Possibly this college has a pool facility? I was a flight attendant for Pan Am long ago, and we trained in an old hotel across from the Miami airport, using their pool to inflate rafts and simulate rescues. It seemed like an adequate start, at least to get familiar with equipment, steps, etc. Maybe then they all head to the coast for some helicopter simulations.
I lived near the Oregon coast for many years and I can tell you that practicing in a swimming pool doesn't come close to the situation where people need to be rescued off rocks, during high tide in turbulent waters
Bonnie, wouldn't it be better for the helicopter stuff to be done at Birmingham? They could pretend the thick grass is water or put in a pond. After all, we now own the property and should use it to the max, right?
Yes: A pool, athletic facilities, 1500 beds, a large food service facility, classrooms, and several places one might land a chopper. 10 minutes from a major airport and less than a half-mile from the intersection of two interstates.
I’m one of the handful of people working on it from the seller side, so yes, I am certainly in favor of it. I think once people understand the facts — which will all be public after closing — l they’ll see that it’s a great outcome all around and a smart use of federal funds.
If you want to talk about smart use of federal funds...
The Oregon Coast Guard rescues over 5000 people a year, yet they are struggling to upgrade their equipment.
There is a constant battle about keeping one of the stations open. If it is closed, the nearest station would be over an hours helicopter flight to an area where they make frequent rescues.
There are plenty of people in the Coast Guard and there are already plenty of places where they are trained. How about using the money going into your project for making a necessary upgrades to the existing - well functioning I might add - Coast Guard?
You have been open about your involvement with this project, but just curious, are you hired as a PR consultant? How long have you been a subscriber to this substack?
I was a senior administrator at the College for seven years until it closed in May 2024 and have stayed on pro bono since then to help manage the wind-down. Closing a college is a lengthy and complicated process. I’ve followed this Substack for quite a long time and upgraded to paid so I could respond to misinformation (such as JWV’s statement that BSC had declared bankruptcy, which is incorrect) in this particular post. I’m a big fan of JWV and can understand the skepticism, but need to get the facts straight.
As with the sale of any commercial property, commissions will be paid to the brokers representing the seller. But no shenanigans in this case, and all of that will be public record post-closing.
Do you know if there is truth in the notion that she changed the spelling of her name to “Noem”? In one version, it was originally “Nome.” While taking an English course, Noem became aware that
William Faulkner had some of his African-American characters say “nome” (meaning “No, ma’m”.) “Nome” was just too deferential a name for someone with her vast sense of entitlement. (By the sheerest accident, no doubt, she was recently “Gnome” in an MsNow instant transcription.)
Pam, I am guessing the Coast Guard will figure it out, that is if DHS permits them to have competent folks in charge. I understand they fired a bunch of the good ones, just as every incompetent cabinet secretary did as well as heads of the various agencies. It seems Repubs have an affinity for incompetence these days and embrace it as much as they embrace being threatened by an old fool with dementia and his equally toddleresque white house toddler pool.
The competence factor, that’s the big if, Ruth. I I’m a sailor, live on the East Coast and depend on the Coast Guard and they have always been very helpful. So I hate to see them treated this way
Pam, I have enormous respect for the Coast Guard and could not believe they were folded into DHS, a made-up department that has too many different kinds of agencies involved. Screwing with the Coast Guard a group that actually works and does an amazing job is criminal, but our little Miss Kristi just has to prove how stupid she is, and did it every single day she was supposedly in charge of DHs. I am hoping after Trumpity doo-dah is gone, the Coast Guard will be given better facilities and the respect they deserve!
Who runs American foreign policy? The Clown Prince of the Apprentice? Little Marco? The great American Oligarchs? FOX News? The Court Nazi, Stephen Miller? The Xenophobic Fever Dreams of Sen. Lindsay Graham? Our Lethality warlord? The Criminal Overlord of the once great Nation of Israel? The Book of Revelations?
It quite a mystery. We know who doesn't run it..The Interests of the American People.
Valerie, do you need an assistant who likes boats and can swim. My reading and math level is above second grade. Only downfall- no low-cut attire or faux make-up crap. I wear sneakers.
Is kristie Noem, so stupid and ignorant, that she has already forgotten her and her regime fought and KILLED AMERICAN PEOPLE just a month or so ago in Minnesota? Well dah🥵🤬🤬🤬
Agree - it infuriates me that any fraction of what I pay in taxes might contribute to the pay she is effectively stealing from the American people, but that would also include the GOP Congress members and the entire current administration.
Rump gifts Florsheim shoes to his male minions without asking their sizes. A pic of Lil Marco’s foot literally swimming in its oversized ugly-ass shoe is out there. And the scenario of a bunch of these idiots sloshing and squirming in the ill-fitting shoes, clapping and not stopping because no one wants to be the first to stop, while the Orange King of Lies takes the stage is too weird to be true. Except it is.
Check out Defiance.News on Substack this morning. Miles Taylor and Xander Schultz are the authors and the creative geniuses that brought us The State of the Swamp on SOTU night. Miles has all the details on the shoes.😂
My dad was a Baptist minister back in the late 50s and 60s. He was in charge of the summer camps for the church kids (imagine kids going to church :). He got called on the carpet for letting the boys and girls swim together. One of his equally progressive friends said: sounds ok to me, as long as they didn’t use the same wash cloth.
I understand, I lost my mother when I was four years old. My Dad could come up with some goods ones in awhile. Your Dad sounds like a man with common sense and a sense of humor which is always a Blessing as minister. How nice for the people that went to his church.
Ummm … Be assured that EVERY member of the CG will have to pass a RIGOROUS test of their ability to windmill their arms while bending over and wearing swim caps, goggles, and nose plugs. I mean, how hard can swimming be?
Now, please tell us what you think about the judge's decision that Kari Lake's gutting of Voice of America was entirely illegal, starting with her meeting none of the statutory requirements for leading the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
To me, he seems more like the Red Queen in an upside down land with total lack of due process, randomly shouting "off with his head". Though he IS 100% a fraud, thinking he'll distract us from his machinations behind the curtain, so you're definitely right about that too!
Some enterprising Alabama reporter needs to figure out who's getting a kickback for placing the Coast Guard facility in Birmingham.
Quid Pro Katie Britt Quo!
I think we are all entitled to one guess and YES, we all win!
Yes, there’s something fishy about a land-locked COAST Guard training facility.
Where’s the goddamn Air Force gonna train, underground?
so funny
Possibly this college has a pool facility? I was a flight attendant for Pan Am long ago, and we trained in an old hotel across from the Miami airport, using their pool to inflate rafts and simulate rescues. It seemed like an adequate start, at least to get familiar with equipment, steps, etc. Maybe then they all head to the coast for some helicopter simulations.
I lived near the Oregon coast for many years and I can tell you that practicing in a swimming pool doesn't come close to the situation where people need to be rescued off rocks, during high tide in turbulent waters
Bonnie, wouldn't it be better for the helicopter stuff to be done at Birmingham? They could pretend the thick grass is water or put in a pond. After all, we now own the property and should use it to the max, right?
I have no idea; not an expert. Neither is Nome, but one would hope she takes advice from the right people? Isn't that Management 101? ;^)
Yes: A pool, athletic facilities, 1500 beds, a large food service facility, classrooms, and several places one might land a chopper. 10 minutes from a major airport and less than a half-mile from the intersection of two interstates.
You left out the most important qualification: It's in a Red state.
Alas, that is a fact. But the CG looked at numerous properties in other states (blue, red, and purple) and ultimately chose this one — in a blue city.
You sound like a cheerleader for this project
I’m one of the handful of people working on it from the seller side, so yes, I am certainly in favor of it. I think once people understand the facts — which will all be public after closing — l they’ll see that it’s a great outcome all around and a smart use of federal funds.
If you want to talk about smart use of federal funds...
The Oregon Coast Guard rescues over 5000 people a year, yet they are struggling to upgrade their equipment.
There is a constant battle about keeping one of the stations open. If it is closed, the nearest station would be over an hours helicopter flight to an area where they make frequent rescues.
There are plenty of people in the Coast Guard and there are already plenty of places where they are trained. How about using the money going into your project for making a necessary upgrades to the existing - well functioning I might add - Coast Guard?
You have been open about your involvement with this project, but just curious, are you hired as a PR consultant? How long have you been a subscriber to this substack?
I was a senior administrator at the College for seven years until it closed in May 2024 and have stayed on pro bono since then to help manage the wind-down. Closing a college is a lengthy and complicated process. I’ve followed this Substack for quite a long time and upgraded to paid so I could respond to misinformation (such as JWV’s statement that BSC had declared bankruptcy, which is incorrect) in this particular post. I’m a big fan of JWV and can understand the skepticism, but need to get the facts straight.
My first thought. Or who got the commission on the sale
As with the sale of any commercial property, commissions will be paid to the brokers representing the seller. But no shenanigans in this case, and all of that will be public record post-closing.
No one is getting a kickback.
Curious as to how you can be so sure... 🤔
I’m part of the BSC side of this project.
I only could find BSc Bachelor of Science undergrad degree. Does it have another definition?
BSC = Birmingham-Southern College. That’s the property the Coast Guard is purchasing.
For not being TBR or The Onion, Vance does a good job w satire, maybe a side hustle in her future.
She gives a wicked chicken side eye too
Joyce does have a sense of humor, that and her beautiful collections of animals is what most likely keeps her sane.
Those chickens and dog photos help keep me sane! Thanks, Joyce!
This post was excellent
What a bunch of jerks run our government.
So 15 months after the disaster, this is NEWS to you? LOL! :-).
Do you know if there is truth in the notion that she changed the spelling of her name to “Noem”? In one version, it was originally “Nome.” While taking an English course, Noem became aware that
William Faulkner had some of his African-American characters say “nome” (meaning “No, ma’m”.) “Nome” was just too deferential a name for someone with her vast sense of entitlement. (By the sheerest accident, no doubt, she was recently “Gnome” in an MsNow instant transcription.)
I hope she has all that name change paperwork handy in case she wants to vote.
It’s her husband’s surname I believe. We shall see if the marriage lasts until Election Day.
Now she’s gotta spell “Lewandowski?”
I cannot even imagine Noem has read Faulkner. Or even a Cliffs Notes Faulkner.
She read the Faulkner Cliff Notes Cliff Notes.
guess her brain is also plastic...
I’ve been using gnome for her last name for months. Just seemed appropriate somehow.
Probably unfair to gnomes, though.
I have also, because that's what I get using voice recognition, and it seemed appropriate
You said it well, what I was thinking! It’s nice to laugh a bit these days! Thanks Joyce!
Thank you. A morning dose of joyful snark is always satisfying!
If it wasn’t so sad for the Coast Guard and the taxpayers!
Pam, I am guessing the Coast Guard will figure it out, that is if DHS permits them to have competent folks in charge. I understand they fired a bunch of the good ones, just as every incompetent cabinet secretary did as well as heads of the various agencies. It seems Repubs have an affinity for incompetence these days and embrace it as much as they embrace being threatened by an old fool with dementia and his equally toddleresque white house toddler pool.
The competence factor, that’s the big if, Ruth. I I’m a sailor, live on the East Coast and depend on the Coast Guard and they have always been very helpful. So I hate to see them treated this way
Pam, I have enormous respect for the Coast Guard and could not believe they were folded into DHS, a made-up department that has too many different kinds of agencies involved. Screwing with the Coast Guard a group that actually works and does an amazing job is criminal, but our little Miss Kristi just has to prove how stupid she is, and did it every single day she was supposedly in charge of DHs. I am hoping after Trumpity doo-dah is gone, the Coast Guard will be given better facilities and the respect they deserve!
Absolutely!
Who runs American foreign policy? The Clown Prince of the Apprentice? Little Marco? The great American Oligarchs? FOX News? The Court Nazi, Stephen Miller? The Xenophobic Fever Dreams of Sen. Lindsay Graham? Our Lethality warlord? The Criminal Overlord of the once great Nation of Israel? The Book of Revelations?
It quite a mystery. We know who doesn't run it..The Interests of the American People.
Kick the bums out!
putin and bebe
BINGO!
You assume way too much when you use the term “run.”
Me, I want to know where my $13billion is. I'm fairly sure DHS has my direct deposit information. x
Valerie, do you need an assistant who likes boats and can swim. My reading and math level is above second grade. Only downfall- no low-cut attire or faux make-up crap. I wear sneakers.
As soon as I get my $$$, you're hired. x
Is kristie Noem, so stupid and ignorant, that she has already forgotten her and her regime fought and KILLED AMERICAN PEOPLE just a month or so ago in Minnesota? Well dah🥵🤬🤬🤬
And grossly inept and coldhearted....
You can’t make this stuff up however, Kristi Noem did!
She sure as hell did!
She may not have heard that Minnesota is actually part of the United States.
She may not have HEARD that SHE is actually part of the United States.....that's how dumb she is!🤬🤬🤬🤬
So maybe she'll target Alabamans
Gone, yes ... But onto another US taxpayer salaried position within the Trump sphere... When will this madness end?
Agree - it infuriates me that any fraction of what I pay in taxes might contribute to the pay she is effectively stealing from the American people, but that would also include the GOP Congress members and the entire current administration.
Also in the realm of almost too weird to be true:
Rump gifts Florsheim shoes to his male minions without asking their sizes. A pic of Lil Marco’s foot literally swimming in its oversized ugly-ass shoe is out there. And the scenario of a bunch of these idiots sloshing and squirming in the ill-fitting shoes, clapping and not stopping because no one wants to be the first to stop, while the Orange King of Lies takes the stage is too weird to be true. Except it is.
Check out Defiance.News on Substack this morning. Miles Taylor and Xander Schultz are the authors and the creative geniuses that brought us The State of the Swamp on SOTU night. Miles has all the details on the shoes.😂
A real bizarre tale of their submission to Trump and behavior emblematic of all dictators.
had not heard this one !
Lord, give me strength.
and courage!!!!
Latin America? Ooh, so many horses! Chaps, sombreros, spurs! Ride ‘em, cowgirl!
I am not sure she would be welcomed in most of Latin America.
Didn’t bother her here in North America …
or anywhere...
Does the school at least have a swimming pool?
My dad was a Baptist minister back in the late 50s and 60s. He was in charge of the summer camps for the church kids (imagine kids going to church :). He got called on the carpet for letting the boys and girls swim together. One of his equally progressive friends said: sounds ok to me, as long as they didn’t use the same wash cloth.
My husband thinks I am crazy because this one made laugh so hard, I have tears in my eyes. Thank you and your Dad!!
Thank you for responding. It is nice to remember a parent in good ways. You have given me that.
I understand, I lost my mother when I was four years old. My Dad could come up with some goods ones in awhile. Your Dad sounds like a man with common sense and a sense of humor which is always a Blessing as minister. How nice for the people that went to his church.
gotta love Baptists
Oh that's a good one lol
Ummm … Be assured that EVERY member of the CG will have to pass a RIGOROUS test of their ability to windmill their arms while bending over and wearing swim caps, goggles, and nose plugs. I mean, how hard can swimming be?
Some of you are very funny!!
Fucking shameless. Utterly, fucking shameless.
WOW just wow.... I predict she is given very little to do and supervised closely. Did the people of SD like her when she was governor? I mean 👀
are there people in SD ?!
Considering the fate of Cricket at Noem's hands, I would like to know where these children are.
For real, very concerning
in the stew at the new CG school...
Mega-snark! You to, girl!
Now, please tell us what you think about the judge's decision that Kari Lake's gutting of Voice of America was entirely illegal, starting with her meeting none of the statutory requirements for leading the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
They all live in th land of OZ where trump id their "wizard" and as perfect a fraud as they come.
To me, he seems more like the Red Queen in an upside down land with total lack of due process, randomly shouting "off with his head". Though he IS 100% a fraud, thinking he'll distract us from his machinations behind the curtain, so you're definitely right about that too!