texascavers Digest 27 Jul 2010 00:46:15 -0000 Issue 1113
Topics (messages 15566 through 15575):
Re: Cave of the Yellow Dog
15566 by: Nancy Weaver
15567 by: BMorgan994.aol.com
15573 by: Diana Tomchick
Re: Another LeBlanc article on caving : Kickapoo Cavern SP :
15568 by: Fritz Holt
15572 by: Nico Escamilla
Re: free-tailed bats
15569 by: Jim Kennedy
15571 by: Fritz Holt
15575 by: Rod Goke
Re: Cave of the Weeping Camel
15570 by: Andy Gluesenkamp
News about Laguna DeSanches via Facebook
15574 by: Don Cooper
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Begin Message ---
my recollection is that there wasnt particularly. interesting view
of mongolia tho . . .
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Cave of the Yellow Dog (Mongolia), 2001, 93 min. (drama)
The young daughter of a Mongolian nomadic family forms a relationship with
a stray puppy, but her parents fear it will attack their sheep and won’t
let her keep it. This G-rated family film provides a fascinating glimpse
into nomad life.
Ron
I have no idea if there is a cave in the show.
This is an exceedingly strange Chinese propaganda movie, and no, there is
no cave. It is a Disneyesque "magical realism" portrayal of a plucky girl
from a so called traditional Tibetan (Maybe mongolian? It looked like
Mongolia)family spending the summer with their sheep. It is intended to show
how
happy and carefree life is under Chinese rule, and how both cultures can
happily coexist while happy kids learn to count by piling up yak turds, but
evil always lurks, for there are wolves! They are allowed to show evidence of
their traditional beliefs, but you can be sure the Dalai Lama is
conspicuously absent!
What is completely weird is that all of the actors, who appear to be
Tibetan and have Tibetan names, all speak perfect idiomatic midwestern
English.
At first I thought it was dubbing, but then I observed that every word on
every person's lips, including those of little kids, was perfectly matched
to their facial and body expressions. I focused intently, there wasn't a
single slip, so the producers must have gone to extraordinary lengths. It just
goes to show how intent the Chinese are on producing good propaganda.
I was so impressed that I decided to watch another Chinese Tibetan
propaganda film. I have forgotten the name, but it was about a group of
Chinese
Possum Cops led by a Tibetan turncoat who hunt down and kill a band of
peasant poachers who are after Chiru antelope. The scenes are harrowing,
instead
of happy kids at play in wildflower meadows, it is high altitude hell where
everybody's fingers fall off and nobody can breathe. The goal is to show
how horrible Tibet and Tibetans are, and how enviros ought to support the
Chinese who are clearly superior to the benighted greedy superstitious fuzzy
bunny killing peasants. If the reality of Tibet is even remotely similar to
the frozen wasteland shown in the flick then you can cancel my reservation!
I got the impression that the first flick is entirely intended for Gringo
audiences, and that the second, which was of much lower quality, was
intended for home consumption. Both flicks are sinister, evil, and
interestingly
different from the propaganda to which we are accustomed.
Sleazeweazel
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I was so impressed that I decided to watch another Chinese Tibetan
propaganda film. I have forgotten the name, but it was about a group
of Chinese Possum Cops led by a Tibetan turncoat who hunt down and
kill a band of peasant poachers who are after Chiru antelope. The
scenes are harrowing, instead of happy kids at play in wildflower
meadows, it is high altitude hell where everybody's fingers fall off
and nobody can breathe. The goal is to show how horrible Tibet and
Tibetans are, and how enviros ought to support the Chinese who are
clearly superior to the benighted greedy superstitious fuzzy bunny
killing peasants. If the reality of Tibet is even remotely similar
to the frozen wasteland shown in the flick then you can cancel my
reservation!
How interesting that Han Chinese government propaganda would depict
the Tibetans as ill-adapted to their high altitude environment, when a
recent genomic study has shown that indeed the residents of the
Tibetan plateau are the only human population that has evolved to
adapt to such an environment. This study was recently published in the
journal Science ("Sequencing of 50 Human Exomes Reveals Adaptation to
High Altitude" Science 2 July 2010: Vol. 329. no. 5987, pp. 75 - 78,
DOI: 10.1126/science.1190371--many of the authors are Chinese).
The gist of the article is as follows: The Tibetan plateau has been
inhabited for around 25,000 years. It has long been observed that
people who are not native to elevations higher than 4,000 meters
respond to the lower concentration of oxygen at high altitude by
synthesizing a much larger number of red blood cells in order to
increase their hemoglobin concentration (the well-known "natural blood
doping effect"). This creates complications due to increased blood
viscosity, and can actually compromise transfer of oxygen from
hemoglobin to peripheral tissues. Native Tibetans do not display an
increased number of red blood cells, and actually appear to have a
similar number of red blood cells as people who reside at sea level.
How is this possible? The researchers found that multiple proteins in
a signaling pathway related to response to hypoxia (low oxygen) were
mutated to facilitate transfer of oxygen from hemoglobin to the
peripheral tissues at the reduced oxygen conditions found at high
elevations. Hence no need for extra red blood cells! The estimated
rate of mutations in the genes in this pathway is a faster rate of
change than previously observed for any human gene, and the authors
say this represents the strongest instance of natural selection seen
to date in the human population. Also, populations that reside at high
altitude in the Andes do not show the same changes, probably because
they haven't lived at high altitude for as long as the Tibetans.
The authors didn't address the question that immediately jumped to my
mind: what happens to Tibetans when they go to sea level? Do they lose
red blood cells?
Diana
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diana R. Tomchick
Associate Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Biochemistry
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Rm. ND10.214B
Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A.
Email: [email protected]
214-645-6383 (phone)
214-645-6353 (fax)
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I have seen them referred to as Brazilian free-tailed bats in other written
material and wondered if they were mistaken and should have said Mexican or are
there two distinct varieties of free-tailed bats? What's the answer, Jim?
Fritz
________________________________
From: Nico Escamilla [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 12:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Another LeBlanc article on caving : Kickapoo Cavern
SP :
Seems like bats no longer want to be Mexican and they turned Brasilian, LOL
must be all the violence going on :-P
On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 10:08 PM,
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Into the dark: Spelunk in the raw abyss of Kickapoo Cavern
By Pamela
LeBlanc<http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html?service=popup&authorContact=822622&authorContactField=0>
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 7:24 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
Published: 5:07 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
Besides the wild cave tours, which are offered by reservation only on
Saturdays, the park is known for its bat population. From April through
September, a colony of more than half a million Brazilian free-tailed bats
swoops out of Stuart Bat Cave, which is slightly smaller than Kickapoo Cavern,
on a nightly mission to feast on insects.
http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The scientific name for Mexican Freetailed Bat is Tadarida Brasiliensis.. I
think thats what causes the confusion.
Nico
On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 1:30 PM, Fritz Holt <[email protected]>wrote:
> I have seen them referred to as Brazilian free-tailed bats in other
> written material and wondered if they were mistaken and should have said
> Mexican or are there two distinct varieties of free-tailed bats? What’s the
> answer, Jim?
>
>
>
> Fritz
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Nico Escamilla [mailto:[email protected]]
> *Sent:* Monday, July 26, 2010 12:26 PM
> *To:* [email protected]
> *Cc:* [email protected]
> *Subject:* Re: [Texascavers] Another LeBlanc article on caving : Kickapoo
> Cavern SP :
>
>
>
> Seems like bats no longer want to be Mexican and they turned Brasilian, LOL
>
> must be all the violence going on :-P
>
> On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 10:08 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
> *Into the dark: Spelunk in the raw abyss of Kickapoo Cavern*
>
> By Pamela
> LeBlanc<http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html?service=popup&authorContact=822622&authorContactField=0>
>
> AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
>
> Updated: 7:24 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
>
> Published: 5:07 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
>
>
>
> Besides the wild cave tours, which are offered by reservation only on
> Saturdays, the park is known for its bat population. From April through
> September, a colony of more than half a million Brazilian free-tailed bats
> swoops out of Stuart Bat Cave, which is slightly smaller than Kickapoo
> Cavern, on a nightly mission to feast on insects.
>
> http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html
>
>
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Our common free-tailed bat is _Tadarida brasiliensis_, subspecies
_mexicana_. So it is perfectly acceptable to use either the species
or subspecies epithet as a common name.
Jim (currently in Elizabethtown, KY)
On Jul 26, 2010, at 2:40 PM, "Fritz Holt"
<[email protected]> wrote:
I have seen them referred to as Brazilian free-tailed bats in other
written material and wondered if they were mistaken and should have
said Mexican or are there two distinct varieties of free-tailed
bats? What’s the answer, Jim?
Fritz
From: Nico Escamilla [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 12:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Another LeBlanc article on caving :
Kickapoo Cavern SP :
Seems like bats no longer want to be Mexican and they turned
Brasilian, LOL
must be all the violence going on :-P
On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 10:08 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
Into the dark: Spelunk in the raw abyss of Kickapoo Cavern
By Pamela LeBlanc
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 7:24 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
Published: 5:07 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
Besides the wild cave tours, which are offered by reservation only
on Saturdays, the park is known for its bat population. From April
through September, a colony of more than half a million Brazilian
free-tailed bats swoops out of Stuart Bat Cave, which is slightly
smaller than Kickapoo Cavern, on a nightly mission to feast on
insects.
http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thanks, Jim. It's enlightening to know that both are correct but I prefer the
more commonly used Mexican.
Fritz
________________________________
From: Jim Kennedy [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 3:04 PM
To: Fritz Holt
Cc: Nico Escamilla; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Re: free-tailed bats
Our common free-tailed bat is _Tadarida brasiliensis_, subspecies _mexicana_.
So it is perfectly acceptable to use either the species or subspecies epithet
as a common name.
Jim (currently in Elizabethtown, KY)
On Jul 26, 2010, at 2:40 PM, "Fritz Holt"
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
I have seen them referred to as Brazilian free-tailed bats in other written
material and wondered if they were mistaken and should have said Mexican or are
there two distinct varieties of free-tailed bats? What's the answer, Jim?
Fritz
________________________________
From: Nico Escamilla [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 12:26 PM
To: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Cc: <mailto:[email protected]>
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Another LeBlanc article on caving : Kickapoo Cavern
SP :
Seems like bats no longer want to be Mexican and they turned Brasilian, LOL
must be all the violence going on :-P
On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 10:08 PM,
<<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
wrote:
Into the dark: Spelunk in the raw abyss of Kickapoo Cavern
By Pamela
LeBlanc<http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html?service=popup&authorContact=822622&authorContactField=0>
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 7:24 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
Published: 5:07 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
Besides the wild cave tours, which are offered by reservation only on
Saturdays, the park is known for its bat population. From April through
September, a colony of more than half a million Brazilian free-tailed bats
swoops out of Stuart Bat Cave, which is slightly smaller than Kickapoo Cavern,
on a nightly mission to feast on insects.
<http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html>http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Let's see, subspecies mexicana is part of the species brasiliensis...
Sure, that makes perfect sense, ... as long as Mexico is part of Brazil. Right?
;-)
-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Kennedy <[email protected]>
>Sent: Jul 26, 2010 4:03 PM
>To: Fritz Holt <[email protected]>
>Cc: Nico Escamilla <[email protected]>, [email protected],
>[email protected]
>Subject: [Texascavers] Re: free-tailed bats
>
>
>Our common free-tailed bat is _Tadarida brasiliensis_, subspecies
>_mexicana_. So it is perfectly acceptable to use either the species
>or subspecies epithet as a common name.
>
>Jim (currently in Elizabethtown, KY)
>
>
>On Jul 26, 2010, at 2:40 PM, "Fritz Holt"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I have seen them referred to as Brazilian free-tailed bats in other
>> written material and wondered if they were mistaken and should have
>> said Mexican or are there two distinct varieties of free-tailed
>> bats? What’s the answer, Jim?
>>
>> Fritz
>>
>> From: Nico Escamilla [mailto:[email protected]]
>> Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 12:26 PM
>> To: [email protected]
>> Cc: [email protected]
>> Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Another LeBlanc article on caving :
>> Kickapoo Cavern SP :
>>
>> Seems like bats no longer want to be Mexican and they turned
>> Brasilian, LOL
>> must be all the violence going on :-P
>>
>> On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 10:08 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Into the dark: Spelunk in the raw abyss of Kickapoo Cavern
>>
>> By Pamela LeBlanc
>> AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
>>
>> Updated: 7:24 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
>>
>> Published: 5:07 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2010
>>
>>
>> Besides the wild cave tours, which are offered by reservation only
>> on Saturdays, the park is known for its bat population. From April
>> through September, a colony of more than half a million Brazilian
>> free-tailed bats swoops out of Stuart Bat Cave, which is slightly
>> smaller than Kickapoo Cavern, on a nightly mission to feast on
>> insects.
>>
>> http://www.austin360.com/recreation/into-the-dark-822622.html
>>
>>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Yeah but check out "The Story of the Weeping Camel". Same director and no
English. How'd they get the camel to cry on cue? I dunno about you but both
films made the life of nomads look awfully tough and barren to me. Sinister
and evil? I felt sorry for those folks living without infrastructure and/or on
the outskirts of decrepit concrete housing centers. Ddin't make me like the
Chinese govmnt one bit. Maybe I enjoy a level of comfort and connectedness
beyond that of the target audience?
Andy
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D.
700 Billie Brooks Drive
Driftwood, Texas 78619
(512) 799-1095
[email protected]
--- On Mon, 7/26/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
This is an exceedingly strange Chinese propaganda movie, and no, there is no
cave. It is a Disneyesque "magical realism" portrayal of a plucky girl from a
so called traditional Tibetan (Maybe mongolian? It looked like Mongolia)family
spending the summer with their sheep. It is intended to show how happy and
carefree life is under Chinese rule, and how both cultures can happily coexist
while happy kids learn to count by piling up yak turds, but evil always lurks,
for there are wolves! They are allowed to show evidence of their traditional
beliefs, but you can be sure the Dalai Lama is conspicuously absent!
What is completely weird is that all of the actors, who appear to be Tibetan
and have Tibetan names, all speak perfect idiomatic midwestern English. At
first I thought it was dubbing, but then I observed that every word on every
person's lips, including those of little kids, was perfectly matched to their
facial and body expressions. I focused intently, there wasn't a single slip, so
the producers must have gone to extraordinary lengths. It just goes to show how
intent the Chinese are on producing good propaganda.
I was so impressed that I decided to watch another Chinese Tibetan propaganda
film. I have forgotten the name, but it was about a group of Chinese Possum
Cops led by a Tibetan turncoat who hunt down and kill a band of peasant
poachers who are after Chiru antelope. The scenes are harrowing, instead of
happy kids at play in wildflower meadows, it is high altitude hell where
everybody's fingers fall off and nobody can breathe. The goal is to show how
horrible Tibet and Tibetans are, and how enviros ought to support the Chinese
who are clearly superior to the benighted greedy superstitious fuzzy bunny
killing peasants. If the reality of Tibet is even remotely similar to the
frozen wasteland shown in the flick then you can cancel my reservation!
I got the impression that the first flick is entirely intended for Gringo
audiences, and that the second, which was of much lower quality, was intended
for home consumption. Both flicks are sinister, evil, and interestingly
different from the propaganda to which we are accustomed.
Sleazeweazel
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Vladimir Ramirez <http://www.facebook.com/vladimir.rmz> Good news you can
get to Laguna de Sanchez by the road of Saltillo, its complety accesible-WaV
--- End Message ---
