I Don't Think It Will Take Very Long

 I've been reading articles with people speculating on how long it will take to clear the collapsed bridge in Baltimore. My timeline? The channel will be open by the middle of April, and the bridge will be completed within four years. Regardless of investigations, conjecture and other distractions, speculating on long periods of time is unrealistic. Modern bridge building methods are fast, and if I had to guess, the basic design was planned years ago, someone is already bidding on the main support girders, and with all the standard designs already in place, many large contractors already have most of the bid items already loaded into a bidding software program.

Now Houston Joins the Club

 Houston is on the verge of bankruptcy. I'm not surprised. Meanwhile, many of the smaller communities outside the city are thriving. Why? Because they aren't run by Democrats and the minions of poverty that leach off productive citizens. It serves the city right. Whether the Democrats arrived at their power by illegal methods (my suspicion) or has that many ignorant voters really doesn't matter now. The city is a cesspool of failed policies and ignorance.

It's Strange How Memories Return

Years ago, after a hard day at work, my boss, and I, stopped at a watering hole to have a beer. Call it a working man's/woman's bar. Basically just a hole in the wall, with pool tables and loud music. Conversation was limited to the strength of your voice. 

I wasn't paying much attention to my boss's conversation with the woman next to him at the bar, but she was animate, loud, and regardless of what she was saying, I couldn't understand what she was saying. My boss must have been annoyed, because he stood, slapped me on the back, and yelled "I'll see you tomorrow." and left. 

Now I was trapped. She decided to have a conversation with me I couldn't really hear. I just nodded my head and made an occasional comment that seemed to be in reference. Hoping she would go away, so I could politely escape, she suddenly became loud, with spittle flying, and from what she said, she thought I asked her to go home with me. 

So, as she was stating whatever she was stating, I began to wonder what the best course of action should be. Should I apologize? Should I be angry she was so vain she would think I would ask her to go home with me? It seemed like a long time was passing, but it was only a few moments. 

I said loudly enough for her to hear: "I didn't ask you to go home with me." swallowed the last of my beer, and left, somewhat relieved, but wondering if she would follow me out to complain, or one of the other inebriated patrons would try start something. Nothing happened. I started my pickup and left. 

It was an object lesson for me. Bars are always filled with people drinking, people drinking have a tendency to be stupid, and a more cautious person avoids them. 

Baltimore Bridge Questions

 From what I can see from photos, the bridge that was hit by a container ship was more exposed than a bridge of its type should be. I don't see any large protection dolphins, which considering the danger of a ship collision, should have been placed long ago. 

I may be missing the dolphins, but even if they were there, they weren't designed for the larger ships that serviced Baltimore. Time will tell how this all works out, but it's looking to me like some negligence will surface, and will be blamed on anyone but the officials that could have made a difference, but didn't want to spend the money, or were hoping nothing would happen while they were in charge.

I probably need to clarify about what a protection dolphin is. The local large bridges have them at each corner of the main supports to act as fender to prevent a ship from striking the columns. Each consists of a circular outside wall of sheet pile driven into the channel bed, the inside filled with select fill material and the top capped with concrete. They're substantial, and any ship would be stopped before striking the bridge supports.

My Thoughts About Boeing

Boeing is having problems with their planes. According to news sources, the CEO resigned and three safety heads in reaction to this, which to me, translates into Boeing's upper management doesn't have the qualifications to build a paper airplane, much less the ability to run a company building the tremendously complicated aircraft of today. It's a sign of corporate America. Hire the people that say the right words, play the stupid games, kiss the asses of anyone that might get them a promotion and ruin a company that could excel if unmolested by the putrid, worthless, ignorant pieces of sewer flotsam that manage to float to the top,