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NICHD components support and/or conduct research on the following aspects of HIV/AIDS.
Basic Research on HIV/AIDSBehavioral Health Aspects of HIV/AIDSDemographics of HIV/AIDS & Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDSEffects of HIV/AIDS Drugs on Pregnancy & DevelopmentHIV/AIDS in WomenHIV/AIDS in AdolescentsHIV/AIDS in ChildrenHIV/AIDS Therapeutics & Vaccine DevelopmentNutrition & HIV/AIDSBuilding Capacity for HIV/AIDS Research
Both extramural and intramural entities within NICHD are involved in basic research related to HIV/AIDS.
The effect of endogenous and exogenous steroid hormones on risk of HIV acquisition, transmission, and disease progression is unknown. The
Contraceptive Discovery and Development Branch (CDDB) and the
Maternal and Pediatric Infectious Disease Branch (MPIDB) both fund extramural research on this topic.
In NICHD's intramural program, three sections investigate some aspect of HIV genome replication:
Three other intramural entities study some aspect of HIV basic biology:
Population Dynamics Branch (PDB) is the principal NICHD entity supporting research on behavioral and other aspects of HIV/AIDS. It also sponsors the development and improvement of methods for studying sexual behavior. The Branch funds extramural research investigating the interrelationships among social, institutional, economic, and cultural contexts and sexual behavior. It also supports efforts to develop and evaluate behavioral interventions that are relevant within these contexts.
Branch-supported research in this area includes studies of the onset and trajectories of sexual activity, contraceptive use, and sexual partnerships and research on partnership dynamics and characteristics. The Branch also is interested in studies of the consequences of sexual behaviors and related aspects of reproductive health for individual well-being, interpersonal relationships, reproductive outcomes, and the well-being of families, communities, and society.
For example, the Branch supports studies testing the efficacy of individual-level and classroom interventions for promoting abstinence and risk-reduction behavior, including condom use and avoidance of concurrent partners, among adolescents and young adults. One effort tested Reach for Health, a school-based intervention that blended community service requirements with a sex education curriculum. The program achieved a significant and long-lasting delay in sexual activity among inner-city middle-school children.
Other activities include providing life skills to young HIV-infected women in Zimbabwe, studying testingamong African-American men, examining how churches respond to HIV, and learning how women and couples balance their desires for children with their desires to avoid HIV infection.
The PDB is the primary source of NICHD support for research in the demographics of HIV, sponsoring studies of the social, demographic, economic, or other structural impacts of HIV/STI in populations. The Branch also sponsors research on the implications of patterns of sexual behavior, geographical mobility, testing, and treatment in a population for the spread of HIV and other STIs.
The need to inform HIV-prevention efforts has been a strong motivator for recent research on the demographics of sexual behavior. Examples of Branch topics of interest include studies on the acceptability of microbicides, the role of religious organizations in HIV prevention, the relationship between individuals' and couples' desires to prevent disease transmission while being able to have the number of children they want, and social networks and HIV prevention.
The MPIDB sponsors research to understand and prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The Branch's portfolio includes research on the acquisition of HIV infection through
in utero exposure, intrapartum exposure, and postnatal exposure via breast milk. Its prevention research includes the use of antiretroviral drugs or use of HIV passive or active immunization for prevention of mother-to-child transmission, as well as studies to evaluate optimal ways to implement proven interventions in developing countries.
Since 1990, the MPIDB has contributed to a series of research advances that have drastically reduced rates of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, especially in the United States. In 2011, the MPIDB and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) co-funded the NICHD/HPTN 040 clinical trial, which found that a multi-drug regimen given to the newborns of HIV-infected women who had not received antiretrovirals before labor reduced the infants' risk of infection.
Although early diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy is ideal, many HIV-infected pregnant women around the world still do not receive this level of care. This line of research continues with the
Promoting Maternal-Infant Survival Everywhere (PROMISE) study, co-funded by the MPIDB and NIAID through their
International Maternal, Pediatric, Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Group. The PROMISE study, begun in 2010, will enroll nearly 8,000 HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers in 18 nations to compare the safety and efficacy of a variety of methods to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
The MPIDB supports research on the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and safety of antiretroviral drugs in pregnancy. The Branch also supports research, investigating the impact of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy on child development, including growth, sexual maturation, metabolism, socialization, neurodevelopment, and neurologic function. It also supports research on drug toxicity in pregnant women and on the effects of antiretroviral drugs on the fetus and infant, especially long-term effects.
An example of the MPIDB's interest in this area is its
Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS). In 2012, study researchers found that children who were exposed to HIV in the womb, even if they did not become infected with the virus, were at
high risk of a language delay compared with other children. This study, co-funded by seven other NIH Institutes and offices, was established in 2005 to evaluate the long-term safety of fetal and infant exposure to prophylactic antiretroviral drugs and the effects of perinatally acquired HIV infection in adolescents. These results suggest the need for early language interventions for children exposed prenatally to HIV. The
Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics Branch also supports research in the area of pediatric and obstetric drugs.
The MPIDB sponsors research on the unique characteristics and impacts of immune function, immune markers, HIV infection, and co-infection in pregnant and other women. Similarly, the CDDB supports research into the effects of female genital biology and sex hormones on the transmission, acquisition, and progression of HIV/AIDS and other STIs.
The MPIDB and several other Branches support the development of prophylactic, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies for HIV/AIDS that are targeted to the unique biology and social contexts of women, including pregnant women. These strategies may be pharmaceutical, behavioral, nutritional, or in other domains, as relevant to individual branch interests.
Additionally, the MPIDB supports studies evaluating the effects of HIV and its therapies on women throughout the lifespan. For example, the MPIDB co-funds with NIAID the
Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS), which was established in 1993 to investigate the impact of HIV infection on women in the United States. The WIHS cohort of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected high risk women has provided critical information on the natural history of HIV infection in women, including predictors of disease progression and death, the prevalence and incidence of genital neoplasia and its relationship to human papillomavirus infection, rates and complications of other co-infections such as hepatitis C virus, response to and complications of highly active antiretroviral therapy, and rates of co-morbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers.
The MPIDB supports research on the interactions between hormonal contraceptives and antiretroviral drugs, evaluating both the effect of the antiretroviral drug on the contraceptive and the effect of the contraceptive on antiretroviral drug levels.
Contraception and fertility are other major areas of NICHD's research funding on women and HIV/AIDS. The CDDB supports studies of the safety and efficacy of contraceptives and infertility treatments in HIV-positive women.
The PDB is also involved in studies of contraception and HIV prevention. Its portfolio includes studies of the interrelationships among pregnancy, pregnancy desires, pregnancy prevention, and HIV/STI prevention, plus the development of interventions based on an understanding of these relationships.
The MPIDB sponsors a spectrum of research aimed at understanding the transmission dynamics, course of infection, prevention, and management of HIV in youth. Areas of interest include therapy adherence; development of vaccines and other methods, such as use of pre-exposure prophylaxis, to prevent the spread of infection; and strategies for managing HIV disease and secondary infections.
The PDB is focused on behavioral aspects of HIV/AIDS in adolescents, examining the factors that influence adolescents' propensity for risky behavior and developing and evaluating interventions tailored toward adolescents.
Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN), funded by the MPIDB,
National Institute of Mental Health, and
National Institute on Drug Abuse, is an example of NICHD's focus on HIV in adolescents. Through a collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the ATN is carrying out the Strategic Multisite Initiative for the Identification, Linkage, and Engagement in Care of Youth with Undiagnosed HIV Infection (SMILE in CARING for YOUTH). Begun in 2009, SMILE in CARING for YOUTH links ATN's research and treatment network with CDC-funded HIV counseling and testing programs for adolescents and young adults at high risk for infection. The program is testing and improving methods to link HIV-infected young people with treatment and improve treatment compliance, and it is providing opportunities for these youths to participate in clinical trials.
The Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS), led by MPIDB in collaboration with eight co-funding Institutes, examines trends in health and behavior of youth who acquired HIV infection in infancy and who are reaching adolescence and young adulthood. PHACS has helped show how these youth with lifelong HIV infection face special challenges for themselves and their partners as they become sexually active (Source: Tassiopoulos, K. et. al. (2013).
Clinical Infectious Disease.
The MPIDB is engaged in research to understand and address the unique characteristics of HIV/AIDS and their treatments in children. An example of the MPIDB's interest in this area is its
Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS), which found in a
2011 study that hypercholesterolemia is a common side effect of drug therapy in HIV-infected children. The study tracked cholesterol and its treatment in more than 2,500 infected children for 2 years, finding that most children's cholesterol did not decrease over time and that few received drug treatment that could lower their cholesterol. These findings highlight the need for treatment guidelines for hypercholesterolemia in HIV-infected children.
In 2013, NIH-supported researchers reported that a 2-year-old child who was born with HIV and was treated starting in the first few days of life has had her HIV infection go into remissions. This appears to be the first case of a
functional cure of HIV.
The MPIDB also funds research related to pediatric diagnosis and monitoring assays and strategies for HIV and associated co-infections, such as tuberculosis, relevant to developing-country settings. An example of MPIDB-funded research in this area is a 2011 study of the pediatric use of the Xpert assay, recommended by the WHO as a test for tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis in adults. The study found that Xpert provides consistent, accurate, fast results in children, and thus opened this new avenue for diagnosis and care of HIV-infected children's opportunistic infections. (Source: Nicol, M. P., et al. (2011).
The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
In addition to funding individual research studies, the MPIDB provides support to the NIAID-funded
International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) to include children in its cohorts. IeDEA's mission is to combine data from multiple research cohorts around the world to examine specific questions about HIV/AIDS that require large data sets.
A large portion of the portfolio of the MPIDB's supports the identification and evaluation of therapies for HIV-infected children, youth, and pregnant women, including treatment and prevention of co-occurring infections and other complications of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy. The Branch is also involved in the development of vaccines and other methods for the prevention of HIV transmission among adolescents and between mother and child.
The MPIDB ATN, the
NICHD Domestic and International Pediatric and Maternal HIV Clinical Trials Network, and the co-funded NICHD and NIAID
International Maternal, Pediatric, Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Group are heavily involved in this area. In 2012, ATN and IMPAACT Group researchers published the finding that
vitamin D may improve bone health in adolescents on the common anti-HIV drug tenofovir. Due to hormonal effects of tenofovir therapy, bone density loss is a common side effect. This discovery may provide a low-cost method to increase the long-term health and well-being of HIV-positive youth.
The NICHD-NIAID co-funded IMPAACT Group research has also had several breakthroughs in treating HIV-infected infants. A study published in 2010 showed that initial therapy with a three-drug regimen, including the protease inhibitor lopinavir/ritonavir, was more effective than a three-drug regimen containing nevirapine for treating infants who became infected despite being exposed to nevirapine at birth. (Source: Palumbo, P., et al. (2010).
New England Journal of Medicine.
PMID: 20942667). These findings led to changes in the WHO treatment guidelines,
Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in infants and children: towards universal access - recommendations for a public health approach, 2010 revision
(PDF - 1.9 MB). Later in 2010, the IMPAACT group reported that a protease-inhibitor lopinavir/ritonavir-based therapy was more effective for treating HIV-infected infants than was a nevirapine-based therapy even when the infected child had not been exposed to nevirapine at birth (Source: Violari, A. et. al. (2012). New England Journal of Medicine.
In addition to the MPIDB, the CDDB funds the development and evaluation of anti-HIV spermicidal microbicides as part of its contraception research.
The PROMISE (Promoting Maternal-Infant Survival Everywhere) study, co-funded by the MPIDB and NIAID through their IMPAACT, is evaluating two different strategies to allow safer breastfeeding in developing countries for 12 months or longer–comparing infant or maternal antiretroviral drug administration during breastfeeding to prevent HIV transmission through breast milk.
Pediatric Growth and Nutrition Branch (PGNB) supports research and research training in nutritional science, childhood antecedents of adult disease, developmental endocrinology, developmental neuroendocrinology, and physical growth and body composition. One major focus of the Branch's research support is global health and nutrition, particularly the role of nutrition in the prevention, care, and treatment of HIV/AIDS. It also supports research on the effect of HIV on the immune function of the gut.
Proper feeding of infants exposed to HIV infection is a great concern in developing nations. Current policies call for early exclusive breastfeeding followed by rapid weaning to limit exposure to HIV. PGNB-supported investigators have
developed a method to reduce transmission by heat-treating expressed milk. The process produced minimal changes in breast milk composition and was successfully implemented in rural settings where HIV prevalence is high. This work represents the importance of translational science in providing infants with a safe source of nutrition.
One of the great successes in HIV research has been the development of highly effective interventions to prevent MTCT (PMTCT).
Clinical trials have identified simple, less expensive, effective prevention strategies that are feasible for resource-limited settings, including interventions to reduce HIV transmission through breastfeeding.
Although great strides have been made in implementing PMTCT programs in low- and middle-income countries, there remain significant bottlenecks and challenges in developing and carrying out PMTCT programs in these settings. Implementation science projects examine and develop new ways to improve how we put into practice the PMTCT interventions that we already know will work.
In 2012, the MPIDB, with co-funding from the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), funded nine grants to assess optimal ways to implement PMTCT interventions in developing countries. MPIDB is working with the Fogarty International Center to bring these international researchers together with developing country implementers and public health professionals to share information about the studies and facilitate rapid implementation of successful projects.
Read more about the Implementation Science Project.
Both the PDB and the MPIDB are involved in building research capacity in HIV/AIDS through training and infrastructure development in the African, Asian, and Latin American nations most affected by the disease.
Investigators with the MPIDB-funded NICHD International Site Development Initiative (NISDI) identified distinct viral load thresholds in children receiving therapy that identify children at increased risk of developing HIV-related clinical illnesses despite treatment (Source: Siberry, G. K. et. al. (2012).
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
A separate study by NISDI Brazilian scientists evaluated adherence to antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy and postpartum, finding that adherence to treatment significantly decreased after delivery, indicating a need for additional support to women postpartum (Source: Kreitchmann, R. et. al. (2012).
AIDS Patient Care STDs.
To achieve its goals for HIV/AIDS research, the NICHD supports a variety of other activities related to this disease. Some of these activities are managed through the components listed above; others are part of NIH-wide or collaborative efforts in which the NICHD participates. Some of these are listed below.
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Canadians are investing billions of dollars, from large network hubs to the newest online video subscription, in the Internet, but this spending is taking place in a policy vacuum. The usage-based billing debate, with sloganeers either calling on customers to start "paying for what you use" or on large Internet service providers to stop "trying to kill the open Internet," is only the latest manifestation of this uncertainty.
There are good reasons, in theory, to allow UBB - the levying of charges, based on the amount of material downloaded, by large providers on smaller providers who use their network infrastructure. But the federal government should send a recent decision on UBB back to the CRTC; not because it would make for better politics, but as a first step in cleaning up Canadian Internet policy.
In many competitive marketplaces, and in utilities, the commodity price per unit is often well-known. Consumers can know how much wheat costs by the bushel, or electricity by the kilowatt hour. But the actual cost to ISPs of downloading a lot of data is a black box; while large providers on occasion file information in confidence to the CRTC, the public has little ability to assess their claims around whether, say, $1 per gigabyte (equivalent to around an hour of online video) for heavy users is justifiable. The large ISPs argue that this is acceptable, because we have a competitive marketplace.
But we don't, at least not truly. In many parts of Canada, the market for Internet services into the home is a duopoly; the choice is between a local cable company and a local phone company. The smaller providers, the subject of the recent UBB decision, make up only around 6 per cent of the national market. In the U.S., the marketplace provides for no caps on data, or much higher caps, than those in Canada.
The CRTC decision, in which smaller providers get a 15-per-cent price discount from what the large providers' own customers pay for data downloading, is not supported by any particular economic evidence. It indirectly regulates price, something the CRTC is told to avoid. It is, in other words, a messy compromise that emanates from conflicting and contradictory mandates and federal direction.
For example, a 2006 policy statement sets out a more market-based approach to regulating the sector. Decisions both before and since then require larger ISPs to provide access to smaller ones. The result is that smaller ISPs, are in effect, "wards of the state," where individual regulatory decisions can make or break them, and larger ISPs wonder whether they will have to carry the entire load of updating Canadian Internet infrastructure.
The federal government needs to amend these policies, which have not been updated since the advent of widespread mobile data or online video. The guiding principles should encourage competition and investment, including more foreign investment; give sufficient clarity to the CRTC to allow it to proceed without constant second-guessing; and, where there's a conflict, err on the side of encouraging more access.
For while competition within the telecommunications sector is desirable, it is prone to the occasional market failure. The greater imperative is in getting the greatest amount of speedy Internet access to the greatest number of Canadians at the lowest price.Report Typo/Error
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How did we get here?
At Merck for Mothers, we are committed to saving women's lives and bringing fresh thinking to the age-old problem of maternal mortality. One of the most important areas of our work is rather unorthodox for the maternal health field: exploring how the local private health sector can be leveraged to strengthen the overall health system.
From our early visits to countries like Nigeria, India, Uganda and Kenya, we saw that private, community-based doctors, midwives, pharmacists and other providers were playing important, often critical roles in delivering healthcare to pregnant women, yet they remain largely overlooked by the global health community. We heard from women and experts alike that these private providers were often where women turned for care because they were close to home, attuned to local needs and customs, open longer hours and perceived to offer high-quality services.
It soon became clear that if we really want to ensure women get the care they need for a healthy pregnancy and a safe childbirth we must improve the services they receive wherever they seek care. From our experiences to date, we have learned a tremendous amount that we believe could be valuable for the maternal health field. We have outlined some of those learnings here.
What are we focusing on?
We began with three-year investments inUganda and India – countries that continue to struggle with maternal mortality and where large portions of the population seek care from the private health sector. We set out to design and test new solutions in maternal healthcare that have the potential to be scaled and sustained, such as social franchising and accreditation. We also built in a rigorous evaluation plan to learn which interventions work, whether they are cost-effective, how likely they are to be sustainable given market dynamics and their potential impact on maternal mortality.
Leveraging private care to improve maternal health in Uganda
In Uganda, we've partnered with Population Services International and its local affiliate, PACE, on a project called MSD for Ugandan Mothers (MUM). We're working with PACE to ensure that pregnant women – particularly those in remote and low-income communities – have access to affordable, quality maternal health products and services through the ProFam network of private franchise clinics. This comprehensive project is also working beyond the clinic setting, helping women overcome common barriers to care, such as cost, transportation and limited supplies. To date, MUM has expanded the ProFam social franchise to more than 140 health facilities and improved access to quality care for more than 100,000 women and counting.
Leveraging private care to improve maternal health in India
In India, we've partnered with leading health organizations to expand women's access to affordable, quality maternal healthcare in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh – three states with some of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the country. With Pathfinder International and World Health Partners, we created a novel partnership that links and strengthens the public and private health sectors through social franchising, telemedicine, capacity building and referrals. We're working with Jhpiego and the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) to develop standards of quality care and help providers meet those standards through training, continuous quality improvement and accreditation. And finally, we're working with Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) to expand a sustainable social franchise network of private hospitals – identifying the right incentives to ensure quality maternal health and family planning services.
What have we learned about the local private sector's role in maternal health?
Private providers are a diverse group. Private care is offered by midwives, drug shop owners, and formal and informal providers, most of whom work independently, making it difficult to standardize the care they deliver. India, for example, has more than 80 types of private providers.
Given their diversity, some private providers are better placed than others to offer comprehensive maternal health services. Private providers who want to extend their services beyond antenatal/postnatal care and family planning must first develop the capacity to take on labor and delivery services. The latter are more complex and expensive to offer because they require specialized training, equipment, supplies and referral systems, especially when it comes to managing childbirth emergencies. It can be a particular challenge to provide labor and delivery care in rural areas where infrastructure is more limited and there are fewer skilled providers.
Volume of deliveries is an important consideration in determining where to invest in capacity building. Many providers see relatively few deliveries and even fewer complications and emergencies, making it difficult to maintain their skills so they can consistently and effectively manage these rare cases. In some contexts, it may be more efficient to support capacity building efforts in peri-urban areas where there are more private providers, greater numbers of deliveries and high maternal mortality. It's also important to ensure that providers with relatively few deliveries offer high quality antenatal and postnatal care and make timely, appropriate referrals.
Assuring the quality of private maternal care requires a different approach. Time is money for private providers. They have limited availability to take on complex quality assurance and quality improvement efforts. If we want to encourage them to deliver high quality services, we need to develop more efficient and tailored strategies for training, meeting standards and measuring performance. Private providers will engage in delivering higher quality care as long as incentives are aligned.
Social franchising may be an effective way to expand the availability of private maternal healthcare while assuring its quality. Social franchising has been successful in expanding access to affordable family planning and primary healthcare. We are hopeful that Merck for Mothers' programs in India and Uganda will demonstrate that it is possible to extend the franchise model to maternal health, increasing the availability of quality pregnancy and childbirth-related services.
Accrediting health providers may be another effective way to ensure quality care, but new approaches are needed. In India, we've heard from private providers that the current accreditation system is cumbersome and does not offer sufficient incentives to encourage them to participate. As governments and independent bodies develop accreditation structures, they must address the barriers preventing private providers from participating. And to truly assure quality, accreditation standards should be comprehensive enough to capture the actual care delivered, not just a clinic's infrastructure or a provider's qualifications.
Examining private maternal healthcare provides valuable lessons for countries striving to strengthen their health systems. As countries like India and Uganda begin to take on the worthy challenge of achieving universal health coverage, we believe the local private health sector should be an important part of the equation. We hope that the models we are testing — social franchising, accreditation and linking public and private care — will prove successful and provide a way forward for governments to leverage high quality private care to meet their national health goals. Working together, we're optimistic that we can ensure women receive affordable, quality care wherever they seek it.
Dr. Priya Agrawal
Executive Director, Merck for Mothers


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Austin TX (SPX) Jun 08, 2007
Airtricity North America, a leading international renewable energy company, has officially opened its 124 megawatt wind farm at Forest Creek, West Texas. The facility will generate enough electricity to power more than 35,000 homes and avoid the emission of 225,000 tons of greenhouse gases. TXU Wholesale, a subsidiary of TXU Corp., will purchase the electricity generated by the wind farm which entered commercial operation in March 2007.
Today's event follows last month's announcement that Airtricity began construction of the 209 megawatt Roscoe Wind Farm, a project so vast that it will span three counties and nearly 30,000 acres when completed. Like the Forest Creek Wind Farm, TXU Wholesale will purchase the electricity generated by the Roscoe Wind Farm.
Airtricity's other Texas-based wind farms under construction include the 126 megawatt Champion Wind Farm and the 90 megawatt Sand Bluff Wind Farm. When completed, the company will generate more than 550 megawatts in the state. Approximately 1,000 megawatts of new wind capacity is expected to be installed in Texas in 2007, which would be a record annual increase.
"Airtricity is fast becoming one of the largest wind power operators in Texas, the state that leads the U.S. in installed capacity," said Airtricity North America CEO Declan Flanagan. "More and more businesses and policy makers are recognizing the economic and environmental advantages of wind power."
Texas is leading the world in harnessing clean, native wind energy and in addition to adding much needed tax revenues to school districts, the Texas wind industry is creating employment and opportunities in a range of disciplines, including construction, operations and maintenance.
The Forest Creek Wind Farm will provide the equivalent of 10 full time jobs during its operation over the next 25 years. Many more are currently employed in Airtricity's construction projects in Texas. The Roscoe and Champion projects will, at peak, employ more than 500 people in the construction effort. In addition, Airtricity is renovating vacant commercial space in the town of Roscoe to act as its regional operations center. When complete the operations center will employ more than 20 workers.
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San Jose CA (SPX) Jun 08, 2007
Calpine Corporation, the nation's largest renewable, geothermal power provider, has announced the launch of a five-year, multi-million dollar green power program designed to increase power production by up to 80 megawatts at the company's Geysers geothermal operations in northern California.
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The Last Reel trailer
"A lost film... buried beneath the killing fields... reveals different versions of the truth." Rebellious teenager Sophoun discovers an old film starring her mother, offering her the chance to dictate her own destiny at last, but at the cost of uncovering some dark secrets from the past about her parents lives during the Khmer Rouge regime.
The trailer to The Last Reel, Kulikar Sotho's directorial debut, is now out. A Cambodian film with quality western production values. The film will be on general release later this year. You must not miss it.
An interview with lead actress Mary Neth is online in the Phnom Penh Post 7 days Magazine @ http://www.phnompenhpost.com/7days/7-questions-mary-neth.
Labels: Kulikar Sotho, The Last Reel


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These are the coolest looking of all the true vintage hagstroms [ beauty being in the eye of course. This is the newer of the original 1 models with the 'square ended pickups. the ohmage reads about the same as the original round ended ones ] Literally everyone who tries a good condition original is always surprised at how good these play and sound. Becase of excessive peeling, the back has been sanded touched up by Diamond strings to the correct color and doesn't look that bad at all. [ not nearly perfect ,but not bad] . some very small cracks in the top plastic shell [ these have wooden 'inside 'bodies] . can also be set up with an ABR for better intonation with no mods . all works and plays great! And, as Hagstrom originally advertised in the 60's .. ' The worlds' fastest neck!!
For more info and photos please visit www.diamondstrings.com or call 585-424-3369 another great player grade instrument for a player. Restored by Diamondstrings to play and work as good as it was when it was new. however, the vinyl backing material was too far gone ..So we removed it and painted to look as a very close match up..
So, why pay big bucks for something when you know what you want to do is actually play it!! you won't be disappointed . It's a great deal in a market that isn't known for great deals anymore.
and , lotsa folks already know Hagstroms are light weight with amazing fast necks and just fun to hold and play. and they sound great too!
for more info and photos please visit www.diamondstrings.com or call 585-424-3369
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I accept payments by bank check or postal money order. Credit cards through paypal.com. -layaways can be done by working out details with me directly. All prices are subject to change [ either up down] The price that is listed on the website www.diamondstrings.com reflects the current prices .
I ship immiadiatly upon payment.[god I wish I could spell better] Buyer is responsible for all shipping charges unless otherwise otherwise worked out with seller. I ship Fedex ground unless otherwise stated by the buyer.
Buyer has 48 hours approval time upon receipt. In the event of a return.[almost has never happened] The buyer is responsible for all shipping costs [including time and packaging materials]. Returns must be sent back well packed and insured and received in the same condition as sent before refunds are sent back. In addition there is a $15 restocking fee.


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Warning to anyone reading The Lovely Bones in school who thinks the film version will be an adequate substitute: it's not. In fact, you really need to read the book in order to understand the movie. See for yourself when Paramount Home Entertainment releases The Lovely Bones on DVD and Blu-ray April 20th.
On her way home from school Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is murdered by her neighbor, George Harvey (Stanley Tucci). While her family struggles with her passing, she is pained by the effect it has on them as she watches from Heaven. Determined to catch the person accountable, Susie's father, Jack (Mark Wahlberg), takes it upon himself to do some police work. Both Susie and her father must decide what's more important, destroying the monster responsible or letting themselves heal and move on.
The Lovely Bones does not do its source material justice. Alice Sebold's novel is far superior to Peter Jackson's lofty adaptation. If you're insistent on picking up a copy of this film, I adamantly suggest reading the book first. After you've done your homework, you can get The Lovely Bones on DVD for $19.99 or on Blu-ray for $29.99. According to DVD Active, the DVD version will not have any bonus material. The BD, on the other hand, boasts a 15-segment production diary hosted by Jackson and writer Philippa Boyens.
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discussed in biography
...animated maps of the sieges of La Rochelle and the Île de Ré. In his last great series of etchings, the "small" (1632) and the "large" (1633) The Miseries and Misfortunes of War, he brought his documentary genius to bear on the atrocities of the Thirty Years' War. Callot is also well known for his landscape drawings in line and wash...
history of
...made etchings with easy, graceful strokes that show his full understanding of the technique. In France, the printmaker Jacques Callot used etching as an aid to engraving in his series "Miseries of War" (1633). He not only incised the metal when drawing through the ground but also reinforced the lines with an engraver's burin after the plate had been exposed to acid.
...record and ironically comment upon the customs, historical events, and morals of his time. Callot's work was often decorative and manneristic; but, at his best, as in the series The Miseries and Misfortunes of War (1632–33), he transcended mere illustration and achieved powerful images of universal significance.


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Asian Studies
Global Flows and Minority Media Production in Southwest China
Date: 4:00pm PST January 19, 2012 Location: Miller Hall
Miller Hall
Tami Blumenfield, PhD
This talk discusses intersections between artists and filmmakers from
Europe, South Korea, and Japan in a small ethnic minority community in
the foothills of the Himalayas. The Na who live there attract the imagination of outsiders for their perceived sexual freedom and their egalitarian gender system. After over a decade of tourism and media production focused on their community, a digital media training course I organized in collaboration with the Moso Folk Museum helped local people amplify their own voices in the representational cacophony. After the training ended, Archei traveled to Beijing to create a film about a Dutch woman who purchased part of a Na family's house as part of her own artistic imaginings. This film then screened at an international film festival held in Kunming, China. Despite its enthusiastic reception, Archei declined to pursue distribution. In this talk, I analyze his decision and its implications for community-based media production more broadly.
Tami received her PhD from the University of Washington in 2010. Her dissertation, Scenes from Yongning: Media Creation in China's Na Villages," discussed a collaborative media project that involved a community film festival and ethnographies of
media production. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Sociology & Anthropology Department and currently teaches Gender in Asia and introductory cultural anthropology courses.


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In which I rant about the need to discuss Wiener's wiener and about why and what we're sacrificing to afford high gas prices.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In which I rant about the need to discuss Wiener's wiener and about why and what we're sacrificing to afford high gas prices.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The following post is by my husband Leif. He's sorta awesome.
I woke up today thoughtful of the brave men and women that have given the ultimate sacrifice – their lives – to protect what they had left behind.
Today we celebrate Memorial Day, but it should be called Hero Day.
It's not just that our soldiers have given their lives in the line of duty, but what they gave them for. Wars of history mostly have been wars of conquest. Wars have generally been fought for two reasons: Land or religion.
With little exception, the United States has fought other nations for an entirely different reason. The U.S. doesn't fight to gain land, or to spread a particular religion; we fight for an idea.
We fight for freedom.
In the Civil War, we fought for the freedom of all men.
In WWI, we fought to protect our allies (and therefore ourselves) against Imperialism.
Korea. Vietnam. Kosovo. Afghanistan. Iraq. Freedom.
Today I lift a glass and toast the sailor, the soldier, the airman, and the marine. I say thank you to them, even though it doesn't adequately convey my gratitude. They are my heroes. Their sacrifices were not in vain, but bravely faced so that I may enjoy and share the freedoms that my creator gave me.
When Thing 1 was five, I asked her a series of questions about her mom. That's me. Apparently I was obsessed with Rachel Ray in 2009.
1. What is something mom always says to you?
"to brush my teeth."
2. What makes mom happy?
"Rachael Ray."
3. What makes mom sad?
"Missing me."
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
"by being silly."
5. What was your mom like as a child?
"A little goo-goo head."
6. How old is your mom?
7. How tall is your mom?
"10 feet tall."
8. What is Mom's favorite thing to do?
"Watch Rachael Ray."
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
"Go shopping with little goo-goo head. Goo-goo head is my sister!"
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"For being the best cashier. I remember she said that she used to be a cashier."
11. What is your mom really good at?
"Asking me lots of questions."
12. What is your mom not very good at?
"She's not very good at playing."
13. What does your mom do for her job?
"Take care of me and my sister."
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
"She can drive. Because on Wednesdays and sometimes Fridays or Saturdays, she takes me to Gramma's house."
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"A mermaid in SpongeBob."
17. What do you and your mom do together?
"Go to Target."
18. How are you and your mom the same?
"We're girls and we both sit down to pee."
19. How are you and your mom different?
"I can't drive and she can."
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
"I don't know…. stop asking me, I really, really, just don't know."
21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
"To Vons."
Remember the good ol' days, when kindergartners learned to read and write and add numbers together without the aid of an iPad? It seems like only yesterday …
A public school proposal in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, to purchase 150 iPads for 5-year-olds to use in class is causing some parents to question if this is the best use of already limited funds.
Catherine Adair has children in school at Briggs Elementary. She tells FOX 25, "We have no Vice Principal. We have a very bare bones staff. I don't think kindergartners having iPads is the best expenditure of taxpayer money."
iPads are an awesome bit of technology. I love mine. My kids love it too, and I've stocked it with a number of fun learning apps for them. But it is a perk, not a necessity, and I didn't ask taxpayers to fund it, and no teachers lost their jobs at its expense.
It would be wonderful to live in a world where educational funding knew no limits, and we could have a realistic discussion about the benefits of providing iPads to short people who include 'nose-picking' on their list of favorite activities. But there is a finite amount of money to be spent on the future of our country, and iPads shouldn't be in the budget.
Read the rest at The Stir
California is releasing tens of thousands of inmates after a ruling by theSupreme Court on Monday. No, they haven't been wrongfully imprisoned and suddenly found innocent due to some new DNA technology.
It's just that the prisons are overcrowded.
A sane solution would be to build more prisons. Unfortunately, there's apparently not enough money to build more steel bars. So, we should totally tax the rich, because even though they pay the vast, vast majority of our taxes, they still aren't paying enough, because new prisons aren't getting built!
Another logical option would be to spend less money per prisoner, so that the savings could go toward building new facilities. The average prisoner in the State of California costs over $48,000 annually, with about $16,000 of that going to health care, mental health, and dental costs.
Prisoners, convicted felons, probably have better health care than you do.
Seriously, does your health insurance cover free hormone replacement therapy for you if you happen to be transgendered? California prisons do. And soon, they may even provide gender reassignment surgery as well.
Read the rest at The Stir
Here's some info for yah!
This summer Americans for Prosperity Foundation will host the fourth annual RightOnline conference in Minneapolis, MN on June 17-18th.
This year's conference will feature leaders in government, new media, and grassroots mobilization such as Governor Tim Pawlenty, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Fox News Contributor and best selling author Michelle Malkin, conservative commentator and author Andrew Breitbart, Fox News Contributor S.E. Cupp, RedState.com's Erick Erickson, HotAir.com's Ed Morrissey, TownHall.com's Guy Benson, the Wall Street Journal's John Fund, and many more. Click here to learn more about RightOnline.
I'll be there at RightOnline and AFP Foundation has give me the below discount code for my readers.
Click here to register with the discount code "fightback" to receive 25% off.
For the fourth straight year RightOnline will be at the same time and place as NetRoots Nation, the largest annual gathering of liberal bloggers and activists. The national media will converge on Minneapolis to report on the latest news from both events. If we don't keep up the pressure at RightOnline it won't be long before the liberals get to go back to their tax and spend ways.
RightOnline will also feature workshops and panels hosted by experts in their respective fields. The areas of focus will include Online Activism 101, Advanced Online Activism, Tools and Resources, Investigative Reporting/Citizen Journalism, Public Policy Issues, and Grassroots Activism.
This will be a great opportunity to network and meet with grassroots activists, influential bloggers, and other representatives of conservative organizations.
I hope you will join us in Minneapolis for this important event. Remember to use the code "fightback" for 25% off.
I just got off the phone with a friend discussing the horrific tornado that blew through Joplin, MO Sunday night. It only took minutes to flatten a six-mile stretch of land, destroying homes, businesses, a high school, and human beings.
The tornado also destroyed a patient wing of the St. John's Regional Medical Center. Survivors are being transferred to other area hospitals.
Kelley Fritz, 45, of Joplin, rummaged through the remains of a storage building with her husband, Jimmy. They quickly realized they would never find the belongings they stored there. They had lost much of what was in their home after the tornado ripped away the roof. Their sons, ages 20 and 17, both Eagle Scouts, went outside after the storm.
"My sons had deceased children in their arms when they came back," Fritz said. "My husband and I went out and saw two or three dead bodies on the ground."
After learning of so much death and destruction, my friend asked me, "Why does this happen? I know everything happens for a reason, but I can't understand how this is part of God's plan."
I don't know why bad things happen.
I do know that God doesn't exist to make our lives worry and hassle-free. He doesn't exist to make us happy (whatever that means), keep us healthy, give us money, or prevent us from suffering.
God exists simply because He does. He's the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the creator of all things. We exist because God created us.
When Job cried out to God asking him why, God gives him this answer:
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Roughly translated: "Who are you to question my motives?"
When tragedy strikes, when loved ones are lost and innocence is shattered, our hearts break and we silently (or loudly) scream, "WHY?"
Asking why is fruitless, because our limited knowledge of God's universe can't begin to comprehend His reasons. God did not let this happen or make this happen in the way that we think of things happening. Just as God does not exist to make us happy, He doesn't exist to torment us either.
Disasters happen. Life on Earth ends. This life is a blink, and right now at this very second, God knows exactly when and how your time here will end. That doesn't make Him mean or vengeful; it just makes Him God.
We can't possibly understand the plans God has for us. Why would He strike a little girl blind and deaf? Because He knew how many lives Helen Keller would touch (get it? Sorry, couldn't help myself). Why would He allow a boy's brothers to sell him into slavery? Because without Joseph in Egypt, God's promise to Abraham couldn't be fulfilled, as his descendants would've starved to death.
He knows what He's doing, even if we don't. I don't know why bad things happen, but I trust that the Lord has a plan, that he will bring triumph from tragedy, and that ultimately, I know that no matter what happens on this planet, He holds me in His hand, because I am His.
But that doesn't mean I won't cry or rage with grief.
I am only human.
I don't get some people. Take progressives, for example. Their very moniker indicates their penchant for progress. Yet for some reason, they seem bound and determined for us to make our way back to the days when we lived in mud huts and life expectancy was 37, but gosh darn it, smog levels were nonexistent.
One of the latest developments in the fight to save the planet has been to ban phosphates in dishwashing detergents. Because phosphates make algae grow in rivers and lakes, and that could, like, totally starve the fishies of oxygen.
Side note: Aren't these the same people that supposedly believe in evolution? Why don't the fish evolve to need less oxygen? Food for thought…
I've been going crazy for the better part of year now, wondering why the heck my dishwasher stopped working. Leif has taken the thing apart and cleaned it. We've fiddled with this and that. The dishes were still dirty. If we didn't wash the dishes before they went into the machine, they came out with the food gunk still stuck on them. Even if we prewashed everything, there was this white filmy stuff coating everything. The dishwasher couldn't even get rid of lip marks on glasses.
It's enough to make a busy work-at-home-mom that hates doing dishes lose her mind.
It turns out my broken dishwasher isn't broken at all. My Cascade is — the phosphates are missing. Phosphates used to be the part of the detergent that cut through grease and other food particles, and left nothing but sparkly clean behind. Thank goodness for Google, without which I might have never discovered the cause of filmy, groddy plight.
Luckily, people (especially moms, in my ever-so-humble opinion!) are smarter than the government. Thanks to the Internet, I figured out that I could add phosphates back into my detergent and enjoy shiny clean dishes again (no elbow grease required!), and thanks to a friend, I found out that I could buy phosphates at my local Home Depot. A teaspoon added to each cycle should do the trick.
So now I sit, in eager anticipation, listening to the dishwasher run and imagining all sorts of little phosphorus scrubby guys running around in there making everything all clean and sparkly.
I'll let you know how it goes…
Dishes are clean and sparkly. No hand washing required. Mega win!
While I try not to judge others, occasionally I come across something that makes me stop and say to myself, "Wow. That's disturbing." Such a moment happened this week when I stumbled upon a story about Adult Babies. Fully grown humans that like to wear diapers, sleep in giant cribs, and suck on pacifiers.
If I can't say this is weird, then I might as well not be able to call the sky blue, because that stuff is messed up.
Thanks to the Internet and prime-time network television (hello CSI and the "Furries" episode!), I've become aware of some of the stranger oddities that people sometimes choose to indulge in. Being someone that doesn't understand the appeal of defecating in a giant diaper or putting on a bunny suit to get it on, I'm always strangely fascinated by these people.
Read the rest at The Stir
Another week, another round of Obamacare waivers. One has to wonder at this point if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act applies to anyone anymore. It certainly doesn't seem to apply to friends of President Obama.
They're all getting waivers.
The Obama administration granted 204 new waivers nationwide in April, and almost 20 percent of them went to fancy restaurants and hotels in San Francisco. It's probably a coincidence that San Francisco is former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's district. Ms. Pelosi, along with her Senatorial counterpart Harry Reid, was one of the biggest pushers of Obamacare when the president was trying to get it passed.
The other 80 percent of the waivers went to the usual recipients:labor unions, large corporations, financial firms, and local governments. How nice it must be to be in bed with big government. Sarah Palin had a succinct response to the Pelosi waiver revelation:
"Unflippingbelievable! No, wait, it is believable," Palin said in an email to TheDC (The Daily Caller). "Seriously, this is corrupt. And anyone who still supports the Pelosi-Reid-Obama agenda of centralized government takeovers of the free market and the corresponding crony capitalism is, in my book, complicit."
Read the rest at The Stir
This week, Ashley and I talked about: Free Phones and the 47% Benajmin Netanyahu: The Honey Badger of the World Teens Are Hungry Thank Goodness Football Returns To America Fracking Promised Land Oh, So It Wasn't About A Stupid YouTube Movie No One Has Ever Seen? Got It Jenny -Fauxcapontus the Faux Lawyer Plus we […]
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Have you checked to see your DNS server IP is in the Trusted zone of your Firewall > Zones panel? Finding DNS and DCHP servers, etc
1. Go to Run type in command or cmd, hit 'ok', and type ipconfig /all then press enter. In the returned data list will be a line DNS and DHCP Servers with the IP address(s) listed out to the side.
2. In ZA on your machine on the Firewall>Zones tab click Add and then select IP Address. Make sure the Zone is set to Trusted.
3. Click OK and then Apply and see if that works to fix it.


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POLICE are appealing for information following a break-in at Leckford Golf Club near Stockbridge on Monday night.
Officers say that a number of tools were taken and failed attempts were also made by the raiders to get into two club houses at the site.
Details of the value of the tools and what they were have not been released.
Anyone with information should contact PC Roger Kitson at Stockbridge police station on 101.


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Utility for PDA-Wielding Executives
"This pack multitasks like a PDA-wielding executive," notes one ridiculous review of this pack published in another backpacking magazine. We all scratched are heads and asked ourselves, "What exactly does this mean? Is it useful information? What kind of PDA are they talking about? Where did this writer go to college? So, we promise that this review will provide accurate, up-to-date information about the G4 based on an honest evaluation.
We have been reviewing the G4 pack for two years, with a suite of six reviewers from all parts of the world. This report represents a culmination of that field testing period and a summary of our review findings.
About the Pack
The G4 is a large frameless rucksack. It has one top-loading main packbag compartment, three external mesh pockets, and a hip belt. It is designed primarily for light loads of less than 25 pounds.
Weight. Glen Van Peski, the manufacturer, claims an average weight of a standard (no custom options) G4 is 13 oz. We weighed a total eight standard packs – two size larges, four mediums, and two smalls. The range was from 12.7 oz to 13.2 oz, with an average weight of 12.8 oz. It is refreshing to know that a manufacturer's claim is accurate. Kudos to GVP Gear.
Volume. The main packbag is a voluminous 3,100 cubic inches with a 600 cubic inch capacity extension collar. We found this claim to be accurate if not slightly understated upon verifying the volume with packing peanuts. Two mesh side pockets are approximately 300 cubic inches each, and one external front mesh pocket is approximately 300 cubic inches, bringing the pack's maximum capacity to 4,600 cubic inches.
Pockets. All pockets are non-stretch mesh, which makes for a little bagginess in the pockets unless they are stuffed. We prefer a stretchier mesh (like PowerMesh) that is less likely to snag on brush, and lies flat against the pack when the pockets are empty.
Extension Collar. The extension collar is shockcorded, which makes for easy opening and closing, but the cleaner-looking configuration is to use the roll-top closure, which works well until the pack and extension collar is overstuffed.
Volume:Weight Ratio. You've gotta do the math here. The volume-to-weight ratio of this pack is phenomenal – approximately 354 cubic inches per ounce. Consider that the average internal frame pack of similar volume available in your local outfitters shop is 50-65 cubic inches per ounce, you can begin to appreciate the volume that this pack can carry for its weight. Although we didn't initially feel that volume was terribly important, we slowly began to appreciate the benefits, especially when packing light but very puffy gear like sleeping bags, down parkas, and 2L titanium pots on winter outings.
Suspension. The G4 is a frameless pack. however, it contains a mesh pad sleeve on the back designed to accomodate one of a variety of folded sleeping pads, with a 6- or 8-section Cascade Designs Z-Rest being the primary recommendation. The shoulder straps and hip belt contain pockets to insert foam padding (included) or small pieces of clothing (like extra socks).
Carrying Capacity. GVP Gear claims that this pack is designed to carry 25 pound loads, and they offer some tips at their Web site for properly packing the pack. Overall, we found this to be a reasonable claim, and we go into more detail about its carrying capacity in the "performance" section below.
Options. The standard G4 comes in Forest Green and Black, has an ice axe loop, and is available in Small (16-19″), Medium (18-22″), and Large (20-24″) torso sizes, and are usually in stock. Custom-built packs offer a variety of options, including different colors, different packbag and pocket fabric specifications, inside pockets, and additional ice axe loops.
Durability. Our GVP packs have hiked more than 1,500 miles during two summer seasons among six reviewers carrying loads up to 35 pounds. They are still like new and we had no seam failures. Four of our packs showed noticeable abrasion marks and two of those were littered with holes on the outside of the pack caused from (1) sliding butt-first down a granite scree slope, and (2) sitting on the pack repeatedly at rest breaks. Two packs have large tears in the side mesh pockets resulting from (1) intense bushwacking through slide alder hillsides in the Washington Cascades (2) a determined packrat on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. Compared to off-the-shelf packs available at your outfitter, we'd give the G4 a "C" for durability as a result of using light fabric. However, this is not your normal pack. It's for people who want to go ridiculously light and have the skill to be able to take extra care of their gear. So, to be fair, we have to assign a grade that more accurately reflects the durability of this pack: a durability-to-weight grade, for which we give the G4 a resounding "A". Since it's inception, the G4 has undergone a variety of design and manufacturing changes, and it shows. It is a well made pack.
Load Carrying Comfort. We tested the G4 carrying a lot of loads that exceeded 25 pounds. We really wanted to push the pack to its limits to evaluate its comfort on those long desert crossings where one might be carrying 10, 20, or more pounds in water weight. Even following the manufacturer's instructions, we were unable to remain very happy for very long (some reviewers made plots of perceived happiness vs. miles hiked while carrying 35 pounds in the G4 and they were not pretty). Thus, it appears, like most frameless packs, the G4's lack of frame limits its load carrying capacity. In addition, the use of ultralight fabric for the packbag (1.9 oz ripstop nylon), which has little mechanical resiliency, results in a lack of load stabilization at higher loads that further contributes to discomfort.
Keep in mind that comments above are based on experiences that are clearly outside the norm of manufacturer recommendations, so we will not downgrade our assessment of the pack's performance due to these limitations. Having said that, all of our reviewers believed that the G4 would be tolerable for short distances with heavy loads if necessary. We do wish the pack had compression straps (at least as a standard option), because small loads slumped to the bottom of the pack and caused it to ride a little low on the butt.
We evaluated several different types of pads to use as the frame, including folded Z-Rest and Therma-Rest Ultralight 3/4 pads in the pad sleeve, a 3/8″ foam pad rolled as a cylinder inside the pack, and a Therma-Rest Ultralight 3/4 pad rolled as a cylinder inside the pack. We found that the folded Z-Rest configuration was comfortable for loads of up to 20 pounds, and we appreciated the accessibility of the pad for rest breaks. A Therma-Rest folded in the same configuration and slightly inflated worked fair, but the mesh pad sleeve was too stretch to contain the pad and help maintain the pack's shape at heavier loads. The use of a 3/8″ foam pad rolled as a cylinder inside the pack worked extremely well, but at heavier, tighter loads, it did not bend as well to the shape of the spine as did the pads that were in the sleeve. Finally, for those that need more serious weight-bearing capacity, the use of a Therma-Rest Ultralight 3/4 rolled in the pack as a cylinder before packing, and then inflated to its max after packing, proved to be a terrific way to stretch the G4's load carrying capacity. However, it suffered a similar fate as the cylinder foam pad, and makes the G4 akin to a barrel on your back. Despite that limitation, it was our tester's unanimous choice for comfort.
In summary, we liked the G4, but it took a lot of time to grow on us, as we learned how to use the pack to its maximum benefit. At first, our reviewers balked at the massive volume, but eventually came to crave it for stuffing the puffies when the temperature dropped.
The G4 is not for everyone. It is not a performance pack for load carrying, nor is it made to withstand the rigors of mountaineering or snow-backpacking through thick evergreen forests. However, it is a trail hiker's nirvana, and is entirely appropriate for open cross country travel in the mountains. Its remarkable weight means that it contributes little to your load, and if your average pack weight remains under 20 pounds (or even better, under 15), the G4 just might be the pack for you.
Final Grade: A-minus
Suggested Improvements: Stretch mesh material on the pockets, better security for the rolltop (replace Velcro with side-release buckles for better compression).
Glen Van Peski


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Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 | 3:30 p.m.
Map of Dainty Cakes Bakery
Dainty Cakes Bakery
2708 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson
Watching Diane Richardson and Amanda Rowan chat at Dainty Cakes Bakery, it seems obvious they are old friends. Richardson asks if she can hold Rowan's newborn baby and inquires about her 3-year-old daughter, Cadence, who is busy in the bathroom wiping off the leftovers of a peanut butter fudge cookie.
Before Richardson opened her bakery near the corner of Green Valley Parkway and Sunset Road this summer, they'd actually never met. But listening to Richardson describe her philosophy at Dainty Cakes, it's easy to understand what happened.
For 25 years, Richardson worked as an insurance adjuster. Her daily business involved people "on their worst days," she said. Plane crashes and car accidents were part of her life every day.
To escape from her work, Richardson said she would come home and bake treats for family and friends. So, at the age of 48, with her day job continuing to wear on her, she decided to take a new direction.
Six months later, she said she couldn't be happier: "I've found my thing."
"As my old boss would say: 'This is diametrically opposed.' It's mostly happy occasions," said Richardson, a lifelong valley resident and graduate of UNLV. "We have a lot of loyal customers and I think of them as my friends."
Count Rowan as one of them. A doctor's appointment for Cadence brought them to the Trader Joe's shopping plaza that is home to Dainty Cakes, and the wily youngster politely asked for a treat afterward.
Impressed by the "soft, chewy and fresh" texture of Richardson's peanut butter cream pie, Rowan said she and Cadence came back three days later. Nowadays, you'll find them at Dainty Cakes at least once a week.
"I've never had anything I didn't like," said Rowan, although she still strongly recommends the cream pie. "And Diane, she is very friendly and very good with the kids."
With some help from her husband, Michael, who comes into Dainty Cakes after a workday as an environmental scientist for the state of Nevada to help his wife, and her mother, Richardson said opening her own business had its challenges but ultimately proved rewarding as she grew acquainted with her neighborhood.
She's taken some customers' recipes and put her own spin on them. Richardson bakes loaves of bread for every Friday, and Rowan said you have to reserve one by Wednesday to get your hands on her "briche" bread.
So far, so good, Richardson said. Turning her favorite hobby into a business venture has been good for her.
"It's structured. It's relaxing. It has an end result," she said. "Things are better."
Dainty Cakes Bakery is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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The Board Test for Lameness
- Apr 14, 2009
- Topics:
Extension tests (such as trotting a horse off after he stands on a toe wedge for a short time) are sometimes used to detect certain lamenesses, but their use and interpretation are generally not very standardized between practices and practitioners. Until now. At the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif., one practitioner discussed a custom-made digital extension device for measuring a horse's tolerance to digital extension in dorsal (forward), lateral (to the outside), and medial (to the inside) directions. Hans Castelijns, DVM, CF, of Cortona, Italy, described the device, his observations with its use, and its implications for trimming/shoeing changes.
The "board test" commonly used in Europe involves standing one hoof (usually a front one) on the end of a long board while the other hoof is held up by an assistant. The clinician slowly elevates the other end of the board in front of the horse, then to the sides, and observes whether the horse becomes visibly uncomfortable or the opposite side of his foot lifts off the board at a lower than normal angle. Castelijns developed a robust metal "board" system that incorporates a protractor and level into the handle to allow accurate measurement of the angle at which a horse becomes intolerant to elevation.
After Castelijns developed the device, he tested it on 250 clinically sound, recently trimmed/shod horses to identify normal ranges of elevation. They are as follows:
- Dorsal elevation averaged 43.2°
- Lateral elevation averaged 18.8°
- Medial elevation averaged 19.8°
Protractor with spirit level, demonstration of dorsal extension.
He found that while dorsal elevation angle before pain is quite variable between horses (likely due to wide variations in conformation), medial and lateral elevation angles are "amazingly consistent across breeds and conformation types.
"If you get less than 17° of lateral elevation or 18° of medial elevation, that's clinical proof of a problem in my opinion," he said. The exception to this rule is if a small lateral elevation angle goes with a large medial elevation angle (or vice versa); in this case, lateromedial (side-to-side) hoof imbalance might be the culprit. For dorsal extension, observing different values between feet (especially if one is steeper) is not unusual, but he noted that any dorsal elevation of less than 30° is "suspect."
He explained that extension tests stress many different internal structures (tendons, ligaments, bursae, etc.), so they won't provide an exact diagnosis. However, testing will identify intolerance to elevation in one direction or another, which helps guide therapeutic farriery to reduce extension in that direction and promote flexion. For example, a horse that shows pain on dorsal elevation might benefit from improved dorsal breakover, such as with a shortened, beveled, and/or rolled toe. Or a horse with reduced lateral elevation might like a shortened lateral hoof wall or a shoe with a narrow lateral web (which sinks deeper into soft ground than the opposite wider one). This "stretches" the lateral joint spaces and avoids the pain on lateral joint compression found during the elevation test.
"Digital extension test values do not pinpoint a specific lesion; nevertheless, they have great clinical value," Castelijns concluded. "They are extremely useful in shoeing prescriptions when there is more than one lesion found with diagnostic imaging, and they also give a rational approach to lateromedial balancing of the foot. You already know what the horse will like in terms of shoeing mechanics."
Editor's note: Castelijns has no personal financial stake in this digital extension device, which is manufactured by Colleoni.
About the Author
Christy M. West
Christy West has a BS in Equine Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Devil MistressFavorites [+]
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Running Time: 67 minutes
Released: 02/2014
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Description: The Devil has a mistress and her name is Alura Jenson!
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Get DVD Talk Feeds
Among residents of the city, The Cat (François Morel) is a familiar fixture on the shoulder of The Rabbi (Maurice Bénichou). The Cat actually belongs to The Rabbi's daughter, Zlabya (Karina Testa), but he spends most of his time with the Rabbi on his many journeys. The Cat reveals it can speak, which impresses Zlabya, but The Rabbi quickly becomes suspicious that the cat is reading things to his daughter he doesn't approve of. The Cat then turns his attention to helping The Rabbi pass an important language test, but his voice disappears when The Rabbi refuses to cheat on the test. Later, The Cat discovers that he can understand and communicate with a young Russian painter (Sava Lolov), who shows up unexpectedly in a box full of books. The Rabbi, his cousin Mohammed Sfar (Fellag Sheik), and a rich drunk named Vastenov (Wojciech Pszoniak) set off to find the holy land of Jerusalem together, encountering all sorts of resistance along the way.
It may be obvious from the shambling summary above, but The Rabbi's Cat is less of a story than a series of scenes with the same characters. The Cat, The Rabbi, and Zlabya don't have much in the way of story arcs; this is a slice-of-life movie in the strictest sense. Still, we get plenty of their characters. When The Cat becomes obsessed with having a Bar Mitzvah and The Rabbi tries to teach him some Jewish history, The Cat counters all of The Rabbi's stories with science. Zlabya's freedom is infringed upon by religious beliefs and gender politics at the time, and there's a sense that she's beginning to push back. In one of the movie's warmer and more interesting threads, The Painter falls in love with an African bartender (Marguerite Abouet), and despite their entire courtship taking less than five minutes of the movie, their connection feels surprisingly real.
These characters are supported by the film's incredible visuals, which bring Algeria in the 1930s to vivid life. The directors spent several weeks with their cast in costume, watching them as they acted out the film in a rehearsal room with some select props. Later, details of the performances were used in the animation of the movie, creating a film with an incredible sense of reality in the small, quiet moments. Each new world is colorful and detailed, with an intoxicating hand-drawn look that feels refreshing in a world dominated by perfect computer animation. There are also at least one or two crackerjack sequences where the Style changes dramatically, including a hilarious and exciting sequence near the end of the movie involving The Cat, The Painter, and The Waitress. There's also a particularly cutting jab at another comic recently turned into a movie, in the form of another adventurer out in the desert.
Although the film is being released by a label called "GKids," the film is thick with discussion of the political and religious relationships between people of other cultures and faiths (which I have to admit, frequently went over my head), and there is some surprising violence in the film. Yet even when the graphic novel structure of the original material and other shortcomings threaten to derail the picture, the engaging and funny characterizations and dazzling visuals were more than enough to bring me back. The Rabbi's Cat might've been better suited to life as a series of shorts, even a miniseries, but as a movie, it's an entertaining journey that embodies its protagonist by slinking around its deficiencies with a wry charm.
The Blu-Ray
The Rabbi's Cat gets an elegant-looking Blu-Ray package from GKids. A slipcover with a nice application of foil to highlight the film's title slides over a standard Blu-Ray case with the same artwork, depicting The Cat and his "mistress" together. Inside the Vortex case, there's the Blu-Ray, the DVD copy, and a booklet with a short excerpt of Sfar's original book (although I don't know how faithful the movie is to the graphic novels, this excerpt is one that appears in the film almost verbatim).
The Video and Audio
The Rabbi's Cat receives an exemplary 1.85:1 1080p AVC transfer from GKids. Presented in a beautiful hand-drawn style with light and unobtrusively accentuated with some 21st century computer enhancement, this is an absolutely flawless picture that captures every detail. No artifacting, banding, haloes, or aliasing was visible that I could spot. The CG tweaks, shadow detail, and overall clarity of the transfer practically make the movie three dimensional -- unsurprisingly, it turns out the film was released theatrically in 3D in some countries.
The Extras
A making-of featurette (24:49, SD) is a fascinating fly-on-the-wall look at the unique rehearsals for the film, in which the voice actors got into costumes and performed scenes from the movie for use as reference during the animation. Co-directors Sfar and Delesvaux can be seen tweaking the performances, and some footage of the actors officially recording their lines later is also cut in. Later sections of the featurette also expand to the recording of the movie's lively score, and storyboards of some of the more stylized animated sequences. Unique and very interesting.
The other main extra is a lengthy documentary short titled Joann Sfar Draws From Memory (45:56, SD), in which the artist his two art styles: "what's in front of me every day," or "the past -- a world I've built subconsciously, within my imagination." This discussion of Sfar's creative process is a little on the slow side, but it's a meaty addition to the disc and a fun look at Sfar and his many facets (including a whole room full of guitars and mandolins). It's also a great look at Sfar's style, which the viewer can then compare to the look of the feature.
An original theatrical trailer for The Rabbi's Cat is also included.
Although the transition from graphic novel series to film is far from a smooth road, this disjointed animated feature has more than enough positives to earn a recommendation, especially with such a well-rounded Blu-Ray package.


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Multiple date/venue changes, check.
Crazy expensive tickets, check.
Change in opening act, check.
Title misnomer, check.
Short set, check.
Kanye West in Beijing, check.
It's been a week since Kanye came through Beijing to much fanfare and ended up disappointing most in attendance. I'm a big Kanye fan (does anybody do it better repping the Chi?), but a show that saw us hitting the bars by 10 and with the disappointing usage of the "Glow in the Dark" title, it was an absolute disappointment. Sure, we knew this not to be a true part of the "Glow in the Dark" tour, there would be no Rihanna, Lu Fiasco, and all the rest who were supporting him on US/Europe shows, but could we at least get the amazing stage setup that was offered in those other locations? This was a very pared down version of the show that cost more than tickets in the US did. Sure, Kanye came a long way and is one of the few hip hop acts to come to China, but why give China fans of his both a scaled back show and high prices? Why not go the extra mile? Why not do more to excite the hip hop masses in China, a scene that definitely could use some excitement?
Wake up, Mr. West! And wake up promoters! This is exactly what people were expecting, a half-assed version of a concert, which is why so many people stayed home, despite the attraction of having the Louis Vuitton don in our capital. Kanye, you could have done better than that, what happened to going all out all the time?
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Full interview: Jose Mourinho's first interview in London after being appointed Chelsea boss
The special one is back in West London.
Following three difficult years in Madrid and two successful years in Milan, Jose Mourinho is back at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho gives an in-depth interview in which he tells Chelsea TV, 'I try to hide it a little bit but I am so happy and so proud'.
The two times Champions League winner at Porto and Inter Milan is clearly excited to be back at a place he is truly loved:
'Now we are back together and we are getting together at a great moment for us both, so I think we are ready to marry again and be happy and successful.'
Watch the full interview here:


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Common political culture: Evidence on regional corruption contagion
Although there are indications of common regional corruption characteristics, empirical studies of corruption have assumed that influences on corruption are country-specific. In this paper we report evidence based on a cross-section of 123 economies confirming that, with few specific exceptions, corruption is a regional phenomenon. Institutional change that reduces corruption in one country affects, therefore, neighboring countries.
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Volume (Year): 25 (2009)
Issue (Month): 3 (September)
Pages: 300-310
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| Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505544
References listed on IDEAS
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- Kelejian, Harry H & Prucha, Ingmar R, 1999.
"A Generalized Moments Estimator for the Autoregressive Parameter in a Spatial Model,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 40(2), pages 509-533, May.
- Harry H. Kelejian & Ingmar R. Prucha, 1995. "A Generalized Moments Estimator for the Autoregressive Parameter in a Spatial Model," Electronic Working Papers 95-001, University of Maryland, Department of Economics, revised Mar 1997.
- Besley, Timothy & Case, Anne, 1995. "Incumbent Behavior: Vote-Seeking, Tax-Setting, and Yardstick Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(1), pages 25-45, March.
- Timothy Besley & Anne Case, 1992. "Incumbent Behavior: Vote Seeking, Tax Setting and Yardstick Competition," NBER Working Papers 4041, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Gundlach, Erich & Paldam, Martin, 2009. "The transition of corruption: From poverty to honesty," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 103(3), pages 146-148, June.
- Gundlach, Erich & Paldam, Martin, 2008. "The transition of corruption: From poverty to honesty," Kiel Working Papers 1411, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW).
- Rowley, Charles K., 2000. "Political culture and economic performance in sub-Saharan Africa," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 133-158, March.
- Raymond Fisman & Edward Miguel, 2007. "Corruption, Norms, and Legal Enforcement: Evidence from Diplomatic Parking Tickets," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 115(6), pages 1020-1048, December.
- La Porta, Rafael & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert, 1999. "The Quality of Government," Journal of Law, Economics and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 222-279, April.
- Rafael LaPorta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer & Robert Vishny, "undated". "The Quality of Government," Working Paper 19452, Harvard University OpenScholar.
- Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1998. "The Quality of Government," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1847, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
- Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer & Robert Vishny, 1998. "The Quality of Goverment," NBER Working Papers 6727, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Hillman, Arye L., 2002. "The World Bank and the persistence of poverty in poor countries," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 783-795, November.
- Kelejian, Harry H. & Prucha, Ingmar R., 2007. "HAC estimation in a spatial framework," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 140(1), pages 131-154, September.
- Paldam, Martin, 2001. "Corruption and Religion Adding to the Economic Model," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2-3), pages 383-413.
- Hillman, Arye L. & Swank, Otto, 2000. "Why political culture should be in the lexicon of economics," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 1-4, March.
- Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1997. "I Just Ran Two Million Regressions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(2), pages 178-183, May.
- Xavier X. Sala-i-Martin, 1997. "I Just Ran Four Million Regressions," NBER Working Papers 6252, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1997. "I just ran four million regressions," Economics Working Papers 201, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
- Treisman, Daniel, 2000. "The causes of corruption: a cross-national study," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 399-457, June.
- repec:cup:apsrev:v:98:y:2004:i:01:p:171-189_00 is not listed on IDEAS
- Salmon, Pierre, 1987. "Decentralisation as an Incentive Scheme," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 24-43, Summer.
- SALMON, Pierre, 1987. "Decentralization as an incentive scheme," Institut des Mathématiques Economiques – Document de travail de l'I.M.E. (1974-1993) 98, Institut des Mathématiques Economiques. LATEC, Laboratoire d'Analyse et des Techniques EConomiques, CNRS, Université de Bourgogne.
- Toke S. Aidt, 2003. "Economic analysis of corruption: a survey," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(491), pages 632-652, November.
- Meseguer, Covadonga, 2006. "Learning and economic policy choices," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 156-178, March.
- Danila Serra, 2006. "Empirical determinants of corruption: A sensitivity analysis," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 225-256, January.
- Scott Beaulier & J. Subrick, 2006. "The Political Foundations of Development: The Case of Botswana," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 103-115, 06.
- Goel, Rajeev K. & Nelson, Michael A., 2007. "Are corrupt acts contagious?: Evidence from the United States," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 839-850.
- repec:hrv:faseco:30747160 is not listed on IDEAS
- Hillman, Arye L., 2004. "Corruption and public finance: an IMF perspective," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 1067-1077, November.
- Paolo Mauro, 1995. "Corruption and Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 110(3), pages 681-712. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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Mauer sidelined with stress reaction
Mauer sidelined with stress reaction
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left fibula that will sideline him for at least a few days. Mauer had been dealing with soreness in his left leg for the past four to five days. But Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said the catcher arrived at Hammond Stadium on Thursday morning complaining that the pain had migrated from the inner part of his left ankle to the outside of it into his shin. An MRI was taken of the leg and revealed the stress reaction, which is considered a precursor to a stress fracture. Mauer's treatment will include a bone stimulator and physical therapy, and he will be re-evaluated on Sunday.
Twins general manager Terry Ryan credited Mauer with his quickness in alerting the team's medical staff to the soreness so that it could detect the stress reaction before it could develop into more of a long-term problem. Ryan said that he's confident that Mauer should be able to return to the lineup sometime next week and be available for Opening Day against the Orioles. This isn't the first injury of Mauer's career. Last year's American League batting champion tore the meniscus in his left knee during his rookie season of 2004. He missed most of that season, but rebounded the past two campaigns to hit .294 in 2005 and .347 in '06.
News and features:
MLB.com coverage | Schedule | Ballpark | Tickets
Multimedia:Spring Training info:
MLB.com coverage | Schedule | Ballpark | Tickets
The plan now will be to see how Mauer reacts over the next few days to treatment and see if his pain decreases. But while it appears that Mauer will remain on schedule to get some more at-bats before the start of the season, Gardenhire admitted that at first he feared the worst."Every time you hear MRI you get a little nervous," Gardenhire said. "It wasn't the best thing to wake up to in the morning after a nice cup of coffee. But they told me it's something that could be taken care of and we'll re-evaluate him after a few days here and we'll let him rest. He'll be fine."
Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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February 2013 Researcher of the Month - Devi Thiagarajan, PhD
Current Research
Cardiovascular disease represents the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients worldwide. Hyperglycemia, increases the glucose flux via polyol pathway and the key enzyme in this pathway, aldose reductase serves as a major contributor for diabetes associated complications. Aldose reductase mediates the conversion of glucose to sorbitol utilizing NADPH. Transgenic mice overexpressing human AR (hAR) increases the susceptibility to ischemic/reperfusion injury as well as to atheroscelerotic lesions when fed with high fat diet.
We hypothesize that transgenic mice expressing human AR, creates epigenetic imprints, which then leads to its susceptibility to ischemic injury. My work focuses on the epigenetic changes induced by AR expression and how they contribute to lipotoxicity in heart tissues. Our data pinpoints the protein acetylation as a very important factor in inducing the lipotoxicity in tissues.
1. Thiagarajan D, Dev RR, Khosla S. The DNA methyltransferase Dnmt2 participates in RNA processing during cellular stress. Epigenetics. 2011. Jan; 103-13.
2. Sowpati DT*, Thiagarajan D*, Sharma S, Sultana H, John R, Surani A, Mishra RK and Khosla S. An intronic DNA sequence within the mouse Neuronatin gene exhibits biochemical characteristics of an ICR and acts as a transcriptional activator in Drosophila. Mech. Dev. 2008, Nov-Dec; 125(11-12):963-73. *Co-first authors
Future Plans
To delineate the downstream effects of the protein acetylation changes caused by AR overexpression and to dissipate these negative changes by epigenetic modulators.


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Coenzyme, Any of a number of freely diffusing organic compounds that function as cofactors with enzymes in promoting a variety of metabolic reactions. Coenzymes participate in enzyme-mediated catalysis in stoichiometric (mole-for-mole) amounts, are modified during the reaction, and may require another enzyme-catalyzed reaction to restore them to their original state. Examples include nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which accepts hydrogen (and gives it up in another reaction), and ATP, which gives up phosphate groups while transferring chemical energy (and reacquires phosphate in another reaction). Most of the B vitamins (see vitamin B complex) are coenzymes and are essential in facilitating the transfer of atoms or groups of atoms between molecules in the formation of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. See also metabolism; stoichiometry.
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Yesterday I spent the entire day at the Gwinett Sewing and Quilt Expo. What a great show. The quilts were awesome but the best part was meeting and spending time with one of the members of this forum. Stitchnripper was/is so charming. I felt like I had known her for my whole life. We're already planning some shop hopping days in the near future.
Take my advice: make an effort to meet someone from this group. You'll be glad you did!