MY GRANDFATHERS’ GENERATION WAS PRETTY BADASS:

My paternal grandfather was in Hiroshima not long after the war’s end. He found out about the atom bombs, and surrender, while on a troop ship in the Pacific, where (as a reward for fighting across Europe) he would have been part of the invasion of Japan. He said that Hiroshima looked like a city of mummies when he got there, because so many people had flash burns from the atomic bomb. He didn’t seem especially bothered by that. I doubt he made it to Nagasaki for the Atom Bowl, but who knows?

DON SURBER: “I have yet to see a newspaper join the banks and other companies in giving a $1,000 bonus to workers because of the tax cuts.”

SCOTT ADAMS: Is President Trump’s Nuclear Button Tweet a Sign of Insanity?

ORIGINAL “ROSIE THE RIVETER” IS STILL ALIVE, flying on C-17 she helped build.

“JUST WHAT MAGIC WAND DO YOU HAVE?” Manufacturing in the U.S. Just Accelerated to Its Best Year Since 2004.

AT AMAZON, save on bestselling Office Products.

Plus, deals on Pet Supplies

THE RIGHT ANSWER IS FOR CONGRESS TO CHANGE THE LAW: Sessions will end policy that allowed legalized marijuana to prosper. Because, you know, the “legalized” marijuana was never legal at the federal level.

WHY ARE LEFTY COMEDIANS SO AMUSED BY SEXUAL ABUSE? ‘#MeTooSoon’: Bill Maher met with outrage for mocking Al Franken’s infamous groping photo with Bob Saget aboard a private jet to Hawaii.

TAMARA KEEL: “Glock shows it knows more about the general shooting public than any of us 19L-loving snobs. They’ll buy this.” Well, that’s their job.

WHY MOST ELECTRIC CAR OWNERS LEASE INSTEAD OF BUYING.

I’M SORRY, “THE WORLD’S GREATEST ROLLS-ROYCE” IS A PICKUP TRUCK, not this monstrosity.

WELCOME TO THE OHIO SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC: Ohioans Are Going to Have a Hard Time Buying Their Favorite Vodka in 2018.

NFL SIDELINE PROTESTS: THE GAME WILL SURVIVE AND PROSPER. “I will be watching the 2017-18 season playoffs over the coming weeks, as I have since the Oakland Raiders met the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II, circa 1968. The question is, will you? Be honest, especially if your team has made the playoffs.”

Not me, not after Roger Goodell crossed the Rubicon last year. Good will that’s lost is very difficult to get back.

SUBMARINE ON EUROPA: The Search for Aliens Starts Now—in Antarctica. “Icefin is meant to search for alien life—a ‘bug hunt,’ as some scientists cheerfully call it. It is bound for the icy waters of Jupiter’s moon, Europa, possibly as soon as 2020.”

LAST HURRAH: Goodbye, Gelandewagen! Blasting through Mexico in the First-Gen Mercedes-Benz G-class.

AT AMAZON, New Year’s Deals on Men’s Athletic Shoes.

Plus, save on warm and comfy Outdoor Clothing.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HARDBALL: Colorado’s GOP Senator Threatens to Hold Nominees Over Sessions’ Pot Enforcement.

SCOTT RASMUSSEN: The Ground Is Shifting Under Obamacare.

The repeal of the Obamacare mandate fundamentally changes the political dynamics in the real world far from Washington, DC.

Last year, an estimated 15 million Americans would have dropped out of Obamacare if they could. Now they can. Another 6.5 million paid a fine rather than sign up for coverage. This means that more than 20 million people directly benefit from the repeal of the mandate.

Most of these people would prefer to buy insurance that meets their needs, but the Obamacare mandate did more than say that people had to buy insurance. It said they had to buy a very comprehensive and expensive set of benefits. Especially for young people, it was often far more insurance than they needed and far more costly than they could afford.

The reality is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to health insurance. Different people have different needs and preferences.

This reality will create a demand for a variety of insurance options to meet a variety of needs. Some people will prefer more comprehensive coverage and higher premiums. Others will opt for less coverage and lower premiums. All will be covered against catastrophic events but day-to-day coverage will vary.

Imagine being able to buy the insurance which best fits your needs. Or to put it another way, tonight we’re going to purchase like it’s 2009.

I’VE BEEN RICH AND I’VE BEEN POOR, AND RICH IS BETTER: Heart benefit of moderate drinking greater in wealthy people. “Being poor also appeared to worsen the risks of heavy drinking.”

BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE A CLOCK CYCLE? Fix for Intel CPU flaws could slow down PCs and Macs.

BILL ROGGIO: A record year for US counterterrorism strikes.

The increased targeting of jihadists in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya provides proof that the Obama administration strategy to defeat terrorist groups in these countries with airpower and limited support to local governments has failed. The US has targeted Shabaab in Yemen since 2007 and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula since 2009, yet both of these al Qaeda branches maintain a robust insurgency and continue to control territory to this day.

FDD’s Long War Journal tracked airstrikes in Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Pakistan from publicly available press releases and inquiries with the relevant combatant commands as well as from press reports. Strikes in areas of active hostilities, in which the United States is directly engaged, such as Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, are not included.

Based 2017 data, the Trump administration appears to be conducting a more muscular version of President Obama’s targeted counterterrorism strategy. The Trump administration has loosened rules of engagement and has restored many decision making authorities to the military. Nearly one year after Trump ramped up the targeting of al Qaeda and the Islamic State, both group maintain potent insurgencies.

Lengthy article, but the usual good stuff from Roggio.

WOULD A PUTIN STOOGE DO THIS? Trump Seeks to Open Most U.S. Coastal Waters to New Oil Drilling. It’s terrible news for Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS RACIST TO POINT THIS OUT: Study: Young male migrants fuel rise in violence in Germany.

JUSTICE: Judge Rules in Favor of Student Accused of ‘Racist, Threatening Language.’