tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post4443571625920357850..comments2023-09-26T20:17:48.872+10:00Comments on Saipan Saipanuvian Speaks: Sour Grapes for Tuesday, September 11thBruce A. Batemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03804747424525560858noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-59308574289590567282007-09-13T08:46:00.000+10:002007-09-13T08:46:00.000+10:00Dear KING of the sea: The positive point that see...Dear KING of the sea: The positive point that seems to elude you here is that the reef out there is an incubator that nurtures sea life that we all enjoy and need to sustain human life here directly or indirectly.<BR/><BR/>Those 20 people sure didn't destroy the reef or even do significant damage with 40 foot falls times however may steps it took to cross that 150 feet of reef times two crossings.<BR/><BR/>But if they had swum around instead of walking as their leaders showed them, for sure no damage would have been done.<BR/><BR/>I don't know how many thousands, tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people swim in the waters off Saipan each year, but if we can keep some of them from further damaging our lagoon and our reef systems that will be a positive thing indeed.<BR/><BR/>Finally, I agree with you that for the few kids that were there, and for the youth and adults in that group as well, all were better off spending a morning in exercise and in enjoying the sea instead of playing video games or watching TV as you posited.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for reading Sour Grapes and thanks for reminding me that positives outweigh negatives.<BR/><BR/>I'm done too.Bruce A. Batemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804747424525560858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-70251028447875854552007-09-12T17:53:00.000+10:002007-09-12T17:53:00.000+10:00This is Nony, aka chicken shit #2 (as you referred...This is Nony, aka chicken shit #2 (as you referred to me) So what if I was TAGA himself?? Or the KING of the Sea... What does it matter, who I am?? I do not feel the need to post my identity. I am NOT the one with the identity crisis! <BR/>Also, I was not, nor were my 'cohorts' a part of that swim! So, we were not "walking across the reef en masse like a herd of lemmings" like you accused us of doing. Nor were the swimmers! You were too quick to draw negative conclusions... We all saw it happen from the other side of the beach and the consensus among us 'locals' was that it was great to see a number of our young do something positive with their Saturday morning instead of spending their time indoors watching tv! What really gets me is that you seem not to promote the positive, but live and dwell on the false negative (Your most recent accuasions of "the kids being taught that walking on the reef is the way to get the best swimming results" are outrageous and absurd)! <BR/>Move on man! <BR/>P.S. I have said my piece, I am done. ANONYMOUSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-70721320618598841492007-09-12T10:59:00.000+10:002007-09-12T10:59:00.000+10:00Thanks Rick for replying in person. I too have sn...Thanks Rick for replying in person. <BR/><BR/><BR/>I too have snorkled and swum that section many times. The first section is mostly sand until the water deepens at the 'channel'. Then it shallows and goes up on a reef, yes, reef. There are corals and all manner of other sea creatures growing on that reef. Yes a lot of it is rock and long dead coral but that is how reefs are composed.<BR/><BR/>There is a clear and swimmable channel around the south side of that reef and into an oblique deeper water slough that leads out to the Sea Walker Boat the swimmers went to. There is no need, even at low tide to walk across that section of inner reef.<BR/><BR/>Some were youngsters, many were adults. Whoever was leading should know the difference.<BR/><BR/>Come on over and we'll go snorkle that section when the tide is up. There are some great spots out there and especially the section out toward the Sea Walker.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, it is a simple matter to choose "other" and put in your name when responding to these blog posts instead of going through the whole registration process if that is too time consuming.<BR/><BR/>Lastly, not a thing wrong with swimming practice at Tanapag Beach or anywhere else for that matter. There is something wrong with teaching these kids and their adult counterparts that walking on a reef is the way to get the best swimming results...or that walking on the reef is a reasonable action at any time. I say it is not. Swim across or if the water is too shallow, swim around.Bruce A. Batemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804747424525560858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-13476266138821896622007-09-12T10:32:00.000+10:002007-09-12T10:32:00.000+10:00Bruce, I would guess by the time of your reply tha...Bruce, I would guess by the time of your reply that you have jsut closed the bar. Interesting state of mind to reply I would think. Replied anonymous because the option was available and because some people have too much free time to play with these silly blogs and I didn't want to have to go back and forth like I am now doing - last time though.<BR/><BR/>I have dove and snorkeled the site you are so familiar with?? probably 100 times more than the number of drinks you had tonight. No reef there, only rocks. Some sea life though as I mentioned in my first response. For your 2nd reply - the young kids just wanted to practice there swimming and it was low tide. They had to walk to a suitable depth to swim AND they were walking on sand and rock(NO REEF). Again you have way too much free time to pick on some young kids that want to practice swimming at Tanapag beach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-3750696818427566592007-09-12T03:43:00.000+10:002007-09-12T03:43:00.000+10:00As usual, the ones doing the damage don't have the...As usual, the ones doing the damage don't have the balls to post with their identities.<BR/><BR/>Anon #1 has obviously never swam over the close reef at high tide and seen that there are plenty of corals and lots of sea life there.<BR/><BR/>Nony, aka chicken shit #2, feels insulted that someone called him, and his cohorts on the ridiculous act of walking across the reef en masse like a herd of lemmings. Whether you are a local or a frigging Martian, slogging across the reef with your hiking buddies is wrong. If you want to swim, swim. If you want to hike, go to the woods.Bruce A. Batemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804747424525560858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-11085201210055734872007-09-11T20:34:00.000+10:002007-09-11T20:34:00.000+10:00Stomping the corals and smashing the delicate sea ...Stomping the corals and smashing the delicate sea life??? I was there and you could not be more wrong with the information that you wrote! The Saipan Tribune should look for someone who is an attribute to our islands than someone who tries to kiss the rear ends of us locals. AND there were more 'locals' on the swim than you noted. Yes, this is our island and you seem too foolish about your 'expertise' on our beaches. Sound racist? Just imitating the tone of your usless and ignorant information. 'Know it alls' like you really do need to GET A LIFE!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-36957301422258851732007-09-11T15:26:00.000+10:002007-09-11T15:26:00.000+10:00Gimme me a break! If they are at the Tanapag beac...Gimme me a break! If they are at the Tanapag beach area the reef is too far for them to reach by foot. If they are swimming just off the beach, there is no living coral - it is all rocks. Yes, there is sea life but not much, if any, living coral. Finally, if they were "stomping the corals" then they would have had to had on shoes so why worry about the "deadly" stone fish. Got to be a better use of ink and paper for the trib.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-46941944812636520932007-09-11T13:25:00.000+10:002007-09-11T13:25:00.000+10:00I got the same treatment, Boni, growing up in, on...I got the same treatment, Boni, growing up in, on and around the water in Florida. If I was foolish enough to throw anything on the ground, picking it back up would be the fun part, after my Dad got done "explaining" it to me. <BR/><BR/>I think most kids grow up nowdays with those lessons. As usual it is a small minority of people that make a mess for others to clean up. Trash or otherwise.Bruce A. Batemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804747424525560858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089785680144928412.post-5872015146046133762007-09-11T12:09:00.000+10:002007-09-11T12:09:00.000+10:00Growing up in my family, we were always required t...Growing up in my family, we were always required to stay behind and clean up after ourselves. We went everywhere, the beach, the yard, the park with trash bags and cleaning supplies.Bonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15228259965485925558noreply@blogger.com