to be all one way or the other? Two things can be true at the same time. Your brother may indeed have made poor life choices. At the same time, the society we live in may not be providing adequate support. For instance, is it possible that your brother’s issues are, at least in part, a result of mental health issues? Are we getting people the help they need? Should we hold individuals responsible for the choices they make? Absolutely! Should we also strive to provide them the tools to turn their lives around? Also yes.

As usual, both parties will likely come away with the wrong messages. Ds will say they’re still large & in charge, and Rs will double down on the Trumpiness. In reality, frustration with the economy & some of the more extreme policy points on the Democratic side is real. This should’ve been Republicans’ midterms to lose. But people are equally frustrated with Republican positions. Both parties have been captured by their “bases” whoever those people are. They’re definitely not the average Joe who just wants to live his life while his 401k does ok, the fire trucks show up when there’s a fire, the potholes on his way to work get fixed, & the government stays out of his religious beliefs and decisions. Neither party is offering that at the moment.

They matter at the local level which honestly probably affects most of us as much or more than national level politics. And it plants the seeds for the future. School board members might be empowered to run for state office & then national races later on.

This is why it’s helpful to have at least a working knowledge of the RLA. Abridged version: Airline contracts don’t expire, they become amendable at the end of the agreed term. The previous contract is still binding for as long as it takes to hash out the next one. If either party feels the process has stalled, they can ask for arbitration provided by the National Mediation Board. If this step fails, the union can apply for “self help” (I.e. job actions/strike). There is then a cooling off period (90 days I believe) before the union is “released”. If congress believes the strike will negatively impact commerce, they can intervene & end the strike (I believe the last major airline strike in the US lasted a day). This is completely different from other unionized professions who are free to act as soon as their current contract expires & is massively skewed to favor the management side of things. That was all off the cuff….airline vets feel free to correct or clarify any holes in my post.

Agree. There are good people in both parties though, particularly at the grassroots level. We’re never all going to agree but you can participate at the local levels & seek out the good ones in whatever party you feel suits you better. I’ll do the same in my community. We should all also make an effort to consume less media and have more conversations. I really can’t stand Donald Trump. But I really like my Republican friends and have some great conversations with them. Extremist media is wrong to demonize swaths of this country because they vote a certain way. We need to agree as a nation to stop painting half the country with the same broad brush we use to identify & ridicule the most extreme elements of each party. We also need to recognize that people may vote for a candidate we find repugnant simply for lack of other options. I didn’t like Hillary but I wasn’t about to vote for trump. I imagine the feeling was mutual for many on the other side.

Or don’t & be the guy who raises his hand at the union new hire dinner & asks why he should have to join the union. Then watch everyone at the table look at you like you just kicked their dog. Up to you. Sorry Bashi, but I contend that understanding the nature of the labor environment one is stepping into (especially coming from the military, where people are generally clueless about organized labor) is an important step in determining whether this is the right career move.

PSA to anyone looking to make the jump to the airlines: get smart on the RLA (Railway Labor Act — yes, it applies to airlines) and airline unions ASAP. It’ll hopefully save you some confusion & it will help your newfound union brothers & sisters immensely if you don’t have to be schooled on every little thing.

To my knowledge all are “closed shops” meaning you don’t have to be a member, but you will pay dues regardless (this is completely legal btw). Makes sense to at least have a vote in where that dues money goes. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a line pilot at either airline that I’ve worked for that was not a member of the respective union.

I think we agree in principal, but many of us are only too happy to wear blinders. Republicans nominated and then elected as President of the United States an individual who as late as 2015 was considered an extreme outlier and frankly, a joke. They have Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert in congress, both complete whackos. There’s a good chance they’ll elect a flat earther, abortion slinging, hit in the head way too many times, former running back to congress tomorrow. Some of the most extreme voices in media today are on the right (see: Alex Jones). I’m not denying that there are radical libs, but suggesting that one side is better than the other misses the point entirely. We’re all too quick to gloss over our own warts so we can demonize the other side.

Uh huh. And any Democrat can come up with 69 reasons each why DeSantis, Scott, or Haley is “unelectable”. The constant barrage of “The other party will wither on the vine! Total victory will be ours soon! Republicans (or Democrats) forever! Yaaayyyy!” is dumb. Everyone on all sides needs to stop buying into it. Here’s a prediction for you: Republicans will take majorities in congress tomorrow. After a few years, people will realize Rs are screwing them just as bad as the Ds were and there’ll be a “blue wave”. Wash, rinse, repeat. The sooner we stop acting like nine year olds & figure our the other side isn’t going away & that this isn’t a zero sum game, the better off we’ll all be. Accepting that the other side has it’s own valid positions & figuring out where we can work together is our only option for not just success, but survival.

Ding ding ding.

Whaaa? Dude, you’re overthinking things. If the party decides Biden is a liability, they will simply nominate someone else in ‘24. Hopefully they can convince him to simply bow out a’ la Johnson 1968. If not, the fight within the party will be interesting & likely hand the election to the Republican candidate. I think it’s pretty likely at this point he bows out, but a lot can change in 2 years and who knows what the political playing field will look like. If you’re thinking Joe leaves before 2024, I’d say that’s highly unlikely but if he does, Kamala takes the torch for a few months & the same thing happens: she is either talked into bowing out of the race, or the party gets in a fight nominating somebody else. Ideally, for the country, I hope Joe decides to get out of the way sooner rather than later so the Dems can identify a viable candidate (Klobuchar? Buttigieg? Whitmer?) & run a coherent campaign. I also hope the Republicans can put forward someone other than Trump. I’d really like to vote FOR someone in 24 rather than against the worst of two bad options.

F’n A Cotton.

Form 8s for everyone. Obviously crew error and definitely not a design flaw. Nothing to see here. /s

I’m honestly not sure if the WTF here is that there are some dudes trying to make their beanbags smaller or the fact that there is an individual who’s job title is “cornhole color commentator”.

It’s not the fact that the AF wants to operate some missions single pilot. It’s the fact that the AF wants to take an airframe expressly designed to be operated by a crew, and pilots expressly trained to operate in a crew environment and throw caution to the wind. And when General Numbnuts inevitably touts how successful and great his program is (and he will, regardless of how this thing goes down), airline heads everywhere will sit up and take notice & point to the super successful AF program as they ask the FAA to provide relief from the impending doom of the pilot shortage. Also, there are all sorts of systems designed into tactical single seat aircraft to assist the pilot in maintaining SA. Ever see a HUD baby get into a Dutchess and try to fly a VOR approach on the six pack? It ain’t pretty. Comparing single pilot ops in a fighter vs an airliner is comparing apples and whale dicks.