Monday, July 23, 2012

Blowing things up

Photo from wwltv
What is it about blowing things up that intrigues us so much?

Yesterday in New Orleans, the former Grand Palace Hotel was imploded.  The local media there has given the event considerable coverage before, during, and after the event, complete with pictures, videos (from multiple vantage points no less), and interviews of those gathered to witness the implosion.  Heck, even the mayor said "it was cool".

People were really giddy.  Having spent most of my life in the New Orleans metro area, I would be inclined to think that the hoopla was specific to the area, but I've witnessed similar coverage and reaction to implosions in the past 7 years in North Texas.  In fact, people seem to like implosions so much, the DFW media covers the ones in other states as well.  (Yes, I did see some coverage of the Grand Palace implosion last night.)

Just a small taste of some of the coverage:

http://www.wwltv.com/home/Implosion-of-Grand-Palace-Hotel-sign-of-progress-for-city-say-officials-163347266.html

http://www.wwltv.com/video/featured-videos/Hotel-implosion-from-4-different-angles-163341516.html

http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/orleans/Crowds-gathered-and-found-163389946.html


3 comments:

  1. Hey George, they're going to implode the Greenfield Bridge here in a few years. If you saw it, you'd laugh, and then step on the gas to drive under it a little faster. After chunks of concrete started falling off of it onto the Parkway below, they constructed this structure under it to catch the debris. The bridge is already covered with netting but stuff still got through. It's ridiculous. Here's the link.
    http://www.essentialpublicradio.org/story/2011-10-27/greenfield-bridge-may-come-down-2014-8933

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  2. And yes, I want to go see the implosion, kid said she'd go with me lol I have seen people here refer to the bridge as wearing a "diaper" ... just another crazy thing here :)

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  3. awesome. but is it going to make it to 2014?

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