Comments on: antarctic bureaucratic bullshit

By: Hunter Slaton

Hunter Slaton — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:39:40 +0000

Ah, being fired from a DA job … I remember it well. I got shot by the McMurdo kitchen brass oh, three years ago now, right at the end of January, too — and for what sounds like the same reasons as your friend. A week later they shot a buddy of mine. Not fun at all, but my buddy and I both had mustaches, and so when we got fired, a fellow DA friend of ours grew a memorial mustache in our honor. The kitchen brass didn’t like that much. (Meaning I did, quite a lot.)

By: Frontierwatch » Blog Archive » DA Terminated, Causing Waves in the McMurdo Galley

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:20:23 +0000

[...] writes on his blog: Morale is at rock bottom and everyone is pissed. We’ve all completely lost faith in our [...]

By: toabuckets

toabuckets — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:13:12 +0000

Pete,
Here is the full account from Baldwin:
“If they come for you in the morning, they’ll be coming for me later that night.” James Baldwin said to Angela Davis. (The actual quote is:”Some of us white and black know how great a price has already been paid to bring into existence a new consciousness, a new people, an unprescedented nation. If we know, and do nothing, were are worse than the murderers hired in our name. If we know, then we must fight for your life as though it were our own – which it is – and render impassible with our bodies the corridor to the gas chamber. For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night” – James Baldwin from “An Open Letter to my Sister, Angela Y Davis).

All power to the people!
Bob Duke

By: pete

pete — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:35:16 +0000

having been fired from the largest circus of assholes over a year ago, i can understand the frustration. i didn’t care about my job as much as i cared about the principle of my firing. for me, i found that my “superiors” were so bound by policy that they were unable to see that it was not a fundamental truth – it was merely a way to help things run more smoothly. there are always exceptions and such exceptions are opportunities to move the organization or company closer to a more effective model. however, policy is set up to carried out – not to be discussed. this is where i see the failings of organizations such as yours. rather than considering their short comings, they simply eliminate those that rock the boat. however, this just ensures that they remain in a static (i.e. non-evolving) state. those such as your friend have only one option – stand up for what is reasonable, logical, and forward-thinking. it seems that she did this – if ignorance persists, at least it did not go unchallenged. i think that this challenge is everyone’s job – however they choose to address it. i just hope that you all are helping the supervisors learn in a way that your friend was unable to achieve. solidarity is key – as james baldwin said: if they take you that morning, they’ll come for us that night.

By: Brandon Troy...hero

Brandon Troy...hero — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:11:49 +0000

As a former professional dishwasher (I still dabble in some amateur work), I know the truth is that there is a very specific way to load bowls into a dishwasher. There are many different kinds of dishwashers, and unfortunately I do not know much about the ones you guys use, but after so many months, Christine must have known the best way to do this part of the job, it even seems like she got plenty advice on the subject…and often! For Christ’s sake, this is Antarctica…not Anarchy-ta!

By: Ellen

Ellen — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:17:51 +0000

Sorry to hear about your friend. Speaking from personal experience I know that sometimes there are things going on that are not disclosed because personnel matters are confidential. Obviously this may or may not be the case here. Regardless, it is sad to not be able to protect you friend from what seems unfair. Your moral support lightens the load.

Eli, congratulations on making friends, and persevering. Is there anything you want to accomplish in your remaining weeks? Is there anything I can do for you?

By: eli

eli — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:29:19 +0000

thanks, dad.

By: Bob Duke

Bob Duke — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:33:10 +0000

I am sorry about your friend, hopefully you can keep in touch with her in the after-ice. There is a saying inside management circles that goes like … we may be wrong, but we are never in doubt. That means that once a decision has been made and approved, the ‘cost’ of trying to change upper management’s mind is greater than the ‘cost’ of the consequences. I hope that you can live most of your life far from bureauocratic management.