“Well, boys, I reckon this is it — nuclear combat toe to toe with the Rooskies. Now look, boys, I ain’t much of a hand at makin’ speeches, but I got a pretty fair idea that something doggone important is goin’ on back there. And I got a fair idea the kinda personal emotions that some of you fellas may be thinkin.’ Heck, I reckon you wouldn’t even be human bein’s if you didn’t have some pretty strong personal feelin’s about nuclear combat. I want you to remember one thing, the folks back home is a-countin’ on you and by golly, we ain’t about to let ‘em down. I tell you something else, if this thing turns out to be half as important as I figure it just might be, I’d say that you’re all in line for some important promotions and personal citations when this thing’s over with. That goes for ever’ last one of you regardless of your race, color or your creed. Now let’s get this thing on the hump — we got some flyin’ to do.”

– B-52 pilot Major T. J. “King” Kong in Dr. Strangelove

Happy Birthday, Louis Burton Lindley, Jr.

(Another distinctive role.)

So, the cost in death just seems to float over some peoples head. How about this? As of 1:49 pm Mountain time we could’ve hired 7 million 6 hundred and 4 thousand, 8 hundred and 34 teachers for an entire year.