# The Pentagon is tracking a Chinese spy balloon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2023, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228 "2023-02-03T01:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 292
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/292 "2023-02-05T17:04:54Z")
Of course about now it’d be appropriate for someone here to liken the White House and DoD’s reaction to the unexpected unwelcome balloon to the epic story of our own @Scylla’s encounter 20-ish years ago with an unexpected unwelcome blimp. > [@The horror of blimps](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-horror-of-blimps/152885): > > Last week while travelling I stopped at a Zany Brainy store and saw that they had a blimp for sale. It’s called Airship Earth, and it’s a great big balloon with a map of the Earth on it, and two propellors hanging from the bottom. You blow up the balloon with helium put batteries in it, and you have a radio controll indoor blimp. I’d seen these things for sale in Sharper Image catalogs for $60-$75. At Zany Brainy it was on clearance for $15. What a deal! Last night my wife was playing tenn… With a nod to this current thread as well: > [@Tell me you're a Doper without telling me you're a Doper](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-youre-a-doper-without-telling-me-youre-a-doper/978799): > > You knew this was coming. Since the “Tell me you’re a woman” and “Tell me you’re a man” threads are problematic, let’s try one that we can all join. Here’s mine: when I come across a bullshit claim, I simply reply “Cite?” I invoke Og. I call out threadshitting on other platforms. Any more? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228)._