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The New Secessionists
Posted on Apr 26, 2010
(Page 2)
"The movement, at its core, is anti-authoritarian," said Sale, who works closely with Naylor and spoke with me from his home in Charleston, S.C. "It includes those who are libertarians and those who are on the anarchic community side. In traditional terms these people are left and right, but they have come very close together in their anti-authoritarianism. Left and right no longer have meaning."
The movement correctly views the corporate state as a force that has so corrupted the economy, as well as the electoral and judicial process, that it cannot be defeated through traditional routes. It also knows that the corporate state, which looks at the natural world and human beings as commodities to be exploited until exhaustion or collapse occurs, is rapidly cannibalizing the nation and pushing the planet toward irrevocable crisis. And it argues that the corporate state can be dismantled only through radical forms of nonviolent revolt and the dissolution of the United States. As an act of revolt it has many attributes.
"The only way we will ever stop these wars is when we stop paying for them," Naylor told me. "Vermont contributes about $1.5 billion to the Pentagon's budget. Do we want to keep supporting these wars? If not, let's pull out. We have two objectives. The first is returning Vermont to its status as an independent republic. The second is the peaceful dissolution of the empire. I see these as being mutually complementary."
"The U.S. government has lost its moral authority," he went on. "It is corrupt to the core. It is owned, operated and controlled by Wall Street and corporate America. Its foreign policy is controlled by the Israeli lobby. It is unsustainable economically, socially, morally, militarily and environmentally. It is ungovernable and therefore unfixable. The question is, do you go down with the Titanic or do you seek other options?"
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"The number of groups has not grown as I hoped it would when I started having congresses," said Sale, who addresses groups around the country. "But the number of people, of individuals, of websites and the number of libertarians who have come around has grown leaps and bounds. Many of those who were disappointed by the treatment of Ron Paul have come to the conclusion that they cannot have a Libertarian Party or a libertarian Republican. They are beginning to talk about secession."
"Secessionists have to be very careful not to be militaristic," Sale warned. "This cannot be won by the gun. You can be emphatic in your secessionism, but it won't happen by carrying guns. I don't know what the tea party people think they are going to accomplish with guns. I guess it is a statement against the federal government and the fear that Obama is about to have gun control. It appears to be an assertion of individual rights. But the tea party people have not yet understood how they are going to get their view across. They still believe they can elect people, either Republicans or declared conservatives, to office in Washington and have an effect, as if you can escape the culture of Washington and the characteristics of government that has only gotten bigger and will only continue to get bigger. Electing people to the House and Senate is not going to change the characteristics of the system."
The most pressing problem is that the movement harbors within its ranks Southern secessionists who wrap themselves in the Confederate flag, begin their meetings singing Dixie and celebrate the slave culture of the antebellum South. Secessionist groups such as the Southern National Congress and the more radical League of the South, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled a "racist hate group," openly embrace a return to uncontested white, male power. And this aspect of the movement deeply disturbs leaders such as Naylor, Sale and Miller.
What all these movements grasp, however, is that the American empire is over. It cannot be sustained. They understand that we must disengage peacefully, learn to speak with a new humility and live with a new simplicity, or see an economic collapse that could trigger a perverted Christian fascism, a ruthless police state and internecine violence.
"There are three or four possible scenarios that will bring down the empire," Naylor said. "One possibility is a war with Iran. Another will see the Chinese pull the plug on Treasury bills. Even if these do not happen, the infrastructure of the country is decaying. This is a slower process. And they do not have the economy fixed. It is smoke and mirrors. This is why the price of gold is so high. The economy and the inability to stop the wars will alone be enough to bring us down. There is no escape now from our imperial overstretch."
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By Steve, May 11, 2010 at 10:47 am Link to this comment
As a Christian/conservative/libertarian/agrarian I am quite sympathetic to the sentiments of this column. Great stuff. A couple of sticking points though…
The Southern Poverty Law Center is nothing more than a fringe propaganda mill. One very good example of their freakish demeanor is demonstrated by the fact that they recently listed Ron Paul as one of the nation's top 40 most radical & dangerous militant patriots. http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/the-patriots . To cite the SPLC as an objective authority on anything is beyond absurdity. Much, if not most of the lies that they spew aren't worth the time to read for anything other than entertainment value. If anything, the citation by the SPLC that a group or persons are dangerous should give us at least some reason to discern that they are likely good people and sympathetic to the cause of liberty. The SPLC is the enemy that creates lists and attempts to destroy many good people. Someone needs to warn everyone about them.
Second, the 20th century produced the most successful mass murderers in the history of the world, and they were predominantly atheists. I wouldn't be too worried about phantom "perverted Christian fascists" when Washington is warming to Maoism. And, since you "don't know what people think they are going to accomplish with guns", the above remark should clue you in. We will defend ourselves, our families and our liberty to the best of our ability when it becomes necessary to do so. We will also do our best to defend progressives who once thought themselves to be above violence, and, hence, are unprepared for the violence that elected and corporate fascists will surely visit upon them wtshtf. They should remember though, wtshtf *our* families will come first. If you would be wise, you would arm yourself as well.
By Mark Thomey, May 4, 2010 at 5:35 pm Link to this comment
Inherit the Wind:
My understading is supported much more vigorously by history and law than yours. I've offered evidence to show that. The principles of State sovereignty, interposition, and secession can be found in the ratifying documents of the States, the Federalist papers, the records of the debates in the several State Conventions, and other writings of the founders, e.g. Jefferson and Madison's Kentucky and Virginia resolves. They can also be found in practical applications, e.g. South Carolina's nullification of the tariff (in keeping with Constitutional obligations/powers) and the northern States' nullification of the fugitive slave laws (a breach of constitutional obligations, since Art. IV, Sect. II required the return of such persons).
And the rigged-in-advance rulings of a corrupt, reconstruction era u.s. supreme kangaroo court can hardly be considered justice in any reasonable sense of the word. Besides, as I've already shown, on questions of constitutional interpretation, the supreme court is NOT the final arbiter - the States are. They created the federal goverment and delegated powers to it. That necessarily implies the action of a superior (the States) towards an inferior (the feds) as it concerns the interpretation of constitutional limits of power.
Your continued hyperbole about secession threatening the security of the u.s. is just silly. It would appear that from 1861-65, the remaining u.s. States managed to field a formidable army and navy to prosecute a war on the South, still conduct relations with other foreign countries, deliver the mail, etc. U.S. territory was not threatened in any meaningful way by Confederate Armies nor by other foreign powers during that time, so I fail to see your point. You're just spewing gas.
And how about pointing that fickle finger of blame for threatening u.s. security on your new england brethren who openly advocated their secession from the union in 1803 over Louisiana and in 1812, DURING A WAR WITH ENGLAND!! No, they didn't actually do it, as their concerns were finally accommodated. However, calling a convention to secede during an ongoing war seems pretty destablilzing to me. However, even under those questionable circumstances, no Southern States howled in horror and marched an army into new england to rape, pillage, burn, and destroy.
In a civilized nation, treason is defined by law, not by armed might. Had Washington and company lost, they would most certainly have been hanged. But they won; therefore, the principles of secession and government by free consent which they established for America by the vindication of their arms only DAMNS the lying bastard lincoln and his fellow revolutionaries even more - not the South. The South was right in 1861 because America was right in 1776. To deny one is to deny the other. You can't have it both ways. The South had more of a legal and moral precedent upon which to stand BECAUSE of American victory in 1783. lincoln had no legal or moral legs to stand upon for support of his actions against the South.
It never fails to amaze me how you yankees will use any wild and unsound explanation to defend the greed, lust for power, barbarism, and war crimes of lincoln and your own ancestors. Talk about a disconnect. What hypocrites.
And if you're so sick of us, why this dogged insistence on keeping us pinned to this soviet union by bayonets? Why not just let us go in peace, then you won't have us around to complain about for holding you back from reaching that enlightened, progressive, marxist utopia for which you so ardently long.
By Morpheus, May 4, 2010 at 6:54 am Link to this comment
Secession is not the way. It would be the end of us. Our real strength is in our unitedness.
There is a better way to bring about fundamental change. Join the Revolution.
Read "Common Sense 3.1" at ( http://revolution2.osixs.org )
By Mark Thomey, May 3, 2010 at 8:51 am Link to this comment
There is an old moral axiom that he who strikes the first blow is not necessarily the one who rendered violence necessary. If someone invades your home by force, in the middle of the night, are you not justified in shooting them? In so doing, would you be considered the aggressor? Of course not.
This is the correct analogy for Fort Sumter, which was the territory and possession of the State of South Carolina. Lincoln acted as the aggressor by sending troops and munitions, under cover of darkness, and with hostile intent.
By Mark Thomey, May 3, 2010 at 8:31 am Link to this comment
Inherit the Wind:
In their Acts of Ratification, the States of Virginia, New York, and Rhode Island explicitly declared their right to unilaterally withdrawal from the constitutional compact when, in their estimation, its powers had been perverted to their injury or oppression. Read those, and you'll see that they spoke only for the People of their respective States – the only People for whom they had any right or power to speak. By the terms of the constitution itself, all States have the same rights as any other; therefore, all States, by virtue of Virginia, et. al., have a right to secede.
Your assertion that lincoln's invasion was not in invasion is the bovine excrement. The Confederate States were no more a part of the united States in April of 1861 than North Carolina and Rhode Island were when George Washington was inaugurated as president of the eleven united States in April 1789. In the latter case, both States mentioned did not join the union for another 7 and 13 months, respectively. Under your, Webster's, Story's and lincoln's erroneous interpretations, President Washington should have invaded and subdued North Carolina and Rhode Island because they failed to adhere to the union. Of course, that never happened.
U. S. Constitution, Article IV, Section IV, states: The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
The Confederacy sent ambassadors to Washington to meet with lincoln to settle matters appertaining to the South's secession from the union. Lincoln wouldn't see them, but had Seward be his middle man. Seward lied to the ambassadors, saying that lincoln planned to evacuate Fort Sumter. Meanwhile, lincoln was having Adm. Gustavus Fox gather an invasion fleet in New York harbor to take troops and arms to Sumter. When the Confederacy discovered the plot, even waiting until the federal ships lay off the bar of Charleston Harbor, President Davis finally ordered General Beauregard to reduce the fort. Those are the facts of history, sir, according to lincoln's own hand. Your assertions that lincoln had powers he didn't, and that he did not invade the South, are those of an historical and legal ignoramus, your TYPING IN ALL CAPS, notwithstanding.
By glogrrl, May 2, 2010 at 12:36 pm Link to this comment
"Of all the western democracies, the United States stands near dead last in voter turnout, last in health care, last in education, highest in homicide rates, mortality, STDs among juveniles, youth pregnancy, abortion, and divorce. ..."
So much for American Exceptionalism.
By bogi666, May 2, 2010 at 6:45 am Link to this comment
SAMOSAMO, great observation about why school text books for Texas which want to secede from the Union should be used as the model text books for the rest of the country.thanks
By Jon, April 29, 2010 at 9:43 am Link to this comment
Note: Chris, please pressure the TruthDig managers to get a good iPod-Touch/iPhone app going. What they have presently makes it very hard to read the site—-one is always trying to enlarge the text and instead, gets an ad sometimes.
Regarding this column: I think many Americans realize how sick and dysfunctional 'Constitutional Republic' has become, and realize also that radical measures are required. Just emailing Congress and or voting for Dems or the GOP is not working. Arizona has in my view, drawn a line in the sand, and it's high time: more states, such as Vermont and others, need to decide to stand up to Washington—-we're being eaten alive by D.C. and the banks. Enough. I'm in. Of course, DHS views anyone not supporting the status quo, including those who have the guts to cite the Constitution as terrorists. So American grass roots movements will be met by DHS as if we were terrorists. England viewed the rebelling Colonists similarly of course.
By Mark Thomey, April 29, 2010 at 8:29 am Link to this comment
Inherit the Wind:
Saying that lincoln's invasion and conquest of the South settles the legality/constitutionality of secession is equivalent to saying that because I can physically beat the sh** out of you and take your wallet that assault and battery and stealing are not illegal. You would not buy the latter argument for a moment. You'd say that just because I can beat you up and take your wallet doesn't make it legal. Yet, you swallow the lincolnian lie of the illegality of secession hook, line, and sinker.
Additionally, as Jefferson Davis said, if there is one thing about the system of American government that is as sure as the sun rising in the east, it is that NO government is sovereign. Only The People are sovereign, and they possess the God-given right to alter or ABOLISH any form of government that is destructive of their life, liberty, and property. Secession is the mechanism for peacefully abolishing a People's association with one government in favour of establishing a new one. Union is a means to and end (liberty), not an end in itself.
Anyone who truly loves and desires liberty can not look at the current regime and come to any other conclusion than that it is destructive of life, liberty, and property. It is owned and controlled by the central bankers and corporations, and it long ago ceased, in any shape or form, to represent We the People. The recent rash of bail-outs, business take-overs, and 'health care' should convince even the dullest person of that fact. Reform is a fool's errand. Third parties are a fool's errand, because they are premised on the reformability of the regime. If only we could put the right people in Washington! BS! Those who own Washington, and like the way it rapes us for their benefit, won't let that happen.
So what option is left to us? Just hunker down, take it up the poop chute, and hope it gets better because lincoln and his marxist allies said so 145 years ago? As I said earlier, you can kiss my Rebel a** on that one. I don't want to live under a 'kinder and gentler' form of marxism. I want to live in a truly free country. For that to happen, secession is the only option. Anything else is surrendering to abject slavery.
'What I have mainly at heart is American liberty, and secondly American union.' Patrick Henry, Great Southerner
By Morpheus, April 29, 2010 at 12:47 am Link to this comment
There is a better way to bring about fundamental change. Join the Revolution.
Read "Common Sense 3.1" at ( http://revolution2.osixs.org )
By David Bingham, April 28, 2010 at 7:47 pm Link to this comment
I see many comments that reflect the talking points of both political parties. Many false or incorrect statements no facts no sources cited. Propaganda is embedded in all forms of media. There is a war going on already you just don't see it. The violence against the people has been going on for many years. Inform yourselves, give up belief. Anything you can't know is absolutely true must be questioned. Your religion too.
By Taco Smell, April 28, 2010 at 6:03 pm Link to this comment
Texas…'It's like a whole other Country'...And it is.
By Hangtime, April 28, 2010 at 6:36 am Link to this comment
The bus is over the cliff. So quit bitchin' and enjoy what's left of the ride.
By Mijan, April 28, 2010 at 6:30 am Link to this comment
Paolo, your assessment of New Hampshire as a "red state" is erroneous. New Hampshire, if anything, is purple. It believes, generally, in low taxes and minimal government interference, yes, but also in maximum civil liberties. It's one of the states that has equal marital rights for gays. I'd call it "fiscally conservative, socially liberal." Or perhaps
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Right Internal Skyscraper, Site wide


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John McCallum and Brooke Nowakowski have done something brilliant: they've made Spray Cake. After much trial and error, the two Harvard students have produced a type of cake batter you can put in an aerosol can and spray into a baking dish. It gets better because it's also microwaveable. You could nuke a cupcake in about 30 seconds. Of course, you could also eat it straight from the can.
The duo are currently in the process of patenting the idea and have already found a seller. Once they find a manufacturer, it's only a matter of time before this product will be available on grocery store shelves.
As for the taste, bakery star Joanne Chang has tasted the cakes and given them her seal of approval. I predict they'll make buckets of money with this invention.
Learn more about the Spray Cake in the video after the break.
(Boston Globe via Gizmodo)

subset: commoncrawl


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Vt. Furniture Maker Weathers Economy And Irene To Expand
11/05/12 7:50AM By Steve Zind
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When Tropical Storm Irene's floodwaters swept through Northfield last August, the ripples were felt in some prestigious corporate boardrooms.
That's because the furniture in those rooms was made by a Vermont firm inundated by the flood.
We've all seen at least one photo of furniture maker WallGoldfinger's work: The President and top officials gathered in the White House Situation Room watching the mission that ended with the killing of Osama Bin Laden. We study their faces, but most of us don't notice the table they're sitting around.
"This is that famous picture," WallGoldfinger president John Wall says has he pauses in front of a photo on the wall at the company's new Randolph manufacturing facility. "Nobody notices, but that's our table. That's in the Situation Room at the White House."
Wall's firm specializes in the design and manufacture of high end corporate furniture.
A significant chunk of the work done by the company involves making boardroom tables.
A single table can be 40 to 50 feet long and cost upwards to $150,000. WallGoldfinger has been in business for 41 years, but the last several have been especially trying.
"Four years ago with all the financial problems on Wall Street - AIG and Lehman Brothers - that really hit us," Wall says. " Those were a lot of our clients. Our sales dropped about 40% that one year."
Sales rebounded after that but then Irene hit, destroying the woodworking shop at the company's Northfield home.
In the days that followed, WallGoldfinger struggled to meet their most pressing orders: They got furniture for Mitt Romney's former firm, Bain Capital, out the door, but an order for the Polish Embassy in Washington had been damaged. To keep going, they subcontracted work.
Meanwhile John Wall tried to figure out how to rebuild the business.
Insurance covered just a fraction of the damage.
Wall credits the Vermont Economic Development Authority for providing immediate financial assistance, with follow up loans from the Vermont Community Loan Fund and the Small Business Administration.
There wasn't an 'aha' moment, but Wall says over a period of several months following Irene it became clear that the flood provided an opportunity to move to a better space.
The company found one in Randolph in a sprawling manufacturing building.
Wall says the biggest difference between the Randolph space and the old facility in Northfield is efficiency, not size. It's a better layout for equipment and people.
manufacturing process involves dozens of different wood veneers 1/32" thick.
They're are glued to a wood core, shaped, sanded, polished on big machines and trimmed and embellished with all sorts of other materials.
"When you have all these veneers and all the stones in the world and bronze and stainless steel, we use synthetic leathers, we use painted glass. It's a huge color palette," Wall explains.
In recent decades there's been an overseas exodus of furniture manufacturing jobs. In fact, WallGoldfinger's new Randloph home is a symbol of that. It once housed furniture maker Ethan Allen.
Wall says the nature of his product and the demands of his customers have helped protect his business from foreign competition.
"You've got to be talking to your client everyday, you've got to be visiting them almost every week. The schedules are really tight," says Wall. " We have to ship here at 8 in the morning and it's got to be at that loading dock at four in Manhattan, so there's not time to have it go four weeks in a container from China."
When Irene hit Wall worried that his customers would abandon him.
They stayed, though and WallGoldfinger expects to be adding to its 37 employee workforce in the next quarter and taking advantage of the larger capacity of its new Randolph manufacturing operation.


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Halle Berry in September Vogue
Well Said: Halle Berry Stands by Decision to Never Marry Again
"I'm not done with love, but I refuse to settle. . . . I'm not willing to stay somewhere where I am really not happy. And I am not willing to pretend I am for the kid's sake or so that I don't have to go through another public humiliation. . . . As much as I have always wanted to be in this committed relationship and have the picket fence and grow old with the same person, I'm coming to terms with: Maybe that's just not who I am."
— Halle Berry's famously vowed to never marry again after her second marriage ended. Now three months after breaking up with the father of her daughter, Gabriel Aubry, she seems more certain than ever in Vogue's September issue.
Image Source: WireImage


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Fire Chief Search Narrows To Final Four
It's down to four finalists for Omaha's new fire chief.
All of the final four candidates are veterans with the fire department, including Interim Chief Bernie Kanger. They were chosen from a field of 15 candidates.
The search for a new chief is projected to cost $182,000.
Fifteen candidates initially applied for the position, nine passed the preliminary training and experience test and were invited to the second phase of testing, which consisted of a structured interview and an oral presentation. The testing was coordinated by an outside contractor, IO Solutions and graded by a panel of fire chiefs serving in other cities.
From this testing, four finalists have been identified and their names have been forwarded to Mayor Jean Stothert. The finalists, in alphabetical order, are Assistant Omaha Fire Chief Steve Ausdemore, Assistant Omaha Fire Chief Shane Hunter, Interim Omaha Fire Chief Bernie Kanger and retired Omaha Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Mancuso.
Assistant Chief Ausdemore was hired in 1991. He has worked as a Firefighter, Firefighter/Paramedic, Captain, Battalion Chief and was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2010.
Assistant Chief Hunter was hired in 1997. He has worked as a Firefighter, Fire Apparatus Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief and was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2012.
Interim Chief Kanger was hired in 1991. He has worked as a Firefighter, Fire Apparatus Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief and was named interim Chief by Mayor Stothert in August.
Joseph Mancuso retired from the Omaha Fire Department in March 2013. He was hired in 1992 and worked as a Firefighter, Fire Apparatus Engineer, Captain and retired at the rank of Battalion Fire Chief.
In order to be considered for the job, Mancuso will be required to and has agreed that if selected, he will pay back all pension payments and other benefits received as a result of his retirement.


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The Minarets are a spectacular collection of jagged spires in the Ritter Range of the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Usually I like to spread my adventures throughout the High Sierra since there are so many hidden gems to explore and mix up the character of scenery, but I have a particular affinity for the Minarets with repeated visits including July 2009 (Clyde Minaret), July 2013 (Minaret Loop), October 2013 (Tuolumne to Devils via Minarets), and July 2015 (Ansel Adams Loops). There are seventeen unofficially named spires and most are along a single ridge forming an arête. I have only climbed one Minaret, Clyde Minaret, which is the highest and named after Sierra climbing pioneer and legend Norman Clyde. Hopefully I'll be able to tag a few more spires in the future. While I haven't stood atop many of them, I have seen them from all different angles and I can't seem to get enough of the spectacular ruggedness of these spires and the trio of three gorgeous lakes immediately beneath them – Minaret Lake, Cecile Lake and Iceberg Lake. While I'm merely an amateur photographer with a lot to learn, attempting to take quality photos is a big part of my personal enjoyment in the mountains. I use the word quality because some trail runners have a tendency to focus more on their watch and braggadocio than the scenery resulting in mediocre photography results at best and at worst, video that is so shaky and random in movement that it is essentially unwatchable. This approach couldn't be more opposite than the ethos of John Muir. Whether it's the Minarets or other photogenic gems in the Sierra, I always find it worth the time to scope out the best angles and enjoy the scenery. Each time I have visited the Minarets it has featured different light, snow conditions etc. so it's fun to compare the results. On this trip, I had the best conditions I've seen yet at Minaret Lake with excellent clarity and a few puffs of clouds swirling about the spires. My photography tip at Minaret Lake is to climb a granite outcropping near the outlet of the lake, which provides amazing composition of the entire lake and a turquoise inlet below with the Minaret spires towering behind. This balcony provided such a great view I probably took a hundred photos within a span of 15 minutes (I've spared this blog from most of those photos but there are still plenty). It's one of my favorite vantages in all of the Sierra. It was great to spend some time at Minaret Lake, Cecile Lake and Iceberg Lake and really enjoy the awesome surroundings. To complete the loop I recommend the River Trail instead of the JMT through Rosalie Lake. Both routes are very boring compared to the preceding section beneath the Minarets, but I like the River Trail better as it had less elevation gain and some nice peaceful single track in the forest next to the river that gets surprisingly little use. Strava GPS route here.
Tag Archives: cecile lake
Tuolumne Meadows to Devils Postpile via the Minarets and Donohue Peak
The point-to-point route from Tuolumne Meadows to Agnew Meadows or Reds Meadow/Devils Postpile is well established among trail runners. However, I haven't heard of anybody extending the point-to-point into the Minarets and including a summit of Donohue Peak. Both of these additions substantially enhance the aesthetics of the route making it a complete highlight tour of an immensely scenic region spanning Yosemite National Park and Ansel Adams Wilderness. This objective has been high on my list for some time and I was happy to run it in perfect autumn weather. It was great to enjoy many familiar sights, some of the best scenery the High Sierra has to offer, all in a single day. This is an instant classic and I look forward to doing this route and/or variations of it next year!
A sweeping 360 degree annotated panorama from the summit of Donohue Peak can be found here or be clicking on the image below for a much larger image.
The first 8 miles are along nearly flat Lyell Canyon. Cool air tends to pool in the canyon and temperatures were in the low-20s, but with calm winds the running felt comfortable. Just before Donohue Pass, I peeled off the trail and headed up toward Donohue Peak. The final bit of scrambling took a bit longer than anticipated as the high point of Donohue is at the eastern end of the ridge and entailed some traversing of talus covered with snow. The view from the summit is incredible and includes most of the Cathedral Range and Ritter Range, a mirror view of the panorama I saw from Foerster Peak just a few days prior. A small tarn below Donohue Peak is particularly photogenic with Mount Lyell and Mount Maclure towering in the background. From the tarn I took a cross country route down slabs and grassy slopes to reconnect with the John Muir Trail in Rush Creek Basin. This beautiful basin was largely dry but still featured excellent views of Donohue Peak, Mount Andrea Lawrence and Koip Crest.
Beyond Rush Creek Basin I made quick time up to Island Pass. After a stop to photograph Banner Peak reflecting in the tarns near the pass, I met Joel and we descended to Thousand Island Lake soaking in the amazing scenery. The beautiful views continued as we made our way to Garnet Lake. At the Shadow Lake junction, I turned upstream to gorgeous Lake Ediza and then made the ascent to Iceberg Lake. From Iceberg Lake I encountered fairly deep snow up to Cecil Lake, but fortunately somebody had kicked steps before me so the micro spikes were not necessary. It was an ethereal view from Iceberg Lake and Cecile Lake with the jagged spires of the snowy Minarets backlit by the afternoon sun. After the traverse around Cecile Lake, I descended to Minaret Lake where I enjoyed more awesome afternoon views. Beyond Minaret Lake I was back on maintained trail and made quick time over the last 7.5 miles to Devils Postpile. Total time for the 38 mile point-to-point was 11:19 including hundreds of photos (nearly 800!), a selection of which follows. Strava route here.
Volcanic Ridge and Minaret Loop
The Minarets are one of the most scenic and rugged corners of the High Sierra. Ranging from 10,560 ft to 12,261 ft, the peaks that compose the serrated ridge rise impressively from a series of breathtaking alpine lakes, including Minaret Lake, Cecile Lake, Iceberg Lake, and Lake Ediza. Both Cecile Lake and Iceberg Lake often harbor snow late into the summer and true to name, Iceberg Lake contains many icebergs during its summer melt-out. The name Minarets is derived from their resemblance to Islamic mosques and seventeen of the pinnacles are named after one of their first ascentionists. Arguably the finest view of this magnificent region can be had from the summit of Volcanic Ridge, which possesses a staggering panorama of most of the Minarets to Mount Ritter and Banner Peak.
The first and only other time I have been in the Minarets was during an ascent of the Rock Route on Clyde Minaret in July 2009. I had great memories of that outing and was eager to return and explore. On this day I climbed Volcanic Ridge as part of a "Minaret Loop" starting and finishing at Devil's Postpile, passing through the chain of lakes from Minaret Lake to Lake Ediza, and finishing with Shadow Lake and the JMT back to Devil's Postiple. I ascended Volcanic Ridge first thing in the morning via grass and talus slopes from Minaret Lake. After the enjoying the amazing summit view, I returned to Minaret Lake where I took many photos and met up with Erica. From Minaret Lake, we continued beyond Minaret Lake via use paths and a short bit of scrambling to Cecile Lake. Cecile Lake contained some steep snow patches around its shore where we used ice axe and microspikes. The descent from Cecile Lake to Iceberg Lake contained the usual early season stretch of steep and hard snow (that I recalled from 2009) where we utilized the crampons and ice axe that we brought. At the outlet of Iceberg Lake we ate a snack underneath the towers of the Minarets and took photos of the icebergs floating in Iceberg Lake. Continuing down from Iceberg Lake, we found some more patches of snow and then arrived at always beautiful Lake Ediza. The remainder of the loop is not as scenic although the trail is still pretty. From the highpoint along the segment of the JMT from Shadow Lake to Devil's Postpile is a nice gradual downhill stretch that brought us back to the trail head. The Minaret Loop itself (without climbing Volcanic Ridge) is around 23 miles with the portion between Minaret Lake and Iceberg Lake generally off-trail. This is a top notch route, one of the best, and I will definitely be returning to this region for further exploration!


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I was curious about the safety of allowing an infant to co-sleep with me in my Tempurpedic bed. I noticed there were also some similar posts on here, but no definitive answer. So, I emailed Tempurpedic and they let me know that they do not feel it is safe for an infant or small child to sleep on one of their beds. This in combo with the off-gassing issue makes me a bit weary about co-sleeping, but I also see on the forum that many people have been doing it for years with no problems and I realize that Tempurpedic has to say this to cover their own butts. I have pasted the email from them below:
Thank you for contacting Tempur-Pedic®.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does not recommend putting an infant to sleep on an adult bed. Tempur-Pedic® does not manufacture sleep surfaces for infants at this time and in light of the CPSC's warnings, do not recommend the use of our products for infants and small children.
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
We appreciate your interest in Tempur-Pedic® products!
Tempur-Pedic Customer Service
Tempur-Pedic North America, LLC.
Lexington, Kentucky
http://safebedsharing.org/safetyguidelines.html gives a good summary of safe bedsharing guidelines, including the use of a firm mattress. If the mattress in question is more pillow-like I would not use it, as the baby can roll against you.
I've laid in Tempurpedic beds, and I sink so far in that I can barely get out. In combination with off-gassing, I don't think they'd be safe for co-sleeping at all.
DH, me, DD '11 and a new born at home April '14!
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Test your skills and challenge your mind! Click on one of the icons below to play a game!
Maze Game
Build Your Own Boat
Fish Matching Game
Wetland Animal Matching Game
Underground Railroad Word Search
Note: If you are using Internet Explorer and the games fail to load on your screen, check the top of the browser window for a yell ow bar.
If there is a yellow bar, right click on it, click "Allow Blocked Content" and click "Yes" on the dialogue box that appears.The game should now load. Sometimes Internet Explorer blocks interactive content such as games.


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How to Follow a One Dish Recipe
It's harder than it sounds, right? If you ever find yourself stressed while following a "simple" recipe, I guarantee you're not alone. Even now, after 20 years (yeesh!) of following recipes, I'll get completely flustered midway through cooking because, oh my gosh, I forgot to chop that garlic I'm supposed to add now. Raise your hand if you can relate.
When you boil it down (pardon the pun), one-pot dishes made from a recipe fail either because they're poorly written, or the cook was unprepared.
Unfortunately, we can't control how the recipe is written. The ingredients might not be in logical order, the author may not use universal terms (just how large is a "medium" onion?), or instructions may not be detailed enough for your experience. Even a well written recipe, though, doesn't guarantee stress-free cooking.
Surprisingly, the key to smoothly cooking from a recipe is almost entirely in the preparation. The steps below all happen before you light the burner or grill or turn on the oven or mixer. And they aren't rocket science. The process simply guides you to organize your thoughts and kitchen before you cook. Completing them may even be faster than reading them. Apply the process to anything from stir fry to sauces to casseroles to "one bowl" baking, and really savor the food that you made without a hitch.
If you're curious, the photos below are from my preparation of this beef stew that I found at foodnetwork.com. It turned out great–just make sure to stir while you bring the liquid to its first boil, or your thickener might all cook to the bottom of the pot (not that I would know).
1. Screen the recipe. Read the full ingredient list and recipe.
- Are you comfortable trying all the techniques?
- Can you get any special equipment or ingredients?
If not, don't avoid the recipe completely. Either start with an easier version of the same dish, or try the recipe when there is no pressure for results. Prepare by researching unfamiliar techniques (YouTube is your friend), tracking down unique equipment, or finding substitutions for special tools and ingredients.
2. Shop.
- Make a list of all ingredients, even those you might have at home, and the quantity needed. Then check it twice (seriously).
- Go to your kitchen and cross out anything you have, making sure you also have enough. If you're unsure, measure, don't guess.
- When you shop, use your resources! If you can't find a particular ingredient, look up substitutes on your phone or ask a store employee. If they don't know, ask them if there's anyone else who can help.
3. Read the recipe (again).
- Do a full read before you start.
- Visualize the process as you read. Does everything make sense?
- If any ingredients require advance preparation (soaking, bringing eggs or meat to room temperature, marinating), time and complete those processes so you're not scrambling, for example, to soften cream cheese at the last minute. When bringing food (especially animal products) to room temperature, never exceed the time recommended by the recipe, or you risk food poisoning.
When you're ready to cook…
4. Take out all ingredients (even garnishes). Don't do any chopping, melting, mincing, or measuring. Just take everything out in it's original state.
5. Do all preparation.
- Go through every ingredient, and prepare each one so when the time comes, you just have to physically transfer it to the cookware. Chop, peel, open cans or cartons, measure, mince, etc. This may take a little time, and it's best if you aren't rushed, so plan more prep time than you think you'll need.
- Put prepared ingredients in dishes, if they're not packaged. Think about Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives—every ingredient is laid out in it's own little (or big) bowl for the cooking demonstrations.
- Bonus points: Combine ingredients to add at the same time in a single prep bowl. For example, if onions, garlic, and celery are added together, put them in one dish to save dishes and streamline cooking. Adding canned tomatoes at the same time as spices? Open the can, then measure the spices and sprinkle them right on top of the tomatoes to go into the pan together.
- Exception: For simple baking, measuring in advance isn't usually necessary. It takes the same amount of time to measure as you mix, and cookie dough or brownie batter can sit while you measure or do other easy prep.
6. Take out all equipment. Remember, you shouldn't need measuring cups or spoons if you've already prepped and measured your ingredients.
7. Take out serving dishes. If you need to remove food from a hot pan when it's time to serve, such as meat or eggs before they overcook, have serving dishes ready to go.
8. Reference the recipe. Don't try to memorize it. Print the recipe or pull it up on your device, and keep it reasonably close to the area in which you'll be cooking (but not dangerously close to a hot burner).
9. Optional: Pour yourself a glass of wine, or other beverage of your choice.
10. Let 'er rip! Equipment's ready, prep is done, you're prepared to compensate for any holes in the recipe. Now dive in and get cooking!
After walking through the ten steps a few times, they'll become intuitive, not only averting disaster but instilling confidence to experiment with more complex recipes. I try to explain this when people comment that I'm "such a good cook". I appreciate the compliment for sure, but I feel so strongly that anyone can cook. It's not just a cute cliché! If you take the time to understand a recipe and go into it prepared, you can really teach yourself to be a great cook. Before you know it, instead of going out for your favorite foods, you might just be scouring cookbooks or the internet to learn to make them at home.


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70,000 cleared after Real bomb scare
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Spectators leave their seats as they are evacuated from the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
Photo: AP
A bomb threat in the name of ETA Basque separatists forced
70,000 to evacuate Santiago Bernabeu stadium minutes before the end
of a Real Madrid game.
The decision to abandon the game against Real Sociedad three minutes from time and evacuate the crowd was taken after Basque newspaper Gara said it received a warning from a caller claiming to represent ETA that there was a bomb in the ground.
The caller said the bomb would explode at 9 pm but the warning proved false. Police with sniffer dogs searched the stadium and found no bomb.
"The police have said they have completed their search and have not found anything," Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told reporters.
"The best thing we can all do now is to put this nightmare
behind us."
Real Madrid's star-studded team, including Brazil's Ronaldo and England's David Beckham, suddenly trooped off the pitch with the score tied at 1-1 against Real Sociedad, a team from San Sebastian in the Basque country.
An announcement over the public address system told the crowd to leave.
Spectators left the stadium in an orderly way, clearing the ground in less than 15 minutes. Hundreds streamed across the pitch on their way to the exits.
Outside, a few people could be seen in tears due to nerves but emergency officials said no one had been treated for any injury.
The police ordered the evacuation because their priority was to ensure the safety of everyone in the ground, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Some of the players left the ground in their kit but were later allowed back to the changing room.
The Spanish football federation will meet on Monday to decide whether to let the result stand or play the remaining minutes of the game later.
If the result remains at 1-1, Real would drop to fourth in the Primera Liga, 11 points behind leaders Barcelona.
ETA has targeted the Bernabeu stadium before. In May 2002, an ETA car bomb exploded nearby hours before a European Champions League semi-final and 17 people were treated for shock or slight injuries. ETA warned of that attack in a call to Gara.
This week has seen a resurgence of violence by ETA after months of relative inactivity. ETA set off bombs in seven cities across Spain on
Monday, slightly wounding five people on Constitution Day, the day Spaniards celebrate unity.
Three days before that, coordinated ETA bombings at five Madrid service stations marked the first attack on the capital in two years.
The bombings showed ETA remained capable of high-profile attacks despite more than 100 arrests this year including the capture of the group's leader in France two months ago.
ETA, Western Europe's most active armed militant group and listed as terrorist by the European Union, has killed nearly 850 people since 1968 in a bombing and shooting campaign for Basque independence from Spain and France.
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Screw the introductions. To hell with the jokes. In this episode of Nitpixels, we discuss Mass Effect 3 with all of the spoilers in the world. Enjoy.
Want to support the Nitpixels crew? Check out our sponsors:
- Sign up for a free trial at Audible and receive a free audio book!
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You can listen to the podcast in the embedded player below, download it directly via the link below, or download and subscribe via iTunes. Note: The iTunes store can take an extraordinarily long time to display new episodes on the podcast page. If you subscribe, it will download the episode for you, even though it may not immediately display on the page.


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MHS is, hands down, one of the best! The shelter is clean and the animals are so obviously well cared for and loved for however long they are at the shelter. I have adopted 2 cats from them - and each time they were somehow able to not only get to know and trust me as an adopter, but to match me with just the right baby. I went in thinking I wanted one thing and walked out with my perfect match instead :) It;s the love that they all have for the animals that makes all of the difference.
My mom and I went into the Middletown, NY shelter on 01/28/2015 to find a companion for her and immediately fell in love with Alaska.. We put in an application (the first and only application for her) at 1:30pm with help from the staff at the desk. At 4:30 I called and left a message that we would like to adopt Alaska and to please call us when the office opens so we can help expedite the application process.
At 12:15pm the next day Brian Keller (Shelter Manager, Facebook Administrator) called to tell me the application was declined.. At first he refused to tell me why saying that's not policy. I further explained "if I don't know why then I cant fix it?". I was denied because of this question: "Please give your veterinarian's name, address and phone number" (copied and pasted right off the application)... NOW when I filled out the application I asked the ladies behind the desk (This I guess was my mistake thinking they could help) "do you want my current Vet info or my Previous??" explaining we moved and will be taking our new dog to a new Vet since the previous one was too far.... I put a new Vets office (I called to make sure they are taking on new pets first) Name and number and they called and had no record of us or any pets there of course.. We hadn't gone there yet we didn't have a pet to take.
I explain to Brian on the phone that the ladies at the desk told me to put that information on the application and I could give him our Previous Vets info his reply "you were denied " AND HE HUNG UP ON ME!
Now, he just called to tell me I was denied at 12:15pm... I immediately get in my car with Vet records in hand to speak to them face to face since our conversation was abruptly ended. It takes me 1 hour to get there...
Once there (1:15pm) I offered the more information for my application and the dog was ALREADY "promised" to another family..... Now we were being denied a dog because the staff told me to put the wrong information is just unacceptable. If the staff cant help you then who can????
This is so not fair.. In now have to start all over and Alaska was such a great dog!! We are all heart broken...
This place is a disgrace. They have had a dog Mira at the facility for three years. This reflects poorly on them. Why haven't one of the staff or volunteers adopted Mira. Why don't they make it MANDATORY that every person coming to adopt a dog has to first be sat down and told about Mira. Whoever is the adoption coordinator they are not aggressively marketing Mira. This is a disgrace. A shameful disgrace that any dog should be at a facility for this long. This is outrageous.
Adrianne D. 01/30/2015
Please try and understand that we cannot force people to adopt a particular dog. Mira came to us, as a very animal aggressive dog , but great with people and in time she became more and more healthy. She is often overlooked although we are constantly trying to promote her. Often dogs who come to the shelter, are very unhappy in the shelter, but Mira is not one of those dogs. She gets played with, cared for and given lots of love by the staff. The other option would be to euthanize her... which we would never do. Again, you cannot force people to take a particular dog. You will be interested to know however, that due to one of our volunteers writing an incredible story about her experience with Mira, and that story getting sent all around the internet, there is an interested party, who we are praying will fall in love and take her. We are always looking for volunteers, if you are interested. Thank you for your interest in Mira's well being.
My husband and I recently adopted a two year old mixed breed from this noble shelter. We are over the moon about the newest member of our family and are grateful to Brian and the staff for making the process so easy. It was obvious to us how much these folks care about the animals in their care.Our new baby made a smooth transition to her new life, we believe, because of the care she received at Middletown Humane. Thanks again for bringing such joy into our lives.
Just had to share! We adopted Vivian from the Middletown Humane Society in May 2013 - she was trucked up to NY from a Kill Shelter in Georgia - and although sweet, she was a 7 year old dog & not in her prime adoptable years. She was PERFECT for us. When our daughter started modeling they asked us if we had any dogs - we did! Vivi just made her debut in Vogue Bambini...from kill shelter to the pages of Vogue...I'd say this old girl is doing pretty good THANK YOU Middletown Humane Society for allowing our family to make this sweet girl a part of our lives...
UPDATE...this past May 2014 we decided it was time to get Vivi (and us humans) a companion - after seeing pictures of two Shih Tzu puppies on the Humane Society website I left work early and RUSHED over there. The staff is just SO excellent...they made sure to get the paperwork thru that day so that they little guys could go home immediately!! These sweet boys are a perfect addition to our family & great little brothers to Vivi - definitely keeping her on her old lady toes!
We adopted our lil boy kitty Magee late last October. He was the last of his litter to be adopted and the staff had deep affection for him. We were looking for a kitty that was loving and affectionate since our other kitty is not. We also wanted a companion for our other kitty, Moxy. We wish we could've taken all the kitties home but that just wasn't possible. Brian recommended Magee (formerly known as Puck) and he was meant to be ours as soon as we held him. We left that day with Magee and have never looked back. His forever home is with us but without the Middletown Humane Society he would have never been a part of our family. Moxy hasn't totally fallen in love with him yet but we're sure she will eventually. We made an additional donation that day and still donate canned cat food and cat litter when we can. All the kitties (and the doggies too) deserve a forever loving home and the Middletown Humane Society is dedicated to this cause. They are a cut above the rest!
We just adopted the cutest 4 year old poodle. It was a great experience. Everyone was very helpful at the Humane Society of Middletown. I would recommend the MHS to anyone thinking about adopting a new furry friend.
I have nothing but nice things to say about Middletown Humane Society. We have adopted 2 dogs from there. One older dog which is a min pin mix about 7yrs old and an American bulldog about 2ys old. They tell you everything they know about the animal and spend as much time with you as you need. They also answer all your questions/concerns. By adopting the dogs I have also gained new friends because the volenters love the animals so much they keep in touch with us and love receiving photos.i would highly recommend adopting from Middletown Humane Society.


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If you missed Monday night's America's Got Talent, you missed Howard Stern making a cute little kid cry.
Rapper Mir Money, 7, came out with a lot of swagger. But after Stern and fellow judge Sharon Osbourne hit their X buzzers on him, he wasn't happy.
"You're a very nice young man and you know that. No one likes hitting the X on a 7-year-old. You're very brave to get up there at 7 years old," Stern said, as tears began to fill little Money's eyes.
The crowd booed and Stern got up on the stage and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry. ... You're a terrific young man. You are so brave," Stern said. "This job is too rough for me. I don't really want to do it anymore."
In the end, Howie Mandel told the boy they loved him, but didn't change their minds. As host Nick Cannon carried Money off the stage, Stern said to the cameras, "I'm not cut out for this, man. I'm not cut out for it. I'm shaking, man. I'm shaking. I can't do it," he added. "Radio is for me. I made a mistake. This is not for me."
Sign up for Lifeline Live e-mail alerts


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Five 1920s Vintage Hair Accessories You Can Wear in 2014
Okay, I have a confession – I love 1920s vintage accessories and style. I love art deco, costume jewelry, damask – pretty much everything. Now, to be fair, I loved these things LONG before The Great Gatsby came out.
Tomorrow night, I'm going to be attending Hats Off to Holly's House gala. The theme this year is to wear an "Old Hollywood" hat and because I receive great joy from making things myself, I have scoured the internet to come up with some ideas to wear to the gala. I've decided to go with a 20s theme – big name stars in the 20s were: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Greta Garbo.
Now, I know these aren't necessarily hats but because hair piece accessories are so trendy, I'll be using these items as inspiration to adorn my hat. Check it out. Click on the photo to purchase!


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JoomClub Digital Clock Joomla Module Download
Digital Clock is a nice Joomla Module which presents current system time of your computer and comes with 2 default themes. Full configurable to use in the back end, All the parameters are given in the back end.
Highly configurable and backed with a 24×7 Customer Support package.This module is cross browser compatible and works on all the modern browsers. Bug Free and works great!.


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Hey Look, Walter White Jr. Is Modeling For GAP!
Yesterday, I was perusing Gap.com and lo and behold, who did I see? A seriously gorgeous male model who, upon closer inspection, I realized was Walter White Jr., aka Flynn, aka RJ Mitte from "Breaking Bad"! My loins haven't been this confused since I found myself having a sex dream about Kevin Spacey/Frank Underwood in "House of Cards."


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Teaching: Awakenings: Now and The Dream of Not Now
Host: Larry Seyer
Class: http://www.acimgather.org
Copyright: © NTI
Topics Discussed:
In outer space there is no concept of time unless you have a timepiece or clock. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow are words that are interchangeable with now and the dream of not now.
It is only the rotation of the planet that seems to cause the experience of time passing (i.e night and day, a yesterday, today, and tomorrow).
With no planet or timepiece as a reference, we have nothing to measure time with. The concept of time without a reference is meaningless.
Therefore time is the looking at now and the dream of not now.
Since we only know -now- and -not now- is only a dream, we can use now as a tool to listen to what remembers the dream of -not now- perfectly and can provide us with perfect information as to our course of action – whatever that may be.
We need only shut-up and listen.
It is very hard to listen when we are talking. So quieting the mind is probably a good idea – agreed?
File Type: mp3
Sample Rate: 44100
Stereo/Mono: joint stereo
Bitrate: 320000
Length: (mm:ss) 29:59
- Now
- Not Now
- Dreams


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You are a fan of hand opgl ? Come to discover the best forums hand opgl on the internet and share your experience with a community fan of hand opgl . You can also build a forum hand opgl and create your online discussion.
Hand Reading Forum: palm reading & palmistry forum: psychodiagnostic chirology, life purpose hand analysis, vedic palmistry & multi-perspective palm reading!
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Setup to allow residents to discuss anything relating to the block, anything from needing a hand moving furniture or complaints about the management company.
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A message board dedicated to constructive discourse and the archiving of useful information in all aspects of practical self-defense with an emphasis on unarmed personal combat.
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We are an older clan/community that disband do to not many active members as well not focusing on the task at hand we are renewing an crushing those befor us.
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Free forum : Create, Buy, and Sell Jewelry. This community is for everyone. From the maker to the buyer. Home Made Jewelry available. Tips and tricks, and discounted site links.
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Free forum : This is the official forum of the Red Hand Guild of Atulos Online. All players are welcome to join and restore RH to its former glory!
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The unOfficial Dueling Nexus Forum. Dedicated to the sharing of deck profiles, deck ideas, and other yugioh related topics. Come in and play Yu-Gi-Oh! with us!
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Founded in August 2010, Satanic Youth is a community geared towards young Satanists. Our community encourages respect, education, friendship and tolerance.
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Official forum of the Aderan Wars online strategy game series including The Beginning, Red Apocalypse and Evolutions. In Aderan Wars you build your own empire and experience world politics first hand.
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Guy's Scripting Ezine 45 - VBS Shutdown
Contents for Guy's Scripting Ezine 45 - VBS Shutdown
This Week's Secret
As you may know, I am not a great one for disclaimers. Moreover, the whole nature of scripting is such that occasionally, mistakes just happen. In fact, the road to a successful script is littered with cast-offs. Therefore, it may come as a surprise when I say: 'This week take great care, this script could annoy people, or worse, you could shoot yourself in the foot and shutdown your own machine unexpectedly.' I will let you into a secret, I often forget the /s switch, which is vital for a shutdown and as a result my first effort does not work.
Example 1 VBScript to Shutdown a Computer
Suppose that you need to restart a machine in a distant office. By the time you walk down the corridor and reach the server room, you would like the domain controller to have rebooted.
What we are going to do is employ a VBScript to open up a DOS box, then instruct sendkeys to type in a command which will restart a computer. But first, in order to get the correct machine name, the script generates an input box where you enter the name of the machine you wish to shut down.
Strongly recommended.
Before you rush off and try the script, take the time to familiarise yourself with the rich variety of 'shutdown' switches. Go to the CMD prompt on a Windows Server 2003 or XP computer and then type shutdown /? For instance, be aware that this command will either shutdown or restart. Furthermore shutdown works on either a local or a remote machine. Naturally, you need to be an administrator to execute shutdown successfully.
Here is your 'Get out of jail card'. WHEN TESTING, if the script does NOT abort the shutdown,
you have 60 seconds manually cancel by typing:
Example 1a - The Superior Version by Josh Murray
' Shutdown.vbs
strShutdown = "shutdown -s -t 0 -f -m \\" & strComputer
Learning Points
Note 1: This (1a) is the advanced, smooth efficient version. The next example 1b shows the wart's and all learning progression that I initially went through.
Guy Recommends: The Free IP Address Tracker (IPAT)
Calculating IP Address ranges is a black art, which many network managers solve by creating custom Excel spreadsheets. IPAT cracks this problem of allocating IP addresses in networks in two ways:
For Mr Organized there is a nifty subnet calculator, you enter the network address and the subnet mask, then IPAT works out the usable addresses and their ranges.
For Mr Lazy IPAT discovers and then displays the IP addresses of existing computers. Download the Free IP Address Tracker
Example 1b - The Original Version by Guy Thomas
The first point that I want to make is this, in example
1b, I have deliberately left in a VBScript command that
will abort the restart. When you are ready to test YOUR script, and for
real, remove the lines underneath :
My strongest advice is master the above command FIRST, before you proceed to test shutdown in anger.
' Shutdown.vbs
Learning Points
Note 1: InputBox is the VBScript method which prompts you for the computer name. This is the name of the machine to shutdown. In effect InputBox saves having to hardcode strComputer = "BigServer". My basic error checking invokes the 'if' command which in turn, checks for blank names. Did you like the 'DO ... Loop Until' command?
Note 2: Sub (routine) is this week's new command. I have experimented with recycling code. In particular we need two DOS boxes, therefore we need two commands to quit the DOS box. Look out for a Sub Function called CloseBox(). You could have used any name, for example, DosExit() would work just as well. How could you take advantage of SUB CloseBox()? The answer is that you 'Call' the sub routine, for example: Call CloseBox(). Note: 'Call Sub CloseBox()', would be wrong.
Note 3: & Chr(34) is used to generate a speech mark sometimes called a double quotes. I needed this trick to make quotes within quotes work successfully.
Note 4: You did remember to remove or 'Rem out the abort lines on the real script?
Note 5: Shutdown /t 60 adds a one minute delay before shutdown. The /c switch is purely an indulgence which adds a comment.
VBS Shutdown Challenges and Ideas
1) Add a default value to the inputbox. For example, "LocalHost" or ,"BigServer".
strComputer = (InputBox("Enter ComputerName to shutdown", "Computer Name", "LocalHost"))
2) My script employs the usual range of string and integer variables. Perhaps you would like to reduce the value of intLong from 10 seconds to 3 seconds? If so, reduce intLong from 10000 to = 3000.
3) Experiment with different values for the /c "Comment" and /t 60 switches.
4) If you are feeling bolder, why not investigate other shutdown switches, for example /r to restart instead of /s which merely shuts down the machine.
See more about Windows 2003 remote shutdown commands:
Guy Recommends: A Free Trial of the Network Performance Monitor (NPM) v11.5
SolarWinds' Orion performance monitor will help you discover what's happening on your network. This utility will also guide you through troubleshooting; the dashboard will indicate whether the root cause is a broken link, faulty equipment or resource overload.
What I like best is the way NPM suggests solutions to network problems. Its also has the ability to monitor the health of individual VMware virtual machines. If you are interested in troubleshooting, and creating network maps, then I recommend that you try NPM now.
Download a free trial of Solarwinds' Network Performance Monitor
Example 2: Script to Shutdown all Computers in a named OU
Custom Search
Guy Recommends: WMI Monitor and It's Free!
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is one of the hidden treasures of Microsoft operating systems.
Fortunately, SolarWinds have created the Free WMI Monitor so that you can actually see and understand these gems of operating system information. Take the guess work out of which WMI counters to use for scripts.
Author: Guy Thomas Copyright © 1999-2017 Computer Performance LTD All rights reserved.
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Associated Press
KOMODO ISLAND, Indonesia
The stories spread quickly across this smattering of tropical islands in southeastern Indonesia, the only place the endangered reptiles can still be found in the wild: Two people were killed since 2007 — a young boy and a fisherman — and others were badly wounded after being charged unprovoked.
Komodo dragon attacks are still rare, experts note. But fear is swirling through the fishing villages, along with questions on how best to live with the dragons in the future.
Main, a 46-year-old park ranger, was doing paperwork when a dragon slithered up the stairs of his wooden hut in
"I thought I wouldn't survive... I've spent half my life working with Komodos and have never seen anything like it," said Main, pointing to his jagged gashes, sewn up with 55 stitches and still swollen three months later. "Luckily, my friends heard my screams and got me to hospital in time."
Komodos, which are popular zoo exhibits from the
Though poaching is illegal, the sheer size of the park — and a shortage of rangers — makes it almost impossible to patrol, said Heru Rudiharto, a biologist and reptile expert. Villagers say the dragons are hungry and more aggressive toward humans because their food is being poached, though park officials are quick to disagree.
The giant lizards have always been dangerous, said Rudiharto. However tame they may appear, lounging beneath trees and gazing at the sea from white-sand beaches, they are fast, strong and deadly.
The animals are believed to have descended from a larger lizard on Indonesia's main island
When they catch their prey, they carry out a frenzied biting spree that releases venom, according to a new study this month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors, who used surgically excised glands from a terminally ill dragon at the
"The long, jaded teeth are the primary weapons. They deliver these deep, deep wounds," said Bryan Fry of the
Four people have been killed in the last 35 years (2009, 2007, 2000 and 1974) and at least eight injured in just over a decade. But park officials say these numbers aren't overly alarming given the steady stream of tourists and the 4,000 people who live in their midst.
"Any time there's an attack, it gets a lot of attention," Rudiharto said. "But that's just because this lizard is exotic, archaic, and can't be found anywhere but here."
Still, the recent attacks couldn't have come at a worse time.
The government is campaigning hard to get the park onto a new list of the
Claudio Ciofi, who works at the Department of Animal Biology and Genetics at the University of
Villagers wish they knew the answer.
They say they've always lived peacefully with Komodos. A popular traditional legend tells of a man who once married a dragon "princess." Their twins, a human boy, Gerong, and a lizard girl, Orah, were separated at birth.
When Gerong grew up, the story goes, he met a fierce-looking beast in the forest. But just as he was about to spear it, his mother appeared, revealing to him that the two were brother and sister.
"How could the dragons get so aggressive?" Hajj Amin, 51, taking long slow drags off his clove cigarettes, as other village elders gathering beneath a wooden house on stilts nodded. Several dragons lingered nearby, drawn by the rancid smell of fish drying on bamboo mats beneath the blazing sun. Also strolling by were dozens of goats and chickens.
"They never used to attack us when we walked alone in the forest, or attack our children," Amin said. "We're all really worried about this."
The dragons eat 80% of their weight and then go without food for several weeks. Amin and others say the dragons are hungry partly because of a 1994 policy that prohibits villagers from feeding them.
"We used to give them the bones and skin of deer," said the fisherman.
Villagers recently sought permission to feed wild boar to the Komodos several times a year, but park officials say that won't happen.
"If we let people feed them, they will just get lazy and lose their ability to hunt," said Jeri Imansyah, another reptile expert. "One day, that will kill them. "
The attack that first put villagers on alert occurred two years ago, when 8-year-old Mansyur was mauled to death while defecating in the bushes behind his wooden hut.
People have since asked for a 6-foot-high (2-meter) concrete wall to be built around their villages, but that idea, too, has been rejected. The head of the park, Tamen Sitorus, said: "It's a strange request. You can't build a fence like that inside a national park!"
Residents have made a makeshift barrier out of trees and broken branches, but they complain it's too easy for the animals to break through.
"We're so afraid now," said 11-year-old Riswan, recalling how just a few weeks ago students screamed when they spotted one of the giant lizards in a dusty field behind their school. "We thought it was going to get into our classroom. Eventually we were able to chase it up a hill by throwing rocks and yelling 'Hoohh Hoohh."'
Then, just two months ago, 31-year-old fisherman
Even park rangers are nervous.
Gone are the days of goofing around with the lizards, poking their tails, hugging their backs and running in front of them, pretending they're being chased, said Muhamad Saleh, who has worked with the animals since 1987.
"Not any more," he says, carrying a 6-foot-long (2-meter) stick wherever he goes for protection. Then, repeating a famous line by Indonesia's most renowned poet, he adds: "I want to live for another thousand of years."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Wondering if now is the right time to refinance in Fort Lauderdale, FL? Turn to our site, where you will find guidelines, tools and calculators to assist in your decision. Trying to gauge how long it will take to break even on a mortgage refinance? We provide a mortgage break-even refinance calculator to guide your» Read more
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Money market account rates are low throughout the nation. The average national money market account rate is currently at 0.11 percent. But you can use our tools in order to find the best money market account and rates in Paducah, KY, today. Insured up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, money market accounts are safe» Read more
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Defective Medical Device Lawsuits | Harmful Medical Device Side Effects | Harmful Medical Device Complications
A Personal Injury Law Firm For Harmful Medical Device Side Effect Lawsuits and Dangerous Medical Device Complication Lawsuits
Every year millions of people use a variety of medical devices believing they are safe, that their quality of life will improve, and that there is little chance of serious health risk, allowing them to live healthier and more effective lives. Yet many improperly manufactured medical devices can leave users at risk for a variety of debilitating injuries. The risk becomes even higher for people who require their long-term use. Wright & Schulte LLC is a personal injury law firm with experienced medical device attorneys on staff. We are continually evaluating cases involving defective medical devices throughout the United States. If you or a loved one has been injured due to a defective medical device, Wright & Schulte LLC urges you to contact us by completing the form at right or call us at 1-800-399-0795. For more information involving a specific defective medical devices, defective medical device recalls, or defective medical device lawsuits, please click on one of the links below. If you seek an experienced defective medical device attorney, please fill out the form at the right for a free case review by one of our qualified attorneys.


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Performing arts city
Outstanding drama & dance
World-renowned companies play and dance the night away in The Hague. Enjoy music, opera and theatre at the Royal Theatre. Feel the energy of dance acts during the Holland Dance Festival or CaDance. And be surprised by the performances of the famous Netherlands Dance Theatre.
City of dance
The Hague is always buzzing with the energy of dance. No wonder the royal residence is known as the number one city of dance. It is home to countless dancers, choreographers and dance companies who collaborate with local theatres to produce outstanding performances, festivals and educational events. Here are our tips for upcoming dance events.


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[pic] Fozzie bear pulls rabbi out of hat Scott Walker, it seems, once covered himself in goyish glory with this ADORABLE note to one of his Jewish constituents: Well, it was nice of him to try; he's a real munch. We only hope this won't sour relations with the acidic community, or make things uncomfortable next time he speaks to the Anti-Defecation League. If it does get accused of being anti-semantic, there are other drinks besides that … [Read more...]
L'Heimlich, Mr. Walker! L'Heimlich!
Found on this Tumblr. … [Read more...]
Gut yontiff, Pontiff!
That's what the Jewish Daily Forward can say to Pope Francis, because they just named him one of the 50 most influential Jews in the United States. (Apparently they traditionally choose two non-Jewish candidates who show "respect and an understanding of Jewish culture").Of course, they could just as easily have chosen Benedict XVI or John Paul IIOr Pope Paul VIor Pope John XXIIIand of course Pope Pius XII.So next time you meet the pope and want to wis … [Read more...]
Hey, Gentiles!
This is what I've been trying to tell you. You are not getting nearly enough chicken fat, beets, or fish jelly in your diet. Or tzimmes (which sounds delicious, but is basically a bunch of strangled root vegetables with hot prunes). Yes, gentiles, if you ate more food that looked like this:you wouldn't need this:Found in my local grocery store circular. Oh, New Hampshire. … [Read more...]


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Ask Health Experts and Get Answers to Your Health Question ASAP
The views expressed by me are for educational purposes only and do not establish a doctor patient relationship.
Hi there,
I am Mysticdoc, experienced Internal Medicine Specialist.
I am here to help you with your concerns.
Yes this can be still heart related.
Better to get a stress test.
Another possibility can be hormone problem.
Thyroid gland disorder, testosterone deficiency, adrenal gland disorder
serum TSH, free T4, testosterone level, cortisol in the morning level should be checked.
Also growth hormone deficiency --
serum IGF1 level should be checked.
So these are the possibilities at this moment.
Ill try to get that checked.
yes important
I have meeting with cardiologist tomorrow
ok good
They are going to do echocardiography
ok that should be helpful to look for any valve disorder and heart muscle problem.
So those are two conditions that i could suffer from? Heart or hormone problem?
thank you for your answers
you should definitely get your hormones checked as well.
It was my pleasure to help you today. Best wishes, Please rate the chat Good or Excellent, if you are satisfied with our conversation and do not have any further question, so that I get rewarded for my time & effort. Thank you! Please bookmark my profile for asking further questions! This is the link to my profile: http://www.justanswer.com/medical/expert-mysticdoc/


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Business briefs for March 20
March 19, 2005
McCollum promoted to mortgage loan officer
John McCollum, a Routt County native, has been promoted to mortgage loan officer and will join Holly Rogers at Vectra Bank Colorado's Steamboat Springs branch. McCollum has been with Vectra Bank since 1995 and has expertise in several aspects of the bank, most recently in the role of commercial loan officer. He graduated from Leadership Steamboat in 2002 and is vice president of Ski Town Lions Club and president of South Routt Early Learning Center. As the new mortgage loan officer, McCollum will focus on residential purchase, refinance, construction and lot loans. Call 870-4215.
Realtor Wither hones Internet sales skills
Steamboat Springs
Pete Wither of Colorado Group Realty recently has completed advanced training in the use of Internet sales tools for real estate professionals.
The National Association of Realtors now offers its members the e-PRO certification course. The program is designed to prepare real estate professionals to make the most of Internet technology and to identify, evaluate and implement new Internet business models.
"The real estate industry has undergone a fundamental change over the past five years," Wither said. "Today, more than 70 percent of all buyers and sellers begin their search online. As an e-PRO certified agent, I have knowledge and tools needed to provide my clients with the information they need and the customer service they demand."
Call 870-8899.
Realtor Gold achieves Chairman's Club
Steamboat Springs
Ken Gold, a broker and own-er with RE/MAX Steamboat again qualified for RE/MAX's prestigious Chairman's Club award. The Chairman's Club is the highest level award for sales production in a single year. Gold and his team of Valerie Lish, Lisa Bickford and Liz Langley, also had the highest sales volume at RE/MAX Steamboat.


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When Bob Yolken was a student at Harvard Medical School, he never once heard the term schizophrenia.
Not in a lecture. Not in a clinical rotation. It simply wasn't part of the standard curriculum at Harvard back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The omission did not bother Yolken at the time. Schizophrenia was the domain of psychiatrists, many of whom still attributed the illness to bad mothering. Yolken was more interested in virology; and if someone at the time had suggested that a virus or other microbe had anything to do with schizophrenia, says Yolken, "the idea would have seemed pretty far-out."
Today, however, Yolken the virologist spends a good portion of his research time studying a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which he is "strongly convinced" contributes to schizophrenia. Yolken's work culminates three decades of research in pursuit of infectious agents that may be connected to the disabling brain disorder—and which Yolken hopes will lead to better drugs for patients who are plagued by the disease (roughly 1 percent of the adult U.S. population).
The shift in Yolken's career direction began with a phone call.
It came around 1980 from a psychiatrist named E. Fuller Torrey at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, in Washington, D.C. Torrey had become intrigued by theory that challenged conventional notions of schizophrenia. The new idea was that a microbe of some sort might cause the disease. Several lines of evidence had led him to this conclusion, including long-forgotten reports published in the late 1800s describing patients who had experienced psychoses during the course of an infectious illness. Torrey tried discussing his idea with other scientists, to no avail. "People thought it was an absurd idea," he recalls.
Then a colleague suggested that Torrey contact Yolken, who by then had earned an international reputation as a specialist in viruses that cause severe diarrhea in children. Yolken had no experience in neurovirology. However, he had begun reading an emerging literature suggesting that some infectious agents might not only cause acute infections; they might also contribute to certain chronic diseases.
Yolken listened patiently on the phone while Torrey elaborated his thesis. When Torrey had finished, Yolken told him, "It sounds like an interesting idea."
Their conversation led to a research study and then, over the next 30 years, to many others—as well as to a close friendship. (The pair plot their research plans at sporting events—baseball, lacrosse, hockey.) The two scientists have examined the connection between schizophrenia and a host of different microbes, including cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and influenza. While several of those studies have presented intriguing leads, says Yolken, the most substantial evidence implicates Toxoplasma, which is where he now focuses most of his research energy.
T. gondii can reside in many different warm-blooded animals—rats, mice, cows, cats, people. But it requires a feline host to complete its life cycle. It forms oocysts, or spores, in the cat's intestines that are shed in the cat's feces. A person can contract an infection by emptying a litter box, or ingesting meat or water contaminated with the parasite. If a pregnant woman passes T. gondii to her unborn child, the infection, or toxoplasmosis, may cause mental retardation, hearing loss, or other problems.
Most cases of toxoplasmosis go unnoticed or cause only mild symptoms easily mistaken for a cold or flu. In fact, about one-third of all people worldwide have probably contracted T. gondii infection. "Toxoplasma is remarkable in its ability to infect humans," says Yolken. "I probably have Toxoplasma organisms in my brain."
It is these latent infections that Yolken and Torrey believe may raise the risk of schizophrenia.
The scientists are cautious here. First, they say, Toxoplasma appears to be involved in some, but far from all, cases of schizophrenia. Second, Toxoplasma alone does not appear sufficient to cause the disease. Most likely, a number of factors are required—genes, various environmental triggers—and the combination may not be the same in every person.
But in cases where T. gondii does play a role, the researchers propose, the initial infection probably occurs early in life—in the womb or during early childhood. Then, later in life, a second "hit" may reactivate the parasite; this resurgence then may help bring about schizophrenia, perhaps especially in people with a genetic predisposition to the disease. Yolken cannot say precisely what the second "hit" may be. One possibility is that the hormonal shifts of adolescence play a role, a theory that would help explain why most cases of schizophrenia appear in the late teens and early 20s.
Dozens of studies now support the theory connecting T. gondii to schizophrenia. Many of these are antibody studies, which compare, for example, the level of Toxoplasma antibodies in blood drawn from people who have schizophrenia and those who don't. Yolken and Torrey recently performed a meta-analysis of all the scientifically rigorous studies on T. gondii antibodies in schizophrenia. Their results, which involved 23 studies in all, showed that patients with schizophrenia were almost three times as likely as those without to test positive for T. gondii antibodies. The study appeared in the 2007 Schizophrenia Bulletin.
Another area of investigation has begun to reveal the mechanisms T. gondii might use when infecting the brain, and how they might help give rise to schizophrenia. One clue, says Yolken, comes from studies by scientists in Britain showing that T. gondii has genes that are critical for the production of dopamine. Numerous studies have tied excess dopamine to schizophrenia, but scientists have struggled to explain the source of the irregularity. Now, at least in some patients, T. gondii may offer the answer.
But Yolken is not content to stop there. While existing research shows correlation, definitive proof can only come by demonstrating causation. Toward that end, Yolken is now attempting to show that a drug that inhibits T. gondii can cure schizophrenia, or at least reduce its symptoms.
The drug that appears most promising is a compound called artemisinin, an extract of the weed Artemesia annua, or sweet wormwood, which grows wild in China. Yolken learned about the compound on a trip to China in 2005 where he met scientists who had demonstrated that artemisinin could kill T. gondii. To Yolken, the implications were obvious: The drug might be a treatment for schizophrenia.
Back at Hopkins, Yolken launched a project aimed at designing new derivatives of artemisinin and testing the compounds' ability to target T. gondii. He asked virologist Lorraine Brando to lead the studies.
The trick to the research is finding an artemisinin derivative that inhibits T. gondii but does not harm neurons. Several derivatives appear to fulfill these requirements, says Yolken, findings that he and Brando and their colleagues reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. They are now planning animal studies.
Yolken is also beginning a clinical trial of an artemisinin compound not yet gained FDA approval. During the eight-week trial, schizophrenia patients will take daily artemisinin pills, while the researchers test their blood for levels of T. gondii antibodies and monitor their symptoms. "Our hope," says Yolken, "is to identify infections like toxoplasmosis, and by treating those infections to take the incurable disease that is schizophrenia and make people better."
Such an accomplishment, he says, is not without precedent. Doctors used to believe that stress alone caused peptic ulcers—until Australian physician Barry Marshall proposed that the condition arose from a bacterium, a claim he proved by swallowing a cup of the bacteria and then curing himself of the ensuing ulcer with an antibiotic. "No one," says Yolken, "thought it would work."