South Pole Steve http://www.southpolesteve.com Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:01:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 SouthPoleStevehttp://feedburner.google.com Goin South http://www.southpolesteve.com/goin-south/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/goin-south/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:01:55 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/goin-south/ Currently in Mississippi headed to MS State for the Kentucky basketball game. Pretty excited because I get to check a few more states off the list. I’m also trying out posting to the blog from my phone. Hopefully it works out!

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/goin-south/feed/ 0 Send Me to Haiti http://www.southpolesteve.com/send-me-to-haiti/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/send-me-to-haiti/#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:11:45 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=412 Today’s post is simple.  Go here: http://bit.ly/8kbVjX and follow the donation instructions

I have been given a spot on the second plane this organization wants to send, but currently they only have enough funding for one.

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/send-me-to-haiti/feed/ 0 What if an Earthquake Hit My City? http://www.southpolesteve.com/what-if-an-earthquake-hit-my-city/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/what-if-an-earthquake-hit-my-city/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:30:24 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=407 After seeing some of the horrific images coming out of Haiti, I started asking myself this question. Actually, the first question I asked was, “How do I get on a plane to Haiti?” After some research, it turns out experience is usually required before they will put you on a plane and air drop you into a disaster relief effort. Then I found myself wondering what I could do the next time something like this happens. It turns out there is a great book that answers a lot of these questions!

I read Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss earlier this year and its a great resource for anyone looking for more information about what to do when all hell breaks loose. In the book, Niel highlights Community Emergency Responder Training (CERT). CERT was developed by the Los Angeles disaster management office and now is used by FEMA to train local emergency responders all over the country. My friend Will and I are now signed up for the local CERT class over the next two weekends. I’m really excited about this and I’ll have to do a post about how it goes. I might be a long way from drop shipping to a international disaster relief effort, but at least it is a first step. If you have a couple free Saturdays and are interested in finding out about how you can register for CERT click here.

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/what-if-an-earthquake-hit-my-city/feed/ 0 Google vs. China http://www.southpolesteve.com/google-vs-china/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/google-vs-china/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:27:47 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=404 CNN.com: Google vs. China

This is starting to make some mainstream headlines.  It’s not entirely benevolent on Google’s part, but the idea of a single company taking on an entire government is interesting.  I think it’s with good intentions this time, but what is to say this kind of pressuring can’t happen when the company has less noble motives.  The truth is that it probably does happen but rarely makes the evening news.

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/google-vs-china/feed/ 0 I Need to Post More! (Lenovo Tablet Computer) http://www.southpolesteve.com/i-need-to-post-more-lenovo-tablet-computer/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/i-need-to-post-more-lenovo-tablet-computer/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:59:53 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=403 I realized that I have been neglecting this blog lately.  I guess since I'm not half way across the world I kind of forgot about it.  Since my life has become a little more normal, I figured I would start posting more often, and posting about more traditional things. Life, TV shows, Politics, Tech, etc.  So here it goes!

I just wanted to direct you to this post:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/lenovo-ideapad-u1-hybrid-laptop-by-day-unhinged-tablet-by-nigh/

Very cool!  Some of you might be aware that Apple is heavily rumored to be releasing a tablet computer sometime at the end of January.  This product by Lenovo is way cooler.  It is a tablet that I might actually use.

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/i-need-to-post-more-lenovo-tablet-computer/feed/ 1 Going to Colombia http://www.southpolesteve.com/going-to-colombia/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/going-to-colombia/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:06:07 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=400 Sorry again for the lack of updates lately. I left Kuwait and came back to Madison. Feels so good to be out of that country. I have moved into a place in Madison that I will call home for the next 4 months. It is especially exciting because I have two Danish roommates and one Australian. Through them and their friends, I am getting a chance to meet people from all over the world right here in Madison! Its been a ton of fun so far. For my birthday last night, they made me a traditional danish dinner. We have been having a good time learning about each others cultures. This semester should be great.

In other news, I am going to Colombia tomorrow. Just for fun. My friend Jersey, who lives in the Dutch Antilles, has some time off and we are going to bum around Bogota. Should be an awesome and exciting week! And one more continent checked off the list. Only Europe and Africa to go…

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/going-to-colombia/feed/ 1 Slow Days in the Heat http://www.southpolesteve.com/slow-days-in-the-heat/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/slow-days-in-the-heat/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:16:04 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=396 Its been a little while since my last update.  Not much new to report.  Kuwait is still hot, and still one gigantic desert.  I am really looking forward to getting back to the states and seeing some grass and trees.  I have less than 2 weeks left here, but the days are moving ultra slow.  We are having some issues at work that are slowing the whole operation down.  Also, even though we are inside, it still gets to 95 deg in the afternoon.  Not the makings of an enjoyable 12 hour day.

I don’t have a flight home yet, but I should know in the next couple days exactly when I am coming back.  First stop will be in Madison, and then it is out to California for my cousin Cade’s wedding.

Looking forward to feeling some cool wind off the bay.  Anyone know someone I can go sailing with out in California?

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/slow-days-in-the-heat/feed/ 1 The City of the Mad Woman http://www.southpolesteve.com/the-city-of-the-mad-woman/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/the-city-of-the-mad-woman/#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:36:05 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=393 Today, I had my second day off since I got here.  The first day, I was still out of it from jet lag. This is the first chance I have had to really do some exploring.  The city I live in is called Mahboula, which I just found out is Arabic for “mad woman”.  Its roughly 10 miles south of Kuwait City.

I spent the morning up in Kuwait City, going to several malls and trying to find some good fake stuff.  Sadly, I was kind of dissapointed.  The fake stuff in SE Asia is way better quality and cheaper.  I did go to some nicer malls as well.  They have lots of big name brands just like in the US, but almost everything is twice to three times as expensive.  In the afternoon I hit the beach.  The water is very salty here.  I feel like it is saltier than normal ocean water.

Next day off, I am going to try and take a ferry off the coast to Failaka Island.  There are supposed to be some cool ruins there and also remnants of the Iraqi invasion like tanks and jeeps.

Also, a lot of people have heard already, but I will be leaving much sooner than expected.  I was supposed to be out here for 8 months, but I just quit my job.  It was a hard thing for me to do, and there are a lot of reasons behind it, but its the right decision.

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/the-city-of-the-mad-woman/feed/ 0 Stuck in the Desert http://www.southpolesteve.com/stuck-in-the-desert/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/stuck-in-the-desert/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:14:54 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=391 Two long days of work so far at 12+ hour shifts.  Work has been a little rough getting going.  Lots of logistical issues.  Today we have off, and then we go back to work on Sunday.  There has been a little excitement.  Yesterday afternoon, I was out on a test drive for one of the trucks and we ran out of fuel.  It was 3 of us stuck in the desert for 2 hours in 115 deg heat waiting for resuce.

Pics will hopefully be up soon.  Interestingly, its illegal to take pictures of most everything here.  Malls, oil installations, warehouses, public buildings, etc.  Security is very tight.  One of the guys I work with was almost arrested last year for taking a picture of a Burger King.

]]> http://www.southpolesteve.com/stuck-in-the-desert/feed/ 4 Day 1 in the Sandbox http://www.southpolesteve.com/day-1-in-the-sandbox/ http://www.southpolesteve.com/day-1-in-the-sandbox/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:56:56 +0000 Steven Faulkner http://www.southpolesteve.com/?p=387 It’s about 3AM here. Luckily I don’t have to start work tomorrow, so I can adjust to the time change.  It is extremely hot, about 110 F when I got off the plane.  The air also tastes kind of like burning oil.  Just stand in front of your car exhaust for a while, and that’s exactly what it feels like in Kuwait.

The new apartments they have for us are really nice.  Definitely a sweet setup.  Right next door is the “Chicken King” where I ate my first meal in Kuwait.  An entire rotisserie chicken, flatbread, hummus, and yogurt all for $5.  Not a bad deal.

More details to come.  I need to try and get some more sleep.  It looks like initially we will be working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week!  Better rest up…

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