Also something that really concerns me is the fact that the hackers were able to (remotely) access the control network. Why the <insert adjective of choice> are these systems using "public" communications networks? Why not have their own PRIVATE network completely isolated from the public networks? <screams in despair> This one shut-down has probably cost far more in terms of lost production than each company concerned having their own fully isolated control & monitoring network.

Ignorance and perceived cost and the managers are long gone by the time their catastrophic consequences are suffered...

To keep critical IT control and infrastructure 'air gapped' isolated doesn't necessarily need physically isolated specially (expensively) installed lines. A cheap but still effective version is to use point-to-point VPNs. Physical isolation is to be preferred but I've seen unimaginable resistance to that from lazy operators!

Pumps and Valves. C'mon Man!!!!!

OPEN da Frickin' Valves and START da Frickin' Pumps. Don't tell me a Valve and Pump CANNOT DO THEIR JOB absent Friggin' Computers.

As one who was involved in the early days of the use of computers to control large chemical plant to an great extent I share your sentiments - we spent a lot of time in making sure that there were adequate manual controls available so that essential valves and pumps could be run to keep the plant running and safe (but probably nowhere near as efficiently as the computer was capable of).
Also something that really concerns me is the fact that the hackers were able to (remotely) access the control network. Why the <insert adjective of choice> are these systems using "public" communications networks? Why not have their own PRIVATE network completely isolated from the public networks? <screams in despair> This one shut-down has probably cost far more in terms of lost production than each company concerned having their own fully isolated control & monitoring network.

I've Worked in dA 'Pipe Racks' of Chemical Plants; Paper Mills; Power Plants(Nuke and Coal); Ships at Sea and Port; This That
Other Types of Plants/Manufacturing Facilities and TO SEE Soft-Handed KeyBoard Pounding Sit on Their Butts All Day and Night
Thieving FreakaZoids Holding Hostage PEOPLEs Lives and Livelihoods MAKES ME VERY ANGRY.

Congrats to them fO Making FIVE MILLION Buckaroos and Staying Clean doing It. MFers.

Computers are SAWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!

Yep

CussMiesterJOkE

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/05/14/new-york-times-joe-biden-has-short-temper-outbursts-of-profanity/

JOkE Needs Mouth full of Soap, thinks He is Funny and Cute.

Yep

does "smelled funny" include a sewage treatment plant on a hot day?

Joe Biden has brought back a US presidential tradition by releasing his tax return, the White House said.

The filing shows he and his wife earned $607,336 (£430,000) last year and paid $157,414 in federal income tax.

Their income fell from 2019 when they earned $985,223 mostly from speeches, book sales and positions at higher education institutions.

Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns, the first president not to do so since the Watergate era.

Mr Trump claimed he was not able to do so as he was being audited by the Internal Revenue Service, the US government's tax-collection agency.

Ahead of the tax filing's release on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "I would expect that we will continue to release the president's tax returns, as should be expected by every president of the United States."