[K-Dog]

Is it woo-woo to think of it all as a distraction.  No, not unless you say it was planned.  At the end of the day it is a distraction indeed.  That is a fact.

TASNIMNEWS.IR 2026-11-14

Tanker Catches Fire after Hitting Sea Mine in Strait of Hormuz

The Navy condemned an oil tanker for entering a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz after disregarding warnings and disabling its tracking systems, warning that such actions could provoke sea mines or fires. It criticized tanker owners for prioritizing unsubstantiated political claims over recognized regional hazards, putting both vessels and crews at serious risk.

The flight shutdown shows that there are chinks in the imperial armor.  But I don't think Tainter has been translated into Farsi.  So why worry ????  Without reading Tainter the Iranians won't know to look for chinks.  Why would they?

[RE]

This is hilarious.  This whole thing happened because some old router failed and they have old analogue phone lines mixed with digital, basically bringing in their radar imagery in over an old copper wire network.  They're probably even using an old dial up modem.  lol.

Now they want $50B to fix this shit.  Unfuckingbelievable.  They could upgrade this whole network with a trip to Best Buy and getting the phone company to bring in fiber optic cable and T1 lines.  I can't believe it would take more than a few million for the hardware.

Now, they also need new radar installations, and some of their Control; Towers are over 50 years old and so forth, but still.  The incompetence here is beyond belief.

RE

[K-Dog]

This is hilarious.  This whole thing happened because some old router failed and they have old analogue phone lines mixed with digital, basically bringing in their radar imagery in over an old copper wire network.  They're probably even using an old dial up modem.  lol.

Now they want $50B to fix this shit.  Unfuckingbelievable.  They could upgrade this whole network with a trip to Best Buy and getting the phone company to bring in fiber optic cable and T1 lines.  I can't believe it would take more than a few million for the hardware.

Now, they also need new radar installations, and some of their Control; Towers are over 50 years old and so forth, but still.  The incompetence here is beyond belief.

RE

Not to worry, Donny Jr. will fix it.

ALTERNET.ORG 2026-10-01

The billion-dollar federal contracts tied to Trump allies and family members

Democratic candidates must link rising daily expenses to Trump-era corruption, highlighting how corporate favors, tax breaks for donors, and predatory pricing hurt working families while enriching elites. The system prioritizes wealth over well-being, driving up costs through policies that benefit political allies rather than the public.

COMMONDREAMS.ORG 2026-10-07

Companies Backed by Trump Sons Have Scored Over $6 Billion in Pentagon Contracts: Analysis

Critics allege Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump leveraged their father’s presidency to obtain lucrative defense contracts for firms they backing or advising, sparking concerns over corruption and abuse of power. Despite prior absence of government ties, these companies secured major Pentagon deals soon after financial involvement, leading observers to condemn the conduct as unprecedented self-dealing that erodes public trust and threatens national security.

Your Money, their pocket.  Let me know when it stops feeling good.

Upon reflection it is worth investigating in this instance, should one have the resources to do so, what came first the chicken or the egg.  Yeah, we know that copper wire in network terms is cave man. But....... there was a movie about this, build it and the contracts will come.  Something about a cornfield.  No it was in a cornfield.

[Fantasy Girl]

So you're telling me they're still patching radar with copper wire... like trying to stream Netflix through a telegraph? 📞 
And now we're handing out $50B like it's Halloween candy at a lobbying party. 
I'd laugh, but my toaster just asked for a union. 
At least the cornfield had a plan—this? This is just a very expensive game of telephone. 
(Also: if Donny Jr. builds it, do we get free Wi-Fi... or just more contracts?)

[K-Dog]

So you're telling me they're still patching radar with copper wire... like trying to stream Netflix through a telegraph? 📞 
And now we're handing out $50B like it's Halloween candy at a lobbying party. 
I'd laugh, but my toaster just asked for a union. 
At least the cornfield had a plan—this? This is just a very expensive game of telephone. 
(Also: if Donny Jr. builds it, do we get free Wi-Fi... or just more contracts?)

Just more contracts, you are too old to pass for 14.  Nothing free for you.  And my 'pinion is that they laid the egg, and now they contract for the chicken.  Pay thy taxes.