texascavers Digest 8 Jul 2011 19:06:40 -0000 Issue 1349
Topics (messages 18187 through 18198):
local cave news
18187 by: Jim Kennedy
Texas bat news
18188 by: Jim Kennedy
Re: Safety Info From Shell Oil (UNCLASSIFIED)
18189 by: Fritz Holt
Re: Safety Info From Shell Oil
18190 by: Jim Kennedy
18191 by: Fritz Holt
18193 by: tbsamsel.verizon.net
18198 by: Andy Zenker
Re: [ot_caving] RE: Safety Info From Shell Oil
18192 by: Louise Power
Old Timers Reunion
18194 by: Jim Kennedy
Re: Flash Mob at Cape Cod Stop & Shop Orleans July 1st
18195 by: Fritz Holt
explosions
18196 by: Mixon Bill
cell phone at the gas pump rumors disproved
18197 by: James Edwards
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Begin Message ---
http://www.kens5.com/home/Local-man-makes-prehistoric-discovery-in-his-own-backyard-125112719.html
Local man makes prehistoric discovery in his own backyard
by Phil Anaya / KENS 5
Posted on July 6, 2011 at 6:41 PM
Updated today at 7:21 AM
<http://www.kens5.com/home/Local-man-makes-prehistoric-discovery-in-his-own-backyard-125112719.html?gallery=y&img=1&c=y>
See all 2 photos »
<http://www.kens5.com/home/Local-man-makes-prehistoric-discovery-in-his-own-backyard-125112719.html?gallery=y&c=y>
SAN ANTONIO -- Somewhere in Comal County is a small parcel of private land full
of breathtaking views. Hidden amidst the beauty is a mysterious entrance to the
unknown.
Inside, there is not much space and it quickly goes from dry to wet. That's
because it's a cave full of spring-fed water. And there are plenty of creatures
living inside.
"There's a small colony of bats in there," said William "BT" Price, who owns
the land.
Price bought the land where the hidden cave is located two years ago. Now, he's
a retired banker who had become an explorer of his own backyard.
The cave is at least a mile in length but goes further. Price and friends are
constantly pushing the limits by going into areas where the water and ceiling
are separated by inches.
"It can be very dangerous -- very, very dangerous -- if it's not done right,"
said Price.
Within the unknown lies a familiar treasure from prehistoric times: fossils.
"Here's some pieces of mastodon teeth," said Kurt Menking, who has helped Price
discover the fossils.
Some of the most exotic discoveries include an almost complete skull of a
Homotherium, an animal that was part of the saber-tooth tiger family.
Other remains are from beasts you only hear about in movies, like 10 foot tall,
8,000 pound sloths.
Concordia University biology professor Laurence Meissner is just one of a few
professionals to verify the recent discovery.
"Yes, they're legitimate fossils. They lived in the late Ice Age. Probably went
extinct around 10 to 15 thousand years ago," Meissner said.
Experts like Meissner said it's very rare to find fossils in Texas, especially
animals like the Homotherium found in the local cave.
"It just gives us a record of the past. It tells us what life used to be like
10 to 20,000 years ago and it shows there's been substantial change in the
environment here," Meissner said.
Price said he plans to continue seeking more fossils in the area he's dubbed
"Twinkie's Cave," named after his fiancée's dog.
Price's long-term goal is to have the fossils preserved, then donate the cave
to either a caving group or to state-funded paleontology organizations that
have seen funding cuts due to budget woes.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
http://sacurrent.com/arts/visualart/colony-of-mexican-free-tailed-bats-gaining-a-following-on-river-walk-1.1171363
Colony of Mexican Free-Tailed bats gaining a following on River Walk
Holy Folding Chairs! Bat watching at the river.
By Patricia Portales
<http://sacurrent.com/archives/authors?author=Patricia%20Portales>
Published: July 6, 2011
At dusk under the I-35 bridge at Camden Street a small crowd lingers. They bob
their heads between wristwatches and cell phones and something above not yet
visible. Passersby stop to ask, "What's everyone looking at?"
Soon a cloud of Mexican free-tailed bats are streaming from beneath the bridge,
the façade of the San Antonio Museum of Art fading in the twilight. The bats
are coming out to feed. "A colony of approximately 10,000 Mexican free-tailed
bats visit this bridge every year," says Matthew Driffill, an education
specialist with the San Antonio River Authority, pleased with the growing
interest. "Nature is everywhere, even underneath I-35, one of the busiest
highways in San Antonio."
For the second summer in a row, Driffill and Matt Reidy, a biologist with Texas
Parks and Wildlife, are coordinating bat tours - though the colony typically
arrives from Mexico in March and doesn't fly out until October. The pair
educates the public about the benefits of bats and works to dispel any
lingering myths about the often-misunderstood creatures. For instance, rabies
in bats is exaggerated, found about as frequently as it is in dogs, according
to John Gramieri, mammal curator at the San Antonio Zoo. "But if you find a bat
on the ground, its health is probably compromised. You don't want to interact
with it," he said.
The talks drew about 300 in July of 2010, but the pair expects larger crowds
this summer as activity on the Museum Reach of the River Walk increases and
word spreads about the colony. They caution, however, that the bats aren't on
their payroll and don't always emerge 5-15 minutes before sunset as is their
usual schedule. "Biologists have theories about the conditions under which bats
emerge," says Susan Kwasniak, a spokesperson for Austin-based Bat Conservation
International (BCI), an organization of biologists and educators who research
the flying mammals' role in the environment. "It's dependent on the amount of
insects in an area. If there is a drought, the bats may emerge earlier to allow
more time to find food. If it rains, they may come out later because rain is
conducive to insects and it's easier for them to find food. Also, as it gets
darker, the bats are safer from predators like hawks."
Bats fly up to 50 miles in search of insects, mostly cotton bullworm and corn
earworm moths, a service the BCI estimates saves Texas cotton farmers $1.7
million a year by reducing the amount of pesticides needed. Texas is home to
the world's largest known urban bat colony (the Congress Bridge in Austin with
1.5 million bats) and the largest rural colony (Bracken Cave in southern Comal
County, with 20 million bats).
Yes. The world.
Mexican free-tailed bats adjust easily to human-engineered environments, and
TxDOT's highway expansion joints beneath I-35 and the Congress Street Bridge
are just the right size to provide shelter while protecting the bats from
predators, according to Kwasniak. And armed with knowledge of their economic
contribution to the state, the agency is now actively choosing bridge designs
that can double as bat roosts and nurseries.
Historically, bat colonies in bridges atop the San Antonio River were removed
to prevent exposing people - not to mention Rio San Antonio cruise and dinner
barges - from falling guano, Driffill said. However, the colony under the I-35
bridge over Camden is advantageous for all. "We have a great situation at this
bridge. The I-beam structure is above the waterway. The bats, however, live on
the other side in the expansion joint. All the guano then is in an area well
removed from the river," he said. *
The San Antonio River Authority will host bat talks on the Museum Reach at
Camden and Newell Streets on July 12 and 26 at 8pm, and Aug 9 and 23 at 7:30pm.
Call (210) 302-3222 for more information.
> Email Patricia Portales <mailto:[email protected]>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
http://www.wane.com/dpps/news/strange/group-uses-weather-tool-to-study-bats-_3871768
Group uses weather tool to study bats
20 years worth of archived data from radars
Updated: Thursday, 07 Jul 2011, 1:01 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 07 Jul 2011, 12:57 PM EDT
Natalie Stoll
UVALDE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - Meteorologists use Doppler weather radars to
detect and track storms, but there's a wealth of data that's cast aside too.
Biological scatter, like migrating birds and feeding bats, also show up on
radar but are normally filtered out. Yet, a group of scientists is developing
ways to use that information.
"We're already investing a lot of money in these radars," said Dr. Phillip
Chilson with the University of Oklahoma <http://arrc.ou.edu/%7Echilson/> .
"Every radar costs about $10 million. Maintenance for every radar installation
is about $500,000 a year, and there's something like 150 of these scattered
across the continental United States. That's a lot of cash. They're serving a
great benefit from the meteorological perspective, but if you can get value
added serving this data out for free to the biological community, then I think
that's a win."
In late June, the newest rapid-scan, high-resolution, polarimetric, mobile
Doppler radar parked eight miles from the mouth of Frio Cave in Uvalde County.
It was the mobile radar's first full deployment.
Instead of tornadic storms, it was tracking the flight patterns of millions of
Brazilian free-tailed bats, emerging from Frio Cave at dusk.
"Now, we're really focusing on taking a census of how many bats we think are
coming out of Frio Cave. And if we can do that reliably, we can compare that
with NEXRAD, and then a whole new world opens up for us," said Chilson.
Just like a Doppler radar can estimate how much rain is in a rain cloud, the
scientists hope to use the same idea to count the number of bats in a bat cloud.
"The farmers in this area, not everyone realizes it, but the bats are their
friends," said Chilson. "The more bats, the healthier the colonies are, the
less pesticides they have to use."
The project has no fancy acronym; Chilson calls it "Stone Soup" science, after
the children's fable. The funds come from University of Oklahoma's College of
Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences <http://ags.ou.edu/> . National Science
Foundation <http://www.nsf.gov/> funded the mobile radar, and the scientists
come from across the country and bring their expertise for a common goal.
Dr. Tom Kunz, with Boston University's Bat Lab <http://www.bu.edu/cecb/bats/>
, is using this thermal imaging camera to count the bats as they fly out into
the night. Kunz coined the term "areoecology" as an emerging scientific field.
Areoecology is the study of biology in the lower atmosphere, where radar
provides a unique view of that environment. <http://soar.ou.edu/>
"We've always had to be on the forefront of technology to know what's going on
with the bats because bats are difficult to study because they're flying around
at night," said Dr. Winifred Frick with the University of California, Santa
Cruz. "Having a tool like the radar, and different kinds of radar where we can
really see the bats and the way they're using the landscape, is pretty
phenomenal."
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
This public service announcement is for those that are unaware of the hazard of
having a cell phone on their person while fueling their vehicle. It is caving
related, assuming you want to live to cave again.
Fritz
>>
>> Here are some reasons why we don't allow cell phones in operating areas,
>> propylene oxide handling and storage area, propane, gas and diesel
>> refuelling areas.
>>
>> The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in
>> which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fuelling
>> operations
>>
>> In the first case, the phone was placed on the car's trunk lid during
>> fuelling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline
>> pump.
>>
>> In the second, an individual suffered severe burns to their face when
>> fumes
>> ignited as they answered a call while refuelling their car!
>>
>> And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as
>> fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they
>> were fuelling their car.
>>
>> You should know that: Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes
>>
>> Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release
>> enough energy to provide a spark for ignition
>>
>> Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fuelling
>> lawn
>> mowers, boat, etc.
>>
>> Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other
>> materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, (I.e.,
>> solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc...)
>>
>> TO sum it up, here are the Four Rules for Safe Refuelling:
>> 1) Turn off engine
>> 2) Don't smoke
>> 3) Don't use your cell phone - leave it inside the vehicle or turn it 0ff
>> 4) Don't re-enter your vehicle during fuelling.
>>
>> Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to
>> try
>> and make people aware of fires as a result of 'static electricity' at gas
>> pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires.
>>
>> His results were very surprising:
>> 1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.
>> 2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle
>> while
>> the nozzle was still pumping gas. When finished, they went back to pull
>> the
>> nozzle out and the fire started, as a result of static.
>> 3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes.
>> 4) Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished.
>> This
>> is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.
>> 5) Don't ever use cell phones when pumping gas
>> 6) It is the vapours that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when
>> connected with static charges.
>>
>> 8) Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas
>> cap
>> was removed and before fuelling began.
>> Don't know if this is valid but it probably wouldn't hurt to pay
>> attention.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it
>> with gas.
>> If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping,
>> make
>> sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull
>> the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged
>> before
>> you ever remove the nozzle..
>>
>> As I mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with
>> several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware
>> of
>> this danger.
>>
>> Please send this information to ALL your family and friends, especially
>> those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were
>> to
>> happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time.
>>
>>
>>
>> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>>
>>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Fritz,
Snopes disagrees with this, and even cites the same text from "Shell
Oil" that you forwarded.
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
Moral: Check out these kinds of stories before forwarding them to the
masses.
-- Crash
-----Original Message-----
From: Fritz Holt [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 4:52 PM
To: Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
Subject: [Texascavers] FW: Safety Info From Shell Oil (UNCLASSIFIED)
This public service announcement is for those that are unaware of the
hazard of having a cell phone on their person while fueling their
vehicle. It is caving related, assuming you want to live to cave again.
Fritz
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thanks, Jim. I had heard of this potential danger from other sources and so
didn't doubt its validity. But I do wonder whether Snopes is ever wrong.
Thanks anyway, maybe someday I will learn.
Fritz
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Kennedy [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 5:04 PM
To: Fritz Holt; Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
Subject: RE: Safety Info From Shell Oil
Fritz,
Snopes disagrees with this, and even cites the same text from "Shell
Oil" that you forwarded.
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
Moral: Check out these kinds of stories before forwarding them to the
masses.
-- Crash
-----Original Message-----
From: Fritz Holt [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 4:52 PM
To: Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
Subject: [Texascavers] FW: Safety Info From Shell Oil (UNCLASSIFIED)
This public service announcement is for those that are unaware of the
hazard of having a cell phone on their person while fueling their
vehicle. It is caving related, assuming you want to live to cave again.
Fritz
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
It came from a multinational energy corporation, it must be "true".
Jul 7, 2011 05:11:34 PM, [email protected] wrote:
Thanks, Jim. I had heard of this potential danger from other sources and so didn't doubt its validity. But I do wonder whether Snopes is ever wrong.
Thanks anyway, maybe someday I will learn.
Fritz
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Kennedy [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 5:04 PM
To: Fritz Holt; Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
Subject: RE: Safety Info From Shell Oil
Fritz,
Snopes disagrees with this, and even cites the same text from "Shell
Oil" that you forwarded.
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
Moral: Check out these kinds of stories before forwarding them to the
masses.
-- Crash
-----Original Message-----
From: Fritz Holt [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 4:52 PM
To: Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
Subject: [Texascavers] FW: Safety Info From Shell Oil (UNCLASSIFIED)
This public service announcement is for those that are unaware of the
hazard of having a cell phone on their person while fueling their
vehicle. It is caving related, assuming you want to live to cave again.
Fritz
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I believe mythbusters debunked this a long time ago.
Andy Z
On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 4:03 PM, Jim Kennedy <[email protected]> wrote:
> Fritz,
>
> Snopes disagrees with this, and even cites the same text from "Shell
> Oil" that you forwarded.
> http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
>
> Moral: Check out these kinds of stories before forwarding them to the
> masses.
>
> -- Crash
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fritz Holt [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 4:52 PM
> To: Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
> Subject: [Texascavers] FW: Safety Info From Shell Oil (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> This public service announcement is for those that are unaware of the
> hazard of having a cell phone on their person while fueling their
> vehicle. It is caving related, assuming you want to live to cave again.
>
> Fritz
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Well regardless, my cellphone has an off button on it. It's off all the time
unless I need to use it.
> From: [email protected]
> To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
> Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2011 17:08:27 -0500
> Subject: [ot_caving] RE: Safety Info From Shell Oil
>
> Thanks, Jim. I had heard of this potential danger from other sources and so
> didn't doubt its validity. But I do wonder whether Snopes is ever wrong.
> Thanks anyway, maybe someday I will learn.
>
> Fritz
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Kennedy [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 5:04 PM
> To: Fritz Holt; Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
> Subject: RE: Safety Info From Shell Oil
>
> Fritz,
>
> Snopes disagrees with this, and even cites the same text from "Shell
> Oil" that you forwarded.
> http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
>
> Moral: Check out these kinds of stories before forwarding them to the
> masses.
>
> -- Crash
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fritz Holt [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 4:52 PM
> To: Off-Topic Texas Cavers; Texas Cavers
> Subject: [Texascavers] FW: Safety Info From Shell Oil (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> This public service announcement is for those that are unaware of the
> hazard of having a cell phone on their person while fueling their
> vehicle. It is caving related, assuming you want to live to cave again.
>
> Fritz
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Give this to a friend: [email protected]
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
For those interested, I pulled this off one of the other caver
listserves I am on. I have been to about 10 OTRs myself (and about 14
TCRs).
BTW, there was no attachment on that listserve, and I couldn't find the
referenced PDF on the OTR site, but if you just go to http://otr.org, I
am sure it will answer any and all of your questions.
-- Crash
The attached PDF file contains information about the 2011 Old Timers
Reunion. We are sending this information to all NSS grottos that are
likely to have members attending OTR.
Please disseminate this information sheet within your grotto so that
everyone is aware of the latest OTR information. Feel free to print the
file and include it in your newsletter or distribute it at meetings. You
can also post it on your Web site if you wish.
If you have any questions about OTR please contact one of the staff
members at http://contacts.otr.org/ .
Please check www.otr.org for lots more information about this year's
event.
Bob Hoke
OTR Propaganda Department
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
To the masses;
While the musicians staged this I doubt the unsuspecting shoppers knew what
they were about to witness. If this doesn't bring a sense of patriotism to
every heart, nothing will. How fortunate we are to live in the United States of
America.
Fritz
________________________________
LOVE THAT THIS REALLY DOES HAPPEN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5lbNXNn3CI&feature=youtu.be
=
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I usually try to not fan the flames of OT messages, but can't resist
this time. The business about cell phones and fueling cars is an
example of the urge some people have to dream up every possible hazard
to life, the environment, or whatever. Of course once something like
that is pointed out, the lawyers say we have to be warned about it,
which leads to those long lists of hazards stuck on every gas pump and
the sort of stuff that power-tool manuals are full of--you know,
"Don't even open the box unless you're wearing full body armor."
No matter what happens, even if an eggplant eats Cincinnati, somebody
will be in a position to say, "I told you so," and the lawyers will
get him to testify to that.
First, kill all the lawyers.... -- Mixon
----------------------------------------
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 ---
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
I've never seen any "news" spread by e-mail that's true. If you hear about
something via e-mail before you hear about it in the news, you should
immediately suspect it. Check it on Snopes. This story is no exception.
-Andy
--- End Message ---
