Carrie’s Ramblings

RIP The Little Red Ship0
Carrie posted in Interest articles on December 6th, 2007

M/S Explorer: Message from Bruce
On November 23, 2007, our beloved ship the M/S Explorer sank off the coast of Antarctica. Below is a special message from Bruce Poon Tip, CEO G.A.P Adventures in response to this recent event and final voyage of the ‘Little Red Ship.

We are pleased to advise that all our passengers have been repatriated. Except for those crew assisting in the investigation, the crew have also been repatriated.

We have been flooded with prayers and warm wishes from every part of the world for our passengers and crew.

There are so many people to thank. And I want to make sure it is done publicly and from the bottom of my heart and everyone else’s here at G.A.P Adventures. It really took a village and there are so many people that without a second thought joined us in our mission to get everyone home safe. It was a raw display of human kindness and a deep compassion to help their fellow man.

First of all, I have to thank our crew aboard the M/S Explorer. What can I say except you proved once again why people joined us over and over on the Explorer. While investigations are ongoing, I can only say that the success of the evacuation was mainly due to your decision making, execution of emergency procedures and commitment to safety and the well being of our travellers.

I also have to thank Hurtigruten and the M/S Nordnorge for responding to our distress signal. And then agreeing to take in our passengers without question or hesitation. The call we received in our office prior to our boarding was one of great concern and understanding that, even though we didn’t know each other, we would be partners in this rescue. We spoke as if we had known each other for years and came to quick solutions to everything that needed to be done. With that comes a special thanks to Tomas Holik at Hurtigruten in Buenos Aires who in the initial hours was invaluable to us.

We would also like to thank IATTO and all the other ships that responded and made their way to our site. Denise Landau of IATTO was of special note for her constant concern, support and willingness to do whatever we needed in a time of crisis. She was, on behalf of IATTO, a wealth of information and constant companion in our time of need.

The Chilean Government, Navy, Base Commander in King George Island, and Uruguayan Base Commander and Government were all of great help to us. They always remained cooperative, professional and with a true desire for a positive outcome. They welcomed our people on the ground in Punta Arenas and gave us all the support we needed to be successful.

I save the best for last, however, and that is to thank our travellers aboard the M/S Explorer. For your courage, tenacity and spirit of adventure. I was amazed at the first interview with the BBC by Gillian Plant. Gillian commented, “the passengers were enjoying the best experience of their lives.” That was received with cheers here as we worked tirelessly through the night to deliver on our promise to get you all home safely. People like Gillian inspire us to achieve great things. So, I want to thank you again for staying with us and allowing us to shine in an emergency situation.

Amongst the G.A.P Adventures people there are just too many people to mention. Everyone counted, and everyone stepped up as I knew they would when the company called. The Explorer leaves us still with a mountain to climb, however. The work is not done…but only just beginning. I implore everyone to bind together and continue to show our commitment to excellence. I am proud not only of what we have accomplished as a team but proud to be leading all of you. It is my honour.

I would also like to thank all of our travellers for their support and kind words. For your continued dedication and the trust you bestow upon us. This is something that we never take for granted. We could not possibly respond to all of the emails, so please accept this as a universal thank you for being behind us and sending positive energy our way.

The Explorer left us in very dramatic fashion. She couldn’t just go quietly in the night but instead, was hanging on and danced her way out of commission. She made everyone watch for just a minute to remember her history as she hung on long enough to allow all of her passengers to disembark to safety. I would expect nothing less from her. The Explorer has been a big part of our history as a company and represented the true spirit of what makes our company special. We thank everyone who has been part of making it happen over the years.

Peace.

Dixafix1
Carrie posted in Interest articles on September 20th, 2007

I received this from one of the RAs on the team. The last part is sad about our society but if you can’t laugh about it what can you do?

In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name. For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also call Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.
The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced that it has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, I bepokin.

Pfizer Corp. announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names of “cocktails”, “highballs” and just a good old-fashioned “stiff drink”. Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: MOUNT & DO.

Thought for the day: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer’s research. This means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.

Over complicated grass cutting devices0
Carrie posted in Interest articles on July 12th, 2007

You know what’s wrong with the world today? Over complicated lawn mowers. Lawn mowers should not be that difficult to use. Pull cord, push mower. They should be at about the same level as glorified sheep with no poo. People of today’s society, that is the society that actually needs to mow its lawn, have enough stress in their lives without adding the complications of technologically bloated grass-cutting apparatuses.

Having to mow the lawn of a duplex is especially frustrating because people with small yards insist on making the most of their space by cramming every lawn ornament possible into a space the size of my swimming pool. It’s bad enough that their garden is full of god’s weeds, now I have lawn ornnaments to deal with. That being said, I find that the most frustration comes from the fact that I have to mow the lawn at all. Not because I mind mowing lawns but because of the motions I have to go through to mow such a pathetic piece of lawn. Because of the aforementioned semi-arid climate of Whitehorse (see “Messengers of God”), the lawn really only has these islands of grass that are too long and then extended patches of deadness. Of course, Flanders next door has a perfect lawn. I’m not bitter or anything but I may or may not look the other way if Maya has to pee in that area.

But the mower itself is really the root of this problem. After prying the huge machine out from the tiny garden shed (tiny yard = tiny shed, though if your yard is really that small why is the shed necessary in the first place?), I realise that it’s out of gas. Fortunately there is gas in the shed but nnnnooooOOOOOO, it’s not that easy. First you have to figure out if it takes straight gas or mixed gas. You’d think they could just standardise it. I have a similar issue with debit machines: why can’t the stripe always be facing in or always facing out? Why can’t it be consistent? However, using my extensive mechanical know-how I determined that I had no clue which kind of gas it took so I decided to just run the mower until it ran out and then drive off the next bridge when I came to it. Enter Problem Number 2. Or maybe we’re on Problem 57? I’ve lost count…

No offence Dad, but I’m used to using very old and complicated garden machinery. You know the kind where you have rub the engine, spit in the gas, push the button, turn around three times and then pull the crank while touching your nose in the air to get it started? So, naturally, I’m looking for the little…squishy thing…the rubber bulb…that you push X number of times to…do something with the…mechanical parts. You know, that thing. But no rubber thing is to be found. I do find that whole the oil stick part though. Problem Number 56 may be solved.

So whatever, ignore squishy bulb thing and figure out how to start without it. God forbid someone should write START or STOP on the grass cutting devices. It’s like they’re anticipating that people who operate this machinery can’t read or something. Instead they have to put a little picture of a rabbit and a turtle. Okay, tortoise and the hare, slow and fast…but they both start and the both stop so how does that help me? I pick one and go for it. Oh wait, it’s not even that easy.

Next I’ve got “Blade control” and “Clutch”. They are two extra handles that you can hold on to while pushing the mower. What the heck does “Blade control” mean? Speed? Height? Angle? It’s a mystery. Then you have “Clutch”. I later figure out that in order to stop the machine you have to let the clutch out. Does this not seem backwards to any other application of the word “clutch” that you can think of? Why do lawn mowers have the right to oppose the basic laws of physics where one normally pushes the clutch IN to disengage engine? However, this being a complicated machine and determined to make me look like an idiot in front of all the neighbours (who can watch because the yard is so small and the houses are on top of each other), I fail to realise that releasing in the clutch is what stops the lawn mower until it’s dragging me across the lawn. I swear it was a like a slapstick movie. I push clutch in, pull chord, and lawn mower takes off across lawn and smashes into fence.

It’s a self-powered lawn mower! How lazy can you get? Not only is the lawn teeny tiny, in need of mowing twice a summer, and completely flat, I don’t even have to push the lawn mower? Okay that’s fine, bonus for me except that I can barely keep up to the thing. And then when I want to back up (I have to let the clutch out) there’s this huge resistance so that I have to double my energy expenditure just get back out from between the lawn ornaments. Plus, when I want to move the many lawn ornaments out of the way I have to let go of the handle and, OH! guess what? “Blade Control” means Start and Stop. I was this close to finding duct tape and just taping the stupid thing On so I could finish the lawn. And there are only 2 speeds: Stop and REALLY FAST. So the finer points and hard-to-reach places were done by an oversized lawn mower smashing into things. It was the most ridiculous lawn mowing experience in my life. It even beats the time I almost drove the tractor into the swimming pool. Fortunately, in this semi-arid climate, I may never have to do it again.