I have a colleague who spent sometime at the research station in Antarctica. It sounds like a great place to do work!
I’d love to make up a story about how I went there to do research for one of Cecil’s columns, but it’s more prosaic. We took a tour in January 2008 (middle of summer there). We flew into Buenos Aires for a few days (just because we love BA), then the tour included a flight to Ushaia (Tierra del Fuego, the li’l tip of South America) and then we boarded a boat that took a day and a half across the Straits of Magellan and we spent about a week cruising that isthmus that stretches out from Antarctica (pointing like a finger at South America, if you see what I mean on a map.)
It was a fantastic cruise, but mucho dinero. If you ever think about it, be sure to be on a small ship – ours held around 120. Antarctica is protected under international law, and some of the islands only allow 200 visitors per week. If you’re on one of those 5,000 people 12-story huge cruise ships, you might as well just watch a video. We were able to land and get face-to-face with the penguins (we have to stay 15 feet away, but the penguins aren’t subject to the international laws.) It was a really truely trip-of-a-lifetime aside from the obsessive-compulsive being on all seven continents.
I have never been outside my quadrant.
Which seems even more pathetic following Mr. Antarctic Traveler there.
Now I’m picturing the penguins pointing to signs that say, “Stay back 15 feet.”
“You’re in my personal space, human!”
Sorry…I was in Washington DC for the weekend and couldn’t get online or home!
**I’ve never had a full serving of coffee
I’ve never left my quadrant
**
So, we post our statement in the order listed on the spreadsheet?
What about the sign asking you to donate to the Penguin Relief Fund?
(Wonders if this is too obscure of a reference.)
Very, very cool! I am most impressed.
No worries! Just glad to have you back 
You send them to me, and I post them in the order listed on the squidsheet. To keep up the speed in case the next one in line isn’t available.
ETA: Updated version of the squidsheet. BMalion and Clothahump! Please check in.
Heh. I guess you’re gave up a squid on question 1, huh! 
squidsheet. :snerk:
Btw, home? Car break down, or something more sinister?
Can somebody explain the [del]score[/del] squidsheet to me?
Each contestant whose statement has been posted has that statement by their name in the left column. The further columns are the current score, after each statement. In general, the trend is that peoples’ scores will gradually dwindle as they give squids to the current player, and then go up rapidly once it’s that player’s turn. The rightmost column with numbers in it is the current score, but it doesn’t mean all that much right now, since the people who have gone are naturally ahead of the people who haven’t. By the time we get to the end of the round, everyone will have gone once, so then the scores will mean something.
So is the idea to have done the most things, done the fewest things, or to have had the most/fewest people do your thing?
The winner is the one with the most squids after three rounds. Which then would be the person who has done the least, or had the most kick ass statements.
Ah, crap. I’ve done everything! 
Nahhhh… poor you 
But, in some ways, the loser is the real winner.
Me, I’ll probably sit somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Apparently it rained in Philadelphia on Tuesday, and I couldn’t fly in to there until, oh, seven hours later than I was supposed to, and they canceled my connecting flight to Cleveland, so now I can say I’ve been to Jersey, because that’s where the hotel was they sent me to.
OOOh…does this mean my lack of worldy experiences will finally pay off?
Nah. He said it was as of the date of the question, right? I didn’t go until the 11th!!!
Hah! Good timing!