I fear the objectives of both will always be mutually exclusive.

The most important aspect of the "toll" is that Iran prefers payment in yuan, not dollars.

If Iran succeeds in nationalizing the Straight and is successful in enforcing the toll, it represents a very serious threat to the dominance of the U.S. Dollar as the world's reserve currency for trading energy.

Also, it was unusual at the time for a local phone company to receive a request for 25 lines (or more) to be installed in the basement of a residence. They would generally push back thinking you were running a bookie operation or some such.

I was on the DEC side with an amber VT220 and always thought it was cool that the 3270 could scream "mount me now dammit!" in flashing red block letters while the operators weren't sure if they should drop the keys or pick up the lantern.

Constitutionally, and in theory as Commander-In-Chief, perhaps. But in practice, it does not seem so. Worse yet, it's been reported the current President doesn't even bother to read the daily briefing as he doesn't trust it.

https://www.youtube.com/@tryally

It's one thing to use insider information, it's another to be blatant and unapologetic.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_congressional_insider_tra...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUKRPoQKynk

Some of the fastest manual data entry I've ever seen was by operators entering claim information into a medical billing system based on MUMPS.

Keep all hands and feet away.

But it did remind me of my friend Ben Skora and his robot AROK. Fabricated in his garage using sheet metal (Ben rebuilt cars), power window motors, dryer vent pipe for arms, a Richard Nixon halloween mask inside a motorcycle helmet, two car batteries and wheels as shoes, bicycle brake clamps covered with rubber gloves as hands, a front panel of lights that blinked, and miles of wiring that never worked 100%.

The whole system was analog. Tones from two princess phone keypads controlled the motors and he could talk and listen remotely (20 ft away) using a hacked set of walkie-talkies. Don't ask me how.

AROK was built in ~1971-1973 and now resides inside a glass case at the Moraine Valley Community College Technology Building. [1]

He built AROK to help around the house, do chores, walk the dog, etc.

[0] https://cyberneticzoo.com/robots/1975-arok-ben-skora-america...

[1] https://www.morainevalley.edu/news-story/arok-the-robot-roll...

Without a previous experience they would not have built anything.

There is no previous AI experience behind today's pursuit of the AI grail. In other words, no planes with cargo driving an expectation of success. Instead, the AI pursuit is based upon the probability of success, which is aptly defined as risk.

A correct analog would be the islanders building a boat and taking the risk of sailing off to far away shores in an attempt to procure the cargo they need.

So they're getting out because "it's time I guess. Not much else I can do."

It was a presidential election year and consumers were getting squeezed hard by rising energy prices. Russia invaded Afghanistan, Carter suspended participation in the Olympics, and there was a general feeling of concern.

Using Wolfram Alpha to compute gold's price in 1979 relative to 2025, "850.00 1979 dollars in 2025", the result is $3,663.84

Gold closed today at $3,858.60.

Just like 1979, 2025 has a long list of international concerns making investors nervous.

https://youtu.be/X29lF43mUlo?t=160

"You see what I did there? Paving. Get it?"

Right. Now unleash the academic peer review puns. They've given permission.

Stand! For the things you know are right It's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q49vjFN6Fsw

Think of that the next time you drive through Arizona on I-40, avoiding the potholes, debris, and life-threatening disrepair.

I-40 runs a scant 2,556 miles from Barstow, CA to Benson, NC.

I picture he and Paul discussing the code he had just written when Bill walks in and asks "Are you done yet?"