Cracks? Not So Much

I meant to post on this a while ago and forgot all about it. Perhaps that's because, from what I can tell, it never came up again. The PiPRess did a story earlier in the month suggesting - surprise, surprise, the stress cracks that critics excoriated MnDOT for may not have had anything to do with the I-35W bridge collapse:

...a closer look at the record throws into question the idea MnDOT could have prevented the collapse by reinforcing the Minneapolis bridge, as an outside consultant recommended. The record also casts doubt on the theory that fatigue cracks made the bridge fall.

Here's why:

-- The cracks were repaired in the 1990s. And they were never found in the main I-35W river span, which appeared to fall first on video of the collapsing bridge captured by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveillance camera.

-- The cracks were on the approach spans, which were not "fracture critical." That designation signals a risk of total collapse if one key part of the bridge fails. The fracture critical area of the bridge was in the main span.

-- A proposal to strengthen the steel beams in the bridge's main span by adding steel plates dealt with a speculative problem - potential cracks. The reinforcement also would not have guaranteed against a total collapse.

As well, the story notes that stress cracks usually give out in cold, not hot, weather. It puts me in mind of this story, shortly after the collapse.

Time will tell what brought the bridge down, but contrary to unhinged lefty opinion, it's looking less and less like it had anything to do with a lack of taxes, or Iraq.

Sad News

The first time I met Bill Juneau I was working on a story about the Chisago County SWAT team, which he was integral in starting and training. In fact, one of my few regrets over the last couple of years was that I didn't take him up on his offer to "flash-bang" me in order to better understand what suspects experience when SWAT comes through the front door.

That opportunity in now gone, along with Bill, who was killed in Iraq yesterday morning.

Bill made protecting people his life's work, and gave his own in that effort. My deepest sympathies go out to the Juneau family, who are mourning the loss of a son and sibling.

More thoughts here.

UPDATE: It turns out Bill was a blogger.

Only in Canada

A blog-worthy brawl in the wasteland to the north:

Three players each from the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder novice triple-A teams, and their respective coaches, were ejected from the Guelph Power Play Tournament on Friday after a brawl during a game.

Certainly not a rare occurrence in the nation where hockey fighting was invented, you say?

"These are eight-year-olds," said Staff Sgt. Neal Young of Guelph Police.

Parents will no doubt look back fondly at the day little Johnny learned to pull the jersey over the head.

It Gives Me Great Pleasure to Announce...

I have no idea what it cost to make "Redacted," but I can guarantee the $25,628 it made opening weekend won't even cover the coffee bill.

Ha, ha.

Beautiful Scam

The San Francisco Chronicle and the Soros funded Think Progress have found a wonderful way to censor points of view and not have to deal with the fallout.

Deleted comments show up on the commenter's computer as though they had not been. On all other computers though, the comments show up as deleted. As Investigate the Media commenter siiras put it, "what refined censorship."

No sign of censorship by trickery under Think Progress's "What we're about" tab. What a shock.

The irony here is deep and rich though, don't you agree? The same group that denounces any disagreement with its views as an attempt to silence, actively silences people. And has even found a way to avoid any criticism for it.

Buy Butterball

Caught the HBO documentary "I Am An Animal," about bizarre PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk, the other night. The best part of the show was the parade of hinged animal rights advocates blasting PETA for becoming larger than the issue.

The strangest moment was Newkirk's treatment of a turkey rescued from the Butterball plant. It got its own room at PETA headquarters, complete with couch and soft music to relax by.

I was inspired by the film though, inspired to buy Butterball, that is. Won't you too?

Happy Thanksgiving.

Oops, Our Bad

U.N. scientists caught exaggerating? The hell you say:

The United Nations' top AIDS scientists plan to acknowledge this week that they have long overestimated both the size and the course of the epidemic, which they now believe has been slowing for nearly a decade, according to U.N. documents prepared for the announcement.

Meanwhile, overestimating the size and course of global climate warming change continues unabated:

The panel portrays the Earth hurtling toward a warmer climate at a quickening pace and warns of inevitable human suffering.

Except for the northeastern U.S., which is expected to experience a coldening.

All the Evidence You'll Ever Need

Mark Steyn writes:

The silliest argument is the anecdotal one: "You only have to look outside your window to see that climate change is happening."

Tim Blair is putting that theory to the test, photographically.

Harry's Reality

Quiz: Is this six months ago Harry Reid, or today Harry Reid?

"Every place you go you hear about no progress being made in Iraq," said Senate Democratic majority leader Harry Reid.

"The government is stalemated today, as it was six months ago, as it was two years ago," Reid told reporters, warning US soldiers were caught in the middle of a civil war.

"It is not getting better, it is getting worse," he said.

If by worse, Reid means that victory is looking more and more likely every day, then yes, things are definitely getting worse...for him.

Award season again

Last night, your humble correspondent was the recipient of a 2007 ECM Newspaper Award; first place in the "best investigating reporting" category for this story on local shenanigans.

But enough about me...

Give him a long rest

The NFL's most exciting player, Adrian Peterson, suffered only a LCL sprain on Sunday, and will miss from one to three weeks.

If I was Peterson, I would ask to be benched until the Vikings have an offense. After all, why waste all that talent for nothing?

But that's just me.

Finger on the Pulse Clueless

I would by lying if I said that the drubbing anti-war films have taken at the box office didn't give me a great deal of satisfaction. In the latest disaster, a movie about Santa Claus's brother and a cartoon about a bee that has already been out a week or two slammed Lions for Lambs.

Really, who wants to pay for sanctimony when we can get so much of it for free?

Not a Lull

The ever cautious Michael Yon:

I don’t believe this is a lull. I believe this is the real thing. I believe that we’ve seen lulls before, and I’ve always been very circumspect on taking a chance and saying hey, this is the real thing. But I’ve seen a change in the mood of the people, and it’s remarkable. And I believe if we can just continue to help them progress, and we’ve got a little bit more serious fighting to do up in Ninewa Province, and then in Kirkuk and Salahaddin Province, and also out in Diayala Province, those four provinces. Other than that, I think really, it’s a matter of pouring on the juice and helping them to get this country going again. I mean, they’re just finished with the war, as long as we can help get the monkey off their back in the form of al Qaeda, which is pretty much crushed at this point.

UPDATE: Naturally, all this good news makes it extremely urgent for Democrats that the troops be pulled from the country immediately. Somebody might declare victory or something before the surrender is complete.

Zero Self-Defense

Volokh Conspiracy notes an interesting happening at the U.N.:

It's rather telling that the UN's American defenders fail to directly address an indisputable fact: U.N. Human Rights Council's subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights has endorsed a report denying the existence of a human right of self-defense...

Then again, self-defense would make it a lot harder for peace-keepers to abuse underage girls. And besides, shouldn't that "zero tolerance" policy be enough?

A Game for the Ages

What's better than watching Adrian Peterson set a new single-game rushing record?

Seeing it in person and with your daughter to boot.

12-year-old GD3 is not likely to soon forget her first Vikings game.

And to think we chose this game because, worst came to worst, we would get to see LaDainian Tomlinson have a great game.

Then again, who could have known?

That'll Get 'Em

Obama keeps working those foreign policy chops:

If elected president, Senator Barack Obama would meet with Iran's leaders and offer economic inducements and a possible promise not to seek "regime change" if Iran stopped meddling in Iraq and cooperated on terrorism and nuclear issues.

This is the much anticipated "cash for nukes" program. Incidentally, isn't promising "not to seek regime change" in exchange for cooperation the same as threatening to "seek regime change" if Iran does not cooperate?

I thought Obama was against regime change, which, of course, makes this an idle threat and certain to make Amina...Ahchmi...Iran's president quake in his shoes.

Shameless Plug

A few months ago ECM Publishers started a site called Hometown Heroes, which is dedicated to bringing readers stories of returning vets, their families, and other related news.

As it happens, the top story there now is one I wrote about a local man who was seriously wounded by mortar fire while serving in the Diyala Province, Iraq. It marks the first opportunity I've had to talk one on one with a returning veteran, and one that saw action as the first wave of the surge, no less. It's good stuff, I hope you'll stop by and check it out.