DR STEPHEN MAK A FRAUD?

Eating Fruit - this opened my eyes

Another circulating email:

True or false?

Nothing beats a balanced diet that includes lots
of fruit and vegetables for healthy living.
But is Dr Stephen Mak really genuine?

Dr Stephen Mak treats terminal ill cancer patients by un-orthodox way and many patients recovered. Before he used solar energy to clear the illnesses of his patients. He believes on natural healing in the body against illnesses. See his article below.

Thanks for the email on fruits and juices. It is one of the strategies to heal cancer. As of late, my success rate in curing cancer is about 80%. Cancer patients shouldn't die. The cure for cancer is already found. It is whether you believe it or not. I am sorry for the hundreds of cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments.

Thanks and God bless.

- Dr Stephen Mak

EATING FRUIT...

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! * FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.
Continued below . . . . .

The Asker Trilogy

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil....

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Greying hair, balding, nervous outburst and dark circles under the eyesall these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

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There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink onlyfresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Skeptimedia has this to say:

6 September 2010. One of the most common medical scams is the "natural" cures scam and it is particularly pernicious for cancer patients. Combine fear of death with fear of radiation treatments and chemotherapy, add hope for an effective therapy that is cheap, easy, and avoids the painful and boring treatments of science-based medicine, and you have a prescription for a powerful opiate for the vulnerable. Throw in a healthy dose of ignorance about human physiology and some mistrust of the "medical establishment" and the quackaloon's job of luring you into his fantasy world of fabricated bodily processes and natural cures is as easy as setting up an authoritative-looking website.

Currently making the rounds in a chain e-mail among the natural cures crowd is an alleged letter from an alleged "Dr. Stephen Mak." (There's even a Facebook page for this e-mail.) I can find nothing about this Mak fellow except the same alleged e-mail and article from him that appears on hundreds, maybe thousands, of websites. The e-mail is usually prefaced with a paragraph about Mak being a friend known through a BSF course [Bible Study Fellowship course?]. The preface is usually posted with an "article" that contains a number of absurd, false, and deceptive claims about the human body and cancer. (A Google search of the first line of the preface to the e-mail gives about 35,200 results. The BSF course must be held in a very large room.)

First, the preface and the e-mail:

Dr. Stephen Mak treats terminal [sic] ill cancer patients by "un-orthodox" way [sic] and many patients recovered. He explained to me before he is using solar energy to clear the illnesses of his patients. He believes on [sic] natural healing in the body against illnesses.*

[The carelessness of the people passing on this garbage is evident by the fact that none of them even bothers to clean up the grammar of this alleged friend of Dr. Mak.]

Thanks for the email on fruits and juices. It is one of the strategies to heal cancer. As of late, my success rate in curing cancer is about 80%. Cancer patients shouldn't die. The cure for cancer is already found. It is whether you believe it or not? [sic] I am sorry for the hundreds of cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments. Very few can live for 5 years under the conventional treatments and most live for only about 2 to 3 years. The conventional treatments do not make any difference because most cancer patients also live for about 2 to 3 years without undergoing any treatment. It is difficult to cure those cancer patients who have undergone chemo and radiotherapy as their cells are toxic and weak. When there is a relapse, the cancer will spread very fast as the resistance is poor.

Thanks and God bless.
Dr Stephen Mak

I'm not an expert on cancer treatment, but I do know that there are different kinds of cancers and that some cancers are much more amenable to treatment than others. Some have high success rates and some don't. A competent writer on this subject would not make a blanket statement about cancer patients' survival rates. Furthermore, even I know that treating cancer with toxic chemicals doesn't make the cells toxic, as this person claims. The claim about relapses and rapid spreading because "resistance is poor" is something I'd like to see the evidence for.

The top result of my Google search for "Dr Stephen Mak" was a site called Morning Liberty run by a fellow named Robert "RJ" A. Hender Jr. Google says it found about 2,450,000 results for "Dr Stephen Mak." I narrowed it down to under 100,000 by adding "cancer cure" to the search. Now the number one hit was a site called Panacea-BOCAF (BOCAF stands for building our children a future). RJ posts the phony cancer cure material without comment. Panacea-BOCAF lists many phony cancer cures. The type of person who might be attracted to this site is revealed by the first message one sees:

History and contiuned [sic] recent cases have shown that there have been many alternative cancer cure treatments in existence which have shown successful results. These results remain virtually un known [sic] by consensus reality and go un reported [sic] to the mainstream medical establishment. This is due to (as case files here illustrate) suppression!

Completely oblivious to the contradiction, the next paragraph asserts that the mainstream press continues to report on the success of these suppressed alternatives. I've written about a couple of these cures and their promoters, e.g., Royal Rife and radionics and Hulda Clark. Panacea-BOCAF lists Dr. Stephen Mak as a "research link" that takes you to Chris Walker's blog where, under the heading of "Eating Fruit", Walker posts the alleged article by the alleged Dr. Mak with the prefatory remark "I got this article by email and it sounds perfect from a Tibetan Medicine angle."

I looked at about a dozen of the pages that reproduced the Mak stuff. None offer any critical comments except those offered by readers, some of whom recognize nonsense when they read it. One blog (YellowStarEssentials) posts Mak's stuff with the heading "Eat Fruit to Cure Cancer, Get Healthy and Lose Weight." Mak does claim to cure cancer in his alleged e-mail, but his article doesn't claim that fruit cures cancer. Rather the article puts forth a false claim that has been circulating on the Internet since 1998, according to Barbara Mikkelson of Snopes.com. A chef living in Singapore, Devagi Sanmugam, claimed that fruit should be eaten on an empty stomach because that will help you "detoxify," get energy, and lose weight. This claim was also made by Dr. Herbert Shelton (1895-1985), a naturopath who is cited in the Mak article and who was arrested and jailed many times for practicing medicine without a license.

Over the years, Sanmugam's advice about eating fruit on an empty stomach has made the rounds in various e-mails with additional claims. One added bit of misinformation is the notion that as soon as fruit comes into contact with food in the stomach and digestive juices "the entire mass of food begins to spoil." That bit of nonsense about food rotting in your gut if you eat fruit after other food may have originated with Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, according to Mikkelson. The Diamonds authored Fit for Life, a collection of false, misleading, and unproven claims about food and health.

Another anonymous e-mail added a list of several fruits with some accurate information about their vitamin and mineral contents joined with unsubstantiated claims about dissolving kidney stones by eating oranges, lowering your risk of colon cancer by eating apples, relieving constipation by eating guavas, "boosting your immune system," and preventing cancer with antioxidants. These e-mails seem to be a variation on the Chinese whispering game. Eventually, a version emerged that includes the claim that eating fruits prevents cancer. In any case, the Mak article making the rounds today seems to be a cut and paste job from several e-mails going back more than a decade. Along the way, a few juicy tidbits of misinformation have been added, besides the notions about fruits already mentioned:

You can prevent gray hair, balding, nervous outbursts, and dark circles under the eyes by eating fruit on an empty stomach.

Eating fruits on an empty stomach leads to a longer and happier life.

If you drink canned or bottled fruit juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.

Do not drink cold water after a meal because doing so will cause cancer.

This last bit of nonsense about cold water causing cancer is defended by the following piece of "reasoning":

.... the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

The idea that fruits cure cancer is being promoted by Raj and Suzanne who run a website called A Way of Life. They publish articles online by such characters as Jasmuheen and Deepak Chopra. They list Dr. Stephen Mak as one of their authors. His only article is the one we've been talking about. A Google search for "Eating Fruit - This Opened My Eyes" yields more than 20,000 potential sources for a set of unsubstantiated medical claims that have been exposed as fraudulent many times during the past decade. There's nothing wrong with eating fresh fruit and veggies, but almost every claim these fruitarians make has no scientific merit whatsoever. That would be evil enough, but the thousands who pass on this misinformation as if it were unquestionably true are guilty of a greater evil: they don't question either the source or the claims being made. They're paving the road to hell with their uncritical devotion to anyone claiming to have a natural cure that "they" have suppressed. No wonder Kevin Trudeau has so many groveling suppliants.

Sites to check for the truth: Skepdic.com  Snopes.com and Hoax-slayer.com

Peter’s Piece

Who, and where, is Dr Stephen Mak?

In my search for the elusive Dr Stephen Mak, the nearest I was able to get to him was a Dr Stephen Mark, a psychiatrist in Waco, Texas who has a clean record with his patients and the authorities. He probably wastes a good part of his day explaining to people that he is a Mark rather than a Mak.

Mak only Googles in connection with the above so-called cures and advice. It would be safe to conclude that if he exists at all (and he possibly does under another name) he is probably making a lot of money from gullible people before they die.

If anyone has any positive proof that Dr Stephen Mak is a real person, please post your evidence in the comment space below.

Books by Peter Blakeborough

LOW BRIDGE CRASHES

Senator calls for
GPS standards for trucks

By David Tanner, Land Line associate editor

There should be more signs like this one. But even this one may be
inadequate at night if it is not illuminated. It also appears to be too
close to the bridge for a quick stop. The sign should have been erected
at the last intersection before the bridge.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, says GPS devices are to blame for leading trucks onto roadways where they can collide with low-clearance bridges.

Schumer’s office notified OOIDA on Monday that the senator plans to ask the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue specific GPS standards for trucks to reduce the number of bridge strikes.

Truckers familiar with the aging New York infrastructure say problems with bridge strikes can be tied to inexperience as well as the type of devices some truckers carry.

“The problem is GPS units that people use that are not for trucks; they’re for cars,” New York trucker Bob Boehm said. “It runs these guys onto the parkways and it takes their tops off.”

Sen. Schumer is citing an August 2011 report titled Bridge Vehicle Impact Assessment, published by the New York State Department of Transportation, to make his case.

The report evaluated crash hotspots in the state and New York City, and indicated that as many as 80 percent of truck strikes on low-clearance bridges involved the use – or misuse – of GPS devices that routed trucks onto parkways.

“A majority of these trucks are from out-of-state locations,” the report authors stated.

The report notes more issues at play than just GPS. In some cases, the posted warning signs were inadequate or placed too close to the bridge to make a difference.

“By the time a truck driver sees these signs, it is already too late for them to stop,” the report authors noted, adding that warnings in some areas were “hardly visible” during the night . . . .

Full story at Landline Magazine

Peter’s Piece

There seems to be an inference that out-of-state truckers are a problem when it comes to New York’s low bridges.

But out-of-state truckers driving 18 wheelers are usually the majority of truckers in most states, including New York. The reason New York has a problem is because New York has more than its share of problem bridges.

Approaching an unexpected low bridge at night or in fast and heavy traffic can be an alarming experience and I’ve written more about low bridges in Highway America

GPS is a handy system that can make navigating easier, but drivers should never rely solely on GPS. Nothing can completely replace careful pre-trip planning, map reading, keeping a sharp eye out for signage and good old fashioned common sense. 

For e-books: Peter Blakeborough's Books

TRAVEL SOUTH AMERICA

 How to spend

 48 hours in Lima, Peru

by Katie Kurtessis 

Lima's Plaza Mayor.  Photo Matthew Barker

As with many capital cities, Lima can be an overwhelming, confusing and intimidating metropolis. As the transport hub of Peru, it is a city that is all but impossible to avoid, and many travelers are confronted with the choice of either skipping Lima’s barely organized chaos and getting out of town as fast as possible, or spend some time trying to penetrate the sprawling capital.

The answer is simple: don’t skip Lima. Peru’s culture, government, history, and legendary gastronomy all come together in the city that lines the bluffs along the Pacific Ocean. You could spend years exploring Lima’s crevices, but here’s how to do it in 48 hours.

Parque Kennedy

If your flight has arrived on Friday night, the long cab right from the airport has probably left you feeling exhausted, but curious. Grab a hotel in Miraflores. There are all different price ranges in the area, but the closer you are to Parque Kennedy, the more lively the local.

Drop your things and hunt down a low-key dinner. Around Calle de las Pizzas on Parque Kennedy does not serve up the greatest dishes, but it is a good place for a quick and easy bite and some fabulous people-watching. Try Peru’s famous pisco sour, a brandy made from grapes. Careful though- it sneaks up on you quickly and just two can leave you wobbling as you stand up. If you’re a party animal, explore the lively (albeit overpriced) bars. If not, you’re not missing much- get some sleep for the next day.

Saturday morning begins early for adventure junkies. The coastline along Lima is renowned for its surf. Head down to the beach for a lesson at around 6AM- don’t forget to rent a wetsuit! Even if surfing isn’t for you, watching the locals shred the waves before work is a sight in itself. Get back to your hotel for breakfast and a quick shower before the busy day begins.

Barranco

From your hotel in Miraflores grab a cab to Barranco, and ask to be let out at the Bajada de Baños. Barranco is Lima’s Bohemian arts district, and is home to decadent homes that are enough to make anyone want to buy one of those fixer-uppers. The Bajada is a small walkway that leads down to the ocean. With restaurants and homes built into the cut-out cliffs, the architectural beauty of the walk will astound you.

Head all the way down and cross the pedestrian bridge for another glimpse of the beach. If your appetite is up, stop by one of the restaurants for a snack. Otherwise, continue onto the main square in Barranco for a better close-up of the old homes that coat the sidewalks.

After taking in Barranco, take a cab to Museo Larco. The museum is housed in an 18^th Century museum, and is one of the largest private collections of Peruvian artifacts from a wide span of cultures.  However, the museum is perhaps better known for its interesting collection of erotic artifacts- housed in a separate building in case you want to keep your trip family-friendly.

Plaza Mayor

Following Museo Larco, take one more ride over to Plaza Mayor. Plaza Mayor is Lima’s true downtown and home to its government buildings. The detailed architecture is stunning, but the best history lies in the Convento de San Francisco. A still-running monastery, it is also the home to the Catacombs that house 25,000 skeletons dating back over three hundred years. English tours are available, and provide ample time to view the neatly piled bones below. Another highlight is Peruvian artist Diego de la Puentes’ take on the Last Supper- complete with cuy (guinea pig) as the central plate.

Head back to Miraflores to change for dinner. Lima’s gastronomy is unparalleled and it is difficult to go wrong. Many Peruvians will point you in the direction of restaurants owned by one of their most famous chefs: Gaston Acurio. Panchita and Astrid y Gaston are two favorites.  If you can move after one of his meals, head back to Barranco to check out what is known as Lima’s best of nightlife.

Sunday Morning

On Sunday morning you might need to take it slow, so walk down to Larcomar to explore the shopping center that seems precariously built into the bluffs. Take a walk down the Malecón, a path leading along the hills above the coast, to the Parque del Amor. See the unique statue, but also to ask about parasailing. Though the trip is short, the expansive view of Lima and the ocean are well worth it. Grab lunch in Larcomar before heading in taxi to the Museo de la Nación for a comprehensive overview of Peru’s history and culture.

Following the museum, head over to the Circuito Mágico del Agua. This new park opens at dusk and provides a stunning collection of fountains that light up, dance, and create a million ways to play. If it is warm, enjoy playing in the water, but cooler nights are just as enthralling. Though you may not want to leave, head back to Parque Kennedy to see if any artisans have set up shop. After a long day, dinner is warranted. Brujas de Cachiche is another favorite, but it is hard to go wrong in Lima.  After dinner, get your rest. This was only the 48 hours of your trip.

Lima is not to be missed. Often capital cities hide their beauty, but knowing where to look will provide a stunning overview of Peru for everything it is: culture, art, food, adventure, and wonderful people.

More at http://southamerica.amateurtraveler.com

WILD ROADS

Bolivia’s Road of Death:
El Camino de la Muerte

By Alain Denis on May 8, 2012

After recovering from my climbing experience on Huayna Potosi, a new chapter was about to begin. We found a buyer for Angela’s motorcycle in La Paz. She needed to return home to Santiago, Chile to help her father with his business. From now on, I was going to continue riding south solo.

I had heard about the Yungas Road commonly known as “El Camino de la Muerte” or “The Road of Death.” Said to be the most dangerous road in the world, I needed to ride it to believe it.

This deadly 60 km stretch between the city of La Paz and the town of Coroico is estimated to claim the lives of over 100 travelers each year.

Between 1932 and 1935 Bolivia and Paraguay fought the Chaco War, a bloody conflict over control of the northern part of the Gran Chaco (Chaco Boreal) region, incorrectly believed to be rich in oil. Both landlocked countries wanted to expand their territories to gain better access to the Paraguay River, which would give the winning country access to the Atlantic Ocean. Although the Chaco Boreal was sparsely populated, control of the river was of great economic importance to both of the poor countries. The conflict was devastating to both sides, resulting in the loss of 100,000 soldiers on both sides. Finally, in 1935 Paraguay would claim victory over Bolivia, establishing the Chaco Boreal as Paraguayan territory. 

During the war, Paraguayan prisoners were put to work building the Yungas Road, which winds into the clouds and reaches an altitude of 4,700 meters before descending to 1,200 meters near the town of Coroico. As the road descends, the terrain transforms from the cool and dry Altiplano to dense rainforest.

In most places the road is no more than four meters across, a small ribbon seemingly draped around a steep, never-ending cliff, plunging hundreds of meters. Hairpin turns and countless blind corners without guard rains would make for a deadly road, but additional dangers abound – during the dry season, the dust from passing vehicles makes it nearly impossible to see. During the rainy season, the road is crossed by numerous streams and the soil becomes slimy, slick goo with no traction. Falling rocks cascade from the towering cliffs above the road and mudslides are an ever-present threat. 

The rules of the road specify that the downhill driver never has the right of way – they must move to the outer edge of the road to let the vehicle coming uphill pass on the inside. Often there is no room for two vehicles to pass, so the downhill driver must reverse uphill to find a wider spot, paying very, very close attention to what he is doing and keeping his fingers crossed that another vehicle doesn’t come downhill while he is reversing uphill. 

In Bolivia, vehicles drive on the right side of the road, as in the United States, but on the Yungas Road, drivers must use the left side of the road, which gives the left-hand drive vehicle’s operator a much better view over his outside wheel, often only inches from where the road plunges steeply into space.

On July 24th 1983, a bus veered off the road down into the deep canyon killing more than 100 passengers in what is said to be Bolivia’s worst road accident. Furthermore at least 20 cyclists have died since 1998 while riding with guided adventure tours, which are popular on the Yungas Road. Even after reading about all these crazy stories, I had to try it.

Now that a new paved road to Coroico has been built, only a small amount of traffic continues to use the Yungas Road and it is now mostly used for guided adventure mountain bike tours. 

After dropping off Angela at the airport, I packed my bags and headed for the adventure. As I climbed out of La Paz along the twisting paved scenic mountain road, the scenery quickly changed from dry brown Altiplano to greener lush, deep canyons. I noticed some big sign off the main highway, which looked like it could be the beginning of the “Camino.” I asked a kid outside a bus while he was checking the air pressure of the tires, preparing for a long bumpy ride.  ”Camino de la Muerte?”

Paperback books: http://www.gypsybooks.co.nz
E-books: Smashwords Peter Blakeborough

“Si si,” the kid told me. I let out some air from my tires as well and started to make my way down the dusty curves. It didn’t seem as scary as I expected it to be. No steep cliffs, nothing different from any other mountain roads I had ridden in Ecuador or Peru. Some 80 km later, I saw a sign – 100 km to the next town! – and it wasn’t Coroico.

Great, I’m lost, took the wrong turn! Too far to turn around I decided to continue along since it was quite scenic and hoping I would eventually get to my destination. Passing by major landslides and very narrow parts, I stopped at a small run down shack selling cold drinks. “Camino de la Muerte?” I asked an elderly man. He looked at me confused, as if wondering what in hell is this gringo doing here.

“Si, si,” he said as he pointed down the road.

I soon figured out that in Bolivia, all roads are “camino de la muerte!”

Four hours later I found myself passing through small villages, I was happy to finally see sign of civilization. Now asking for Coroico, – 20 minutes one guy told me. 20 minutes later, “Coroico?” – “si“ 20 minutes… Two hours later, finally a sign appears Coroico – 15 km – Now… I was 20 minutes away! I arrived in town beat tired just before sunset.

Sitting next to my bike by the Plaza I heard, “Hey Mister!” As a young kid pulled over next to me on his BMX.

“Me, Renaldo. You need room?” he asked in his broken English. “ Si ” I said, following him down the cobblestone road to a beautiful hostel overlooking the lush green Yungas region valley and high mountains.

A friendly lady opened a big gated door to let me roll in my filthy, muddy bike. She noticed how exhausted I looked. My face covered in dust and my clothes in mud, she quickly gave me a room so I could clean up with a warm shower. I was relieved.

The next morning I enjoyed a nice breakfast and coffee while admiring the incredible views over the never ending green rainforest. I accounted my detour adventure to the owner of the hostel and he laughed. He pointed out across the valley a twisty road disappearing into the mountains “ Camino de la Muerte” he says. “Oh!!!” I had ended up doing a 180 remote detour and luckily didn’t run out of gas!

He also pointed out to me across the valley the new paved highway to La Paz.

“Mas seguro,” he said, insisting that I take that road for my own safety. I ignored his wise advice of course, I came to ride the famous road of death and wasn’t going to ride some new paved highway instead.

Wired on a few super strong cups of coffee, I was anxious and ready to get on the road. I waved goodbye to my friend Renaldo and cruised down the cobblestone streets to fuel up at a gas station. Chatting with the guy at the pump, he asked if I was going to ride the NEW road.

“No. No,” I said, “Camino de la Muerte!”

“Ohhh” he said, “Peligroso!” and then he warned me of the dangers and about the gringos coming down with mountain bikes. My friend Renaldo had also told me the same, leave early because the tours come down around 11 am.

“Loco Gringos,” he said.

Now with the knowledge on where to find the right road, I raced up the dirt track until the road started to get narrower, barely enough for a small car to squeeze by around the tight curves, the drop-off falling into the abyss on my right side and endless steep walls to my left. As I gained altitude, thick fog made the riding more exciting and sometimes I couldn’t see more then a few feet ahead. I passed a couple minivans coming down at turtle speed. I was happy to be on a motorbike rather then a car and really didn’t see how they dealt with oncoming traffic.

As the fog cleared, I continued racing up at good speed. While going around a corner a group of mountain bikers were riding downhill. The leader of the group never saw me coming and I could see that I had scared the life right out of him! He slammed on his brakes and nearly went flying over the 500 meter drop. What was he thinking – that the whole road was only reserved for gringos on mountain bikes? Luckily for him I wasn’t a big truck.

An hour later, I was back on paved road. I had survived the famous death road but nearly killed one biker. My detour the previous day had turned out to be even more of a “Camino de la Muerte.” Had I run out of gas, crashed, or broke down I would still be stranded there, as I didn’t see a single soul along 100 km of dirt single track road.

I was happy to ride asphalt surface again after 250 km of nerve racking, twisty, dusty dirt. I reached the pass of La Cumbre, passing by more mountain bikers getting ready to race down the death track so they could proudly own a T-shirt titled “I survived the Camino de la Muerte.”

While approaching La Paz, I was cruising at 100 km/hr when a pack of dogs appeared on the side of the road out of nowhere. I only had a chance to slow down to about 80 km/hr when one of them ran straight into my front wheel. I nearly lost control when my bike started to wobble at high speed. Luckily I was able to hold it together but when looking back, the poor dog was sent flying on its back 50 meters in the middle of the highway. I was too shocked and shaken by the impact to even turn around. Behind me was a semi truck I had just overtaken a kilometer back. The pack of dogs where all surrounding the one dog lying still on its back. I could only imagine with the trucker coming at fast speed around the corner what the damage was going to be.

I kept on riding to my hostel in La Paz still trembling from my experience. 

From  http://www.letsbewild.com/author/alain-denis/

DOING GOD'S WORK

Amish guilty of hate crime
in beard cutting attacks

Friday Sep 21, 2012

Members of the Amish community enter the US Federal Courthouse
in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo / AP

An Amish bishop and 15 followers were convicted in the US state of Ohio of hate crime charges Thursday for a series of beard-cutting attacks against those they deemed had strayed from the faith.

Federal prosecutors argued that Samuel Mullet - who considered himself a god and above the law - unleashed a band of renegades who waged a "campaign of terror" against nine religious enemies and estranged family members last year.

"The evidence was that they invaded their homes, physically attacked these people and sheared them almost like animals," said US Attorney Steven Dettelbach.

"Our community and our nation must have zero tolerance for this type of religious intolerance."

The four separate raids were mainly carried out at night, with the victims forced out of bed, their beards and hair chopped off with horse mane shears and battery-powered clippers, and the roughshod barber work documented with embarrassing snapshots on a disposable camera.

Beards and long hair are sacred symbols of an Amish follower's devotion to God, and to cut them is humiliating.

Defense lawyers argued that the beard-cutting forays never reached the level of a hate crime - for conviction, a religious motive and bodily injury, including disfigurement, must be proven.

They argued that love and compassion drove the hair-cutting conflicts, which were intended to compel the victims to return to a conservative Amish lifestyle.

Mullet, 66, was the religious and social leader of a breakaway settlement of 18 families in Bergholz, a pastoral farming community of rolling hills and valleys located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Cleveland.

The father of 18 children, and a multi-millionaire, Mullet was charged with ordering the beard-cutting attacks, but not accused of participating in them.

Among those convicted of conspiracy and federal hate crime charges - which carry a minimum of 17 years behind bars - were three of Mullet's sons.

Mullet's lawyer said he was shocked by the verdicts.

"There was very little, in fact no evidence connecting Sam Mullet to any of these matters," said defense attorney Edward Bryan.

"The government was successful in convincing the jury that he had a Svengali-like influence over these people."

The case attracted widespread media attention, providing a curious public a rare window into the historically reclusive and peaceful Amish society.

For three weeks, the staid courthouse acquired the atmosphere of an Amish communal dining hall, with 16 bearded men and bonneted women seated alongside 16 separate defense lawyers at five tables spread across half of the courtroom.

The gallery was typically filled with Amish observers gathered for the spectacle - the men clad in denim and suspenders, the women in aprons and dresses. Supporters of the prosecution sat on one side of the aisle, supporters of the Bergholz clan on the other.

Witnesses portrayed Mullet as a fire-and-brimstone preacher and iron-fisted autocrat who imposed strict and often bizarre discipline on his flock of 18 families. Several labeled the group a cult.

Mullet read and censored all ingoing and outgoing mail, punished wrongdoers with spanking and confinement in chicken coops, and had sex with several of the young married women under the guise of marital counseling and absolution.

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Peter’s Piece

One can only trust that the court will persuade the Ohio Amish of the error of their ways.

But religious zealotry is not confined to the Amish. It is standard practice in many religions to use intimidation, punishment, shame and even physical force in doing ‘God’s work.’

Some religious leaders seem to believe that they are above the law and their followers should not complain about their treatment, however vile it may be.

In most democracies the citizens can have an input into the law-making process and can even visit the legislature and witness the enactment of new laws, or the repeal of old laws.

But no one can honestly say that they have made submissions to God on God’s laws, or that they have witnessed God enacting any laws, and God help us if lawyers ever get into the business of advising on God’s laws.

A RICH BOY'S TOY

HondaJet Design
Wins 2012 AIAA Award

By Flying Staff / Published: Sep 20, 2012

The HondaJet

Even as the large-light HondaJet continues to make headway in flight and ground testing toward a scheduled 2013 certification, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is recognizing the man behind the aircraft – president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Michimasa Fujino – for the aerodynamic innovations that lie within the jet’s distinctive design.

The Institute has awarded Fujino the 2012 AIAA Aircraft Design Award for the HondaJet’s most unique and eye-catching characteristic – it’s over-the-wing engine configuration – a design feature that sets it apart from its peers in the light-jet category and defies traditional engineering . . . .

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