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I guess I'm not communicating my point clearly. The actual data point being debated is pointless, as I do not feel the source is trustworthy.

Where there's a will there's a way... when you have a dire need. Link below, but in summary a 10 lane bridge (I-35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge) crossing the Mississippi River up in Minnesota was constructed in less than a year due to the collapse of the old bridge. Bridge construction started 10/30/07 Bridge opened 9/18/08 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-35W_Saint_Anthony_Falls_Bridge#:~:text=Minneapolis%2C Minnesota%2C U.S.&text=The I-35W Saint Anthony,collapsed on August 1%2C 2007.

Squirrel gravy and biscuits ain't half bad actually.

We’ve been there since.....oh let’s see.....January 20th.

I have reached Old Fart status for sure. I bought me a Red Ryder Adult version bb bun. 250 FPS low velocity is what I wanted to keep the squirrels off of the bird feeders without killing them. Body shots only you see. The birds love me though!! As soon as I clear out the squirrels, they come right back and start eating. Squirrels on the ground are ok, but when they run the birds off and gorge on the feeders they get busted in the butt!

Ya are seein it right ken... The joint is bolted. This bridge is fairly " new " by big bridge standards. Fabricated by Bethlehem Steel Corp in the late sixties and early seventies. They may also have erected it as well, as they did that sort of work too. This bridge is what is known as a " tied arch " design, and the fractured member is like a bowstring that keeps the arch from straightening out and falling. The connection ya see appears ta be the main one at the end of the arch. There is a complete fracture to the right of the connection. Im guessin its 12 inches to 24 inches away from the joint. Im guessin a fatigue fracture brought on by cyclic loading that started at a notch or inclusion somewhere in the plate. This is, indeed, bad because the fractured member holds the arch above it in tension. If its broken, the loads are migrating thru the bridge floor beams and the deck slab, and that aint good. Thats why they are wringing their hands and keepin traffic off the bridge. Concrete aint good in tension, and the floor beam system aint supposed ta carry this load. If the deck breaks or a floor beam turns loose, they know the arch and bridge is headed for the drink. My guess is that they dont want ta take any chances with an errant tow bumping a pier anywhere until they get this bottom chord ( ... the beam with the fracture .. ) stabilized some way. Watch for em to weld xtra coverplates or rig some big iron some way to carry these loads in the next while. I spent some time designin and doin some of this when i had to work for a livin... Believe me, the TDOT and the ARKDOT is scared ta death right now... structural engineerin leroy

I have to admit, it's been a long time since I gnawed on a tree rat.

I believe most of us have felt that way for a very long time.

One of my flaws... I'll eat a tree rat. If they're just being tree rats, I'm happy to have them around. If they're tearing things up, it's skillet time.

I think it took them about 6 years originally. Today, with requisite environmental studies and all the other regulatory hassles, it would be a miracle if they could beat their old time, even with modern advances in technology and engineering ...

With sound

Are crooks stealing your gas? Here’s a very inexpensive and readily available fix for that.

Yeah, that timeline was off to me as well. 3-5 years seems more accurate to me.

No one could build a bridge across the Mississippi in a year I assure you. I expect there will be a manufacturing flaw discovered in that one particular beam, and it will be replaced quickly.

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That additional $30k could max a 401(k) at $19.5k, an HSA at $3.6k ($7.2k for family), and have money leftover. Wonder how many who get the opportunity to take it would be thinking like that.

This thread might yet be fun ...

Squirrel dumplings was always my favorite.

I wonder what most of those people were already making. $30,000 is a lot of money for me but I bet it isn't for a lot of Microsoft and Google workers. I've been working from home since last March and I'm really dreading going back but if they offered me $30,000 I'd gladly take it.

My step daughter is! We can’t wait!

Our buildings over beside Target are probably 50% unoccupied. That’s not - “oh we’re still working from home and will be back.” It’s shops that have decided to make the shift permanent and have totally given up their space.

Most of my Nashville employees want to keep working from home. Offering them $30K to come back to the office would probably change some of their minds though. Not sure why a company would want to do that though. Our office has been closed for over a year now with no productivity declines. We are going to stay a work from home company. We are actually in the process of finding new, much smaller office space. It will just be used for occasional meetings and company get togethers. It will not be used day to day. We do not have a lot of office space and this is going to save me $250,000 per year in rent. When we started looking for new space in Brentwood we realized that there is a lot of unoccupied commercial space out there right now.

Not really comparing apples to apples. The Mississippi river is much wider at Memphis then it is in Minneapolis. The Memphis bridge is about 6.5 times the length of the Saint Anthony Falls bridge.

At least most of those go to true Americans that paid for it during their working years. You dems always go straight to those 3 items the first two that are vital to millions of elderly Americans very survival and the last that defends a freak’n NATION in the most perilous times in years with the entire world against us. Yet you and your leaders are all good with billions of foreign aid to countries that hate us Russia and china included, giving illegals free everything, disarming law abiding citizens and even the right to self defense in a most violent time in our country, yet support ANTIFA the BLM and so much more. The list is very long. Sick twisted Bull S—- that what it is. Pisses me off. I’m sure another dem moderator will delete this because it’s the freak’n truth and that don’t sit well with them.

Exactly right. When there's a genuine dire need, and no time to arrange fraudulent bids, bribes for permits, and payoffs for relevant state and municipal officials, things can progress quickly.

Wouldn't even come close. When you really look at where our money is going you realize how screwed we are. They are never going to cut SS, Medicare or Defense and that's where most of it goes.

A genuine " Blast from the past "...! I remember seeing these for sale n handling a few when I wuz in my 20s. I'm now 74... HEHEHE. A great piece of history from the once great British Empire. admirin leroy.

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Agreed. Last stat from the CDC said 94% were bogus, I believe? Or was it 96%? After being LIED TO continually by the organ known as FedGov throughout your entire life why would anyone choose to believe a narrative filled with as many holes as this one? Theres a littany of examples throughout history, past and present, completely 100% provable. I can't understand why anyone would trust anything from "the ministry of truth".

The da#n fluffy tailed rats are digging in my raised beds and have even dug up some of my green beans. That's pretty darn cool @Randall53 . I might just have to dig my pump BB/Pellet gun out and get a little long-gun practice in. BTW I reached Old Fart status some time ago LOL

Good for you keeping the tree rats away!

Joseph Stalin could have it built in three months. Of course he would first round up OSHA and code enforcement and give them all 9mm headaches.

Agree, just not sure how to fund it. Hey, what about stopping handouts to people here and stopping a large part of foreign aid and fund it that way?

I bet it will be like some of those cars I like to watch them restore on TV. It don’t look too bad, but then they start taking it apart and find it’s a nightmare.

I don't think that hog ever heard the advise of don't play dead if a black bear is mauling you. Fight back!

When you see the cubs, it’s the bears you don't see that concern me the most.

I don’t see what the issue is. The cotter pin isn’t a load bearing item. The giant bolt it’s attached to is the one bearing it. The cotter pins on either side are simply there to keep the big pin from rattling out when I drive across the New Bridge weighing 80k lbs at speeds exceeding the posted limit.

And that cool factor is why I forked out $225 dollars OTD. Seems like an old Egyptian Enfield.

Paying for it is not the issue - the current administration comes out with $2 trillion spending plans like they are chump change. The problem is that truly needed infrastructure upgrades will be smothered by green new deal type wish lists.

Can't we just reroute the Mississippi around the other side of Memphis and call it good.

Thanks for the comments guys. I think I will sit on most of this stuff for a while. I've got plenty of ammo on hand and having components will give more flexibility to future needs as I may choose to change bullet weights, powder charges or something for a particular caliber. Never really know what tomorrow may bring?

Do It! Then you can say..."I'm shooting up my kid's inheritance!" LOL!

RIO GRANDE, 1950 John Wayne and his son Patrick

I wish I hadn't said it in posts before, but I believe the bridges over the Mississippi are one of the biggest vulnerabilities.

LOL! I have a kid in Panama City right now, and I'd bet what's in my wallet they don't have a quarter tank of gas in the car. They are big and strong and several of them, so pushing it back to Tennessee might be a good life lesson.

Looks like an escape hatch for a connecting rod

if you set a day and time that's as good as your word. Be there! Unfortunately, if they don't show, there's not much you can do about it. If you both belong to the same forum, I guess you could leave negative feedback if available. But I doubt if a post calling him out would fly. Personal attacks not allowed. I've had a couple of no shows over the years. One guy actually did have something come up. He apologized later and we rescheduled. The others never replied to my messages. Never heard from them again. All I could do was be pissed. Were you buying or selling? Buyers almost always show up. But occasionally, stuff happens. Sellers sometimes get a better offer, blow off the deal already made with you and won't to tell you. To me, that's dishonest.

No change. Buy when cheap and stack it deep. That gets you through the lean times.