I wondered if they had updated the MN historical society page for August 2nd they way the bridge page on Wikipedia had been, almost instantly after the collapse (it hadn't, but there's no public access to that, so...).

It doesn't feel like National Watermelon Day; can't say I feel much like celebrating, even with a wedge of my favorite fruit. I don't suppose the collapse will be much of a topic of conversation tomorrow at work like it was today; dwelling on tragedy is wearing. For some reason, though, I feel like I can't let go of it yet. Maybe I'm just looking to understand it, the seeming randomness of those people, on that bridge, on that day and time. You think you can see the path of your life in front of you and, in seconds, it has been forever altered. I hope that they find some kind of meaning that will bring them peace.

From one bridge-sensitive area (CA Bay Area) to another: I'm so sorry this happened, and the lives lost. I'm also sorry for all the children that have to have explained to them the fact that a bridge collapsed while people were driving over it.

PS: Bridge engineers - those guys with the slide rules - have never ceased to earn my complete adoration.

On Wednesday you wrote about the lite rail,"prefer not to end their life screaming as the bridge gives way and thunders into the roiling Mississippi. "
Then, after the collapse, you edited it to this, "The bridge can't handle the weight."
Why?
What was the sense of it? What is the sense of blogging if you edit later so as not to hurt feelings?
It is exactly this patronizing, elitist attitude which is why the MSM, especially daily newspapers, are dying.
People are sick of being treated like children, sick of having their intelligence insulted.
What do you think you achieved by the edit?
I read your blog because it honest, unlike the MSM. Why should I bother to read it when you act like the MSM?

I live in Arkansas, and about 5 years ago a bridge collapsed in Webber's Falls, OK early one Saturday morning. A barge hit a support and the bridge fell. From reports I heard, not many people could stop in time and 14 people died either by impact or drowning. Our TV station (KHOG) is carrying a LOT of coverage from MPLS with some memories of our own disaster. We all feel for the victims and their families down here.

I have a last edition of the old Washington Star, which was the evening paper in DC. The Washington Post extra that came out the afternoon of Sept 11 2001, and the editions of Sept 12 and 13.

I bought extra copies of all those and FedExed them to my Dad, in Utah, on that Thursday. He was backpacking in the Sierras and had no idea, until he got home Sunday, what was happening.

This might be a good time to bring up the story (and movie) "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" which I remember reading in high school English, many years ago...

The thing I feared about Wednesday night, and mentioned here, has happened. One of my coworkers is missing. (And no, I'm not giving any more details than that. I haven't seen his name mentioned, and it's certainly not my place to give it out.) I didn't work directly with him, but semi-directly--through emails and phone calls. I'm sure those who worked closely with him are feeling it so much more...not to mention his family. Any prayers for his family and colleagues would, I'm sure, be welcome.

It's kind of strange, really. Most people, when things like this happen, seem to start out numb and feel it later. For me, it hit hard immediately, and is slowly numbing down. I couldn't watch or read any news about it yesterday, but I can now. Though I'm sure the pain will return at times.

Like Lileks, I live in the MSP flight path & the sound of a 747 on approach doesn't even register anymore. I thought I was completely immune.

But the sound of the helicopters is a constant reminder of the tragedy. Normal will start creeping in when the thump-thump-thump of the news copters goes away.

I noticed that change too on Wednesday evening. Some people might have thought the original to be in bad taste after the tragedy. But it's not like James is editing to cover up a factual error on his part. I guess it's just decorum. Your outrage here is a little ridiculous.

> People are sick of being treated like children, sick of having their intelligence insulted. What do you think you achieved by the edit? I read your blog because it honest, unlike the MSM. Why should I bother to read it when you act like the MSM?

i finally got in touch with the relatives and friends in minnesota yesterday to make sure all were well -- though the centre is closer to duluth, they do tend to go to twins games, the nieces and nephews do things like enroll in the U, etc.

then this morning on the way in to work, i remembered the iron ring ceremony.

my husband works at the university of waterloo. it's a big math school, a big computer school, a big engineering school. every spring, at graduation time, canadian engineering students have a day-long ceremony culminating in the "Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer" during which they receive their iron rings.

their degrees and professional examinations certify they are qualified to practice as engineers -- but the iron rings they wear on their pinkie fingers of their working hands remind them that they have the obligation as engineers to work ethically, the responsibility of always remembering the PEOPLE their structures are designed for.

the legend is that the iron rings are made from the steel of a bridge that collapsed in Quebec in 1907, killing 75 construction workers, and the rings are a daily reminder of the gravity of the engineers' job.

while engineering students seem to have a reputation for being pretty rowdy, they take their iron rings up here very seriously.

we all read about and watched the coverage of the 35W bridge with lumps in our throats these past few days.

i guarantee that the engineers watching that coverage -- and especially any minnesota engineers, and any mndot engineers -- had the largest lumps of all, and i believe any glib suggestion to the contrary is misplaced.

links to the iron ring ceremony:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Ring
www.ironring.ca

apparently, there has been a similar "order of the engineer" in the states since the 1970s
www.order-of-the-engineer.org/

Why did I edit the line? Because a lot of people had just died on a bridge that fell into the Mississippi, and that made a joke about people screaming on a bridge that fell into the Mississippi seem like bad taste.

I don’t edit stuff later unless there’s a gross glaring error or bad speling, but this was one of those cases in which I really, really didn’t want that line hanging out there while this event unfolded. It made me wince.

This post linked below was written by an engineering mechanics professor (and fan of lileks.com) who did her PhD work at Minnesota (walked over and past that bridge hundreds of times), and now lives in England. It explains the different issues and causes of these kinds of failure in laymen's language with examples, instead of math jargon:

http://notfromaroundhere.wordpress.com/2007/08/03/minneapolis-bridge-collapse-engineering-aspects/

Relax, Terry. Maybe he did those edits for himself, and not to "patronize" the great unwashed. Perhaps it would be helpful it we did not instantly assume that our interpretations of actions or events are universallly correct: they have a great deal more to say about ourselves than they do about the action or event.

Good Lord. Here's an edit! Of my own stuff. Pays not to post at work, where one is sometimes distracted by actual work.

Tomorrow (Sat, Aug 4) is National Mustard Day.

I didn't know about National Watermelon Day until late, so I missed it. I have no watermelon at home and not in the mood to get any. However, have plenty of mustards for tomorrow.