tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post5644873292335173973..comments2023-12-29T21:34:44.579-05:00Comments on Political Yen/Yang: Some Thoughts On The Minneapolis Bridge CollapseLA Sunsethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00445498119590721449noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-52801094331018173352007-08-05T16:35:00.000-04:002007-08-05T16:35:00.000-04:00Mn-Dot is dismantling the traffic signals and putt...Mn-Dot is dismantling the traffic signals and putting up jersey barriers at the intersections on the upper part of Minnesota Highway 280 today. This bottlenecked the traffic on the I-35W detour route down to one lane.<BR/><BR/>After I checked my P.O. box in at the Downtown Post Office I found a place to park, grabbed the set of binoculars that I keep in my car, and walked down to the old Stone Leslie Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10928555454437303212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-47574969497852015612007-08-04T10:29:00.000-04:002007-08-04T10:29:00.000-04:00You're welcome.There is a big box strip mall, The ...You're welcome.<BR/><BR/>There is a big box strip mall, The Quarry Center, just off of the closed section of I 35W where I do a lot of grocery shopping. The grocery store didn't appear to be effected by the closure but the parking lots in front of the other stores were very close to being empty.Leslie Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10928555454437303212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-69452626247694916582007-08-03T20:03:00.000-04:002007-08-03T20:03:00.000-04:00Les,Thanks for the updates. I am still getting a f...Les,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the updates. I am still getting a fair amount of hits on this post, mostly using the search words, "Minneapolis bridge collapse conspiracy". But hey.LA Sunsethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00445498119590721449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-7917569711217389782007-08-03T19:31:00.000-04:002007-08-03T19:31:00.000-04:00From John Weeks' I 35W Bridge site:http://www.john...From John Weeks' I 35W Bridge site:<BR/><BR/>http://www.johnweeks.com/~jweeks/bridges/pages/ms16.html<BR/><BR/><I>Governor Tim Pawlenty has ordered inspections all such deck truss bridges in the state. There are two similar bridges located in the Twin Cities area, the Highway 23 Desoto Bridge in St. Cloud and the MN-243 Bridge over the Saint Croix River in Osceola, Wisconsin. A third deck truss Leslie Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10928555454437303212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-29894124702900711422007-08-02T19:10:00.000-04:002007-08-02T19:10:00.000-04:00Which begs the question, how many other bridges in...<I>Which begs the question, how many other bridges in America were built at the same time, with similar design flaws. And then, what will be done about it?</I><BR/><BR/>A lot. The Governor mentioned three other bridges built to a similar design in Minnesota. <BR/><BR/>I forgot to mention that a basic goal in engineering is to minimize the use of materials and labor in the construction process. InLeslie Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10928555454437303212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-81936034027956528332007-08-02T17:44:00.000-04:002007-08-02T17:44:00.000-04:00it seems like the authorities assure people that i...<I>it seems like the authorities assure people that it wasn't terrorism before anyone has had a chance to really do the detective work.</I><BR/><BR/>Indeed. They made the all clear proclamation within an hour of the collapse and before the NTSB go-team had even left for the airport. Unless they know something they can't say, which is possible, it's hard to imagine they had enough concrete detailsA.C. McCloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04961702447997409190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-7845561759441587832007-08-02T14:38:00.000-04:002007-08-02T14:38:00.000-04:00LAS: gotta love the Guardian. One of the most vir...LAS: gotta love the Guardian. One of the most virulently anti-American newspapers in western Europe. So, its readers....<BR/><BR/>I went onto the Liberation site and read the comments (there were already almost 50 at 9 am EDT). There were comments blaming our system of "savage capitalism", and the Iraq War, and George Bush, etc. A few commenters tried to set the idiots straight. What will beAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-83910699459928536722007-08-02T12:43:00.000-04:002007-08-02T12:43:00.000-04:00Hi Les,//The bridge was designed and built at a ti...Hi Les,<BR/><BR/><EM>//The bridge was designed and built at a time when redundant structural components were not required. So when one piece of the bridge broke the whole structure collapsed.//</EM><BR/><BR/>Which begs the question, how many other bridges in America were built at the same time, with similar design flaws. And then, what will be done about it?LA Sunsethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00445498119590721449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-16956663846772989092007-08-02T12:42:00.000-04:002007-08-02T12:42:00.000-04:00Greg,//One prediction before I go to read the fore...Greg,<BR/><BR/><EM>//One prediction before I go to read the foreign press: they will ignore the good stories we always see in this type of disaster in America - of passers-by jumping into the water to try to save people and of victims turning their attention to other victims instead of evacuating - in favor of stories about neglected infrastructure, and of course, how Bush might be to blame. LA Sunsethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00445498119590721449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-71575136709743402542007-08-02T10:55:00.000-04:002007-08-02T10:55:00.000-04:00The bridge was designed and built at a time when r...The bridge was designed and built at a time when redundant structural components were not required. So when one piece of the bridge broke the whole structure collapsed.Leslie Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10928555454437303212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-68197045230493943032007-08-02T09:27:00.000-04:002007-08-02T09:27:00.000-04:00Damn, I wanted to be the first to blame Bush! :(Bu...Damn, I wanted to be the first to blame Bush! :(<BR/><BR/>But seriously, how does a bridge just fall down? I'm very suspicious.<BR/><BR/>I just got an email from my friend Layla who takes that bridge everyday. She wasn't on it when it fell, thank God.<BR/><BR/>One prediction before I go to read the foreign press: they will ignore the good stories we always see in this type of disaster in Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-58653803892971354722007-08-02T07:41:00.000-04:002007-08-02T07:41:00.000-04:00I really hope this isn't terrorism, but is it poss...I really hope this isn't terrorism, but is it possible that if it were terrorism that the government has decided not to tell us? The administration doesn't want to look bad, doesn't want panic, and doesn't want the terrorists to get any mileage out of their efforts. When the street blew up in New York City last week, and now with this disaster, it seems like the authorities assure people that Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10276952.post-12282033121275651702007-08-01T23:28:00.000-04:002007-08-01T23:28:00.000-04:00God is in control.We're praying with you from the ...God is in control.<BR/><BR/>We're praying with you from the International House of Prayer in KC!David Andrew Gagnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11235038686110813973noreply@blogger.com