Badly Corroded Steel

A New York high rise under remodeling is collapsing. From one of the photos, the corrosion is apparent, and too much of the steel is gone to hold the weight of the stories above. If the rest of the building is in such bad shape, demolition is probably the only solution, and I don't have any idea on how that can be done without damaging the surrounding buildings. In my opinion, it's too dangerous to attempt any work inside, and I wouldn't want to deal with the lawsuits soon to appear. I know I wouldn't even want to expose some of the steel at ground level to see its condition.

This article give some more information. The contractor has multiple violations, and the work involved adding additional stories to the building. 

What gets my attention is the engineering involved. How can additional floors be added without careful examination of the existing structure? Regardless of engineering calculations for structural adequacy, if the original plans were used, they're basically useless. Structural steel design calculation are dependent on the sectional amount of steel, and the tensile strength. Corroded steel can't be calculated without a clear understanding of how much steel is gone, and whether the original shape used for calculations still applies. Considering what some of the pictures reveal, I can't imagine a competent engineer being willing to stamp the plans when a little examination would have revealed the degradation of the original structure. If I had to guess, some money was passed under the table, and a city employee is now in a world of shit.

Hyping the Weather

Weather forecasters (mostly TV personalities) are hyping the weather. It's hot, and the humidity is high, but I've seen much worse, worked in it, and the hype is making my patience wear thin. It's the weather, any changes in climate are gradual - if any - and the constant drivel about anthropogenic climate change is becoming something that makes me want to throw a shoe at the television. Enough already. All the predictions have been wrong, and the hype is ridiculous.  

Wear and Tear

I spent the other day mowing, some weed-whacking, and nothing much else. None of it was strenuous, but I was getting some sharp occasional pains around my belt-line. I've had a small hernia for a few years, and it never bothered me, until then. Since it was Thursday, and my doctor is off on Friday, I called for an appointment. They fit me in, and  gave me one at 10:30 am with a nurse practitioner, so off I went. 

I'll be scheduled for a CT scan, and a visit to a surgeon. While the hernia isn't bothering me today, if it should become worse, I'm on the path to what is now just a day surgery. I'm pushing 70 years old, and the longer I wait, the chances of complications increase. It will put me semi-out of condition for about 6 weeks, but after that, I should be running on 8 cylinders again. 

I'm guessing my years of hard labor work, such as lifting heavy concrete forms, bags of cement products, concrete finishing, and other things that lead to hernias has finally caught up with me. It's wear, and tear, and time to get it fixed. 

Thoughts on 6/23/2026

Tech stocks are not doing well. It's the typical stock market game. Buy low, sell high, and hope you didn't wait too late for either. It doesn't matter if the money keeps jobs, or helps a company to continue offering a needed service, or good. That's not important, and the shifting of capital sloshes like the bilges of a ship in a storm. 

Foreign visitors are having their preconceptions of the U.S. changed. They find most people are friendly, the food is good, there is prosperity to be seen, and regardless of the media, the majority of U.S. citizens don't eat their young. 

Congress is in the process of committee examinations of affordability for citizens. Like all committees, the donuts will be fresh, the coffee good, and the freedom to waste hours without repercussions relished like a cool rain on a hot day. Of course, they'll ignore the real solution has been available for decades, but they would have to close the nation's wallet and stop wasting money on credit.

The reflecting pool is still offering hours of reflection of its importance in the grand scheme of things. A report will be available on most news channels. Nothing new, but it's really nothing in the first place.

Judges are still ignoring their duties, attorneys are still cluttering up the courts, and you can find relief from both by calling the number on the commercial. They'll help you as along as there is some money to be made. Otherwise, don't waste your time. They don't care for you, and tee-off is at 10:00 am.

The number of medications with acronym descriptions is almost mind-boggling. Whether you have PMS, ALS, GERD, IBS, or any other affliction, ask your doctor if it's right for you. Watch out for allergic reactions, liver damage, kidney damage, an increase in strokes, early dementia, rare cancers, or a infection between your anus and genitals that can be deadly.

Reflecting Pool Thoughts

Apparently, the large reflecting pool in the capitol was probably a mistake from the beginning. From what I've read, it's leaked from the beginning, when it was completed  in the 20's. It's been through a few renovations, and all (from what I know about concrete retaining structures) were more of trying to make chicken salad from chicken shit. 

Concrete leaks, and any attempts to refurbish concrete that has been saturated for a long time is a process that can't be accomplished in a short period of time. With a constant infiltration by ground water, the process is even more onerous. Considering the size of the pool, the cost of lasting repairs, and the constant filtration required to keep it clear, from the beginning, it was a blunder, along with a huge waste of tax dollars. To make things worse, regardless of what happens between those that hate Trump, and the Trump Administration, it will continue to be a blunder. Even if it was filled in, and grass planted, it would still be a costly piece of real estate requiring costly maintenance.

I don't know why this pissing contest has struck a nerve with me. Maybe it's the fact the national debt is something more than a small worry, and pissing off money on egos is something that doesn't make sense to me.