Tax $ funded Antarctic Jello Wrestling???

[ElsiePeaRN]

Jello wrestling in the Antarctic --OK, this one may be a weak case -- shrimp on treadmills, laundry-folding robots, YouTube rap video-- all paid for with tax dollars.

Tax dollars fund shrimp on treadmills, Jell-O wrestling in Antarctica - Washington Times


"When I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely." - Barack Obama

 

[rambone]

Problem?

 

[Garb]

Somebody has to entertain the penguins.

 

[Westside]

the only problem I see is it wasn't announced and broadcast on ESPN.

 

[Scutter01]

While there is certainly a case for peer-reviewed approvals of the merits of a given study (such as the study of shrimp noted in the article), I have to wonder if they really expect the residents to never engage in recreation? Your opinion of Jell-O wrestling as a legitimate diversion aside, you have to give them a chance to blow off steam. The cost for that should be considered as part of the cost of having them down there at all. You can't expect several hundred (up to several thousand) humans to live in Antarctica in relative isolation and not want to have some fun once in awhile. I'd say Jell-O is a pretty cheap way to do that. Certainly cheaper than building them a two-lane bowling alley or something.

 

[jeremy]

What else are you going to do in Antarctica?!

 

[Garb]

While there is certainly a case for peer-reviewed approvals of the merits of a given study (such as the study of shrimp noted in the article), I have to wonder if they really expect the residents to never engage in recreation? Your opinion of Jell-O wrestling as a legitimate diversion aside, you have to give them a chance to blow off steam. The cost for that should be considered as part of the cost of having them down there at all. You can't expect several hundred (up to several thousand) humans to live in Antarctica in relative isolation and not want to have some fun once in awhile. I'd say Jell-O is a pretty cheap way to do that. Certainly cheaper than building them a two-lane bowling alley or something.

Snow balls are cheaper than jello in Antarctica...

 

[jeremy]

Snow balls are cheaper than jello in Antarctica...

Which would you rather watch a Snowball fight or Bikini Jello Wrestling?!

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

Your opinion of Jell-O wrestling as a legitimate diversion aside, you have to give them a chance to blow off steam. The cost for that should be considered as part of the cost of having them down there at all. You can't expect several hundred (up to several thousand) humans to live in Antarctica in relative isolation and not want to have some fun once in awhile. I'd say Jell-O is a pretty cheap way to do that. Certainly cheaper than building them a two-lane bowling alley or something.

Yes, I had to acknowledge their argument against that one was pretty weak

 

[jblomenberg16]

Which would you rather watch a Snowball fight or Bikini Jello Wrestling?!

Judging by the picture, snowball fight might have been better. I'm not sure what that is in the red and white stripped shirt and black shorts, but I know I don't want to see it in a bikini!

 

[revsaxon]

Which would you rather watch a Snowball fight or Bikini Jello Wrestling?!

Bikini jello wrestiling in the snow. Duh.

 

[rambone]

While there is certainly a case for peer-reviewed approvals of the merits of a given study (such as the study of shrimp noted in the article), I have to wonder if they really expect the residents to never engage in recreation? Your opinion of Jell-O wrestling as a legitimate diversion aside, you have to give them a chance to blow off steam. The cost for that should be considered as part of the cost of having them down there at all. You can't expect several hundred (up to several thousand) humans to live in Antarctica in relative isolation and not want to have some fun once in awhile. I'd say Jell-O is a pretty cheap way to do that. Certainly cheaper than building them a two-lane bowling alley or something.

Maybe they should use their salary and set up their own Reindeer Games? I don't think its the taxpayers' job to provide entertainment for these people.

Being a government geologist in Idaho gets pretty boring too.

 

[badwolf.usmc]

Yes, nobody should ever do anything fun if there is the slightest hint of tax money involved, no matter how long you've been somewhere or how hard you are working.

I wonder how many people right now are reading this while at work so thus stealing time/internet from their employer. That's theft and fraud right there my friend.

 

[eldirector]

Being a government geologist in Idaho gets pretty boring too.

At least you can step outside of a smoke in Idaho.

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

Maybe they should use their salary and set up their own Reindeer Games? I don't think its the taxpayers' job to provide entertainment for these people.

Being a government geologist in Idaho gets pretty boring too.

This was my first reaction when I saw the article too, but the following quote softened my opinion:

In emails, several people who had been at NSF’s McMurdo Station said the time, effort and jello involved in the wrestling were paid for by contract employees for Raytheon Polar Services, not employees of NSF, and said the event was held outside of work time.

 

[Scutter01]

Maybe they should use their salary and set up their own Reindeer Games? I don't think its the taxpayers' job to provide entertainment for these people.

Being a government geologist in Idaho gets pretty boring too.

Maybe they DID use their salary. The article doesn't specify. Certainly our tax money paid to ship the Jell-O down their to their PX (or whatever they call it), but we don't know that they didn't then buy it themselves. The complete budget picture wasn't even looked at. Even if your tax money DID buy it, you don't know what their research contract or grant particulars are. Maybe food, housing, and entertainment are all part of the agreement. It's sensationalist journalism at best.

ETA: ElsiePeaRN's comment above mine supports my statement, but I didn't see it while posting mine.