What will we stand for (or against)?

“Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas, has it been five years?  Six?  It seems like a lifetime, the kind of peak that never comes again.  San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world, whatever it meant…

   There was madness in any direction, at any hour.  You could strike sparks anywhere.  There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning…

   And that, I think, was the handle – that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil.  Not in any mean or military sense, we didn’t need that.  Our energy would simply prevail.  We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave…

  So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look west, and with the right kind of eyes you can see the high-water mark – that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.”  - HST "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (the motion picture)

 

Strange memories on this crappy, rainy night in Christchurch, has it been three years?  Four?  It seems like a lifetime, the kind of project that never comes again.  The South Pole in the first decade of the 2000s was a very special time and place to be a part of, but no explanation, no mix of words or pictures or procedures can touch that sense of knowing you were there and alive (and freezing your ass off) in that corner of time and the world, whatever it meant… 

There was snow and ice in every direction, on any day.  You could get frostbitten anywhere.  There was a fantastic universal sense that, although IceCube was a resource hog and the 800 lb. gorilla in the room, whatever you were doing was right, that IceCube was going to discover real science…

But does real science matter any more?  Maybe it has always been like this and I am finally opening my eyes (now that I have another, younger set of eyes to protect) but the world today, the "global climate", seems to be one crisis after another - an unending chain of brutal events, linked together by hate, religion and 24 hr media cycles.  What do we do about it?  Where do we jump on the merry-go-round and scream "This is enough!"?

The last few generations of "kids", specifically americans has been a colossal disapointment to the rest of the world, letting too many government blunders slide and giving up on the ideal of the press being an impartial & important part of a free world.  These generations start with Gen X (me) and extend through Gen Y, Z (if there is one) and the Millenials.  None of these kids has stood up for what is right, against what is wrong or gathered, en masse, to decide if they even know what is right or wrong.  We are all confused by the media and lulled into a sense of complacency by technology, video games and high-fructose corn syrup.  When was the last great american sit-in?  When was the last time a large mass of people made a stand that actually lead to change?  Where are the Watts riots of 1965?  The Detroit riots of 1967?  Maybe these are all events that were read about and not experienced... how about this one:  Where are the "peaceful" sit-in against Dow Chemical circa 1967 Madison, WI?  Today's graduates and generation not only would welcome Dow to town, but would be fighting for a place in line to get a job.  What happened to the San Francisco social scene of the late sixties/early seventies?  Things are not right in the US today - nor in the world - and we are all too busy to make a stand.

Has the machine finally won?  Is this the final stroke of the rise to power of the government/media/warmongers?  When will we decide to put our personal pursuits of comfort, possesions and status aside to conquer what is Old and Evil to make better times for the Good and Young?  This is a repeat of the sixties/early seventies in the US and we need to take a step back and decide where our efforts, energies and resources are best spent.

“Sheisters live from scheme to scheme,

but my 4^th quarter pipe dreams,

are seeming more and more worth fighting for.

So, I’ll curate some situations,

make my job a big vacation,

and I’ll say f*%k Bush and f#@k this war…”

- Kimya Dawson, “Loose Lips”, Juno Soundtrack

What keeps me going?

This should be short... but sweet indeed.


So, (did you ever notice that most sconnies - maybe 95% - start their sentences with "so..."), anyway, so, I just got off of another skype video conference with Christine and Mikey. If anybody is wondering, "How does he do it down there? What keeps him going?" That's it... I get to see the two reasons for living every other week or so. I get to hear them laughing together and I get to see him trying to crawl... almost there buddy, keep it up!... I get to feel like I'm there and a part of their lives, even though I'm over 9000 miles away. Everyone say that, "over nine THOUSAND miles away... wow, that's a large number. 9000 of anything is alot, but miles, they're huge, and so may of them.



Anyway, before I get too lost, I'll post a few pictures to show you what I mean, what keeps me going, what puts a smile on my face, even though I have to go outside, to work, everyday, when its -20F... that's all I have to say for now. Enjoy the pictures, I know I will.


Look how tall I am...

Almost crawling...






And smiles all around...

Where do I start?

Well, its been a long while since my last post. This is due to consistant & steady work, combined with lethargy and longing for home. It is true that we are working diligently to get to our stretch goal of 19 strings (which we will do ahead of schedule) but some things hve changed. I am now a solo-cable guy with the departure of Claire in late December and Tim moving to night shift to be deployment lead (although Tim is still a big part of the cable duties that get done... thanks a ton, Tim). The point is that now I am mostly working alone during the day, which is a double-edged sword. I like working alone, I can concentrate on the task at hand, but I dislike being alone, in the middle of nowhere, away from my family. But that will change soon! I am scheduled to leave the South Pole on the 27th of Jan (two weeks!) and after a night in McMurdo and a couple in Christchurch, I should be home on the 30th or the 31st.

On that note, let me catch you up on the last few weeks...

There have been quite a few goings-on around here, a birthday (mine), new years celebration, and drill baby drill! When I last left off we were preparing for a New Years Eve celebration of unmatched proportions and enthusiasm. My birthday here was quiet and pleasant without too much pomp and circumstance. It was a day of rest to mentally and physically prepare for the celeration to follow.

The 30th started off like any other South Pole day. A little overcast but temps around a scorching -5F. As the wind picked up a little, small ice crystals started to form in the air (I know, you might want to call them snowflakes, but they're not quite snow). Here they're known as diamond dust. They are what gives rise to one of the most stunning and spectacular natural phenomena, Sun Dogs. These are common to Antarctica but almost non-existant to the rest of the world. The crystals create an optical effect when they are blown past the sun, causing rainbows, bright spots and bright lines to appear. Words cannot possibly do these events justice, in fact, these pictures barely give an idea to the awe they inspire. I thought of these as my own personal birthday gift from God.

So you ask, "How could you possibly follow that up with anything better?" Well, how about a 104 degree hot tub, big enough for 60 of your closest friends? That will do just fine. The swing shift and night shift drillers worked diligently to prepare, fill and maintain the pool, while babysitting all the celebrators that came to partake (and par-tay).




Here's your author with a perma-grin and a hat full of scotch.

So, for two days, we got to forget what we were supposed to be doing and, for a while, where we were. It was a much needed interlude to a season that is shaping up to be 120% of the season we were planning (in about 95% of the time).

Now that we are two weeks into the new year, we have deployed 5 more stings and will deploy the 6th tomorrow (probably before anyone in the real world reads this). The drillers will take a day or two off and then the home stretch of 3 more holes will be started around Thursday or Friday.

Christine & Mikey - hey sweetie, hang in there... I'm coming home soon! I miss you lots and cant wait to be home. Love you both... lots!