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Spartan Series Shines With Cool Kai Look...
HALO 4 Play Arts Kai are available at Square Enix's newly launched North America Online Store.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, AlterEgoComics.com, PlasmaInfusion.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
When Bungie relinquished the reins to HALO, many longtime fans feared the worst. 343 Industries, however, quickly put those worries to rest with HALO 4, one of the most visually stunning and "human" games in the series. The same could be said for Square Enix. Collectors were initially concerned that an overseas toy company associated with making action figures based on Japanese games could deliver the goods on a triple-A Western title. After getting my hands on their HALO: Reach Play Arts Kai assortment (read our reviews HERE and HERE), I'd say Square Enix excelled at their endeavor - producing some of the finest HALO figures ever produced. With their new HALO 4 Play Arts Kai series, Square Enix raises the bar even higher.
Split into two waves, HALO 4 Play Arts Kai consists of four 9-inch tall figures. Series 1 stars the franchise's fearless hero Master Chief along with a blue multiplayer Spartan Warrior. The just released Series 2 includes the Spartan Ops character Sarah Palmer and a Spartan Soldier donning red multiplayer armor. Depending on where you buy these, each figure ranges in price from as low as $59.99 to upwards of $69.99. HALO 4 Play Arts Kai are available for purchase now directly from Square Enix, or through many fine retailers, such as BigBadToyStore.com, ToyWiz.com and AlterEgoComics.com.
Where the Spartan action figures from HALO: Reach featured a more down-and-dirty, drab military look, HALO 4 Play Arts Kai shines with a polished, high-tech futuristic aesthetic. This is immediately evident on their armor, the HALO 4 Spartans sporting an almost metallic sheen. I'm a fan of both looks, but I must say that the HALO 4 figures really pop on display with their high gloss paint jobs. The Spartan Warrior screams this the most with his blue and silver color scheme. You almost have to do a double take to assure yourself this figure isn't made of die-cast metal. Cool metallic paint applications aside, it's Square Enix's deftly applied micro insignia that truly elevate these figures to a new level of realism. Spartan military logos adorn strategic locations on each figure, from their chest plates and vambraces, to their ankles, knees and thighs. Sarah Palmer's emblems strike me as the most attractive here, the use of vibrant orange logos contrasting nicely with her gunmetal steel armor.
Equally awesome is each Spartan's unique armor sculpt. Master Chief dons Mjolnir Gen 2 Mark VI Powered Assault Armor, a tweaked version of his now iconic green duds. The most noticeable change is the newly designed shoulder pads that teardrop down on each arm. Other slick details include his refined helmet with highly reflective gold visor and the veteran splash of battle damage across his chest plate. My favorite of the bunch is the Spartan Warrior. While an early multiplayer unlock (SR-8), his ultra-slick helmet design remains one of my top choices in Team Deathmatch. Sarah Palmer brings a Scout class variant to the battlefield, her sleek tapered headgear another favorite helmet design of mine. I also like her more robust retangular shoulder armor plates, a more meaty military look that I find the other Spartans (and HALO 4 armor designs in general) lacking. Lastly we come to the Spartan Soldier. A SR-15 multiplayer unlock, the Soldier's odd skull-like helmet design doesn't rank high on my list, but I do appreciate his chunkier armor frame. Spartan armor is all a matter of personal preference, something the game - and Square Enix - provide fans with plenty of options. While the four different armor colors would make it difficult to do, it would have been a neat to allow collectors to swap armor parts with other figures in the series. Perhaps a custom build-a-spartan figure could be arranged for a future release? One can always dream.
Half of what makes a HALO Spartan is his armor. The other half is his kickass arsenal of weapons. While there are no grenades this go around, Square Enix does arm each figure with a primary weapon and a sidearm, along with a set of swappable hands to fire them. Master Chief packs his trusty MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System, better known as the Assault Rifle. Like his armor, the Assault Rifle is a HALO trademark that still retains it's iconic profile, despite a few modern tweaks. MC also sports a Covenant Plasma Pistol. The Spartan Warrior strides into combat with my personal fave, the UNSC BR85 Heavy-Barrel Service Rifle, or Battle Rifle for short. While the DMR is my weapon of choice in multiplayer, the Battle Rifle has a way cooler profile and was an excellent choice for an action figure weapon. The Spartan Warrior, as well as the remaining two figures in this line, also carries a Magnum Pistol. Sarah Palmer must be the marksman of the group as she carries a UNSC Railgun. It's a great design, but heck if I can ever get a kill with it in-game. Finally we have the Spartan Solider armed with the only other piece of alien tech: a Promethean Suppressor. I really dig the look of this gun and I'm glad Square Enix got it made. I only wish the line received more Promethean weapons, such as a Boltshot in place of a few Magnums (three figures with it is slightly overkill, especially with so many weapon designs to choose from).
Each weapon features an incredible sculpt and is cast in some nice dense plastic. Each weapon can also be stowed on the figure when not in use, something that has its pros and cons. Using a peg and hole system, each gun can firmly plug onto the figure in one of three spots: Both thighs are reserved for the sidearm while a hole on the figure's back allows you to mount the primary weapon. The downside is that the peg used to attach the weapons is permanently fixed to the weapon. This certainly makes plugging the weapon onto the figure a breeze, but having this long peg jutting out of the gun when being fired is, to be brutally honest, UGLY. I'm not sure why Square Enix ditched the option to have the peg be removable. Their HALO: Reach figures had that feature and it worked just fine. It's the one glaring fault I have with this otherwise stellar series of HALO 4 figures, a problem that could have easily been avoided.
Lastly we come to articulation, a subject I really shouldn't have to mention. Play Arts Kai practically defines amazing articulation. Ball and swivel joints abound on each figure and almost all of them are ratchet joints - meaning that no matter what pose you place the figure in, it's staying in that pose. Click, click, click. I LOVE that sound. Despite the ability to move a Play Arts Kai into countless display poses, the articulation in the series has had two minor things going against it. One, the ankle joints on some figures had a tendency to be slightly loose. Not by much, mind you, but enough to where a figure could lean over and fall. The second - despite allllll those points of articulation - there were still some poses you could not display the figure in. Two obvious examples include having the figure "fly" or doing a drop kick. You could bend the figure into the pose, but it was always frustrating that you couldn't display it that way. No more. First announced at Toy Fair, ALL Square Enix figures starting with HALO 4 will include a display base. Not only does this add great value to the figure's purchase, but now collectors can rest easy knowing that their figures will never fall over. They can also strike some killer poses. The display base, cast in a translucent plastic, requires some minor assembly. Snap the arm into the base, pop on the adjustable arm to the desired height, and attach the small or large waist clamp. The adjustable clamps assemble via a small nut and bolt, something Square Enix helps you along with by providing a small plastic ratchet tool. Pretty clever!
As previously mentioned, unsightly weapon pegs are the ONLY issue I have with Square Enix's HALO 4 Play Arts Kai action figures. A small issue in the grand scheme of things. I thought the HALO: Reach Kai were amazing when I got them back in 2011. The kind of amazing that you simply can't imagine things getting any better. And while they are still great figures, the HALO: Reach show their age when compared to the HALO 4 Kai. Not only are the new HALO 4 Kai slightly larger (about a half inch taller - a good thing in my book), but the figure sculpts are just so much sharper and defined. The addition of a display base is just a remarkable gesture on Square Enix's part. It show's that the company is listening to their fans. And at almost $70 a figure, the added display base softens the blow with added value. Bigger figures, better detail, same amazing articulation, bonus base... Play Arts Kai just keeps getting better and better. If you're an avid fan of HALO like I am, this latest series of Play Arts Kai will knock your socks off.
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Samples Courtesy of Square Enix


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On Twitter: Reporter Joe Nelson is at the courthouse @SBCountyNow
Related stories: Lawyer questions military's handling of terror suspect | Inland Empire men plead not guilty of plotting terrorism | Inland Empire terror plot thickens | Feds arrest four Inland Empire men in terrorism plot
Photo gallery: Terror suspects plead not guilty in Riverside federal court
Documents: FBI press release | Criminal complaint
Former Pomona resident and terrorism suspect Sohiel Omar Kabir is appearing this morning in federal court in Riverside for a detention hearing, where a federal magistrate has denied a defense request for Kabir to be released from custody on bond.
Magistrate Oswald Parada declined to grant bond for Kabir, saying there is clear and convincing evidence that he poses a flight risk and is a danger to the community.
Defense lawyer Jeffrey Aaron had sought Kabir's release on bond, saying he could receive home detention and electronic monitoring.
Kabir was ordered to return to court Dec. 19 for a post-indictment arraignment.
Aaron said he received 1,500 pages of discovery Monday, but he was not made aware of the audio and video evidence. Kabir's hearing took a brief break this morning so defense attorneys could review video and audio evidence.
Aaron said an FBI informant, who was paid about $250,000 by the federal government, is a convicted drug trafficker and an illegal immigrant.
Federal prosecutors say Kabir, a naturalized American citizen, masterminded a plot to murder Americans abroad and to aid terrorist organizations. They have charged Kabir and three other local men in federal court.
All four defendants have pleaded not guilty.
While the other three suspects were arrested in Chino, Kabir was apprehended in Kabul, Afghanistan on Nov. 17, and he was returned to California earlier this month.
Aaron has questioned authorities' handling of Kabir during his capture in Afghanistan and his two weeks with the U.S. military before being turned over to the FBI. When Kabir arrived in California, he had a broken bone in his face, cuts on his head and was suffering from memory loss, according to his attorney.
More details to come.
Reach Joe via email, call him at 909-386-3874, or find him on Twitter @SBCountyNow.

subset: commoncrawl


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Brewers' nine-game win streak comes to end
SAN DIEGO -- Ron Roenicke was well aware that the Brewers' winning streak had to come to an end at some point.
So it wasn't his club's 2-1 loss to the Padres Wednesday night -- snapping a nine-game run of victories -- that had the Brewers' manager so irked afterward.
Instead, it was the way the ballgame ended -- with plenty of controversy from an umpiring crew that had seen its fair share of it all series.
With two outs in the ninth and Milwaukee trailing by a run, first baseman Martin Maldonado came to the plate with the tying run on second base. He bounced a chopper in front of the plate that rebounded off the dirt and hit Maldonado as he made his first move up the line.
Even on replays, it was tough to judge whether he had yet left the box, but home plate umpire Paul Emmel leapt from his crouch to call Maldonado out.
"To end the game, you better know darn well that he's out of the box," said Roenicke, who was tossed on Tuesday night for arguing a check-swing call. "You could see the ball coming off his shoulder as Maldy's taking a step to first base. He's definitely not out of the box."
With Emmel's out call, an impressive nine-game winning streak -- tied for the seventh longest in club history -- came to an end.
Logic dictates that lengthy winning streaks are harder to sustain in baseball than in any other sport. Sure, an entire club can get red-hot, but on any given night, it only takes one brilliant outing from an opposing pitcher to override all of that momentum.
On Wednesday in San Diego, Edinson Volquez delivered that brilliant outing, shutting Milwaukee out for seven innings in what was easily his finest start of the season. The veteran right-hander entered the game winless and with an 8.84 ERA.
"We knew we were in for quite a challenge," Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun said. "We've faced him enough in the past to know that when he's throwing strikes, he's challenging. He had command of all his pitches tonight."
Brewers righty Marco Estrada wasn't too bad himself in notching his fourth consecutive quality start. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on five hits.
"It was probably the best I've felt all year," Estrada said. "I thought I located pretty well. But, obviously, one pitch got away from me."
That one pitch was a hanging breaking ball in the fourth inning that Padres left fielder Carlos Quentin crushed into the third deck of seats jutting out from the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field.
An inning later, the Padres added to their their lead thanks to a rough defensive frame by Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks. First, Weeks dropped a tricky pop-up, allowing Nick Hundley to reach base.
Then, on Volquez's ensuing bunt, no one covered third base, allowing Hundley to advance. Weeks threw to third anyway, hoping to hit sprinting shortstop Jean Segura in stride. But the throw went by Segura into foul territory, allowing Hundley to score, putting San Diego in front, 2-0.
"The third baseman crashed hard and there was no retreat by him," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Nick recognized it was a foot race. That's a tough play."
Roenicke noted that third baseman Yuniesky Betancourt has spent most of his career at shortstop. Neither Betancourt nor Estrada had the presence of mind to retreat to third base after charging.
"These guys have a responsibility to be in there for the bunt," Roenicke said. "Marco has to be in there for the bunt that's back at him and Yuni's got to cover the bunt if it's down third. You hope they react soon enough."
The Padres could have -- and probably should have -- taken the lead in the second. Estrada ran into trouble, but managed to pitch out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam. He got Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko to line into a double play before freezing Hundley with a 2-2 changeup that tailed over the outside corner.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, didn't generate much against Volquez. Only one runner even reached scoring position -- Weeks, who stole second after snapping a four-game hitless streak with a fourth-inning single.
The Brewers' first real scoring chance came in the ninth when Betancourt knocked in Carlos Gomez with two outs for their first run. That set the stage for Maldonado, whose chopper ended the streak in one of the more agonizing and controversial ways possible.
"There's no good way to end a winning streak," Braun said. "You just move on to the next one. It was a great streak -- the longest one I've been a part of, and I've been on a few pretty good teams. "We'll just move on to the next one and try and start a different streak."
AJ Cassavell is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajcassavell. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Cigar Diary: Mexico's Cigar King
Max Gutmann is one of the world's great collectors of Cuban cigars as well as Mexico's official Cuban cigar agent.
Max Gutmann, 60, is the owner of Importadora y Exportadora de Puros y Tabacos, the Cuban cigar agent in Mexico. In the mid-1990s, he also started La Casa del Habano in Mexico, which today is the worldwide franchise of cigar shops under the auspices of Habanos S.A., the Havana-based global marketing and distribution organization for Cuban cigars. About 120 Casas operate around the world, selling only Cuban cigars.
Gutmann is also one of the world's great cigar collectors, with a trove of more than 1,500 boxes in a large room just below a terrace at his villa in Mexico City. Last year, he began selling a special regional cigar in Mexico—Edmundo Dantes Conde 109. The 50 ring gauge by 7 inch cigar has been acclaimed as one of the best yet in the series.
I sat down with Gutmann recently in his cigar room in Mexico City, smoked a 109 and spoke with him about his business and his passion for cigars.
CA: Why the Edmundo Dantes Conde 109?
Gutmann: For 18 years I have been smoking Partagas Lusitania double coronas in cabinets of 50. They always have been my favorite. The problem is that they have gone a little out of fashion. People don't have time to smoke them anymore. So I thought if we were going to come out with a new brand and a new cigar, let's go back to a big cigar, something special like the 109. It was last made in 1995 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Partagas.
CA: The 109 came in a special humidor.
Gutmann: Yes. It came with 50 robustos, 50 corona gordas and 50 109s. They have a beautiful band in red, with gold saying "150th Anniversary." It was sold for the first time at the Meliá Cohiba hotel in Havana in 1995. You were there.
CA: How could I forget?
Gutmann: The name "109" is the name that the rollers call it in the factory and it is conical at the end, instead of flat or rounded like a normal cigar. It is a cigar that is very hard to make. Only highest-classified rollers in Cuba can make it—those with ratings of eight or nine.
CA: Where were they made?
Gutmann: All the cigars were made in the new H. Upmann, which is now one of the most modern on the island.
CA: The original 109 was made in the Partagas factory and by one roller.
Gutmann: Yes.
CA: You had 600 boxes of 25 cigars made? And it's only sold in Mexico?
Gutmann: Yes. It is absolutely only sold in Mexico. And we have the option for the cigar for two years.
CA: What has the response been so far?
Gutmann: It has been very good. We are almost sold out. People always want something new, something different. Even if they may not like it, they want to try it. Cuba is not making many new cigars at the moment, so the regional editions are interesting.
CA: I heard that this year there is going to be more than a dozen regional editions. That's a lot.
Gutmann: It makes sense. Every country now wants to have its own regional cigar. I think it is a good idea because everybody wants something new. That's in everything. You want to try a new wine. You want to try a new brand of clothing. You want to try a new brand of shoes.
CA: Maybe you will do another regional cigar, another size in the Edmundo Dantes brand?
Gutmann: Maybe we will do a different cigar or a different brand in the future. Maybe a robusto. Maybe a torpedo.
CA: Are you happy with the blend?
Gutmann: It's very, very nice. It's a delicate cigar. It is not a very strong cigar. It is a very comfortable cigar. It is very well balanced with a good draw. It gives you a good aftertaste. As you smoke it from the beginning to the end, it is the same. It doesn't get bitter at the end, like many cigars.
CA: How many Cuban cigars overall are sold now per year in Mexico?
Gutmann: In 2007, we expected to import about 3.5 million cigars.
CA: It's been like that for a while.
Gutmann: It may have been a little higher a few years ago. We have changed sales from a lot of machine-made cigars to hand-rolled ones, high-end cigars. So that is better.
CA: So what is the best-selling brand?
Gutmann: Cohiba. Then Montecristo, Romeo & Julieta and then Partagas.
CA: Does that mean you have a very high average price per Cuban cigar sold in Mexico?
Gutmann: Yes. And it's been difficult for the machine-made cigars because the government has increased taxes on them from 20.9 percent to 140 percent. No one knew about this raise, and it killed the low-end market for cigars in Mexico. The tax is higher than the price of tobacco.
CA: I guess your biggest problem, however, is with fake cigars?
Gutmann: That problem, unfortunately, still exists. It exists everywhere in the world. Our problem in Mexico is both counterfeit cigars and contraband cigars.
CA: When you say contraband cigars, do you mean parallel market cigars? They are cigars that come from other markets at lower prices than yours?
Gutmann: Yes. These are cigars that come from markets with low taxes to high tax markets, like ours. Some people [who buy cigars in Cuba] do not pay the taxes on the cigars when they enter Mexico. So it's easy for them to sell these cigars [here] because they are a lot cheaper than the official ones [which are subject to the high taxes]. The problem is that some of the cigars are also counterfeit.
Comments2 comment(s)
George Vega Fountain Valley, CA., U.S.A., March 12, 2015 2:20am ET
Such an awsome interview!
George Vega Fountain Valley, CA., U.S.A., March 12, 2015 2:20am ET
Such an awsome interview!
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Forget desktop gaming! ASUS today announced the new Republic of Mobile Gamers! It is clear that mobile gaming is going to be the end all of gaming, so ASUS has shifted their focus to products for gamers on the go.
Introducing, ASUS REPUBLIC OF MOBILE GAMERS – ASUS ROMG was established for the sole mission of delivering the most innovative hardcore hardware for the truly dedicated mobile gamer. As the scope of gaming has broadened into the mobile market, it was the natural evolution of the ROG brand to adapt and evolve to the mobile landscape. Ever wondered what Candy Crush would look like in 4-way SLI? Tired of poor frame latency in Temple Run? Or maybe you're just an overclocker wanting to push the boundaries of mobile hardware… Now, the wait is finally over.
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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
October 16, 2012
BP Daily Podcast
Effectively Wild Episode 63: The Slide Heard 'Round the World/Why Does Everyone Hate the Cardinals?/Ryan Vogelsong Rewards Bruce Bochy
Ben and Sam discuss whether Matt Holliday's takeout slide at second was against the rules and why the Cardinals are so widely disliked, then talk about how Ryan Vogelsong has rewarded the Giants for their faith during a string of bad starts.
Episode 63: "The Slide Heard 'Round the World/Why Does Everyone Hate the Cardinals?/Ryan Vogelsong Rewards Bruce Bochy"
Download Here (20 MB; 21:30)
The two slides we talked about today: Joe Morgan's and Hal McRae's.
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
8 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Lou Doench
I don't know about anybody else, but I hate the Cardinals because they have won 2 world series in the last decade by essentially backing into the playoffs and getting hot for 3 weeks. Similar to the reason I hate the NY Football Giants.
Oct 16, 2012 11:02 AM
Matt Kory
BP staff
That slide by McRae isn't really a slide so much as he runs to the bag then uses it to launch is butt into the second baseman who is about two feet behind the bag. How does that not start a massive fight?
Oct 16, 2012 11:25 AM
FYI- The Minnesota Twins won the 1987 World's Series. In order to get to a time period where the St. Louis Cardinals have won 3 World's Series you have to include the 1982 team.
Oct 17, 2012 09:43 AM
Todd S.
Another quick theory on why most people may hate the Cardinals, by geography.
Oct 18, 2012 14:38 PM
The Cardinals talk trash about other teams, they're a team full of Brandon Phillipses.
Oct 21, 2012 08:08 AM
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Texting while driving can be lethal, for you or someone else. Texting while walking can also cause an injury-related accident, but usually just the texter suffers from that stupidity.
Speaking of stupidity, I can't believe California has legalized texting while driving. Thanks to Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Orange County, the author of Assembly Bill 1536, hands-free texting and emailing while driving, using voice-operated technology will be legal on Jan. 1, 2013.
The Bill amends section 23123.5 of the Vehicle Code, adding an exception to the prohibition on text-based communication as follows (the amended portion is in bold):
(A.) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication, unless the electronic wireless communications device is specifically designed and configured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation to dictate, send, or listen to a text-based communication, and it is used in that manner while driving.
(C.) For purpose of this section, a person shall not be deemed to be writing, reading, or sending a text-based communication if the person reads, selects, or enters a telephone number or name in an electronic wireless communications device for the purpose of making or receiving a telephone call or if a person otherwise activates or deactivates a feature or function on an electronic wireless communications device.
California has decided to follow Idaho's lead (their bill went into effect Aug. 1) and be the second state stupid enough to think hands-free texting is not a problem. A representative from Assemblyman Miller's office told the press that the bill is not meant to be an endorsement of texting while driving.
Really? What a naïve thought. In our sound byte world here's what most people heard after Jerry Brown signed the bill into law, especially texters; "It's going to be legal to text on January 1, 2013."
Call it selective hearing. The penalty for a violation of the law is a $20 fine for the first offense. Each offense after the first warrants a fine of $50. This low fine will guarantee no one will worry about getting pulled over. It's hardly a deterrent. Littering gets you a larger fine than that.
The bottom line is, texting (handheld or voice activated) is another distraction while driving. Driver inattention is one of the leading reasons for car accidents in America. Daydreaming, fiddling with the radio, and using a cell phone have been cited in three-fourths of the United States' dangerous driving incidents.
The Transportation Safety Group at the National Safety Council found that distracted drivers account for nearly 80 percent of car crashes. Their survey also found that teenagers and Generation Y (ages 18-30) drivers are most likely to send text messages while driving.
Some more sober statistics to consider: About 6,000 deaths and half a million injuries are caused by distracted drivers every year.
While teenagers are texting, they spend about 10 percent of the time driving outside the lane they're supposed to be in.
Talking on a cell phone while driving can make a young driver's reaction time as slow as that of a 70-year-old.
Answering a text takes your attention for about five seconds. That is enough time to travel the length of a football field.
I could go on with statistics but I think you have the idea. The people who argue it's safe to text with voice-activated devices ignore the statistics. Or they just don't care. The majority of people who text and drive admit they know it's dangerous, but continue to do so anyway.
Despite this and many more statistics, AB 1536 sailed through the legislature and became a law. Ask yourself why? Who benefits financially from preventing any meaningful law to restrict the use of smart phones, even when safety becomes a risk?
You've probably heard the phrase "Follow the money." It certainly applies here. Lobbyists were busy. If our lawmakers were really concerned about public safety, this bill would not have passed. It's a stain on the record of all who voted for it.
As It Stands, is it really worth losing your life, or killing someone else, to send a message to someone? I don't think so.
Dave Stancliff is a retired newspaper editor and publisher who writes this column for the Times-Standard. Comments can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com or www.davesblogcentral.com.


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Outcome in Patients With Recent Onset Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Most patients respond to medical treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive treatment, but a majority of patients develop sustained muscle impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of muscle endurance assessed with the Functional Index-2 (FI-2), muscle strength assessed by the MMT-8 and disease activity assessed by the six item core set at 6 and 12 months following diagnosis in patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM).
72 patients diagnosed with probable or definite PM or DM 2003-2010 who performed the FI-2 and the MMT at the time of diagnosis were included in this Swedish Myositis Register study. All patients had performed both the Functional Index-2 assessing muscle endurance and the Manual Muscle test (MMT) assessing isometric muscle strength. Physician Global assessment based on the evaluation of the consensus recommended six item core set for disease activity assessment was also included. Data were analysed on group levels as well as with criteria for individual responder criteria. A responder was identified as improving at least 20 % compared to baseline.
|Polymyositis Dermatomyositis
|Drug: Immunosuppressive Agents
|Study Type:
|Observational [Patient Registry]
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Target Follow-Up Duration:
|12 Months
|Official Title:
|Outcome of Muscle Function and Disease Activity in Patients With Recent Onset Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis - a 1-year Follow-up Register Study
- Functional Index 2 assessing change in muscle function over time. [ Time Frame: 0, 6 and 12 months ]The FI-2 is a disease-specific assessment of dynamic muscle endurance in 7 muscle groups and records the number of correct performed repetitions for each muscle group.
- Manual Muscle test, MMT-8, assessing change in muscle function over time. [ Time Frame: 0, 6 and 12 months ]Measure isometric muscle strength in 8 muscle groups and is scored between 0-10 for each muscle group with a total score of 80 indicating godd muscle strength.
- Physicians global assessment of disease activity assessing change over time. [ Time Frame: 0, 6 and 12 months ]Physician's global assessment is included in the consensus proposed six item core set of disease activity measures also including patient's global assessment, the MMT, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), analysis of muscle enzymes and the extra-muscular disease activity tools MITAX or MYOACT.
|Study Start Date:
|September 2010
|Primary Completion Date:
|June 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Recent onset polymyositis and dermatomyositis
Patients in this cohort was diagnosed with polymyositis or dermatomyositis during 2003-2010 and was treated with corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents according to standard care. They were all diagnosed and treated at the Rheumatology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital.
Drug: Immunosuppressive Agents
Patients in the cohort received medical treatment according to standard care.
Other Names:
Detailed Description:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of impairment of isometric muscle weakness and dynamic muscle endurance in patients with recent onset PM and DM and to evaluate how muscle impairment and disease activity changes during the first year following diagnosis of PM or DM. A further aim was to investigate the association between muscle impairment, disease activity and autoantibodies in these patients.
All patients diagnosed with definite or probable PM or DM according to Bohan and Peter criteria (Bohan and Peter 1975) 2003-2010, at the Rheumatology clinic at Karolinska University Hospital, also included in the Swedish Rheumatology Register (SweMyoNet) who had performed measures of dynamic muscle endurance by the FI-2 and isometric muscle strength by the MMT-8 were included in this register study (n=71).
Functional Index-2 is a disease specific, valid and reliable instrument assessing muscular endurance in seven muscle groups including seven tasks; shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, neck flexion, hip flexion, step test and toe lifts and heel lifts. Each muscle group are scored as the number of correctly executed repetitions.
The six-item core set for measures of disease activity include; Physician's and patient's assessment of disease activity on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Manual Muscle Test (MMT), the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), analyses of muscle enzymes and the extra-muscular disease activity scores Myositis Disease Activity Visual Analogue Scales (MYOACT) or the Myositis Intention to Treat Index (MITAX). The 8-muscle group MMT was performed on the dominant body side including muscle groups; neck flexors, deltoids, biceps brachia, dorsi flexors of the wrist, gluteus maximus and medius, quadriceps and dorsi flexors of the ankle. Total score varies between 0 and 80, where 80 indicate normal muscular strength.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Probable or definite polymyositis and dermatomyositis
- Performed both the FI-2 and the MMT at time of diagnosis
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with diagnosis inclusions body myositis
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01813617
|Karolinska University Hospital, Solna
|Stockholm, Sweden, 171 76
|Principal Investigator:
|Helene Alexanderson, PhD, RPT
|Karolinska University Hospital / Karolinska Institutet
|Responsible Party:
|Helene Alexanderson, PhD, RPT, Karolinska University Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01813617 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
SweMyoNet 1
Centre of Care Science ( Registry Identifier: Swedish Myositis Network Register (SweMyoNet) )
|Study First Received:
|March 13, 2013
|Last Updated:
|March 14, 2013
Keywords provided by Helene Alexanderson, Karolinska University Hospital:
Muscle endurance
Muscle stength
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Muscular Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Neuromuscular Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Connective Tissue Diseases
Skin Diseases
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
Antineoplastic Agents
Antirheumatic Agents
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
Bad debts, bad marriages and Bible verses marked the trail of Pastor Aubrey Keys from his native Chicago to Orange County, where he became the face of AIDS services for African-Americans.
Passionate and persuasive, the former social worker appeared to be a godsend to Orange County public health officials, who in 2001 were under federal pressure to expand AIDS services in minority communities or lose funding.
That year, the health agency began paying nearly $150,000 in federal grants to Keys and his New Millennium Community Coalition to fund outreach to African-Americans with AIDS.
The idea was to reach people such as Ricky Session, who depends on the funds for housing and medicine. The 48-year-old has had AIDS since 1993 and helped New Millennium run a support group.
What Session didn't know was that county officials entrusted this crucial outreach mission to someone with no experience in running an AIDS services organization. Someone repeatedly hauled into court by creditors. Someone forced to file bankruptcy three times.
An Orange County Register investigation found a paper trail of financial mismanagement and failed ventures that stretched through three states. But the county didn't check Keys' credentials or background. The county didn't ask for a written proposal from Keys. It just paid him, and it kept paying him despite having no proof that New Millennium was helping AIDS patients.
"They were just coming up with ideas to get government money. They were just about getting the dollars," Session said. "They didn't have any compassion."
Officials with the federal Health Resources Services Agency said they could not verify that the money was spent helping AIDS patients, although they have not alleged any criminal wrongdoing. And, they say, the county did such a bad job of watching Keys that they want the money back.
Across the nation, local governments are arguing with federal regulators who say that counties are not making sure these critical funds – meant for poor patients with a disease that gradually destroys their immune system – are stretched far enough. In nine states and Puerto Rico, counties have been accused of failing to keep watch over at least $4.1 million in AIDS grants. The money comes from the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides more than $2billion for AIDS each year.
Congress established the fund in 1990, naming it in honor of an 18-year-old hemophiliac who had died after contracting AIDS from a blood-based medication.
That act is up for reauthorization by Congress. And lawmakers worry that the lack of accountability allows people with chronic financial troubles and little charity experience to take control of tens of thousands of public dollars.
Keys, who now preaches in Corona, says the county wouldn't have paid his group if clients weren't being served. He added that his personal financial troubles have no bearing on whether he can run a charity or be trusted with public money.
"I don't manage money well, that doesn't mean I don't lead organizations well," said Keys, 49. "There were people around the program who were responsible for making the program go. All I did was provide the vision."
County officials, unwilling to return the money, insist the services were provided to HIV-positive clients, although the quality could have been better.
"We were dealing with a start-up organization. This was not an experienced provider," said Howard Sutter, a county spokesman.
The year was 2000. A new millennium and a new start for Pastor Keys. Fresh from a failed attempt to found a church in Palmdale, he turned to Orange County and started the New Millennium Ministry Church Without Walls.
Keys was greeted with instant trust by a county in need of a black outreach group.
Blacks constitute 2 percent of Orange County's population but 6percent of its HIV cases. From 2000 to 2004, infection rates among black people in the county increased 20 percent. Ostracized by most black churches, many African-Americans with AIDS in Orange County say they are left with white-run programs that don't understand their culture, their needs.
"A black (social worker) probably would be looking out for me because I am one of them. I'm not a client. I'm a brother, a sister," said Austin Nation, a Fullerton College student who is black and has AIDS.
Across the country, blacks and Latinos now account for nearly three-quarters of new AIDS patients. In response to the trend, the federal government declared in 2000 that federally funded AIDS programs for minorities had to be run by minorities. No minorities, no money. Orange County officials sought proposals from their network of health care providers, with no takers.
Then Keys stepped up. The same day Orange County revealed its intention to award the AIDS outreach program to the pastor, he filed documents creating the New Millennium Community Coalition.
County officials were so happy to find Keys that they immediately gave him an exclusive contract instead of going through the standard procedure of soliciting bids.
The county also did not do a reference check on Keys or New Millennium, another standard practice, Sutter acknowledged. In essence, the county knew little about the pastor beyond what he had told them.
Although not explicitly required, background checks are considered basic to running a good program.
"There isn't something saying you have to vet (providers), but the expectation is there," said David Bowman, spokesman for the federal Health Resources Services Agency, which oversees Ryan White money.
In Los Angeles County, Dr. Michael Green, a director with the county AIDS program, said his agency would not hand out grant money without soliciting bids or doing a background check.
"We want to make sure we are contracting with the most capable agency," Green said.
Had Orange County officials looked, they would have found Keys to be a man with bad credit and a gift for talking his way into women's handbags. For nearly two decades, he bounced from job to job, trying to make a living with his ministries.
What he lacked in cash, he made up for in charisma.
"I saw him interact when we did meetings. He could connect with people and motivate them without throwing the Bible at them," said Sharian Lott, one of Keys' former benefactors.
When Scripture was needed, Lott said, Keys had a sharp command of the Bible.
Raised in Illinois, Keys has been a pastor, author and public speaker since 1977. He was educated at the now-defunct Bishop College in Texas, earning a bachelor's degree in 1982 in religion and philosophy. For a short time in the early 1990s, he worked for Illinois' Department of Children and Family Services.
A former colleague, Leonard Johnson, remembered Keys as a decent social worker – but a bad money manager who was always looking for a handout.
"When it came to money, he was good at borrowing, good at putting people on the line," Johnson said.
Illinois court records show that Keys perpetually needed cash. Between 1988 and 1996, Keys filed three times for bankruptcy protection and was taken to small-claims court a half-dozen times by creditors. Keys nearly lost his home in Bellwood, Ill., after coming close to defaulting on a $75,000 federal Housing and Urban Development loan.
He moved out of the house and eventually sold it to renters. His second wife, Linda Knighten, said she was still living there when the tenants showed up and asked her to leave.
"We had very little or no money," said Knighten, who was married to Keys for two years. "He wasn't paying the mortgage. Gas and water would go off from time to time. We pretty much struggled."
Keys says he did not miss mortgage payments but paid a reduced amount to keep the house from foreclosure.
He eventually left Illinois and moved to Mississippi, where creditors accused him of defaulting on $3,000 in loans. Some loans were co-signed by Vickie Hill, a business clerk who also authorized Keys to use her MasterCard. Hill said Keys ran up so many expenses that she was forced into bankruptcy.
"We were dating and talking marriage. I was just trying to be a nice person and help," said Hill, 40. Keys said he was sorry for racking up the debts on Hills' credit card, but he had just lost his state job giving AIDS-awareness presentations at community colleges after only six months.
"I am not proud of what I had to do to make it in my personal life," he said. "It's one of the saddest things in my life."
Next stop was California. Orange County health officials say they met Keys at a 2001 African-American AIDS conference that they say was sponsored by A Balm in Gilead, a national AIDS outreach group. The organization, based in New York, said it never sponsored the conference.
Keys said he did not pitch himself as an expert on AIDS resources. But he convinced Orange County officials he could recruit the right people to run an AIDS program that would reach deeply into the black community. One of his first calls was to Ernesta Wright, a Santa Ana beauty supply shop owner.
Wright remembers Keys coming to her store and encouraging her to join forces. She knew the local terrain. She had the contacts. She worked for other charities.
"We went to (the county) and they embraced it," said Wright, who took on the day-to-day operations, although she never had run a program of that size.
The county awarded New Millennium its first one-year grant in April 2001.
Their mission was to provide "case management," ensuring that people with AIDS were aware of all available treatment. Case managers ensure clients take their medications and keep medical appointments, with the program paying for cab fare or bus fees.
County health care officials conducted a formal review of New Millennium eight months into the contract. They found that the group failed to serve even half of the 30-client goal, which already had been negotiated down from 60 when the contract was signed.
Instead of giving out the targeted 1,325 bus trips and 150 taxi rides, the group gave out only four bus vouchers and 14 taxi vouchers.
Ricky Session said phone calls to the nonprofit would go unanswered. Staff would often be missing.
When one woman telephoned New Millennium for a taxi ride to the doctor's office, Session said, "You know who they called? Me."
County officials visiting New Millennium also found that client charts were missing required information, such as lab results proving that clients had HIV.
Despite the shortcomings, county AIDS chief Dr. Penny Weismuller and her staff paid New Millennium its full grant for that year and awarded the group a second one-year contract from March 2002 to February 2003. The grants totaled $143,328.
The problems continued. Only five of the 22 clients seen by New Millennium were logged as African-Americans, supposedly its main clientele.
Wright, the program manager, said she didn't think the problems were serious.
"I wouldn't call them problems," Wright said. "I know there were concerns that guidelines were being followed. But that's with any (program)."
New Millennium social worker Linda Polk said she provided service to a lot of people but didn't always demand the paperwork proving HIV status, which is required under Ryan White regulations.
"I wouldn't say, 'You may be sick, but you don't have the verification, so I won't service you,'"Polk said. She added that clients were hesitant to be identified publicly or in the paperwork.
"I had several people I talked to on the telephone who would never appear in public," said Polk, who left New Millennium and August 2002.
She was replaced for a few months by Connie Franks, who was surprised to find that no one was ever in the New Millennium office while she worked. She had to bring her own clerical assistant.
"I had gotten a call: 'We don't have anybody to cover cases. Could you help us out?'" Franks remembered. "No one was in the office when I went in but me."
A Register review of New Millennium check registers for fiscal 2003 showed that nearly half of the yearly grant went to pay salaries and consulting fees for Keys and Wright. Less than a quarter went to pay social workers.
Orange County officials acknowledged to federal auditors that New Millennium was being paid while failing to perform, but they did not pull back the grant, according to the federal review.
"This situation occurred because (the county) thought that (New Millennium) would improve with more time and that (New Millennium) was the only contractor available who could provide these services to the African-American community," the federal review said.
Although auditors understood the need to tutor new programs, they stressed that "the (county) should not have paid for services not performed."
Weismuller, who has since retired as head of Orange County's disease program, said the county wanted to drop New Millennium sooner but was urged by federal grant monitors to continue funding the group.
Officials from the federal Human Resources Service Agency deny telling Weismuller to keep New Millennium in place.
"Project officer staff do not have the authority to make such requests," said Bowman, the Health Resources and Services Agency spokesman.
At one point, the problems with New Millennium became so severe that federal officials ordered the county to hire another AIDS group to train New Millennium staff.
The downfall of New Millennium highlights weaknesses in Orange County's ability to keep track of more than $5 million yearly in federal AIDS funds.
Each year the county is required by the federal Ryan White Act to obtain an independent review of its AIDS program. Audits by two consultants over five years concluded that the Orange County health agency failed to make sure providers lived up to their contracts.
For example, the county conducted reviews of only one-fourth of the service providers. The staff members who conducted the checks had no formal training in how to perform or even understand a contract audit, according to a 2002 independent review.
In many cases, providers had already been granted a new contract by the time the county reviewed the job they did on the old one.
Under the county's patch system, New Millennium was primed to fail.
"It's just inexcusable. They (county officials) just weren't doing their due diligence. They had been told that in multiple years," said Scott Hellberg, an independent consultant who annually reviewed the county's AIDS/HIV programs from 2000 to 2002.
Hellberg said the county tended to ignore unflattering reviews: "The county has always been defensive about inadequacies that have been pointed out."
Federal audits and news accounts have documented long-standing abuses of federal AIDS funding throughout the United States.
For example, five directors of the nonprofit San Juan AIDS Institute in Puerto Rico were convicted for funneling more than $2.2 million through dummy corporations to finance lavish trips, fancy cars and cash payoffs.
In another case, a Florida bookkeeper for an AIDS charity was jailed for embezzling $500,000, spending some of the money on Disney World tickets.
Because of the scandals, Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Max Baucus, D-Mont., called on federal regulators in 2001 to pay better attention to the use of these funds.
In a 2001 letter to the Health and Human Services inspector general, the senators noted that the agency that polices AIDS grants, the Health Resources and Services Administration, was missing in action, while reporters and law enforcement agencies were finding problems.
"It appears there has been a climate at HHS, and particularly at HRSA, not to be particularly questioning about how the Ryan White CARE Act funds are spent," the letter said.
Officials from the health agency say they are beefing up their monitoring of AIDS money.
Prodded by lawmakers, the federal health agency in recent years has completed nearly two dozen audits detailing instance after instance of local governments neglecting to ensure that AIDS funds were spent properly.
After two failed contracts, Orange County forced New Millennium in November 2002 to submit a formal proposal – its first ever – detailing how it would provide services if given a third chance.
The proposal was denied because the group was not performing, said Sutter, the county spokesman. By that time, the federal government had ended the requirement that minority AIDS programs be operated by minorities.
With the New Millennium program on the ropes, so too were Pastor Keys' personal finances.
In 2004, he estimated his income from New Millennium at less than $400 a week and filed for spousal support from his third ex-wife. Keys testified he hadn't filed income tax returns for years because his personal business expenses outpaced his income.
Bank statements submitted with his alimony request show that his church was broke by February 2004.
Frank Jackson, a minister and leader with 100 Black Men of Orange County community group, disagreed with Keys' contention that he didn't have to be a good money manager to run a charity.
"If you can't handle your own money, why do you want to mess with mine?" Jackson said.
About the same time that New Millennium Ministry went belly up, Keys met Sharian Lott, a San Diego County community leader who was attending a religious conference in early 2004.
She became his benefactor as he moved New Millennium Community Coalition to San Diego. Keys planned to start a church and a tax-funded AIDS program in that county. Lott and her family let him live in one of their homes, sometimes forgoing rent.
However, Lott said she began to disassociate herself from Keys after several run-ins with his third ex-wife.
"I'm so glad we never received any money here," Lott said.
Keys hasn't given up on running charities. New Millennium continues as what he calls a "church without walls," partnering with other ministries from his home in Corona.
Despite its shortcomings, there are some in the African-American community who feel that without New Millennium, they are getting little AIDS help from the county's health care agency.
"Whatever New Millennium did or didn't do," said Michael Barta, the white pastor of the largely black Johnson Chapel AME Church in Santa Ana, "it's more than what I'm getting now."
Contact the writer: If you want to talk to a reporter about AIDS funding, contact Santana at (714) 285-2862 or firstname.lastname@example.com,or Saavedra at (714) 796-6930 or email@example.com.


text:
BallooningScience brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.
Rick was highly in debt, so he figured out a way to make money by doing something no one else could. He went around to all of his friends and people he worked with and bet them $50 that he could put a pin into a balloon without popping it. He let his friends and co-workers try to do it, and they couldn't, but he did it easily. How?
There are 2 answers.
HintNo air
AnswerAnswer #1:
If you used the hint you could have got this one. One thing he could do is let the air out of the balloon before he put the pin in.
Answer #2:
The other thing you could do is put something like tape or plastic (anything like that) over the place you would put the pin in. That way it would stop the balloon from popping.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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text:
MORE than 1,000 hardy fetegoers descended on Kirby le Soken despite a torrential downpour.
Kirby village fete is one of the biggest in the county and usually attracts more than 3,000 people to Glebe Field, off The Street.
Organiser David Payne said he hoped bank holiday Monday's event broke even, but there were no profits to donate to charity this year.
"It was almost a washout," he said.
"It was curtailed to some degree, but showing true British spirit we muddled through – we just sold a lot more cups of tea than we did ice creams.
"It was such a shame considering the manhours and months of planning that goes into it, but people still turned up and I think they sympathised with us – the rain was like a monsoon at times.
"We will just hope for better luck next year."


text:
So basically, because schools can't follow the rules, they change the rules to something that's "easier" to follow. (yeah right) I freaking HATE the NCAA. They don't care about any school outside of the top select few.
For decades, outsiders have debated whether college scholarships should include more than just the cost of tuition, room and board, books and fees. Now they can.
The board approved a measure allowing conferences to vote on providing up to $2,000 in spending money, or what the NCAA calls the full cost-of-attendance. Emmert insists it is not pay-for-play, merely the reintroduction of a stipend that existed for college athletes until 1972. He also compared it to the stipends received by other students who receive non-athletic scholarships.
Some thought the total amount should have been higher. At the Big Ten's basketball media day in Chicago, commissioner Jim Delany said studies have shown the average athlete pays roughly $3,000 to $4,000 out of his or her own pocket in college costs.
So the regular student pays for school. Pays for room and board. Pays for their books. And pays fees. Athletes don't pay any of it, and then they get another $2,000 to top it off?
Do they honestly think that colleges are going to magically stop at the $2,000? They couldn't handle a zero rule, so obviously they show the ability to policing themselves now.
**** them.


text:
Create a Custom Dress Form
Many people have sewn their whole lives without a custom dress form and didn't suffer a lick. But if you're lucky enough to have one, it sure is nice. Just imagine making little style changes and fitting improvements on a 3-D version of yourself. Here's why a dress form is great and how you can make one, with a little help.
Minor pattern adjustments become easy and obvious when you're looking at the actual problem in fabric on "yourself." Of course, custom-made forms are as useful as commercial versions for all the traditional dress-form functions—draping, visualizing, shaping collars, holding garments during sleeve insertion, hemming, and so on. But none of the fitting benefits are possible if the form you're using doesn't mirror, with reasonable accuracy, your body shape and posture.
The shape of your shoulders, the position and angle of your neck and the unique distribution of your body weight are issues far more important than questions of circumference, since most clothes hang from the shoulders or the waist, and don't fit snugly. And this is precisely what a custom form provides: an accurate recreation of your posture and your shape, while keeping within an inch or so of your current circumference measurements.
The best feature of the do-it-yourself, duct tape form described here is that it's so quick to make you can have a working form ready in less than two hours. And, you can accomplish this for about $15.
Also, check out four other dressform methods in our article, Clone Yourself A Fitting Assistant.
Gear up
If you can, recruit two helpers: One cuts the tape into suitable strip sizes; the other applies the tape. Use old scissors, as the tape adhesive gums them up, and precut 4-inch to 6-inch strips and longer strips for the waist and crossing the heart. You will need two to three 60-yard rolls of 2-inch duct tape. The brand makes a difference, because some tape shrinks over time and change the size of your dress form. Ace Hardware house brand holds up well, as does Duck Tape.
Prepare the wrappee
Wear well-fitted undergarments. Tape a 2-inch strip cut from a file folder to your skin and over your underwear, down your center back from your hairline to below your hips. This protects you and your underwear when you cut off the dress form. Then put on a long T-shirt. This remains inside the form, so choose one you don't mind sacrificing to the project. The T-shirt needn't be too tight, because the tape pulls it in. A turtleneck T-shirt is ideal, or you can fill in around the neckline with plastic wrap before taping.
Apply the tape in layers
Start wrapping under the bust. Wrap snugly, but not so tight as to rearrange or compress the body. At the waist, wrap a little more loosely on the first layer, allowing folds to form in the tape as you follow the contour, if necessary. Proceed to a "cross-your-heart" taping that goes from one shoulder under the opposite breast then around to the back, to define the bust area. Wrap the tape horizontally at the bottom, down to mid-thigh. At the bust and underarm, cut the T-shirt sleeves, if needed, to allow the tape to follow the figure, and use shorter pieces fanned out over the bust. Protect the neck area with plastic wrap if the T-shirt doesn't cover it. Tape the edges at the neckline and armholes similar to those you'd want on a fitted bodice, giving your form a neck. When the first layer is complete, wrap twice more, first vertically, then again horizontally, further compressing the waistline to fit each layer more closely, and smoothing over any wrinkles this causes with more tape.
Let yourself go
When finished, but before removing the form, have the "wrappee" bend slightly sideways to reveal her waistline, and mark it (and any other points you want identified) with permanent marker. Mark the final layer carefully with plumb lines at the center front and center back, around the waist, and carefully establish the proper height and posture by marking a line parallel to the floor below the hip level around the form.
Stand and deliver
Cut along the horizontal line at hip level to establish a base line. Trace around the base of the dress form, cut a cardboard or 1/2-inch foam core base to match, and cut a hole in it if you plan to fit a stand pole. A strong wooden hanger placed inside the shell supports the shoulders. Tape the hanger to a PVC pipe or a wooden pole if you plan to make a stand, and tape it inside the form before stuffing it. Otherwise you can use the hanger on a ceiling-hung chain or hook to hang your dress form. Then start stuffing the form by supporting each breast on the inside with a taped or glued-in foam raglan shoulder pad if the bust contour needs the additional support (larger bust shapes tend to cave in over time without support). Stuff and tape over the armholes and neck, and solidly stuff the entire form to support it. Use a fiberfill intended for toys or pillows. Push the foam core base into the bottom of the dress form, and tape it in place. Compare the wrappee's measurements to the form. If necessary, you can adjust the form by cutting slits to create darts, or by squeezing or padding the form to the new dimension, and retaping.
excerpted from "Get in Form" p. 33, Teach Yourself to Sew
Posted on in sewing, tools & supplies
Comments (62)
One thing we were told was not to stand with our knees locked because that can lead to problems some have already mentioned. One of the participants unfortunately had the habit of standing with one hip thrown out and when it came time to learn to use our forms (included in the program) she was very unhappy that her form mirrored her bad posture.
An advantage I see to this method is that if you lose weight you can shave off whatever foam is necessary to adjust the form to your new "you". We wore a good bra not a wornout one. Of course if you gain weight :-( you can always pad out the form. I'm going to have to measure my form and me to adjust it after losing 30 lbs.
Be extra careful in using a commercial form. If the shoulder to bust measurement is too different, it is very difficult to rectify. When I studied Fashion Design, one of the classes required that we buy a form and pad it to fit ourselves. I bought an 18 and only after doing all the work to make the cover did I find out that this measurement was way off. I should have bought a 14 and although it would have meant more stuffing at least it would have fit. What I finally wound up doing was putting the cover on my P/P form and stuffing that out to fit the cover. That is when I recovered my good bra and reverted to using it normally.
Beverly A.
Posted: 8:18 pm on October 4th
Since I had a commercial dress form that did not fit me well, I placed my tape form on the commercial form. It took some pushing and pulling and a little padding but it has held up perfectly for over 5 years. I love my little Pammie.
Posted: 6:29 pm on September 5th
Posted: 9:29 pm on September 3rd
Posted: 1:16 am on August 5th
Well, if any of you is after a custom dress form, have a look at provaform(dot)com , I'll be staying tuned to see what they're up to...
Posted: 9:35 am on July 4th
He said "You can't faint - I would be too embarrassed!"
"Why would you be embarrased dear?"
"Because I know every First Responder in the area and I couldn't even begin to explain why my wife is passed out on the kitchen floor wrapped in duct tape and me with a pair of scissors in my hand!"
Posted: 1:00 pm on March 13th
overall a very funny experience. just make sure you stand naturally during the process or the form will be misshaped.
Posted: 8:36 pm on July 13th
Posted: 4:37 pm on July 12th
These articles on Threads were very helpful to me! I created my own dress form out of paper tape. I found it very successful- I'm sure it will aid my future fitting endeavours greatly!
I created my own tutorial that goes into a bit more detail about the process, and blogged about it here:
Please do visit, I'd love this to help someone! I'll do my best to answer any questions too :)
Good fitting luck everyone! :)
Posted: 2:40 am on March 18th
Posted: 10:53 am on December 13th
Posted: 7:49 pm on October 6th
PGM-Pro, Inc.
5041 Heintz St. Baldwin Park, CA 91706, U.S.A.
Tel. (626)338-1990; Fax. (626)338-1995
Posted: 5:14 am on July 15th
Posted: 10:26 am on June 28th
Your method sounds really interesting! I've tried the duct tape method before too and was dissatisfied with the lumpiness and warping.
I was wondering how thick the knit fabric you used was, and if the fabric was thinner, do you think there would be any problem with the mache goo soaking through to the skin/undergarments? (Or should I just wear a layer of something underneath it?)
Also, as far as a second layer goes, do you think covering it with plaster (the plaster gauze strips) would help reinforce it enough? or would that make it too hard?
Posted: 7:53 am on December 3rd
i.e. love handles, bustline, shoulder caps, etc. Her method was remarkably more effective and included how to make a stand or use an old form, how to stuff and how to mark the final form. Well worth the money if you do much sewing for yourself.
Posted: 11:24 am on November 28th
Posted: 9:14 am on November 26th
Posted: 11:57 am on November 13th
Posted: 1:31 pm on November 1st
Posted: 10:37 am on October 29th
Posted: 10:33 am on October 29th
Right now the hollow form is on a hanger in my sewing room. Before I stuff it I'll slip it back on my daughter, mark some lines, and take some measurements. It seems to be fairly rigid and I don't think it's sagging or collapsing at all. Hopefully we'll finish it soon, then it's her turn to make a dress form for me.
Posted: 11:19 pm on October 25th
Yes, as doglove wrote, she contacted me through my temporary address. If you and any other NYC-area want to get together to try this, or something related, write me at:
I'll get back to you.
Posted: 12:24 pm on October 25th
Please write if you'd still like to have a duct tape dress form get-together in NYC. And if there are any other NYC readers interested, please make contact with us. Thank you.
Posted: 10:01 am on October 25th
I'll also go to the "gatherings" section as another person suggested.
Posted: 5:24 pm on October 24th
I took a very form fitting knit tshirt, added some darts, took in the side seams and the sleeves a bit and added a turtle neck collar and a piece of knit to extend the length past my hips to about mid thigh. I just made is super skin tight. Nice thing about knit, even when skin tight, it was still extremely comfortable, no fainting here.
I put the modified tshirt on and painted paper mache goo (Flour, Elmer's Glue and water) on all over it, applying thoroughly and generously. I've been standing in front of my laptop at my kitchen counter, surfing all sorts of sewing sites while awaiting the drying process. In all, it took about 1.5 hours to dry, which flew by while on the internet, and it is rock hard and PERFECT!! An exact replica of myself.
Cut off in two halves, cut up at the sides so that there is a front and a back and taped back together. Now I'm just debating within myself if I want to apply another real paper mache layer to it or just leave it as is. I think a newsprint collage would be a neat treatment. :o) Ether way, I think it's much more accurate then the duct tape and it should last longer from what I know of paper mache.
Posted: 10:48 pm on October 22nd
Oooo I am beginning to get up my courage!
thanks all
Posted: 4:53 pm on October 22nd
I'm not an expert, but the other day I was reading an article on considerations for home sewers in buying dress forms. It said that a full-body form wasn't as necessary as one might think because most pants were in fact developed though the flat pattern method.
Posted: 1:09 pm on October 22nd
I'd be up for trying this, or at least helping. If nothing else, maybe someone could measure me so I could finally make a sloper.
BTW, here's another method that I've read about, which involves making a block using Saran Wrap. After carefully molding the wrap around the body and marking it up, one cuts it apart and lays it flat, drafting a block from that.
Listen, I've created a temporary email address. If you're interested in pursuing this, send me your contact information, at least an email address:
Hope to hear from you. :-) Thanks a lot, Threads, for sparking this discussion!
Posted: 1:05 pm on October 22nd
Has anyone ever tried this?
Posted: 1:16 pm on October 21st
Posted: 6:16 am on October 21st
Posted: 12:37 am on October 21st
Posted: 12:34 am on October 21st
But having two people help is best, and if you do get the brown paper tape - use warm water to wet the back before sticking it on. And you'll be standing for 1-2 hours so have a high stool or ledge to be able to lean on, and wear the bra you would normaly wear. Though I have done forms on people while wearing a corset so they could then drape/fit the costume they would wear the corset under.
Posted: 9:09 pm on October 20th
Thanks so much.
Posted: 9:04 pm on October 19th
Posted: 1:12 pm on October 19th
Now in that time the waistline has required a little adjustment (lol) but for draping, the form still works perfectly well. I did fill it with the expanding styrofoam insulation about six years ago, sprayed into the neck opening directly from the can. This little bit of inside support has kept the form standing straight, without adding much weight to it over all. As several others described, I cut the neck opening foam overflow, off level with a knife and use the neck for holding a padded pin cushion. The brown tape method does not create the heat issues encountered with the duct tape, but is slightly slower going as you do need to wet the tape strips. Twenty-two years of regular use has really improved my fitting and draping techniques.
Posted: 10:20 am on October 19th
The last time I inquired about this there was a New York representative; I assumed it was a relative of the owner of the company.
Posted: 9:53 am on October 19th
I once asked the opinion of users on another forum, and they warned about getting a custom form if one's body will change. There's a price break if you buy a kit and I believe that they will have someone help if there's a group of at least four (I haven't looked at the site in some time).
I once asked the opinion of some professionals and they still recommended getting a Wolf dress form. Maybe they thought it would be more flexible.
Posted: 9:47 am on October 19th
Posted: 9:38 am on October 19th
Posted: 9:24 am on October 19th
In any event, it was a success, and since I have a Best Form that I bought umpteen years ago, I mounted my double on that and secured it and stuffed it thoroughly. It was a RUDE awakening to really see 'me' and I have decided to keep a dress on it at all times!
As for the fitting aspects, it has helped tremendously. I don't actually pin anything to it, but rather work with the fabric and adjust and pin fit the garment. If I decided to pin directly to the dress form, in order to save my good 2" pins, I would buy some T pins from a local craft store, and use those since duct tape really does gunk up needles.
I've sewn for over 40 years, and never really realized that I fitted the garments for everyone else, but not myself. This really has made a great difference, and it really worth the effort to make......just make sure you go to the bathroom BEFORE you start your project! :o)
Posted: 8:35 am on October 19th
Posted: 5:26 am on October 19th
Posted: 3:01 am on October 19th
Posted: 1:47 am on October 19th
I've changed sizes (again) and am in need of a new form. I'd be interested in hearing from others who have used the spray foam, and what results have they had. One comment was that it deteriorated. I'd like to hear from others, and what type of spray they used. I understand there is a variety to chose from.
Posted: 12:11 am on October 19th
Posted: 11:39 pm on October 18th
Posted: 10:51 pm on October 18th
Posted: 9:51 pm on October 18th
Posted: 9:46 pm on October 18th
Posted: 9:04 pm on October 18th
Posted: 8:09 pm on October 18th
What you've said tracks with what I've been told for years, with the exception that I was told to get a Wolf.
Thanks for the feedback.
Posted: 7:38 pm on October 18th
Posted: 7:33 pm on October 18th
Thanks for the warning about feeling "smothered." I've read about that as well. Glad to hear you like the Wild Ginger software.
I want a dress form for fitting, and ultimately, draping.
Posted: 7:29 pm on October 18th
Thanks for the suggestion re the forum. That's a good idea. I'll see if the other person responds.
I know that one can draw lines, but drawing them on the molded shape of a real person is probably trickier than applying a style tape to a dress form, just as draping on an actual human is different and usually harder than draping on a mannequin.
I'm open to trying it, and no part of me is eager to spend hundreds of dollars on a used or new dress form (I've always been told that Wolf makes the best ones.).
But I have worked with professional dress forms a bit, and understand how having a sturdy, pinable form with a collapsible shoulder, heavy metal base and a pedal that allows the form to be raised for tasks like hemming would be more helpful.
Posted: 7:23 pm on October 18th
Try to make your own---nothing ventured, nothing gained. Just be careful!
Posted: 7:15 pm on October 18th
I don't know if there's any way -from here- to exchange emails, but ... if you both join the "Gatherings" forum, (see the button at the top), use the same (or very similar) screen names when you register, and enable Private Messages from Members, you can do it there.
There have also been some extensive discussions about dress forms, over the years!
"Fitting lines" can be drawn on with a marker, before you cut the form off your body.
Have fun - let us know how it goes!
Posted: 7:13 pm on October 18th
Posted: 7:11 pm on October 18th
I once bought a CD that illustrated a similar method using mailing tape. Only after watching the entire demonstration did I realize that I also had to make a muslin cover, but the website selling the CD didn't offer a pattern in my size. *urgh!*
Posted: 6:59 pm on October 18th
I'm a New Yorker and I'd be willing to work together. I've always wanted to try this, but I have to be honest, whenever I've asked for the opinion of people who sew or design professionally, they've either not heard of the method, or they think it's silly, compared to padding a form. I've also heard that the forms don't always fit the body, or collapse in short order. In addition, it may be difficult to establish the lines one needs for draping on such a form.
But I'll try anything once.
If you can think of a discreet way for us to exchange email addresses, I'd be happy to contact you.
I'll try to check this space once a day for the next couple weeks.
Point Patou
Posted: 6:53 pm on October 18th
Posted: 6:37 pm on October 18th
Posted: 6:15 pm on October 18th
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text:
Finally got the new Q-Sents. 1 170g and 1 175g
Haven't thrown them much but the stabilty seems to fall between the San Marino run and the other post SM runs. The flight was a mix of both but it's really just splitting hairs. HSS was similar to the straight ones but the LSS was like a 10/10 sanny. I need more tests but I like it so far. The new stamp is clean looking as well. Oh yeah stardust in the Q-Sents - pretty rad. I prefer the grip and feel of these over the new Sirius Sents
Note: I tested these next to a new sanny and a 8/10 domey straight run
Might actually consider moving some sanny's if these season nicely


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Topic: Update from Ron Smith
Hello everyone. I have been fairly quiet over the last few months but now have a new situation to report. I was persuaded by doctors at the oncology centre that it may not be in my best interests to start chemo at the start of the year as I was not showing any symptoms and it could actually prove to be detrimental. My last CT scan, in April, indicated that the tumours had become larger and for the first time, I was told there may be "something" on my lung. Apart from that, however, I was still symptom free, with nothing unusual coming back with my blood tests.
Over the summer I have noticed changes, ending with my GP confirming that a small lump I could feel in my neck being an enlarged lymph node. I had also found I was starting to feel a bit bloated and seedy if I ate too much or sat about too long. The worst time was at the beginning of this week when, in a rare time of weakness, I had a fish supper. (Kris, if you are reading this you will know what a Scottish fish supper is like - delicious but a killer, especially when served with lashings of salt, vinegar and sauce!). It took me more than a day to get over it. What has made things worse is that the summer in Britain, particularly in Scotland, has been dreadful, making it very difficult to get out for walks or spend time in the garden. So I am definately not as fit as I was earlier in the year.
Anyway, I have now decided to start chemo and on Tuesday next I am due to have my first treatment. I will be having Gemcitabine on its own, 7 weeks on and 1 week off. I am a bit nervous about it since my trial with Xeloda only lasted 3 days and brought on my angina. I have been told Gemcitabine is different and should not have the same outcome. But I am worried that it will lay me low and will be the start of a quick deterioration. But there appears to be no obvious alternatives. Radiation, RFA, cyberknife, theraspheres, or anything of that ilk has been ruled out as unsuitable due to the number and positions of my tumours. I am told that if the Gemcitabine does not work I will have access to clinical trials. Well, I'll just have to wait and see how it all pans out.


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In The Kitchen House, author Kathleen Grissom weaves together the stories of two women: Lavinia, an Irish immigrant who, in 1791, arrives alone in America at 7-years-old and becomes an indentured servant on a Virginia tobacco plantation, and Belle, the slave who takes care of her. Narrators Orlagh Cassidy and Bahni Turpin (known for her work as Minny in The Help) alternate chapters, so listeners get the same story from two very different perspectives both with their own unique voice. Both Lavinia's Irish accent and Belle's southern dialect are smooth and authentic, and as both characters interact with the same group of people, the narrators keep the secondary voices consistent; they can manage the white-collar accent of a Philadelphia society girl, the dangerous undertones of a malicious slave owner, and the distinctive voices of each of the plantation's slaves with equal confidence.
Grissom, who says she was inspired by her own modern-day renovation of a Virginia plantation, fills the novel with careful details, historical touches, and believable racial and political tensions. As Lavinia grows up, she finds herself caught between the slaves that raised her and the white world that waits for her and her tone, naïve and uncomprehending when she's not allowed to sit with her black friends in church as a child, matures along with her. She sounds weary and resigned (though still optimistic) when, as an adult, she faces similar challenges. As Belle navigates complicated relationships with her lover, parents, and siblings, the reading remains convincing, emotional, and satisfying. And when a generation of closely-held secrets leads to danger and tragedy for both women, each is forced to choose where her loyalties lay. Blythe Copeland
When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family.
Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin. Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk.
The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense, exploring the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail.
©2010 Kathleen Grissom (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
"Forget Gone With the Wind. Belle and Lavinia, the heroines in this novel, will make Scarlett seem like a wimp in comparison….Together they narrate a story that grabs the reader and demands to be devoured. Wow." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
"[Grissom's] debut twists the conventions of the antebellum novel....Provides a trove of tension and grit, while the many nefarious doings will keep readers hooked to the twisted, yet hopeful, conclusion." (Publishers Weekly)
"Kathleen Grissom peers into the plantation romance through the eyes of a white indentured servant inhabiting the limbo land between slavery and freedom, providing a tale that provokes new empathy for all working and longing in The Kitchen House." (Alice Randall, author of The Wind Done Gone and Rebel Yell)
"This is a must!"
I have listened to over 250 audible books and this is the first book that has moved me to write a review. I agree with all the accolades this book has received. Yes, there are a few tough scenes but that is what happened during those years of slavery. I would love to see a sequel and a movie should be made. The only criticism I have is that it ended too soon. I wish the author would have extended the story just a little longer. I just finished it and am starting it again.
I hear voices. But maybe that's because there's always an Audible book in my ear.
"Good, but with reservations"
This is a bleak book. While you wait for something, anything, good to happen to these people, it's one horrible injustice after another. It's engaging because of the narration. But, you end up feeling spent.
"Add a couple more stars!!"
This book was so good that when I finished it I started right over and the second time was even better. I caught so much that I missed the first time. The Narrators were excellent and easy to listen to. The biggest problem was I couldn't stop listening. I enjoyed this book as much or more than The Help and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
"Great, but the ending seemed rushed"
I don't think of myself as a huge fan of historical fiction, but this book was really great. I agree that if you liked "The Help," you will also enjoy this book. The only flaw I could see was that the last few chapters seemed very rushed, without the tremendous attention to detail and character development typical of the vast majority of the novel. I still give it a big thumbs up! Unlike some historical fiction, the characters were so well drawn out that it was easy to relate to them even when living in an entirely different time. You understood their motivations, their hopes and their dreams. I will listen to this book again, I am certain!
"Great but sad"
This is a great book and I could not stop listening but it is a sad story and at times I just wished something would go right rather than one disaster after another. I still recommend it highly and the narration was excellent, I immediately recognized Belle's voice from "The Help"
I believe a reviewer should finish a book before submitting a review. What do you think?
"Wonderful Book!"
This book is perfect in every way. The narration is spot on, in tone and pace, a match to the depth of the plot. The character development was so expertly accomplished. I cared for each kind character and I truly despised the villains.
I felt that the characters were true to the times and am surprised that some of the reviewers expect the characters to behave as if they were living in this century.
I too loved the ending, it was perfect and am so very glad the author did not go for the obvious, well you know if you read the book. THANK YOU Ms.Grissom, we are ready for your next novel.
"For the love of all things Holy, READ THIS!!!"
Yes! It's such a great story!
Momma Mae. Her inspired wisdom tendered with compassion warmth and strength is so embraceable. But...all the characters are unique. Good or bad, they're there with each facet clearly reflecting their well developed characters.
Rankin...so I could poison him.
Loved every minute of this book. Everyone should read this book. What's not to love! If I could give it 10 stars I would.
"Good book but Depressing!"
Dont read this expecting a light or easy listen! It was one crisis after another, one tragedy after another... After awhile, you could predict what was going to happen. I am sure it was historically accurate and the writing was good. However, Lavinia, one of the main characters, had to be the densest woman ever- even by late 18th- early 19th century standards. I guess I wasn't expecting to listen to so much angst driving home in traffic after a bad day at work.
"Similar to "The Help'"
I was so happy to find this book as it reminded me of 'The Help.' Another book about slavery in the South but a twist not in 'The Help' which is a white endentured slave. Again a glimpse in how life was back then for all involved: white children with tutors, tutors with not so good intentions, ranch hands, the black families that worked with the white family and how the black families/slaves cared for their masters and also themselves. Gilimpses of unresolved anger and rage as well as the sweet glimpse of understanding another's pain. If you liked 'The Help' I believe you will like 'The Kitchen House'
"Jane Eyre meets Gone with the Wind"
I ended this book with very mixed feelings - it was riveting enough to keep me from being productive around the house, it is masterfully narrated by great readers, and it certainly debunks the myths of the noble plantation master.
But there were several plot lines that stretched credulity - that a white child (indentured servant) would be so readily trusted throughout a slave community in an unstable household, that this child could grow up to tempt marriage offers from two members of the landed gentry of the area (a simple farmer, yes, but to see Virginians crossing class lines is hard to believe), and that this same individual could miss facts right under her nose and keep silent about other crucial facts for decades.
One reviewer described it as a Gothic novel - and that it is, combining alcoholism, pedophilia, laudunum addiction, sadism, lots of melodrama around lost children and parents, a Bronte-like house fire, and a heroine who maintains her purity of spirit throughout the perils that await her. You can almost envision her tied to railroad tracks.
And although the main protagonist certainly suffers from the dastardly deeds at the hands of her own Simon Legree, it is difficult as a listener to feel much compassion for her since what's happening to the slaves on this plantation is far worse and somewhat glossed over by the way the author keeps having them bounce back from being victimized by extreme brutality to resume their roles as sad-but-wise-and-loving house servants. The author waxes between fascinating and believable detail (field slaves stealing boards from the smokehouse to boil to get salt into their food) and hackneyed stereotypes of a mammy. I ended up giving Grissom credit for trying to be honest about slavery and forgave her the fall into stereotypes, but other readers might not.
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"Yo, Adrian!"
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Rocky needs no introduction. A movie and cultural icon, the "Italian Stallion" created by Sylvester Stallone has become a part of popular culture. This polystone 12-inch statue from Hollywood Collectibles Group portrays Rocky in a classic fight pose, as he is about to throw another huge punch at his opponent.
Limited to 500 Pieces worldwide and priced at $149.95. The Rocky statue is currently available for pre-order at hollywood-collectibles.com and is estimated to ship fourth quarter 2010.


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Over the next two columns, I will be sharing the tragic story of "Joshua," a deaf man in his 40s, and "Cindy," his older sister. It will become obvious why I can't reveal their real names. Cindy has been reading this column over the Internet.
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Pint-sized alchemists to add to your collection...
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Based on a popular ongoing manga series, Full Metal Alchemist continues to be one of the hottest anime series to hit US shores. While the original series was a completely new story, the Elric brothers are back for more action in the second season based solely on the manga, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The Trading Arts series based on the new show comes packaged as a box set including Edward, Winry, King Bradley, and Scar.


text: TMJ, I too am pissed off about the officials. They officiate our games vs Miami completely different than the other 30 teams. One call last night I have never seen before, was when Wade scored, and a foul was called AFTER the ball dropped through the hoop and bounced on the ground


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"All of This Blesses Me"09684_000_011
If it's Saturday, you'll find Elvira Guagliarello busily working in the kitchen of her home in Puerto Madryn, located on the shores of Argentina's Nuevo Gulf in the southern province of Chubut.
She measures out flour and water and then reaches for other ingredients. She says little as she works, her actions speaking louder than her words. After all, she's on the Lord's errand.
"I feel good because I know I am doing something good," says Sister Guagliarello as she mixes the ingredients. She thinks of the Savior as she works, happy with the thought that the product of her service will help other members of the Church remember Him.
Sister Guagliarello, age 82, enjoys serving as a visiting teacher, helps direct the music in her ward, and makes bread for use in the ordinance of the sacrament—a calling she has magnified for nearly 10 years. She prepares a loaf of bread for herself earlier in the week, but on Saturdays she sets aside time to make bread "especially for the Church," she says. "I say to myself, 'I have to make bread, and I have to go to church.' I don't want to fail."
Health permitting, she also attends the temple—making an annual 20-hour bus trip north to the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple.
"Sister Guagliarello is always happy to serve in every way she can," says her bishop, Jesús Santos Gumiel. "Ward members know they can count on her. Despite her age, she is faithful in preparing the bread every Saturday and in coming to church every Sunday. She's a good example."
Sister Guagliarello met the full-time missionaries in 1962 in Mar del Plata, south of Buenos Aires, while working in a boarding house where they lived. When she recognized them knocking on doors 15 years later, after she had moved to Puerto Madryn, she took the discussions, was baptized, and began her life of service in the Church.
Today she lives by herself, but she doesn't feel alone. She has her scriptures and her ward family, and she communes frequently with her Heavenly Father through prayer. In addition, she enjoys the companionship of the Spirit, which the Lord has promised to those who serve Him by serving others. 1
"All of this blesses me," Sister Guagliarello says with a smile. "The Church puts us to work, and that makes me happy. I have always found joy in serving our Father in Heaven."
Making the Most of Senior Years
The key to feeling useful and overcoming loneliness is to look for ways to help others who are in need. President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) suggested that senior members of the Church consider serving in the following ways:
Working in the temple and attending often.
Collecting and writing family histories.
Becoming involved in missionary service.
Building family togetherness.
Accepting and fulfilling Church callings.
Rendering Christlike service.
Staying physically fit, healthy, and active.
From Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Elderly in the Church," Ensign, Nov. 1989, 4–6.
Top: photograph by Michael R. Morris
Show References
See Henry B. Eyring,
"In the Strength of the Lord," Liahona and Ensign, May 2004, 19; see also John 14:16–18; Doctrine and Covenants 88:3.


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Ohio State capped an undefeated season Saturday with a win over archrival Michigan.
Undefeated, but not perfect. The Buckeyes are ineligible for the postseason due to the transgressions of former coach Jim Tressel. Still, Tressel's missteps in the Tattoogate scandal and his forced resignation haven't tarnished his name in the Horseshoe.
The 2002 national championship team was honored before the game and Tressel, who now works as an administrator at Akron, was widely applauded along with the team. The players lifted the coach up on their shoulders, the ultimate sign of respect and admiration for the beloved and fallen coach.
PHOTOS: Top plays, moments of Week 13
Were it not for Tressel covering up for himself and his players in an impermissible scandal that rocked the program, the Buckeyes could possibly be playing for the BCS National Championship.
Instead, they have a postseason ban that keeps them out of the Big Ten title game and out of contention for a BCS bowl berth.
MORE: Live college football scoreboard