Letters

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9 Feb 2003

BDP,
ATS has lost yet another Air Traffic Controller, we've almost completely run out. The exact reason for the quitting is unknown, although the belief is that the work schedule is out of control and is only getting worse due to lack of personnel. The total of controllers lost this season is seven.

FNG Winter-over

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7 Feb

Dear BDP,
I have some info on the Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) that quit a month ago. All ATCs work for USAP under a subcontract. The hiring company is called Scientific Research Corporation, or SRC, based out of Charleston, SC, and is regulated by a government organization called Space and Naval Warfare Systems, or SPAWAR, and operates on the ice under the guise of Aviation Technical Services, or ATS. You can already see the problems of too many chiefs, not enough indians. SRC subcontractors have to answer to SPAWAR (govt) "managers" who are regulated by NSF (more govt) personnel. The problem with ATS (SRC & SPAWAR personnel) is that all of the people are former military, and have a bad habit of "leading from the rear". Meaning most of the decisions made for ATS people on the ice are being made from behind a desk in balmy Charleston, SC.

Now to get to the point - Five ATCs quit a month ago. One got a job with the FAA; one quit due to a feared safety risk posed by the wretched and inhumane shift they were working (8 hrs on, 8 off, 8 on, 32 off, repeat.) The reason stated was that because of hours worked, [Runway] Tower Personnel were "walking zombies" and were going to make a mistake and cause an accident. He simply got out before it happened. The other three jumped on the quitting bandwagon stating they were "fed up with the bullshit". ATS is a seperate entity from Raytheon and fear they are viewed by the rest of the "Raytheon community" as "elitist" because they don't have to attend town meetings or put up with any of HR's crap. Their workload is also not as high as many normal RPSC employees. Their job is strictly to support the guard/reserve in completing their sorties. It's an unwanted job by Raytheon which is why it went to a subcontractor. Last year the contract came up for bid and the only other interested party was Raytheon. They looked at it and basically said they didn't want to deal with it and so the contract remains with SPAWAR. It is the opinion of several ATS employees that if it weren't for the gov't (SPAWAR) overseers the job would get done just fine and there would be less quitting taking place. Since the quittings, the SPAWAR employees who are down here have had to start manning the tower as well as Mac Center instead of just managing from their desk. Almost overnight the schedule got changed to where the tower would close if there were a long enough break in schedulecd aircraft and they have since ceased that 8 on, 8 off shift. Just thought I'd give a little clarification on that whole issue.

Best regards,
FNG Winter-over

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6 Feb 03

Big Dead Place,
I have recently been liberated from the frozen pond and would like to relay an idyllic scene from the CDC [Clothing Distribution Center, in Christchurch]. Several of us were running with fully-loaded luggage carts, purposely crashing into each other. After one particularly nasty fall, an ex-grunt, bruised and bloody, joyously shouted from the ground, "I don't have to be safe anymore!" It has been a happy few days.

Thanks for keeping it in perspective and reminding us why we don't want to go back.

J

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5 Feb 03

It lifts my spirits to see that you folks have created a site dedicated to the realities of the NSF and RPSC. Again I find myself experiencing flashbacks to DA life, crawling around the galley floor on hands and knees to pick up crab-leg pieces following 2002's Christmas "dinner".

Best of luck in your efforts,
Pedro

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4 Feb 03

BDP...here's another one,

"Lunch for Four is being brought to you as part of the recommendations from the Teambuilding & Respect Employee Opinion Survey IPT. This will be maintained under the Polar Morale Committee."

Herman Nelson

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31 Jan 03

One morning, at about 6:30 AM, I walked into the Galley, ordered my eggs and, as is my custom, walked to the toaster while my eggs were being cooked. At the toaster I encountered a man whom I immediately assumed to be a DV because of the impeccable cleanliness of his clothing. He was wearing a sharp New York Yankees hat which I commented on since I was a fan in my youth.

The DV was bent at the waist and staring into the toaster. "I seem to have lost my toast," he said. "Does that happen often?"

"Sure," I replied, "now and then." I figured either his toast had been stolen or else he'd failed to recognize it in its new 'toasted' state when it came out the bottom. This is where I told him what a nice hat he had. As I slid in front of him to place my two pieces of bread behind the little 'safety bar', he eyed me strangely, almost as if he were seeing things for the first time. Then he reached into the bread box, grabbed two slices of bread, and slid them into the toaster behind the safety bar. "I didn't do THAT last time," he said. "Well then," I told him, "you definitely lost your toast."

I walked back to the grill and picked up my eggs. Less than five minutes later the fire alarm went off and the entire galley was cleared. Plates were stacked high in the dish window, bewildered people walked downstairs in their pajamas, the firefighters showed up in full gear with steel pry bars and axes. A DA came out and unplugged the toaster. And the senator from New York rushed out the door, abandoning another serving of toast.

Lightmonkey

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27 Jan 03

Great job with Big Dead Place, it's a great companion to the "wow what a wonderful, beautiful place brimming with amazing and interesting people..." spams I send home. I now just refer people to your site.

Quick question, were the bathrooms [in Exploring Antarctica by Bathroom] ever rated for:
1. Best place to take a dump?
2. Best place to toss your cookies?
3. Best place to change a tampon (guess this wasn't on the guy's minds at the time, but I would be interested to know if brown paper bags were available in all bathrooms)?
4. Best place for a quick shag?

This would really help us all out immenseley, but may inadvertently turn the best places into the worst. Might you except bribes (my banana from breakfast perhaps) for getting the info privately?

Gal on the way OUT (and back, and out and back...)

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20 Jan 03

I drink pop. The cafeteria (I refuse to call it a "galley") serves us water, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemonade, ice tea, and fruit punch. No fountain pop! Why? Because they sell it in the store. So at least it's available.

I am a Pepsi fan. I don't like other colas. Except RC if it has Captain Morgan in it. One time I was in the VMF after a party and grabbed a Pepsi out of a trough. A friend I was with said "Oh, Pepsi! Living dangerously?" I didn't understand until later when I cracked open the can. SCHPsshhhh. Sounded OK. Chug, chug, chug, ahhh refreshing cola chilled to perfection in the natural Antarctic fridge. Wait. Something didn't seem quite right. Then I noticed the flavor. Sugar, acid, and some other flavor that I quite couldn't place. It didn't taste good. Unfortunately I was out in the wild with no place to dump it. I had no choice but to drink it. When I was done, I voiced my disgust. My friend said "Look at the date." August 19, 2001. It was late December, 2002. A little past its expiration date.

When I went to the store to buy some cola, I checked the bottoms of the cans. All the Pepsi was expired. So I switched to Coke. I never drink Coke. But at least it was fresh...er. It tasted OK but not the best. Then a week ago I grabbed a six pack of Coke that looked a little different. Remember the ones from 2000 with Santa on the can? I didn't either. I bought it even though it said 2000 on the front of the can. Santa was smiling; it had to be OK. Wrong. I went back to drinking the Pepsi. Now we have some that expired Aug, 2002. Tastes OK I guess. I have to wonder though... isn't there a law about selling expired food products? Or is this yet another law meant to protect American Citizens that doesn't apply here? Watch out for the boxed milk too.

Cola Classic

Notice also that all the cigarettes sold in the store bear the seal "Tax Exempt For Sale Outside the U.S." and that the Fair Labor Standards Act does not apply regarding overtime wages, while simultaneously the IRS is trying to squeeze Antarctic workers for domestic taxes.

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19 Jan 03

...a quick but true story that occurred minutes before the LC-130 filled with the DVs left McMurdo...

The DV's personal bags were seconds from being loaded on the Herc when I was made privy to the fact that we would have to open a bag to retrieve some personal item. Nothing new here so far, we do it all the time for eyeglasses, medicine, books, etc....But as it turns out, one of the Congressmen freaked out because he had remembered some TRAIL MIX left buried deep inside his new, unused, bright orange ECW bag. The dude was afraid that [New Zealand] Customs was going to give him an anal probe and arrest him on the spot for some snacks that were probably brought down from New Zealand in the first place. After explaining to him the concept of the amnesty box that would be made available to him in Christchurch, he freaked out again. So we pulled his bag from the stack, dug through his stuff (which included a black pair of hush puppies, a few striped button-down polo shirts, some dark brown dockers, and a packet of USAP info) to find a two-ounce bag of peanuts and raisins.

Howler Monkey

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15 Jan 03

Dear Whoever,

I just wanted to take a minute from my already extremely boring day to tell you how much my friends and I really love this web site. When family and friends back home ask what it's like down here, I refer them to Big Dead Place.

Valley Frog

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12 Jan 03

Speaking as the Fire Tech and Duty Electrician here at South Pole Station, I would like to say just one thing, KEEP YOUR FILTHY RAT CLAWS OUT OF MY FIRE ALARM PANELS!!!

While working on the new station here I recently received a technician from Siemens, the system manufacturer. He's from Chile and doesn't have a very good grasp on English. Thank you Raytheon and NSF.

Pole Fire Tech

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11 Jan 03

Dear "Mr. Robert":

This email is to request permission to reprint the story, "Exploring Antarctica by Bathroom," for a coming book titled "The Wonderful World of Shit." Certainly this article explores the Southernmost area to defecate, and so the editor desires its placement in the compilation.

The book will probably not be published until Spring or Fall season, 2004, and we can offer the miserable fee of $50 as compensation.

My small publishing firm can be seen at www.feralhouse.com.

Very truly yours,

Adam Parfrey
Feral House Publishing

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Guys,

I hate to rain on your parade but the greatest ANTARCTIC MOVIE is VIRUS. I just happen to have a DVD copy here in my office and if a representative of your organization would like to view it I would consider loaning it out.

Of course I would not reveal the name of your agent!

David M. Bresnahan
NSF Representative, Antarctica
McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Mr. Bresnahan. We are honored by your offer, but it is far too risky to consider. We are giving you an assignment. Please write a review of the film in question and submit it to submissions@bigdeadplace.com. If this assignment is satisfactory, we may allow you an interview.

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F. Robert,

Chicken!

David M. Bresnahan
NSF Representative, Antarctica
McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Mr. Bresnahan. Reputable sources close to us report that "Virus" is a terrible movie without Antarctic merit of any kind. I eagerly await your review that proves otherwise.

Oh yes, bok bok. I will drop by the office to discuss vintage horror films if you allow Big Dead Place to unconditionally select next season's Artist's and Writer's Grant recipients. They won't be the usual assortment of doe-eyed preschool teachers that NSF prefers, but they'll be professionals. Chicken?

Nice try, thanks for being a sport.

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10 Jan 03

Hey, I don't mind you using my name and I've protected the innocent as best I can. Thanks for a cool site. I cruise it more and more as I get toastier and toastier. 4 1/2 weeks! Then it's draft beer that isn't two years old, and sushi, and Thai food, and sex, and well, you know. Thanks again.

John Bachrach
FNG Crane Operator
South Pole Station

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9 Jan 03

Dear Mr. Robert,

How I enjoyed your blog on Antarctica! Beautiful writing! I smiled through the entire thing! However, in your penultimate paragraph labeled "Workers", you refer to "the hoi polloi". It should read "hoi polloi" or "the polloi" since "hoi" *is* the word for "the" in the nominative plural. "The hoi polloi" is redundant.

Thanks again for some great writing! How I would love to go down there sometime, but alas, can perform no scientific task.

Your very truly,

Lawrence S. Braden

Mr. Braden, thanks for your letter, especially regarding the usage of "hoi polloi". I will make the correction at once. I appreciate your attention to language. However, that you have read this site and continue to believe that working in Antarctica requires a scientific background reveals either a failing on your part to actually read the site, or a failing on my part to describe the non-scientific majority that has inhabited the American stations since the beginning. Alas, you perform no scientific feats, but can you sterilize cutlery?

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9 Jan 03

You're my new hero. Good luck with the publication of Big Dead Place. I look forward to stealing a copy from an out-of-town library.

Mack

You're a petty thief. Go fuck yourself.

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...had a local aquaintance, musician Henry Kaiser, spend time there. His brief mentions of the experience only hinted at the 'delights' your site reveals.

Bishop Joey

Joey, thanks for writing. Mr. Kaiser was a recipient of NSF's Artist's and Writer's Grant. He spent one season in Antarctica and his schedule was not fettered by the mundane details of workaday employment. Like anywhere else, the means by which one enters and lives here lead to vastly different perspectives of the same location. It is a mistake to discount anyone's perspective, just as it is a mistake not to consider how that perspective is influenced.

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7 Jan 03

What a hoot! Love the show -- carry on regardless.

Having sampled the soup from the other side of the hill and having seen what it does to people's constitution, it is good the world should know.

Whoever you are -- I suspect that iceberg-spotting figured highly in your work load -- keep up the good work.

Grump [from New Zealand's Scott Base near McMurdo Station]

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6 Jan 03

Wow, that's a great website. I can tell that you put a lot of thought and work into it. I really liked the Chapter from your book. I do wish that I could have read this before I went down and had to watch fucking [so-and-so] try to install a fire detector with a case of CD [beer] on his shoulder. What a joke. I hear [the Quality Assurance Rep] is still down there as well. That fucking place has more unwarranted egos and backstabbing fucks then anywhere I have ever been.

Well, take care of yourself and keep it real. I hope to hear from you soon. Peace out.

QA Jr.

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5 Jan 03

Here's a little ditty for your Frontierwatch...I think it was for the month of November:

"Head of Logistics awards "Employee of the Month" award to head of Supply department. Both continue to wonder why retention is poor in Supply."

Thanks for the page. It's a little fuzzy ray of sunshine in an otherwise...always light place.

Frontier Watcher

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4 Jan 03

Hi BDP, thanks for the entertainment.

Here's an actual E-mail...Quote:

Hello Everyone,

Effective immediately I will be the POC for NSF/RPSC work center regarding the Raytheon Polar Service sponsored T/R event process. Please see me regarding T/R event applications process, application amendments, and application status. My cubicle is currently located between HR and Finance. I look forward to working with all of you.

Thank you and wish you all happy holidays.

End Quote.

yours,

Herman Nelson

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Greetings F. Scott,

The Cargo shack howled recently while viewing your website, Big Dead Place.

We look forward to subsequent updates and postings.

Cargonaut

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3 Jan 03

I have been in the program for 16 seasons now and this is GREAT! I love knowing what you are talking about and who it is too! I have not been this excited since 1990 when the original Shadow was being printed. Thanks, I need this laugh.

Ice Peer

Thanks for the letter. If the editor of The Shadow is out there somewhere, please contact Big Dead Place. We'd like to interview you. I reckon that, unless John Behrendt has kept copies of The Daily Sandcrab from his winter during IGY, The Shadow is the strongest satire to have come from an American station and survived.

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Write us at letters@bigdeadplace.com