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News From Elsewhere (5 unread)

Yosemite shrouded in smokeYosemite National Park News

Posted: July 29th, 2008, 8:59am EDT by (author unknown)

Thousands of firefighters continued to battle a growing blaze in the Yosemite area Monday, hampered by steep terrain and high temperatures.
No More Cases of Norovirus Reported in YosemiteYosemite Blog

Posted: July 25th, 2008, 1:09am EDT by Loyd

No new cases of a norovirus that has been circulating among hikers and backpackers in the Tuolumne Meadows area have been reported since 30 people reported symptoms a week ago.

The Modesto Bee: “About 30 people came down with symptoms consistent with the norovirus infection at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and High Sierra camps in the area, said Shane Sims, a specialist in the safety office at Yosemite National Park.

The lodge, at an elevation of 8,775 feet, serves as a base camp for day hikers and backpackers. Park rangers began receiving illness reports the weekend of July 12-13; the cases tapered off last week.

About five hikers with severe symptoms were airlifted from the High Sierra camps, Sims said. Of the six people known to have sought medical attention, all were released from care, officials said.

‘Many of the people who were ill were traveling in tight groups, so it was easy for the illness to spread in those groups,’ Sims said, adding, ‘People shouldn’t fear coming into the park. It appears to be under control.’

Experts with the National Park Service Office of Public Health concluded it was norovirus infection, a common intestinal illness, based on one person testing positive and symptoms that included low-grade fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The illness comes on quickly and goes away in 24 to 48 hours. The highly contagious virus can be spread through contaminated food, water or fecal matter. But park officials said they found no evidence that meals served at the lodge or the camps triggered the outbreak.

It’s also spread by person-to- person contact and easily could have been brought by any of the thousands of people who visit the park each day, officials said. Sims noted there have been other norovirus outbreaks this summer in Mariposa County.”
US vs. UK: Punk Rock Throwdown | JamsBio Biologbiolog.jamsbio.com

Posted: July 24th, 2008, 6:27pm EDT by (author unknown)

A colossal punk rock throwdown. Whose punk scene reigned supreme, US or UK? You decide!
Third Time a Charm for Florine and HirayamaYosemite Blog

Posted: July 2nd, 2008, 10:33pm EDT by Loyd

There’s a new speed record tonight for climbing the nose route up El Capitan this time the record his held by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama who made it to the top in 2 hours and 43 minutes breaking a record set last year by two German brothers.

SF Gate: “A Lafayette rock climber and his Japanese partner toe hooked, finger jammed and shimmied 3,000 feet straight up the nose of El Capitan Wednesday, taking from Germany the record for fastest time on the iconic route.

Hans Florine, 44, who grew up in Moraga, and Yuji Hirayama, 39, of Hidaka, Japan, pulled themselves over the top of the immense slab of granite and touched the tree that serves as the finish line on top of El Capitan in two hours and 43 minutes, faster than the record set last year by two German brothers.”
Seero - Steve_McQueen - Bullitt Chase Scenewww.seero.com

Posted: July 1st, 2008, 6:55pm EDT by (author unknown)

Video on location: The famous chase scene from Bullitt. Watch Steve McQueen rip through San Francisco in his Mustang. Expect more famous chase scenes to come.