texascavers Digest 23 Aug 2011 03:29:50 -0000 Issue 1371 Topics (messages 18372 through 18380):
TSA elections
18372 by: Ron Ralph
18373 by: Mark Alman
18375 by: ellie.thoene
Government Canyon Karst Project
18374 by: Marvin & Lisa
photos of deepest cave
18376 by: Mixon Bill
a personal message
18377 by: David
18378 by: Fritz Holt
Re: el presidente in caves in Mexico
18379 by: Joe Ranzau
18380 by: tbsamsel.verizon.net
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--- Begin Message ---Cavers: It is once again time to consider running for office. The Texas Speleological Association needs your hat in the ring for the 2012 election at the Texas Caver Reunion. Knowing your reluctance to volunteer for any position, I am asking your friends (ha!) to suggest to me that you will be a fine candidate. I will then contact you and ask if you will run and serve. Our present officers (2011) are: President - Mark Alman Vice-President - Ellie Watson Secretary - Denise Prendergast Treasurer - Michael Cicherski If you are unsure of the duties of any position, a job description may be found under the Officers tab on the TSA webpage. This is the first call for nominations. Please respond with your thoughts on possible candidates at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Ron Ralph, TSA Elections Committee Chair 512.280.9468 Home 512.797.3817 Cell August 21, 2011
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--- Begin Message ---Thanks for the announcement, Ron, and a HUGE thanks for volunteering (after a lot of sucking up by yours truly!) to, yet again, head up the Nomination/Election Committee for the TSA. Now, this is where the rest of you come in: NOMINATE SOMEONE, INCLUDING YOURSELVES! There's a lot of talent, knowledge, and competent cavers in the Lone Star State who could bring a lot to the TSA. As in the last few years, when we only have one candidate for each officer position, it tells me it could be one of the three reasons below: 1.) The officers are doing such a great job that one feels they couldn't do a better job. (Speaking for the Chairman position, "Yeah, right!"). 2.) The responsibilities are so intimidating that you don't want to run. (With the exception of Vice-Chair and Treasurer, I say, "Yeah, right!" Sorry, Denise!). 3.) Or, the worst reason: You don't care! Show how much you care by nominating and/or running! Beggingly (is that a word?!), Mark TC Editor and TSA Chairperson From: Ron Ralph <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2011 7:34 AM Subject: [Texascavers] TSA elections Cavers: It is once again time to consider running for office. The Texas Speleological Association needs your hat in the ring for the 2012 election at the Texas Caver Reunion. Knowing your reluctance to volunteer for any position, I am asking your friends (ha!) to suggest to me that you will be a fine candidate. I will then contact you and ask if you will run and serve. Our present officers (2011) are: President – Mark Alman Vice-President – Ellie Watson Secretary – Denise Prendergast Treasurer – Michael Cicherski If you are unsure of the duties of any position, a job description may be found under the Officers tab on the TSA webpage. This is the first call for nominations. Please respond with your thoughts on possible candidates at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Ron Ralph, TSA Elections Committee Chair 512.280.9468 Home 512.797.3817 Cell August 21, 2011
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--- Begin Message ---I am happy to run again but sure would love to add some new faces to the team. I encourage everyone to come out to the Texas Speleological Association <http://www.cavetexas.org/TSA/about.html> (TSA) meeting on Sunday, October 16th and see whats going on with TSA and share any good ideas you have. If you do not want to be an elected officer, please consider serving on a volunteer committee by sharing ideas and helping with responsibilities. It's so much easier when we all work together. Some volunteer committees already have excellent, active chairs (Publications, Safety, Projects) but please give any and all volunteer committee chair ideas to Mark Alman and he can approach them off list. The following are non-elected committee chair: - Publication Committee Chair - Safety and Techniques Committee Chair - Conservation Committee Chair - Membership Committee Chair - Projects Coordinator The TSA can always use new members and welcomes back previous members so please consider joining TSA <http://www.cavetexas.org/PAYPAL/index.php> at this years TCR at Flat Creek Ranch in Johnson City, TX on October 14th-16th, 2011. See you there! Ellie Watson, loves caving TSA Vice Chair Bexar Grotto-San Antonio, TX About the TSA: http://www.cavetexas.org/TSA/about.html On Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 7:34 AM, Ron Ralph <[email protected]> wrote: > Cavers:**** > > ** ** > > It is once again time to consider running for office. The Texas > Speleological Association needs your hat in the ring for the 2012 election > at the Texas Caver Reunion. Knowing your reluctance to volunteer for any > position, I am asking your friends (ha!) to suggest to me that you will be a > fine candidate. I will then contact you and ask if you will run and serve. > **** > > ** ** > > Our present officers (2011) are:**** > > President – Mark Alman**** > > Vice-President – Ellie Watson**** > > Secretary – Denise Prendergast**** > > Treasurer – Michael Cicherski**** > > ** ** > > If you are unsure of the duties of any position, a job description may be > found under the Officers tab on the TSA webpage. This is the first call for > nominations. Please respond with your thoughts on possible candidates at > your earliest convenience.**** > > ** ** > > Sincerely,**** > > ** ** > > Ron Ralph, TSA Elections Committee Chair**** > > 512.280.9468 Home**** > > 512.797.3817 Cell**** > > August 21, 2011**** > > ** ** >
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--- Begin Message ---The Government Canyon Karst Project will be starting up again on on the weekend of October 8 and 9. The dates for the rest of year are as follows: October 8, 9 November 5, 6 December 4 We will be working on several cave surveys, a dig in Government Canyon Blowhole - following the air, the continuing digs in Dancing Fern Cave and Lost Pothole, and surface digs on several likely-looking sinks. Of course there is always plenty of ridgewalking for those who want to find new caves. Directions to the Government Canyon Karst Project: Find the intersection of U.S. 16 and Loop 1604 in northwest Bexar County (clearly shown on any state highway map). Drive 2 miles north on U.S. 16 to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1560 (there is a Shell station on the corner). Follow 1560 for 3 miles till you see the sign for GCSNA. Follow the arrow to the right and drive 2 more miles to the sharp left turn in the road. The gate to GCSNA is straight ahead. Enter at the gate and then take the first right. There is an unlocked gate that will need to be opened and then closed behind you. Continue to the Volunteer/Research Station, where we will meet. We will meet at 9:00 both mornings. Camping is available. Contact me to set it up. Marvin Miller (210) 415-5190
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--- Begin Message --- Here are Al Warild's photos of some past expeditions to Krubera in Abkhasia. -- MixonTengo unas fotos de otras expediciones en: 2003: http://home.exetel.com.au/alw/Voronia3/index.html 2004: http://home.exetel.com.au/alw/Voronia4/index.html 2005: http://home.exetel.com.au/alw/Voronia5/index.html 2006: http://home.exetel.com.au/alw/Abkhazia6/index.html Al. ---------------------------------------- The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. ---------------------------------------- You may "reply" to the address this message came from, but for long-term use, save: Personal: [email protected] AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
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--- Begin Message ---I spent over 3 months unsubcribed from CaveTex. I hope you all enjoyed that. I had hoped to stay off for longer, but I want to volunteer to be a driver at an upcoming event, and I had fallen outside the loop of communication, chain-of-command, etc., causing unnecessary drama. I am posting most of my rants on Google + now. I like it better than Facebook. So, I am trying to avoid Facebook, but it just seems to have to much practical purpose. For example, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cavechatorg/168120223246915?sk=wall Cheers, David Locklear caver in Fort Bend County President of NaturFest Association Host of the 2012 East Texas Caver's Cookout 281-995-8487 P.S. Costco has a new LED Flashlight that puts out 700 Lumens.
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--- Begin Message ---David, It appears that Google + is contributing to the decline of our revered CaveTex and OT and you are helping it. Do you always have to be trying something new? Fritz -----Original Message----- From: David [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 4:03 PM To: Cavers Texas Subject: [Texascavers] a personal message I spent over 3 months unsubcribed from CaveTex. I hope you all enjoyed that. I had hoped to stay off for longer, but I want to volunteer to be a driver at an upcoming event, and I had fallen outside the loop of communication, chain-of-command, etc., causing unnecessary drama. I am posting most of my rants on Google + now. I like it better than Facebook. So, I am trying to avoid Facebook, but it just seems to have to much practical purpose. For example, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cavechatorg/168120223246915?sk=wall Cheers, David Locklear caver in Fort Bend County President of NaturFest Association Host of the 2012 East Texas Caver's Cookout 281-995-8487 P.S. Costco has a new LED Flashlight that puts out 700 Lumens. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
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--- Begin Message ---http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Mexico-s-president-becomes-TV-adventure-guide-2132889.php MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Felipe Calderon is figuratively going out on a limb — and literally down a sinkhole, up a river (with a paddle) and over the top of a few pyramids — in an attempt to boost Mexico's flagging tourism industry. The balding, 49-year-old leader is personally trying to change his country's violent reputation by appearing as a sort of adventure tour guide in a series of TV programs to be broadcast starting in September on Public Broadcasting Service<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Public+Broadcasting+Service%22>stations in the United States. The president dons an Indiana Jones-style hat and a harness and descends a rope into the 1,000-foot-deep (375-meter) Sotano de las Golondrinas cavern, accompanied by Peter Greenberg<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Peter+Greenberg%22>, host of the "The Royal Tour<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Royal+Tour%22>" TV series. Calderon also straps on scuba tanks to lead Greenberg into a sinkhole lake known as a cenote in Yucatan. And he helps a Lacandon Indian paddle a boat down a river in a jungle in southern Chiapas state. In the 30-minute videos, Calderon breaks from his image as a lawyerly policy wonk best known for launching a bloody, controversial offensive against drug cartels. He plans to attend a premiere of the show within a few weeks, according to Tourism Department spokesman Roberto Martinez<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Roberto+Martinez%22> . "I have other duties that are more dangerous," Calderon jokes, dangling midair in a cavern as a rope lowers him hundreds of feet to the bottom. The site is in the Gulf coast region of Mexico known as the Huasteca, which is covered in jungle and dotted with caverns, waterfalls and crystalline pools. Calderon swaps the explorer hat for a helmet with a headlamp for the descent into the Golondrinas cave, named for the huge flocks of birds that live inside. Calderon also appears in underwater footage from the stalactite-studded cenote in Yucatan, where he flashes the camera an "OK" signal from behind his dive mask. Analysts say the videos represent a distinct break from the solemn treatment that has long characterized the Mexican presidency but fit in with Calderon, who has emphasized using the media to get his message across, and who has sought to project a forceful image. "That's always been his objective, the whole macho thing," said John Ackerman<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22John+Ackerman%22>, of the legal research institute at Mexico's National Autonomous University<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22National+Autonomous+University%22>. In 2007, soon after putting the army on the front line of his offensive against drug cartels, Calderon departed from presidential tradition by putting on an olive-green army jacket that was a few sizes too big for his short frame, an image that has been widely lampooned in newspaper cartoons ever since. "From the very beginning, using the military uniforms and saluting, it's always been his kind of thing," Ackerman said. "It doesn't quite fit with his physical appearance." Drawing criticism, Calderon's administration took the image-building a step further this year by funding a privately produced television miniseries glorifying the federal police, which was broadcast by the country's largest network. On Friday, the navy told local news media that it is letting private producers use navy locations to make a miniseries about the force, but that the navy is not financing any of the production. Calderon's message in the latest videos is that Mexico is safe for tourists. "This is part of a strategy to promote the country abroad," said Martinez. Nobody argues that Mexico's tourism needs a boost. According to the country's central bank, overall foreign tourism in 2010, not including border-area visitors, was still 6.3 percent below 2008 levels, and the first half of 2011 saw a 2 percent decline from the same period of 2010. Cruise ship visits in the first half of the year declined 9.3 percent, after several cruise lines canceled Pacific port calls in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Analysts blame the drops on the world economic downturn hitting many countries' travel industries, but also pointed to Mexico's drug violence, which has claimed between 35,000 and 40,000 lives since Calderon took office in late 2006. While foreign tourists have not been targets of the violence, a point Calderon is eager to make, it has had some undeniable effects. For example, the border highway that many U.S. visitors once used to travel to the Huasteca region where Calderon went cave-diving is now considered so plagued by highway holdups and shootings that the U.S. State Department has issued warnings about traveling there. The Huasteca remains a beautiful and largely safe region, but most tour operators recommend foreigners fly to a nearby Mexican airport rather than drive down from the border. Some argue that Calderon's stint as a television travel guide might be ill-advised, both because it compromises the dignity of the presidency and comes just months before campaigning opens for the 2012 elections to choose his successor. Mario di Costanzo, a congressman for the leftist Labor Party<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Labor+Party%22>, says he has requested information on how much Mexico spent to film the series. Calderon's office said the videos' U.S. producers paid production costs on the trips, but Mexican presidential and military helicopters can be seen ferrying the 'presidential tourists' around. "We are questioning the legality of the president's actions," Di Costanzo said. "Never in the history of the country has the image of the president been used to promote tourism." "We see this as a promotion of Felipe Calderon's own image, for the benefit of his own party, rather than an institutional image of the country as a tourism destination," Di Costanzo noted. Greenberg has previously traveled with the king of Jordan, the president of Peru, and the prime ministers of New Zealand and Jamaica on similar programs. Congresswoman Leticia Quezada<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Leticia+Quezada%22>of the Democratic Revolution Party<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Democratic+Revolution+Party%22>said her party objects to Calderon using government vehicles and personnel for the series, and said he has been spending too much time and money on television. "We're going to start calling him Felipe Calderon Productions<http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Felipe+Calderon+Productions%22>," she quipped. Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Mexico-s-president-becomes-TV-adventure-guide-2132889.php#ixzz1VnY19zBC On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 12:26 PM, Mixon Bill <[email protected]>wrote: > Unless somebody is pulling our legs, these videos show the president of > Mexico being lowered into Golondrinas and cave-diving Yucatán. > > Calderon descendiendo el Sotano de las Golondrinas >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?**v=TQ0qDf66ies&NR=1<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ0qDf66ies&NR=1> >> >> Calderon Explorando Cenotes >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?**v=TsWSGeCYPsc&NR=1<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsWSGeCYPsc&NR=1> >> > > --Mixon > ------------------------------**---------- > The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. > ------------------------------**---------- > You may "reply" to the address this message > came from, but for long-term use, save: > Personal: [email protected] > AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected] > > > ------------------------------**------------------------------**--------- > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > texascavers-unsubscribe@**texascavers.com<[email protected]> > For additional commands, e-mail: > texascavers-help@texascavers.**com<[email protected]> > >
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--- Begin Message --- BBCs TOP GEAR slagged Mexico last season (caused a bit of a diplomatic stir). But Jeremy Clarkson is Tory scum from the gitgo.
T
Aug 22, 2011 05:10:12 PM, [email protected] wrote:http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Mexico-s-president-becomes-TV-adventure-guide-2132889.php
MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Felipe Calderon is figuratively going out on a limb — and literally down a sinkhole, up a river (with a paddle) and over the top of a few pyramids — in an attempt to boost Mexico's flagging tourism industry.
The balding, 49-year-old leader is personally trying to change his country's violent reputation by appearing as a sort of adventure tour guide in a series of TV programs to be broadcast starting in September on Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States.
The president dons an Indiana Jones-style hat and a harness and descends a rope into the 1,000-foot-deep (375-meter) Sotano de las Golondrinas cavern, accompanied by Peter Greenberg, host of the "The Royal Tour" TV series. Calderon also straps on scuba tanks to lead Greenberg into a sinkhole lake known as a cenote in Yucatan. And he helps a Lacandon Indian paddle a boat down a river in a jungle in southern Chiapas state.
In the 30-minute videos, Calderon breaks from his image as a lawyerly policy wonk best known for launching a bloody, controversial offensive against drug cartels. He plans to attend a premiere of the show within a few weeks, according to Tourism Department spokesman Roberto Martinez.
"I have other duties that are more dangerous," Calderon jokes, dangling midair in a cavern as a rope lowers him hundreds of feet to the bottom. The site is in the Gulf coast region of Mexico known as the Huasteca, which is covered in jungle and dotted with caverns, waterfalls and crystalline pools.
Calderon swaps the explorer hat for a helmet with a headlamp for the descent into the Golondrinas cave, named for the huge flocks of birds that live inside. Calderon also appears in underwater footage from the stalactite-studded cenote in Yucatan, where he flashes the camera an "OK" signal from behind his dive mask.
Analysts say the videos represent a distinct break from the solemn treatment that has long characterized the Mexican presidency but fit in with Calderon, who has emphasized using the media to get his message across, and who has sought to project a forceful image.
"That's always been his objective, the whole macho thing," said John Ackerman, of the legal research institute at Mexico's National Autonomous University. In 2007, soon after putting the army on the front line of his offensive against drug cartels, Calderon departed from presidential tradition by putting on an olive-green army jacket that was a few sizes too big for his short frame, an image that has been widely lampooned in newspaper cartoons ever since.
"From the very beginning, using the military uniforms and saluting, it's always been his kind of thing," Ackerman said. "It doesn't quite fit with his physical appearance."
Drawing criticism, Calderon's administration took the image-building a step further this year by funding a privately produced television miniseries glorifying the federal police, which was broadcast by the country's largest network. On Friday, the navy told local news media that it is letting private producers use navy locations to make a miniseries about the force, but that the navy is not financing any of the production.
Calderon's message in the latest videos is that Mexico is safe for tourists.
"This is part of a strategy to promote the country abroad," said Martinez.
Nobody argues that Mexico's tourism needs a boost. According to the country's central bank, overall foreign tourism in 2010, not including border-area visitors, was still 6.3 percent below 2008 levels, and the first half of 2011 saw a 2 percent decline from the same period of 2010.
Cruise ship visits in the first half of the year declined 9.3 percent, after several cruise lines canceled Pacific port calls in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
Analysts blame the drops on the world economic downturn hitting many countries' travel industries, but also pointed to Mexico's drug violence, which has claimed between 35,000 and 40,000 lives since Calderon took office in late 2006.
While foreign tourists have not been targets of the violence, a point Calderon is eager to make, it has had some undeniable effects. For example, the border highway that many U.S. visitors once used to travel to the Huasteca region where Calderon went cave-diving is now considered so plagued by highway holdups and shootings that the U.S. State Department has issued warnings about traveling there.
The Huasteca remains a beautiful and largely safe region, but most tour operators recommend foreigners fly to a nearby Mexican airport rather than drive down from the border.
Some argue that Calderon's stint as a television travel guide might be ill-advised, both because it compromises the dignity of the presidency and comes just months before campaigning opens for the 2012 elections to choose his successor.
Mario di Costanzo, a congressman for the leftist Labor Party, says he has requested information on how much Mexico spent to film the series. Calderon's office said the videos' U.S. producers paid production costs on the trips, but Mexican presidential and military helicopters can be seen ferrying the 'presidential tourists' around.
"We are questioning the legality of the president's actions," Di Costanzo said. "Never in the history of the country has the image of the president been used to promote tourism."
"We see this as a promotion of Felipe Calderon's own image, for the benefit of his own party, rather than an institutional image of the country as a tourism destination," Di Costanzo noted.
Greenberg has previously traveled with the king of Jordan, the president of Peru, and the prime ministers of New Zealand and Jamaica on similar programs.
Congresswoman Leticia Quezada of the Democratic Revolution Party said her party objects to Calderon using government vehicles and personnel for the series, and said he has been spending too much time and money on television.
"We're going to start calling him Felipe Calderon Productions," she quipped.
On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 12:26 PM, Mixon Bill <[email protected]> wrote:Unless somebody is pulling our legs, these videos show the president of Mexico being lowered into Golondrinas and cave-diving Yucatán.
Calderon descendiendo el Sotano de las Golondrinas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ0qDf66ies&NR=1
Calderon Explorando Cenotes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsWSGeCYPsc&NR=1
--Mixon
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