Comments for Community Reads http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads The Brief History of the Dead Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:32:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Comment on If Life Gives You An Opportunity to Apply for a Job in Antarctica . . . by Sarah Meyer http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/if-life-gives-you-an-opportunity-to-apply-for-a-job-in-antarctica/#comment-73 Sarah Meyer Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:32:54 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?p=265#comment-73 Yes, we do have a PQ (physical qualification) process that everyone who comes to work in Antarctica has to go through. The PQ process is stricter during the winter season compared to summer and winfly seasons because there are no flights in or out of the continent during winter. PQ during the winter involves a physical, psychological, and dental section. Also the older you are the more test required.

On the tiny marble-snow snowballs I have not seen those. It is so dry here that it is impossible to make a snowball by hand; it might as well be dry sand that just falls apart. Antarctica is consisted a desert. Being from Texas, I was super excited to think I was going to get to make a snowman, but unfortunately that will not be happening anytime soon. Though I like to keep in mind that the book is set in the future and speaks of a lot of global warming and melting in the area, so it may be possible in the future of Antarctica.

]]> Comment on Question #4 by Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/discussion-questions/question-4/#comment-42 Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:53:16 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?page_id=352#comment-42 [...] 4/11 – Question 4 [...]

]]> Comment on Online Discussion Now Open! by A Few of Kevin Brockmeier’s Favorite Things | Community Reads http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/online-discussion-now-open/#comment-41 A Few of Kevin Brockmeier’s Favorite Things | Community Reads Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:21:11 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?p=316#comment-41 [...] nearly enough time for all the topics we could have discussed, so feel free to keep going using our Online Book Discussion [...]

]]> Comment on Question #3 by Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/discussion-questions/question-3/#comment-38 Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:01:42 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?page_id=338#comment-38 [...] – Question 3 has been [...]

]]> Comment on Question #1 by Our Community Reads! | Readers http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/discussion-questions/discussion-question-1/#comment-33 Our Community Reads! | Readers Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:23:46 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?page_id=23#comment-33 [...] everyone is invited to participate! In addition to all the great information about programs, the online book discussion, and the Our Community Reads blog, we have yet another way to explore The Brief History of the Dead [...]

]]> Comment on Question #2 by Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/discussion-questions/question-2/#comment-31 Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:37:20 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?page_id=314#comment-31 [...] – Question 2 is now up and ready for [...]

]]> Comment on If Life Gives You An Opportunity to Apply for a Job in Antarctica . . . by Mandy http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/if-life-gives-you-an-opportunity-to-apply-for-a-job-in-antarctica/#comment-30 Mandy Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:52:42 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?p=265#comment-30 Two questions! First, do you have to pass a lot of tests (physical, psychological, etc.) to work in Antarctica? And in the book, Laura sees tiny marble-sized snowballs as she’s trying to make her way to the station. Do those really exist?

]]> Comment on If Life Gives You An Opportunity to Apply for a Job in Antarctica . . . by Sarah Meyer http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/if-life-gives-you-an-opportunity-to-apply-for-a-job-in-antarctica/#comment-25 Sarah Meyer Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:28:48 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?p=265#comment-25 Hey Carol. I had a hard time believing the authors travel of Laura from the South Pole region to the Ross Ice Shelf. First, currently the only time anyone is taking a vehicle from the Ross Ice Shelf to South Pole is during the summer months in huge vehicles to haul thousands of gallons of gas to the south pole for fuel. It takes 80 days to plan, 3 weeks to get there, and 2 weeks to get back. One transverse vehicle can carry as much fuel to the south pole as 73 planes can. They have been doing 2 trips a summer for the past couple of years and are planning on trying for 3 this coming summer. Also they have very specific paths to travel secondary to crevasses and the extreme mountainous region along the outside of the continent. All other travel to and from the South Pole is done with plane and helicopters. Piston bullies and hagglunds are used to get around to area field camps. Yes, there are always some adventurous souls that are trying to do the never before and cross the continent on foot, but it is very difficult. Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and harshest continent on earth.

]]> Comment on Question #1 by Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/discussion-questions/discussion-question-1/#comment-24 Online Discussion Now Open! | Community Reads Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:02:28 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?page_id=23#comment-24 [...] to discuss The Brief History of the Dead online. Questions will be posted every few days (Question 1 is up now). In addition, feel free to ask questions as comments on this post. They can be about the [...]

]]> Comment on If Life Gives You An Opportunity to Apply for a Job in Antarctica . . . by Reader Services http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/if-life-gives-you-an-opportunity-to-apply-for-a-job-in-antarctica/#comment-23 Reader Services Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:37:14 +0000 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/wordpress/community_reads/?p=265#comment-23 You raise a good question! Since the book has a futuristic setting, the sledge could be real, something imagined entirely by the author – or somewhere in between. Your question has been passed along – if/when she is able to reply we will post it. In the meantime, here’s a shot of an existing “Piston Bully” vehicle from McMurdo Station that certainly has SOME of the same characteristics as the sledge.

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