June 21, 2005

• I'm not very good at latitudes and such, but do you think there'll be a new version of 'fifty-four or forty or fight'?
• Nice post, but you forgot the Terra Nova expedition. The one that raced Amundson to the pole, only Amundun took dogs and Scott & Co. walked the whole way. Never made it back, though. Nasty storm. I played the character of Doctor Wilson in our college's production of Terra Nova . In fact, here's a picture of us. Do you think it matches? Oh, and I'm related to Hudson , too. thanks for the chance at self-glorification, dxlifer. a good opening is always appreciated
• oops! I meant thanks FreedytheFish, not dxlifer.
• Great post, FreddytheFish. I wonder how long before the added shipping traffic does real harm to the ecosystem in those parts.
• And Canada does not have the means to patrol it (nor are we willing to put sufficient resources into it, I'll warrant). And we certainly won't let the Americans do the job... let's hope.
• Naval Operations in an Ice Free Arctic Symposium, United States Navy and NOAA, 2001. This is serious stuff.
• The one that raced Amundson to the pole... Weezel, I think you're in the wrong hemisphere. Scott raced Amundsen to the south pole. Amundsen won because his expedition not only took dogs, but shot them when they had outlived their usefulness, which the British, bless their hearts, thought very unsporting. That was in 1911. Amundsen also spent some time messing about in boats at the northern extremity in 1906. The Northwest Passage is over the top of Canada, and it is possible to sail east to west across the top of the earth, if you can negotiate the ice. The nuclear powered submarine U.S.S. Skate was the first sub to both make it to the north pole and surface there, in 1959.
• The Northwest Passage is over the top of Canada Still Canada, baby.
• "... To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea; Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea." It's stuck in my head now, but that's okay, because it's a damn good song.
• Whoops! Just noticed a couple of errors in the post. Admundsun should be spelt Amundsen. Also, the Northwest Passage wouldn't be navigable year round, only reliably during the summer months.
• And a whoops to me! I saw "Amundsen," but I didn't bother to notice Northwest passage. Schmuck...
• Nice map. Rorschach, that showed a better perspective on the encroaching powers mentioned in the other article. I much prefer up-above maps. /or whatever they're called. I'm surprised this hasn't spilled over into today's fpp
• Dxlifer, it would have spilled over, except that the Giant Panda Army doesn't like to go into the water.