#bridge disaster

[ralfmaximus]

There is some pretty shocking footage out there of the Baltimore bridge collapse early this morning. I've already seen some incredibly wrong, incredibly insensitive Hot Takes about how shitty the bridge was to have fallen after being bonked by a boat, etc

Please don't be that person.

The facts will come out. Speculation is silly. In addition to loss of life, the Francis Scott Key bridge was a major arterial in that region's highway system. Its loss will be felt for years, and not just to daily commuters.

Baltimore harbor is closed. No shipping at all. This will impact supply chains in ways we cannot even assess yet.

It's pretty fucked up.

[thisisabernieblog]

Another banger episode of Dangerous Ideas featuring Professor Richard Wolff discussing the failures of capitalism (the reasons why capitalism is to blame for the Baltimore bridge disaster) and the rise of China

Plus

Leaked audio of the UK admitting Israel is breaching international humanitarian law and that the US and UK are in breach by continuing to send weapons for Israel's genocide of Palestinians.

Plus

Israel's incoming censorship of Al Jazeera for reporting the Palestinian genocide accurately.

Plus

Israel's assassination of a Iranian general in Damascus.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Trapped in a vicious cycle of pining? Try gay sex! (More things to learn over at Tiger Tiger!)

[patgavin]

Today in a freak accident a container ship leaving the Port of Baltimore struck a support column for the 1.6 mile long Francis Scott Key Bridge causing enough damage to collapse most of the bridge in seconds.

The skyline of Baltimore City will never look the same again

Francis Scott Key Bridge (1977-2024)

Patapsco River, Baltimore, Maryland

[dougielombax]

Holy shit.

The whole bloody thing is in the water!

Got hit by a massive container ship.

Fucking hell.

I hope nobody was on the damn thing when it collapsed.

Look at it!

It’s GONE!

Fuck.

What’s that?

They already changed the wording on its Wikipedia page?

Jesus Christ wikipedia!

You fuckers really do work fast!

Oh my GOD!

I’m not trying to sensationalise this btw.

I just wasn’t expecting it.

I’m not anticipating such incidents like some ghastly disaster-worshipping ghoul with issues.

I just hope nobody was hurt or killed.

I also worry that the conspiracy nuts will try saying it was faked or some crap. Fuck that shit!

[53v3nfrn5]

Sunshine Skyway Bridge Accident (1980) photo: Eric Mencher

A 1976 Buick Skylark belonging to Florida resident, Richard Hornbuckle, rests where it skidded to a stop just 14 inches from the edge of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which was struck by a freighter on May 9, 1980.

[aldoodles]

This part in book 8 never fails to make me cackle

[alwaysbewoke]

[aceofwhump]

9-1-1 6x18 "Pay It Forward"

[beaft]

literally just realised that "william the gonnagle", terry pratchett's scottish bard character who defeats his enemies by reciting poetry at them, is a reference to "william mcgonagall", often hailed as the worst poet in the english language (or indeed any language). it has taken me a full two decades to understand this joke. discworld truly is the gift that never stops giving

[rednblacksalamander]

I guess this is just how we handle disasters now. Great.

[silviakundera]

today's random snippets of strangely established relationship moments in the Story of Kunning Palace novel. wherein our girl is grieving for You Fangyin.

//

But today, she didn't say or do anything, yet Xie Wei seemed to know what she was thinking.

She did want to talk to someone.

It's just that after realizing that he knew everything, she kept in silence, and it seemed that there was no need to say any more.

Jiang Xuening sat down quietly on the small wooden bench next to the stove, watched Xie Wei put the chopped diced into the ready-to-cook porridge, took a spoon to stir it slowly, and finally said: "I haven't really killed people."

Xie Wei stirred it well, and put the lid on the pot again.

He also sat down by the stove, next to her. His eyes fell on the red-hot coals, and he was extremely calm: "There is always a first time."

Jiang Xuening slowly hugged her knees, leaned down, blinked, seemed to be thinking more, and did not speak.

Xie Wei was beside her.

After waiting for a while, when the outside was completely quiet, he poured some porridge into a bowl and served it to her. The two of them didn't bother to move an extra table, they just sat by the stove and ate a half-hot bowl in this slightly cold frosty night.

Xie Wei sent her back to the house, knowing that she was not in a very good mood. He tucked her into the bed, kissed her on the lips, and said: "We won't practice the qin tomorrow morning, you can sleep late."

[... Some Time Later...]

Zhou Yinzhi gritted his teeth, stared at her, and his voice came out of his throat like dripping blood: "The girl promised! That letter! You clearly promised, as long as I am willing to help the insider, you will forget the past, forgive me."

Jiang Xuening looked at him with pity: "So you actually believed it?"

At this moment, Zhou Yinzhi's face turned ashen.

But Jiang Xuening just raised her head, looked at the city gate that had been opened wide, thinking that the world is ridiculous, and said slowly: "That's right, in the eyes of Mr. Zhou, a person like me is considered good and easy to deceive."

She thought, it's getting late, and it's better not to delay the army from entering the city.

So she stretched out her hand to the swordsman beside her.

Jianshu handed the sword to her.

She has almost never held a sword. The sharp long sword was pulled out of the sheath, as if the weight of human life was pressed on the blade, and it fell heavily on the human wrist. When the sky shone, the cold light glistened!

Zhou Yinzhi was struggling.

But there were soldiers on the left and right who came up and held him down.

Jiang Xuening was struggling to hold the sword.

Xie Wei stepped up, covered hers with his palm, helped her hold the sword tightly, only directed it towards Zhou Yinzhi's neck, and smiled softly: "I'll teach you."

[scribefindegil]

I queued that last post a few days ago but it's great timing because I started my reread of Sword today and just got to Seivarden's Most Awkward Breakfast Conversation. she is suffering so much. it's great.

Like on the one hand the way that they're constantly talking at cross-purposes--because Breq can't believe that Seivarden cares about her except as a tie to the past and the memory of a thing she no longer is (because of course she's not a *person* but she's not really a ship anymore either), and Seivarden can't ask for any kind of intimacy that falls outside the paradigm of a patron/client relationship which Breq can't provide--is extremely compelling and kind of tragic. But also Seivarden's hopeless pining that Breq is utterly oblivious to is SO funny.

[miirshroom-art]

Balduinbrücke - Koblenz

Watercolour value study with 4 colour limited palette - 11.25" x 6.25"

[dougielombax]

Of course a cargo ship can bring down a bridge!

Even an idiot would know that!

Look at it!!!

Look at the fucking size of the bastard thing!

That shit could crack a fucking minesweeper in HALF!!!!!!!! (Yes that did happen!)

How stupid do you have to be to suggest it was an inside job?!

Fucking brainlets!

[theclassymike]

Recent fan encounters with Josh Hutcherson.