Comments on: God Save Us Nelly Queens

God Save Us Nelly Queens

expialidocious — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 20:30:08 -0800

Now that we may be renaming the rebuilt eastern span [pdf] of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge after 19th century character (and sometime MeFi topic) Emperor Norton I, the question remains: when the time comes, what shall we name after his devoted widow? [cached last link]

By: scarabic

scarabic — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 20:50:31 -0800

Did that naming plan survive all the recent re-plannings of what bridge to build?

By: expialidocious

expialidocious — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 20:59:45 -0800

It's a separate issue. If the legislatures of Oakland and California approve the name, it could be the least contentious aspect of the whole project. As for the Widow's future memorial, Coit Tower would be the obvious cringe-inducing choice, I suppose...

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 21:11:05 -0800

The most recent development is Governor Schwarzenegger has abandoned the suspension design in favor of a simple, ugly, "freeway on stilts" viaduct. Here's the previous MeFi thread. Glad to see I'm not the only one following this long sordid saga!

By: scarabic

scarabic — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 21:55:48 -0800

Wow. I missed that post, fandango. Good stuff. I'd like to see something beautiful adorn the East Bay's gateway, but honestly, I just want an unobstructed view of my homeland as I fly into it from SF. That tall viaducts doesn't look so terrible to me. Kinda. Sorta. Not too bad. You're not suggesting they would rename Coit Tower, are you, 'docious? I don't think that will ever happen. I've heard of this Emporer of America character but it's nice to learn the real story. Good post!

By: carter

carter — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 22:20:15 -0800

[I have no comment on Californian politics - apologies - but I'm in San Francisco for the first time, and went up the Coit Tower today. I just thought that was kind of cool. Plenty of people there; it was a gorgeous day.]

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 22:44:36 -0800

Thanks. I've been following the Bay Bridge Saga ever since October 18, 1989 and I'm astonished and disgusted by the ineptitude, mismanagement, poor planning and finger-pointing that's turned our opportunity for a new landmark into an enormous political clusterfuck. I dug both the single-tower suspension span and the cable-stayed option and knowing about the opportunity that's been squandered makes my disappointment at being stuck with yet another concrete monstrosity all the more bitter.

By: damehex

damehex — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 00:08:22 -0800

You ppl are making me hella homesick. Anyone else first get to know Emp Norton through that issue of Sandman?

By: Derek

Derek — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 00:26:55 -0800

I actually met a relative of his. Nutty through and through. But he's continued the tradition and publishes his own little zine.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 06:37:33 -0800

Maybe they could name it after Norton's contemporary successor, HRM Caesar St. Augustine de Buonaparte. I've spoken to this guy, and, may I say, "woo woo!"

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 06:41:06 -0800

As seen in the Congressional Record.

By: meehawl

meehawl — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 06:53:10 -0800

first get to know Emp Norton through that issue of Sandman That was a good episode, but the eclipse happened the day after his burial, not the same day as the comic book implied. Still spooky though. With all the talk about BitTorrent and movies earlier on MeFi, nobody mentioned that another thing BT is excellent for is digging up old comics. Crazy people with too much time have scanned in the entire run of series so you can download the Sandman with a single click. I am just waiting for an XML annotation standard to emerge for these archives so you can search by character or quote on each page...

By: expialidocious

expialidocious — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 09:07:14 -0800

You're not suggesting they would rename Coit Tower, are you, 'docious? No, that'd never happen. Coit was another of our beloved eccentrics. But the Widow Norton is just as interesting a character as the Emperor, and has achieved some remarkable things as well - first openly gay candidate for office in the U.S., founder of the Imperial Court system, all that. I wonder if we'd honor her the same way?

By: expialidocious

expialidocious — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 09:45:48 -0800

Update: looks like the Emperor Norton name will not necessarily be the least contentious aspect of the project ...

By: Enron Hubbard

Enron Hubbard — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 14:57:01 -0800

I think I first heard of the Emperor in the Illuminatus Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson, the author being another character wonderfully weird enough to name a bridge after. If nothing else, read the joke about the 3 Texan surgeons on the JOKES page.

By: NortonDC

NortonDC — Tue, 21 Dec 2004 01:08:38 -0800

This is why I can't afford to get sick and miss days.