Black Crevasse Forum

Here's the link for the Polie Sponsorship Program:  http://web.archive.org/web/20041014103305/www.seanhufstetler.com/polie.html  Most of those people are no longer at Pole though, so if you're going to send something nice, send to "Galley Staff" or troll the web to see who's there now.  If you're going to send a bucket of shrimp, send to "HR Representative". 

Here's the address for South Pole Station:

South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400
APO AP 96598

Here is an audit of RPSC by the Defense Contract Audit Agency in 2005:  It is long, but worth reposting as evidence that Raytheon should not be considered for future contracts in the Antarctic Program.

Excerpts:

"We reviewed the contractor’s petty cash policy for the Denver Headquarters (HQ) office and did not see any direction as it pertains to the treatment of unallowable costs. We tested the contractor’s policy for petty cash against actual costs incurred through the petty cash process and determined that 60% of the transactions that flow through petty cash are unallowable based on FAR 31.205. Most of the items related to gifts and prizes for HQ personnel for non-contract type events such as an Extreme Cube Makeover, Photography Interest Group, Summer Picnic Food and Prizes, and Clean Your Workstation Day."

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"The lack of sufficient and compliant controls has resulted in (1) numerous instances of expressly
unallowable costs being charged to the government and, (2) insufficient documentation of
transactions for costs incurred and billed to the contract for which the allowability of the costs to
the contract can not be readily determined. Some examples of transactions that demonstrate the
lack of internal controls are as follows:

•An invoice from Harry & David’s gourmet was reviewed which disclosed that a tower of chocolates was purchased as a holiday gift from the Program Manager to an unspecified recipient.

•Two (2) charges for Dave and Busters on a pro-card statement with no supporting documentation. The charges were for $998.00 and $972.57. This would have been considered entertainment expense based on FAR 31.205-14.

•The contractor submitted a Lowes Home Improvement receipt with a pro-card statement
for air conditioning supplies. The purpose of the purchase was not stated. The
documentation is considered insufficient.

•The contractor paid charges on a pro-card statement for various amounts that were not
supported and are likely personal purchases. Purchases at Virgin Body Care Inc. which
sells herbal, nutritional and food supplement items. Purchases were also made at the
Raining Rose which specialize in all natural, handcrafted body care products, soaps,
shampoos, lotions, shower gels, and so forth. These costs are considered unallowable
based on FAR 31.201-2(d). There was also a charge for a Colorado Restaurant
Association membership. The association with the Polar Services contract was not
established.

•The contractor submitted invoices related to the rental of tables, chairs, water barrels,
and so forth for purposes of a barbeque. The rental equipment was provided by Butler
Rents. The barbeque was catered by Franks Barbeque. No purpose was stated. The
function was held around the time frame of the 4th of July. The charges were related to
the pro-card statement. The credit card statement was approved by management and the
amounts appear to be expressly unallowable although no purpose was stated for the
costs.

•An invoice for 548 Souvenir Baseball caps was questioned. The invoice was presented
with a purchase order which failed to identify the purpose of the baseball caps in relation
to the performance of the contract. The invoice was initialed by a finance person and the
purchase order was not signed. This cost is considered unallowable based on FAR
31.205-13(b).

•Several transactions related to the pre-season social to include wine, ice sculptures,
quartets, flowers, and so forth were charged direct to the contract. These items while
approved by management for reimbursement under the contract are unallowable based
on FAR 31.205-13, FAR 31.205-14, and FAR 31-.205.51.

Jake is already surfing.

http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/bigshots/2009/08/ampsurf_gets_wounded_veterans.html

Haven't heard much from Pole this winter.  How's it going down there?

It turns out the United States Antarctic Program is now using a web-filtering service (like Blue Coat) to block access to websites containing certain "categories" of content.

This enables the scientific institution to deem which websites facilitate a suitable entertainment process for the minions who, without such wise counsel, would simply plod through the long Antarctic night yearning only to gamble away the money they would otherwise use to order Russian brides.

Along with "Gambling", "Nudity", and "Illegal Drugs", other Blue Coat categories include:  "Abortion", "Alternative Spirituality", and (most important of all) "Suspicious".

If your institution is using Blue Coat and blocking you from a certain site, you can visit Blue Coat's site here, type in the URL, and it will show you which category the website falls under.  (This information is notable because, depending on which category is blocked, the press might be curious whether the agency is promoting certain political/religious convictions.  Of course no media will sympathize with this issue regarding internet access on the job, just as if you worked at an office in the states; this media point assumes that the web filter also applies to your use of the network on your own laptop on your own time.)       

A friend suggests this, but I haven't verified if it works:

"A quick way around blocked pages is to add .nyud.net at the end of the server address"

Thus: 

http://thesuperficial.com/2009/02/paris_hilton_flashes_her_vagin.php

would become:

http://thesuperficial.com.nyud.net/2009/02/paris_hilton_flashes_her_vagin.php

BoingBoing published a list of ways to get around censorware, but Blue Coat blocked them for publishing ways to get around Blue Coat, so in case that link is blocked, one may have to go here, click the (randomly ISP'd) link to BoingBoing, then search for "blue coat censorware". 

If you're looking for a job on the ice, or you have a new job and have questions about what to bring, you may find this forum helpful:

Antarctic Memories

What's the link to the blog, please?