After the Minneapolis I-35W bridge fell last week, immediately some conspiracy theorists started making noises of “terrorism” and “al Qaeda.” My very first impression: a structural issue.

This article would tend to confirm that conclusion:

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 8 — Investigators have found what may be a design flaw in the bridge that collapsed here a week ago, in the steel parts that connect girders, raising safety concerns for other bridges around the country, federal officials said today.

The Federal Highway Administration swiftly responded by urging all states to take extra care with how much weight they place on bridges when sending construction crews to work on bridges. Crews were doing work on the deck of the Interstate 35W bridge when it gave way, hurling rush-hour traffic into the Mississippi River and killing at least five people.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation is months from completion, and officials in Washington said they were still working to confirm the design flaw in the so-called gusset plates and what, if any, role it had in the collapse.

Still, in making public their suspicion about a flaw, the investigators were signaling they consider it a potentially crucial discovery and also a safety concern for other bridges around the country. Gusset plates are used in the construction of many bridges, not just those with a similar design to the one here.

“Given the questions being raised by the N.T.S.B., it is vital that states remain mindful of the extra weight construction projects place on bridges,” Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said in a statement issued late today.

One civil engineer called in to a nation talk show I heard, and indicated he believed the problem was twofold: the requirements of construction yielded the closure of one entire set of directional lanes. All traffic, therefore, was shunted to the only remaining set of lanes open. This apparently placed twice the weight on one sole span of the bridge. This, along with the potential disturbance or vibration created by the construction itself, may have been a contributing factor to the collapse.

Certain personnel have attempted to lay the blame for this incident squarely at the foot of the Bush Administration. In my opinion, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The true culprits are the bridge inspectors coupled with the frequency and/or depth (or lack thereof) of inspection.

Here in Fornicalia, suddenly bridge inspection is a massive priority.

That tells me all I need to know about the focus and priority my state has placed on the issue.

Everything.

So, this is where we are now as a society: it is now acceptable to embrace reverse discrimination, particularly if the subjects of same are white males. Of course; it simply follows.

From the WorldNetDaily:

Four firefighters are suing the city of San Diego for being forced by their superiors to attend the annual “Gay Pride” parade where they endured a barrage of sexual taunts and lewd gestures.

San Diego’s fire chief, Tracy Jarman, is an open lesbian who called the July 21 parade a “fun event” in which “all employees are encouraged to participate.”

But the firefighters said, unlike previous years, they were ordered into uniform to participate in the parade in their fire truck, despite repeated protests.

My, anyone sense anything of a reverse agenda here, perchance? But wait, it gets better:

You could not even look at the crowd without getting some type of sexual gesture,” one said, adding, “If any crew member were to hang up pictures at the station of what we saw, we would be disciplined.”

Over the course of three hours, they heard statements such as, “show me your hose,” “you can put out my fire,” “you’re making me hot,” “give me mouth-to-mouth,” “you look hungry, why don’t you have a twinkie (from a man wearing a “Girth and Mirth” t-shirt),” and “blow my hose.”

When they refused to respond to the crowd, some in the crowd turned hostile and started shouting, “F— you firemen” and others began “flipping them off.”

But, naturally, as we all know, those who reach positions of power OTHER than white males cannot even be featured as having the capability or the inclination to misuse their power because, inherently, they are much better than that aforementioned class.

Aren’t they? I mean, like the Demorats, they wouldn’t misuse their power and authority, would they? After all, that’s precisely the source of their complaints, is it not?

Prices at the pump:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy is in a “danger zone” because of near record-high crude oil prices and the world’s producers must boost supply to prevent shortages, U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said Thursday.

Sustained U.S. crude oil prices near the $80 level could harm the U.S. economy, and both OPEC and non-OPEC producers should “look at what the facts are,” Bodman told reporters.

“We’re in a … danger zone right now, so that’s why I hope that both OPEC and non-OPEC nations will look carefully at the facts,” Bodman told reporters.

“I am concerned that where we are operating, in the ranges that we’re talking about now where you are approaching $80,” Bodman said.

Some have indicated that oil will reach $100 per barrel by the end of this season. See my post about this possibility. In the meantime, gas around here is the cheapest it’s been in months: $2.77.