[AZ-Observing] Re: Cherry Rd -Friday Night

"I'd wager the majority  would
be the result of heart attacks."

I surly agree with that point (Choking on that hurriedly eaten sandwich
might be up there as well) Fortunately I am a "First Responder" (though I
guess it would be unfortunate if I had the heart attack)  Maybe I should
start bringing the defibrillator along with me when we're all out... (So,
who's gonna save me???)

Jimmy Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
BillFerris@xxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 3:10 PM
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Cherry Rd -Friday Night



Mountain lion attacks are pretty rare, though the annual occurances in
North
America have increased significantly to about 4 per year  over the last
decade. Of course, not all attacks are fatal. Between 1890  and 1990 in the
U.S.
and Canada, there were 9 human fatalities confirmed as the  result of
mountain
lion attacks. There were 7 fatalities during the decade  from 1991 to 2000.
Historically, most attacks targeted children. More  recently, most attacks
on
adults happened while the person  was jogging. When you run, you look like
dinner. Most experts agree, the  best course of action if you're lucky
enough to see
the mountain lion before it  pounces is to stand your ground & raise your
arms to make yourself look  as big as possible (Don't run; that looking like
dinner thing, again.) and make  noise.

As far as risk goes, mountain lions rank well down the list of causes of
human demise. You're far more likely to die as a result of a bee sting, an
attack from a pet, a lightning strike or even a wrestling match with a soda
machine. That's right, you know who I'm talking about: the guy who loses his
70-cents in the Pepsi machine and decides if he shakes the machine
vigorously he'll
either provoke the release of his soda or of his change.  During the 20th
Century, more people were killed as a reult of  crushing encounters with
vending
machines than from mountain lion attaks.  The lesson in this is, be careful
where you snack ;o)

And while we're on the subject of exagerated risks, which includes the risk
we face from thugs when observing out in the middle of nowhere--it's called
"the  middle of nowhere" for a reason, I was surprised and relieved to read
there are  no documented instances of any person being killed by a
rattlesnake
bite or a  scorpion sting in Grand Canyon. Before reading "Over the Edge:
Death
in Grand  Canyon," I was one of those guys who worried about snakes and
scorpions whenever  I went into the desert. But according to the authors,
there isn't
one documented  case of a person being killed in Grand Canyon by one of
those
critters. The  greatest risk to life and limb we face while hiking in the
canyon is human  stupidity. People die from attempting "river and back"
hikes  in
July with only a pint of water and a candy bar for sustenance;  not from
snake bites or scorpion stings.

But getting back to astronomy, if there are any documented instances  of
people dieing while observing with their telescopes, I'd wager the majority
would
be the result of heart attacks. Most amateur astronomers are men aged 40+.
And far too many of us are overweight and out of shape. So, what's my advice
for  avoiding injury and death during a dark-sky observing session? A
healthy
diet  and regular exercise.

Bill in Flag

P.S. I encountered a Grand Canyon rattlesnake during my recent  trip to
Clear
Creek in Grand Canyon: _www.gcadventure.com_ (http://www.gcadventure.com)


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