Icebreaker POLAR STAR Friday Open Comments

United States Coast Guard Cutter

POLAR STAR

As summer gets into full swing at the bottom of the Earth, on Friday, Dec. 27, the 48-year-old icebreaker POLAR STAR departed Sydney, Australia as part of its 28th annual mission to McMurdo Sound to resupply American research stations in Antarctica.

The Seattle-based USCGC POLAR STAR is a three screw, 75,000 horsepower icebreaker, the most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker in the world.


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73 responses to “Icebreaker POLAR STAR Friday Open Comments”

  1. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    Her Highness heard on the news the USA has only two icebreaker ships and both China and Russia have entire fleets.

    1. Super Dave Avatar
      Super Dave

      The other day I heard that we have 4 but I don’t know. Russia has always had the most state of the art Ice Breakers.

  2. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    We can’t take over Greenland without icebreakers unless we start up a new army division on dog sleds.

    1. bsue54 Avatar
      bsue54

      Speaking from 30 years experience in EMS, that is the most disgusting statement I can imagine.

  3. Super Dave Avatar
    Super Dave

    Ice Breakers are fascinating. They’re long with wide flat bottoms that ride up on the ice and then crash through using the weight of the ship to break up the ice.
    Well it’s 42 here but no rain yet. Already a couple of inches of snow in Birmingham though. Oh and it was reported that Amarillo got 12″ of snow yesterday.
    Mornin’ Gang

  4. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    Crowley’s status as the first LGBTQ fire chief appears at the top of her bio on the LAFD site. It’s what got her on the Kelly Clarkson show under the headline, “Meet LAFD’s First Female & LGBTQ+ Fire Chief” and made her one of the marshals of the Los Angeles Pride Parade (some of whose attendees no longer have homes after the wave of fires.)

    But DEI wasn’t done with the LAFD just yet. Not until two other lesbian ‘Kirstens’ were also running the LAFD.

    Kristina Kepner, the first lesbian Assistant Chief and a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School for Managing Diverse Organizations, was accused of a domestic violence incident involving her girlfriend. Kristine Larson, who has a degree in Sociology, headed ‘Equity on Fire’, an organization complaining that the LAFD was sexist and racist, was then rewarded with the title of the LAFD’s first lesbian Equity Bureau Chief with a $399,000 salary.

    Diversity mandates had led to three lesbians named some version of ‘Kirsten’ running the LAFD.

    Meanwhile, Jamie Brown became the LAFD’s first lesbian Training Commander. Her accomplishment was being the only one of the four lesbians running the LAFD who wasn’t named ‘Kirsten’.

  5. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    Charlie Kirk thought Daniel Greenfield had to be making it up as a joke when Greenfield posted a X thread of the four lesbians running the LAFD.
    Lots of portrait photos there.

    1. GJT Avatar
      GJT

      I guess they couldn’t find any trans people named Kirsten?

      1. wagonburner Avatar
        wagonburner

        You sure one of those hounds isn’t?

    2. squawkbox Avatar
      squawkbox

      Them some ugly wimmins.

  6. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    108 economists signed this letter quoted below in 2023 warning about the disastrous effects on Argentina of incoming President Javier Milei.

    Ahem. Enjoy the gloat.

    Open letter is here.

    As economists from around the world who are supportive of broad-based economic development in Argentina, we are especially concerned by the economic program of one of the candidates… Javier Milei’s economic proposals…are fraught with risks that make them potentially very harmful for the Argentine economy and the Argentine people. The program proposed by Milei would create more socio-economic inequality by reducing the role of the state in redistribution and social welfare. A major reduction in government spending would increase already high levels of poverty and inequality…reducing public spending would significantly reduce the ability of the state to meet the social and economic rights of citizens. …In short, Javier Milei’s…fiscal austerity proposals overlook the complexities of modern economies.

    1. Super Dave Avatar
      Super Dave

      Checking the list of Fools, I was surprised that I didn’t see Paul Krugman or Austan Goolsby on the list. Premier Fools in their own right. But maybe I just missed them.

  7. Super Dave Avatar
    Super Dave

    Sheriff Pat White with his Deputies and Bloodhounds by the Court House here in Podunk, 1925. Oh and his trusty Model T Ford “Flivver” 😉

  8. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    This makes me so angry I feel almost nauseated. Emily Zanotti posted this on X.

    Biden just promised 100% of recovery cost for LA region for 6 months.

    Biden FEMA extended costs of motel/hotel rental for another 24 hours for people in western North Carolina.

    It’s like they’re trying to kill Republican voters there.

    1. Tedtam Avatar
      Tedtam

      Hillary isn’t the sole owner of the pejorative “deplorable”.

  9. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
    Dr phil Good-E=1984

    SKCOTUS unjustices Bush boy Roberts, Amy comey island hotdog, and the woman who doesn’t know what a woman is pose for their latest SKCOTUS photo sans penguin suits.

  10. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
    Dr phil Good-E=1984

    I think I’m gonna get a tshirt made that says

    If You Need Help Go To URL

    1. Texpat Avatar
      Texpat

      You should market them on the West Coast. There’s a lot of folks out there with only the clothes on their back.

      1. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
        Dr phil Good-E=1984

        The shirt is indicative of exactly how the hoi polloi political apparatchik feels about the people but they’d use the word that rhymes with URL.

        im appalled newscum and the dei mayor haven’t resigned in disgrace yet.
        just think what would happen if they were republicans.
        it would be another media lynching but instead the vile media treats them with kid gloves.

  11. Adee Avatar
    Adee

    Good Morning Hamsters.

    Total insanity as well as the fires in many places now rule what is happening in CA it seems. This undoubtedly could encourage more sane citizens to pack up and leave the state ASAP before the whole place falls apart. Or break up the state into a smaller state for the lunatics and the rest of the state for normal people. Their Governor is a total idiot.

    This ghastly CA mess could perhaps end up making Texas the largest state in population once the sane folks leave there and come here. Lunatics not welcome here.

  12. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    The big problem they’re going to have to address in California now is all the nutter arsonists running around. It’s painfully easy to walk up into a park or wherever in the middle of the night, light a bunch of dry oat grass, then leave.

    They’ve stopped some people with a jug of gas walking around, but had to release because they were not in possession of an “incendiary device”. IOW, they dropped their lighter/matches before the cops got to them.

  13. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    Finally settling in. I tried a different color combination this morning, and it turned out better than I thought it would.

    After watching the Eastwood movie last night, I watched “Quigley Down Under”. It was better than I thought it would be. I can’t remember the name of the actress, but I’ve always liked her.

  14. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    I have my rosary class tomorrow. I have some young girls coming with their mothers. Here’s hoping I don’t regret allowing them to come. I think I’ve packed everything except my computer with the slide show, which I’ll do tonight.

    I hope.

  15. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    Time for the C&C:

    Good morning, C&C, it’s Friday! Since yesterday’s post was so late, I committed to an early release this morning. Thanks for your patient indulgence yesterday, since it was imperative to get that Grand Jury Report roundup out before the media misled everyone. Today’s terrific roundup includes: LA wildfires still burning as people grasp for explanations for the inexplicable; things that speak for themselves; Trump sentencing moves forward after Supremes decline stay; 11th Circuit greenlights Trump report release; squatter epidemic fallout satisfies; biggest banks exit UN’s climate program because Trump; media preparing public for Trump tariffs; and massively encouraging spiritual revival news in two different developments, including the biggest Gospel presentation in history.

    If you didn’t read the C&C yesterday and get the legal low-down on the grand jury report, I encourage you to do so. Childers explains the whys and wherefores of the jury report that yes, there was great evil done, but no, there was no crime.

    Hint: It involves hiding behind the skirts of the friendly gubmint and media.

  16. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    Time for the C&C:

    Good morning, C&C, it’s Friday! Since yesterday’s post was so late, I committed to an early release this morning. Thanks for your patient indulgence yesterday, since it was imperative to get that Grand Jury Report roundup out before the media misled everyone. Today’s terrific roundup includes: LA wildfires still burning as people grasp for explanations for the inexplicable; things that speak for themselves; Trump sentencing moves forward after Supremes decline stay; 11th Circuit greenlights Trump report release; squatter epidemic fallout satisfies; biggest banks exit UN’s climate program because Trump; media preparing public for Trump tariffs; and massively encouraging spiritual revival news in two different developments, including the biggest Gospel presentation in history.

    If you didn’t read the C&C yesterday and get the legal low-down on the grand jury report, I encourage you to do so. Childers explains the whys and wherefores of the jury report that yes, there was great evil done, but no, there was no crime.

    Hint: It involves hiding behind the skirts of the friendly gubmint and media.

  17. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    Now six major U.S. banks have recently withdrawn from the United Nations-guided Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a UN-backed coalition of banks committed to aligning their financial activities with net-zero carbon emissions goals by 2050.

    The six biggest banks in the US have all quit the global banking industry’s net zero target-setting group, with the imminent inauguration of Donald Trump as president expected to bring political backlash against climate action.

    JP Morgan is the latest to withdraw from the UN-sponsored net zero banking alliance (NZBA), following Citigroup, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs. All six have left since the start of December.

    Analysts have said the withdrawals are an attempt to head off “anti-woke” attacks from rightwing US politicians, which are expected to escalate when Trump is sworn in as the country’s 47th president in just under a fortnight.

  18. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    First, Mr. C. takes on the incompetency of the California fire management (or lack thereof):

    Almost reflexively, to a woman the LA officials all blamed climate change, which is a very useful scapegoat that cannot be fined, jailed, sued, or fired. “Climate change” is a deep reservoir for unwanted blame. You just have to get your blame balloon to the brink and push it in before it bursts.

    Mr. C. points out the history of fires in the area, sooooo….it was a perceived danger that could have used some proactive planning.

    … The Times quoted a man (shudder), who by all accounts should be a reliable source: Rick Caruso, who twice served as the president of the City’s Department of Water and Power, who ran for mayor, and who is now a major area real estate developer.

    To be clear, Rick wasn’t sitting around complaining about the Mayor and the ultra-diverse fire chief….Caruso wasn’t just waiting around, the Times reported. Instead, get this, “he had a team of private firefighters deployed in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday night, helping to protect a major outdoor retail space he owns, Palisades Village, as well as some nearby homes.”

    My gosh. LA, behold the man you should have elected as Mayor.

    The Times minimized the most interesting part of its story, which also had the greatest potential metaphorical explanatory power: the rejected mayoral candidate directing his own hastily-assembled private firefighting force to save the neighborhood. But sadly, perhaps creating an even more meta metaphorical explanation, the Times sneered at Rick Caruso’s rousing, all-American, self-reliant story because he wasn’t diverse enough.

    Caruso pointed out that there was a water shortfall, which quote “calmed down” for the printed article. And Caruso should know. He used to be responsible for this stuff.

    But…mankind is bad, and there’s just no getting over that. For the tree huggers, anyway.

    Mr. Caruso, you and your get-it-done attitude are quite welcome here in Texas. We won’t force you to be diverse before being productive.

  19. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    The Fox reporter on the ground in LA last night said the only reason he able to broadcast his live report was because of Musk’s Starlink.

    Almost all of the the TV and radio stations have transmitters on this mountain, as well police and fire depts.

    The Eaton fire in Los Angeles has reached Mt. Wilson, which houses communication and broadcast transmitters.

    Police and firefighters rely on those towers to communicate with each other. The destruction would also affect truck drivers using radios.

    The majority of LA’s broadcast stations have antennas on Mt. Wilson.

  20. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    Mr. C. offers this poignant reminder, after contemplating the theories about how these fires all seemed to start at the same time, or nearly so (arson, anyone?):

    Getting caught up in all the speculation over the fire’s causes and the city’s DEI failures is easy. I’m not suggesting anything is wrong with speculating, but let us also recall the real people, our fellow Americans, who are suffering in a million unimaginable ways from these horrible fires. We pray for their safety, comfort, and support.

    True dat.

  21. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    I just heard this on the Clay & Buck Show, from a lawyer: the broadcasting of the “no punishment” sentencing by the sleazy judge in NY was to influence the SCOTUS. It seemed it was effective.

    That’s not my view; the Supreme Court could have spared America this humiliation. But from a legal perspective, with Merchan’s implied promise, I recognize the argument no “irreparable harm” was about to occur. Irreparable harm is an essential element that must be proven to justify this kind of emergency stay. The Supremes probably concluded that Trump can just appeal his conviction and the fact of his sentence, whatever it is.

    It was also pointed out that Trump could not appeal the original verdict without sentencing, so this had to happen at some point if he was ever going to get this conviction overturned.

  22. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    From C&C:

    Remember the squatter epidemic? When the “defund the police” crowd tried to extend non-prosecution to residential tenancies? And illegals were making mocking TikToks explaining how to live in someone else’s house for free for years? States reacted by passing laws making it much easier to remove illegal immigrants brandishing fake leases. This YouTube was making the rounds this week, which tells the story of how fast Florida will yank a pack of illegal squatters out of someone else’s house, even with their fake lease:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAW6X3kn71M

    I’ve written to Paul Bettencourt, who is working on squatter laws in Texas, about problems that we’ve had as landlords with folks not on the lease remaining behind (“holdover tenants”) when we evict the people listed on the lease. This is a real problem, to which I asked: “Why should we treat the unsigned residents, whom we don’t know or sometimes even know about, be treated the same as the signed tenant who agrees to their responsibilities in our unit?”

  23. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
    Dr phil Good-E=1984

    twosome newscum
    fiddled his worm
    while LA burned.

  24. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    Hubby is out picking up his new tilt trailer. We’ll be selling our other trailers along with the old water meter equipment, hopefully soon. This tilt trailer will make it easier to tote the backhoe (when needed) and also his cars to car shows without dealing with the ramps ‘n stuff. Easier on his knee and back. I mentioned that the other trailer we saw at the Crocket show had a front shield to protect the show car from road debris. Hubby said he has a trashed out bus (VW Van, for you non-VW culture folks) and he thinks he’ll cut the front of the bus and adapt it to be the shield for the trailer.

    That would certainly be unique.

    1. GJT Avatar
      GJT

      What kind of trailers will he be selling? My son and I might be in the market for a 6’W x 10 or 12’, 6 or 8K capacity bumper pull if he has one.

      1. Tedtam Avatar
        Tedtam

        IIRC, one is 20 ft and the other is 16 ft. He used them to haul cars and backhoes and such.

        1. GJT Avatar
          GJT

          Not certain what we will do, we could use one for my little tractor and zero turn that we swap back and forth. A car hauler type would be useful, if you could hit me up with maybe some pics and what he wants we may be interested. No hurry.

          1. Tedtam Avatar
            Tedtam

            I’ll let Hubby know.

          2. Tedtam Avatar
            Tedtam

            I think we have a Pace enclosed trailer. I think it would be big enough for the zero turn, but not sure about the “little tractor”. I’ll have Hubby give me info on that one, too, just in case.

  25. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
    Dr phil Good-E=1984

    SKCOTUS is a kangaroo clown show.
    three republicant’s voted to confirm a woman who can’t define what a woman is.

    collins-fix me a Tom collins
    murkykowski-way up where the huskies go does she eat yellow snow?
    pierre Delecto-wanted to be in wacky races cartoons so he could save Penelope pit stop from Dick Dastardly.

    the penguins dressed as kangaroos have 0 credibility.

  26. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
    Dr phil Good-E=1984

    SKCOTUS Kangaroos group pic after donning their robes.

    1. Texpat Avatar
      Texpat

      My first reaction is to ask what other country in the world can build 31 ocean-going ships simultaneously ? Maybe China, but I’m doubtful about that too.

      Plus, what are they going to do with eight LCTs ? Invade Greece again for 100th time in three thousand years ? Although he can be dangerous, I do believe Erdogan has delusions of grandeur.

      1. squawkbox Avatar
        squawkbox

        Erdogan wants to restore the Ottoman Empire and he be the Grand Poohbah. Ya gotta have a super navy for that don’t yanno. Oh and then there is destroying Israel. (Which ain’t gonna happen)

  27. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
    Dr phil Good-E=1984

    Trump talking favorably about the Kenyan eerily reminds of his the Clinton’s are good people line and then sHillary released a fake dossier that hamstrung him for 4 years with the Russia collusion lie.

    ferris Mueller: know what?

    lie down with the Creature from the Kenyan lagoon and you’ll wake up in another political hell hole for 4 more years.
    he spied on you in 2016 dude.
    He’s worked to destroy this country like no other.
    he’s worked tirelessly to set race relations back 60 years.
    wake up man.
    sheez.

    https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1877812398947545396

    1. Shannon Avatar
      Shannon

      She needs to be withdrawn. Trump needs to find someone else. Period.

  28. Dr phil Good-E=1984 Avatar
    Dr phil Good-E=1984

    They’re lying again.
    if it doesn’t fit they must omit.

    https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1877777722857980126

    1. Texpat Avatar
      Texpat

      Some guy from LA said you can be carrying around a gallon jug of gasoline in an LA park, but if you don’t have matches or lighter on your person, the cops will let you go because without a lighting device you aren’t by legal definition carrying an incendiary device.

    2. wagonburner Avatar
      wagonburner

      At least they got him for a parole violation.

  29. squawkbox Avatar
    squawkbox

    Nice

    Los Angeles authorities have vowed to prosecute illegal drone flights after a civilian drone collided with a Canadian “Super Scooper” aircraft fighting the Palisades FireThursday, forcing the specially-designed firefighting plane to be grounded.

  30. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    Robby Starbuck on X. They said it couldn’t be done, but he’s done it.

    Massive news: Meta is ending DEI. Only days after

    promised to end biased fact checks, now his company is ending DEI.

    I warned Meta in October that they were one of my DEI targets for 2025.

    Here’s what’s changing at Facebook & IG:

    • Meta will no longer have a DEI team.

    • Meta will end supplier diversity efforts.

    • Meta will end the practice of requiring that diverse candidates be considered jobs. They’ll focus on merit going forward.

    • All DEI representation goals for hiring are being eliminated going forward.

    We told the media this would happen and many laughed in my face. I wonder what the look on their face is today? I can’t do a video on this one because of the snowstorm but I’m sitting back and enjoying every second of this.

    1. Texpat Avatar
      Texpat

      I will never, ever get into a driverless vehicle. Hands down, no question. The whole idea is unspeakably stupid.

      1. squawkbox Avatar
        squawkbox

        Me neither

      2. wagonburner Avatar
        wagonburner

        Chicken

  31. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Date 8

    One of our church fundraisers (for the Youth to go on a mission trip) is a Country Gospel music night with beef and chicken stew and all the fixins. We invite local amateur bands and singers to perform.

    I’m not singing tonight, so it will be fun to be a spectator.

    1. Tedtam Avatar
      Tedtam

      Sounds like fun. Lady friend coming with?

      1. Shannon Avatar
        Shannon

        Yes, thus the Date 8 designation.

        Tomorrow’s Date 9 is the one I’m looking forward to:
        An Afternoon With Sam Houston.

    2. Texpat Avatar
      Texpat

      You are going to miss avoid the UT Horns vs Ohio State game tonight ? Can’t take the pressure ?

    3. GJT Avatar
      GJT

      You gotta start phasing out numbering these dates, you know it won’t end well.

      1. Shannon Avatar
        Shannon

        The game isn’t available for free. Screw ‘em.

    4. wagonburner Avatar
      wagonburner

      Chicken AND beef stew or chicken stew and beef stew?

      Not sure the first one is kosher

    5. squawkbox Avatar
      squawkbox

      Date 8 Ball

  32. squawkbox Avatar
    squawkbox

    Hey Texpat Shannon
    Y’all weren’t GrubScouts were you?

      1. squawkbox Avatar
        squawkbox

        Thankyou

        1. Texpat Avatar
          Texpat

          Of course, I was a Cub Scout and a good one too. I was also a Boy Scout. I went to the BS camp up near Conroe although I really loved El Rancho Cima out at Devil’s Backbone in the Hill Country. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s me in the photo.

  33. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    I’m trying to psych myself up for this Cotton Bowl. I have a nervous premonition Texas will drop dead in the chute and never even give a ride.

  34. Tedtam Avatar
    Tedtam

    I just finished tweaking my slide show for my class that starts in the morning. I almost forgot my sign-in sheet and evaluation forms, now printed off. I’m tahrred and need to make sure I get a good night’s sleep so I can get up early to load up the car and get to the church in time to set up.

    And I’m not a morning person, so there’s that.

  35. Texpat Avatar
    Texpat

    28-14 and UT finally blew it. They couldn’t stretch out that good luck streak any longer. OSU was a better team by the end of the game. I thought OSU might lose it on penalties, but Texas lost it on dumb decisions.

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