August 2: Infrastructure, Emile Zola and more

*Time to look at infrastructure
If the steam pipe accident in New York a few weeks ago didn't bring the message over, then yesterday's disaster on a bridge in Minneapolis should have: The infrastructure in this country and its maintenance need proper review.
The death and injury totals are still being added up from the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, which spanned the Mississippi River. Two years ago, a federal (study) rated the bridge as "structurally deficient" and possibly in need of repair. The bridge is 40 years old.
The American Society of Civil Engineers actually says fewer bridges are structurally deficient compared to 15 years ago, but they do have to be repaired, rebuilt, etc. and there's a heavy price tag (Thanks to Al Tomkins at the Poynter Institute, whose Morning Meeting column had this link):

http://www.asce.org/pressroom/news/policy_details.cfm?hdlid=132

The Christian Science Monitor has a comprehensive article on the problems with this country's infrastructure:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0803/p01s05-usgn.htm

*Looking back at Zola
The film "The Life of Emile Zola," made in 1937 and starring Paul Muni, has an account, albeit fictionalized, of Zola's writing about the innocence, eventually proved, of French Capt. Alfred Dreyfus in committing treason. The film is available on DVD. Watch it, and compare the backside covering of the French military bigwigs to what's going on now with the Bush Administration, and the similar clamming up of its members. The truth has a way of getting out, though....

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*No more aliens
On a slightly different wavelength:
The Weekly World News, the only tabloid I’ve ever read beyond the cover, will cease publication in coming weeks. In fact, the only time I ever bought a tabloid was when the WWN published its list of 12 senators who were space aliens. They included John McCain, Alan Simpson, John Glenn (Is that why he went into space twice?) and Jay Rockefeller, who was trying to spearhead health care reform in Congress at the time and said he came from a planet with universal health care.
WWN’s parent company, American Media, is folding the tabloid to focus on its moneymaking (groan) celebrity (double groan) tabloids. For the time being, its Web site will continue. Guess someone online will have to make up the space alien/politician deficiency.

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*Hawaii 5-No-no
Never make a promise you won't keep.
After CBS/Paramount made a promise to release all of Season 2 of Hawaii Five-O on DVD, they released it with one episode missing and a note on the back of the DVD about some programs being edited.
The episode that's missing is called "Bored, She Hung Herself." It has never been repeated by CBS or in syndication since its initial 1970 showing because a woman tried a supposed yoga hanging technique shown in the episode and died.
It's OK to change your mind. But CBS owes consumers an explanation as to who did and why. They should also talk about what else is missing. Viewers aren't dumb.

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Finally
Evander Holyfield, who's already done the retire-and-back thing, wants to box again. There's no fool like one with boxing gloves.....