[QUOTE=lissener]
IMHO, the historicity of an event is not determined simply by the body count. By that sole criterion, the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK were less than non-events. To the extent that this event is, indeed, historic, it’s to the extent that suddenly it throws the safety of all state-maintained structures into question. The other bridge collapses that come to mind all had massive external causes, like earthquakes or hurricanes.* This one simply fell out from underneath people who were using it “according to directions,” under utterly unexceptional circumstances. Suddenly every bridge in Minnesota–at least–has acquired a certain ominousness.
[/QUOTE]
And on this historic occasion the citizens of Minnesota discovered entropy!
In New York buildings collapse occasionally, and sometimes masonry falls and brains a pedestrian. It’ll be interesting when a skyscraper just up and tumbles.
In other ridiculousness, the front page of one of the local papers talked about the decay of our bridges as though it was imminent.
[QUOTE=mswas]
And on this historic occasion the citizens of Minnesota discovered entropy!
[/QUOTE]
Isn’t bridge collapse more of an enthalpic process? IIRC, rubber band shrinkage is entropy driven, and bridge collapse seems very unlike that.
Um… k, just to backtrack a second, but… um… why are we whiny assholes for asking for fellow dopers to check in?
Quite a few of us have met, on a number of occasions. Minnedoper lunches used to happen on a semi-regular basis. Heck, some of us used to have dog park get togethers at one point, too.
Yeah, so an event like this may only affect a small number of people – but this happened in a rather central, crowded part of town. It’s normal for people to wonder if the people they know are okay.
This is big for Minnesota… and we’re NICE here. We actually do give half a shit about friends and acquaintances. Ok, I’ll grant you, the dopers who aren’t from here and don’t know us from Adam? They might have been overreacting and acting like Misery Vampires.
[QUOTE=Elenfair]
Yeah, so an event like this may only affect a small number of people – but this happened in a rather central, crowded part of town. It’s normal for people to wonder if the people they know are okay.
This is big for Minnesota… and we’re NICE here. We actually do give half a shit about friends and acquaintances
[/QUOTE]
True.
My neighbor’s son left work about 5:30 and normally travels home on that bridge. He never arrived home, and no one has heard from him since then. We are forced to presume that he is one of the bodies still in the river. It has a definite chilling effect on the neighborhood.
My neighbor’s son left work about 5:30 and normally travels home on that bridge. He never arrived home, and no one has heard from him since then. We are forced to presume that he is one of the bodies still in the river. It has a definite chilling effect on the neighborhood.
[/QUOTE]
Elenfil is quite right, of course, about Minnesotans, but left out some crucial facts. Number one, its really cold. Terribly cold, bitterly cold, brass monkey balls cold. Ice spiders. Very aggressive. People should definitely not move here. Stay away. It’s really cold.
Aye, Elucidator. Cold. Very cold. They should all stay away. Plus, we live in fear, what with the constant threat from the Swede and Norwegian terrorist cells and all…
Right now, it’s terror level Lutefisk out here in Golden Valley (a few miles outside of downtown, for the non-MNers)
Ok, ok, someone has to engage in totally over the top hyperbole, so it might as well be me.
*Don’t you callous motherfuckers know anything? Forty seven million people died when that bridge collapsed. The entire rest of the state simultaneously contracted Herpes and broke out in festering boils. As a net result of this catastrophy, the nation is in peril from starvation. Entire ecosystems may collapse, leading to the extinction of all life on Earth.
How dare you pit anyone for this, you recreationally outraged fucktards! I spit on your ancestors graves and curse you to the seventh generation!*
Hey, it’s a “historical disaster” for this state, but no, it’s not some huge mind blowing death machine event that will be etched in human consciousness forever. So pay no mind to this little 3 million pop podunk burg in fly-over land while we mourn our dead and clean up the mess. I’m sure that something else will soon follow to distract you from the boredom of your ordinary lives. Who knows, maybe Paris Hilton will discover a cure for Cancer.
Sure, it’s cold, but it’s a DRY cold. Except when it’s hot. Really deep, blood-evaporatingly hot. But it’s a DRY heat.
Edited to add:
You want to know what Minnesota is like? When I posted that the first time the Google ad wasn’t for “godhatesrepublicans.com.” It was for JUICY-FUCKING-JUICE!!!
[QUOTE=Miller]
In the keeping with the law of conservation of political stupidity, (which as we all know states that an idiotic idea from one side of the political spectrum must be followed up by an equally idiotic idea from the opposite side of the political spectrum) I submit that it’s only a matter of time before conservatives start clamoring to need to invade Libya and bomb all their roads and highways, so we can fight collapsing bridges over there, and not over here.
[/QUOTE]
Hmmm…Twin Towers…Twin Cities…
You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to see the connection…
[QUOTE=Happy Wanderer]
Sorry, gov, I know you are a politician, but a bridge collapse with nine dead doesn’t exactly rate even a mention in history. Jamestown Flood? Katrina? The Tsunami? 9/11? All catastrophes of historic proportion. Your bridge? Not so much. So turn off the smarm and start figuring out how the fuck you are going to get that road open again.
[/QUOTE]
Actually, the quote was “a catastrophe of historic proportion for Minnesota.” Surely, the governor would never have temerity to compare our suffering to those of you world-weary, self-important douchebags in the coastal states.
[QUOTE=Silver Fire]
A woman who happened to post here and work in the WTC at the same time in late 2001 was declared “dead” within an hour or so of the attacks because she failed to check in. People were "weep :("ing and planning memorial threads. Stupid. She was totally fine, btw.
[/QUOTE]
Maybe your memory is a lot better than mine, but I don’t recall that she was declared dead, nor that anyone was planning a memorial, simply that people were worried about her. She was someone quite a few of us had met and considered a friend, plus she actually worked in one of the buildings that was hit. How on earth was it unreasonable for people to be concerned?
[QUOTE=Geobabe]
Doesn’t make all concern stupid.
[/QUOTE]
I know. I was speaking to the hysterics, which is why I used her situation as an example rather than any of the many other people who live in and around that area of NYC, all of whom had their fair share of Doper Concern that day. I’m pretty sure hers was the only one that was taken so far, though.
That situation was so different from this one that I’m not even sure I should have used it. Oh well. I don’t think concern for the Minnesota dopers is unwarranted. Hell, I’m all emotional (yeah, seriously) about the Tastee guy¹ and I don’t know him any more (and, in some cases, even less²) than anybody here knows anybody else. But when you’re using all caps to ask to be notified the SECOND somebody gets in touch with their brother (neither of whom you actually know, btw), it’s a little ridiculous. Especially when that post comes a few posts after the post that says “Hey, my brother’s totally fine.” which came just a couple posts after the “Don’t know where my brother is…” post. I’m sure there are similar examples, but I stopped reading at that point.
Concern, yes. Histrionics, no.
¹ Tasteeguy. I can’t find a good angle on the barely there cab, but it’s pretty bad.
[QUOTE=Silver Fire]
Hell, I’m all emotional (yeah, seriously) about the Tastee guy¹ and I don’t know him any more (and, in some cases, even less²) than anybody here knows anybody else.
¹ Tasteeguy. I can’t find a good angle on the barely there cab, but it’s pretty bad.
[/QUOTE]
Well, you needn’t worry about him (Paul Eickstadt ). He was long dead when that picture was taken. He was either killed immediately in the crash when the bridge went down, or was injured and died from smoke inhalation soon after.
That picture is taken very late; the engine started on fire in that cab and burned for hours, but it is out in that picture.
I can’t find a good angle on the barely there cab, but it’s pretty bad.
