Of Mussels And Men

So, it's starting to look like the State of Michigan required the operators of the Edenville Dam (The one that just failed in Midland in a rather horrific and spectacular fashion) to keep water levels higher than was safe due to the risk to freshwater mussels.

The state actually took the Dam operators to court on May 1, and was fining them for failing to keep the water levels high, rendering it susceptible to the collapse - long after the Feds had pulled its power operating license in 2018 due to its inability to handle flood-level waters.

Let's repeat that: The state pressured the operators to keep the lake levels high this April and sued them to make them do so this month.

Yep, the safety of the populace and an increase risk of the damn collapsing was traded in favor of preserving the population of freshwater mussels in Wixom Lake.

The Detroit News: Dangers of Edenville dam failure evaded state scrutiny

Is there any decision our current state government can't mess up?

Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned

Obama golfs as Louisiana Flooded

Heck, the only way we even know via the mainstream media outside of Louisiana that there even is a flooding disaster of immense proportions during the One's golf vacation is that Trump, unlike Obama, has actually gone to Louisiana. Obama doesn't deign to disrupt his vacation for such little things as the flooding out of thousands of homes on a scale rivaling Katrina yet receiving scarce coverage as Bush is no longer in office. Now Obama interrupting his golf vacation for a Clinton fundraiser is de rigeur, for showing any recognition that thousands have been flooded out of their homes, not so much.

If It Wasn't For Bad Luck....

I'd have no luck at all.

Today was stormy with flood advisories.

Much flooding on the roads etc, starting around 5:00 pm.

A lot of flooding is ok, but not inside your office, dammit.

It seems the landlord didn't repair the back-flow valve and sump pump system after the flood that took place last year before we moved in. We had been led to believe before signing the lease that it had been taken care of, and considering they had just redone all the carpeting and drywall in the entire basement of the building, it wouldn't make sense to just leave the problem to reoccur, right?

Apparently not.

At 6pm, with my partner and secretary already having left, and just as I was about to leave the office, I heard a gurgling sound from the direction of the bathrooms across the hallway. Then a rushing sound.

Sewer water then came pouring out of both toilets, and the sink in the sump pump room.

It started flowing out, and fast.

I called the building maintenance guy. His repsonse "Dude I'm home and already drinking, can you go in the sump pump room and attach the hose to a pump and pump it into the sink?".

So I went in and let him know the water was pouring out of the sink and there was already a good three inches on the sump pump room floor and water was pouring out the bathrooms.

"Oh" says he. A real great help he was.

The dirty water continued heading inexorably towards our office. I started looking for a kayak.

I called his manager and explained there was flooding.

He said "Well there's lots of flooding on the roads". "Yes", I said, "and that's normal in a heavy storm, but it is not supposed to be flooding inside the frickin' building!"

Needless to say we're not renewing our lease with these guys.

And while I was talking with them, the water came in, and not just through the door, but through the wall nearest the water:

The smell was terrible. Be glad they haven't invented smelli-vision folks.

My favorite shoes were casualties as I raced to unplug equipment, lift computers off the floor and save what files in file boxes I could. Those comfortable yet classy looking shoes are toast.

Everything wooden is apparently going to be a write-off due to the sewage, the fridge is probably dead, and forget about the sofa.

Thank goodness I insisted when my partner's and my practices merged that all files from the start of the merger forward are stored electronically backed up in multiple locations. The office may be toast, the practice is not.

I really didn't need this right now.