texascavers Digest 21 Mar 2009 06:59:46 -0000 Issue 726
Topics (messages 10356 through 10365):
NSS guidebooks sale
10356 by: Mixon Bill
SC Regional NCRC Seminar
10357 by: Lydia Hernandez
Devils Sinkhole SNA manager position posted.
10358 by: Jim Kennedy
Map & Photo Salon Coordinator Needed for TSA Spring Convention
10359 by: Robert B
Re: Drug violence, etc.
10360 by: imocaves.comcast.net
10361 by: Andy Gluesenkamp
10362 by: imocaves.comcast.net
10363 by: S S
Fed response to Mexican drug violence
10364 by: Louise Power
Caves Reveal Evolution of Ancient Microbes :
10365 by: JerryAtkin.aol.com
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--- Begin Message ---
The NSS bookstore (www.nssbookstore.org) is having a sale on NSS
convention guidebooks earlier than the 2008, for 50% off. Guidebooks
are sold to NSS members only. Sale is on until April 30.
---------------------------------------------
He who renders warfare fatal to all engaged in it will be the greatest
benefactor the world has yet known. - Sir Richard Burton
----------------------------------------------
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 ---
Hello cave-dwellers,
I am from Austin, Tx and I was wondering if anyone else going to Arkansas, from
the central Texas area, would be interested in carpooling? I signed up to be
there for the SRT practice Friday March 27 at 6pm-8pm.
Anyone?
Peace2ya'll.
Lydia - caving since March '07
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Qualified cavers interested in this job should go to
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/jobs/postings/?page=09_29_219 and
follow instructions.
-- Crash
Confidentiality Note: This email and any attachment to it are
confidential and protected by law and intended for the use of the
individual(s) or entity named on the email. If the reader of this
message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
dissemination or distribution of this communication is prohibited. If
you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender
via return email and delete it completely from your email system. If you
have printed a copy of the email, please destroy it immediately. Thank
you
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The 2009 TSA Spring Convention needs a volunteer to coordinate the Map &
Photo Salon.
The duties of this most excellent and admirable person would be to:
Read and apply the rules for the Salon. (see below)
(reading is not an absolute requirement. we can find somebody to read the
rules to you or just make up your own rules)
Solicit entries.
(Beg, Bribe, Extort, Blackmail, whatever works)
(Remember, cavers have little shame, so those disreputable photos you have
wont work)
Set up and run the Salon during Convention.
(A little masking tape to hold maps and photos to the wall or table)
(You will need a computer so Digital entries can be displayed)
Find a few interested cavers who will judge the entries fairly.
(Cavers generally are neither fair or inpartial, there is alot of collusion)
(kinda reminds me of "The Godfather", if you wake up with a horse head in
your tent, you picked the wrong winner)
Award some obscenely extravagant prizes
(Actually, the gifts are stuff that wont sell at TCMA auction. However, Its
all in your enthusiastic presentation, smile, laugh, wave your arms wildly.
They will be grateful for the single dirty sock)
Clean up
(Remove the masking tape from Wall or Table. Don't worry about the computer,
cause it's been stolen or sold at TCMA)
Rules and catagories have been establish for the salon entries. These can be
found within the TSA website. www.cavetexas.org/events/mapsalon.html
If you are interested, please contact Rob Bisset
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
>LEGALIZE IT NOW!
Now THERE's a novel concept for stemming the bloodshed and refilling the
nation's tax coffers at the same time! What a no-brainer! Must have been
thought up by some pothead.
But first, read God's Middle Finger.
Say what??
Alex
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Alex,
Yeah, don't buy Mexican pot. The easiest way to dry up the narcotraficantes
is to produce legal (and better) pot on this side of the border. I won't go
into the myriad benefits to our agricultural economy, law enforcement system,
etc. Taxing the hell out of it is just an added bonus.
God's Middle Finger is an excellent book with much information about the
ravages of drug production/smuggling/narco terrorism on the people of the
Sierra Madre. One of the best reads I have picked up in a long time.
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Thu, 3/19/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] Re: Drug violence, etc.
To: [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 5:48 PM
#yiv1486631329 p {margin:0;}#yiv1486631329 p {margin:0;}>LEGALIZE IT NOW!
Now THERE's a novel concept for stemming
the bloodshed and refilling the nation's tax coffers at the same time!
What a no-brainer! Must have been thought up by some pothead.
But first, read God's Middle Finger.
Say what??
Alex
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
> God's Middle Finger is an excellent book with much information about the
> ravages of drug production/smuggling/narco terrorism on the people of the
> Sierra Madre. One of the best reads I have picked up in a long time.
Ahh, muy excelente! I thought you meant like 'read my lips'! Thanks for the
recommendation. Andy!
>The easiest way to dry up the narcotraficantes is to produce legal (and
>better) pot on this side of the border.
We have the technology, and certainly the entrepreneurs; now all we need is the
political will. And we're closer to that than we've ever been, thanks to the
border wars. Greed is cutting the narcotraficantes' own throats, just as it did
the high rollers' on Wall Street.
Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Gluesenkamp" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 5:13:17 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Re: Drug violence, etc.
Alex,
Yeah, don't buy Mexican pot . The easiest way to dry up the narcotraficantes is
to produce legal (and better) pot on this side of the border. I won't go into
the myriad benefits to our agricultural economy, law enforcement system, etc.
Taxing the hell out of it is just an added bonus.
God's Middle Finger is an excellent book with much information about the
ravages of drug production/smuggling/narco terrorism on the people of the
Sierra Madre. One of the best reads I have picked up in a long time.
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Thu, 3/19/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] Re: Drug violence, etc.
To: [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 5:48 PM
>LEGALIZE IT NOW!
Now THERE's a novel concept for stemming the bloodshed and refilling the
nation's tax coffers at the same time! What a no-brainer! Must have been
thought up by some pothead.
But first, read God's Middle Finger.
Say what??
Alex
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Apparently you arent all that up to speed on the drug problems. Over half of
all the pot produced in the united states is grown by the Mexican Mafia in
grows as far away as Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
Not to pass judgement as to wether or not Marajuana should or shouldnt be
legalized I would say the best way to eliminate drugs, whatever you define them
to be, is to do what works. When I landed in Saudi Arabia at the top of my
customs form in large bold red letters was a statement that read "DEATH TO DRUG
DEALERS"
It seems to work pretty well for them. Of course they really go through with
it. Thats the touble with making a law and not really leveling any consequences
for breaking it.
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:13:17 -0700
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Re: Drug violence, etc.
Alex,
Yeah, don't buy Mexican pot. The easiest way to dry up the narcotraficantes
is to produce legal (and better) pot on this side of the border. I won't go
into the myriad benefits to our agricultural economy, law enforcement system,
etc. Taxing the hell out of it is just an added bonus.
God's Middle Finger is an excellent book with much information about the
ravages of drug production/smuggling/narco terrorism on the people of the
Sierra Madre. One of the best reads I have picked up in a long time.
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Thu, 3/19/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: [Texascavers] Re: Drug violence, etc.
To: [email protected]
List-Post: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 5:48 PM
>LEGALIZE IT NOW!
Now THERE's a novel concept for stemming the bloodshed and refilling the
nation's tax coffers at the same time! What a no-brainer! Must have been
thought up by some pothead.
But first, read God's Middle Finger.
Say what??
Alex
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast.
http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_70faster_032009
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I offer without comment this article from today's GovExec.com (apparently
reprinted from the Congressional Daily):
Agencies plotting response to Mexican violence
CongressDaily March 19, 2009
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday afternoon that a
plan is being worked at "the highest levels" of the U.S. government to address
escalating levels of violence in Mexico.
"The issue is getting top attention in multiple agencies of the U.S.," she told
reporters.
She declined to provide details on the plan or specifically when it will be
made public.
But part of the plan involves contingency efforts if violence spills over into
the United States. Napolitano said the plan was put together without consulting
state and local officials, so her office has now sent department officials to
border areas to meet with them.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday she is asking House
Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, House Armed Services
Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., and House Foreign Affairs Committee
Chairman Howard Berman, D-Calif., to take a delegation to Mexico to address
rising drug violence.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Behind the Scenes:
Caves Reveal Evolution of Ancient Microbes
By _Lily Whiteman_ (mailto:) , NSF
posted: 20 March 2009 09:04 am ET
(http://www.livescience.com/common/email.php?guid=27fab9c39ca4fbac71b9d57a1083c323&url=http://www.livescience.com/animals/090320-bts-cave-exploration.html&;
title=Caves+Reveal+Evolution+of+Ancient+Microbes&u=/animals/090320-bts-cave-ex
ploration.html) (javascript:show_print();)
(javascript:show_share('right');)
(http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.livescience.com/animals/090320-bts-cave-exploration.html&title=Caves+Reveal+Evolution+of+Ancien
t+Microbes)
Penn State University Ph.D. student Dan Jones (standing) and postdoctoral
researcher Sharmishtha Dattagupta collect microbial biofilms in the Frasassi
cave system, central Italy, on May 28, 2008. Credit: Ieva Perkons
_Full Size_
(http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?s=animals&c=nsf&l=on&pic=090320-sharmishtha-02.jpg&cap=Penn+State+Univer
sity+Ph.D.+student+Dan+Jones+(standing)+and+postdoctoral+researcher+Sharmishth
a+Dattagupta+collect+microbial+biofilms+in+the+Frasassi+cave+system,+central+I
taly,+on+May+28,+2008.+Credit:+Ieva+Perkons&title=)
Penn State University Ph.D. student Dan Jones (standing) and postdoctoral
researcher Sharmishtha Dattagupta collect microbial biofilms in the Frasassi
cave system, central Italy, on May 28, 2008. Credit: Ieva Perkons
(http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?s=animals&c=nsf&l=on&pic=090320-macalady-02.jpg&cap=Penn+State+University+professor
+and+geomicrobiologist+Jennifer+Macalady+collecting+microbial+samples+in+the+F
rasassi+cave+system+on+June+5,+2008.
+Credit:+Jenn+Macalady,+Pennsylvania+State+University&title=)
Penn State University professor and geomicrobiologist Jennifer Macalady
collecting microbial samples in the Frasassi cave system on June 5, 2008.
Credit:
Jenn Macalady, Pennsylvania State University
This Behind the Scenes article was provided to LiveScience in partnership
with the National Science Foundation.
Recently, caving expert Simone Cerioni guided Jenn Macalady of Pennsylvania
State University and her team of scientists up a dark, steep slope in the
Frasassi cave system in central Italy.
While climbing up a particularly difficult section, Cerioni turned around to
check on the scientists scrambling below him, and noticed that their facial
expressions — spotlighted by the narrow beams of their headlamps — seemed to
ask him, "How do we get up this part?" Cerioni responded in his best _Jedi
English_ (http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/spacemovies/) , "Use the force
...”
Taking Simone's advice, the scientists found their footing and climbed
higher. Nevertheless, in other, gnarlier sections of the _cave_
(http://www.livescience.com/history/081025-hawaii-cave.html) , Simone's
encouragement of "the
force" did not suffice, and the expedition advanced only with the help of
hardware, such as ropes, harnesses and ascending gear.
Why were Macalady and the other members of her research team negotiating
such treacherous subterranean terrain? Because like many scientists who study
the _Earth's history_ (http://www.livescience.com/topic/earth) , they dream of
traveling back in time. But rather than wanting to travel back to the popular
age of dinosaurs, they want to travel back to the Precambrian — a pivotal
period which spanned from about 4.5 to 0.54 billion years ago.
The Precambrian fascinates Macalady. "The evolutionary success of
single-celled microbes during the Precambrian brought the Earth to life and
set the
stage for the evolution of multi-cellular organisms that thrive today," she
says, adding that during the Precambrian microorganisms evolved the ability to
produce oxygen from water through photosynthesis, a development that
eventually
led to the irreversible oxygenation of the Earth's surface.
But because _microorganisms_ (http://www.livescience.com/topic/bacteria)
leave poor fossil records, Macalady doesn't use the fossil record to study the
Earth's oxygen revolution and the evolution of microbes. Instead, she studies
these phenomena by analyzing modern microbial examples from Earth's anoxic
(oxygen-free), dark regions. However, these organisms are rare and difficult
to access, found only underwater or in deep, dark underground environments (or
combinations of the two) where stagnant water or unusual chemical conditions
prevent oxygen from penetrating.
Caving worldwide
So how does _Macalady_
(http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?s=animals&c=nsf&l=on&pic=090320-macalady-02.jpg&cap=Penn+Sta
te+University+professor+and+geomicrobiologist+Jennifer+Macalady+collecting+mic
robial+samples+in+the+Frasassi+cave+system+on+June+5,+2008.
+Credit:+Jenn+Macalady,+Pennsylvania+State+University&title=) manage to
access such remote dangerous environments? By collaborating with expert cavers
and cave divers who guide her and her colleagues to locations that would
otherwise be beyond their reach and sometimes collect samples of microbial
communities on her behalf.
So far, with funding from the National Science Foundation and NASA, Macalady
has managed research collaborations between scientists and caving experts in
dark, anoxic environments in Italy, Mexico, Florida and the Bahamas.
To maximize the productivity of such collaborations, Macalady and her fellow
researchers continually hone their own caving skills. They also train their
caving guides to find and sample the types of environments that offer the
most research potential and how to make critically important field
observations.
Mysterious cave microbes
Why is Macalady so dedicated to exploring deep, dark, dangerous caves?
Because so little is currently known about the _microbes that live in dark,
anoxic
environments_
(http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/061212_snottie_science.html) . "Every
expedition offers the possibility of discovering previously
unknown life forms and important clues to the history of life," she says.
That day in the Frasassi caves, Macalady and her research team profiled the
geochemistry of a remote, anoxic lake that was reached only after four hours
of travel within the cave system. Once there, Ph.D. student Dan Jones and
Italian cave explorer Sandro Mariani donned dry suits, entered the 55-degree
Fahrenheit lake water, and lowered a geochemical probe into the lake's deep
anoxic layer, which is located about eight meters below the lake surface. This
is standard operating procedure: sometimes, Macalady's research team will even
collect microbe samples in other microbial environments from depths of
dozens of meters.
Once back in the lab, Macalady's research team conducted laboratory analyses
of the gene sequences contained in their microbe samples. These analyses
were designed to reveal important information about the evolutionary
relationships between sampled microbes and other known microbe species, and
information
about microbial activities.
Slow-growing slime
For example, through these analyses, Macalady's post-doc, Sharmishtha
Dattagupta, identified a new animal-microbe relationship (or symbiosis) in the
Frasassi cave system that is based on chemical energy. Such symbiosis, which
is
common around hydrothermal vents on the sea floor that spew hot water, had not
previously been known to occur outside of the oceans.
In addition, Italian cave divers discovered a slow-growing, anaerobic slime
in the Frasassi cave waters; this slime contains large populations of cells
that produce energy through novel methods that Macalady's research team is
currently struggling to understand.
Macalady's team, which includes Ph.D. students Jones, Kat Dawson, Heidi
Albrecht, and Rebecca McCauley, is currently continuing to conduct research in
the Frasassi caves as well as in other Italian caves. This work involves
collaborations with a team of Italian colleagues that includes geologists
Alessandro Montanari, Sandro Galdenzi and Maurizio Mainiero, and cave
explorers
Mariani, Cerioni and others.
In her latest effort, she is researching collapsed, flooded caves in the
Bahamas, a collaboration with expert cave diver Kenneth Broad from the
University of Miami funded by National Geographic. Although the sinkholes hold
fresh,
oxygen-rich water near the surface, they quickly become salty and anoxic with
depth. Therefore, Macalady suspects that these sinkholes, along with similar
ones in Florida, may provide additional clues to the Earth's earliest
environments. And that is just the kind of time travel that keeps her
exploring
the Earth's depths.
(http://www.livescience.com/animals/top10_species_success.html) * _10
Species Success Stories_
(http://www.livescience.com/animals/top10_species_success.html)
* _Gallery: Microscopic Images as Art_
(http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?gid=1])
* _Bacteria: News and Information_
(http://www.livescience.com/topic/bacteria)
Editor's Note: This research was supported by the National Science
Foundation (_NSF_ (http://www.nsf.gov/) ), the federal agency charged with
funding
basic research and education across all fields of science and engineering. See
the _Behind the Scenes Archive_
(http://www.livescience.com/topic/behind-the-scenes) .
_http://www.livescience.com/animals/090320-bts-cave-exploration.html_
(http://www.livescience.com/animals/090320-bts-cave-exploration.html)
**************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy
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