Where are the frogs.....?

I'm not an alarmist, nor a believer in quack science but sometimes you have to listen to the evidence and be very concerned. While global warming gets all the media attention, there are probably more pressing issues. Tonight I attended a live webcast lecture by noted biologist Tyrone Hayes which we at the Sibley Nature Center sponsored with The University of Texas. Dr. Hayes is a noted amphibian researcher, who was hired as a consultant to the Swiss chemical company Syngenta to verify that it's fertilizer component atrazine was not a problem to the environment. What he found was quite the opposite.

It turns out that frogs, like the canaries in the old coal mine, are good predictors for health issues in humans. And what he noted is that frogs species all over the world are dying off and mutating at an alarming rate. As he noted, there are many causes, but his involvement with the chemical company showed that pesticide runoff from agricultural lands was one of the leading causes. And atrazine is one of the worst offenders as it does not easily naturally decompose.

As he noted. Atrazine has been totally banned in Europe, even in Switzerland home of atrazine. Angola, with it's decades long history of civil war induced death and violence, has banned atrazine as too dangerous to use! One part per billion in water has been shown to be life threatening to frogs...in the USA we use 80 million pounds a year. Dangerous levels of atrazine are now commonly found in natural rain water in heavily agricultural areas of the US midwest.

Poor frogs......poor humans, atrazine travels up the food chain to what we eat, and it is now commonly found in most water sources. The hormonal actions from atrazine which causes mutation and abnormal sex changes in frogs are the same ones that cause breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Dr Hayes has been noted in National Geographic and you can read more here about the story of his findings. Or read his website, to learn more.

Friends drop in....

Good friends Bruce and Arlene Crandall stop in Midland on their way back from the inauguration and annual Medal of Honor Ball in Washington. The very same function in the news for it's "non-attendee", the new president. Bruce is a Vietnam Medal of Honor recepient.

Bruce and Arlene travel across the country in a rather large RV and used to park their wheeled home in my driveway when they would stop in to visit. On one occasion some years ago, they deposited almost the entire load of the vehicle's hydraulic fluid on my driveway...and on the next visit Bruce adeptly knocked part of my brick wall down while parking. So...feeling some remorse, on their recent visits they've stayed at the RV campgrounds near the Interstate and the Warfield Truck Stop. Being worn out from their long RV drive from Dallas, they asked if I could drive out to meet them for some fine dining at the Truck Stop; a high end truck stop with some decent food and "interesting" dining companions. But, being outside the city limits they still allow the dining partons to smoke where ever they wish.....which being truckers is everywhere. I have forgotten what a foul experience dining ala smoke is!

Homecoming welcome..

It was an amazing event, seeing 30,000 of your townsfolk out for a singular event....the homecoming celebration for George and Laura Bush. Truly magical and best said by me in some of my photos taken from one of the best seats in the house thanks to a "White House Press Pool" pass!
Bush Homecoming Slideshow

Presidential Event..

If you are planning on attending the welcome home for President Bush next Tuesday, just a quick reminder. Please leave your ammunition and mace at home.

[from ticket reverse side]

Basketball......!

Three full days of basketball at the Byron Johnston Tournament in Midland, yielded great results. The MHS Lady Dawgs won the tournament and the MHS men's team were runner's up behind a very good Midland Lee team. Lot's of fun, good crowds and I got to see a lot of folks I hadn't seen in quite awhile. And as always interesting photos.

Lady Dawgs Photos
Bulldog Men's Photos