This is one of the photos released today by the Park Police showing the cracks in the Washington monument. Below is another picture.
Of course, one of the favorite factoids that I share with visitors is the different color of the marble of the Washington Monument showing where the construction was stopped. Construction began in 1848 and continued until 1854. When donations dried up, the construction stopped. When construction resumed years later, the quality of the stone and work was so bad, marble was later removed. When construction resumed in 1879, it was impossible to find exact matches for the marble.
Personally, I think that they should leave the scar as one more interesting record of the monument. We all have scars to brag about.
There is a crack at the very top, it’s slightly leaning to the right ?
TOPIC:
Hurricanes
FRIDAY, AUG 26, 2011 12:10 ET
WAR ROOM
Hurricane forecasting one of the many things GOP doesn’t want to spend money on
BY ALEX PAREENE
“Hurricane Irene is going to hit the United States’ east coast this weekend, as you have likely heard. It looks to be a pretty nasty storm, capable of causing billions of dollars of damage. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been carefully tracking Irene, forecasting its path up the coast and its intensity. Of course, America’s Republican-demanded White House-encouraged austerity budget includes cuts to the NOAA. Cuts that will delay — by years — the construction and launch of an extreme weather forecasting satellite. So let’s hope there aren’t any serious hurricanes in 2016, I guess?”
http://www.salon.com/news/hurricanes/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/08/26/hurricane_funding
More from the lunatic fringe:
Glenn Beck called Hurricane Irene a “blessing” on his Friday radio show, saying it would teach people to be prepared for disasters.
Ron Paul: No FEMA response necessary for Hurricane Irene.