texascavers Digest 18 Jan 2011 19:16:20 -0000 Issue 1227
Topics (messages 16867 through 16873):
Re: Bob Handley dies
16867 by: Jim Evatt
16872 by: Josh Rubinstein
UT Grotto Meeting - Wed Jan 19
16868 by: Gary Franklin
new book from Mexico
16869 by: Mixon Bill
Re: LIDAR topo
16870 by: Aimee Beveridge
Mexican caves photo book
16871 by: Mixon Bill
Homeland Security kills secure border tech program
16873 by: Louise Power
Administrivia:
To subscribe to the digest, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
To unsubscribe from the digest, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
To post to the list, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Begin Message ---
There is a extensive interview of Bob Handley by Aaron Bird, done in 2002,
at http://www.cavediggers.com/Handley.pdf
Bob was a good friend of many of us old-timers and his deeds and kindness
will be remembered long into the future.
Jim Evatt
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thanks Jim for great interview. One of the last times I saw Bob he
had just done the thousand foot repel off the New River Bridge with
his son and his granddaughter. We should all grow old like that.
Josh
On Sun, Jan 16, 2011 at 11:05 AM, Jim Evatt <[email protected]> wrote:
> There is a extensive interview of Bob Handley by Aaron Bird, done in 2002,
> at http://www.cavediggers.com/Handley.pdf
>
> Bob was a good friend of many of us old-timers and his deeds and kindness
> will be remembered long into the future.
>
> Jim Evatt
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The Underground Texas Grotto is a group of cavers from the Austin area that
explore caves in Central Texas and beyond. We meet on Wednesday, January
19, 2011 from 7:45 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. on the University of Texas Campus in
2.48 Painter Hall
156 west 24th Street, Austin, TX 78712
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=156+West+24th+Street,+Austin,+TX+78712&hl=en
Ben Tobin will be presenting: Caves and Karst of Sequoia and Kings Canyon
There are over 250 known caves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks,
yet very little is known about most of these systems. Over the last few
years, Ben started documenting karst aquifers and continued finding new
caves.
For information on Underground Texas Grotto activities, please see
www.utgrotto.org for officer contact info, trips reports, new caver
training, and the event calendar.
Some of us meet before the meetings at Sao Paulo www.saopaulos.net for a
happy hour special. This area is the best place to park and meet folks
walking over to the meeting. Then, after the official meeting, we continue
with the decades long tradition to reconvene for burgers, beer, and typical
cave talk at Posse East. www.posse-east.com
The UT Grotto calendar is open for you to share about your adventures,
scientific research, or something cool. For info, contact Gary.
Come see what some Texas cavers have been doing,
Gary Franklin
UT Grotto Vice Chair & Program Organizer
512-585-6057
[email protected]
Ben Tobin <[email protected]>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The Association for Mexican Cave Studies has finally managed to get a
small number of copies of both the Spanish (2008) and English (2009)
editions of Carlos Lazcano's book "Privilegios de la Luz: Maravillas
Subterráneas de México"/"The Privilege of Light: Mexico's Underground
Wonders." The book was published by Grupos Cementos de Chihuahua
primarily for distribution to its customers. It is a large-format (9
by 12.5 inches, 176 pages, hardbound with dustjacket) book of very
nice color photographs, mainly full-page, with limited text. Actually,
the Spanish edition has one advantage, because some inadequately
supervised translator made the photo captions in the English edition
into things like "basement of the Three Quimeras" for Sótano de Tres
Quimeras, Puebla.
The AMCS price is $50 by hand or $55 postpaid. It is not being put
into our catalog because so few copies are available. They are offered
first here to the TexasCavers list, and a wider announcement will be
made in about a week. Info on how to order a copy for mailing is at http://www.amcs-pubs.org/finance/order.html
, but before sending money e-mail [email protected] to ask to
reserve your copy. Or you can e-mail [email protected] to reserve a
copy for delivery at UT Grotto meeting, TSA spring convention, or this
summer's NSS convention. Specify which language you want and whether
the other may be substituted if your first choice is exhausted.
(Copies will be at the UT Grotto meeting January 19.)
--Bill Mixon, AMCS sales
----------------------------------------
A fearless man cannot be brave.
----------------------------------------
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]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
That's great, Andy. You should show off a map at spring convention. I bet you
could win a prize!
________________________________
From: Andy Grubbs <[email protected]>
To: linda Palit <[email protected]>; Allan Cobb
<[email protected]>; Aimee Beveridge <[email protected]>; "William H.
Russell"" <[email protected]>
Sent: Fri, January 14, 2011 7:27:46 AM
Subject: LIDAR topo
I now have a large portion of the LIDAR data for Williamson county,
including all of the karst areas. This data can be used to make spot on
topography maps at 2 foot or even 1 foot contour intervals. It can
also be used to make elevation models that air photos can be draped over
to give 3D effects. I have a gis program that can clip said topos of
specific areas of interest, like TCMA land. I have limited coverage of
northern Blanco and southern Burnet counties too. send me a tract you
would like to see 2 foot contour interval of and I can make a .pdf for
you georegistered .pdf if you like. ( or any sort of gis / cad format
you desire) I have a land parcels map for Wlliamson county so you can
send me a scan of some land drawn on a bar napkin and I can make a good
map. I also have LIDAR for Travis county ( Bastrop and parts of Blanco,
Caldwell, Comal, Fayette, and Guadalupe.....but no karst there) I am
told that LIDAR for Bexar county will be available soon. this is very
useful stuff.. I dont think any other caver gis operators can deliver
these products. Let me know if there is something it can do that you
need.
ANDY
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
All copies of the book are spoken for. I'll be notifying those who get
one in the next few minutes. If somebody wants to undertake to get
some more copies for the AMCS at wholesale price from the publisher in
Mexico, let me know and I'll give you what info I have. The copies I
had came from the author.--Mixon
----------------------------------------
A fearless man cannot be brave.
----------------------------------------
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]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
>From today's GovExec.com:
Homeland Security kills secure border tech program
By Aliya Sternstein 01/14/2011
The Homeland Security Department has killed its beleaguered $1.1 billion
program to control U.S. land borders with a virtual fence made up of
surveillance tools, Secretary Janet Napolitano announced on Friday, after
briefing Congress on her review of the Secure Border Initiative network program.
DHS officials had encountered major cost, schedule and operational problems
with the system ever since entering a development pact with Boeing Co. in 2006.
The department has decided it will cease construction of SBInet as originally
conceived and recompete contracts to embark on a new technology plan.
The strategy will build off currently deployed tools tailored to the terrain
and population density of each border region. Apparatus will include mobile
surveillance units, unmanned aircraft, thermal imaging devices and remote video
surveillance systems mounted on towers.
"There is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution to meet our border technology needs,
and this new strategy is tailored to the unique needs of each border region,
providing faster deployment of technology, better coverage and a more effective
balance between cost and capability," Napolitano said. "Where appropriate, this
plan will also incorporate already existing elements of the former SBInet
program that have proven successful, such as stationary radar and infrared and
optical sensor towers."
A year ago, Napolitano stopped funding SBInet pending a review of the program,
which had been envisioned as a way to stem drug smuggling, illegal immigration
and terrorist-related activity across U.S. land borders. DHS had been renewing
Boeing's contract month-to-month since the fall, when the department chose not
to reassign a one-year extension it had awarded the vendor in fall 2009.
The original project concept included monitoring devices, intelligence
databases and communication links that would allow DHS headquarters and field
offices a full view of border activity.
Democrats and Republicans had been pressing DHS to issue a verdict on the
program's fate, which they expected to be canceled. But they had reservations
about losing investments in research and development that the department has
made during the past several years, as well as expertise Boeing and the
government have gained.
The new strategy will tap funding previously allocated for SBInet, Napolitano
said. DHS "intends to acquire all the technologies in the new plan, including
the integrated fixed towers, through full and open competition," she added.
"Independent, quantitative, science-based assessments will continue along each
sector of the Southwest border in 2011 to determine the optimal combination of
technology for each region."
Government officials initially picked Arizona as a starting point for
installation because they consider that region to be most vulnerable to
security threats. But the technology covered only 53 miles as of last year,
according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., ranking member of the House
Homeland Security Committee, who had criticized the program when he commanded
oversight of DHS last year.
On Friday, Thompson applauded the move to scrap the network. "The SBInet
program has been a grave and expensive disappointment since its inception," he
said in a statement.
"I am glad that DHS and [Customs and Border Patrol] are finally listening to
what we have been saying for years -- that the sheer size and variations of our
borders show us a one-stop solution has never been best," Thompson added. "I
applaud them for taking this critical step toward using a more tailored
technologically based approach to securing our nation's borders."
But Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., the new chairman of the committee, is not
satisfied with the revised, lengthy timetable for rollout.
"While I understand the Department of Homeland Security decision to end the
SBInet program, I continue to have very serious concerns about the Obama
administration's lack of urgency to secure the border," he said. "It has taken
DHS a full year to make the final decision to cancel the program. Now today, we
learn that DHS will spend all of 2011, and maybe longer, deciding what to do
next."
King called for federal officials to present a comprehensive plan to secure the
country's borders, incorporating fencing, sufficient staffing and technology.
"I expect the administration, in its upcoming 2012 budget proposal, to put
forward such a plan, including timelines and metrics," he added.
Senate Democrats also praised the strategy to outfit each region with
customized reinforcements.
"The secretary's decision to terminate SBInet ends a long-troubled program that
spent far too much of the taxpayers' money for the results it delivered," said
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee. "The department's decision to use technology based on the
particular security needs of each segment of the border is a far wiser
approach, and I hope it will be more cost effective."
--- End Message ---
