The good doctor

Caught some of the 1964 cold war masterpiece Dr. Strangelove on TV late last night.  I had really forgotten how incredibly dark and funny this movie is.  One of my favorite scenes: 

General "Buck" Turgidson: General Ripper called Strategic Air Command headquarters shortly after he issued the go code. I have a portion of the transcript of that conversation if you'd like me to to read it.
President Merkin Muffley: Read it!
General "Buck" Turgidson: Ahem... The Duty Officer asked General Ripper to confirm the fact that he *had* issued the go code, and he said, uh, "Yes gentlemen, they are on their way in, and no one can bring them back. For the sake of our country, and our way of life, I suggest you get the rest of SAC in after them. Otherwise, we will be totally destroyed by Red retaliation. Uh, my boys will give you the best kind of start, 1400 megatons worth, and you sure as hell won't stop them now, uhuh. Uh, so let's get going, there's no other choice. God willing, we will prevail, in peace and freedom from fear, and in true health, through the purity and essence of our natural... fluids. God bless you all" and he hung up.
[beat]
General "Buck" Turgidson: Uh, we're, still trying to figure out the meaning of that last phrase, sir.
President Merkin Muffley: There's nothing to figure out, General Turgidson. This man is obviously a psychotic.
General "Buck" Turgidson: We-he-ell, uh, I'd like to hold off judgement on a thing like that, sir, until all the facts are in.
President Merkin Muffley: General Turgidson! When you instituted the human reliability tests, you *assured* me there was *no* possibility of such a thing *ever* occurring!
General "Buck" Turgidson: Well, I, uh, don't think it's quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up, sir.

Coincentally, for anyone that has seen it the plane shown operating during the opening seen of the movie is a KC-135R Stratotanker.  These things have been in service since 1957 and are still the country's primary means of in-air refueling of long range strategic bombers and  tactical fighters.  One of the key refueling wings is the 434th operating out of the Grissom Air Reserve Base about 50 miles north of Indianapolis.  What makes them key is they are responsible for providing support to the B2 squadron operating out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.  A few years back I had the opportunity to participate in a community relations fly-along while they practiced refueling maneuvers over an "undisclosed" location.  I snapped the pics below from the rig-operator's station in the tail of the plane.  This was the coolest waste of tax payer money to which I have ever been a party (the fly along, not the maneuvers themselves).