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Cycling allows you to see places close up and at a slower pace. It keeps you aware of your surroundings and you get to experience a place more intimately than you would as a bus or taxi passenger. You'll see more of street life and meet people going about their daily business. It is also a great way to return from your holidays fitter and healthier than when you left.
Cycling is becoming easier in many western countries for both getting around town or for long distance touring. In Europe, Canada and America, money is being invested in converting old railways, building dedicated cycleways and putting in cycle lanes on busy roads. In Asia and Africa, the pattern is very different. In China, Vietnam and India, the bicycle was often the dominant mode of transport. Here, cycling is in decline, and has been thought of as a sign of past poverty. There is some signs of a return to bike transport in these countries, because of congestion and health benefits, particularly in China. Even in India, cycling is beginning to benefit as it is taken up by parts of the middle classes.
In Africa, the bike has been marginalised for a long time, despite being a cheap way to provide local mobility.
For tourists and adventurers, there are definitely better and worse places to cycle, but there's not many places you can't reach by bike.
Touring routes[edit]
You can tour by yourself, or you can go with a commercial guided tour. These have the advantage of making all the logistical and accommodation arrangements, and usually bringing your luggage along in a van, but can be very pricey.
Touring is quite a popular kind of adventure holiday, and you can find many blogs detailing people's experiences, cycling independently in places you really wouldn't expect.
City sightseeing[edit]
Many cities have bike sharing programs for short-term bike rental, including:
- Paris
- Vienna
- London
- Stockholm
- Denver
- New York City
- Boston
- Washington, D.C.
- Chicago
- Montreal
- Miami Beach
- Hangzhou
- Rio de Janeiro
- Quito
- Buenos Aires
- Lyon
Mountain biking[edit]
Mountain biking deserves an article to itself. Hilly, less accessible places make exhilarating riding, but you will want a bike built for it.
Maps and routes[edit]
Cycling information and routes are usually found online, often from local authorities websites. OpenStreetMap, has user compiled cycling routes available rendered as a layer on its main website, and cycling routing maps available to download to Garmin devices that you can mount on your bike. There are many apps that can be downloaded to smartphones that take advantage of OSM data.
Google Maps also has cycle route layers for many places and Android phones already include it.
Advice and tips for cycle trips[edit]
There's a host of tips and advice available which is helpful especially if you're planning a longer journey. Correctly packed bikes can be taken on most trains, ferries and planes, and even sometimes on buses.
You can bike anywhere, but there are places where cycling is particularly good or easy. These are some of the more popular destinations and cycle routes, to give you a taste of what's possible.
Cycling in Africa has declined, and is below western levels in most countries. This seems to be in part because of poor infrastructure design in most cities and a perception of cycling as dangerous or as associated with poverty. Cape Town has a few cycle paths and lanes, but it is an exception even in South Africa.
Cycling the length of the African continent is one of the great touring challenges. Heat, disease, wild animals, poor roads, bike maintenance and logistical challenges stack up against experiencing the extraordinary landscapes and peoples.
China still has a high proportion of cyclists, although traffic can be dangerous. Cities like Beijing, Shanghai or Suzhou continue to have very good cycle infrastructure, even if car traffic is much more dominant than it once was. There is a 70 km segregated cycle lane between Shanghai and Suzhou. Hong Kong has less cycling than the mainland, but is beginning to become more bike-friendly, with a network of dedicated cycle paths around the New Territories.
The Yunnan-Tibet Highway has become a particularly popular challenge for touring cyclists. The end part of route isn't easily navigable for foreigners, however, because of restrictions on entry to Tibet. See also Yunnan tourist trail and Overland to Tibet.
The Karakoram Highway leading south from western China to Pakistan is a popular, though very challenging, cycle route.
Japan can be a good place for cycling. Drivers are more polite than almost anywhere else and cycling is quite common in some cities, like Kyoto.
An excellent series of maps are called "Touring Mapple". They are produced for Japanese Motorcycle tourists, but have a great deal of useful information for Bicycle tourists. They list scenic routes, campgrounds, hostels, and numerous minor roads. As they are Japanese language they are of limited use for general navigation for those without some Japanese reading skills, however they can be quite useful when supplemented with a Romanji map. Translations of the index are available online.
Bikes are required to be registered at a police station, though this is unlikely to be enforced if you are touring. Officially, cycling on pavements is outlawed, but this seems to be generally overlooked; in any case many pavements are officially dual use. Children, by law, must wear helmets.
A well known route is the Shimanami Kaido Bikeway, that connects the main island of Honshu to Shikoku, and runs from Onomichi City to Imabari City, a distance of 70 km.
Cycling in Taiwan is improving, with new cycle paths, but driving standards are quite poor. Kaohsiung has 150 km of cycle lanes and a city bike hire scheme.
The Samoeng Loop is a 100 km ride that departs Chiang Mai, heads into the mountains to the west, and loops back to the city. Popular with bicyclists and motorcycle aficionados alike.
United Arab Emirates[edit]
One of only three countries in the world which mandates bicycle helmet wearing for all ages (the others being Australia and New Zealand) and, of course, it can be hellishly hot. Fuel and air conditioned vehicles are as cheap here as anywhere in the world and both recreational and commuter cycling is paltry.
Most people still use bicycles in Vietnam, so cycling there can be a good choice. However motorised traffic is rapidly coming to dominate Vietnam's roads, especially near Saigon, meaning it is no longer the cycling paradise it perhaps once was.
National Highway 1 is a well-known route for long cycle tours, being Vietnam's main north-south road. There are plans to upgrade it to a six lane highway however, so it may not be a great route for much longer. The southern 1,100 km tends to be more popular, as it is reputedly more scenic and include long stretches of beach.
A popular alternative is to choose parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which was the network of supply routes used by the Communist north to supply their troops in the south during the Vietnam War. This takes in the rural areas, crosses into Laos, and is much tougher cycling.
Cycling in Pakistan is very common. Cyclists often cycle the Karakoram Highway through the Hunza Valley in Pakistan to China. The Khunjerab Pass, at 4863 m, is the highest paved international border crossing in the world and the highest point on the Karakoram Highway. Organised tours and books about the journey are available.
Cycling in India is very common, and is becoming more popular as a leisure activity. There a number of informally known routes that are popular, but few that are officially designated. A few areas and routes worth mentioning would include:
- Manali to Leh - around 500 km through parts of the Himalayas
- Gujarat
- Sikkim
- Alibag coastal, flat, prone to wind
- Pune to Panshet Dam taking in Sinhagarh Fort
- Kerala
- Bangalore
Australasia and Oceania[edit]
Australia is making efforts to improve cycling, and cities like Brisbane have better routes and city hire schemes. Australia was the first country in the world to impose uniform national mandatory bicycle helmet legislation, beginning in 1990 [1] and it is illegal to ride without a helmet (except that in Tasmania this law only applies on public roads and in the Northern Territories there is an exemption for adults cycling along footpaths or on cycle paths).
Former railway lines in some states of Australia, particularly Victoria have been converted into dual use trails, with detailed maps and online services. [2]
New Zealand[edit]
Cycling is not a major commuter activity in New Zealand (except in Nelson), although it is increasingly popular as a sport and leisure activity and mountain biking is particularly well developed in Nelson.
Beware of buses and trucks on main roads as many drivers will not give you sufficient overtaking clearance; proportionately, five times as many cyclists are injured and killed on New Zealand roads as in the Netherlands or Singapore! You should also be prepared for the large distances between towns and cities and the generally windy weather. While there are some areas of New Zealand that are flat, most tourists cycling in New Zealand will find that they need to be able to cope with long hill climbs and variable weather conditions.
Currently, there is a network of cycleways being built around New Zealand, with some safe and beautiful routes already constructed: NZ Cycleways [3]. Helmets must be worn by law [4].
Most Western and Central European countries have well-developed tourist routes, in addition to commuter cycling in cities.
Pan European routes[edit]
Europe is developing an international network of touring routes, known as EuroVelo. These often follow existing national routes, but bring them together to make thematic and very long journeys, such as the North Sea Route, which takes in the coastlines of the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Norway. The furthest destination east is Moscow. Route 2, the Capitals Route, starts in Galway, Ireland and routes through Dublin, London, Berlin, Warsaw and Minsk before arriving in Moscow.
North South routes[edit]
- EV 1: Atlantic Coast Route (8,186 km): North Cape - Sagres
- EV 3: Pilgrims Route (5,122 km): Trondheim - Santiago de Compostela
- EV 5: Via Romea Francigena (3,900 km): London - Rome and Brindisi
- EV 7: Sun Route (7,409 km): North Cape - Malta
- EV 9: Amber Route (Baltic Sea to Adriatic Sea - 1,930 km): Gdańsk - Pula
- EV 11: East Europe Route (5,984 km): North Cape - Athens
- EV 13: Iron Curtain Trail (10,400 km) Barents Sea – Black Sea
- EV 15: Rhine Route (1,320 km) Andermatt – Hoek van Holland
West-East routes[edit]
- EV 2: Capitals Route: (5,500 km) Galway - Moscow
- EV 4: Central Europe Route: (4,000 km) Roscoff - Kiev
- EV 6: Atlantic Ocean to Black Sea: [5] (4,448 km): Nantes - Constanta. This route includes the Loire valley route and the Danube Cycleway.
- EV 8: Mediterranean Route: (5,888 km): Cádiz - Athens and Cyprus
- EV 10: Baltic Sea Cycle Route: (Hansa circuit - 7,980 km)
- EV 12: North Sea Cycle Route: [6] (5,932 km)
Baltic states[edit]
The picture is mixed in the former Soviet Baltic states, although the capitals like Tallinn have good networks.
- Main article: Cycling in Denmark
Cycling in Denmark is very popular for both recreational and commuting and is often compared to that of the Netherlands. Because of this (or perhaps the other way around) Denmark has a quite extensive bicycle infrastructure, including a network of nationally appreciated bicycle routes extending more than 12,000 km (7,500 mi). In comparison Denmark's famous coastline is only approx. 7,500 km (4,500 mi)!
Finland has generally good cycling in the cities.
Cycling is a national sport in France, but city cycling is not as good as northern Europe, although it is improving in cities like Paris and Lyon. Drivers are relatively good with cyclists.
There are some stunning officially marked leisure routes, that take in many of France's well-known landscapes, like the La Loire à Vélo.
Nearly 15% of journeys are by bike in Berlin and cycling is common in cities like Hamburg. There are over 70,000 km of routes in total. Some of the longer, more famous routes include:
- Berlin-Copenhagen Cycle Route
- Elbe Cycle Route
- Rheinradweg – part of Rhine Cycle Route (EV15)
- Via Claudia Augusta
- Donauradweg - part of EV6
Reykjavík in far northern Iceland has good cycle provision.
In Europe, the Netherlands are the most famous for cycling, with Amsterdam famous for its bikes.
Norway may not seem like a natural cycling destination, but it has some well-developed routes, which take you through some spectacular scenery and along the coastline. Wild camping is permissible in Norway, which makes some of the routes easier.
In Portugal, cycling facilities are improving in Lisbon.
Facilities are developing well in parts of Spain, especially cities. Major roads in Spain also have a standard cycling reservation. Drivers are generally polite to cyclists in Spain.
Most Swedish cities have separate bike/pedestrian paths or lanes. Quality is generally adequate but worse than for example Netherlands and Denmark. Many bike facilities focus on providing a car-free route for children, but may not be designed for speeds above 15 km/h. Some cities (esp Stockholm) have cycle lanes more adapted for adult vehicular cycling. Bike route signage is generally lacking but is improving in many cities (Stockholm, Gothenburg and Lund have mostly good signage).
Inter-city cycling is generally quite possible. Some railway lines have been converted to bike roads, otherwise intercity bikeways are few. Minor roads are usually paved, low-traffic and can be quite suitable for cycling. There are two national networks of signposted routes along mostly minor public roads : "Sverigeleden" and "Cykelspåret".
Bike helmets are mandatory for riders under 15 years old. Using a bike lane is officially mandatory if it's parallel to the road, but many exceptions exist. If the bike lane is not well-kept (for example, full of snow or debris) it's better taking the normal lane. In winter / spring (november - march in Stockholm) studded winter tires are recommended.
Stockholm has a bicycle rental system called Stockholm City Bikes. Some bike rental is available at bike shops in larger cities and some coastal resorts. Some local commuter trains (Stockholm free, Uppsala, Skåne for a fee) allow bikes being taken as-is on board during non-rush hours; otherwise a bike should be folded and put in a bag to be brought on board trains.
Vätternrundan is an open 300-kilometre race for amateur cyclist, starting and finishing in Motala, as a leg of the Swedish Classic Circuit. This race is quite popular; usually sold out one year in advance and with a somewhat hefty entrance fee (1500 SEK). Randonneur long-distance (200 to 1000 km) amateur races / rides are also organized in cities from Malmö to Sundsvall, and usually only require registration at the start or some days in advance.
United Kingdom[edit]
Cycling in the United Kingdom is quite good for leisure routes, with a national network developed and signposted by Sustrans. Some routes follow former railways. Cycling is good in some cities, especially Oxford and Cambridge. London has a network of cycle routes, although they are not as safe or pleasant as a city like Amsterdam. In general, UK city cycling is well below average for Europe.
If you are considering touring in the United Kingdom, it's worth considering buying the maps and guides produced by Sustrans to accompany the national routes they have helped develop. The routes themselves can be found on Open Cycle Map, but Sustrans' guides are helpful for nearby places to stay or visit. See also Cycling in Scotland for an overview of touring and mountain biking.
Middle east[edit]
Beirut's downtown has a car-free Sunday.
Petra & Wadi Rum
North America[edit]
Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal have good and developing systems of local bike routes. Edmonton in the Prairies and Victoria in the West are said to be among the most bike-friendly in the country.
Touring in Canada[edit]
The Trans-Canada Trail is a set of linking trails connecting east, west and north Canada. See: Across Canada by bicycle
The Route Verte has 3,059 miles of tracks in Quebec, including leisure and commuter routes. They claim it is the most extensive network in North America.
City cycling in the U.S. can vary from the downright awful to the very good. Car culture is very strong, but encouraging cycling has asserted itself as a political idea, for environmental and health reasons in some places. Portland and Minneapolis are the biggest cycling cities. Los Angeles has a sizeable number of cycle paths.
Chicago, Seattle, and Boston are also good for city cycling. College towns like Fort Collins or Auburn often have good facilities.
Some major destinations, like New York are improving their cycling facilities and culture but suffer from traffic problems which might put off visitors. A Manhattan Waterfront Greenway encircles most of Manhattan. Washington has growing commuter bike usage, a bike share scheme and some long bike trails.
The U.S. is a huge country, with extremely varied terrains, and a strong cycling movement. Dedicated bike trails, as they are called in the States, are a growing leisure phenomenon.
Touring in the USA[edit]
The U.S. has 41,420 mi of (unmarked) national routes planned and put together by Adventure Cycling Association. The routes use the most bike-friendly facilities available, including dedicated cycle trails, old railway lines and quiet roads. They link up the major population centres and tourist destinations like the Grand Canyon and national parks. Some are focused on historic events.
Maps and supported tours are available.
- TransAmerica Trail - 4,262 mi
- Pacific Coast Route - 1,853 mi
- East Coast Greenway - 3,000 mi, quarter complete
- Great Divide Trail 2,493 mi
- Mississippi River Trail 2,000 mi
- Underground Railroad 2,000 mi
- Lewis & Clark Trail 3,252 mi
More info: Adventure Cycling Association map
Official marked US and state routes are included on OpenCycleMap. There is an effort to create a full official marked US cycle network: the first few routes have been designated, based on the ACA's network of routes.
There are of course many, many more state and local bike trails.
South America[edit]
Colombia is a particularly avid cycling nation, for the sport and the activity. Bogotá has an extensive cycle network.
Brazil has some reasonable cycling in some cities. Rio de Janeiro has a few good cycle paths and cycle hire. São Paulo has dedicated cycle ways, and nearby Guarujá has extensive cycle paths. Curitiba has over 100 km of cycle ways, one of the largest in the country. Overall, cycling is common, but traffic conditions don't make cycling as easy as it could be.


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Police Wednesday were hunting for two armed home invasion suspects, the day after they fled a Sugar House residence in a hail of gunfire when a resident surprised them with a pistol of his own.
Salt Lake City police Det. Josh Ashdown said investigators had little to describe the suspects except that they were believed to be young black males. A third suspect, who was shot in the knee by a male occupant, was treated Tuesday at a hospital and then released to police custody.
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That man, Jahod Maurice Isaac, 26, of New Jersey, remained in Salt Lake County Jail Wednesday, booked on suspicion of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and class C misdemeanor driving on a suspended license.
Police initially had indicated they had four suspects in the Tuesday afternoon home invasion-turned-gunfight, but on Wednesday Ashdown said there were three — Isaac and two alleged accomplices who remained at large.
The incident occurred about 3 p.m. Tuesday when the trio apparently forced a fourth man to knock on the door of an apartment near 2300 S. Green Street and then forced their way inside. A man, a woman and a child were inside when the invaders barged in, brandishing firearms.
The man inside produced his own handgun and moments later bullets were flying, neighbors reported. At least one of the slugs went through a nearby apartment's window, but no one else was hurt.
Police said Isaac was arrested after he showed up at a local hospital to be treated for his gunshot wound.
While investigators continued Wednesday to piece together the motive for the home invasion, gang involvement was being considered as a possible factor.
Witnesses told police that about 12 hours earlier Tuesday they had heard loud arguing from the same apartment where the shooting took place.
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call police at 801-799-3000.
Copyright 2014 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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The 2005 Holiday Gift Guide
Pages in this Story:
- Gifts Under $30
- Pedometers, Heart Monitors, and More
- For Home Gyms
- For Healthy Eaters
Gifts Under $30The Ultimate New York Body Plan, $14.93
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Perfect for the restless yogi in your life, this Yoga in Bed DVD will ease her into dreamland with relaxing, realigning yoga routines she can do under the covers.
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Brewers On Tap
AnnaLisa is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Two beer companies are reporting on Wednesday, Nov. 7: beer behemoth Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP), and baby brewer Craft Brew Alliance (NASDAQ: BREW). This is truly a case of a David and Goliath match, up as Molson Coors has been expanding its offerings of craft beers, intruding on the smaller brewer's turf. Meanwhile, Craft Brew Alliance makes only craft beers under four brand names: Kona, Redhook Brewery, Omission Beer, and Widmer Brothers.
Craft Brew Alliance has only 460 employees and is headquartered in the newly trendy craft beer hub of Portland, Oregon. Technically, it can't call itself a craft brewer, as biggest beer behemoth Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD) has a 32.2% minority interest in the company.
As Anheuser-Busch is over ten times bigger than Molson Coors, Craft Brew Alliance is merely just one of the many brands in which Anheuser-Busch has an interest. The beer sector is convoluted, if not incestuous, due to Prohibition-era rules that US beer companies cannot distribute their own beers in the US; and so competitors often have partnerships and agreements that other industries wouldn't countenance, like Molson Coors' joint venture agreement with Grupo Modelo to distribute Corona and other brands. But then again, Anheuser-Busch just agreed to buy the remaining stake in Grupo Modelo. You see what I mean about all the convolution?
But what will happen to little Craft Brew Alliance and big Molson Coors on Wednesday? Coors has an impressive insider hold, with 98% of all shares held by insiders. It also offers a 3.20% yield at a 42.00% payout ratio and a 11.87 P/E. Sounds like a pretty good value play, especially as the company beat on both top and bottom line when it reported Q2 earnings on Aug. 7. Incidentally, on their Q2 answers to analysts' questions on the call, management mentioned revenue from craft beers was up double digits. Past history is usually a pretty good indicator.
Analysts expect to hear $1.05 billion for Q3 revenue and $1.21 for EPS. They also want to hear guidance for 2013 for at least $3.64 billion in revenue and $3.72 in EPS. On the last earnings call Gavin Hattersley, Global CFO, said they were planning to pay down debt to the pre-acquisition ratio before their acquisition of Central European brewer StarBev for $3.4 billion over the next 24-36 months. Their debt stood then at a .63 debt/equity ratio. The StarBev deal spooked investors, as the Central European numbers were disappointing due to cost inflation and currency issues. Analysts will surely follow up on the StarBev numbers as well.
Craft beers are extremely popular, and craft breweries are growing like kudzu (a very invasive vine that grows fast in the South), with over 2,000 in the US now. Craft Beer Alliance just had a major announcement on Nov. 1 that they have partnered with an international distributor for their one-of-a-kind beers to debut in Europe and Asia. Craft Beer Alliance has a high P/E of 51.17, as expected from such a tiny company, but the forward P/E is 21.82.
The company has been bringing in top talent like Andy Thomas, former CEO of Heineken USA, as the new President to help Craft Beer Alliance leap the bar from third largest US craft beer supplier to compete with number one, Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM). Despite Boston Beer's beat on Nov.r 1 on both revenues and estimates, it was still downgraded based on costs and slumping sales; but the market didn't agree, sending shares up almost 8% the next day.
If you're the type to root for a little guy like Craft Beer Alliance, you might want to read an interview with Andy Thomas and CEO Terry Michaelson. My favorite part is where they use the term Redhooky to describe the kind of quirky, irreverent personality they ascribe to that brand. Also, there is an interesting section about how the big names have been telling beer retailers that craft beers are stealing the profits they should be making from premium retail beers. What a strange thing to say, considering that the big beer boys are buying up small brewers left and right.
It's hard to predict exactly what to expect from such a thinly traded name, but this was once a $30.00 stock that is now trading in the sevens. Also, if history is any indicator, the quarterly earnings growth is -93.10% year over year. Ouch. But they believe in themselves, as insiders hold 56% of shares outstanding and founder Kurt Widmer still owns 1,651,414 shares. Don't forget that Anheuser-Busch believes in them, too.
Seeing as Boston Beer beat on earnings and Anheuser-Busch also reported robust numbers recently, things look good for Molson Coors. Their last quarter numbers were good. Craft Brew Alliance is a totally speculative name, like a biotech, at this point and requires much more due diligence for anything more than a bar bet.
leglamp has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Boston Beer. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Boston Beer and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.If you have questions about this post or the Fool's blog network, click here for information.


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|About this initiative...
The Special Projects of National Significance Program's Hepatitis C Treatment Expansion Initiative will support organizations implementing effective, focused interventions designed to increase access to and completion of Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment for HIV-positive patients. About one quarter of HIV-infected persons in the U.S. are also infected with HCV. Hepatitis C affects about 3.2 million people in the United States, and is responsible for approximately 17,000 deaths each year. This initiative will evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions to deliver HCV treatment among HIV-positive populations, and share best practice models with Ryan White grantees and other HIV medical providers to improve access and quality of Ryan White services for HIV patients.
Awards have be made to organizations in two demonstration site cohorts, each with two-year project periods beginning in 2010 and 2011. In addition, a separate four-year cooperative agreement was awarded to the University of South Florida to serve as the ETAC, which will evaluate and provide technical assistance to the demonstration sites.
AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY
Carilion Medical Center, Roanoke, VA
Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, PA
East Bay AIDS Center (EBAC), Oakland, CA.
Harlem United Community AIDS Center, New York, NY
Inova Health Care Services, Springfield, VA
Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Kansas City, MO
St. Mary Medical Center Foundation, Long Beach, CA
SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
University of California, San Francisco, CA
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
William F. Ryan Community Health Center, New York, NY
AIDS Care Group, Chester, PA
Alta Med Health Services Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Boston Health Care For The Homeless, Boston, MA
Chase Brexton Health Services, Baltimore, MD
City of Portland Maine
Cooper Health System, Cherry Hill, NJ
Harlem Hospital Center, New York, NY
Health Delivery, Inc., Saginaw, MI
Health Services Center, Hobson City, AL
Housing Works, Brooklyn, NY
Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago, IL
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Siouxland Community Health Center, Sioux Falls, IA
St. Hope Foundation, Houston, TX
St. Luke's Roosevelt Institute for Health Sciences, New York, NY
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
[Coming Soon]
The SPNS program began with some of the first Federal grants to target adolescents and women living with HIV, and over the years, initiatives have been developed to reflect the evolution of the epidemic and the health care arena.
Part F - SPNS Products and Publications
Products from SPNS Initiatives
System-level Workforce Capacity Building for Integrating HIV Primary Care in Community Health Care Settings - Demonstration Sites
Application Due Date: March 10, 2014
System-level Workforce Capacity Building for Integrating HIV Primary Care in Community Healthcare Settings – Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center Cooperative Agreement
Application Due Date: March 10, 2014
Health Information Technology Capacity Building for Monitoring and Improving Health Outcomes along the HIV Care Continuum – Capacity Building Sites
Application Due Date: March 31, 2014
Health Information Technology Capacity Building for Monitoring and Improving Health Outcomes along the HIV Care Continuum – Technical Assistance Center
Application Due Date: March 31, 2014
The above information is subject to change. See Grants.gov for the most current information and to apply for these grants under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 93.928.
Adan Cajina
Branch Chief
acajina at hrsa.gov
Pamela Belton
Public Health Analyst
pbelton at hrsa.gov
Renetta Boyd
Public Health Analyst
rboyd at hrsa.gov
Chau Nguyen
Public Health Analyst
cnguyen1 at hrsa.gov
Natalie Solomon
Public Health Analyst
nsolomon at hrsa.gov
Melinda Tinsley
Public Health Analyst
mtinsley1 at hrsa.gov
Jessica Xavier
Public Health Analyst
jxavier at hrsa.gov


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March 25 marks the beginning of holy week, and pastors from downtown Albany are joining hands to spread the Christian message.
A weeklong series of sermons will be hosted in Hines Memorial CME church at 408 N. Madison street. Each day, a pastor from a different church will preach at a service that people of all denominations are invited to attend.
One pastor started off the week by getting into character for his sermon.
"It's just a little different way of expressing the message of the Christian Faith," said Dr. Don Adams, First United Methodist Church Pastor. "Sometimes it helps folks pay a little more attention. It's different. When I'm driving to a spot like this, I get a lot of interesting stares."
Adams said he dressed up as Bartimaeus from the tenth chapter of Mark's Gospel as a way to embody the day's theme.
Services will be held daily at 11:45 each morning. Lunch will be served before and after services for $6.
Copyright 2013 WALB. All rights reserved.
P.O. Box 3130
Albany, GA 31706
(229) 446-1010
FCC Public File
(229) 446-4005
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


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Kevin Van Trump has over 20 years of experience in the grain and livestock industry.
I usually don't like to point out the obvious, but I thought maybe a picture might be worth it's weight in gold. Before I start, please remember not one time during this entire run higher have I ever wavered from my "bullish" convictions regarding corn prices, and I still continue to believe we have some room left to move even higher. However, you have to believe with corn prices at these levels, every producer out there will be doing absolutely the most with their God given powers to get as much corn in the ground as humanly possible this year. Rest assured everyone will be pushing the planting envelope to the last available moment trying to get each and every seed in the ground. This crop has the potential to mean more to producers here in the US than any single crop in our lifetime, and I highly doubt the farmer is going to simply let it slip by without a major fight. I know planting has become questionable at best with the recent weather patterns, and I am starting to doubt we can meet the USDA's projected planted acreage estimates, but if there is one group of people I do not want to bet against it is the "American Farmer." Equipped with massive modern machinery like the one pictured below (John Deer 48 row planter) and incredibly high stakes on the line, it wouldn't surprise me to see the American Farmer burn the midnight oil until every last seed is in the ground. Talk and projections are cheap. Remember, the market is also of the belief that "actions" are much louder than words... I know what the American Farmers are capable of, I continue to ask the doubters to be careful thinking that the weather will pitch a "shut-out".
If you are not getting my free report make sure you get signed up by following the link below. You can also click the button below to follow my Team and I on Twitter and get daily updates on what is happening in the grain and livestock markets.
Send Me My Free Report


text:
Support for Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 Ends in a Year
Support for Windows XP Ends in a Year – Are You Ready?
Support for Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 ends on April 8th, 2014. After support ends, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates. Continuing to run Windows XP SP3 in your environment after April 8, 2014 exposes your company to potential security risks, as unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security threats.
Migration efforts are well underway to get current for many companies. For those who have not started, now is the time to upgrade to a more modern operating system. Erwin Visser, on the Windows for Your Business Blog, addresses the importance of starting to plan and begin migrations now to ensure businesses are not running unsupported operating system once we pass the support deadline.
For those who need more assistance, Microsoft offers in-depth technical resources, tools and expert guidance to ease the deployment process. Online information and resources are available by visiting the Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 end of support site. To learn more about migration and deployment programs, please contact your Microsoft Support Professional. We are dedicated to helping you remain secure and are here to assist you every step of the way.
Last Review : April 19, 2013


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- Learning Pages (3)
Print as many of these placemats as you need for your party. Include a colorful crayon or pencil at each place setting so kids can get started as soon as the cake is gone.
Watch Miss Spider weekdays @ 11AM ET on Nick Jr.
Help Pansy get her web on!
Be good to bugs! And be rewarded for it. Here's a certificate!
Princess Shimmer needs some color. Can you add some?
Let's help Squirt find his way to Miss Spider.
Miss Spider's having a birthday party and all your friends are invited.
Get caught up in a web of fun!
Make a Princess photo frame in a snap!
The trading floor is open! And the market for bug-fact cards is hopping!
Miss Spider says thanks. Join in.
Slip napkins into handmade Miss Spider rings that will spruce up your birthday table.
He's the bee's knees!
Squirt loves to pose for pictures. Print this one and color him.
Bounce needs a little color, don't you think?
Enter a web of fun and creativity with this Miss Spider coloring page.
Get caught up in a web of insect-inspired riddles.
Your child can thank friends and relatives for coming to the party with these print-and-fold thank-you cards.
Print these place cards and cut them out with your child. Help your child fill in the names of your guests.
Print copies of these invitations and help your little ones fill them out, fold, and send them to all your Miss Spider fans.
Print out several copies, cut out the notes, and drop one inside each goody bag.
Print these name tags on a sheet of sticker paper and help your kids cut them out. Then have them write names on each tag and give them out to friends and family.
Discover fun facts behind allergy season sneezing with The Backyardigans.
Boo! I see the word. Do you?
Adorn lunchboxes, pencil cases and more to avoid mix-ups at school!
Dora & friends can keep track of where kids leave off in their favorite tale!
Who will Dora walk dogs with, play soccer with, or even make music with?
Get ready for kindergarten together!
Print or download this easy-to-ready book!
Print or download this easy-to-read book!
Print or download this easy-to-read book!
Print and help kids write a note to their friends
Print and help kids write a note to their friends
Parents and preschoolers can have fun solving this puzzle together!
Print and help kids write a note to their friends
Meet Kate by going on an adventure with her and Dora!
Print and help kids write a note to their friends
Help Alana and her team on a mighty mission!
Print or download this easy-to-read book!
Print and help kids write a note to their friends
Print and help kids write a note to their friends
Wallykazam, wallykazummer, your child can color these words of summer!
Wallykazam,wallykazeezy! Make learning the alphabet super easy!
The letter C is cool when kids learn to write it!
Print and help kids learn to write the lovely letter L!
Wally will be ready to ride the range once your little one rounds up the missing letters!
Get seven printable pages of spring-themed fun featuring Nick Jr. friends
Words are popping out all over!
You're little learner can get to the end of this trail with letters and the help of Wally & his friends!
Kids can learn to write a letter that ROCKS with this printable practice page!
Kids can learn to write the GREAT letter G with this printable practice page!
Join Julius Jr. for some joyful jotting of letter J


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- Ryan Donaldson '15
- Hometown: North Canton, Ohio
- Major: Medical Technology
When I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. I was interested in becoming a medical technologist, and heard that Mount Union had an outstanding medical technology program.
Medical Technology Internships and Hands-On Learning
Students who choose to major in medical technology at the University Mount Union will have endless opportunities to get "real-world" experience outside of the classroom. By getting involved in extracurricular opportunities and field experiences, you can strengthen your skills and knowledge in modern medicine, both of which are critical to career success.
Experiential learning opportunities will give you many chances to put classroom knowledge to work. These hands-on learning opportunities include:
- Independent research
- Research with faculty or student peers
- Laboratory experience
- Internships
- Professional training at the Cleveland Clinic


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Fuck, so like 4 people i know have the same flu type plague thing, and none of them said anything about blood of any form, being coughed up, or shat out, but me, i sneeze out clots, fun times, and my hands look like lecters.
This glass of coke is the best thing ever.
Its really stormy here, so loud that i can hear the Thunder over my headset blaring away, i just want someone to come and watch anime in bed with me, i love storms, but i love cuddles and bed and anime in storms in the autumn/winter moar.
"I say Doyle, how about this weather, smashing isnt it?"
"Oh indeed my dear friend Bartimaeus, quite the winters morning, would you like some more Brandy?"
"Please and thank you good sir, say don't look now, but Lady Penlope has arrived and it appears that she has bought her prize poodle with her, such a shame for her that Rupert here hasn't had his breakfast yet"
Anyone else having issues / fun with ME3 multiplayer today? I just logged in to check out my weekend challenge to find that i had to select a character from the get go, my unlocked ones werent there, only the "main races" from the story, and my weapons and loadout already selected.
But wait, theres more.
When i went to the store after doing really well in a silver deploy ( i got top, last man standing, 50 shot gun kills, 75 tech kills, 50 melee kills, 75 kills, and 85k points) to find that the recruitment pack from the facebook pre launch was there again, for free, so i as any normal gamer would do, clicked to get it, instead of spending my credit, and i found that i could keep getting it, half an hour later and countless upgrades for free, i decide that ill post this.
So tell me followers and ME fans alike, have you logged in today to find this?
Or has kiwi just gotten lucky?
Off to have lunch, will check back later.
Fuck this weed has made me horny!
/bites hard
Good Day to everyone, and to all my new followers hello and greetings from New Zealand and from me.
I'm a lil stoned and i feel like venting.
Vent: So a few years ago when myself and my mates Grim and Tim were out drinking and he mentioned something about fucking my Ex Maddy, didnt say whether or not it was during before or after we were together. Then the other night Grim and i were driving around and talking and getting high and he said "Ant i gotta get this off my chest, i did fuck Maddy, but it was before you guys were together" and that doesnt bother me that he did, i kinda knew anyway, but what really fucks me off is that Maddy swore black and blue that she had never been with another guy in that way before, and that i was her first, thats what really gets me, is that from the very moment we started going out, the whole relationship was based on a lie. I told Grim that 6 months ago i could have been really cut up about that, but all i felt was betrayal and then nothing, that i was okay about it and i thanked him for being honest with me, but your a liar, couldnt have expected much else from you from the get go i guess.
If you ever see this or hear about this post, your a fucken lying fucken whore of a cunt, and i hope you die in a fire.
On another note, yay for having debts payed off and having a job so to speak, kinda, not really.
And oh hey, Anon's, come off anon when you ask me questions, i like to make friends via conversation and asking questions, so feel free to ask me anything, any time.
Wolverine vs Superman 2 by ~sketchheavy
This is what happened after Wolverine barbecued Krypto. Wolvy healed back after time. Krypto didn't.
Hmmm, wondering if Supe can bend Adamantium claws or if they can pierce Kryponite skin.
All things considered, i should feel drained, but with still one energy drink to go, im feeling reasonably upbeat, only downer is i had to spend some of the money i had saved up on paying back a govt. wellfare loan for my glasses.
Thanks fullmoon.
Soon, soon you will have to make a stand, soon you will have to put your foot in the sand, draw a line and choose your side, where you put your allegiance and who you stand by is your choice, but soon, soon the night will dawn a new day and with that day you must answer a question, the only question in life that matters….
Vegemite or Marmite?
This life changing moment has been bought to you by Anthony Mackenzie and Jack Daniel's.
Being stoned and getting that Rocky Horror .gifset displaying in the right order.
I was laughing at myself at how stoopid that was.
So im thinking of investing in some traitor guardsmen, or chaos cultist and traitor guardsmen, i think that the Black Legion with Abaddon and Ahriman of the Thousand sons, deserve some minons and they would fit the bill.
At the moment the prices are really good on Ebay and of course Trademe is shit for Chaos and the current Dark Vengance box is out everywhere so a lot of people are buying them for the new Dick Wings and selling off the chaos stuff, so the main "box" has 20 Cultist and the lowest i have seem them for is like $12.00NZD and thats not too bad, but the guardsmen is going to cut me deep in pricing, they maybe cheap in game to field but shit they coast a bit to requisition in RL.
And boy of boy am i a happy kiwi tonight.
All this time… it never even crossed my mind.
Well Done Sir, well done.
The Emperor and his children…..phahaha
'Lil Magnus!
Aw Conrad!
Squee! A Wee Russ!


text:
Good quality, but price was too high !
Bulldog Drag Bag, Black
Item # WX2-222193
- Google+
- Details & Specs
Bulldog Drag Bag safeguards your favorite firearm during storage and transport. BIG BUCKS OFF !
Schlep your shooter without worry! After putting hundreds of dollars into your rifle, this Drag Bag from Bulldog is the next logical step. Features durable nylon construction and a soft interior for scratch-free carrying. Thick, heavy-duty foam padding also provides the ideal protective shield against bumps, nicks and dings.It's in the bag:
- 49" long to accommodate larger-size rifles
- Rugged nylon fabric, basic Black
- Shoulder strap
- Closed-cell foam padding.
Order yours ONLINE now, and protect your shooter!
- Reviews
Customer Reviews
Solid bag made well. Will put it to good use!!!
Straps fell apart the moment I picked it up and the stitching is extremely cheap. You get what you pay for.
Really nice drag bag, plent of pockets, tough, and yes it does have backpack straps in a pouch on the back of bag. It does not say this in the description.....but it has them, they were a pleasant surprise.
Don't Forget
5 - Pk. of 15" Cable Gun LocksBuyer's Club $17.99 Non-Members $19.99
6-Pk. Gun WipesBuyer's Club $6.29 Non-Members $6.99
Guide Gear® Stereo Hearing ProtectionBuyer's Club $17.99 Non-Members $19.99
You May Also Like
Bulldog® Tactical Extreme Series CaseBuyer's Club $26.99 Non-Members $29.99
Bulldog® Tactical Extreme Series Rifle CaseBuyer's Club $26.99 Non-Members $29.99
Guide Gear® 52" Rifle / Shotgun Gun SockBuyer's Club $4.94 Non-Members $5.49


text:
Fit for the Road
"Aspirin when it bothers me to the point that I can't sleep. Otherwise I've lived with it for so long I ignore the pain." — Dale S.
"When I need to I'll use some ibuprofen, but I try not to use it all the time as it is tremendously hard on the stomach. Walking seems to help keep the joints worked up by providing lubrication. When I sit too much old Arthur seems to get restless." — Jacques C.
Dietary changes that can help
• Decrease Omega-6 fatty acids: found in corn, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed oil; prevalent in snack foods, fried foods, margarines, other spreads.
• Increase Omega-3 fatty acids: found in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna.
• Eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts and drink tea. These foods can help reduce enzymes that cause joint inflammation.
Sources: www.arthritis.org;
www.arthritistoday.org; www.cdc.gov
(under doctor's guidance)
• Non-inflammatory arthritis (osteoarthritis): physical therapy, weight loss, pain medications
• Inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid): exercise, weight loss, pain medications, anti-inflammatory drugs
sources: www.arthritis.org;
www.arthritistoday.org; www.cdc.gov
Be sure to visit www.fit4theroad.com for more information on weight loss, healthy recipes, information on health products and more.
OverdriveOnline.com strives to maintain an open forum for reader opinions. Click here to read our comment policy.


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Bastion Wins 100+ Awards, Sells More than 500,000 Copies
Posted by Greg Kasavin on December 30, 2011
Well it's been a good year.
First off, this week marked a major milestone for us when Bastion sailed past half a million copies sold.
Recent holiday sales on Steam and Xbox LIVE Arcade put us over the top. We're happy to have this many people playing and to be in a position to make more games on our own terms. When we set out to make Bastion, a sales number like that seemed astronomical to us, so it feels great to have hit that mark. It goes to show that a lot of folks out there like what we're doing and want us to keep going, which is great, because we intend to stick together as a team and do just that.
What's more, we're honored to see Bastion getting plenty of attention in various Game of the Year awards lists across all kinds of different publications including some big old mainstream ones. We wanted to make a memorable game so it's great to see this level of recognition.
Awards for Bastion: Here's a list of the dozens of different publications who've recognized Bastion for various year-end accolades:
Game Developers Choice Awards – Best Debut, Best Downloadable Game
Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences – Downloadable Title of the Year
Associated Press – Top 10 Games of the Year
Entertainment Weekly – Best Videogames of 2011
USA Today – Top 10 Games of 2011
NPR – Ten Best Video Games of 2011
Wired – Top 20 Best Games of the Year
Paste Magazine – Game of the Year
Boston Herald – Best Game of 2011
A.V. Club – 10 Best Games of 2011
ScienceFiction.com – Top 10 Best Sci-Fi Video Games of 2011
Spike VGAs – Best Downloadable Game, Best Original Score, Best Song
Inside Gaming Awards – Best Downloadable Game, Best Indie Game, Best Original Score
VentureBeat – Best Indie Games of 2011
Giant Bomb – Best Music, Best Debut Game, Best Downloadable Game, Top 10


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The rise and fall of the shopaholic
Published on - October 10th, 2012 (Modified on - October 17th, 2012) (by Kristin Wong)
As a college student, I often took up side jobs to make extra cash. One of those side jobs included selling random things on eBay. It was easier and slightly more lucrative than holding a garage sale every weekend.
Once, I sold a pair of highly coveted boots that I no longer wore. They went for $75, or in college currency, one textbook. I'd already started wrapping them up and brainstorming my budget when I received an email from the buyer:
"Sorry, but I'm not going to pay for these," she wrote. "I have a shopping addiction, and my husband is going to be upset."
"That's fine," I replied, kindly asking her if she wouldn't mind repaying me for the five dollars in eBay fees. (This was old eBay. There were no second-chance offers; there was no fee reimbursement).
"Sorry, but no." was her answer. "I have a shopping addiction, and that would defeat the purpose."
As both a full-time student and full-time employee living in a world where every cent counted, including that five dollars, this upset me. I expressed my discontent. She told me that "other people have been really sympathetic and supportive." I was being insensitive to her disorder, she said.
That was the first time I'd ever heard shopping addiction referred to as a disorder, and perhaps, yes, I was being insensitive. Because according to a study from Stanford, about 6 percent of women and 5.5 percent of men are legit shopaholics. Like alcoholism, it is, indeed, an addiction.
Shopaholics have been having a moment. There's Confessions of a Shopaholic, for example, and I recently got a spam email that read: "Unleash your inner Shopaholic!" Oh—and there's even a new reality show called My Shopping Addiction:
In recent years, there's been a spotlight on this cultural trend of hyper-consumerism. And it's been given a cute, marketable name, but really, shopping addiction is pretty dangerous, even for the frugal.
The rise of the shopaholic
In the early 2000s, there was a cultural message that was beginning to spread through literature and film. Fight Club, American Beauty, and American Psycho all touted this message. Oversimplified, that message was: materialism is bad. Here's a clever excerpt from Brett Easton Ellis's American Psycho, for example:
"Soon everything seemed dull: another sunrise, the lives of heroes, falling in love, war, the discoveries people made about each other. The only thing that didn't bore me, obviously enough, was how much money Tim Price made…"
Consumerism, materialism and superficiality are nothing new. We've been keeping up with the Joneses for years. But things seem to have intensified in recent years. People seem to be very obsessed with Stuff lately.
According to this 2007 article in World Psychiatry, "Compulsive Buying Disorder" (CBD) was first described clinically as far back as the early 20th century. But it wasn't until the 1990s that it really started to gain attention. And apparently, I'm not just imaging things—it has gotten worse.
How common is clinical shopping addiction? Does it matter?
Ever had an earache or an itch and then logged onto WebMD to self-diagnose everything from polio to the plague? Well, I have, and the point is, I think it's natural to clinically label our discomforts, flaws and behaviors. Stanford puts the number of legitimate shopaholics at around 6 percent, while Wikipedia says it's more like 8 percent. Either way, that's not a lot of the population. Yet a lot of the population seems to be so obsessed with buying things that they're satisfied to live in the shackles of debt just so they can have their Stuff. That sounds like an addiction to me.
So when is compulsive shopping just impulsive behavior and when is it a disorder? That same Stanford study says:
"Compulsive buying seems to represent a search for self in people whose identity is neither firmly felt nor dependable, as indicated by the way purchases often provide social or personal identity-markers."
But that's pretty much all of us, right? To quote Chuck Palahniuk, the author of "Fight Club," "What kind of dining set defines me as a person?" As frugal as I've become, in the past, I've spent more money than I care to remember on clothes. And it's always about trying to look better, be a better person. At least a better-looking person.
We all doubt ourselves; we all struggle with our identity from time to time, so doesn't that make us all susceptible to shopaholism?
Do the percentages really matter when you can see the epidemic in front of you?
The fall of the shopaholic
The silver lining to this whole shopping-addiction trend—even that silly reality show—is that it's raising awareness. Whether or not people legitimately suffer from clinical shopping addiction, they're realizing that they have a problem, and they're rejecting that problem instead of embracing it.
Even using the word "addiction" to describe compulsive shopping is significant. Addiction implies an ailment—something negative and unpleasant. Something from which you want to be cured. Shopping is becoming something people want to overcome.
The symbolism of malls
I was talking to a neighbor the other day about the shops and restaurants on our street. The subject of shopping malls came up, and he immediately grimaced. "I hate malls," he lamented, and I could relate. In fact, I recently found myself nodding quite a bit at this anti-mall article from GRS guest writer Holly Johnson.
People hate malls now! And their reasons for hating malls are interesting: malls are superficial. They're associated with emptiness and materialism. They're for zombies. People are beginning to find those qualities unappealing.
The brink of a frugality renaissance?
Slowly, gradually, I feel like compulsive shopping is on its way out. Maybe this is the hopeless frugal in me, but I feel like we're on the brink of a frugality renaissance.
Whether it's an excuse, a justification or just skirting responsibility, I think the awareness of "shopaholism," as ridiculous as it may seem, is a good thing. After all, it exposes compulsive shopping as an illness. I can see how someone might think a pithy expression like "shopaholic" and a silly TV show like My Shopping Addiction* are only glorifying consumerism. But I think it's the beginning of a cultural shift. I think it's becoming less attractive to be an impulsive consumer and more attractive to be a frugal thinker.
How do we help?
Looking back, I'm still not sure what I should've done about the woman on eBay. I'm in a better position both mentally and financially, now, to deal with something like that. But all I could think about back then were my own stresses, frustrations and lack of money.
At the time, my mom was quick to argue that the woman's "sympathy" plea was indicative of a victim mentality—she'd been plagued with this disorder; it wasn't her fault. So why should she have to pay for it? That thought process was silly, my mom said.
It's hard for some people to have sympathy about shopping addiction. Having grown up extremely poor, "shopping addiction" just wasn't a thing in my mom's world. As an impoverished child, I don't think you could have even explained the concept to her.
But consider this: We're conditioned to be consumers. Companies infiltrate our minds, our email accounts—even our friends—in order to get us to "unleash our inner shopaholic." Is it that far-fetched that shopaholics are victimized?
This is the part where I feel inclined to give a spiel on self-control and responsibility. But I suppose that's my question in all of this: for the majority of shopaholics, is compulsive shopping an excuse for bad behavior, or is it legitimately uncontrollable? I ask, because although I've had bouts of shopaholism, I ultimately know and understand that I'm in control.
But that doesn't mean everyone else does. So I'm curious:
- When is it a disorder and when is it just bad behavior?
- If you're a reformed shopaholic, how did you get over it?
- If you suffer from shopping addiction, what sets you apart from a typical compulsive buyer?
- Thinking about the word "shopaholic" and shows like My Shopping Addiction, do you think these trends raise awareness about frugality? Or do they simply glorify consumerism?
*10/17/2012 Editor's note: Oxygen Media provided us with a link to a study conducted by Research Now on shopping addiction.
This article is about Choices, Consumerism, Psychology, Shopping
I think it's all BS too. These shopaholic should go live in Afghanistan for a while to see how the rest of the world have it. Can't Ebay refund your $5? Seems a little unfair. I guess that's why I sell my junks on Craigslist.
I think to call it an addiction is a stretch. I don't think if someone can't shop,that it will cause severe trauma or physical pain in their life, like that of a drug addict or an alcohol addict.
I believe it is just a bad habit or lack of discipline. Obviously, a large part is to keep up with everyone or want to live a big lifestyle.
#7, Joe – haha! Love the Afghanistan thing. Spot on.
There's a fine line between sympathy and understanding on one hand and conditioning their victim mentality on the other hand. This woman was totally using her shopping addiction as an excuse. I can see how she might have bid to get a "high" from the potential of having shopped for something, but she should have cut off access to eBay anyway if it was feeding her addiction and causing her to be irresponsible.
I do believe that there are people out there who suffer from a legitimate addiction to shopping, but an equal number (or more) who wrongly blame their behavior on something that they claim is uncontrollable. If the addiction has a psychological basis, then they need to treat this underlying basis to get better.
That being said, I love shopping and I admit that part of it is this impulsive need to HAVE it or else. I'm sure there are alot of people who can sympathize with this feeling! While I wouldn't call it an addiction, I have been working to curb the spontaneous urge and to think more rationally about a purchase before taking the leap. I give myself a budget and also make a list of items where I try to stick to that list.
I agree with many of the comments here; part of someone admitting that they have a problem is dealing with the consequences of their actions. In her case, the consequence was a small fee of $5. If she truly wanted to face her spending problem, she should've paid you back. It is possible to empathize with someone's problem but still hold them accountable for their actions.
I do think people can be addicted, in a sense, to the rush they get from shopping. But sometimes people just have bad habits. If someone's spending is out of control, they need to deal with the underlying cause of that behavior. Are they running from shame, grief, low self-esteem?
In the end, only a community of mental health professionals can determine whether shopping addiction is a real disorder.
I buy that people can have a disorder around shopping and an addiction or compulsion to do it. I do.
She still should have paid you for the $5 fee, though, because it was a hardship for YOU. I knew people who were destitute and this was how they tried to make the bills–that would have actually put them in peril.
I won't call it a victim mentality on her part, but I'll say that part of overcoming an addiction or compulsion is taking responsibility for your actions. And that's something she didn't do.
Your mother's feedback was spot-on. It doesn't matter what that woman's "disorder" was, we are all responsible for our choices and behavior. She gave in to her addiction, and that resulted in consequences — or at least should have resulted in consequences. Instead she deflected the consequences to you. Typical addict behavior, unfortunately.
No, you do not have to accept the behavior of a shopping addict anymore than you would be accepting of a drug addict breaking into your home, or an alcohol addict T-boning you with his car.
Not paying the $5 reminds me of the time I was in grad school and had recommended a friend move in to the apartment next to mine (it was a triplex). Her mom was helping her move in and I came home to see my bike on her porch! I went over and said, "um, this is my bike, I'm taking it back," and my friend came over and said would I reimburse her for half of the bolt-cutters she and her mom bought when they cut my bike lock! She said, "we assumed the bike was abandoned."
Um, no. I will not reimburse you for half the bolt-cutters. She should have reimbursed ME for the bike lock! But since this was day 1 of my friend also becoming my neighbor, I let it go….
Wow!! I would have been really steamed!! First of all, who just assumes that a bike that is locked is abandoned?!? Especially the FIRST time you see it?
Maybe your friend is a kleptomaniac and needs a prescription to treat it
Being a shopaholic is not a disorder…it's a choice. Why make someone who won't stop spending money they don't have a victim? No one, in general, made them spend that money. Saying that it's a disorder and calling them a victim just lets the person off the hook and does not get at the heart of the issue. They think that by spending huge amounts of money they won't have they'll be happy. That simply is not the case. It's called being content with what you have.
With that off my chest, I think a lot of it comes down to having little knowledge of basic financial knowledge and knowing when to save, when to spend, etc. I would say that they need to find help to overcome this choice and learn ways to be able to spend money, but do so within one's means.
I think that shopaholism doesn't really exist. It is a passion for stuff that drives some people to buy a lot of things. I don't have money but if I had them, I would probably go on a small shopping spree, too. Buy a lot of clothes, new phone, new notebook and a new car . I think that it is same as forcing you into workout. You know you should do that (= you know you should not buy that) but you are really lazy (= you really like that thing). So you end up sitting on your chair (= buying that stuff if you have enough money).
Everything is about self control.
Shopping addiction, like any other addiction is a true mental health condition which involves the positive rush, the dopamines in the brain, etc.
And certainly, there are people who don't fit the mental health definition of addiction who have issues with compulsive shopping and spending. But the numbers are small.
To me, the bigger issue is the effects of peer, social, neighborhood, community, town influences on spending and how that impacts what is or is not normal. Is a smart phone normal? Yes in my circle and I've had one for years now. While work pays a portion (since I use it for work) how much am I spending on a monthly or yearly basis for this. We have a flat screen tv, luckily it was a gift, and we only got rid of our old tv after it died (and it was a hand me down from my grandfather, so I can proudly say I've never bought a tv). Plus we live in close proximity to Palm Beach so the expenditure cascade is set at a much higher level, what kind of influence does that have on me. http://adventures-of-sam.blogspot.com/2011/12/expenditure-cascade.html
If an alcoholic gets a DUI, do they not have to pay the consequences because they have a disorder? While I can understand the woman not following through with the purchase, she should have paid the fee.
Thank goodness for the shift in eBay policies — that would have really really irritated me as a college student! Probably would have gotten frustrated today, but not nearly as much as back then. It's hard to classify something like shopping as a disease, but I've seen it. Some people can't help themselves. Not your job to help them, either, but that's the problem with the internet.
I have no medical background, so I have no real knowledge of how to determine whether a person truly has a disorder that causes them to shop, or whether they just do it because they want to. But in the end, if they truly want to change, they have to stop putting themselves in that position. If someone is an alcoholic, and says they are trying/wanting to quit, but they spend every Friday night at the bar, then I just have to wonder how much they really want to quit. If someone is a "shopaholic" who says they want to quit, then they should not be spending time at a shopping mall/Ebay/Amazon or wherever. If you truly want to quit, then you block all shopping sites from your computer, or give up the internet altogether if it is feasible for you. I totally get that there are physical reasons that cause addiction — but that does not mean that a person is forced to be enslaved by their addictions.
Good article!
I'm sure people could argue forever whether a chronic lack of self-control is actually an addiction or a convenient excuse to indulge. The only time it irks me is when somebody says, "I'm a shopoholic," and smile like it's a badge of honour or something. I'm sure someone who has to go through painful physical withdrawal to get off a substance is never so boastful.
"Keeping up with the Jones's" has definitely become a way of life for people these days. As celebrities and high end items become more and more popular, everyone is competing with what they have and how they look, then posting it all over social media to show off to their "friends" who then get jealous and think they too need to get that surf/look like that. The fact that we're bombarded and stimulated with advertisements non-stop from every area doesn't help either.
Even though a sympathize for people who have a shopping addiction, its afflicts those who have money or credit to begin with. Shopping addiction doesn't afflict those without any money, so the old adage is true…a fool and his money are soon parted
I definitely wasn't trying to pick on the couponers. There may very well be someone out there who realizes that they are out of control, and it can happen when things are from Walgreens or Macy's. My grandmother and her sister both shared a compulsive shopping problem and their places were Goodwill and yard sales. We are now cleaning out my grandmother's house after her passing, and let's just say that Goodwill is getting a store full.
I have been unsuccessful so far, but still want to go on a spending fast for a period of time (6 mo to a year). Can any of us not buy something that's not a true necessity and keep it going longer than a week?
EBay used to have a rating system with negative or positive feedback. When she refused to pay then you should have contacted EBay and given her a negative rating. Others would then be aware this was her pattern. The fees are one of the reasons I sell off Craig's List. The other is I also have encountered people like your "shopaholic" on EBay and I just have no interest in dealing with them.
I had issues with shopping in the past and I think the main reason I got out of it was that I eventually got most of what I wanted. I used to go into Best Buy and drool over items until I eventually bought em, now I go in that store and don't have any desire for anything even though I am in a much better place these days to afford whatever I want. Having said that, I think the more I make and the older I get the less I want to spend. One tactic I used to get past the desire to buy buy buy…..was to POWER shop. I would go into a store, grab a basket and start loading up on things….walk around a while and then systematically put everything back and leave having not bought a thing….I owned that stuff for 30 minutes or so, and after all possession is nine tenths of the law right? So ultimately I agree with most here and say that we are responsible for our own actions and the Ebay lady acted regardless of any disorder or supposed affliction, she made that decision and should pay for it, which would be a way of realizing she needed to stop…I would be willing to bet she continued her ways and did the same thing to many others during her shopping sprees. I think our society as a whole have gotten too far away from being self reliant and responsible for our own actions….it's always the fault of something or someone else.
Imagining, not imaging.
Recovering alcoholics take responsibility for the effects of their actions on others, making restitution where they can.
If this 'shopping addict' were really interested in recovery, she would pay the $5 her addiction cost someone else. Sounds like she got caught indulging herself, and is putting the blame anywhere but where it belongs.
I have some sympathy for addicts, 'legitimate' or otherwise, but only if they seek treatment for their affliction and do their best to do right by their victims.
Great article, food for thought and fitting right into my own thoughts lately.
a) I love malls, because I'm not good at shopping online – usually the clothes don't fit, and then I'm stuck with the non-fitting clothes or need to tackle sending them back. I much rather go to the mall and shop a few perfectly fitting pieces for more money.
b) I think a lot of spending is compensation behavior, e.g. for stressful jobs. I know I'm overspending at clothes a little at the moment, because after losing 30kg, I needed to replace everything and suddenly LOVED to go shopping as I know find things in normal shops (and not in specialized shops like before). But it's not an addiction, mostly a habit, and I'm on the way to squelch it
I believe that shopaholism is a real disorder. It starts at childhood, with the nag factor (aka pester power in the other English-speaking countries) being a part of it. Remember when you wanted that toy and your parents said no then sometimes you threw a fit? That's what it is and I believe that's one early onset.
The best thing to help shopaholics is through psychological intervention as well as personal finance. Distinguishing needs and wants is one way to do it. The more those who love to shop think about putting needs (food, clothing, mortgage, etc) before their wants, the more likely they can be much wiser about their money.
WIthout a doubt, and it's hard to imagine there is much argument about it, shopping addiction is very similar to other addictions to substances or even gambling, because both expose the true addiction to the neurotransmitter dopamine! Pretty interesting stuff for sure. Thanks!
There is a financial writer named Mary Hunt who got herself into TONS of consumer debt 20 to 30 years ago. Like, over $100,000. She finally saw the light and crawled out of it. I was interested in her personal story because for her, shopping was a way to deal with the sadness of a difficult childhood. She convinced herself that her family was sad because they were poor, and that if she was rich she'd be happy. So she spent like a mad woman with money she didn't have to try to make herself happy. Very sad, but it was helpful for me to read about the way her mind worked, because mine works so differently.


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Kaia On Fire Again
Published July 15, 2010 12:00
PALERMO, Italy - After reaching the quarters of Wimbledon, Kaia Kanepi crashed out in the first round of Bastad last week; but she has that winning feeling again, and on Thursday reached the quarterfinals of Palermo.
Kanepi, the No.5 seed at the clay court stop, never lost serve and broke four times in a 61 62 win over young Romanian talent Ioana Raluca Olaru.
Kanepi upset Sam Stosur en route to her second Grand Slam quarterfinal at the All-England Club, and she very nearly made the semis, holding five match points on Petra Kvitova before falling. Last week in Bastad, she fell first round.
"It was tough to go from grass back to clay, and I really felt it in Bastad last week," Kanepi said. "But I've had some good practice sessions since then and I'm starting to feel good again on clay. My matches have been tough so far and my opponents have been playing well. My game has been a little up and down.
"I hope to keep improving in my coming matches here."
Two of the Top 3 seeds were also in action and they both moved through, albeit with some difficulty. No.3 seed Sara Errani built a 60 42 lead and eventually closed out qualifier Mirjana Lucic, 60 76(4), and No.2 seed Aravane Rezai beat Mariana Duque Marino in another tight two-setter, 76(3) 63.
In the only other match of the day, Italian wildcard Romina Oprandi edged Slovenia's Masa Zec Peskiric, 64 75.
In Friday's quarterfinals, Rezai will play Oprandi, Errani will play Kanepi, No.1 seed Flavia Pennetta will play qualifier Nuria Llagostera Vives and No.8 seed Julia Goerges will play Jill Craybas. Pennetta, Llagostera Vives, Goerges and Craybas all won through to the quarterfinals on Wednesday.


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It has never been said anywhere that the Doctor is a man. He is an alien that regenerates when his physical body is damaged beyond repair. That basically means he can regenerate into anything because there are no set rules in place. Although, it would still most likely take a human form. Personally, I prefer the Doctor as an older, Caucasian English gentleman. But that's because I think it's more representative of his actual age and the way many of the older timelords look. However, I would still be open to a Doctor of a different gender or ethnicity. Being a tolerant, progressive-minded fellow, I would certainly give it a chance.
Helen Mirren would do a good job, I think.


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Phil Robertson Suspended From "Duck Dynasty"
16 Celebrities With Royal Blood
20 Celebs You Didn't Realize Have a Twin Sibling
Inside Kim and Kanye's $20 Million Mega Mansion
Behind the Scenes of Amal Alamuddin's Wedding Dress Fitting
20 Super Awkward Celebrities
Mismatched Celebrity Couples That Weirded Us Out
Famous and Faithful - 10 Most Successful Partnerships
Celebrities You Didn't Know Share Exactly the Same Face
The Hottest Pictures of Old Celebrities When They Were Young
57 and 18! The Creepiest Celebrity Couple Ever
The 8 Richest Celebrity Families
Controversy Over Steroid Alternative. New Muscle Supplement
14 Celebrity Moms Who Breastfeed in Public
Kendall Jenner Drops Her Famous Last Name
20 Celebrities with Smoldering Eyes
7 Celebrities Who Look Better After Having Babies
54 Photoshopped Celebrity Before and After Photos
The Worst Celebrity Beach Bodies
94 Actors and Actresses We Lost Last Year
Celebrities Are Just Normal People With Stupid Normal Brains. Check These Images To Confirm!
11 Female Celebs You Didn't Know Were Really Tall
Stars Who Could Play Younger Versions of Other Stars
Kim K and The Jenners Act Totally Shameless
30 Child Stars Who Died Young
Celebrities You May Not Know Have Chronic Illnesses
Kim K and Baby North Are Beach Babes
16 Super Strange Celebrity Habits
Selena's Scandalous Selfie Sparks Drama
How Kelly Rowland's Pregnancy is Reversing Her Plastic Surgery


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-- Robert Preidt
MONDAY, Dec. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Deleting the receptor of a
protein known to promote obesity allowed mice to burn more fat,
researchers report.
The role of the ghrelin protein in appetite and energy balance
was discovered in 1999. This new finding suggests that ghrelin may
not be as critical to energy expenditure as its cellular receptor,
called growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), explained Dr.
Yuxiang Sun, of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
That means that GHS-R might make a better target for treating
obesity in humans.
In this study, Sun and colleagues found that deleting GHS-R from
the body cells of mice prevented obesity by diminishing so-called
"white fat" tissue and activating "brown fat" tissue, thereby
increasing the production of fat-burning body heat.
The study was to be presented Monday at the annual meeting of
the American Society of Cell Biology in Philadelphia.
The finding "shows the complexity of ghrelin and its signaling
pathway, and suggests the existence of additional unidentified
regulators mediating the effect of ghrelin and/or GHS-R," Sun
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute explains how
to achieve and maintain a
healthy weight.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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SPOKANE, Wash. -- Thousands across the country rallied today for a cleaner environment.
The largest rally happened in Washington D.C. and citizens in Spokane did the same. Participants gathered at the Fountain Plaza at Riverfront Park to urge President Obama to reject the Keystone oil pipeline.
The group argues that oil contributes to global warming and there could be spills that would harm the environment. Speakers at the Rally talked about what people can do to stop climate change and try to make the world cleaner.
The President has put the Keystone Pipeline Project on hold twice because of concerns about it's proposed route.


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A camera, Google, and Amazon will get you pretty far down the path. READ MORE
BoatTrader.com is the fastest way to sell your boat!
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Betty McKinzie, 68, is dead following the crash on Mountain Parkway.
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text: Webexclusive Blue and Green Glass Table Lamp Item #: 128904 $59.99 Ship to Home Ship to Store Give your home a bright touch of color with this Blue and Green Glass Table Lamp. You'll love how the colors swirl around the smooth, curved base. Lamp measures 30H in. Crafted of frosted glass Swirling blue and green finish Smooth rounded base with crystal accent Hardback cylinder shade in white linen Shade measures 10H x 16 in. in diameter Socket accommodates a 100-watt, three-way bulb Features a clear, plug-in cord Cord attached via a French-wire connection at the base of the socket Care: Dust with a soft dry cloth. Do not exceed specified wattage. This item is available at Kirklands.com only, not available in stores. This item is no longer available for purchase.


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The Neckbandoo will help keep you feeling fresh in the heat of summer! Special crystals turn into a gel when immersed in water, giving the wearer extra-long-lasting cooling power. When dry, the Neckbandoo will return to its original state, to be used again and again.
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Frank Gehry and Related Cos. have kissed and made up. Now we'll see if city and county officials bless the reconciliation.
After soliciting plans from other architects in recent months, Related has put Gehry back in charge of the design team for a $650-million retail, hotel and residential complex on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. On Monday the New York-based developer will submit a new proposal by Gehry's firm to the committee overseeing the project.
Gehry's design is significantly more exuberant and suggestive of L.A. culture than designs for the site by the firms Gensler and Robert A.M. Stern Architects, which Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, chair of the committee, blasted in September as bland and uninspired. It calls for a stacked collection of shops and restaurants forming a U-shaped plaza directly across from Walt Disney Concert Hall.
RELATED: A tour of L.A. boulevards | Christopher Hawthorne
The development will be crowned by a pair of towers, one holding a 300-room SLS Hotel and the other filled with condominiums and rental apartments. A series of terraces, restaurant patios and pool decks, many of them generously landscaped, cascades down along Grand facing the concert hall.
Related now hopes to build the project in a single phase rather than constructing the residential tower first. Construction is pegged to begin in 2015 and finish by 2019.
The new version is simpler and more efficient than Gehry's original scheme for the site, which first surfaced in 2006. Boxy towers step up from a jumble of forms at ground level, replacing the wavier, more fluid forms of the earlier design. The residential building, the taller of the two towers, includes an open-air garden serving as a sky lobby for the condos on its top floors.
Though the towers remain works in progress, the proposal is better developed at street level than in any of the previous designs. The plaza facing Disney Hall is more open and confidently resolved in its design than before.
A generous connection through the project down to Olive Street — a crucial element in the project's links to the base of Bunker Hill and the rest of a revived downtown — would allow pedestrians along Olive to look up through the complex, as if through a picture window, and see Disney Hall.
FULL COVERAGE: Walt Disney Concert Hall at 10
Gehry has toyed with the idea of a narrow pedestrian bridge leading from the apartment tower, near 2nd Street and Grand, across to Disney Hall's upper-level garden.
In addition, he is in the early stages of work with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to redesign the concert hall's lobby and ground-level spaces along Grand Avenue. The result may be to move the Disney Hall gift shop inside the hall and bring its cafe, now buried deep inside the building, out to Grand.
In a new twist, Gehry says he hopes to redesign the paving pattern of Grand Avenue itself between 1st and 2nd streets and string lights above the street between the concert hall and the new complex.
The extra attention to the Grand Avenue streetscape in the new plan is welcome but also carries a few risks. The last thing pedestrians on Grand or concertgoers coming out of Disney Hall want is a sense that the street design itself is funneling them straight into an open-air shopping mall.
In general, however, the new design is more open to Bunker Hill and downtown than earlier versions. It relates more subtly not just to Disney Hall but also to Eli Broad's forthcoming art museum, the Broad, at 2nd and Grand.
PHOTOS: 'Never Built' buildings and their real-life counterparts
To a fascinating degree it is precisely Gehry's energetic and unfussy aesthetic, which can appear chaotic at first glance, that makes these new urban connections possible. The jumble of patios, restaurant terraces and pool decks along Grand pivots slightly but strategically at each level, allowing some portions of the development to face the Broad while others offer direct views of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or Disney Hall itself.
Still, Gehry has work to do to unify this collection of stacked forms. In general his most impressive designs — not just Disney Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, but also the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis and the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College — succeed because they balance the architect's exuberant form-making and ad-hoc sensibility with a largely monochromatic skin.
At Seattle's Experience Music Project and MIT's Stata Center, by contrast, the complexity of the forms has been pushed near visual incoherence by a jumble of shapes, scales, colors and materials. The danger on Bunker Hill is a similarly discordant pile of textures and finishes. Using hanging gardens and other landscape architecture elements to unify the design may be one way to avoid this fate.
Part of the proposal's improved urbanism can also be traced to the plan Gensler developed for the site this year, which swapped the positions of the two towers in Gehry's earliest design. In his updated plan Gehry has endorsed the change suggested by Gensler, which puts the hotel at 1st and Grand, at the corner nearest the Music Center, and the residential tower at 2nd and Olive.


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Crips and Bloods: Made in America
by Stacy Peralta
It's a civil war that's lasted 40 years. Passed down from son to son. Fought eye for an eye. More than 15,000 dead and counting, while the world stands by. Welcome to South Central Los Angeles.
Independent Lens
by Tina Mabry
In a future where schools are segregated by economic status, a struggling mother must decide whether to sell her own organs to give her children a better education.
Death of a Shaman
by Fahm Fong Saeyang and Richard Hall
Through a journey that takes her back to her roots in Thailand, a second-generation Mien American woman strives to come to terms with her late father's death, his drug addiction, and the murder of her sister.
Independent Lens, Global Voices
The Delano Manongs
by Marissa Aroy
Larry Itliong instigated the great Delano grape strike of 1965 which resulted in the formation of the United Farmworkers of America, but the Filipino labor organizer has faded from popular memory.
A Dream in Doubt
by Tami Yeager
In the wake of 9/11 and the hate crimes that followed, a Sikh American struggles to believe in the American dream amidst a climate of xenophobia and fear.
Independent Lens, Global Voices
Dude Ranch Days
by Leticia C. Langord
The 100-year history of the western dude ranch is told through interviews with ranchers, wranglers, and dudes.
E Haku Inoa: To Weave a Name
by Christen Hepuakoamana'a Marquez
Filmmaker Christen Marquez's drive to learn the meaning of her enigmatic Hawaiian name impels her to unite her scattered family and come to terms with her estranged, mentally ill mother, who is the only person in the world who knows the meaning of her name.
Escape from Affluenza: Living Better on Less
by John de Graaf
A sequel to Affluenza, a documentary which introduced Americans to the national epidemic of rampant consumerism and materialism.
Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison
by Doug Hawes-Davis
Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison tells the rich history of the bison, an American icon of the wild with deep ties to native peoples, which is struggling today to reestablish itself in the Great Plains.
Independent Lens
Fallon, NV: Deadly Oasis
by Amie Williams
Residents of a quiet ranching community and "Top Gun" naval air base struggle to discover why the children of their town are diagnosed with leukemia at 44 times the national average.
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