30 Years Ago

Die Hard was released.

"Yippie-kai-ai, motherfucker" became a thing.

Die Hard was a good thriller that suffered from stupid sequels. But that's how Hollywood rolls.

2040?

BadTux is arguing that, because of shifting populations in coming decades, that the US is headed for a tyranny of the minority, as 70% of the population will reside in fifteen states. The depopulated states will have seventy Senators, the populated states only thirty.

Click on the link and read his post. Then come back.

Yet Another Useful Idiots for the Russia's Man in D.C.

Sen. Rand Paul on Sunday sought to justify Russia's interference in America's 2016 presidential race, claiming that all countries meddle in foreign elections.

“I think really we mistake our response if we think it's about accountability from the Russians. They’re another country, they're going to spy on us," Paul said on CNN's "State of the Union," a day before President Donald Trump's scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.

Right. And if the Russians had been meddling on behalf of Clinton, instead of doing Trump's bidding, Paul would be screaming about it to the rafters.

Anyone who willfully closes his eyes to treason because the actions of the traitor suits him politically is not a patriot. He would be a traitor, one step removed.

I have to love how Paul and Trump are not blaming Obama. For we all know that if Obama had come out strongly about TRussian meddling two years ago, Paul, Trump and the rest of the Republicans would have been screaming that Obama was trying to tilt the election.

Your Sunday Morning Jet Noise

My favorite jet: Boeing's 727.

Dumb Force One

Some suggestions from The Late Show for Trump's new paint job.

Caturday

It is, as Chip could attest.

Because It's Friday

The day they changed the gauge of all Southern railroads:

Though things were more efficient after the change of gauge, the railroads kept the savings.

That, in point of fact was one of the reasons why people in the early-mid 20th Century greeted the laying of highways with open arms. In the Plains states, where there usually was only one railroad serving an area, the pricing for both passengers and freight would, these days, be viewed as predatory. Few looked upon the subsequent collapse of local rail service with anything other than quiet satisfaction.

It is Better to Be Trump's Adversary Than to Be His Friend

One thing is clear from watching Trump's latest "Shit in the Euro's Punchbowl Tour": It's better to be Trump's adversary than to be his friend.

At least if you're his adversary, you know what you're going to get. Trump will vacillate between saying bad things and trying to suck up to persuade you to see things his way.

If you're Trump's friend, he will treat you like an old rug: He'll wipe shit and dirt all over you. He'll take everything he can from you, kick your ass to the curb and, even if he's known you for thirty years, will say "I hardly knew that guy."

The only way to have Trump as a reliable ally is to have serious dirt on him, stuff that he would kill his sons and sell his daughter (the one that he cares about, not the other one) into slavery to prevent it from coming out. Which may give one an idea what the Russians may have on him.

Anyone, other than maybe the neo-Nazis, who thinks that Trump is their ally, their friend, their partner or their savior, is delusional.

Just Bizarre

Trump wants a color scheme [for Air Force One] that "looks more American" and isn’t a "Jackie Kennedy color."

A color scheme that's known around the world as belonging only to the aircraft of the Presidential Airlift Group, a brand with global recognition, is not good enough for The Donald?

It shouldn't take much to do a more appropriate paintjob for El Caudillo Trumpo:

Credit is due

News That Should Shock Nobody

A majority of U.S. voters say President Trump has emboldened racists to express their beliefs openly, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

Fifty-five percent of voters said Trump has made it easier for those with racist beliefs to share those views publicly. Thirty-nine percent disagreed.

The Quinnipiac poll took the country’s pulse on issues such as civility, immigration and President Trump’s character.

Forty-nine percent of voters polled also said Trump is racist while 47 said he is not.

I respectfully submit that those 47% who think Trump isn't racist are (a) purposefully ignorant; (b) willfully blind, or (c) have mush for brains.

Donnie Thinks He Can Be Besties With Valdimir

Then, of course, he lied about not knowing Putin very well. Of course, he knows him.

Putin's not Trump's friend. Putin's his handler, his boss.

President Chucklehead; Trade Ed.

The Trump administration is readying tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese imports, ranging from burglar alarms to mackerel, escalating a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. ... The administration said the new levies are a response to China’s decision to retaliate against the first round of U.S. tariffs.

I normally wonder what sort of moron would think that China would not respond to an opening salvo in a trade war, but these are not normal times.

The markets are not amused. And, of course, China will retaliate for any more tariffs.

I'm pretty sure that there's no exit strategy from this. Probably worse than Chimpy, The Donald, no doubt, has conflated his manhood with his trade war. Herr Dopenfuhrer will view any result short of what he perceives to be a win as unacceptable.

More likely is that the global economy will tumble off a cliff. Not because of the business cycle, but because of the impetuosity of the World's Oldest Toddler.

So much winning.

Trump Blows His Nazi Steam Whistle

President* Donald Trump has pardoned two ranchers whose case sparked the armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon.

Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted in 2012 of intentionally and maliciously setting fires on public lands.

Given the fact that the Hammond case has been a rallying point of the far Right, these pardons are going to be seen as what they are: Trump giving the neo-Nazis something to crow about.

They believe that Trump is their guy. He is signaling to them that he is.

What If It's Even Worse Than We Suppose?

As Trump arranges to meet face-to-face and privately with Vladimir Putin later this month, the collusion between the two men metastasizing from a dark accusation into an open alliance, it would be dangerous not to consider the possibility that the summit is less a negotiation between two heads of state than a meeting between a Russian-intelligence asset and his handler. ... How do you even think about the small but real chance — 10 percent? 20 percent? — that the president of the United States has been covertly influenced or personally compromised by a hostile foreign power for decades?

Three decades, to be accurate.

Funny thing: The Right's been bleating about Obama being a "seekrit Mooslim" based on zero evidence, other than his mother took him there for four years (between ages six and ten). But there is quite a bit more evidence and proven connections between Trump and the Russians, to which they close their eyes and repeat their mantra of "but, but Hillary.".

This will all come out, sooner or later. I, for one, will remind people in the Party of Trump that they have actively supported a Russian intelligence asset and a traitor.

And no, I haven't paid any attention to whom Our Traitor-in-Chief has nominated for the Supreme Court.

About the Most Fun You Can Have With Your Clothes On; Bangity Ed.

What I got to shoot today:

I shot it with and without the can. It climbed a bit more without the can. I could keep it at two-round bursts. But I can see where a good practice would be to aim at the right-bottom of an enemy's rib case, so the rise walks the impacts across the torso.

It was a hell of a way to quickly turn 200 rounds of ball ammo into noise. I would have shot more, except that it was in the mid-90s out and hotter than a furnace on the range.

I also got to shoot a gun I'd never seen before, a S&W Model 53 in .22 Jet. As I've heard, it has an impressive fireball. Also as I've heard, it is very prone to the cylinder locking up because of setback of the cases. The gun's owner wipes the cartridges down with lighter fluid to ensure that there is no oil whatsoever on them. It still locked up twice in six shots.

Finally, I got to shoot the late Frank James's favorite cartridge, the .41 Magnum. It was accurate and the recoil wasn't at all bad. I can see why he was a fan.