Minneapolis Bridge Disaster

They opened up the 10th Avenue Bridge, which runs parallel to the 35W Bridge that collapsed in August. This has the best vantage point of the collapsed bridge, and today there were hundreds of people walking on it, staring at the mangled rebar, chunks of concrete, and the long span that runs at a 75 degree angle from University Avenue down to the Mississippi. It looks like a massive skateboard park for really good skaters.

The 10th Avenue Bridge sidewalk was full of families, either on their way back from the Gophers football game (they won) or visiting the kids on the first weekend after the start of the semester. An odd destination for a family outing, but it is a compelling view. From one angle, the bridge just stops. But from the 10th Avenue side, you are about 200 feet from the structure. You can see very clearly that the bridge does not stop, but continues down into the muddy waters of the Mississippi. It's rather chilling.

And now that the 10th Avenue Bridge is open, I can get to my gig at the University libraries much more quickly.

Back to School

Here it is again. This calendar has governed my whole life, spent on the periphery of academe as it has been. OLGS started today, although he had no classes. But he did have 45 freshmen advisees. Joe High School and Joe College also started today. Joe High School has a schedule that includes two classes he's already taken before. They don't have the teachers and sections at Minneapolis South High to give him what he requested, but I will not allow him to take classes he's already taken. I can't begin to spell out how stupid that is. Joe College seems on track, although the AFSCME staff at the U of M are planning to strike on Wednesday. I've urged him to buy his books, but he hasn't. So unless they settle tonight, he (and 49,999 other students) is out of luck.

And so it goes, Academe is not a bad life, as such things go. But OLGS does not recommend it to either his students or his sons. Especially in public institutions, the urge to justify the educational activities of the place to the yahoos who provide the funding has lead to some truly nutso stuff. And the mossback legislators, all of whom benefitted from atending schools like the University of Wisconsin or the University of Minnesota, seem to feel that now that they and their children are out of college, it's OK to turn off the spiggot. Not surprising, but sad for the community, the state, and the country.