Shadowcasts

Parking Ticket Hack/Revenge!

2012-01-15T04:54:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I took a trip out to Manchester to catch up with a friend. Initially I was going to take the train from Liverpool but as its January and money is tight,I decided it would be cheaper to drive and park up at a N.C.P in the middle of town.

To park in the N.C.P the maximum stay is four hours and the charge to do so was £6:90.

I was gone 4 hours and 9 mins.

Those 9 mins which I spent lost struggling to find my way round the unfamiliar streets of the city have cost me £25, because at 4 hours 6 mins a parking attendant issued the ticket in the photo...how nice of them!

The cost of parking for 4 hours 9 mins was £32 pounds... Add to this the cost of the tram as I rushed back and it was an expensive visit!

What is annoying is the penalty would have been the same if I hadn't bought I ticket...therefore I would have received a discount of £7. I also wouldn't of had a deadline to work too so I wouldn't have rushed and could have saved some money on the tram also. By trying to play by the rules I got stung almost on every level.

This got me thinking if you can only receive one parking ticket for an offence every 24 hours, the next time I get a ticket for being slightly late the cars staying there overnight to get maximum value for money, by my calculations I could leave it there for 14 hours to break even and after that the next 10 hours I'am actually getting for free!

I probably will never do this, however thinking about it and sharing it on here has definitely made me feel a whole lot better ;)

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

Sopa dopa..."don't hold back push it forward!"

2011-12-24T00:47:00.001-08:00

Don't hold back, just push things forward from Ithaca Audio on Vimeo.

This video contains many of my favourite music tracks from the last 10-15 years and a few older but equally respected tracks. Its been mixed using state of the art consumer level technology. It exists because someone gave it a go, and in doing so created something of a celebration of tunes which I know to be cool.

The Internet has allowed this person to distribute this clip and because of this others can also experience what is good about everything contained here through the power of sharing. They may even be inspired to search for these tracks for them selves. This video is a nod to the past and also the future, however the old school don't get it!

The Stop Online Piracy Act will stop this, and as a consequence the producer of this video will not be able to post content like this. Under this new act ,it will be the hosts of content like this who will be breaking the law as well as the publisher. You Tube, Facebook, Twitter any one who allows the sharing to take place.

The idea of the act is to stop online Piracy but the reality will be that it will crush the Internet as we know it.

The simple truth is Big companies like Sony, Universal etc have become lazy. They want our money but want the least barriers to getting it. The Internet has thrown down the gauntlet, it's made getting the message out there easy but at the same time also made the monitizeation of this message difficult. If the brands of yesterday want to compete with the new school they need to stop playing by the old rules and work out a way to deliver something better than the pirateable experience.

If you look at Artists like Plastikman or services like Spotify that's exactly what there doing and that's where the future lies. Rather than fighting the Internet the likes of Sony, Universal etc should be embracing the opportunities it presents and exploring how to take advantage of it rather than hold back progress just because it takes them out of their comfort zone.

In the words of the mash up... "Don't hold back ...Push it forward!"

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

iWant

2011-12-11T07:34:00.001-08:00

iWANT.m4v Watch on Posterous

This is a "remix" of the video i posted a few months back of the riots in Manchester. Using the song from the current Christmas John Lewis advert.

I was also reading a William Blake poem the other day and came across the following words which also reminded me of the bit of footage attached.

Taken from the Poem " The Mariage of Heaven and Hell". (Massively Abridged Version)

Now the sneaking serpent walks In mild humility ;
And the just man rages in the wilds Where Uons roam.
Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in
the burdened air, Hungry clouds swag on the deep...
...Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and repulsion, rea-
son and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence.
From these contraries spring what the religious call Good and Evil.
Good is the passive that obeys reason;

Evil is the active springing from Energy.
Good is heaven. Evil is hell.
That man has two real existing principles, viz., a Body and a Soul.
That Energy, called Evil, is alone from the Body ; and that Reason, called Good, is alone from the Soul.
That God will torment man in Eternity for following his Energies.
But the following contraries to these are true : —
Man has no Body distinct from his Soul. For that called Body is a por-
tion of Soul discerned by the five senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age.
Energy is the only life , and is from the Body; and Reason is the bound or outward circumference of Energy.

Energy is Eternal Delight.
Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained; and the restrainer or reason usurps its place and governs the unwilling.
And being restrained, it by degrees becomes passive, till it is only the
shadow of desire.
And the original Archangel or pos-sessor of the command of the heavenly host is called the Devil, or Satan, and his children are called Sin and Death.
For this history has been adopted by both parties.
It indeed appeared to Reason as if desire was cast out, but the Devil's
account is, that the Messiah fell, and formed a heaven of what he stole from the abyss.

To conclude I have included the above section of the poem because it really does seem to resonate with the goings on shown in the video. You wittness the bursting forward of energy, the expression of desire. That same desire described in the lyrics of the John Lewis advert which ironically has been used to promote consumerisim and further creating the desire to form "a heaven from" what is stolen from "the Abyss".

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

I predict this Halloween will be all about Towels, Frocks and Mock Turtles

2011-10-23T04:59:00.001-07:00

This blog is slowly changing. I still want it to be a running/travel blog, however since returning home from my travels its become more of a social commentary blog. Not out of choice but just because these are the thoughts spinning round in my head. Sadly I have the same sense of being an alien at home as I did away. I see things differently since my travels and hence the change in my blog. It pains me to be like this and I have seen a dramatic drop in page views since adopting this stance but I can't help it, this is who I have become.

And so begins another social observation post, next week is Halloween and in true social media fashion we will see a flood of meme themed costume posts. Last year it was all about Angry Birds and Wikileaks, this year I predict a return to the ghoulish celebration of death. That's if the past weeks media coverage of the demise of Gaddafi is anything to go by.

To be honest I found the whole thing a little bit hard to swallow. The repeated images that surfaced and where pushed out and force fed to the masses, the self satisfied manner in which our leaders broke the news. It was all very much in keeping with how I imagine the Witch trials of old would have happened, but in a modern context.

It must be part of the human condition its been happening for centuries, probably since the beginning of time. On the 5th of Nov here in England most people we will celebrate Bonfire night by burning a effigy of a terrorist called Guy Fawkes. Question is...is this right, morally are we not also becoming monsters to condone murder and execution. Say if in a few years the public decided that Tony Blair was a war criminal would it be ok to hunt him down and execute in public, does it come down to the consensus of the people.

Anyway regardless of this we also have those who don't care a hoot. These are the products of the internet and 24 hour news coverage. They have become disengage from the reality of life and will next week no doubt dress up as one of countless bad taste possibilities. I predict that we will see a mix of Saddams , Bin Lardens and Gaddafis strutting their stuff on various sites like Mashable etc. I also suspect just to add to the mix, it safe to say there will be a few Micheal Jacksons and last but not least dare I say it, but I suspect some of the Android faithful will see fit to try and pull off a Turtleneck to pay their sarcastic last respects to Mr Jobs.

It will happen its inevitable but will it be celebrated as random acts of genius or simply bad taste like when Prince Harry dressed up as Hitler a few years back. I wait to see what the comments will be in response to these folk, the misguided scouts of public opinion, but based on what I witnessed so far this year I am sadly guessing it will be completely acceptable for the majority of people as we become increasingly more secular as a society, not just separated from the dogma of religion (which ain't a bad thing) but separated from the common morals and virtues of decent people.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

The Rise of the Toy Soldiers

2011-09-04T09:35:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday "I got a cap in my ass" whilst jogging home from a night out with work colegues. I now officially walk with a swagger and it hurts a bit when I sit down. If I was in the hood this may have been seen as some sort of badge of honour, but I dont live in the hood and there is no honor in having to wiping the seat to make sure you dont get an infection when you use a public loo due to your weeping wound.

It happened about 9:40 pm, I was minding my own buisness jogging along the road when I heard the sound of a car decelerating behind me. I then heard what sounded like a gas cannister being squashed, like a burst of air, I heard a slight whistling noise and then felt a kick in my backside followed by a pinch, like being bitten on my bumcheek. I then coiled backwards and grabbed my left buttock as I realised what had happened, my initial thought was that the car had run over a can of something and I had been hit by shrapnel...I looked to the road and the 4X4 was now accelerating away and I could not see any cannister in the road. I also could'nt find any shrapnel just a small metal pelet and then it dawned on me that some little sod had shot me with an air rifle. By this stage the 4X4 was quickly disapearing from sight and it was too dark to get the number plate.

Fortunately the ripstop fabric on my pants stopped the pellet but it still hit with sufficient force to beak the skin. I continued to walk home, a bit shook up so i tried to phone home to share my woes but got no answer. I got back to my Bed and Breakfast and told the owner what had happened before heading to bed.

In the morning I was woken by the landlord who handed me the phone and told me the police wanted me to come to the station to make a statement. I got there and the woman on the desk said she was expecting me as I was the guy who had been shot. It all seemed a bit sureal.

I was given a quick interview and then taken upstairs to a female "Scenes of Crime Photographer" who wanted to take a photo of my backside. I had a few reference photos taken and she asked me to remove my pants. I then had the indignity of being asked which spot was the pellet mark as i had several spots on my bum, was i sure it was an air rifle and not a shotgun. I then had to stand there and feel my bum untill I found the one that hurt, it was all a bit comical.

After the photos I then had to give my statement, which was quite cool especially as I could verify my movements with my Android phone which had even logged me stopping at the time of the shooting incident and recorded it all on an app called Eventflow, almost felt like the whole thing had been worth while because I had a chance to justify the expense of my HTC phone though the police officer didn't seem that impressed.I then left the station and sent a few joke tweets about the experience and went back to work.

As the day progressed word got round my work site about what had happened and more and more people made jokes with regards to the incident, they reffered to the Mean streets of Banbury and how I would now be taking up arms myself. It was all rather tounge and cheek stuff and became a little bit tidious though i did laught at some of the remarks.

I left work to drive back to Liverpool and as I drove home I got thinking about the situation and how it had come to be, who where the little bastards who shot me and why had they thought it was ok to do so. What fantasy where they living in and where had the ideas come from. I thought back to the riots of a few weeks back and wondered if these moments in time where connected through a social consiousness that somehow has become deriled from the reality of the normal people and now existed in one of playfull drive by shootings in your dads SUV and free stuff from JD Sports shops and Currys Digital.

I reflected on a story I had been told whilst in work of soething that had happened last weekend of how a dad was out riding his bike with his two sons. One of his sons fell off his bike a twisted his ankle, the dad got off his bike to attend to his son who was in agony and whilst he was trying to calm the boy down some little scum bag stole their bikes. If you check the papers its full of these storys, but what I find scary is its not just the papers now its people you know who are telling these tales.

So today I sat at home tried to make some sense of it by doing what I always do and going on You Tube. I typed in Drive By shootings just to see what was out there, I also typed in Scallies, Scumbags Hoodies and Scrotes just to see what else I could dig up. This video is a short montage of the clips I found, Ive also thrown in a clip of J-Roc from "Trailer Park Boys" (which is a satire but of a very real situation).

Ok so anyway I was just a victim of an airgun, some kids role play but its scary that this is a mindset, a reality / fantasy that people seem to want to create and be a part of... It seems this existance is steadily gaining more mass and starting to pull more people into into it like a social super nova and even if the idea of toy guns dosn't scare me... whats on the other side of the black hole certainly does and at this moment I dont see any way out.

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

My thoughts on this clip taken during the Manchester riots last week!

2011-08-15T15:43:00.001-07:00

Attached is a video I found on You Tube from the riots that took place in the UK last week. This clip was filmed in Manchester. I've stripped down the original soundtrack and replaced it with a track from a Plastikman album called 'Consumed' which I felt was quite fitting to the content. I ask that you watch it and then consider your own thoughts and feelings immediately after watching it. I would appreciate any comments you may have.

What follows are my feelings on this particular video and not on the riots in general which I think are too complicated to digest here in a single blog entry.

This clip of Manchester shows kids, youngsters, the type I see whenever I leave home, all getting in on the action... "gegging in" as we like to call it in certain parts of the North West of England. This particular clip, of all the clips I've seen from the riots,upset me. Not because it shows graphic violence or destruction but because it shows people like those I see on a daily basis behaving like animals, somehow infected, like something out of a horror movie. Having watched this clip I later found myself shopping in my local Tesco supermarket and it wasnt long untill I witnessed the usual cluster of young lads debating which drinks would get them most wasted for their money. However where as normally I may even be tempted to give them some advice, this time I found I couldn't even look them in the face. I felt that these somehow the guys in the You Tube clip and the guys in Tesco had become part of the same group, part of the same "Zombie Nation" that had ravaged our streets days earlier. In my mind all that separated them was their current proximity to the events because it seemed that somhow their mentality appeared no different from those capable of such things. To me they were guilty as where the majority of people I saw in and around town the following day regardless of if it was fact. It seemed everywhere I looked I suddenly saw potential rioters, much in the same way that when I was growing up I remember my Dad had always seen potential drug dealers and burglars on every street corner regardless of any basis to form such a conclusion.

I questioned why i felt this way and I concluded that it was because in my opinion these kids didnt stand a chance. Its a case that their mentality has been cultivated for them over the past decade within a society that has officially become both financially and morally bankrupt.It seems more and more Kids are bringing themselves up with no real role models to focus on just each other and fantasy realities that are being sold by those who see fit to exploit whatever misery they can uncover. These realities have been crafted by merchants of escape who seem to see society more like a farm yard in which they can harvest cash from and not a place that contains real actual people. The lies they pedal are pushed out through the media reiterating a mantra that tells these kids telling they can have it all.

"Whats that... you're not happy with your looks, have plastic surgery... what you have no money... here have a loan... it's like saving... but backwards"...."What your happy with your looks, how about a TV, an ipad, a flat, a car.. you can have just about anything you want, have it all... you deserve it...your special".

It's all wrong and I have been as much a victim as the next person. One things for sure I dont have any answers but I do feel that the problem was let out of Pandoras box a long time ago, and it gets worse with every next wave of individuals who reach an age of lost inocence. If we are to close the box (if thats possible) I think we all need to take responsibility for our own actions and work out how we can fix ourselves after years of being programmed by the great farmers in the sky.Fix the parents and the rolemodels and the icons each look up too and restablish the realities they subscribe too. I dont belive for one second we cant fix these kids or the system overnight but I do feel that one thing thats apparent is that these green fields of England have been abused for way too long; if what we saw last week tells us anything its that our society has toxins within it and that some of these people in our nation are obviously mutating. All the natural goodness has been withdrawn by big buisness and now as the crop stops growing people are freaking out. Like farming big buisness is looking else where and is currently in the process of rotated to pastures new. The next harvest is planned in places like China, India, Brazil, Russia.

One things is for sure, England needs to get back to its grass roots and replenish its soils with the goodness that was once there. If it doesnt it stands no chance of avoiding becoming part of the emerging moral wasteland that is the back end of a failed capatalist system.

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

My thoughts on this clip taken during the Manchester riots last week!

2011-08-14T16:11:00.001-07:00

Attached is a video I found on You Tube from the riots that took place in the UK last week. This clip was filmed in Manchester. I've stripped down the original soundtrack and replaced it with a track from a Plastikman album called 'Consumed' which I felt was quite fitting to the content. I ask that you watch it and then consider your own thoughts and feelings immediately after watching it. I would appreciate any comments you may have.

What follows are my feelings on this particular video and not on the riots in general which I think are too complicated to digest here in a single blog entry.

This clip of Manchester shows kids, youngsters, the type I see whenever I leave home, all getting in on the action... "gegging in". In particular, of all the clips I've seen, the attached clip upset me. Not because it shows graphic violence or destruction but because it shows people like those I see on a daily basis, somehow they seem to be infected, like something out of a horror movie. Having watched this clip I was later in Tesco and saw the usual cluster of young lads debating which drinks would get them most wasted for their money and I couldn't look them in the face, to me these where part of the same "Zombie Nation" that had ravaged our streets days earlier. All that separated them was their proximity to events as their mentality appeared no different from those capable of such things. To me they were guilty as where the majority of people I saw in and around town the following day. It seemed everywhere I looked I suddenly saw potential rioters, much in the same way that when I was growing up I remember my Dad had always seen potential drug dealers and burglars on every street corner regardless of any basis to form such a conclusion.
These people have had their mentality crafted for them over the past decade within a society that has officially become both financially and morally bankrupt. Kids are bringing themselves up with no role models just each other, and fantasy realities that are being sold by those who see fit to exploit whatever misery they can uncover. These merchants of escape see society more like a farm on which they can harvest, not a place with actual people. They push their lies through the media telling them that they can have it all... "Whats that... you're not happy with your looks, have plastic surgery... what no money... here have a loan... it's like saving... but backwards"...."Need a TV... You can have just about anything you want, have it all... you deserve it".
Pandoras box was opened a long time ago and before we can close it (if thats possible) we all need to take responsibility for our own actions and work out how we can fix ourselves after years of being programmed by the great farmers in the sky. I feel these green fields of England have been abused for too long; the people are obviously mutating. All the natural goodness has been withdrawn and the crop is currently in the process of being rotated to pastures new (China, India, Brazil, Russia). We need to replenish our soils with the goodness that was once there if we want to avoid becoming part of an emerging moral wasteland.

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

My thoughts on this clip taken during the Manchester riots last week!

2011-08-14T14:02:00.001-07:00

Attached is a video I found on You Tube from the riots that took place in the UK last week. This clip was filmed in Manchester. I've stripped down the original soundtrack and replaced it with a track from a Plastikman album called 'Consumed' which I felt was quite fitting to the content. I ask that you watch it and then consider your own thoughts and feelings immediately after watching it. I would appreciate any comments you may have.

What follows are my feelings on this particular video and not on the riots in general which I think are too complicated to digest here in a single blog entry.

This clip of Manchester shows kids, youngsters, the type I see whenever I leave home, all getting in on the action... "gegging in". In particular, of all the clips I've seen, the attached clip upset me. Not because it shows graphic violence or destruction but because it shows people like those I see on a daily basis, somehow they seem to be infected, like something out of a horror movie. Having watched this clip I was later in Tesco and saw the usual cluster of young lads debating which drinks would get them most wasted for their money and I couldn't look them in the face, to me these where part of the same "Zombie Nation" that had ravaged our streets days earlier. All that separated them was their proximity to events as their mentality appeared no different from those capable of such things. To me they were guilty as where the majority of people I saw in and around town the following day. It seemed everywhere I looked I suddenly saw potential rioters, much in the same way that when I was growing up I remember my Dad had always seen potential drug dealers and burglars on every street corner regardless of any basis to form such a conclusion.
These people have had their mentality crafted for them over the past decade within a society that has officially become both financially and morally bankrupt. Kids are bringing themselves up with no role models just each other, and fantasy realities that are being sold by those who see fit to exploit whatever misery they can uncover. These merchants of escape see society more like a farm on which they can harvest, not a place with actual people. They push their lies through the media telling them that they can have it all... "Whats that... you're not happy with your looks, have plastic surgery... what no money... here have a loan... it's like saving... but backwards"...."Need a TV... You can have just about anything you want, have it all... you deserve it".
Pandoras box was opened a long time ago and before we can close it (if thats possible) we all need to take responsibility for our own actions and work out how we can fix ourselves after years of being programmed by the great farmers in the sky. I feel these green fields of England have been abused for too long; the people are obviously mutating. All the natural goodness has been withdrawn and the crop is currently in the process of being rotated to pastures new (China, India, Brazil, Russia). We need to replenish our soils with the goodness that was once there if we want to avoid becoming part of an emerging moral wasteland.

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

Halley V - Antarctica by Sunset

2011-06-24T03:05:00.001-07:00

Just been tidying up my desktop and opened a folder of Powerpoint presentations which Ive collected over the last year. My attention was drawn to this little slideshow produced by Simon Coggins. The pictures where taken whilst he was head of science for the British Antarctic Survey down on the Halley V site.

Some of the pictures are stunning and as I looked at them I wondered if Posterous would be able to handle a Powerpoint (PPT) file...I guess theres only one way to find out! (If this doesn't work please accept my apologies....but if it does I hope you like the pics :)

Presentation1.ppt Download this file

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

San Francisco

2011-06-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

With one thing or another I haven't been able to catch up where I left off and have therefore fallen behind with posting to my Posterous blog....it's a long story and something which at the moment can wait.

Anyway where was I ...I was leaving LA!

&REWIND to March 29th 2011: In fact rewind further to when I was originally booking my trip home. I was originally going to fly straight from LA to NYC but then noticed the flight went via San Francisco. The first thing that struck me was how cheap the Virgin flight was from LA to NYC it was only $86. I then had a brain wave if I tweaked my flight to include a stop over ,it might not be that much more expensive, it turned out to be next to nothing... $40 for a day in SF. So I booked it and I was now leaving to head for my childhood Mecca.

San Francisco is a place I have always wanted to visit from way back when I was into skateboarding. When I was young it seemed to be the centre of the skateboarding world and since becoming an adult it has maintained my attention but now as the centre of the Technology world. I was therefore very excited to be finally visiting the place especially as it had always been too far from home to visit just out of curiosity.

My flight was with Virgin and it seemed to be very much what I would expect from a flight to San Francisco. The plane felt more like a bar with it's Chill Out music playing as you boarded and mood lighting adding to the effect. Once I sat down the Girl next to me showed me how to order drinks on the console and also pointed out that the plane had Wi-Fi something that impressed me much and made me wish I had charged my battery before leaving the hotel. The flight was only short but long enough to get a good deal of information from my co- passengers with regards to what I should do on my short visit. It was explained to me that my first Mission objective was to get the BART ( Bay Area Rapid Transit) from the Airport to my Hotel near Union Square then head out towards the mission district to an Irish Bar that I was promised would not disappoint.

The BART transfer took about 30mins and I departed the system in the centre of town. I was greeted by an array of Crazy people as I left the station, drummers , clowns , beggars and other buskers and so called entertainers. It was very surreal and took me a bit by surprise. I then had my first encounter with one of San Francisco's legendary Hills, after several months in Antarctic I found these to be quite a challenge especially trying to avoid just bursting into a pool of sweat. After about 10 mins of hiking I found my hotel a super boutique affair called the "Hotel des Arts" with rooms individually decorated by local artists, Ironicly my room was painted Blue and white and reminded me a lot of Antarctica in its design.

After having a quick wash I headed back out and onto the BART to the Mission district away from the main city. I'am so glad I heeded the advice because I had a brilliant night in the Bar and met some brilliant people. Two encounters in particular made the night a guy called Rush and a guy called Clint.

Rush was brilliant he came over and introduced himself to me as Rush he then kept on putting songs on the jukebox playing Air Guitar and asking me what I thought of Jane Addiction, Pink Floyd and so the night went on. He gave me the full run down on what I should plan to do the next day and even tried to make plans to meet me and take me for the best Clam Chowder in Town however unfortunately this didn't happen but I did manage to do all the things on Rushes Rush round SF which I will come to in a moment. Ok the other guy I met was called Clinton Golden who was in a band called "Carlton Melton". It turned out that this band was going on a European tour and would be playing in Liverpool in May...I have since seen them perform and had the chance to meet them on my home turf. They were brilliant..and at some pointbi will do a blog post just on them.

Anyway back to SF and I had a full day to kill. I took the advise of Rush and hired a Bike I then had the freedom of the coast. I head out from Pier 39 having indulged in some clam chowder and cycled the 8 miles to the Golden Gate bridge and up to Hoppers Hands. I then took in the view and made the journey over the bridge ready to get the ferry back to the pier. I loved every second of it and found myself very jealous of the Californians I saw running up and down the coast. I can't think of more sociable running experience and felt apart of it even though I was on a bike :-) It looked like great fun and something which one day I wish to participate in on foot.

My route back to the pier was on the ferry and then across the bay past Alcatraz. Which in itself was an fantastic to see, the place looked so haunting and I promised myself that if I ever got the chance to return to Sf then I would make a point of visiting the old prison.

Once off the ferry I hopped on to the tram to scoot back across to Union Square. stopped to watch the skateboarders and buy some cheap Holister clothing before grabbing my bags to head to the BART for a trip back to the Airport ready for the Redeye to NYC. oh what a day :-)

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

Man Food -a short clip about Antarctic Cooking!

2011-04-18T15:17:00.001-07:00

This post is out of context with my most recent, but its relevant with regards to the season thats just past at the Halley VI site.

Re-Wind back to Feb and in I am still in Antarctica, the guys at the Halley VI remote site are enjoying good food cooked by a great chef (Shaggy). In appreciation for his hard work we decided to make a film in his honour.... this video is the trailer for that movie...which I must add we abandoned after making only the trailer, for reasons that will become clear if you decide to watch the trailer.(By The way just for your information "Man Food" is the slang name for survival food in Antarctica).

Shaggy-_Man_Food.m4v Watch on Posterous

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LA LA LAND, California USA

2011-04-14T16:52:00.001-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Los Angeles has never been somewhere I would consider going too on Holiday. It's not even somewhere I would have considered going to for a quick visit. The stereotype of LA LA LAND with it's plastic surgery and it's cult of celebrity is actually so undesirable, as to actually be off putting. So when it was suggested to me to make the place the hub for my trip to the states, I wasn't too enthusiastic.

The truth is to get from Rio to America isn't that easy. To fly from Rio you are limited to very few options and it can be quite expensive,that's if your not on one of the main routes. I read that there are only six destination that you can fly direct to Rio and after that you have to make connections. To get to LA I had to make two connections one in Peru and one in El Salvador. Though this was a nuisance it did allow me to get out of South America for a very budget price and by flying to LA it was significantly cheaper to go there than fly to most of the other states I had considered. I had made it my priority to go to the Grand Canyon and California is well placed to do this so Los Angeles seemed like a good option. What I hadn't anticipated was to fall in love with the place..I really did.

A lot had to do with finding a brilliant hostel in the centre of Hollywood which had once been the home of Marilyn Monroe. It had lots of character and history that added another dimension to my stay. That said i found Hollywood on the whole to be brilliant. I had heard a lot of bad stuff about Hollywood , people had said it's a dump...it's not what you expect, and that's sort of true...but what is there is so cool that it doesn't matter. If like me you like the movies then the place seduces you almost as soon as you see the Hollywood sign. The walk of fame is strangely fun to walk down, the Chinese Treater has it's own gravity that draws you in. Rather than ramble on and on the following is a list of things which I loved about my stay. 1. Staying in a brilliant Hostel 2. Searching out a good place to get a photo of the Hollywood sign. 3. Saying Iam not bothered about the walk of fame then spending half a morning trying to find Marilyn Monroes star. 4. Stumbling upon Elizabeth Taylors Star and watching all the tributes mount up. 5.Seeing Penelope Cruzes star being made and missing her by two days! 6. Watching a slightly average movie called "Paul" in the Chinese Theater which I might add boasts a HD experience like no other and renders the movie even more average! 7. Seeing the Premier for Sucker Punch. 8. Walking past Hellen Miren doing her foot and handprints and not realising what was happening! 10. Getting lost in the Hollywood hills when trying to walk back from Universal City. 11.Watching live music at howl to the moon and really bad comedy at another bar in Universal City. 12. Gong to see Bill Maher for free. Check this site out for free tickets. 13. Union Station 14. Feeling safe on the tube. 15. Visiting Compton 16. Seeing Superheroes on the blvd. The list goes on and on... And considering I wasn't fussed about going there there was so much I didn't do, I didn't go on a tour of homes, never visited Bel Air or Beverly Hills, didn't go Santa Monica or any of the beaches, Disneyland or Universal Studios. The place is packed with things that seduce you and I was gutted to leave but that said the places I went to after LA I felt the same about both San Francisco and New York play the same trick on me of trying to me a resident!

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The Runcast Antarctica!

2011-04-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

I posted a version of this video early last year but pulled it due to the use of some of the images contained within the video. I have since edited and I am re-posting it here for the first time.

This is a video I made during a the 09/10 season when I trained and completed an Antarctic Marathon. I made it to capture the effort of training as well as capture the works and the enviroment that where on going whilst I trained. Hope you like this video its been a long time coming.

Can I also apologies for the poor quality, but its all that has survived of this version and I still think this is of a reasonable standard.

THe_RUNCAST_ANTARCTICA.mp4 Watch on Posterous

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Escape 01: Ascension Island

2011-04-10T16:24:00.001-07:00

Welcome to to "The Escaped Podcast" A podcast for Vagabonds, Tech-nomads, Runaways and anyone else who has broken free and are running wild.

This was essentially meant to be my Running podcast but I was a bit shy of talking and also have a love of electronic music which i wanted to be the backbone to my podcast. I have therefore opted for a podcast that focuses on my music as something to listen too whilst out on your runs. Giving you a tempo to get in tune with. It will be a monthly podcasts with a mix posted to SoundCloud and also uploaded here for download. I will also be posting the occasional spoken audio podcast to supplement the mixes but these wont be posted to Sound Cloud only here on Posterous.

<span>The Ascension Mix by Solshadow</span>

This first mix which Ive posted I recorded with a friend of mine (Jake) whilst we were working on Ascension island in the South Atlantic (somewhere mid way between Brazil and Africa) mid last summer. It was originally recorded to send to a friend for him to use in a podcast but I didn't like the start. The quality sounded really bad and the overall mix is quite dark and foreboding. Since then I've re-listened to it and grown to like it, after all its a moment in time that I can never change but always try to better, i've posted it hear to motivate myself to do exactly that and try and post a mix that is better some time soon,will also dig out a track list.

The main purpose for me posting this is really to act as a prelude for things to come and get things started, in the future i will be focusing on Places ive been too and trying to capture some of the mood and Atmosphere of these place in the mix...the next one i have planned is going to be Brilliant as it will be focussed on Antarctica as a place to escape too, until then I hope you like this one and any comments will be appreciated.

You can download this from the link below or from SoundCloud or by using one of those fancy RSS type feed which at the moment I have no idea how they work but its my next job to find out.

Escape01.mp3 Listen on Posterous

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Las Vegas, Nevada USA

2011-04-09T05:43:00.001-07:00

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My trip back from the Grand Canyon was eventful. The Amtrak train that was travelling from Chicago to LA broke down and had to be replaced midway with a makeshift freight train with a max speed of about 30 mph. As a result it was about 6hrs late when it picked us up from Williams and loosing time with every mile it travelled!

As a consequence I missed my connection to Las Vegas but I did manage to spend sometime in the company of a real life Crystal Meth addict which was quite enlightening and on a par with my expectations of Vegas.

When I did get back to LA I checked my tickets to San Francisco and discovered I had an extra day in LA, so I was able to jump on the Greyhound bus and still get to see Las Vegas.

When I first arrived, the first place I went to first was Circus-Circus and i was struck instantly by the noise! An endless evolving loop of bleeps (loving techno music I should have been in my element but the chaotic nature of this sound unnerved me- you should check my last post to hear what it was like).

The second thing that struck me was that's if your not in the game then your redundant and serve no purpose! I played my small bets and once I reached the point that I didn't want to go any further pulled myself away and became an observer. It was at this point I stopped enjoying my self, all I saw from this point forward was the faces of Greed, desperation, consumption , occasional fleeting happiness ....some jealousy and a lot of despair! It wasn't really my idea of a good time and I had this claustrophobic feeling the struck me moments after I stepped off the bus and just became stronger as the night went on.

Looking back I realised one thing in Vegas...Its not your bad dudes on the street..not the mafia or the so called underclass that scare me in society. With those people at least they may give you some sort of chance, some sort of fair odds! And if the worst comes to the worst you can always run. What scares me more is the faceless corporations that have lost sight of the people and just see us as a way to farm money. In Vegas its the likes MGM (who own everything) and in rest of society it's the big banks and corporations. These are the guys who scare me...faceless, inhuman and unstoppable, with a desire to own you and feed from you. When I think about it it's these guys who are at the root of so much modern day misery! This really hit home as I walked the Strip at 4:30am and has stayed with me ever since.

Anyway... sorry to go off on such a downer, it was'nt all doom and gloom, I did enjoy one thing about Vegas and that was the Beatles tie-in at the Mirage Hotel ...maybe one day Vegas will be more about Entertainment and less about trying to fleece you of all your money...maybe if they got the balance then I might consider going back, for now I think I will just be content knowing that there are other place that do cater for these things...like my home city of Liverpool!

As a final point, just an observation but Vegas was quick to pay homage to Liverpools history with a the Beatles show but doesn't pay the same respects to it's own history- all the old Elvis and Rat-Pack Vegas has been knocked down to make space for the super-casinos...why because it doesn't bring in the revenue! This actually shocked me more than some of the £2000 bets I saw placed...any way that's enough about Vegas, hope you like the photos!

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Winning on the Slots in Las Vegas

2011-04-08T13:07:00.001-07:00

Recorded this little sniper of audio whilst sat using the slot machine in Circus Circus in Las Vegas! Now I like random electronic percussional sounds but this you will have to agree is the soundtrack to a nightmare...and it doesn't stop...it's full on nearly 24/7!! My god can you imagine your mental state after a week!

Memo.m4a Listen on Posterous

Sent from my iPod

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Tiltshift-Timelapse of Queens NYC

2011-04-07T15:29:00.001-07:00

After months of being away I mastered a technique I've been working on for the duration of my Trip which combines the use of Tilt-shift Photography with timelapse video. This short clip is the footage I recorded in Queens (home of Jazz) as I left New York city for JFK on the Airlink train.

Though its a short clip it captures the effect perfectly.

The next technique whch I need to master is HDR- Timelapse and HDR/Tiltshift Timelapse which would be the holy grail of my Digital Video/Photo armoury.

Hope you like the clip!

P4013874.AVI Watch on Posterous

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Williams & The Grand Canyon, Arizona USA

2011-04-03T04:34:00.001-07:00

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It's been a busy few weeks and I fell behind with my photo blog. I literally haven't stopped since San Diego but though it's been hectic it's been worth it.

The San Diego trip had been a trial run for my main adventure of my trip ,to visit The Grand Canyon. By going to SD I had worked out how the Amtrak ticketing system worked and this was good because I would be on a tight schedule. The following day was the day I had picked for the trip, it also coincided with some free tickets to go and see a comic Bill Maher do a live show in LA. It was possible to go the show and get to Union Station in time for the trip but it was going to be tight.

Show was awesome, got away for 3:45, ran across town back to my digs, grabbed my overnight bag and headed for the station. I made it in time and even managed to buy a cool pair of Sketchers trainers.

Train journey was about 10 hours and was made interesting by a guy called Leo who traded notes on living in South Central with stories about Liverpool, lots of comparisons!

Before I knew it I was in Arizona and boarding a transfer bus that would take me to the Grand Canyon Railway Station.

I had to wait a few hours in the hotel before being rounded up by some real cowboys to be educated on the ways of the old wild west. After their show was finished we boarded the old fashioned runaway train and head out towards the Canyon. The journey was fantastic and definitely the way to get the Canyon.

When we arrived I became a cliche , my jaw dropped and all my best laid plans went out the window. I can't find the words to describe the Canyon and my pictures don't do it justice even though I've tried my best. All I would say is it's worth the effort, and having made the effort be sure to give yourself a few days and pack some camping gear. My trip was way too short, and I was travelling back to LA before I knew it! Anyway that's a story in itself so I'll save that for another day...hope you like the photos!

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San Diego, USA

2011-03-24T01:15:00.001-07:00

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Landed in LA on Monday night and spent yesterday trying to find a good place to stay and get over my jet lag, managed to do both.

This morning I woke and booked my tickets to go to the Grand Canyon and whilst I was on the Amtrak website I decided to book some tickets to go to San Diego.

San Diego has never been high on my list of places to go, but I did however have a really good day and was really impressed with the city. Not as big as I expected, small enough to get a nice feel of in a day.

So what did I see?

I saw a city that's neat and tidy and got it's self in order, it seems to respect it's people (though I did see slot of homeless). It's laid back and has a chilled out tempo to it.

It's proud to be American but yet has a massive Mexican influence.

It also has quite a somber side to it, as a US Naval port alot of men left this city to go fight in overseas conflicts. This city pays it's respects to these people at every chance it gets.

With all this I was quite surprised to see a bit of a seedy side to the city with sex shops and hard liquor stores. Which is probably a throw back to the old wild west gold rush days. You also seem to have a counter religious culture " End of the World Stuff" to try and ward this evil out the city. If that don't work you can always get a bail bond!

If you ever get the chance to go, the waterfront is good, Tacos are good and the Gaslamp quarter is definitely a good place to spend some time.

Just a few final things, I got back to Union Station in LA for past 9:30pm and was dreading getting on the metro to travel back to my accommodation in Holywood. Three things shocked me. Firstly as I went to pay for my ticket a completely random person came running over to give me a ticket they had finished with, really did surprise me and left me almost unable to say thank you.

Secondly someone farted on the train and it amused me greatly to see everyone scout out the guilty party.

Thirdly and the thing that surprised me the most is how safe I felt, a mix of youngsters and business men + the odd Mexican , but not the homies and rappers I was expecting. In reflection I would rather be on this metro than riding on the Liverpool underground full of drunks and yobbos anyday...this really shocked me!

Don't know why, wasn't like i was heading straight outa Compton!

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2011-03-22T13:32:00.001-07:00

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I arrived in Rio on Saturday at around mid day. I then spent almost 24 hours quite ill. I won't go into detail but with the help of some Brazilian drugs I managed to overcome my illness which probably picked up by eating something dodgy in Santiago. As soon as I felt better I thankfully therefore managed to salvage a few hours walking round the city without being caught short and even managed to squeeze in a quick trip up Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Unfortunately my time in Rio was short and when I got back to the hostel I apprehensively packed my bags ready to leave and later set off on my walk through the streets of Rio in the dead of night (about 2:30 AM).

My walk took me through some dodgy areas and even past the foot of a road leading towards a favela. Thankfully the drugs still seemed to be working as I now needed them more than ever.

At one point a homeless guy approached me and I resorted to deliberately talking to him in English and asking about Taxis and Airports, it seemed to stop him from stealing my bag of gadgets.

When I finally hailed a taxi my tactic was to handed over a wedge of cash and asked for "international" which is code for the Airport. The drive was mental, he insisted on a high speed dash across town, I think he probably misunderstood my nervousness for urgency. The driver drove like he was drunk and the car smelt of spirits. Despite my fears I made it in one piece and he even shook my hand and wished me bon voyage, which was nice.

Sadly because it was dark and probably dangerous I didn't get any photos in the night but I did take a few during the day whilst I visited Sugar Loaf Mountain.

The first few photos are taken from my hostel and the other few on my way up Sugar Loaf.

Next stop is America!

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Santiago, Chile

2011-03-20T21:38:00.001-07:00

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Had a week in Santiago and found it to be a really nice surprise. I wasn't expecting much and as a consequence as it exceeded my expectations. It was quite a packed few days including a day trip to a volcano and a trip into the Andes . Add to that the company of some great people and I look forward to one day going back, hopefully sooner rather than later!

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Pucon & The Volcano

2011-03-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

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Mid week I travelled down Chile to a resort called Pucon. Home of the Villarrica Volcano which last erupted last year 2010.

Ascents of the volcano are popular with several guided ascents reaching the top during summer, unfortunately due to weather I was unable to climb it myself, and instead enjoyed a few hours soaking in it's thermal springs.

What's cool about Villarica, with its lava of basaltic-andesitic composition, it is one of only five volcanoes worldwide known to have an active lava lake within its crater.

Anyhow here's a few photos taken as close as I got, did like seeing the warning system, made me feel a bit like I was on a film set!

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Colo-Colo Vs Santos in the Copa Santander Libertadores (Part 3)

2011-03-17T16:31:00.001-07:00

ColocoloVsSantos.flv Watch on Posterous

Video highlights from the game with some great goals especially Elano's (Man City) free kick for Santos. For me the main highlight was seeing the the Ultra fans..who I might add where not as mental as the Boca supporters but a lot more entertaining with their drums and fireworks. It was a bit like going to see a tribal dance with 40,000 dancers..a real party atmosphere!

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Colo-Colo Vs Santos in the Copa Santander Libertadores (Part 2)

2011-03-17T14:00:00.001-07:00

Photos taken a various stages of last nights. (Which Colo-Colo won 3-2)

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Cola-Cola Vs Santos in the Copa Santander Libertadores (Part 1)

2011-03-16T11:12:00.001-07:00

In Santiago Chile, went to the ground of the biggest and most successful club "Cola-Cola" (however currently not the best club). Had a tour round the ground, tonight we go to watch them play in their equivalent of the Champions League called "Copa Santander Libertadores". The team they are playing are called Santos a Brazilian side who Pele apparently used to play for....fingers crossed it should be good.

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A Mountain Bike ride with some signs of conflict!

2011-03-11T03:32:00.001-08:00

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On Wednesday Gavin, James, Dale and myself raced the ship from Mare Harbour to Stanley, a distance of about 40 miles. It was a hard slog and we lost the race. We did however survive dehydration, sun stroke as well as the odd mine field and successfully have a fantastic day. Here are a few photos :-)

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Photos from a Falkland Island

2011-03-08T14:53:00.001-08:00

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Made it safe and sound from Antarctica to the Falkland island. Have had a nice couple of days down at the beach watching Penguins sunbathing and Dolphins in the surf. It's been delightful.

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Halley VI

2011-02-26T09:31:00.001-08:00

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One last picture as I leave Antarctic taken last night! And one last shot of Halley V which now looks like a frozen Wasteland!

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Halley VI - All modules connected!

2011-02-23T18:56:00.001-08:00

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All modules together for the first time...and it's starting to look like a completed base! It was a moment to savour especially as soon the last module was connected the sky saluted us with a halo!

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Antarctic Dudes and stuff

2011-02-19T19:47:00.001-08:00

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Some pics of members of the Halley V "Extra Extreme team" ;-) a flag and the new base so far complete!

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An Antarctic Marathon

2011-02-13T18:40:00.001-08:00

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Almost a year ago today I challenged myself to run an Antarctic Marathon. I successfully completed it in 4:53 mins. Unfortunately I back then i ran it solo as i had been unsuccessful in convincing anyone else to take part.

Fast forward a year and today it was a different story and another marathon. Unfortunately I couldn't run myself due to injury i've had since the summer but I did have the pleasure of firing the flare to signal the start of this years Marathon which had a starting line of 20+ runners ( of which all but 1 DNF).

It was a very satisfying feeling to think that in someway i had some sort of part to play in the reward on these guys faces as they crossed the finish line, even if the reality was that it was nothing to do with me and more the collective enthusiasm of a special group of individuals. They all did tremendously especially Matt who finished in a rather amazing 3:hours 33 mins...wow.

Anyway here's a few photos that I felt captured the event :-)

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More Antarctic Pics

2011-02-06T18:55:00.001-08:00

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Haven't posted any pics for a few weeks so it's about time i did!

Photo 1: Me looking well Antarctic in my Windy
Photo 2: Trusty Snowcat
Photo 3: Francois
Photo 4: Del
Photo 5:My Antarctic stance
Photo 6: Guys working at height after anttena had been lifted (Tag line in shot)
Photo 7: Real Antarctic Heroes (Check the Windy jackets)

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Big Climb

2011-01-30T17:37:00.001-08:00

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New Project.m4v (11779 KB)

No photos this week (I forgot my cable) so instead I've got another spoof trailer of the ice climbing we did today. Its the return of Nige this time in one called "Big Climb" short and sweet!

Hopefully I will be able to get some interview footage to go with this at a later date...if anyone has any questions please let me know and I will include them in the interview.

Anyway...for now this is the next trailer :-)

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SHARE- A true Story

2011-01-23T20:59:00.001-08:00

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SHARE.m4v (12215 KB)

After last weeks spoof trailer "Big Lift" here's another, this time capturing the weeks work building the SHARE array.

Thanks to Kirk Watson for the GoPro footage, I got to get myself one of those cameras. Thanks also to all the guys for their efforts this week...good skills all-round :-)

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The Building of the Share Array

2011-01-23T15:04:00.001-08:00

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Photo 1: A Ventile "Windy" Jacket
Photo 2: Fixing the antennae together.
Photo 3: Final bolts before lifting.
Photo 4: Antennae lifted
Photo 5: Working at height
Photo 6: Up the tower
Photo 7: Tag line
Photo 8: Leaving the place of work
Photo 9: Job done, All 16 Array towers erected in one week.
Photo 10: (Me) Surveying the finished Array.

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Big Lift

2011-01-16T13:30:00.001-08:00

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biglift.m4v (8498 KB)

A short spoof trailer we made during the week about the work we have been doing erecting the towers. Took about 20 minutes to make using iMovie11. It stars Derek and Nige and is slightly amusing if you know either of these two guys.

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Pictures taken from a week in the middle of nowhere!

2011-01-16T12:05:00.001-08:00

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Some pictures taken of the work we did this week just gone out at the remote site away from the main site.

Photo 1: Pre-Assembly
Photo 2: Gateway tower erected.
Photo 3: Mast Climbers
Photo 4: Detaching the Crane
Photo 5: Landing a Share Tower
Photo 6: Share Array complete
Photo 7: Panoramic from middle of nowhere!

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Halley VI Build Site

2011-01-10T02:57:00.001-08:00

Photo: Build Site last night before going to bed.

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Middle of Nowhere!

2011-01-09T19:23:00.001-08:00

Photo: Middle of Nowhere

The photo was taken from the site of the future Halley VI base, which is currently empty except for a few masts and cables.

This will be my home for the next few weeks whilst we prepare the site ready for the new building to be relocated here early Feb. Whilst I'am there I don't have any comms apart from a VHF radio...it just me and 7 other guys, for a week at a time, not exactly everyones cup of tea but for me it's the ultimate escape.

Should be an interesting week, let's see what happens.

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Highlight of 2010

2011-01-09T18:45:00.001-08:00

Photo: Emma and Me in Rio De Janerio sat on Selrons Steps, one of my highlights of 2010.

Looking back 2010 was an eventful year.

In all it will be defined as my year on the road, I lived the nomadic life or should I say Technomadic life seeing as I carried all my gadgets around with me, and as much as that was fun I'am glad it's over.

I Started the year at Halley before departing via Montevideo in Uruguay, then onto a place called Colonia for a few days before travelling to Argentina and Buenos Aires. Next was Brazil where i met Emma and we went to Igazsu Falls before heading up to Rio De Janerio. I then had a quick month back home and then onto Ascension Island for 6 months then back home for a few weeks before a quick trip to Paris. I then started heading South again via Capetown on route to finish the year where I started it back here at Halley.

Looking back on it all there where some very special experiences but none even come close to those few occasions I got to share with Emma. If I have one New Years Resolution it's to ensure that I start redesigning my lifestyle around her and not around ticking boxes, "been there seen that done it" counts for very little compared to sharing it with someone special.

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A Halley New Year to You

2011-01-02T17:14:00.001-08:00

We had bit of a quite one on base this New Year, only a handfull of the 100+ people stayed up to welcome 2011 to the Halley base. For their efforts they received an extra glass of wine which made it all worth while.

Personally I was glad to see the back of 2010, in years to come I will look back on it as my lost year. It wasnt all bad it had lots of highlights but for the eurphoria you pay the price of equal lows and I think Iam ready for a bit of stability and normality. Roll on 2011 and I am hoping it will bring everything back into equilibrium. Fingers crossed X

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Happy Christmas Card!

2010-12-24T13:06:00.001-08:00

For anyone who has been involved or has been following the build of Halley, you may enjoy the attached E-Christmas Card that has been sent out by the Architect...i think it was a Christmas Card thought it may have been his suggestions for the names of the modules. Any way it made me smile ...Happy Christmas :-)

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Hacking my Sleep in the land of the insomniac!

2010-12-23T17:46:00.001-08:00

I have been here at Halley for over 2 weeks now... and once again as per the last two trips I have a sleep problem.

24 hour sunlight & a reluctancy to waste a second of my time equals a lack of good shut eye. Hopefully then this bedside reading will help send me to Planet Z and then at the very least it will be my snoring that keeps the rest of my pit-room awake and not the seasonal abundance of Vitamin D!

Click here to download:

C:Documents (2011 KB)

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Home from Sweet Home

2010-12-23T17:33:00.001-08:00

Photo 1: The Halley Sign post with Sun Halo and symbol of being on base.

Photo 2: On arrival how the Laws platform (The main platform at Halley VI) looks this season 10/11 almost buried in snow.

Photo 3: The Laws Platform high above ground level as it was back in 07/08 season, highlighting one of the main reasons for the new Halley VI base which can lift itself out the snow..

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The Journey South (Part3 - Onwards to Halley)

2010-12-20T18:23:00.001-08:00

Photo 1: The Old School Antarctic Airport Transport

Photo 2: The New School Antarctic Airport Transport

Photo 3: The DC3 Trans-Antarctic Transportation

Photo 4: Boarding the DC3

Photo 5: The view out the window as we fly from Novo towards Halley

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The Journey South (Part 2)

2010-12-19T15:05:00.001-08:00

Photo 1: Getting changed mid flight into our Antarctic clothing

Photo 2: One of the flight crew (Navigator)Ia in lower section of nose cone.

Photo 3: Having landed on the Ice at Novo (Russian base) we await our next flight onwards to Halley (British base).

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The Journey South (Part 1)

2010-12-17T17:27:00.001-08:00

Photo 1: Boarding Gate B2 at Cape Town International Airport ready to board our plane.

Photo 2: The Russian Ilyushin plane that would fly us from Cape Town to mainland Antarctica.

Photo 3: Inside the Ilyushin receiving our safety briefing..

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Eliot the Coca-Cola Crate Fanman

2010-12-16T14:24:00.001-08:00

Cape Town now has it’s very own Coca-Cola crate fanman. The structure, named Elliot after the foreman of the team that built him, was made from 4200 crates and stands 18 meters tall at the V&A Waterfront. Here are a few Photos of him taken from various view points.

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Some more pics from Cape Town

2010-12-16T13:38:00.001-08:00

Photo 1: The Ernest Shackleton, part of the British Antarctic Surveys fleet of ship. It sails from Cape Town to the Brunt Ice Shelf through the Weddle Sea the same sea that Ernest Shackleton famously became trapped and escaped.

Photo 2: A pic of Table Top Mountain taken from onboard Shackleton.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Some Cape Town Photos

2010-12-15T03:31:00.001-08:00

Photo 1 : Cape Town Stadium (built for the 2010 Fifa World Cup)

Photo 2 : Signpost to most of the World including South Pole (but not London)

Photo 3 : Victoria Water Front Stage with local band performing for World Aids Day (a subject close to home in South Africa)

Photo 4 : Camps Bay a few miles up the Coast from the Water Front ( a great place to watch the Sun go down)

Photo 5 : The Victoria Water Front area a safe haven for tourists and a good place to find a hotel.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Photoblogging this Season

2010-12-13T10:03:00.001-08:00

I've been at Halley V on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica now for just over a week and now that I have settled I thought I would do a catch up on events of the last few weeks.

This year will/should be my last trip to Halley and therfore before I left the UK I decided that I will make a real effort to do a photo-of the experience, and hence justify all the money I spent on Cameras and editing software.
I haven't however invested anytime in learning how to use my camera, which can be seen by this team photo in which I got the timer wrong and also managed to take the photo on the wonk. Thankfully I was able to do some post production on it to make it look artistic and almost planned.

The photo was taken on our first full day in Cape Town, just before we embarked on a stroll around the Waterfront area. In the photo are five of my party of 12 who where travelling to Antarctica to join the other 90 people already on base.Thats me the hairy looking one on the far right followed to my left by Andrew Tallach then Les Jones, Jason Devoll and Rich Parker.

An intresting fact relating to this photo is that not long after it was taken we all got Sunburnt...spooky!

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Google Map of Brunt Ice Shelf

2010-12-05T12:54:00.001-08:00

After alomost a week of travelling and thosands of miles of flying I once again find myself in the middle of nowhere. Luckly now with the power of google maps and the blogging platform called Posterous I can share "nowhere" with the click of a button, With modern sites like Facebook and tools like Posterous you just dont feel as isolated as I guesss it did in years gone by,only ever being a click away from those youve left behind.

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2010-11-15T06:29:00.001-08:00

Loving these instant Starbuck coffee packs going to take a load to Antarctica with me!

One of the things i really dont miss about the UK

2010-11-12T10:38:00.001-08:00

Download now or watch on posterous

p324.mov (3003 KB)

Rush hour and Traffic Jams ...how much do I not miss this when working away!

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The Old Movie Deficit!

2010-10-29T16:19:00.001-07:00

When living in remote locations like Ascension Island or Antarctica it's important to have a good stock pile of movies. With a lack of retail outlets and bandwidth at a premium it's prudent to go with a hard-drive preloaded or full DVD wallet with all your favourite movies.

Having travelled away several times now I've begun to notice a trend and it seems that there is a deficit of old films in the media pool. An abundance of copies of Avatar and Hurt Locker, Shrek and recent movies but no one seems to have the old films especially the video nasty type.

You do seem to find copies of "Back to the Future" and "Karate Kid" but no one seems to have copies of the films like "Robocop" or "Childs Play".

My theory is that where as most people who are in there 30s got to see the PG rated stuff, the violent/horror movies titles only the naughty kids got to see. Chances are if your 30 by the time you were old enough to watch an 18 it would have been Trainspotting or Reservoir Dogs. Anyhow regardless for the reason I've got a month before I head back South and it's my mission to collect as many forgotten 80s classics as possible in advance of those long Antarctic nights. Any suggestions??? (Oh btw - I've already got the "The Thing" :-)

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Re-integration!

2010-10-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

The problem with coming home having spent months away is that your greeted by all your problems, all at once.

Bank card has just been blocked, New Fuel Card expired?? breaks on car seized, hot water in flat non existent, broadband service stopped, other bills haven't been paid. Outstanding Work to do, medicals for Antarctica to pass, dentist probably will just laugh at my teeth...my life today reads like an Eminem lyric ...apart from the fact I haven't tied anyone to the bed and set the house on fire!

Most these things are only minor inconveniences but with only 30 days at home its the time I can't afford trying to fix them that's the problem . The frustrating thing is they will get fixed and I will disappear again for another 4 months and when I return it will probably be the same all over again so should I bother! Anyhow please forgive me for moaning I will try not to make a habit of it, going to go get some Pizza and make the most of the good stuff about being home! Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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To be home.

2010-10-25T05:05:00.001-07:00

"We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring, will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time" -T.S.Eliot "The Four Quartets" Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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Runcast.TV a New Dawn!

2010-09-14T16:15:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back I posted a blog post and sent a message regarding the future of the Runcast.TV and the potential closure of the site. I have since been informed that very soon Ning will be pulling the plug on the site. At this point I don’t know what that means but we will either see the whole site will disappear or it will remain but with restricted privileges. Whatever happens I have decided that to stay with Ning would be a bad thing and therefore I haven’t pursued Renato to try and keep the site on the network.

Before I continue I'd like to make it clear that Renato and myself are still friends and I would like to personally thank him for making this site possible and giving us all the possibility to share videos with like minded runners. Renato I owe you, and on behalf of everyone we are very grateful for what you made happen. :-)

Secondly can I say thank you to everyone who contributed to the site and made it the place it was, there are so many people who supported it and contributed to it, either through videos or through viewing the site and creating the audience.

In particular I would especially like to say thank you to those who made a extra special contribution Steve Runner, Carlos “The Jackal”, Dave and Gene, Chris Russell, Charles White, Steve Chopper, Toni Harvey, Dave Powel, Nik and Dan, ZenRunner, Nigel Runner, Duff Runner, Eddie Marathon, David Colby Young, Martin Weiner, Darzo, Nathan Bunting, Resurrected Runner, Mark, Gary,Paul, Krister, Harry...the list goes on and my apologies that I’ve missed so many but you know who you are and if ive missed you its not personal - I have a 2000 word limit on this mail L

Can I also thank all those who offered support in response to my last email, it was really appreciated and made me determined that this wouldn’t be the end of the site.

In particular I would like to thank one particular person who has come to the rescue in a manner that is beyond my wildest expectations. That person is Ben from Buckeye Outdoors and I am very pleased to announce that with his help we will be rolling out an all new Runcast.TV within the next few weeks. It will be entirely new sites that will be keeping the raw essence of the original. But behind the scenes it will integrated so perfectly with the Buckeye platform it will take Runcast.TV to the next level, just watch this space its very exciting.

Anyhow for now the site is closing, in the next few days the domain will be hosted at an under construction page (blog) and I will keep everyone posted on the progress and on the details of what’s happening, in the meantime thanks again and I hope you will join us over at the new site once its ready.

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The Sooty Terns of Wideawake Fairs.

2010-09-05T11:41:00.001-07:00

Today was one of my first days off for ages so I went on a walk down too Wideawake Fairs ( just next to the airfield here on Ascension Island). This is the home of the Sooty Tern which is a seabird of the tern family found throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake and hence why they call it Wideawake Fairs.

There are thousands of these birds nesting and in antempt to try and scare visitors away the birds make an incessant calls as they swoop down and attack you like something out of the Hitcock movie however they divert right at the last minute and not once did they make contact I did think that if they really wanted to be effective all they needed to do was drop a bit of bird poop and we soon would have left instead we stayed and I took this photo ...which I love!

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The Future of Runcast.TV

2010-08-19T14:34:00.001-07:00

To all fellow runners and members of Runcast.TV, I'am writing this blog post to warn members of www.Runcast.TV, that the site potentially may be closing in the next few days. This is because of changes to how Ning supports networks like Runcast.TV and as of this Friday Ning will be discontinuing its previous Premium and Free network plans and changing over to a new Premium only plan.

To put people in the picture, although I own the domain and helped build and foster the community, I never actually owned the site (it was effectively rented space) and although we are currently a premium network I am not responsible or in control of the site and cant make the shift onto a new plan without full cooperation from my partner in the project. As you may already know back when we started the site in 2008 I never set up the network, it was instead set up by a third party friend of mine, on my behalf. The person who did this is classed by Ning as the creator and you may have seen Renato’s name on the site. Unfortunately due to my own circumstances and Renato’s busy schedule we have fallen out of contact and I haven’t been able to get confirmation with him with regards to what will be happening to the site when the changes happen. I had previously tried to take over as creator a few months ago to avoid this situation, but Ning wouldn’t let this happen and therefore all control for the site still remains with Renato.

Hopefully I can make contact with him before anything happens, but if not and the site does shut down then we will use the opportunity to rebuild a bigger and better site. If this is the end of the site as we know it, can I take this time to thank all members for making this the largest and therefore best dedicated Running Video site on the web. May I personally thank all those who have contributed to the site and in doing so provided inspiration to so many other runners from all over the world.

I promise I will use this page to keep in touch.

Yours Runningly

Phil

P.S This is not the end it just a mile marker on route to our final finish line.
P.P.S Should we need to relocate, I will contact all current members via email to invite you to our new site once it is established.

If you need to contact me please feel free to do so on either via comments or via twitter @solshadow

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The answers I gave to the Guardian!

2010-08-14T07:40:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back I was sent a number of questions regarding working in Antarctica from a journalist working for the Guardian Newspaper . Some of the Answers from those questions went towards an artical that they ran with a few weeks back. The article also appeared online LINK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jul/31/working-overseas-dangerous-jobs

Anyhow if now that the artical has been published I can share the other answers that were not used in the article. Which should give an insight into how they pull a story together. I found the whole process to be quite intresting and epecially like how they stripped my answers down to fit with the story. I was most impressed as they represented what I said with out miss leading people to suit an agenda.

Another cool spin off from this is the company I work for have also taken my answers and published them into our corporate magazine. As well as making a small pamphlet for recruitment purposes. Scary to think I may be acting like some sort of Siren attracting graduates to answer the call and come work overseas, if only they knew the truth :-)

Any how the answers are as follows:

*Did you know what you wanted to do when you were young?

Not really, I was a bit of a fantasist constantly changing my mind, my earliest memory was wanting to be an astronaut, then it was an footballer finally when I was about 14 I decided I wanted to be an Architect but changed my mind at the last minute as Civil Engineer seemed to offer more exciting opportunities.

* Did you need any qualifications to pursue your career choice? If so, where did you study/how did you make it happen?

I picked my A-Levels based on the subjects I enjoyed which where Art, Maths and Physics. These gave me a great foundation for then going to University to study Civil Engineering. To minimise study costs I decided to stay at home and therefore chose to get my degree from the University of Liverpool.

* Can you describe your early career?

I graduated in 1999 and by early 2001 I had been sent on my first overseas posting to the Isle of Mann. I was given quite a lot of responsibility early on and though this was quite stressful I enjoyed the island so much that I managed to cope and stayed there for almost 4 years. The highlight was being the site engineer on the Track renewal for the Steam Railway between Douglas to Port Erin. That project had a real feeling of prestige and history that satisfied nearly all my romantic ideas about civil engineering as a career.

* How did you get into your current role?

Whilst I was working on the Isle of Mann I met an operative who had spent time working in the Falklands and also Antarctica. He described a magical place which captured my imagination and his advice to me was if I ever got the chance to go I should seize it. In 2006 I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and I was asked to be involved with the build of the New “Halley VI” base on the Brunt Ice Shelf, I accepted the chance without questioning.

* Can you describe the region where you work?

The best way for me to describe working on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica is to liken it to a scene in the movie the matrix. Where reality as you know it has been deleted and a new reality has been loaded on to a blank background. With regards to Halley it's been reloaded with only the basic requirements for human survival and not much more, it's very surreal. It is the closest thing I to being on another planet. Everything is alien and there are lots of hidden things like being at -8 degrees and suffering from sunburn due to UV exposure or that there is 24 hour of sunlight which makes it difficult to sleep even thought you are physically exhausted.

* Can you describe the work you do and the organisation you work for?

The organisation I work for have many divisions covering a whole host Construction areas ranging from House Building thorough to larges scale Civil Engineering projects. I work for the International side of the business and apart from the day to day role of being a site engineering, looking after issues surrounding quality, safety, environmental and cutomer value. I would add that due to the nature of the projects we do there is a big emphasis on the logistical side of working in some very remote locations.

* What are the main benefits/rewards of working in Antarctic?

Apart from being fortunate enough to see some incredible places the whole experience opens your mind to a belief that anything is possible if you plan for it.

I would definitely say that I get a lot less fazed by problems now than I did before I went to Antarctica.

* What are the main challenges of working in such a location?

Professionally definitely the most challenging aspect is the logistical side of getting there and getting material to site. A lot of planning goes into ensuring that every last nut and bolt is on site, as its not as if you can nip down the local hardware store for any missing items.

On the personal level its being away from home from loved ones especially over Christmas.

* Do you have any loneliness issues?

No,If anything it's the opposite as living in such close proximity to others means you have very little time on your own. You are almost entirely in the company of others 24hours a day. It's very difficult to get time on your own and I used to go running just for a bit of “me” time.

* Has it proved easy to interact with local people or colleagues?

On the whole yes but it can be difficult at times. You have to be very patient as minor things can start to feel like massive issues. That said its also very hard to fall out with anyone for any length of time as you cant escape, the environment forces you to be very forgiving.

* Have you ever been in any danger?

It’s a very hazardous place and from the moment you arrive you are faced with danger whether its landing in a 66 year old plane on an ice Runway or travelling across sea ice on the back of a sledge, it’s a hazard. Therefore procedures are in place to protect you. As one of my South African colleagues put it "Fortune favours the brave but Antarctica favours the risk adverse".

The only time I was really scared was when I was caught out once in a blow situation by gusting winds. The visibility went momentarily from low to nothing in the space of a few seconds. I managed to make it to a flag but there was no tag line as it was in the middle of the main traffic route. I stood there waiting for the visibility to improve and it felt like an for an eternity. In that short amount of time I was there I lost all sense of direction and when the visibility did improve, I saw a building that I headed towards which turned out to be the building I left 5 mins earlier.

* What's the most unusual thing to have happened?

You have a mental image of the environment being very hostile and difficult traverse, which on the whole it is. I decided however to start running and after a few weeks found it to be easier as I seemed to recover a lot quick than I did running on the roads back home. After a few weeks I decided it would be possible to go much further than I had previously expected and right at the end of the season I ran a marathon, something I never would have dreamt possible at the start of the season.

* What was the major culture clash moment that made you think, “woah”?

I think seeing some of the Ice Bergs for the first time blew my mind. Can't begin to describe them, words and photos don’t do them justice they are just beautiful. Likewise standing next to an emperor Penguin in its natural habitat it’s a very special thing.

Cultural clash happened when I first arrived home in the UK. The place I knew as home looked so familiar but different. I couldn’t comprehend why everything was so disorganised, things like litter really stood out where as previously I had sadly accepted it.

* Have you found yourself in any amusing situations?

Not sure if you can use this one but, when we were camping at the remote build site 16km from the main base we had to build a special outside toilet. I used to tell people off for not closing the door but the response I would get was where else in the world would you get a view like that whist answering the call of nature. I did see their point so we opted for putting a flag out but then people would forget to take the flag down which caused all sorts of confusion, we never did fully resolve it.

* Do you ever wish you had chosen a more conventional working life?

For as much as I love the adventure of being away I do find myself wishing I could spend more time at home. Its especially hard when there is illness within the family and you are not home.

* Do you think of home a lot?

I do but I find myself looking forward to getting home. The best trick is not to go directly home but sandwich something in between leaving site and getting home. This season I spent a few weeks travelling through South America and met up with my Girlfriend on route. This helped block any feelings of homesickness.

* Has working in the Antarctic changed you? In what ways?

As I said earlier I get less fazed by things now, I seem now to have greater stamina, resolve and patience and my endurance has grown. These are all qualities I lacked in my younger career. I also have a great appreciation about the urgency that things have especially when they need to coincide with shipping deadlines.

* What does the future hold for you (ie, will you remain in similar work, would you like to work in a similarly challenging environment elsewhere?)

I'am currently on Ascension Island, until October then back to Antarctica at the end of the year. Whilst the exciting work is available I will always be tempted and the ultimate would be to go into space (but that’s never going to happen). As I can't go into space I would perhaps settle for something in the desert. If the opportunities stopped coming then I would be more than happy accept a normal job back home.

* Do you have any advice for young people (or those looking to switch careers) who might want to follow a similar career path? (ie, would you recommend any particular qualifications/courses; and what mental/emotional qualities might you need?)

Sounds cheesy but my advice would be to make sure you do what interests you. If you're enthusiastic about your work you gravitate towards the things that you want to do. If you ever have any doubt or you let set backs get in your way then you probably didn't want to do it enough and therefore a positive mind set is in my opinion the most important quality to have. I would say also that on the emotional sides of things your need to not let your emotions control you and need to be able to take a step back and put things into perspective. You will also be surrounded with by people who will have experience of different things to you and you need to be able to listen and take on board the advice they offer you. If you can do this then working in Antarctica doesn’t seem half as difficult as you would expect.

Download now or preview on posterous

C:UsersMFLDesktopPhil Moneypenny Qs & As feature.pdf (367 KB)

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Where is Ascension Island?

2010-08-11T14:13:00.001-07:00

I keep being asked where is Ascension Island, well if you serch on Google you will find it after zooming in a million times! I have however now got a good map that shows where I am and Ive attached it. So in future when people ask me where I'am I can send them this link...at least whilst I'am still here :-)

Some of facts about Ascension Island:

It is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around 1,600 kilometres (994 mi) from the coast of Africa, and 2,250 kilometres (1,398 mi) from the coast of South America which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa. It is politically organized and governed as part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha^[1] from the capital Saint Helena, which is 1,287 kilometres (800 mi) to the southeast, and the protectorate also includes the "remotest populated archipelago" on earth, the sparsely populated Tristan da Cunha archipelago some thirty degrees farther south — about half the way to the Antarctic circle.
The Island is named after the day of its recorded discovery, Ascension Day
Is located at 7°56′S 14°22′W / 7.933°S 14.367°W / -7.933; -14.367Coordinates: 7°56′S 14°22′W / 7.933°S 14.367°W / -7.933; -14.367
The island is the location of Wideawake Airfield, which is a joint facility of the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force and the BBC World Service Atlantic Relay Station.
The island was used extensively by the British military during the Falklands War. Ascension Island hosts one of five ground antennas (others are on Kwajalein, Diego Garcia, Colorado Springs and Hawaii) that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational system.
It also has passing and coming onto the island the transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean

The GPS thing is cool and I love the whole Cable thing as without that we wouldnt have the internet as we no it! Not sure what "remotest populated archipelago" means but it sounds awesome :-)

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Extreme Cold Weather clothing

2010-08-11T13:11:00.001-07:00

Begin forwarded message:

From: "p.moneypenny" <p.moneypenny@mac.com>
Date: 11 August 2010 9:01:09 PM
To: post@shadowcasts.posterous.com
Subject: Extreme Cold Weather clothing

Sat here on the equator its hard to think that I would be planning my return trip back to Antarctica but thats what Ive been doing to day. Placed an order for £74,000 pounds of structural steelwork this afternoon so that gives me pleanty to get started on when I get back to site.

Next job will be to make sure Ive got the ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) Clothing sorted, which because its work is actually classed as PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

For anyone whos intrested in this topic I've attached a section from the Field Manual for the U.S American Program.

Download now or preview on posterous

C:UsersMFLDesktopFieldManual-Chapt1ExtremeColdWeatherClothing.pdf (91 KB)

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What price do you pay for your running?

2010-08-09T08:37:00.001-07:00

I was on Twitter earlier today (something I do quite rarely these days) and read a tweet that caught my attention. It had been posted by @flipbooks which is one one of those good types of "spam" accounts. The type of account that annoys you most of the time but just when your about to unfollow offers you something of value. Well today it offered something of value in the form of a Quote which went something like this "Misery happens when you replace what you want in the future for something you want now!".

That's not the exact quote but its the gist, and it was that very idea that rang true to me. If I can now bring your attention to the attached photo I will explain this idea slightly further. The photo contains all my "Rehabilitation Gear". A pair of £85 Mizunos, two compression bandages, two Neoprean knee supports, an ice pack, freeze spray and a tube of freeze gel. All of this and a bucket of patience has been getting me back on the road and last night I ran my first 30 min run for a good few months. Way back in February, I did something reckless I ran a Marathon in Antarctica. At the time I knew I was pushing it too far. Several weeks before the event I had noticed I wasn't recovering from my long runs. I knew I could finish the distance but I also knew there would be a price to pay. I remember being at a cross-roads. I could continue running at the volume I was comfortable or push it to get to Marathon volume. I did the latter and the price has been paid by no running for the last 6 months. Like all bad debts there has been interest and this has been the financial cost of the items in the photo. The good think is like most repayment plans the end is in sight and soon I should be debt free and able to enjoy the liberation of debt free running! At that point I can go buy my new all singing iphone4 and start all over again with a 24 month contract and a debt we are all more familiar with :-)

What price do you pay for your running?

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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Flip Flop!

2010-07-04T15:26:00.001-07:00

I had a few days off from any fittness training this week after a party last weekend where I got a little bit drunk and fell over and bashed my head. The reason I fell over was I was a) slightly tippsy and b) wearing flip flops.

The knock on was I felt all depressed this week because of it add to this I'am away from home and that I havent been running for a few weeks I decided to feel sorry for myself for a few days.

However every cloud has a silver lining as because I blamed the flip flops I didnt wear them all week, and my legs felt really good because of it. This made me realise that since arriving on Ascension Island its been about 30+ degrees every day so flip flops have been the only thing ive been wearing and now I realise this is why my knees have been bad. A week of not wearing them and my legs felt great...when I put them back on I noticed very quickly that the knee pain came back and because I hadnt been exercising it had to be the Havianas.

So happy days, armed with this knowledge i was able to knock out 34 mins todayon the tredmill and all though my knees feel a little bit sore they feel a hell of a lot better than they did. Going to rest tommorow and then see if I can do it again on Tuesday.

:-) Phil

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I've been asked some Questions???

2010-07-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

I have been asked to answer a series of questions for a weekend supplement for a national paper!

I thought I would post the questions here so as to get my mind thinking about how I should respond.

* Did you know what you wanted to do when you were young?

* Did you need any qualifications to pursue your career choice? If so, where did you study/how did you make it happen?

* Can you describe your early career?

* How did you get into your current role?

* Can you describe the region where you work?

* Can you describe the work you do and the organisation you work for?

* What are the main benefits/rewards of working in Antarctic?

* What are the main challenges of working in such a location?

* Do you have any loneliness issues?

* Has it proved easy to interact with local people or colleagues?

* Have you ever been in any danger?

* What's the most unusual thing to have happened?

* What was the major culture clash moment that made you think, “woah”?

* Have you found yourself in any amusing situations?

* Do you ever wish you had chosen a more conventional working life?

* Do you think of home a lot?

* Has working in the Antarctic changed you? In what ways?

* What does the future hold for you (ie, will you remain in similar work, would you like to work in a similarly challenging environment elsewhere?)

What angle should I go for :-)
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

What do you do if you find a Scorpion!

2010-06-29T08:57:00.001-07:00

Download now or watch on posterous

VID 00180-20100628-1415.3GP (1195 KB)

Scorpions don't bite but they do have a sting in their tail...eek. The one in this video strolled onto our building site yesterday and we all rushed to see what it looked like, without fear of what would happen if it stung us... well actually with a lot of fear that's what made it so exciting!

Anyway we have since had a toolbox talk on the dangers of Scorpions and here's what you should do if you do ever get stung.

1. Wash the Scorpion sting with Soap and water.
2.Apply a ice wrapped in a cloth.
3.Elevate the affected area above heart level.
4.Get medical help...immediately... if you start to get numbness, tingling of extremities or face, blurry vision, twitching, roving eye movements, vomiting then call an ambulance!!!

Tips to avoid being stung are check clothing before getting dressed and don't get to close when trying to film them with your camera phone!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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John Travolta's Plane

2010-06-16T03:31:00.001-07:00

In the last week Ascension Island has become a bit of a hotspot for VIP visitors. On Saturday "Air Force 2" with Joe Biden the Vice president of the USA called in on route home from the opening game of the world cup and then on Monday we had an even cooler visitor. The one and only John Travolta landed his Quantas plane also on route home from South Africa. Unfortunately his wife Kelly didn't feel too good so they stayed on the plane but it was still cool to see his plane after hearing so much about it over the last few years. (Did you know hes got a runway next to his house).

Anyway heres a Video clip of John Travolta's plane recorded Monday (14/06/10) when he landed here on Ascension Island and a load of random current photos from his trip (i took the one of the plane).

News for John Travolta

Times LIVE

John Travolta donates to Mandela children's charity‎ - 2 days ago

Hollywood actor John Travolta has donated 70000 rand (£6300) to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund during a visit to South Africa. ...

BBC News - 371 related articles »

John Travolta sings cringeworthy Grease song to gee up Australia ...‎ -Mirror.co.uk - 4 related articles »

John Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, shows off four-months ...‎ -New York Daily News - 8 related articles »

Travolta.com - The Official Website
John Travolta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Travoltas Plane.m4v (12507 KB)

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6 Steps To Maintaining Your Body Weight — Marathon Running

2010-06-02T00:56:00.001-07:00

http://marathon.spoodler.com/6-steps-to-maintaining-your-body-weight/
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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My Runcast Antarctica (Secret Re-Edit: Video)

2010-06-01T15:37:00.001-07:00

<br /><small>Find more videos like this on RuncastTV</small><br />

This is a safe edit (won't get me in trouble with anyone) version of the video I posted a few weeks ago but took down because it showed lots of stuff of a Top Secret nature. This version still shows some stuff that I probably shouldn't be including but has no way as much as the last one. I think this one should be ok to leave up but its a bit boring in comparison to the last one (sorry about that).

Hope you still enjoy it.

PS I will post some audioblog some commentary later this week.

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"Backlog Audioblog: Recovering from Shingles whilst on Ascension island and planning a podcast!

2010-06-01T14:33:00.001-07:00

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VN00091-20100601-2055.amr (756 KB)

This audio isn't the podcast that I've been promising for as long as I can remember, instead its the "Backlog Audioblog"! Which I'am going to use as a cheat podcast to catch up on all the material that I would have put in a podcast if I had ever got round to doing a podcast! Haha yeah I now what your going to say I should really bite the bullet and say this is it..but where would the fun be in that!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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Got Shingles and how Posterous saved the day!

2010-05-31T01:28:00.001-07:00

Photo: Georgetown Hospital, Ascension Island

I've got shingles!!! For the last two weeks I've been plagued by a patch of blisters that I had thought were bites. (You may have seen my previous posts!) However thank to the power of Posterous the photos of my rash where sent to all my different outlets and deposit areas of the web, and my incorrect diagnosis was quickly corrected. Before long I had a stack of comments all supporting the diagnosis and comparing symptoms. Advice was aplenty, almost overflowing and most of it was advising me to get to the doctors and hence how I was persuaded to go to Georgetown Hospital. When I got there apart from being impressed by its colonial look I was also taken back by how quickly the doctor knew what it was....if only I had been quicker to go get my "Bites" checked out sooner....I may have had some better nights of sleep in the last few weeks. So I guess the lesson I've learnt is that the power of a social network goes beyond all that we already think we know!... the more ways we find to interact, the more we give up to it... the more it reveals and teaches us and gives back in return. As I get better, I want to thanks those who took the time to offer their opinions and help point me in the right direction... Thank You :-)
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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SLEEP!!!

2010-05-27T00:29:00.001-07:00

How much do I need my sleep...on Tuesday night I slept 12 hours solid and was 30 mins late for work. I had put it down to lack of sleep due to insect bites. Especially as the last good nights sleep (bite free) that I had was back in the UK, over two weeks ago.

Before going to bed I would spend a good twenty minutes searching my room for bugs. Frustratingly this seemed to make no difference and each day I would wake with a new crop of bites right next to the last batch. Adding to my fear and resulting in a spiralling situation of half vigilant sleep

Anyhow on tuesday I was so tired I just collapsed on my bed and fell asleep the moment I got home from work. This started to make me think that the situation is starting to take its toll on me and that I need to see a doctor or something. Especially as I've had it suggested (I will come back to this in a post after seeing the doctor) that I may be suffering with some sort of viral infection and the bites thing may be a red herring!

So that's my plan mid-day today I'am off to see the Doctors and see what their diagnosis is, get the bites sorted once and for all! Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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Everything wants to bite me and its really starting to bug me!

2010-05-25T04:38:00.001-07:00

I've been on Ascension island for just over two weeks now and so far things are a bit miserable. Not because its in anyway a rubbish place to be but because of the insects and their love of English blood. As you can see from the photos one taken a week ago and the close up taken today....I've been attacked in quite a bad way. I've been bitten to bits almost every night, bites on top of bites and its really spoiling what would otherwise be an awesome place. Anyhow I now have mega strength Deet spray Photo!!! Hopefully it should deter the little critters from any further damage, and hopefully I'm not allergic to the spray!...because that would be awful! Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Turtle on Long Beach Ascension Island (Video)

2010-05-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

Been on Ascension Island now for two weeks (my latest posting) and this morning I thought it was about time I got up early to try and catch the turtles, not literally but in the "got to go see them before they are gone" sort of way. Its the back end of nesting season here and these guys are coming a shore-less and less. I managed to see two in total and it was fantastic to see them with my own eyes in their natural habitat. Really hope that I will be lucky enough to see them again a few more times before they stop coming ashore.

Hope you like the video.

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Audio update and not yet a podcast!

2010-05-04T06:57:00.003-07:00

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Memo.m4a (3998 KB)

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Audio update and not yet a podcast!

2010-05-04T06:57:00.001-07:00

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Memo.m4a (3998 KB)

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Trying to improve my fitness..1 app at a time!

2010-04-14T15:59:00.001-07:00

Been home for 10 days and starting to form my new routine which this year will involve going to the gym...my biggest problem in previous years is that i never know what i should be doing but this has been made easier due to an app on my phone called "ifitness". It has workout plans preloaded which takes all that uncertainty out of my trips. It also has an other feature that iam loving which is it allows you to log your progress. Over time this will give extra motivation (hopefully) as I start seeing improvements....all I need now is an app that cooks healthy food and iam sorted :-)

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On my way back via the Dredmill Tue, 13 Apr #17

2010-04-13T13:49:00.001-07:00

Tredmill running ain't all that bad, it's good for picking a pace and sticking to it... I just miss the adventure of indoor running :-/

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movie.mov (1026 KB)

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Back in the Runderland!

2010-04-12T12:50:00.001-07:00

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Podcast.m4a (4291 KB)

Quick First Audio post on Terra Ferma

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Bringing my iPhone back 2 life!

2010-04-11T08:00:00.001-07:00

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Memo.m4a (2360 KB)

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Thrashing the guidebook!

2010-03-29T18:30:00.001-07:00

Back from Iguazu and back in Rio however this time we are staying in Ipanema. Ipanema is the style district and according to the guidebook the best place to go for something to eat. However I think the guidebook I have is out of date...as tonight I went looking for yet another recommended place to eat but couldn't find it! However this time lucklt we stumbled upon a place called "Killogramme". It's a simple idea you pay by the Kg and it's popular here in Rio. It was also the cheapest and probably the most enjoyable meal we have had since ariving in Rio, I may eat there for the rest of the holiday...word of warning Cheese is heavy :-)

Sent from my iPhone

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Quick Update from Iguazu Falls

2010-03-28T13:06:00.001-07:00

I wasn't going to post any posts whilst roaming because it's costing a fortune and iam spending money hand over foot (or is it fist). But because I havent posted for a few weeks and have travelled through Uraguay, Argentina and Brazil with out a word to say I am now currently at Iguazu falls. So I thought too hell with it because Iguazu is AMAZING , a real highlight and I have shout home about it!!! I also have to say Emma was amazing having already flown by herself from the UK to me in Rio , today she crossed a bridge with the biggest spiders on it I have ever seen! (she is even more scared of spiders than planes). But she did it and we witnessed some of the most spectacular sights.

I have a dialema do we only have half a day left so do we go see the Brazilian side tommorow morning or do we go take a trip on the Boat and get up close and personal ????

I look forward to when I get home and I can post some video and photos of today. When I finally do get home I will make sure I catch up on all the things I haven't posted, or things I have posted but only put quick blasts like this one.

Phil

Sent from my iPhone

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Boca Juniors VS River Plate

2010-03-22T06:14:00.001-07:00

Still alive having spent the last week in Buenos Aires. Yesterday I was lucky enough to go see Boca Juniors Vs River Plate and witnessing the start of the match was the icing on the cake for the week, even better than going to PACHA. Unfortunately I didn't get to see a goal because the game was eventually called off due to waterlogged pitch. The replay is on Wednesday but I fly to Rio on Tuesday so wont be able to go, so I now have a spare ticket for the replay if anyone is in town and fancies going.

Anyway for now (Today) I plan to go shopping and catch a Tango before heading off tomorrow.

:-)

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Nearly at Montevideo

2010-03-12T22:51:00.001-08:00

Image is from a computer generated model of the Sea bed around the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic. It has been generated using special Geo-Physical techniques using Swath bathemetry survey instruments onboard the ship that I am traveling home on. Part of our journey home has been involved a few days mapping these areas for the first time and this information will be added to the navigation charts at some later date once accepted by the Science/ Naval communities. Anyhow after 10 days of being at sea today we should be arriving at Montevideo and I will be taking my first steps on land for over 100 days. The Noon readings for yesterday where as follows:

Latitude: 38 08.0 S Longitude: 52 17.3 W Bearing: 135 °T, 272 Nm from Montevideo Course Made Good 320 °T (1) Destination 1: Montevideo (1) ETA at 11.04 knots is 13:00 on 13 March 2010 (2) Destination 2: NONE (2) ETA at knots is 00:00 on 01 January 1998 Distance Travelled: 294 Total Distance Travelled: 2827 Steam Time: 24 Total Steam Time: 241..4 Average Speed: 11.33 Total Average Speed: 11.71 Wind: Direction SSW, Force 4 Sea State: Moderate Air Temp: 18.4 °C Sea Temp: 22.8 °C Pressure: 1007 Tendency: Rising 1012 - End of Swath bathemetry survey.
Montevideo on DST; GMT-2 until 0200LT on 14th then GMT-3 Some gossip, last night some of the guys on the ship were convinced they had seen a UFO. Whilst they were out stargazing they saw a bright green ball fly across the sky. At first they thought it was a flare but when they went on the bridge to check the Radar had no sign of any other objects in the Area. Me being me I joked that with the power of social search I would be able to find the answer and after a few a few Tweets and Facebook updates I was given the answer by @hellasound ;

Its call BALL LIGHTNING and the following is some info I quickly managed to dig up.

BALL LIGHTNING does not look like "lightning." Instead, it usually appears as a mysterious glowing sphere which drifts horizontally through the air. A typical ball is 4½ to 9 inches in diameter (with a maximum range between about half an inch and three feet) and glows most commonly red, green or yellow in color, though occasionally blue or white, with about the brightness of a domestic electric light. It may have a halo around it, emit sparks or rays, and survive for anything up to several minutes before disappearing, either suddenly in an explosion or by gradually fading away. Odors resembling ozone, burning sulfur, or nitrogen oxide are sometimes referred to, occasionally with the presence of a faint mist or residue. Rarely do the objects cause significant damage. One exception was in 1936 when, according to a correspondent to a British newspaper, during a thunderstorm, he saw a large "red-hot" ball, the size of an orange, come down from the sky, strike a house, cut a telephone wire, burn a window frame and then submerge itself in a four-gallon tub of water which subsequently boiled for several minutes. This dramatic finale allowed a back-of-envelope estimate to be made of the object's energy density. It turned out to be about half that of an equivalent volume of molten iron. The movement of the balls is one of their most interesting and puzzling features. Typically, it's horizontal with a speed that seems completely independent of local air currents. Many balls are described as spinning. A curious ability to navigate around obstacles is another characteristic, although some balls show an affinity for metal objects and may move along conductors such as wires or metal fences as if they were rails. Others appear to be able to pass, ghost-like, through closed doors and windows with ease. Among their favorite reported haunts are chimneys, fireplaces, and stoves. Most sightings are made during thundery weather and are usually associated with lightning. Sometimes, the link is compelling, as in this account by a Dr. E. M Galton: A few years ago, sitting at noon in our window in Glion over Lake Geneva, my wife and I watched a heavy thunderstorm slowly crossing the lake. When it reached the north shore, an intense flash of forked lightning was followed by the appearance, apparently a few hundred feet above the ground, of a ball the color an size of the sun at noon. The edges were slightly fuzzy, It was about three miles away and drifted with a smooth, non-rotating motion like a balloon for about a half-mile possibly at right-angles to the wind direction, until it settled on the top of either a telegraph pole or a gantry connected with the railway, and vanished. We both saw the ball and are certain that it was not an after-image caused by the lightning-strike. The appearance of ball lightning, however, is by no means always associated with lightning strikes, and fair-weather balls are not unknown. This prompts the question of whether the balls are indeed some kind of by-product of electrical activity in the atmosphere or have a more exotic origin.
Anyhow I best go, got a long day ahead of me today!

Take Care
Phil

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Saunders Island on route to Montevideo

2010-03-06T15:15:00.001-08:00

Photo: Saunders Island which is one of the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic

We are presently passing South Sandwich Islands on James Clark Ross undertaking a swath bathemetry survey, on route to Montevideo. Passage plan amended to allow for Sandwich Island survey. Montevideo on DST; GMT-2 until 0200LT on 14th then GMT-3 It was great to see the first bit of land in several months!

Latitude: 58 09.3 S
Longitude: 25 45.5 W
Bearing: 122 °T, 420 Nm from King Edward Point
Course Made Good var °T
(1) Destination 1: Montevideo
(1) ETA at 11.79 knots is 09:00 on 13 March 2010
(2) Destination 2: NONE
(2) ETA at knots is 00:00 on 01 January 1998
Distance Travelled: 287 nautical miles since noon yesterday (05/03/10)
Total Distance Travelled: 1136 Miles since leaving Brunt Ice Shelf
Steam Time: 24
Total Steam Time: 97.4
Average Speed: 11.96
Total Average Speed: 11.66
Wind: Direction SW, Force 5
Sea State: Moderate
Air Temp: 0.9 °C Sea Temp: 2 °C
Pressure: 1006.1 Tendency: Rising

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Saunders Island on route to Montevideo

2010-03-06T15:14:00.001-08:00

Photo: Saunders Island which is one of the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic

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The Leaving of the Brunt Ice Shelf

2010-03-05T09:37:00.001-08:00

On Monday morning I said goodbye to the Brunt Ice Shelf for another 8 months (until next season).
We are now on route to Montevideo via the South Sandwich Isles sailing on the James Clark Ross. Navigational Data is updated on the ships intranet every day at Noon. This was the data submitted on the 2nd of March as we set sail. Latitude: 75 10.6 S
Longitude: 26 48.7 W
Bearing: 180 °T, 17 Nm from Halley
Course Made Good 006 °T
(1) Destination 1: Montevideo
(1) ETA at 9.01 knots is 08:00 on 14 March 2010
(2) Destination 2: NONE
(2) ETA at knots is 00:00 on 01 January 1998
Distance Travelled: 17
Total Distance Travelled: 17
Steam Time: 1.4
Total Steam Time: 1.4
Average Speed: 12.14
Total Average Speed: 12.14
Wind: Direction E, Force 3
Sea State: Slight
Air Temp: -2.5 °C Sea Temp: -0.5 °C
Pressure: 983 Tendency: Rising
Remarks
1st: 1824 - V/L alongside creek 3, Halley. 1914 - V/L all fast. Commence cargo ops. 2015 - Commence embarkation of passengers. 2038 - Complete embarkation of passengers. 2053 - All lines gone and clear, V/L moves off ice shelf. V/L slows steams overnight. 2nd: 0614 - V/L alongside creek 3, bow in to ice & holding position. 0850 - Commence cargo operations of mooring buoy re-stowage. 1036 - Operations complete, V/L moves off ice and proceeds on passage.

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Recovery

2010-02-27T11:12:00.001-08:00

Its two weeks since I ran my Marathon and still my legs are sore, very sore. I wake up in the night with a burning sensation under my knees and cramps that seem to go on and on. The sides of my legs feel tight and if I hadn't had these sensations before I would be worried that I had done some permanent damage.

One of the problems with being here is that the environment is always with you, to get anywhere you have to walk on a physically demanding surface and your body never gets a chance to recover. The job I have been doing is also physically quite demanding with long hours and no days rest since the run. However ...tonight I leave! Yes today is the day, the last day of the season and tonight I board a ship to set sail towards South America. Finally I will get the rest I have been waiting for and hopefully the recovery that my body is craving.

This wont be my last post as I still have a month of traveling, but this is my last post from Halley and on that note it was a good time to post the audio I recorded at mile 25.2. The quality is rubbish because I had the microphone away from my mouth but you can just about make out what I was saying. All that leaves me to say is thanks to everyone who gave me shouts encouragement, those of you sponsored me for the charity (Raised just under 1700 pounds for British Heart Foundation ) and those of you who have indulged me in this whole Adventure in Runderland...Thank You :-)!
Phil

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VN00084-20100213-0423.amr (208 KB)

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Photos from my Antarctic Marathon

2010-02-20T19:19:00.001-08:00

These are some of the photos from my Antarctic Marathon which (I ran 13/02/10). I successfully completed it in 4 hours and 53 mins and I can quite honestly say it was the hardest thing I have ever done. At the same time it is the most rewarding and satisfying thing I have ever done and I have gained a lot of inner personal strength from the experience and a strong desire to push onwards and further. I think I need to now get out and find somewhere hot, the South Africans on base have suggested Comrades for 2011, personally I quite fancy Bad-water...see how it goes (maybe both) ...for now I need to rest :-) Before I go I would like to say thanks to everyone who sponsored myself on the Marathon and the guys doing the 10k run, so far we have managed to raise over 1600 pounds which is awesome and made the whole thing that little bit more rewarding.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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An Antarctic Marathon ( The Plan + Last Minute Checklist )

2010-02-13T05:28:00.001-08:00

The plan of action :

Go for Dinner >
Then have a sleep for a few hours
Get up 10:00 and get dressed got all items on check list and update this blogpost.
Go outside and make my way to the perimeter
Start running at 11:00
Keep running for about 5 hours in circles until the total distance equals 26.2 miles
Stop
Go back indoors
Shower
Have a beer (or 2)
Tweet and give a status update
Go to bed
Sleep
See how long it takes until I wake up :-)

Checklist:

Nike Free Running Shoes http://www.nike.com
Boot Glove "Universal" Neoprene Insulator http://dryguy.net/PRD_BGU.htm
Boot Glove Gripons Tracs http://dryguy.net/PRD_gripons.htm
Boot Glove Thermo Feet Heat Reflectors http://dryguy.net/PRD_TF.htm
Smart Wool Phd Trail Run Murino Wool Socks https://www.smartwool.com/#/Mens/Socks/_/_/2380/
Low Alpine Dual Fiber Dryflo Tights http://www.lowealpine.com/eng/prod_app_det.php?catid=6&itemid=606&type=man
Old pair of Adidas Shell Track Pants http://www.adidas.com
Icebreaker Mondo Zip BodyFit 200 Murino Wool Long Sleeve Top http://www.icebreaker.com/site/icebreaker_man_bodyfit200_mondo_zip.html
Ice Breaker Murino Wool Black Chute 320 (Neckie) http://www.icebreaker.com/site/icebreaker_man_scarves_320_chute.html
Ice Breaker Pocket 200 Murino Wool Beanie http://www.icebreaker.com/site/icebreaker_man_hats_200_pocket_200.html
RAB Vapor Rise Trail Jacket http://www.rab.uk.com/clothing/vapour-rise/vapour-rise_trail_jacket---91/
RAB Ice Gauntlet Gloves http://www.rab.uk.com/clothing/gloves/ice_gauntlet---57/
Cebe Ski Goggles http://www.cebe.com/
Garmin 405 + HRT Strap

Entertainments

iPod Nano with Running playlist uploaded
Blackberry Bold Phone

Emergency Kit

Radio for Comms

Other stuff in my Kit Bag

Sunscreen Factor 15
Deep Heat muscle rub
Plasters for nipples
ibuprofen
Lucazade sport 2 Cans
Two Bottles of orange juice
1 Bar Dairy Milk
1 Mars Bar
Bag
Warm Down Jacket for after the Run

Anyhow its time to go next post will be in 26.2 miles :-)

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An Antarctic Marathon (The Plan )

2010-02-13T02:19:00.001-08:00

The plan of action :

Go for Dinner >Then have a sleep for a few hours > get up 10:30 and get dressed >Go outside and make my way to the perimeter > Start running at 11:00 > Keep running for about 5 hours in circles until the total distance equals 26.2 miles >Stop > Go back indoors > Shower > Have a beer (or 2) > Tweet and give a status update > Go to bed > Sleep > See how long it takes until I wake up :-)

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video clip

2010-02-11T05:57:00.001-08:00

Today I went on my last run before trying to complete the Marathon distance here in Antarctica this week end.

Tomorrow I plan to rest. Since running 21 miles my legs have been in quite a bad way, I have had slight IT Band trouble and all over stiffness. My hip have not functioned properly and I have had trouble raising my legs. My knees have been so sore that I have been sleeping with them bent and waking up in the night with pain just bellow my them (tendonitus I think). In the last 10 days I have been on only 4 runs and all but one have been no more than 3 miles long. However with all that said and done I felt good on my run tonight and I think the rest/taper has been well worth it. I will enjoy my time off tomorrow all set for the big one :-)

Phil www.justgiving.com/halleyfunrun

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32in32.m4v (2973 KB)

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Running 32 miles in 32 hours this weekend !

2010-02-08T05:36:00.001-08:00

Just to let you know I will be attempting to run a Marathon here in Antarctica this Friday and then trying to follow it by taking part in the Halley 10K Fun Run on Sunday 14th (Which is my 32nd Birthday). All things being well that should be a total of 32 miles in 32 hours. For the "Fun Run" part Agnieszka Frychowska from the Britsh Antarctic Survey has set up a Just Giving page to raise some money for the British Heart Foundation (Link attached) http://www.justgiving.com/halleyfunrun

Now normally if I was doing a running event I wouldn't ask for sponsorship but as this isn't a normal run, as its for a good cause, as its Valentines day and as I've almost killed myself training for this (obsessed that this is my last chance to run a Marathon in Antarctica) it would be really cool if we could raise a bit of money for all this effort.

If anyone could find it in their heart to sponsor me/us, it would be much appreciated and I've attached the Link ( at the end) to the Just giving Website for you to do so :-)

Thanks Phil

http://www.justgiving.com/halleyfunrun

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Lessons learnt whilst Ice Climbing

2010-02-08T03:27:00.001-08:00

After absailing down the 100ft cliff the first thing you want to do is rush back up to the top as quickly as possible. You should however stop and take in the scenery. Once you do start climbing you need to be aware that if you try and go too fast you will very quickly become tired and risk not being able to finish the climb. The trick is you need to be conscious of every move because if you find yourself tipping out of balance, all your weight will be on one or two limbs causing them to fatigue very quickly. This is not good especially when only half way into the climb.

With regards using the equipment you need to give your axes a good hard wack into the ice to make sure they go in, but not so hard that you break big chunks out of the cliff. Likewise when it comes to your crampons you just need to press your toes against the ice and ease your heels back and let gravity and your weight do the work. If you don't and you kick in you risk breaking up the ice you need to support your weight with and its not nice when this breaks away underfoot. At times when the climb gets difficult you need to adapt, break the rules. You may need to over reach and do things a bit different but on the whole the best thing to do is take it slow, keep in balance... don't panic and keep going... bit like life in general :-)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Lessons learnt whilst Ice Climbing

2010-02-08T03:26:00.003-08:00

After absailing down the 100ft cliff the first thing you want to do is rush back up to the top as quickly as possible. You should however stop and take in the scenery. Once you do start climbing you need to be aware that if you try and go too fast you will very quickly become tired and risk not being able to finish the climb. The trick is you need to be concious of every move because if you find yourself tipping out of ballance, all your weight will be on one or two limbs causing them to fatigue very quickly.This is not good especially when only half way into the climb.

With regards using the equipment you need to give your axes a good hard wack into the ice to make sure they go in, but not so hard that you break big chunks out of the cliff. Likewise when it comes to your crampons you just need to press your toes against the ice and ease your heels back and let gravity and your weight do the work. If you dont and you kick in you risk breaking up the ice you need to support your weight with and its not nice when this breaks away underfoot. At times when the climb gets difficult you need to adapt, break the rules. You may need to over reach and do things a bit different but on the whole the best thing to do is take it slow, keep in balance... dont panic and keep going... bit like life in general :-)

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

Lessons learnt whilst Ice Climbing

2010-02-08T03:26:00.001-08:00

After absailing down the 100ft cliff the first thing you want to do is rush back up to the top as quickly as possible. You should however stop and take in the scenery. Once you do start climbing you need to be aware that if you try and go too fast you will very quickly become tired and risk not being able to finish the climb. The trick is you need to be concious of every move because if you find yourself tipping out of ballance, all your weight will be on one or two limbs causing them to fatigue very quickly.This is not good especially when only half way into the climb.

With regards using the equipment you need to give your axes a good hard wack into the ice to make sure they go in, but not so hard that you break big chunks out of the cliff. Likewise when it comes to your crampons you just need to press your toes against the ice and ease your heels back and let gravity and your weight do the work. If you dont and you kick in you risk breaking up the ice you need to support your weight with and its not nice when this breaks away underfoot. At times when the climb gets difficult you need to adapt, break the rules. You may need to over reach and do things a bit different but on the whole the best thing to do is take it slow, keep in balance... dont panic and keep going... bit like life in general :-)

Posted via email from shadowcast posterous

Lessons learnt whilst Ice Climbing

2010-02-08T03:25:00.001-08:00

After absailing down the 100ft cliff the first thing you want to do is rush back up to the top as quickly as possible. You should however stop and take in the scenery. Once you do start climbing you need to be aware that if you try and go too fast you will very quickly become tired and risk not being able to finish the climb. The trick is you need to be concious of every move because if you find yourself tipping out of ballance, all your weight will be on one or two limbs causing them to fatigue very quickly.This is not good especially when only half way into the climb.

With regards using the equipment you need to give your axes a good hard wack into the ice to make sure they go in, but not so hard that you break big chunks out of the cliff. Likewise when it comes to your crampons you just need to press your toes against the ice and ease your heels back and let gravity and your weight do the work. If you dont and you kick in you risk breaking up the ice you need to support your weight with and its not nice when this breaks away underfoot. At times when the climb gets difficult you need to adapt, break the rules. You may need to over reach and do things a bit different but on the whole the best thing to do is take it slow, keep in balance... dont panic and keep going... bit like life in general :-)

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Frost

2010-02-05T01:09:00.001-08:00

Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapor available.

If a solid surface is chilled below the dew point of the surrounding air and the surface itself is colder than freezing, frost will form on the surface. Frost consists of spicule of ice which grow out from the solid surface. The size of the crystals depends on time, temperature, and the amount of water vapor available. In general, for frost to form the deposition surface must be colder than the surrounding air. For instance frost may be observed around cracks in cold wooden sidewalks when moist air escapes from the ground below. Other objects on which frost tends to form are those with low specific heat or high thermal emissivity, such as blackened metals; hence the accumulation of frost on the heads of rusty nails. The apparently erratic occurrence of frost in adjacent localities is due partly to differences of elevation, the lower areas becoming colder on calm nights. It is also affected by differences in absorptivity and specific heat of the ground which in the absence of wind greatly influences the temperature attained by the superincumbent air.

The photo shows frost crystals forming on the wooden deck of one of the science platforms as the Antarctic Dew point was met :-)

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Tag-Line

2010-02-05T00:59:00.001-08:00

A tag-line is a variant of a branding slogan used to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product (like a film), or to reinforce the audience's/users memory of a product.

Examples of famous movie/television tag-lines are:

Be afraid. Be very afraid. – The Fly
In space no one can hear you scream. – Alien
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... – Jaws A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... – Star Wars Love means never having to say you're sorry – Love Story Where no man has gone before – Star Trek The truth is out there. – The X-Files
Why Runfaster when you can be a Runcaster - www.runcast.tv

In Antarctica Tag-lines ( also known as hand-lines) are something entirely different they are lengths of rope that are used to guide you from one building to the next when blizzard conditions strike. They are sort of like physical tangible memories that reinforce the audience's/users memory of a product in this case the route to safety :-)

Photo is a macro shot of a Tag-line with the start/formation of hore frost forming.

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