Glad I have three, count 'em, three backup computers, all which I built. Two desktops and a laptop. I can't seem to have too many computers, lol! I assembled the laptop from a kit, but otherwise I don't touch laptops. Do you have a place that can repair her old one? If the monitor is the culprit, you can plug the laptop into a regular monitor as a work-around, if you haven't done that already. Glad she got the $$ gifts and was able to buy the new one.
I bought and assembled a beautiful, very sturdy (the legs are 3X3 inch timbers), finished, wood desk for my primary computer to sit on. It had been on the floor since I finished building it. Now it's up on the desk and very easy to work on, so that was pretty good timing.
My brother just sent me this:
In addition to communicating with the local Air Traffic Control facility, all aircraft in the Persian Gulf AOR are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar (military) a ten minute 'heads up' if they will be transiting Iranian airspace. This is a common procedure for commercial aircraft and involves giving them your call sign, transponder code, type aircraft, and points of origin and destination.
I just flew with a guy who overheard this conversation on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency 121.5 MHz while flying from Europe to Dubai. It's too good not to pass along. The conversation went something like this...
Air Defense Radar: 'Unknown aircraft at (location unknown), you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.'
Aircraft: 'This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.'
Air Defense Radar: 'You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!'
Aircraft: 'This is a United States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter. Send 'em up, I'll wait!'
Air Defense Radar: (no response ... total silence)
Semper Fi
Ya gotta love the Corps