Facebook Follies of Friends and Families

[Berkut]

Link to it? That is pretty cool.

[Razgovory]

Fair enough. Lots of famous bits of Roman infrastructure have been repeatedly restored over the centuries. Though others have been looted for building materials. Still, many have had remarkable longevity.

One other reason Roman stuff often lasted so long is that the Romans used a very durable type of concrete, made with volcanic ash, that resists cracking and spreading - used for example in the dome of the Pantheon.

Was that only used for special projects? Or is volcanic ash a readily available item?

It was very available.  The Romans had cities literally drowning in volcanic ash.

[DGuller]

Fair enough. Lots of famous bits of Roman infrastructure have been repeatedly restored over the centuries. Though others have been looted for building materials. Still, many have had remarkable longevity.

One other reason Roman stuff often lasted so long is that the Romans used a very durable type of concrete, made with volcanic ash, that resists cracking and spreading - used for example in the dome of the Pantheon.

Was that only used for special projects? Or is volcanic ash a readily available item?

It was very available.  The Romans had cities literally drowning in volcanic ash.

Too soon.

[The Brain]

What would a more rational level of engineering for a Roman road look like?

To elaborate: the Romans needed all-weather roads that weren't damaged by the passage of a multi-legion army. For that you need a solid foundation, good drainage, and, given the technology of the time, a paved stone surface. The roads served a number of not unimportant secondary functions as well (civilian traffic, Roman prestige...), which the requirements of the primary function made them pretty good at. My impression is that Roman roads weren't over-engineered.

[The Larch]

From Twitter, posted ironically:

[viper37]

Did Roman chariots travel at 60+ mph and weigh multiple tons?

they had no winters where the road lasted.

[Syt]

On November 7, 1983, the Senate adjourned at 7:02 p.m. A crowded reception, held near the Senate Chamber, broke up two hours later. At 10:58 p.m., an explosion tore through the second floor of the Capitol's north wing; the adjacent halls were virtually deserted.[2]

Minutes before the blast, a caller claiming to represent the "Armed Resistance Unit" warned the Capitol switchboard that a bomb had been placed near the Chamber in retaliation for recent U.S. military involvement in Grenada[2] and Lebanon, in which the U.S. had placed Marines.[3] The "Armed Resistance Unit" also plotted to murder Henry Kissinger.[4]

The force of the device, hidden under a bench at the eastern end of the corridor outside the Chamber, blew off the door to the office of Democratic Leader Robert C. Byrd. Senator Byrd was an active supporter of involvement in Grenada, and had recently made attempts to garner support for retaliating against recent attacks against U.S. Marines stationed in Lebanon. His recent actions may have drawn attention from the terrorist group, and led to his targeting. Furthermore, the blast also punched a hole in a wall partition, sending a shower of pulverized brick, plaster, and glass into the Republican cloakroom. The explosion caused no structural damage to the Capitol. The force shattered mirrors, chandeliers, and furniture. Officials calculated damages of $250,000 (equivalent to $650,000 in 2020).[2]

A portrait of Daniel Webster which was located near the concealed bomb, received most of the force of the blast. The image of Webster's face was damaged, and canvas shards of it were strewn across the floor. Members of the Senate recovered fragments of the painting from debris-filled trash bins. A conservator worked for months to restore the painting to a semblance of the original.

The commutation of the sentence by Clinton seems to be accurate at least.

[The Brain]

40-60 year sentences for everyone involved in the January 6 attack seems reasonable to me.

[The Larch]

US history fail, there have been a bunch of domestic terrorism attacks against the Capitol before the 1983 one. Or do Puerto Rican nationalists not count as domestic?

Incidentally, it also admits that Capitol attackers from January the 6th were terrorists. 

[viper37]

Or do Puerto Rican nationalists not count as domestic?

I don't think Republicans view them as Americans.  Not fully American, at least. So, no, doesn't count.

[The Larch]

Or do Puerto Rican nationalists not count as domestic?

I don't think Republicans view them as Americans.  Not fully American, at least. So, no, doesn't count.

Well, in that case the same people responsible for the 1983 attack (Weather Underground) had already attacked the Capitol in 1971, so those should count. And there had been a previous bombing in 1915 as well.

[Syt]

So there were those attacks. Any of them involve the capitol being stormed by the riled up supporters of a candidate that refused to acknowledge the results of the election?

[The Larch]

So there were those attacks. Any of them involve the capitol being stormed by the riled up supporters of a candidate that refused to acknowledge the results of the election?

I already said that the meme implicitly accepted that the Capitol stormers were domestic terrorists. 

[Syt]

I know. I was pointing out that previous attacks seem to have been from extremist loonies without direct support from a major political party.

[grumbler]

So there were those attacks. Any of them involve the capitol being stormed by the riled up supporters of a candidate that refused to acknowledge the results of the election?

I already said that the meme implicitly accepted that the Capitol stormers were domestic terrorists. 

The Jan 6th insurrectionists were more than just domestic terrorists, though.  They were domestic terrorists whose intent was specifically to attack the constitution that the republican lawmakers had all taken a solemn oath to preserve, protect, and defend.

My Republican friend (and fellow navy vet) was pissed off that I pointed out how she could no longer vote Republican because that would violate her oath, but she really didn't have a lot to push back with.  This republican decision has really demoralized her.