I cross-posted this at the other site...some of the slick features don't work here...
It's 70 below, we won't see the sun for another three months, but damn it, it's Memorial Day and we're Americans. We're having a barbecue!
O.K....it's been edited - not doing it twice - so visit my other site World Travel, Worldwide Jobs, Nomadic Lifestyle to read the article in its entirety.
And don't forget Unique Baby Gifts for...well, it should be self-explanatory!
5/26/08
5/22/08
New site
Wow...three posts in one day...that's like my monthly quota or something.
Anyhow, I've been working on a new site. It seems a bit odd that I won't take the time to keep this blog updated, yet, I take on a whole new project.... The idea behind the new site is to generate revenue, so I will have better motivation to work on it and with a broader audience can write more freely (maybe..). The subject matter is overseas jobs and travel - two things I'm learning more and more about.
Personal "what's going on in my life" type posts will still go here - and hopefully I'll have more of that to write about once I get off this hunk of ice - anyhow, if you enjoy my writing and want to read more of what I have to write about check out the new site The Life Nomadic
To anyone who is reading this - if you have experience either working overseas or with travel and you want to help out - there are forum moderator positions open.
Anyhow, I've been working on a new site. It seems a bit odd that I won't take the time to keep this blog updated, yet, I take on a whole new project.... The idea behind the new site is to generate revenue, so I will have better motivation to work on it and with a broader audience can write more freely (maybe..). The subject matter is overseas jobs and travel - two things I'm learning more and more about.
Personal "what's going on in my life" type posts will still go here - and hopefully I'll have more of that to write about once I get off this hunk of ice - anyhow, if you enjoy my writing and want to read more of what I have to write about check out the new site The Life Nomadic
To anyone who is reading this - if you have experience either working overseas or with travel and you want to help out - there are forum moderator positions open.
What's in your inbox...???
In the spirit of this post I bring you yet another item from my inbox concerning drunken use of the bathroom:
So...what's in your inbox? Do you get hilarious or inflammatory email at work? I used to just delete 'em, but I've decided to start posting them and take the piss out - further discussions can be had in this forum
Gentlemen,
Apparently there is some confusion as to where feces and urine belong. I was under the impression that it was universally understood that they belong in the toilet and not on the seat or the wall surrounding the urinal. I guess this isn’t so as the stall in A1 2nd floor is crapped on almost daily and the other bathrooms are randomly hit. Please have the common courtesy to make it in the toilet and if you are unable to do this at least clean up after your nasty ass. For all the drunks that can’t aim, take a seat.
Thank You
Name “straight shooter” Removed
So...what's in your inbox? Do you get hilarious or inflammatory email at work? I used to just delete 'em, but I've decided to start posting them and take the piss out - further discussions can be had in this forum
Smoke on the water....
...or at least on the floor of the power plant. Yesterday right before my shift in the power plant, a cooling hose on one of the generators developed a leak, allowing about 30 gallons of hot, pressurized coolant to escape. Station-wide announcements went out for all SCBA (fire fighting gear) teams to respond. The leak was stopped with much haste, the generator load transfered to another generator and the space ventilated. Some kind souls stayed behind to help clean up - and I made a repair to the afflicted engine. From crisis to normal in less than 3 hours - it was an impressive effort on everyone's part.
5/6/08
Earn between 11.7% and 73.17% on your economic stimulus check
It's May! The federal government announced that economic stimulus checks will start to go out this month. If you filed a tax return and aren't filthy rich, you will be getting one of these. The amount varies based on filing status and number of children, but for the single person it is $600 and that is the amount I will use to calculate the gains I am writing about. If you were entitled to a refund and had it direct deposited, this check will also be direct deposited to the same account as your refund. In most other cases the check will be mailed to the address you listed on your return.
Now, $600 isn't a lot. In fact, it's so insignificant that you should have no problem tying most of it up for awhile to earn some monstrous gains. The first step you should take is tofind a referral to an ING savings account there are several links here and open up a savings account, link that account to whatever account your stimulus check was deposited in. ING is currently offering a sign-up bonus of $25 for opening an account with $250 or more (you MUST have the referral to get the bonus).*UPDATE* Here's a link to an E*Trade account that offers a $25 bonus for opening and funding their "Complete Savings" account. The minimum to open is $1 and no referral is needed. That's it, welcome to a 4.17% return on your money, and there's more!
Prosper, a peer lending site, is offering a $25 bonus for opening an account and lending $50 to a borrower (I think you can get a sign up bonus for being a borrower also). Simply link your prosper account to your new ING account to fund the loan. You'll also receive interest on the $50 that you loan. Prosper is currently boasting returns in excess of 8%, which I won't count in my return calculations as it isn't a given. After these two steps, you have earned $50 on your $600 a gain of 8.3%.
If you haven't got a paypal account go get one here. Link your paypal account to your new ING account, then go to worldwinner, create a new account, sign in, upgrade to a cash player, fund your account with $20 (paypal via your ING account). They'll instantly double your initial deposit. You can withdraw your cash back to your paypal account at any time and move it back to your ING account. Gain so far: $70 (11.7%)
Now, admittedly, this is quite a bit of work for $70, but it will all take less than an hour. An hour that you're probably on the clock for anyhow, and a guaranteed rate of return like that just can't be beat. A quick search can probably turn up a few more sign up bonuses. Here's one that won't cost you anything to sign up for and pays $25 (is due to expire May 15th, 2008, but has been extended before)
If you take advantage of all of these offers your gain will now be $95. If you are a frequent traveler to Hawaii - or even a not-so frequent traveler, but live in a Hawaiian Airlines gateway city on the mainland, here's a way to get a round-trip ticket to Hawaii and one inter-island ticket for $100. First go to Hawaiian Air and sign up for a frequent flier account. Then get and use the Bank of Hawaii Hawaiian Airlines visa card and use it once for a bonus of 20,000 miles ($50 annual fee) do the same thing for the Bank of America Hawaiian Airlines visa for 20,000 more miles (another $50 annual fee). By following these steps, you have earned 40,000 miles on Hawaiian Airlines. Enough for one R/T from the mainland (35,000 miles) and one inter-island flight (5,000 miles) or enough for eight inter-island flights. These are both good deals for certain people. I just did a quick search, a flight from Las Vegas to Kona is ~450 each way. It's hard to quantify the value of frequent flier miles, but free frequent flier miles.com - an expert on miles and their value values them at 1.6 cents each, valuing these 40,000 miles at $640. I also recently priced a three-leg island hopping airfare at $204 or 15,000 miles, which would value these miles at $544 total dollars - so let's go with that - you get $544 dollars worth of something for $100 dollars (only $5 of it was your own money)...you could figure a gain here of $439 on your original $600 or 73.17%. Warren Buffet and George Soros are trembling with fear!
Now, $600 isn't a lot. In fact, it's so insignificant that you should have no problem tying most of it up for awhile to earn some monstrous gains. The first step you should take is to
Prosper, a peer lending site, is offering a $25 bonus for opening an account and lending $50 to a borrower (I think you can get a sign up bonus for being a borrower also). Simply link your prosper account to your new ING account to fund the loan. You'll also receive interest on the $50 that you loan. Prosper is currently boasting returns in excess of 8%, which I won't count in my return calculations as it isn't a given. After these two steps, you have earned $50 on your $600 a gain of 8.3%.
If you haven't got a paypal account go get one here. Link your paypal account to your new ING account, then go to worldwinner, create a new account, sign in, upgrade to a cash player, fund your account with $20 (paypal via your ING account). They'll instantly double your initial deposit. You can withdraw your cash back to your paypal account at any time and move it back to your ING account. Gain so far: $70 (11.7%)
Now, admittedly, this is quite a bit of work for $70, but it will all take less than an hour. An hour that you're probably on the clock for anyhow, and a guaranteed rate of return like that just can't be beat. A quick search can probably turn up a few more sign up bonuses. Here's one that won't cost you anything to sign up for and pays $25 (is due to expire May 15th, 2008, but has been extended before)
If you take advantage of all of these offers your gain will now be $95. If you are a frequent traveler to Hawaii - or even a not-so frequent traveler, but live in a Hawaiian Airlines gateway city on the mainland, here's a way to get a round-trip ticket to Hawaii and one inter-island ticket for $100. First go to Hawaiian Air and sign up for a frequent flier account. Then get and use the Bank of Hawaii Hawaiian Airlines visa card and use it once for a bonus of 20,000 miles ($50 annual fee) do the same thing for the Bank of America Hawaiian Airlines visa for 20,000 more miles (another $50 annual fee). By following these steps, you have earned 40,000 miles on Hawaiian Airlines. Enough for one R/T from the mainland (35,000 miles) and one inter-island flight (5,000 miles) or enough for eight inter-island flights. These are both good deals for certain people. I just did a quick search, a flight from Las Vegas to Kona is ~450 each way. It's hard to quantify the value of frequent flier miles, but free frequent flier miles.com - an expert on miles and their value values them at 1.6 cents each, valuing these 40,000 miles at $640. I also recently priced a three-leg island hopping airfare at $204 or 15,000 miles, which would value these miles at $544 total dollars - so let's go with that - you get $544 dollars worth of something for $100 dollars (only $5 of it was your own money)...you could figure a gain here of $439 on your original $600 or 73.17%. Warren Buffet and George Soros are trembling with fear!
4/14/08
You've got to be kidding me....
...since there isn't much Antarctic news, I figure I'd post this tidbit.
One thing I've learned is that the primary ingredient for success is courage. You just have to be willing to put whatever it is you have out there. Marsha often reminds me that 90% of success is just showing up. Without further adieu here it is:
One thing I've learned is that the primary ingredient for success is courage. You just have to be willing to put whatever it is you have out there. Marsha often reminds me that 90% of success is just showing up. Without further adieu here it is:
Here's a link to the product sales page: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000QGCKPG/thingamababy-20
Somebody actually found a market for this crap! I just have to say, you have no right to bitch about high gas prices, foreclosures or anything else related to the economy if you're spending your money on crap like this. And chances are, you are...think about it.
3/31/08
mostly just a test post
From my flickr account. I really like this photo and I've been doing a lot of work to it in GIMP (the Linux equivalent of photoshop)
3/28/08
Halfway there!
So...someone on the ice made a spreadsheet called "the donut of misery", probably for one of those stupid "fun with excel" classes or something. Lots of people used it, I never paid much attention. This last season, I was shown a cuter version of the same thing called "penguin timer"...it's really kind of silly too. Anyhow, it provides a countdown of sorts for when one is leaving the ice. I have now surpassed the halfway point...It's all downhill from here.
3/27/08
Sunset and Dinner
This post is about a week overdue...I guess it's a good thing that I'm too busy to be posting all the time. Anyhow, sunset, being only a once per year event is sort of a big deal. There's quite a bit of science behind when the sun will actually set. Many variables including how tall the observer is, what the atmosphere is doing...many other things play a role in when the sun will actually not be visible anymore. The only constant is the time of the equinox - that time when both poles see exactly half of the sun...barring any atmospheric impact and assuming a perfectly spherical earth. Theoretically, from that point it would take about 16 hours for the sun to disappear below the horizon...but that is without the aforementioned variables. The short story here is that "sunset" is a moving target. This year, thick cloud cover set in and so the sunset was mostly obscured and the sun mostly sneaked out of sight unnoticed. A couple of people got pictures during some rare breaks in the clouds...they're not mine to post here, so I won't.
The occasion of sunset is somewhat of a holiday here and as is the case with any holiday, it was marked with a hearty meal, copious libations and a festive mood. Some people dressed up for the celebration, others, including myself, just put on a clean T-shirt that didn't have the word "fuck" on it anywhere (quite a challenge to find) The meal itself was remarkable. There were several choices including lobster and tenderloin, which was awfully hard to pass up in favor of grilled salmon with boysenberry gastric served on a bed of wild mushroom and quinoa pilaf. It was delicious! Harsh continent indeed.
Oh, the only thing missing was my darling, wonderful girlfriend - Marsha
The occasion of sunset is somewhat of a holiday here and as is the case with any holiday, it was marked with a hearty meal, copious libations and a festive mood. Some people dressed up for the celebration, others, including myself, just put on a clean T-shirt that didn't have the word "fuck" on it anywhere (quite a challenge to find) The meal itself was remarkable. There were several choices including lobster and tenderloin, which was awfully hard to pass up in favor of grilled salmon with boysenberry gastric served on a bed of wild mushroom and quinoa pilaf. It was delicious! Harsh continent indeed.
No card tables here - kids get to sit at the "grown-up" tables
Dinner show?
Oh, the only thing missing was my darling, wonderful girlfriend - Marsha
3/14/08
Water, water everywhere, but not a thing to shower with...
My friend Ken told me I remind him of the character in "Lord of War" played by Nicolas Cage and allegedly inspired by the real life Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout who was recently arrested in Thailand. Having been mildly interested in the story of this person, and also having some sort of unexplained fascination with prison life, hearing this story sparked some sort of interest in reading prison stories...specifically stories from Thai prisons. My search led me to a book which I will have to add to my "must read" list titled "The Damage Done" about an Aussie heroin dealer who got caught in Thailand and spent 12 years in prison there. It also took me to a Thai prison blog, where I read one person's account of what is allegedly the worst prison system on earth. I chortled heartily when I read what seemed like a complaint about the shower:
"The water is turned on for 2.5 minutes for you to wet your entire body. Then it is turned off while you then soap yourself quickly. Then the water is turned back on for another 2.5 minutes for you to wash off the soap. You have to be quick because you don’t get a second chance."
And from what I gather, this is part of the daily routine. I just can't muster up any sympathy for him. Antarctica contains 70% of the earth's freshwater and 90% of the earth's ice. The B-15 iceberg alone, which made news in 2005, contains more than 1000 trillion gallons of water. That is an amount completely unfathomable to me, but by the estimation of leading glaciologists familiar with B-15, that is enough water to cover all of the land on earth with .5 inches of water - or 5 inches of water on all of the agricultural land on earth. And B-15 is but a sliver of the total mass of ice on the continent. Here at the South Pole, the ice is two miles thick and goes on for as far as the eye can see in all directions. The point I'm driving at here is that there's a hell of a lot of water in this "desert". Unfortunately, that water is locked in ice, and it takes heat to get it. It costs a great deal of money to generate the heat required to melt ice. Therefore, every person on station is limited to two two-minute showers per week. Believe me when I say that a two minute shower is very much less than satisfying.
My heart bleeds for you Mr. Thai Prisoner.
"The water is turned on for 2.5 minutes for you to wet your entire body. Then it is turned off while you then soap yourself quickly. Then the water is turned back on for another 2.5 minutes for you to wash off the soap. You have to be quick because you don’t get a second chance."
And from what I gather, this is part of the daily routine. I just can't muster up any sympathy for him. Antarctica contains 70% of the earth's freshwater and 90% of the earth's ice. The B-15 iceberg alone, which made news in 2005, contains more than 1000 trillion gallons of water. That is an amount completely unfathomable to me, but by the estimation of leading glaciologists familiar with B-15, that is enough water to cover all of the land on earth with .5 inches of water - or 5 inches of water on all of the agricultural land on earth. And B-15 is but a sliver of the total mass of ice on the continent. Here at the South Pole, the ice is two miles thick and goes on for as far as the eye can see in all directions. The point I'm driving at here is that there's a hell of a lot of water in this "desert". Unfortunately, that water is locked in ice, and it takes heat to get it. It costs a great deal of money to generate the heat required to melt ice. Therefore, every person on station is limited to two two-minute showers per week. Believe me when I say that a two minute shower is very much less than satisfying.
My heart bleeds for you Mr. Thai Prisoner.
3/6/08
A big shout out to the fiscally irresponsible
So...went ahead and did my taxes today...knowing that I have a refund coming, I can't believe I procrastinated this long. I did need to put forth some effort to gather some of the required documents, but it turned out being much easier than I had thought. Anyhow, my refund is now on the way, but I digress. The real point of this post is to thank the millions of Americans who just had to keep up with the Joneses and buy houses which they didn't really have the means to pay for. Because of this, there is apparently a "mortgage crisis" in America and the government has decided to introduce an economic stimulus program. What this means is that myself and many other Americans are going to get a $600 check, which we are probably expected to use to buy lead infused crap from wal-mart with to stimulate the economy. It's kind of a joke, $600 really doesn't go far but for my part, I'm promptly depositing it in a savings account in New Zealand (paying in excess of 10%), and with the interest earned on that $600 by the time I get off this godforsaken hunk of ice it will have accrued enough interest that I can use that interest to purchase a cigar* which was rolled on the thighs of a 15 year old Cuban virgin. My fiscally irresponsible contemporaries will probably already have thrown away the broken piece of whatever they bought with their check by that time. While I do appreciate the check, that's not really what the "thank you" is for. The thank you is for the extension in unemployment insurance. Seems because you can't pay your mortgage, my unemployment insurance benefits can be extended for 26 weeks BEYOND when they would normally run out. I will be taking advantage of this. Takes me back to my trip a few years ago....living on the beach in a demi-mansion with two housekeepers, a gardner a poolboy and a cook..all the while, collecting unemployment (hey, nobody wants to hire someone who's just going to quit on them in a few weeks to go back to Antarctica)...ah the good life. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
Will work for ski pass!
*I don't really get what the big deal is about Cuban cigars, but I can get 'em(well, not today but..) and you can't so neener neener
Will work for ski pass!
*I don't really get what the big deal is about Cuban cigars, but I can get 'em(well, not today but..) and you can't so neener neener
2/25/08
The Power Plant
I just thought I'd put a few pictures of the South Pole power plant on here and include some technical specs and a quick rundown of what it is, exactly, that I'm doing here. The plant consists of three Caterpillar 3512B generators with a nameplate rating of 1015kW (derated to 750kW for altitude). These engines are twin turbocharged, aftercooled, mechanical/electronic unit fuel injected. They have a 6.7" bore and a 7.5" stroke with a total displacement of 3158 cubic inches (51.8L).
There is also a Caterpillar 3406 ("peaker") in the plant. Normally, only one of the big engines is running, and if demand goes above 675kW for one hour, the "peaker" will start to carry part of the load. With one running, one can be in backup mode and the other down for maintenance..which is where I come in. Myself and two other people provide 24 hour/day coverage in the plant and perform any preventive or corrective maintenance on the engines. We also perform checks of the engines and heating systems every two hours. The engine coolant is routed through a heat exchanger which provides heat to the station, so we keep an eye on all of the engine cooling/station heating systems in addition to electricity production.
Pictured above and below are the individual "heat rejection skids" for the engines and various other station heating piping
Below is the switchgear for one of the generators, each one has its own and there is a master controller in the "control room" (of all places)
Here is one of the 3512B generators
There is also a Caterpillar 3406 ("peaker") in the plant. Normally, only one of the big engines is running, and if demand goes above 675kW for one hour, the "peaker" will start to carry part of the load. With one running, one can be in backup mode and the other down for maintenance..which is where I come in. Myself and two other people provide 24 hour/day coverage in the plant and perform any preventive or corrective maintenance on the engines. We also perform checks of the engines and heating systems every two hours. The engine coolant is routed through a heat exchanger which provides heat to the station, so we keep an eye on all of the engine cooling/station heating systems in addition to electricity production.
Inside the Power Plant
Pictured above and below are the individual "heat rejection skids" for the engines and various other station heating piping
Below is the switchgear for one of the generators, each one has its own and there is a master controller in the "control room" (of all places)
2/11/08
Pole
Well, I've been at the South Pole for about a week now and settling in. The physical elevation here is 9,300 ft, add to that the effect of being at the end of the earth...all the air is forced towards the equator by the spinning of the earth, and the physiological elevation can be quite high...currently floating around the 10,900 ft. mark. I've been short of breath and I had a maddening headache for the first day or so that I was here, but I'm feeling fairly well now. I'm really excited about the new job. Something about being around big engines excites me. I am working midnight to 8 am (or 10 am some days) and will be just about the only person on nights after Friday. Friday is the last day for flights out of here until late October or early November...so if I can just hang on until Friday...they can't even fire me :) When I got here, it was -45 and has gotten colder, that's probably the warmest I will see until I leave.
More to follow
More to follow
1/25/08
And on the 12th day...
...I was finally reunited with my underwear. WAIS divide turned out to be an exceptionally cool field camp filled with wonderful people. The ice-coring drill rig was super impressive, the food remarkable (just about the best piece of salmon I've ever eaten)...A nice break from the daily grind here. I feel very fortunate to have gotten to go.
Camp
A couple shots of the drill arch
Infinity:
Camp
1/12/08
Seven days, one underwear
Today looks like it'll be the day. Good weather here, good weather there. In other news:
Pimp my 5-ton:
A couple of the folks from the shop took a truck that looked like this:
And made it look like this:
Then they parked it at the MAAG (McMurdo alternative art gathering).
I thought this statement of taking the piss out of the rules was absolutely brilliant (maybe you have to be here)
Then there was my entry. It's "ant art" (look closely)
For me, this was the highlight of the show. A custom chopper mobile:
Pimp my 5-ton:
A couple of the folks from the shop took a truck that looked like this:
And made it look like this:
Then they parked it at the MAAG (McMurdo alternative art gathering).
I thought this statement of taking the piss out of the rules was absolutely brilliant (maybe you have to be here)
Then there was my entry. It's "ant art" (look closely)
For me, this was the highlight of the show. A custom chopper mobile:
1/10/08
WX CX
WX CX is some sort of shorthand for weather cancellation. I've been a victim of WX CX for five days now. Sunday I bag-dragged for my flight to WAIS...it's a process that everyone that flies via fixed wing aircraft goes through here in Antarctica. It involves packing ones clothing/gear whatever you will need for the trip and dropping it off with the cargo folks to be palletized and shipped to your destination. Now since I plan on being gone for two weeks I packed all of my underwear (about a weeks worth really) in my bags. Because I have been weather delayed since Sunday, I also have the same underwear as I did then.
Day one of WX CX transport was supposed to be at 09:00 so I slept in and didn't bother going to work. The flight was canceled by 08:00 so I sauntered on into work. My work clothes, etc were packed of course so I had to make due with what I had.
Day two transport was at 09:00, then moved to 15:30 and eventually canceled.
Day three the weather got wicked bad in McMurdo (previous weather problems were at destination). We had a full on storm with high winds and copious (for here) amounts of snow. Flight times were listed as "TBD" and eventually canceled.
However, this wasn't all bad as this was the day that the psych eval team was here so I was able to get that done for winter. It was rather ordealish. I may write about it later but to get a glimpse of what it's all about check out big dead place. You can do a text search on that page (try ctrl-f with most browsers) for "winter psyche eval" It's hilarious. Anyhow, I emerged with less than a warm fuzzy feeling about getting the 'nod' to winter over. It appears that I'm a wee bit outside the lines of what voodoo science sees as "normal".
Day four: All flights canceled. Laundry where I proudly used a full size washer to wash a pair of socks and a pair of underwear.
Day five: Transport at 17:30, eventually changed to "TBD" then "indefinite weather delay" then finally WX CX which is where I am now with time to post.
A little bit about WAIS - in a nutshell it is a deep ice core project. Samples are being taken to collect data on environmental change over the last ~100,000 years. You can read more about it here.
Day one of WX CX transport was supposed to be at 09:00 so I slept in and didn't bother going to work. The flight was canceled by 08:00 so I sauntered on into work. My work clothes, etc were packed of course so I had to make due with what I had.
Day two transport was at 09:00, then moved to 15:30 and eventually canceled.
Day three the weather got wicked bad in McMurdo (previous weather problems were at destination). We had a full on storm with high winds and copious (for here) amounts of snow. Flight times were listed as "TBD" and eventually canceled.
However, this wasn't all bad as this was the day that the psych eval team was here so I was able to get that done for winter. It was rather ordealish. I may write about it later but to get a glimpse of what it's all about check out big dead place. You can do a text search on that page (try ctrl-f with most browsers) for "winter psyche eval" It's hilarious. Anyhow, I emerged with less than a warm fuzzy feeling about getting the 'nod' to winter over. It appears that I'm a wee bit outside the lines of what voodoo science sees as "normal".
Day four: All flights canceled. Laundry where I proudly used a full size washer to wash a pair of socks and a pair of underwear.
Day five: Transport at 17:30, eventually changed to "TBD" then "indefinite weather delay" then finally WX CX which is where I am now with time to post.
A little bit about WAIS - in a nutshell it is a deep ice core project. Samples are being taken to collect data on environmental change over the last ~100,000 years. You can read more about it here.
1/5/08
What I've been up to:
So...an update on where I am, what I've been doing and where I'm going.
There hasn't been much activity on here since September; partly because I've been extremely busy. Work has been very hectic and I've managed to fill my free time up with things other than writing/blogging/surfing. I have weekly Spanish group, sports leagues, a Wednesday night radio show with Marsha (we DJ a show called uncommon ground which revolves around our distaste for each others musical interests), going to travelogues, hosting a travelogue, teaching juggling and practicing juggling. Also, it seems like less of an adventure being here this time. Nothing is new, fresh and exciting so I don't feel compelled to write about it. That is about to change, however. On Monday, I am scheduled to go to WAIS. WAIS stands for West Antarctic Ice Sheet, it's a deep field camp and I will be there for two weeks (give or take) filling in for the camp mechanic who is currently gone. Very soon after that I will be off to Pole for the winter (provided I pass the psych eval and don't bail out at the last minute). I'm actually getting very excited about being there for the winter.
The Russia gig is starting to lose its appeal. The process for getting a security clearance has become arduous and that is compounded by my being in Antarctica. One step of the process is submitting a set of fingerprints and there is no fingerprint ink or law enforcement here and I'm running out of time. If I don't manage to get it done in the next few weeks, then mail will stop moving until I leave in November. Also, much of the contact information that I have provided in the questionnaire for people who can verify my employment and residence here will have changed so I will have to fill the questionnaire out again. Anyhow, I am starting to think of alternate plans if I don't get my security clearance done. Taking a year off to chase snow and surf is very high on that list.
I haven't taken many pictures this year, but if you want to see some good ice pics check out Aeon Jones on Flickr.
That's about it for now. Maybe I will be inspired by something at WAIS or Pole to write about.
There hasn't been much activity on here since September; partly because I've been extremely busy. Work has been very hectic and I've managed to fill my free time up with things other than writing/blogging/surfing. I have weekly Spanish group, sports leagues, a Wednesday night radio show with Marsha (we DJ a show called uncommon ground which revolves around our distaste for each others musical interests), going to travelogues, hosting a travelogue, teaching juggling and practicing juggling. Also, it seems like less of an adventure being here this time. Nothing is new, fresh and exciting so I don't feel compelled to write about it. That is about to change, however. On Monday, I am scheduled to go to WAIS. WAIS stands for West Antarctic Ice Sheet, it's a deep field camp and I will be there for two weeks (give or take) filling in for the camp mechanic who is currently gone. Very soon after that I will be off to Pole for the winter (provided I pass the psych eval and don't bail out at the last minute). I'm actually getting very excited about being there for the winter.
The Russia gig is starting to lose its appeal. The process for getting a security clearance has become arduous and that is compounded by my being in Antarctica. One step of the process is submitting a set of fingerprints and there is no fingerprint ink or law enforcement here and I'm running out of time. If I don't manage to get it done in the next few weeks, then mail will stop moving until I leave in November. Also, much of the contact information that I have provided in the questionnaire for people who can verify my employment and residence here will have changed so I will have to fill the questionnaire out again. Anyhow, I am starting to think of alternate plans if I don't get my security clearance done. Taking a year off to chase snow and surf is very high on that list.
I haven't taken many pictures this year, but if you want to see some good ice pics check out Aeon Jones on Flickr.
That's about it for now. Maybe I will be inspired by something at WAIS or Pole to write about.
9/4/07
How do penguins stay warm?
The very reason for my being in Antarctica isn't to take helicopter or airplane rides to remote locations. There's more to Antarctica than fixing antiquated machinery and having unique experiences. The reason we're all really here is the pursuit of knowledge. At the very heart of this pursuit is scientific research. Every discipline of science is represented here in one way or another. The ozone hole, the ocean, glaciers, rocks, meteors, ice cores, seals, fish and tiny invisible particles are all studied here with equal fervor. It's easy to forget that our main purpose here isn't to support ourselves, but rather to support this pursuit of knowledge. On the all-star line up of things being studied are penguins. They are an ideal icon for the research being done in Antarctica. They're cute, photogenic and truly representative of this special place. There are many species of penguins in the world but the most well known ones are closely associated with extremely cold environments. Humans can benefit greatly by learning how penguins survive in these extreme conditions.
So how do they do it? How can penguins survive in the brutal conditions that Antarctica dishes out? Here's what scientists have discovered about penguins: First, they have feathers. Feathers are an effective insulator. Penguin feathers aren't like feathers on other birds. Rather than being large and flat, they're short with a fine woolly, downy under-layer. Also, they overlap and give a streamlined effect in the water and have excellent wind shedding capabilities on land. Penguins can fluff their feathers when it gets extremely cold, thereby trapping more warm air and increasing their insulation. The feathers also are very effective at shedding water when the bird emerges from the water.
Feathers are great on land, but penguins spend more time in the water than they do on land so they need additional protection. Mother nature's best internal insulator is fat. Blubber keeps all warm blooded, cold water mammals operational at temperatures as cold as 25.8 degrees F (the freezing temperature of sea water).
Size also plays an important role in heat retention. The larger something is, the less surface area it will have in relation to it volume. Think of a shot glass for example. A shot glass contains a lot of glass for relatively small portion of liquid. A beer glass on the other hand holds much more liquid in relation to the amount of glass. The math goes something like this (using cubes instead of glasses):
A 1 inch cube:
Volume is 1"x1"x1" = 1 cubic inch
and the surface area is equal to 6 faces of 1 inch x 1 inch so 6 x(1x1) = 6 square inches so for every 1 cubic inch of volume, there is 6 square inches of surface area from which to lose heat.
A 3 inch cube:
Volume is 3" x 3" x 3" = 27 cubic inches
the surface area is equal to 6 faces of 3 inches x 3 inches or 6 x(3x3) or 54 square inches which is only twice the volume so that for every inch of volume, there are only 2 square inches of surface area from which to lose heat.
The take home message is that a larger body will retain more heat.
Body design also plays a key role in heat retention. Penguins flippers and feet have a lot of surface area and are subject to great amounts of heat loss, but the muscles that control these appendages are located more closely to the core of the animal. The muscles control the feet and flippers through a complex array of tendons (kind of like a marionette), minimizing blood flow and heat loss to the feet and flippers.
Besides individual mechanisms, penguins also have social mechanisms to aid their survival. They huddle together to stay warm. It's an extension of the larger body idea. Scientific calculations estimate that emperor burn half as much body fat by huddling than they would if they remained solitary. This enables them to survive the entire winter without eating.
So how do they do it? How can penguins survive in the brutal conditions that Antarctica dishes out? Here's what scientists have discovered about penguins: First, they have feathers. Feathers are an effective insulator. Penguin feathers aren't like feathers on other birds. Rather than being large and flat, they're short with a fine woolly, downy under-layer. Also, they overlap and give a streamlined effect in the water and have excellent wind shedding capabilities on land. Penguins can fluff their feathers when it gets extremely cold, thereby trapping more warm air and increasing their insulation. The feathers also are very effective at shedding water when the bird emerges from the water.
Feathers are great on land, but penguins spend more time in the water than they do on land so they need additional protection. Mother nature's best internal insulator is fat. Blubber keeps all warm blooded, cold water mammals operational at temperatures as cold as 25.8 degrees F (the freezing temperature of sea water).
Size also plays an important role in heat retention. The larger something is, the less surface area it will have in relation to it volume. Think of a shot glass for example. A shot glass contains a lot of glass for relatively small portion of liquid. A beer glass on the other hand holds much more liquid in relation to the amount of glass. The math goes something like this (using cubes instead of glasses):
A 1 inch cube:
Volume is 1"x1"x1" = 1 cubic inch
and the surface area is equal to 6 faces of 1 inch x 1 inch so 6 x(1x1) = 6 square inches so for every 1 cubic inch of volume, there is 6 square inches of surface area from which to lose heat.
A 3 inch cube:
Volume is 3" x 3" x 3" = 27 cubic inches
the surface area is equal to 6 faces of 3 inches x 3 inches or 6 x(3x3) or 54 square inches which is only twice the volume so that for every inch of volume, there are only 2 square inches of surface area from which to lose heat.
The take home message is that a larger body will retain more heat.
Body design also plays a key role in heat retention. Penguins flippers and feet have a lot of surface area and are subject to great amounts of heat loss, but the muscles that control these appendages are located more closely to the core of the animal. The muscles control the feet and flippers through a complex array of tendons (kind of like a marionette), minimizing blood flow and heat loss to the feet and flippers.
Besides individual mechanisms, penguins also have social mechanisms to aid their survival. They huddle together to stay warm. It's an extension of the larger body idea. Scientific calculations estimate that emperor burn half as much body fat by huddling than they would if they remained solitary. This enables them to survive the entire winter without eating.
Cuteness doesn't generate heat
The Big Red
Nothing knew to post....butt I Phelt the knead to put something hear so this isit. i Have a "big red" Parka
that is insulated with goose down. If goose down is such a good insulator, you've gotta wonder why geese fly south for the winter. Made you think didn't I?
Marsha in her Big Red
that is insulated with goose down. If goose down is such a good insulator, you've gotta wonder why geese fly south for the winter. Made you think didn't I?
8/27/07
Coming soon to a television near you...
The South Pole Project:
In the South Pole, temperatures can drop to more than 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Now, witness as engineers go up against staggering odds to build a 160,000-square-foot, high-tech science facility in this frozen wasteland. Through exclusive access granted by the National Science Foundation, NGC"s cameras give viewers a glimpse of the intense danger & physical challenges of working in one of most inhospitable places on the planet.
source: The National Geographic Channel
Looks like it airs on the evening of September 6th, 12a on the 7th and again at 1pm on the 8th (I'm assuming times are EST..?)
Watch the show and see where I'll be spending February through November of '08. I've alluded to it before, but I've signed a 14 month contract. The first half of it is the normal McMurdo contract that I've been doing, the 2nd half I will be the Power Plant Mechanic at the South Pole. I'll be wintering with approximately 54 other people, completely isolated from the world for 8 months (or so)
tape it for me and send it down :)
In the South Pole, temperatures can drop to more than 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Now, witness as engineers go up against staggering odds to build a 160,000-square-foot, high-tech science facility in this frozen wasteland. Through exclusive access granted by the National Science Foundation, NGC"s cameras give viewers a glimpse of the intense danger & physical challenges of working in one of most inhospitable places on the planet.
source: The National Geographic Channel
Looks like it airs on the evening of September 6th, 12a on the 7th and again at 1pm on the 8th (I'm assuming times are EST..?)
Watch the show and see where I'll be spending February through November of '08. I've alluded to it before, but I've signed a 14 month contract. The first half of it is the normal McMurdo contract that I've been doing, the 2nd half I will be the Power Plant Mechanic at the South Pole. I'll be wintering with approximately 54 other people, completely isolated from the world for 8 months (or so)
tape it for me and send it down :)
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