this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2026
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Several months before blue strips started floating to the surface of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a company involved in its last renovation more than 15 years ago was approached with an opportunity to do this remodel as well. But the company said no.

Specifically, it balked at two requirements – the Trump administration wanted it done by July 4, and the pool bottom had to be blue, according to two employees with the New Jersey-based Sika Corporation, which provided the concrete construction and sealing products for a 2010 renovation project to the Reflecting Pool.

According to the two employees, who spoke to CNN on the condition they not be identified, both demands made the job “unfeasible.”

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[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 120 points 6 days ago (4 children)

the time delay made it unfeasible because to paint something - even if it's polyurethane based or epoxy based- you have to dry it out first. otherwise the moisture does bad things. (aka, causes it to not adhere properly.)(aka causes it to flake off.)

It's rather like painting over wet drywall mud.

The "it must be blue" because blue absorbs more light than white- and that caused the massive algae bloom.

But Trump is a moron who can't comprehend just how fucking stupid he is, or that he's not the smartest person in the room; so of course he gave it to his buddy who was happy to do it for a "small" bonus, even though that guy is at least as stupid as Trump is.

[–] EvilHankVenture@lemmy.world 16 points 6 days ago (4 children)

I'd think you'd want the bottom to be black, so that it reflects the surroundings instead of being visible. You say the blue color caused the algae bloom by absorbing more light, is that a temperature thing? I would think absorbing more light would leave less for photosynthesis. I thought the algae bloom was caused by not maintaining the filtration system.

It's classic Trump, slap a coat of paint on a problem instead of fixing the rot underneath. Change the aesthetics while destroying the purpose of it. I'm just amazed he didn't paint it gold.

[–] fulcrummed@lemmy.world 24 points 6 days ago

The impact of the blue (Or any dark ) paint was that it absorbs more radiation from sunlight, increasing the temperature of the water in the pool. It’s this temperature increase which gives rise to the algal bloom. Theoretically painting it black would have been even worse.

slap a coat of paint on a problem instead of fixing the rot underneath.

I think you just described why he wears orange makeup everyday

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Obama painted the bottom ~~black~~ grey for the better reflection.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I don't see why they just don't replace with water with a blue mirror for a real good reflection.

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Preferably a parabolic one that automatically focuses sunlight at StarLink satellites

[–] Donjuanme@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

And apparently they drove on it, like an entire motorcade

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world -4 points 6 days ago (4 children)

that probably didn't actually do any harm...

the water weighs more than even trump's fat ass.

[–] Fluke@feddit.uk 18 points 5 days ago

Yeah... Those big "slashes" claimed to have wrecked the coating? Likely done by the edges of the tyres of the motorcade.

Water may be heavier, but it applies that pressure evenly, not in very narrow strips.

[–] Kvoth@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago

It does, but it's essentially static weight distributed over the whole thing, rather than specific moving points if pressure

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 6 points 5 days ago

The contact area of a vehicle is a few sq cm however, and is applied with torque.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 5 days ago

It's more about the friction from the tires

[–] falynns@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago (2 children)

They're too stupid to understand bodies of water are blue because they reflect the sky. Typical failure to grasp a simple idea by the a profoundly stupid and incurious child rapist.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

... That isn't why water is blue though...

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world -4 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I know you think you're being clever, but the sky is blue because it reflects the water, too. It only works with sunlight, which is why everything would look blue if you stood in a small room with water, air, and the sun.

[–] crapwittyname@feddit.uk 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

You shouldn't have started your comment with an insult to their intelligence and then immediately talked bollocks. Now I'm duty-bound to correct your arrogant nonsense.

the sky is blue because it reflects the water

Nope. It's blue because the atmosphere filters out bluer light.

It only works with sunlight

Nope. There's nothing special about sunlight, you can reproduce the effect experimentally with a torch and a tube of water

everything would look blue if you stood in a small room with water, air, and the sun.

What? How you gonna fit the sun into a small room?

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The sky is blue due to differential scattering. Blue light scatters more than red. That's also why sunsets are red. It's the remaining light passing through the atmosphere.

Water is often blue due to reflecting the sky. It also has a slight blue tint. This is only obvious in large, deep bodies. It's why the sea around some tropical islands looks so blue. They are volcanoes, so the water drops off rapidly. That much water has a significant blue colour. The sky then adds to it.

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The sky then adds to it.

AH HA! So you admit that I'm right that the sky is blue, which makes the water blue, which makes the sky blue! If only we could harness this perpetual blue for energy production...

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The sea doesn't make the sky blue. The sky simply is blue for most of the day.

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

The sky simply is blue for most of the day.

Yeah, when the water is blue.

^For real, though, I'm starting to feel bad about this persona I started, and I'm probably gonna stop now.^

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

... That isn't why the sky is blue though...

[–] socsa@piefed.social 3 points 6 days ago

You also usually need special procedures if you can't spray it all in one go. Spraying more solvents on top of bonded coatings will absolutely disrupt the bond. It also might not bond to itself very well.