Hurricane Fails To Knock Down 112 Foot Tall Guitar

[matcom]

<snip>

Utter disbelief. That is the general consensus among the employees at Kojis & Sons Signs in Bunkie after seeing televised images showing a 112-foot-tall guitar sign they recently install at the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi, Miss., still standing amidst the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Kojis Shop Foreman Todd Ducote said Tuesday that he is unable to get any information about the condition of the sign from the Mississippi Gulf Coast area because of the widespread destruction.

"Right now, we know very, very little," Ducote said. "We've been trying to get information, but the last thing we heard was that part of the guitar was starting to go under water. Despite that, it is still standing. You can't imagine what a relief that was."

What appears to be a testament to the engineering and craftsmanship of those at Kojis, the Peavey guitar sign, engineered to withstand 180-mph winds, took a wicked beating from Katrina and still managed to stay upright.

"We can't understand it. They recorded 100-mph winds in Biloxi for seven hours. That guitar took the full brunt of that wind. How it was spared, we don't know."

As the storm pounded the Biloxi and Gulfport area, Ducote said that he and other Kojis employees "expected to see it on the ground," but those images of the aftermath showing the guitar sign still standing were encouraging to the company, which has been working hard to break into the casino-sign business.

http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005508310308

[underpants]

1. Wow the casino owners will HAVE to wait before reopening, right?

I mean to open without the big guitar would just be in horrible taste. You have to understand the circumstances around you and your role in the community. That is very important.

[matcom]

2. "testament to the engineering and craftsmanship"

no, not of the CASINO silly we are talking a GUITAR HERE! :D

[underpants]

5. I mean opening the casino NOW (without the guitar) would be irresponsible

A Hard Rock casino without a guitar opening surrounded by death and distruction WITHOUT A GUITAR???? no way.

[TheDebbieDee]

3. Yeah, if only buildings could be built to the specifications

of that useless, giant guitar!

[Demonaut]

4. Don't be too hard on Hard Rock, they're a very blue company

and I don't mean the "blues'

[Rainbowreflect]

6. I guess that's what they mean by "rock on".

[Orsino]

7. Hey, hey, my, my. Rock 'n' roll will never die.

At least not the fake, corporatized kind.

[huskerlaw]

8. Have you seen the pictures?

It's entirely surreal. The back end of the Hard Rock hotel is completely destroyed/crumbling into the water. And yet, the guitar appears entirely untouched. Though it looks like a stiff breeze would knock it down.

On edit: nevermind, I didn't click the link before I posted. :dunce: