Or maybe his connection to the Middle East?

WSJ: Review: Rajiv Joseph's 'The North Pool' engrossing

This connection also has historic roots -- during the Middle Ages, extravagant meals or banquets hosted by the wealthy often featured sculptures made from edible ingredients like pastry dough, sugar and ice, according to the book Ice: The Nature, the History, and the Uses of an Astonishing Substance.

BBC: The origins of ice sculpting

Their man-in-the-middle positioning adds some latency to users' connection, but the Defcon rerouting suggests that it's too small for most people to notice.

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