sobo

Yeah, he looks a lot happier here, though, for obvious reasons...

My 5 year old son just learned from the dentist that he'll be getting his two front permanent teeth in the next coupla months. Now I know why he screamed so bad whenever I tried to brush his teeth for him...

While working towards a degree in higher learning (yeah, right...) at VA Tech years ago, I was a member of VA Tech Cave Club (it's how I initially got into climbing). The VTCC had a "special committee" that was charged with determining which readily available concoctions were viable replacements for alcohol. Why, you ask, is this important? At the time (early 1980s), the Commonwealth of Virgina had decided that all alcohol sales would cease each night at midnight, and there were to be NO alcohol sales at all on Sundays. Being that we were VTCC members, and as such, none too keen on time-keeping, we necessarily needed to investigate "alternate sources" of libation in the event we didn't make it to the refueling depot before the stroke of twelve. Thus, the "special committee" known as the Drinking Techniques Committee, or DTC, was born. Some of the things we learned (and drank) that made "adequate" substitutes... Ny-Quil Listerine, Scope, etc. Any cough syrup containing trace amounts of alcohol Real vanilla extract I forget most of the others (most likely a long-term end result of my membership in VTCC), and many of the above no longer include alcohol in their make-up.

This, from the literature packaged with my avy beacon: "WARNING: Wearing this avalanche beacon will not prevent avalanches." Sumbuddy gimme a fucking break!

AlpineDave's piece on ice climbing gearmongery is worthy, too. Check it out!

Carpe' sodium.

It's still there. And it's still light out. Go for it!

Sheeeee-it, I knew that Noah bastard was a lying sack o' shit.

yes, it is.

I could hardly agree more. The thing that made the TN Bridge "go" is that it's being repaid with a $3.00 toll. I'd pay $3 to cross that bridge any day, and consider it money well-spent, not to mention a thrill. Fact is, most people shriek at the mention of "toll" when they're so used to driving for free. The National Defense Highway System (your interstate freeways) were both a blessing *and* a curse. So much mobility, but now the traveling public is spoiled by freeways.

YAAAAAAAY! Jeff's back!

Oh, I've been lurkin' around here. Changed jobs three months ago and had to "lay low" for awhile. I've been watching you, though, little lady...

Snopes.com doesn't have anything on it yet, either.

Well, FW, you need to scroll down another two posts from that one. Fact is, he made his point. The bucks need to make it to where the rubber meets the road. Bad pun, I know, but it fits.

What part of "...find its way into our roads and bridges..." didn't you understand? In other news, this from the ASCE today: August 3, 2007 Dear ASCE Member: On behalf of our 140,000 members, ASCE extends its deepest condolences to the victims, the injured, their families and all others affected by the catastrophic bridge collapse in Minneapolis on August 1st. The I-35W bridge's main 458-foot span collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, sending dozens of vehicles and tons of concrete and twisted metal into the waters of the Mississippi River 64 feet below. In recent weeks, addressing the state of the nation's infrastructure has come into the forefront of national media. ASCE continues to work closely with the media and our elected leaders to provide authoritative information and technical expertise on our nation's infrastructure crisis. Although the cause of the collapse is unknown at this time, the bridge failure appears to be another tragic example of this crisis. ASCE periodically assesses the state of our nation's infrastructure, most recently through the 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. Our Infrastructure Action Plan spells out short term steps the U.S. Congress should take to improve our infrastructure. Together, we need to advocate for public policy action to make our country's infrastructure safer and sustainable for future generations. ASCE estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed over a five-year period to bring the nation's infrastructure to a good condition. Funds must be invested and significant steps must be made on the national level, as well as in state legislatures and local communities, to improve our nation's failing infrastructure. ASCE is working closely with Congress to advance the National Infrastructure Improvement Act, S. 775, which was approved this week by the Senate but still must be passed by the House. This bill would establish a National Commission on Infrastructure to study deficiencies and make improvements to maximize economic growth in the United States. Under the measure, the commission would analyze the present condition of various infrastructure systems and report to Congress by 2009 on the capacity of our infrastructure to support the national economy, the age of the systems and possible methods to finance improvements. ASCE will continually provide updated information related to the Minneapolis bridge collapse at our Web site, asce.org. We urge you to stay abreast of new developments by visiting this Web page. Also visit the infrastructure blog where our members can share information and communicate with one another on new developments and related issues. You will receive a special e-newsletter devoted to infrastructure. ASCE members should remember it is their duty to communicate these needs to their elected officials. ASCE has many resources available, including the "Six Clicks" (or less) advocacy Web site and lobbying packets on the Infrastructure Action Plan to share with your elected leaders. This week's events are a sobering reminder that we all depend on the nation's infrastructure every day. ASCE is committed to mobilizing the expertise within our membership and continuing our efforts to do everything possible to build support for actions to address our infrastructure crisis. We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life that has occurred and we continue to extend our heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by this horrific event. W.F. Marcuson III, Ph.D., P.E., Hon. M.ASCE President Patrick J. Natale, P.E., CAE, F.ASCE Executive Director empahasis added by sobo

OK, now that's humorous.

Good one, Toad!

I thought it looked more like a feather duster. The clerk wanted Chuck Norris guy to spruce the punk up a bit before he called the cops.

Hey M! Glad you found Rocket. I'm not gonna lecture you about the microchip and all that, cuz you've heard it enough. But I would suggest that you invest in a Geiger Counter for the next time either one of them escapes. Might make locating them a tad easier... Or just look for them at night, and hope they don't go AWOL on a full moon. When Phydeaux gets mad at me, he just takes a shit on the rug by the front door. If I'm gone for more than a coupla days, I can count on finding his little treasures when I walk in. It's his way of saying, "I love you."

I can agree to every bit of that. Good speculation!!

OK, guys, let's tone it down or move it to another thread in Spray. After all, this is officially the Bridge Collapse Speculation Thread now. Crux- As Rudy already stated, many bridges in this country carry that rating; it's not that uncommon, and people drive over them each and every day. I was working on replacing one of them (albeit a very small one - not like Rudy's Tacoma Narrows or anything like that, cuz I'm not a SE) before I took this new job. People in that town are still griping over the fact that they will have to detour five miles to get to town from their current commute, yet they're demanding that the bridge be replaced. AND they don't want to pay for a temp bridge to eliminate the detour! So there ya go... no one wants to pay for a goddamn thing, but they're ready to pull the blame trigger as soon as the shit hits the fan.

Women (or mothers, at least) must be born knowing that. My wife said the same thing two years ago when we brought Elaina home. And it's all true! :tup:

Dissapointed, hell! She was mad as all get-out at you because you didn't close the damn door! You left the with an escape route. Crazy Mommy...

Wonderful news! Hope Holly and Mom are doing OK. Oh, and you, too!

First, let me say that I'm glad that you're OK, Carolyn, and that as of now, you aren't personally connected to anyone in this tradegy. I sincerely hope that fact doesn't change with the passage of time. Secondly, excessive (ambient) heat would have no effect in relation to what Rudy is talking about (the structural detailing: notches, welds, etc.) in this example. I agree with Rudy and also suspect that stress-corrosion cracking will likely emerge as the reason for this failure (is this the Bridge Collapse Speculation Thread??), and as he stated, takes time to manifest itself, and is not apparent when a structure is new. Some engineering students on this site might remember (from their Catastrophic Failures class) the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River between Ohio and West Virginia that collapsed 40 years ago. Stress-corrosion cracking in the link pin connectors of this suspension-style bridge was the ultimate culprit that killed 46 people. Given what I have seen on the videos and the type of superstructure construction, we might very well see this emerge as the culprit once again. My sentiments exactly. For all of you folks who vote down transportation tax packages, take notice. It's not just potholes that need fixin'...