Author: Kim du Toit

Not Even A Perfume

Politics

Ohhh I think I have an old-man crush on Giorgio — I mean Giorgia.

The EyetiePM, not the state next door to Alabama or the similarly-named failed former vassal state of the U.S.S.R., and definitely not the perfume.

I mean, what’s not to like?

Okay, never mind all that.  When you get breathless pieces like this one written about you by a Commiesymp asshole like this guy, how bad could you be?

Dangerous far-right demagogue or free-thinking radical?

And all this was written before she became the EyetiePM.  Here was her plan:

“The top priority today goes to supporting families and businesses that have been brought to their knees by inflation and the rise of energy bills due to the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“I think the next Italian government should fight at the EU level for a price cap to be introduced for gas. We are ready to act also at the national level if the EU should delay any longer.”

“Once the emergency has been overcome, the priorities are to cut taxes, to support families and the competitiveness of businesses, to build strategic infrastructures and to invest in a new industrial policy.”

Of course, our boy was outraged.

If all this sounds familiar, she says that “in the conservative world I think about Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher…”

…like that would be a Bad Thing.

But in the meantime:

In Italy illegal immigration by sea has witnessed a sharp decline this year owing to the strict anti-clandestine immigration policies of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing conservative government.

According to newly released official data that appeared in the local daily newspaper, Il Giornale this month, Rome recorded a shockingly sharp 62.4% drop in illegal arrivals in 2024, with 37,000 migrants landing in Italy as of August 12. Last year at the same time there were around 100,000 arrivals.

“Shockingly?”  Would it be impertinent to offer La Giorgia a job as, say, U.S. Border Czar?  (Also, Javier Milei of Argentina to be the U.S. Czar of Bureaucrat Downsizing & Retrenchment, but let me not get carried away.)

Okay, nobody’s perfect:

The Italian government approved a decree on Wednesday doubling to 200,000 euros ($218,220.00) per year a flat tax applied on income earned abroad by wealthy individuals who transfer their tax residence to the country.

By the way, the original plan to offer tax residence to rich guys was instituted by Italy’s erstwhile Socialist government in the hope that said rich guys would boost the (perennially inadequate) Italian economy.  As with so many Socialist dreams, it failed.  So Meloni has no doubt figured out that if they aren’t helping, the EytieGov may as well milk them.  It’s not like the likes of superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo can’t afford a lousy 200k, is her probable thinking.

Also, the EU hates Meloni and considers her a “fascist”… so when those Socialists hate you, you have to be doing something right. (#HungaryPMViktorOrban)

And she’s as cute as a button.

Labor Day Break

Classic Beauty, Drive Time

It’s Labor Day so apart from the Funnies (below), I’m giving my brain a rest.  Enjoy all these beauties from the 1930s…

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Spider

Kay Francis

1939 Aston Martin Lagonda V12 Rapide

Sylvia Sidney

1938 SS-100 Roadster

Maureen O’Sullivan

1938 Mercedes 540K Cabrio A

Frances Dee

1936 MG SA Tourer

Mary Brian

See  y’all tomorrow.

Monday Funnies

Funny Stuff


But before we do that, let’s have a chuckle or two, starting with a DNC summary:

And speaking of the former “Border Czarina”:


Well, I’d hire her.

And an oldie, but still one of my favorites for “Mother Of The Year”:

And to end on one more political vote:

Also, with everywhere (except Texas) about to drift into Fall, some reminders of the past summer:

And in the rear-view mirror, as you head off to find that dozer:

Classic Beauty: Dolores Del Rio

Classic Beauty

I think I first saw Dolores Del Rio in the Astaire/Rogers pic Flying Down To Rio, but even though she only had a small part, I was captivated — and I have no idea why it’s taken me so long to feature her on these pages.

Pretty as a young starlet, she blossomed into an astonishing beauty, and remained so until her death in 1983.  Follow the link above to get her full story — it’s quite a ride.

That Garage Thing Part 2 – The Euros

Drive Time

See last Saturday’s post for the background, if this is the first time you’re seeing this series.

My choices for the Euro section is a little different this time, because in addition to wanting to flee the modern electro-digital foolishness, I’m also tending towards smaller cars that are fun to drive, but not necessarily high-performance cars.  So you won’t see the Dino 246 (my perennial favorite) or similar in today’s selection.  Here they are:

1956 Porsche 356C

1971 Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF

1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider

And here’s my go-to choice, one that, unlike the Alfa, will always start reliably:

1964 Mercedes 230 SL

I am quite curious to know that if I ever did populate my garage with the above four beauties, which one would become my favorite over time.

And next week — have the smelling-salts handy — I’m going to list my modern choices.

Out Of The Past

Heroism, Military

Longtime Readers will remember that many years ago, I attended Boomershoot with the Son&Heir, and took the 2-day training course delivered by Gene Econ and two kids from the unit he was training, Adam Plumendore and Walter Gaya.  As a result of that meeting, we (I plus my Readers) kind of “adopted” Adam and Walt, and when they told me they needed some gear (scopes and rangefinders) for their upcoming deployment, we raised the money and bought them the gear.  (As I recall, it took about three days to raise the $25,000-odd, because as I’ve said before, I have the best Readers on the Internet,)

Anyway, the kids went off to Iraq.  Two months later we heard that Adam had been killed by an IED, and Walt had been badly wounded in a different engagement.

I told you all that so I could tell you this.  Walt and Adam’s CO at the time was Col. Erik Kurilla, a man of incredible bravery and outstanding leadership.  He himself was wounded in Iraq (shot three times in the legs when ambushed by some assholes in, I think Mosul).

It will therefore come as no surprise to anyone when I tell you that Colonel Erik Kurilla is now General (4-star) Erik Kurilla.  You can learn all about him here.  It makes for some interesting reading.  Just the other units he’s since commanded makes me quite awestruck, but I bet he left them better than how he found them.  He’s that kind of man.

I had a chance to chat with him once, some time after Adam was killed, and when by way of introduction I told him how I’d met Adam and Walt, and about the gear we’d contributed, his immediate response was “Oh, I know all about you, Kim, and your group, and how you helped us.”

He was not then, and I doubt very much whether he would ever be one of those remote, office-bound types who doesn’t take care of his men.  With men like him in the Army, there may still be some hope for our future.

I feel extraordinarily privileged to have known him, even as slight as that acquaintance may have been.