petermarcus | (no subject)

(no subject)

It's going to be a slow news summer. Not that there isn't anything to report, just that there isn't anything new to report. Iraq will be the same story, no major elections this year, oil prices will be fluctuating between super-high and astonishingly-high, the economy will continue to improve at a yawn-inducing rate....and nothing new.

So, the news has to pull a Jaws on us:

Just off the beach in the Florida panhandle. The thing is, you can take the same picture at every beach in Florida (and probably California, and Hawaii...) at any time. They're there, they've always been there, they've always been just off the beach. If you don't hit them with your surfboard or carry smelly fishbait around your belt on the next sandbar out, they'll leave you alone.

The last two years have averaged 20 shark attacks a year in Florida. 35 people a year get hit by lightning in Florida. 2900 people a year die in car accidents in Florida.

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*inserts the music from Jaws*

All summer long. Unless some other news comes up. I'm betting the Supreme Court retirees in the next month will put the sharks on the back burner.

it's a neat picture, though =)

Cool, isn't it? People see them all the time while parasailing, too.

Last time I was in Miami Beach, I was on the balcony watching a pari of sharks (?) swimming about 10 feet from shore. They swam between groups of people at one point. No one knew. Also saw sting rays at the beach. Really interesting when you get a room high enough to look down on the beach.

I've been scuba diving with stingrays 8' across, and sharks are always around here. The sharks that fishermen catch on the beach here at night would make the press go bonkers. Swimming with barracuda worries me, but the others, I don't have a problem.

Most sharks don't bother people. Fortunately. Can't say that about 'cuda...they like shiny things. they don't like most anything else. Makes for a tough choice.

Yeah, but...when a portion of those 20 a year happen all in one week, it IS prudent to stay out of the water for a while, don't you think?

"Hey, did you here Billy got his arm chewed off by a shark yesterday?"
"Yeah, what a tragedy. C'mon, let's go surfing!"

0_o

Bah, the first girl hit the shark with her surfboard, the second was fishing with bait-shrimp tied to himself. They're always out there, it was just bad luck.

I read about your hammerhead experience in Oahu, though, over in Angie's journal. That sure makes things interesting, I can believe it.

Oy! I here??? *flogs self*

Yeah, it wasn't an attack, just a swim-by freaking. It wasn't a large one, but all I could think of was MOMMY somewhere nearby.

NO THANKS!

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