But here is where the liberal and conservative mind differ. Operating under very little sleep the night before I was still able to realize that this was an unusual situation. My experience has been that CalTrans is generally quite good about road closure warnings, often deploying signs 100+ miles in advance, especially in the case of a full closure. Moreover, I noticed that there were a large number of truckers caught in the jam. I found this very suspicious as they almost always operate from up-to-date traffic info.

So, instead of simply bitching into the air, I sent an e-mail to CalTrans asking what was up. To be honest, I didn’t expect much (anti-govt conservative propaganda has seeped somewhat into my brain). And yet I received a personal, well-written response from a CalTrans spokeswoman within 30 minutes. Turns out that it wasn’t CalTrans but an LA County project. Due to what had happened with the jam on Sunday night (the signs that were up indicated that the closure was to be repeated the next night), CalTrans was now working with the county project and was also planning to put up their own detour information separately. I decided to follow-up the next day and, according to the spokeswomen, CalTrans noted no complaints for the subsequent night’s closure. Hmm. Government working?

And here is the kicker…

Ben was also right in noting no apparent actual construction activity on the closed section of the freeway. But I did notice, at one point, a construction vehicle driving haphazardly and even dangerously on the median toward the closure (many cars had pulled over to wait it out so this truck almost clipped a few). Seemed like the driver had somehow screwed up seriously in getting stuck in the traffic as if it wasn’t anticipated. Additionally none of the construction vehicles on site were marked with any sort of state or county symbols.

In other words, it appears an incompetent private contractor was at fault, stranding even their own workers within the mess. I find it quite possible that the contractor failed to warn CalTrans at all about their planned closure and then ineffectively placed two non-informative (only time/date not where) warning signs at points long after any detour was possible (there was only one possible detour at the most northern part of the county and the better detours for truckers would have been far into a completely different county). And really what does the private contractor care anyway if thousands of individuals and other businesses are hurt by the unexpected closure? They likely get their payments regardless.

So really this story argues the EXACT OPPOSITE of Mr. Shapiro’s position. That’s not surprising at all.

That poor wanker needs all the asparagus he can get. Too bad it’s out of season at the moment.

Or would that have cast asparagus on his manhood or something?

*ok, somebody prove me wrong.

VBennie’s picture needs to be the definition of whiney-baby fucktard.

Young Ben, there’s a place you can go
Ben Shapiro, when you’re short on your dough.
You can drive there, and I’m sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.

It’s fun to drive on the In-ter-state 5
It’s fun to drive on the In-ter-state 5.

I kinda liked “the lucky girl is 20″ and “men pissing on sofas”.

Also: the lucky girl is 20. Do with that what you will.

What do you bet that she’s Ivanka from Ukraine and she’s trying to get a green card?

Note that both the headline and the first sentence are exactly the same: “I got married last week.” As if he had a need to convince people (or perhaps himself) that this actually occurred.

Also: the lucky girl is 20. Do with that what you will.

#

somedude said,

August 25, 2008 at 5:11

“You have to keep a current address on file with the bar, even if you are inactive.”

True, but it’s not something you need to change immediately in most states (not sure about California) if there’s a change in employment status. Generally, you get some degree of a grace period before you change your address. He may still be at Goodwin Procter, but the fact that the Bar website still lists him as such isn’t necessarily proof of that one way or another.

Right, and I should have said more in my original. As long as they’re willing to hold his mail, he can use that address ’till he has another. Likely he’d have to figure something out by the time he renews in the new year.

True, but it’s not something you need to change immediately in most states (not sure about California) if there’s a change in employment status. Generally, you get some degree of a grace period before you change your address. He may still be at Goodwin Procter, but the fact that the Bar website still lists him as such isn’t necessarily proof of that one way or another.

That is all.