Lunarscope - Lunarfins · Available at meetings: Lunarfins embroidered logo shirts $15. One small...
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Lunarscope OCTOBER 2017 Inside this issue 02 Events Calendar Club Officers 03 Pending Club Events and Trips 04 Pending Dive Shop Trips 05 FYI 06 Parting Shots Contributors: Fred Toole, Louise Toole, Dusty Manning Lunarfins P.O. Box 57514 Webster TX 77598-7514 Lunarfins Board Meetings are held the last Tuesday each month (except December) at 6:30 PM. Arrive at 6 to select your supper. Luka’s BBQ and Steakhouse 17052 Saturn Ln If you have an issue to bring before the board, contact any board member to get on the agenda. General Meeting Information Where: Except April and December: Clear Lake Park; 5001 NASA Road 1, on the South (lake) side of NASA Road One. When: Second Wednesday of each month at 7 PM except April and December. Come early for a social time at 6:30 PM. Join us afterward at Mario’s in Seabrook for food, drink and camaraderie. Lunarfins, a non-profit club that promotes the sport of scuba diving. Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 11 Member Christine Sanders: Diving Forensics and what goes into gathering evidence under water. Traditional on-land crime scenes can be complex enough, but when the scenario is ever-changing, has poor visibility and has open boundaries, the intricacy amplifies. Underwater investigators find themselves looking for clues in lakes and ponds, rapidly moving water, swamps and even waterfalls, sewage treatment facilities and flood waters.
Transcript of Lunarscope - Lunarfins · Available at meetings: Lunarfins embroidered logo shirts $15. One small...
Lunarscope OCTOBER 2017
Inside this issue
02 Events Calendar Club Officers
03 Pending Club Events and Trips
04 Pending Dive Shop Trips
05 FYI
06 Parting Shots
Contributors: Fred Toole, Louise Toole, Dusty Manning
Lunarfins P.O. Box 57514
Webster TX 77598-7514
Lunarfins Board Meetings are held the last Tuesday each month (except
December) at 6:30 PM. Arrive at 6 to select your supper. Luka’s BBQ and Steakhouse
17052 Saturn Ln If you have an issue to bring before the board,
contact any board member to get on the agenda.
General Meeting Information
Where: Except April and December: Clear Lake Park; 5001 NASA Road 1, on
the South (lake) side of NASA Road One.
When: Second Wednesday of each month at 7 PM except April and December.
Come early for a social time at 6:30 PM. Join us afterward at Mario’s in
Seabrook for food, drink and camaraderie.
Lunarfins, a non-profit club that promotes the sport of scuba diving.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 11
Member Christine Sanders:
Diving Forensics and what goes into gathering evidence under water.
Traditional on-land crime scenes can be complex enough, but when the
scenario is ever-changing, has poor visibility and has open boundaries,
the intricacy amplifies. Underwater investigators find themselves looking
for clues in lakes and ponds, rapidly moving water, swamps and even
waterfalls, sewage treatment facilities and flood waters.
Available at meetings:
Lunarfins embroidered logo shirts $15. One small (gold), and one large (khaki). Or you can bring your own in to have the logo added for $8.
Stickers for sale ($1 ea)
Drink Koozies ($2 ea)
October 2017
Events Calendar
(Tentative plans)
Oct 29 Party @ Dusty’s
Nov 14 Happy Hour @ Tommy’s
Dec 02 Christmas Party
Jan 27 TGCC Awards Banquet
Feb 11 La Brisa Breakfast
Mar TBD
Apr 11 Open House Picnic
Apr 18 JSC Health/Safety Day
May 05 Gear Checkout
Jun TBD Pot Luck Supper
Jul TBD
Aug TBD
Sep TBD Beach Party
Membership
2017 membership dues are now being accepted.
Membership runs from March 1st to February 28th..
Please bring the form (below) to the next meeting or mail it in.
Don’t forget to fill out your interest and if you want to be included in the directory.
Only those who chose to be shown in the directory will get access to the directory.
Membership Application
This link will download the file to your computer.
ELECTED OFFICERS President Mike Peters 281-481-9091 [email protected] Vice President Louise Toole 281-532-1179 [email protected] Secretary JaVan Pruett 281-229-8631 [email protected] Treasurer (acting) John Gorman 281-481-0667 [email protected] Social Director OPEN Equipment OPEN
APPOINTED Training Information Bill Jones [email protected] Trip Information OPEN [email protected] TGCC Representative Polly Swerdlin 281-814-4606 [email protected] Advisors Fred Toole 281-532-1179 [email protected] George Clark 713-303-7900 [email protected] Newsletter & Website Polly Swerdlin 281-814-4606 [email protected]
Advice From a Sunset Be amazing
Savor special moments Close the day with beauty
Have a glow about you Keep your inner fire burning
Make a dramatic exit Show your true colors!
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October 2017
Pending Club Trips and Events
August 1, 2018
The 17th Annual Bill Jones Cozumel Vacation
These trips have been named the most popular “all inclusive”
scuba diving vacation package in Houston. Price is $1349, staying
at the Iberostar Resort.
Email Bill to be on his list for the latest plus any classes offered.
Tickets on sale in December
PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!
What kind? Impromptu - Informal
When: Sunday, October 29 Noon - 1:00 PM till.......
Where: 9203 Mauna Loa, Houston 77040 (You may want to check traffic/construction sites before heading across town. Hwy 290 is still a mess.) The season for water sports is nearly over and it is way-y-y-y too early to decorate for winter parties, so let's get together at DUSTY's house for a barbecue and all the trimmings, beer, wine, sodas, desserts and lots of fun. Bring friends and a dish if you like..... and for those of you who have musical talent, bring that too - along with your instruments. Since it is so close to Halloween, feel free to dress funky or wear one of your costumes. Dusty will provide everything and welcomes anything you want to add to the table. Don't worry about rain or snow.... There is a game room with pool table, and plenty of seating and space to bring the party indoors if the sun is hiding behind raindrops.
Please RSVP to Dusty at spookyhollow70@ comcast.net.
Any questions, call her at 713-466-0187.
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Q: Why did the can crusher quit his job? A: Because it was soda pressing. Q. How much room is needed for fungi to grow? A. As mushroom as possible.
Divers Paradise May 28 – 31 Cozumel www.dpscuba.com Gigglin’ Marlin Dive & Swim Jan 6-10 St Kitts www.gigglinmarlin.com Island Dreams Many to choose from www.divetrip.com Maximum Scuba Moved to League City http://maximum-scuba.com Oceanic Ventures Feb 3-11 Fiji http://oceanicventures.com Outside The Asylum Jun 30 – Jul 7 Red Sea Liveaboard www.otadiving.com REEF Trips Dive Vacations That Count www.reef.org/trips Sport Divers www.sportdivers.com
October 2017
Trips Offered by Dive Shops etc.
LOCAL TRIPS Flower Gardens Texas Coral Reefs
Texas Dive Center
www.txdivecenter.com 281-741-9949
Shoving off on the Easy Diver Sport Divers www.sportdivers.com 281-338-1611
Our trips are generally 30 miles offshore, although longer trips or three tank dives can be arranged.
Freeport to the Rigs Weekends that weather allows
$250 pp - $15 additional for tanks
Rig diving daytrips by Captain Beard Charters www.captainbeardcharte
rs.com 832-603-1698
INTERNATIONAL
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October 2017
FYI
New web newsletter from Larry McKenna: http://www.11thhourheroes.org/11th%20Hour%20Heroes%20News
%20Oct%202017%20FINAL.pdf
Until further notice, the Toole Shed will not be open for air fills or tank rentals. We apologize for this inconvenience.
The Amazing Octopus found on YouTube by Fred Toole
The oceans of our planet hide countless mysteries that could perhaps help answer numerous mysteries of life itself. During the last couple of decades, marine biologists have made small but steady progress towards a deeper understanding of nature and life. A group of researchers decided to do some science and chose the cephalopods in order to try and break down their DNA code, hoping to understand them better. The octopus, squid, and cuttlefish have an evolutionary history that goes back over 500 million years, a period long before plants moved onto land. These creatures inhabit nearly every single ocean at almost any depth. They are mainly characterized by a vast range of wrinkles, camera-like eyes, and really flexible bodies. All of this is ruled by the larger nervous system found among invertebrates, which makes these beings the rulers of the oceans. They possess highly developed brains and are considered as the most intelligent invertebrate demonstrating elaborate problem-solving behaviors. And as if it wasn’t freaky enough for octopuses to open up jam jars, scientists have just concluded that these aquatic creatures are even more mysterious. Researchers have found that octopuses (NOT Octopi) are in fact entirely different from any other animals on our planet. Their genome shows a never-before-seen level of complexity with a staggering 33,000 protein-coding genes identified, more than in a human being. The octopus appears to be utterly different from all other animals, even other mollusks, with its eight prehensile arms, its large brain, and its clever problem-solving abilities. “One of the main reasons researchers decided to investigate the molecular basis of cephalopod brain, was its ability to adapt instantly its neural network properties which result in a great impact in memory and learning capacity. These specific capabilities offer an explanation that allow tissues to rapidly change proteins in order to alter their function. According to researchers, the octopus genome is enriched in transposons, commonly referred to as “jumping genes,” which can rearrange themselves on the genome. Transposons are known to have the ability to affect the regulation of gene expression and are believed to play major roles in shaping genome structure. “With a few notable exceptions, the octopus basically has a typical invertebrate genome that’s just been completely rearranged, like it’s been put into a blender and mixed,” Octopuses have an alien genetic baggage. The scientific report mainly concluded that Octopuses share ‘Alien’ genes. This has been a ground shaking claim in the scientific community which caused an upheaval among marine biologists who seemed to be shocked and intrigued at the same time. It turns out that apparently, we’ve had under our nose a link to humanity’s mysteries, and many of life’s greatest enigmas can be solved if we only decide to pay more attention to our ocean and everything inside of it.
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October 2017
The Lunarfins Scuba Club was organized in 1963 by a small group of divers who worked at the Manned Spacecraft Center, as Johnson Space Center (JSC) was known back then. The club grew primarily through the sponsorship of SCUBA training classes, local dive trips and social activities. Since that time, membership has broadened to include anyone interested in diving. The majority of our members are in some way affiliated with NASA but this is not a requirement for membership and we have members from all across the board.
Lunarfins P.O. Box 57514
Webster TX 77598-7514
281-814-4606 [email protected]
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/grou
ps/687047211312336/
Website:
http://www.lunarfins.com/
TPWD reefs:
http://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/
water/habitats/artificial_reef/
Parting Shots
These and more are on our website
On September 30th, Lunarfins enjoyed one of the largest turnouts for our beach party on Galveston East Beach. The beaches were not crowded, parking was free, the weather was ideal with mild temps and a light breeze. The Gulf waters were warm but had a nice surf. Everyone brought snacks to share. The party ended about 8:30, well after a nice moonrise.
Fred Toole
The September presentation on the Dive Pirates by Barbara Thompson was enjoyed by all. So great to hear about their Adaptive Diving program and the success stories. Remember them if you are looking for volunteer opportunities in scuba. It is always fun to be with other folks that share our passion for diving. The organization sent me a bunch of pens, so we will pass these out in the Oct. meeting.
Louise Toole
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