And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Youngest daughter just returned from caving with the local cave club. Fun?
I never thought that I had any kind of claustrophobia until I was scuba diving in the Gulf of California near La Paz, Mexico. We swam into an underwater cave and turned left to exit the cave through a small tunnel. It was so small that I had to remove my dive vest and air bottle and drag them behind me as I swam toward the opening. I almost freaked out and swore that I'd never - ever put myself in that kind of predicament ever again. So far, so good.
MRI: two sessions back to back, and I fell asleep inside. The techs didn't think I could do two like that, and then they had to wake me up when they rolled me out. Yeah, I'm a bit weird. It was a nice nap, though.
There was a story of a guy who went caving out west. Long story short, he took a wrong turn and got stuck upside down in a blind hole. Rescuers tried for hours to pull him out. No success. They were contemplating breaking his legs so he could be pulled out. No success. After many hours they gave him a phone to call his fiance. He died in that hole, upside down. They left him there. Sealed and marked the passage.
That did happen in my country about 5 - 10 years ago but was in a squeeze that people did squeak through. The guy must have been a fraction too fat on the day and got wedged facing down. Pretty unpleasant way to die.
Great fun...until it's not. Non-zero probability of a catastrophe, which is OK with me as long as it doesn't then kill more people. Like parasailing, sky-diving, scuba & scuba caving. Your odds are pretty good but the penalties are really, really high. Sort of thing I think should be restricted to adults only (and, yeah, that means 18 and over)- at that point, it's your neck and we collectively believe you're old enough to risk it. I've done some (tame) "wild" caving, with pro guides, in well explored caves/known routes. Risk of a disaster there was no worse than any moderate physical activity- ski, ball game, running. Break a leg or fall there, no worse than doing it on a ball court.
Claustrophobia is nature's way of saying..."HELL NO!"
ReplyDeleteThat’s a hard no for me.
ReplyDeleteUsed to do that in high school, too old and fat now. Saw some really cool spaces!
ReplyDeleteThat looks a lot like 'the catacombs' at lava beds monument? Few make it to the end of that one. Son and I did it a few months ago.
ReplyDeletenope
ReplyDeleteShe returned.
ReplyDeleteNothing else matters.
Fur for her maybe ... not me!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an old lava tube. Caving is fun until you reach that part where you have to let all your breath out to squeak through a tight spot,
ReplyDeleteI never thought that I had any kind of claustrophobia until I was scuba diving in the Gulf of California near La Paz, Mexico. We swam into an underwater cave and turned left to exit the cave through a small tunnel. It was so small that I had to remove my dive vest and air bottle and drag them behind me as I swam toward the opening. I almost freaked out and swore that I'd never - ever put myself in that kind of predicament ever again. So far, so good.
ReplyDeleteNo thanks. Tight caves are bad enough. Getting stuck underwater and drowning in the dark is my absolute worst nightmare. Never gonna do it, never.
DeleteAnd screw caves too, along with climbing vertical rocks with bare hands. Fug all that stuff.
Drew458
all it takes is the first trolley into the MRI bottle for me. done it several times and I always hit the bulb to back out and compose myself.
DeleteMRI: two sessions back to back, and I fell asleep inside. The techs didn't think I could do two like that, and then they had to wake me up when they rolled me out. Yeah, I'm a bit weird. It was a nice nap, though.
Deletestay TF outta there.
ReplyDeleteThere was a story of a guy who went caving out west. Long story short, he took a wrong turn and got stuck upside down in a blind hole. Rescuers tried for hours to pull him out. No success. They were contemplating breaking his legs so he could be pulled out. No success. After many hours they gave him a phone to call his fiance. He died in that hole, upside down. They left him there. Sealed and marked the passage.
ReplyDeletethe several dive stories ...shudder
DeleteThat did happen in my country about 5 - 10 years ago but was in a squeeze that people did squeak through. The guy must have been a fraction too fat on the day and got wedged facing down. Pretty unpleasant way to die.
DeleteWhen I was a teen we explored some abandoned gypsum mines that hadn't been sealed up. Even that gave me the creeps.
ReplyDeleteIf I couldn’t get out as easy as I went in, it ain’t happening.
ReplyDeleteOH HELLL FUCK NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've done it. When you switch off all your lights and it's so black you can't even tell if your eyes are open or not is pretty freaky.
ReplyDeleteI think I’ll just go to the man cave and have a tall frosty.
ReplyDeleteGreat fun...until it's not. Non-zero probability of a catastrophe, which is OK with me as long as it doesn't then kill more people. Like parasailing, sky-diving, scuba & scuba caving. Your odds are pretty good but the penalties are really, really high. Sort of thing I think should be restricted to adults only (and, yeah, that means 18 and over)- at that point, it's your neck and we collectively believe you're old enough to risk it. I've done some (tame) "wild" caving, with pro guides, in well explored caves/known routes. Risk of a disaster there was no worse than any moderate physical activity- ski, ball game, running. Break a leg or fall there, no worse than doing it on a ball court.
ReplyDeleteUsed to not have any problems with it. Now they had to sedate me to do an MRI.
ReplyDelete