I guess ya gotta do something to stay warm down there . . .

<i>Thursday August 2 11:12 AM ET
<a href="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010802/od/antarctica_dc_1.html">Condom Machines to Break the Ice in Antarctica</a>

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Two condom machines are being sent to scientists and workers at New Zealand's Scott Base in Antarctica in time for influx of spring and summer visitors.

The machines are being sent to the research base on the Ross Ice Shelf next month, supplier Kevin Ashton said.

``It's pretty much a little village down there where everyone knows everyone, so if they can walk into a loo and buy a condom, it's a lot easier than going to the local shop and buying them, when everyone knows what's going on,'' Ashton told Reuters.

Around 400 people go through Scott Base in the summer season, with a further 1,200 or so at the nearby U.S. McMurdo Base, Antarctica New Zealand spokeswoman Vivienne Allan said.

Less than 50 people spend the winter at the two bases, where temperatures drop to minus 76 degrees and the sun is not seen for between April and August.</i>