Wednesday, August 31, 2005

A tree stronger than a bridge?

As I watch the footage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, it blows me away (sorry, only saw that after I'd written this...) that in the scenes of devastation, trees stand amongst the wreckage, while concrete bridges lie in pieces.

The power of nature vs. the pride of man. Humbling stuff.


Trees stand amidst the destruction
Photo: ABC News

A highway leading to New Orleans lies in pieces
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7 comments:

  1. ChittyChittyBangBang!4:35 PM

    My guess is there'll be no gumbo for supper tonight.
    Pass me the tree salad will you, Katrina?

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  2. andrea10:50 PM

    Just thanking my lucky stars right now that I live in a place where the only threat is a long-overdue major earthquake... Doh!

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  3. It is the question11:30 PM

    CCBT: Gumbo, why yes! Isn't that a sausage floating by in the stew outside?

    Andrea: Luckily I'm in safe old Johannesburg!

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  4. kyknoord12:19 PM

    It’s a bit like asking “Is a paper plate stronger than a porcelain one?” It depends what you do to them. If you hit a paper plate with a hammer, it won’t break, while a ceramic plate will shatter. On the other hand, you can tear a paper plate in half without too much effort, but it’s not so easy to do that with Mum’s best china.

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  5. It is the question4:26 PM

    KN: Civil engineer, right? No need to feel defensive...

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  6. kyknoord10:00 AM

    [muttering. Defensive? I'll give you defensive!!! Just hold on while I calibrate this rail gun... ] Seriously though, I just wanted to point out that interaction with Nature is always a bit like a game of rock-paper-scissors. There's never a catch-all solution.

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  7. It is the question10:32 AM

    KN: Ha, ha ,ha!

    Likewise, my headline was less about their relative strengths and more about the amazing power of nature.

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