AIDSmeds in San Francisco: Highlights from CROI 2010

The biggest HIV science conference of the year proves that researchers are working hard to better understand, prevent and treat HIV/AIDS and its complications. We present highlights from the 17th CROI in San Francisco.

View original story : aids+conference Feed : POZ HIV/AIDS Web Exclusives

Call for Papers: AIDS in Cultre

Call for Papers: Aids in Culture VI: Explorations in the Cultural History of AIDS International Conference. Mexico City, 9 - 14 December 2010 Conference

View original story : aids+conference Feed : AIDS-INDIA at Yahoo! Groups

New CDC Numbers Show High HIV and Syphilis Rates Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Statement from AIDS Action Committee of MA, Inc. For Immediate Release March 10, 2010 Contact: Paul Twitchell, 617-450-1215, ptwitchell@aac.org Keith Orr, 617.777.4134, korr@aac.org The 2010 National STD Prevention Conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia, is releasing new findings on the rates of HIV and syphilis among gay men. While all of us working on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease have long [...]

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Autodesk Softimage 2011: Advanced Character Animation and 3D Procedural Effects

Automated Lip Sync in Face Robot and Innovative Rigs with Interactive Creative Environment (ICE) Kinematics Set New Bar for Character Animation. SAN RAFAEL, Calif — Autodesk, Inc announced Autodesk Softimage 2011, a comprehensive 3D application featuring a unique, multithreaded GigaCore architecture and innovative tools: the Interactive Creative Environment (ICE) and Face Robot facial animation toolset. Softimage is also an ideal companion product to both Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max software pipelines with its easily programmable effects simulations, advanced character rigs and lip-synched facial setups. “Softimage provides a flexible, high-speed and efficient solution to help create stunning and complex character animation and procedural effects. Technical directors, visual effects artists and computer graphics supervisors are cheering the unique combination of innovative rigging tools, particle, dynamics and rendering openness,” said Stig Gruman, Autodesk vice president of digital entertainment. “Softimage is a great addition to Maya or 3ds Max pipelines helping to expand creative capability and increase productivity.” Key New Features in Autodesk Softimage 2011 Software * Rendering Sandbox — Automatically hosts external shaders and renderers without the need to build a custom shader user interface (UI) or other tools. * ICE Kinematics — Aids creation of advanced rigging elements with custom inverse kinematics, spines, constraints and dynamics tails. The visual graph-based structure of ICE helps remove trial and error and enables easier examination of rig construction, facilitating troubleshooting and rig debugging. * Automated Lip-Synching in Face Robot — Allows for quicker generation of facial animation based on an audio file. Features a new dedicated view for controlling the visemes and phonemes with function curves to help modify their contribution. * Rendering Enhancements — The new mental ray 2011 renderer offers increased stability and faster renders. Up to one hundred new mental ray shaders enable easier simulation of a wider range of materials. Helps save time rendering multiple cameras for each pass, and the new Camera and Render Slate functionality shows useful information in the viewport or renders. * 100 New ICE Compounds — Provides predefined compounds covering several areas: Kinematics, Arrays, Curves, Debugging, Deformation Effects, Hull Deformers, Skinning, Verlet Integration, Geometry Queries, Math, Particle Emissions, Particle Getters and Setters, Testers, Strands and Strand Dynamics. * PhysX 2.83 — Helps artists create meshless deformations in ICE with the latest NVIDIA PhysX rigid body library. Provides new support for springs and dampers. New library also offers accelerated performance when using the optional addition of an NVIDIA CUDA enabled graphics processing unit (GPU). Beta Tester Testimonials “ICE has a great user interface and gives great flexibility to artists, helping us save time in production. We’re looking forward to using the new ICE kinematics to create ever more complex and dynamic rigs.” — Aloys Baillet, Research and Development Lead, Animal Logic “ICE kinematics will change the way the industry does rigging, it just doesn’t know it yet! Rig complexity will be reduced to the simplest representation, bones won’t be needed at all and rigging that was simply impossible for technical directors to attempt before is now possible.” — Eric Thivierge, Technical Director, SpeakeasyFX “Rigging using ICE is going to change everything. Not only did character technical directors just get access to scene information at a much deeper level, but they got it within a framework that allows logic structures and programming far beyond anything possible using existing tools for constraints, expressions and relations.” — Bradley Gabe, Senior Technical Animator, Janimation “This is hands down the most powerful rigging framework on the planet. When I look at traditional rigs now, they just feel so awkward and clumsy.” — Phil Taylor, Independent Contractor, Motion Mechanic From March 11–13, 2010, visit the Virtual GDC event on the AREA community site to watch new Softimage 2011 product demonstrations and customer presentations live from the Autodesk Game Developers Conference booth. More information is also available on Mark Schoennagel’s Planet Softimage AREA blog. Pricing and Availability Autodesk anticipates that Softimage 2011 will be available in English and Japanese in April 2010. The Autodesk suggested retail price (SRP) for an Autodesk Softimage 2011 stand-alone license is US$2,995.* The price to upgrade from Softimage 2010 to Softimage 2011 is $1,495*† SRP. Autodesk Subscription with Gold Support is available for purchase simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase for $795 SRP per year.

View original story : aids+conference Feed : CAD CAM News

Kenna's 'Summit On The Summit' Continues Fight For Clean Water

'If we don't take care of it across the world, we'll certainly be facing the issue here at home,' he says of lack of clean drinking water. By James Montgomery Kenna at the State Department Photo: U.S. State Department The stated goal of Kenna's "Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro" was to raise awareness about the global clean-water crisis — more than 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water and water-related diseases claim the lives of nearly 4 million people each year — because, as he put it, "What's more noticeable than climbing a mountain?" In January, along with a team of 300 that included fellow musicians Lupe Fiasco and Santigold, actors Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch (not to mention scientists, United Nations ambassadors, a film crew and experienced guides), Kenna began his climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, battling freezing rain, gashing rocks and dizzying atmospheric conditions on his way to the peak, some 19,000 feet above sea level. Their trek was documented in "Summit" — which premiered Sunday on MTV — and followed by fans online and, accordingly, awareness was raised. But now that he's back down from the mountain, Kenna says the real struggle has just begun. Because with no mountain left to climb, Kenna and company are tasked with keeping that awareness alive and, in the process, trying to keep the U.S. government from slashing funding for support of clean-water initiatives. It was actually a battle he began fighting before the ascent up Kilimanjaro even began. "In November, I went to the State Department and Congress, spent time with [Congresswoman] Nita Lowey. I went there to ask them if I was to climb a mountain to raise awareness, would it help raise awareness in Washington to get appropriations?" Kenna told MTV News. "The response was, 'Well, good luck, because it would certainly be helpful.' " So he climbed. And then he went back to Washington, along with a team that included United Nations Foundation ambassador Elizabeth Gore, with the express purpose of securing appropriations for fighting water-borne diseases. "We went down and did a photo exhibition at the State Department to show just how serious this issue is. We sat down with Congressman [Earl] Blumenaur in [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi's conference room," Kenna said. "He was one of the first to write [Senator] Paul Simon's 'Water for the World.' We went there to ask hard questions, like, 'Are we spending too much money on things that are interconnected with the water issue?' Because water is the issue. "We spend billions of dollars on the prevention of HIV and AIDS, but only hundreds of millions on [preventing] water-borne diseases on other things? And the two issues are related," he continued. "A woman or a child will walk six miles to get some water, outside of any kind of secure area, and what if one of those women and children gets raped and gets HIV? They will then be taking antiviral medications with compromised water. Or, more commonly, if a child is chasing water, he or she never went to school, never learned about HIV. That same kid will have to take antivirals with compromised water. Basically, how are the anitvirals going to benefit somebody when they're going to die from water with water-borne diseases?" And while the goal was to secure necessary appropriations, Kenna and his team also prevented the government from cutting the level of funding from $300 million down to $200 million. For now, they'll take that small victory, but the goal — according to Gore — is much, much higher. "We lose a child every 15 seconds to lack of water, so when we went to Washington, we asked Congress for $500 million in appropriations, because we believe we can end this crisis," she said. "That took guts and teamwork to do and I could never have done it on my own — none of us could, which is why we went together, because if we could climb a mountain, we could certainly do anything." Kenna said that the end results of his team's visit to Washington will be seen on March 22 — World Water Day. He hopes that the State Department will consider what he and the team had to say and that appropriations will be secured. He's optimistic, but at the same time cautions, "I'll leave it to them to communicate." And in the meantime, the fight to secure clean water continues. Both Kenna and Gore are championing a text-to-donate system — just texting the world "send" to 90999 will give $10 to the U.N. Foundation, which translates into 1,000 liters of water, enough to benefit a child for an entire year. And he hopes that long after the memories of his trip up Kilimanjaro fade, people will still remember the message behind that climb. Because at the end of the day, the clean-water crisis affects all of us, even if we don't realize it just yet. "We as a human race tend to be short-sighted. We pay attention to things right in front of us and, frankly, we miss the plot. We mean well, but we miss the plot. For me, it's less of an interesting thing to text and donate, than it is for people to educate themselves about the issue," Kenna said. "It already affects a billion people. And if you turn on the news, you hear about states like California and Virginia not having enough water already. So it's coming here. And if we don't take care of it across the world, we'll certainly be facing the issue here at home." Find out what you can do to help solve the global water crisis now at the "Summit on the Summit" Web site. Related Videos Check Out A Preview Of 'Summit On The Summit: Kilimanjaro' Related Photos 'Summit On The Summit: Kilimanjaro' Red Carpet

View original story : aids+conference Feed : MTV News Latest Headlines

Kenna’s ‘Summit On The Summit’ Continues Fight For Clean Water

'If we don't take care of it across the world, we'll certainly be facing the issue here at home,' he says of lack of clean drinking water. By James Montgomery Kenna at the State Department Photo: U.S. State Department The stated goal of Kenna's "Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro" was to raise awareness about the global clean-water crisis — more than 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water and water-related diseases claim the lives of nearly 4 million people each year — because, as he put it, "What's more noticeable than climbing a mountain?" In January, along with a team of 300 that included fellow musicians Lupe Fiasco and Santigold, actors Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch (not to mention scientists, United Nations ambassadors, a film crew and experienced guides), Kenna began his climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, battling freezing rain, gashing rocks and dizzying atmospheric conditions on his way to the peak, some 19,000 feet above sea level. Their trek was documented in "Summit" — which premiered Sunday on MTV — and followed by fans online and, accordingly, awareness was raised. But now that he's back down from the mountain, Kenna says the real struggle has just begun. Because with no mountain left to climb, Kenna and company are tasked with keeping that awareness alive and, in the process, trying to keep the U.S. government from slashing funding for support of clean-water initiatives. It was actually a battle he began fighting before the ascent up Kilimanjaro even began. "In November, I went to the State Department and Congress, spent time with [Congresswoman] Nita Lowey. I went there to ask them if I was to climb a mountain to raise awareness, would it help raise awareness in Washington to get appropriations?" Kenna told MTV News. "The response was, 'Well, good luck, because it would certainly be helpful.' " So he climbed. And then he went back to Washington, along with a team that included United Nations Foundation ambassador Elizabeth Gore, with the express purpose of securing appropriations for fighting water-borne diseases. "We went down and did a photo exhibition at the State Department to show just how serious this issue is. We sat down with Congressman [Earl] Blumenaur in [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi's conference room," Kenna said. "He was one of the first to write [Senator] Paul Simon's 'Water for the World.' We went there to ask hard questions, like, 'Are we spending too much money on things that are interconnected with the water issue?' Because water is the issue. "We spend billions of dollars on the prevention of HIV and AIDS, but only hundreds of millions on [preventing] water-borne diseases on other things? And the two issues are related," he continued. "A woman or a child will walk six miles to get some water, outside of any kind of secure area, and what if one of those women and children gets raped and gets HIV? They will then be taking antiviral medications with compromised water. Or, more commonly, if a child is chasing water, he or she never went to school, never learned about HIV. That same kid will have to take antivirals with compromised water. Basically, how are the anitvirals going to benefit somebody when they're going to die from water with water-borne diseases?" And while the goal was to secure necessary appropriations, Kenna and his team also prevented the government from cutting the level of funding from $300 million down to $200 million. For now, they'll take that small victory, but the goal — according to Gore — is much, much higher. "We lose a child every 15 seconds to lack of water, so when we went to Washington, we asked Congress for $500 million in appropriations, because we believe we can end this crisis," she said. "That took guts and teamwork to do and I could never have done it on my own — none of us could, which is why we went together, because if we could climb a mountain, we could certainly do anything." Kenna said that the end results of his team's visit to Washington will be seen on March 22 — World Water Day. He hopes that the State Department will consider what he and the team had to say and that appropriations will be secured. He's optimistic, but at the same time cautions, "I'll leave it to them to communicate." And in the meantime, the fight to secure clean water continues. Both Kenna and Gore are championing a text-to-donate system — just texting the world "send" to 90999 will give $10 to the U.N. Foundation, which translates into 1,000 liters of water, enough to benefit a child for an entire year. And he hopes that long after the memories of his trip up Kilimanjaro fade, people will still remember the message behind that climb. Because at the end of the day, the clean-water crisis affects all of us, even if we don't realize it just yet. "We as a human race tend to be short-sighted. We pay attention to things right in front of us and, frankly, we miss the plot. We mean well, but we miss the plot. For me, it's less of an interesting thing to text and donate, than it is for people to educate themselves about the issue," Kenna said. "It already affects a billion people. And if you turn on the news, you hear about states like California and Virginia not having enough water already. So it's coming here. And if we don't take care of it across the world, we'll certainly be facing the issue here at home." Find out what you can do to help solve the global water crisis now at the "Summit on the Summit" Web site. Related Videos Check Out A Preview Of 'Summit On The Summit: Kilimanjaro' Related Photos 'Summit On The Summit: Kilimanjaro' Red Carpet Related Artists Kenna

View original story : aids+conference Feed : Mauldin Brand Agency

Roundup: Stuck with Stupak, or Looking for Options?

Stupak Stupak Stupak. Frankly, I don't think I could be more tired of the word "Stupak." But like a splinter you keep pushing in deeper with your tweezers while you're trying to get it out of your finger, there he is, still trying to hold healthcare hostage over his beliefs that women cannot be trusted with their own bodies. Even his home town news outlets are shouting doom and gloom for reform because of him. Rep. Bart Stupak has become the unofficial leader of a small but powerful bloc threatening to derail President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. A dozen socially conservative Democrats say they won’t support the legislation without a prohibition on paying for abortions with federal money. Stupak wrote a provision to their liking for a House bill approved last November, but the Senate replaced it with wording he considers unacceptable. Opposition from his faction could doom the measure and cripple Barack Obama’s presidency. Stupak is trying to bring down reform because he thinks the Senate bill isn't as "pro-life" as his House version. But as David Gibson points out, he's totally wrong. A close reading of the two bills, however, informed by analyses from a range of experts, reveals that the pro-life claims about the Senate bill and its abortion financing provisions are, in fact, mistaken. Indeed, the Senate bill is in some respects arguably stronger in barring abortion financing and in promoting abortion reduction. ... does the Senate reform bill finance abortion insurance coverage? The answer is no, and it is there in the bill, on page 2072: "If a qualified plan provides [abortion] coverage...the issuer of the plan shall not use any amount attributable to [health reform's government-funding mechanisms] for purposes of paying for such services." As Slate's Timothy Noah put it, "That seems pretty straightforward. No government funding for abortions." What concerns critics is the different ways the House and Senate bills go about barring taxpayer financing of abortion coverage. Both bills would create health insurance exchanges, basically a new marketplace for small businesses and individuals to buy affordable coverage with government subsidies if necessary. But the House bill with the Stupak language stipulates that women who want abortion coverage and a government subsidized health plan must buy a separate rider for the abortion coverage. The Senate bill with the Nelson language says an insurance plan in the exchange can offer abortion coverage, but a woman who wants it must pay for that element of the coverage by a separate check that goes into a separate account. As Jost writes: "Concern has been expressed that plans might use accounting practices that, despite this oversight, allow them to subsidize abortion coverage from federal funds, but if they want to do this for some reason, they could also do it under the House bill. Requiring a separate abortion policy rather than a separate premium is an administrative technicality. It merely requires one more piece of paper." (In every exchange there must always be at least one plan that does not offer abortion coverage so those with moral objections, or the vast majority of Americans who are not women of child-bearing age, do not have to pay for abortion coverage they won't use, or to effectively subsidize someone else's abortion coverage. Health care economists expect such abortion-free plans will predominate because they are the most attractive to most customers.) Isn't there a compulsory "abortion tax" in the Senate plan for all who get subsidized coverage in the exchanges? No -- even though many critics, including Stupak himself, have alleged that there is such a mandatory fee. ABC's Jonathan Karl recently debunked this claim, though it still makes the rounds. The reality is only those who elect to choose a policy that includes abortion would have to pay the separate fee, and that is designed to keep federal dollars from potentially paying for abortions. Other frequently heard objections to the Senate bill are that it does not preserve conscience protections for individuals or health care institutions (such as Catholic hospitals) that oppose providing abortions, but even the Catholic bishops acknowledge that charge is not true and those protections are the same as they always have been, and are equal in both the House and Senate versions. In addition, the Senate bill includes a number of provisions pleasing to pro-lifers that the House bill does not. For example, it includes key elements of the Pregnant Women's Support Act that have long been sought by abortion foes: One is to appropriate $250 million over 10 years to create a federal Pregnancy Assistance Fund, which will provide assistance to pregnant and parenting teenagers and college students, as well as pregnant victims of domestic violence; another Senate provision not in the House bill would increase federal financing for adoption by $1.2 billion over the next two years. The Senate bill also explicitly allows states to bar any policies in the federally created insurance exchanges from providing abortion coverage. So Utah or Mississippi or any other state could simply pass a law barring all plans in the exchanges from covering abortion. The House bill does not allow states to do that. So the final verdict is that the Senate health care reform bill does not pay for or promote abortion, and it will arguably reduce abortions as well as providing good, affordable health care to millions of women and children who now go without -- and suffer for it. So, in essence, Stupak is not only blocking reform just for his own political power, versus real pro-life belief, he's hurting his party and constituents, too. What a ripe time for a primary opponent! Rep. Bart Stupak, the pro-life Democrat from Michigan who has made legislative language over abortion funding a flashpoint in the debate over health care reform, is now facing a primary challenger from the left. Connie Saltonstall, a former Charlevoix County commissioner and retired businesswoman from Charlevoix, Mich. who announced her primary challenge Tuesday. "The main issue is he was willing to sacrifice health care reform because of abortion funding," Saltonstall told CNN. "He's been my congressman for many years. I have compromised voting for him because of his position on choice. Health care and choice are two issues I am especially concerned about." Saltonstall also says she will continue her campaign regardless of the final abortion language in the health care bill, or Stupak's vote. "The people in our district lost trust in him. At dinners, he did powerpoint presentations on health care telling us he was going to introduce amendments, but telling us he would support health care regardless of the amendment. But then when the amendment passed, at his press conference he stated if his amendment language was not included, he would take the bill down. He has continued to say he would not vote for the health care bill unless his language was put in," she explained. You can learn more about Stupak's challenger in her interview with Jodi Jacobson, RH RealityCheck's Editor-in-Chief. Mini-Roundup: Nothing says "SPRING BREAK!" like the Truth Truck. Those guys really know how to celebrate! They'd be better off if they brought some of the new condoms with them. March 11, 2010 Abortion bill amended, clears House committee - Daily Mail – Charleston Stupak, Other House Dems, Vow To Kill Healthcare Bill Over Abortion Language - Personal Liberty Digest A drive to fight abortion - San Jose Mercury News The Senate Bill Funds Abortions? Nope, and It's More Pro-Life Than the House ... -Politics Daily Lira Hospital runs out of contraceptives - New Vision People get lack of Family Planning Program Information - BeritaJakarta.com Steps toward a healthy community - Homer News Preventing Teen Pregnancy - WJBF-TV Birth center set to open in area - St. Louis Post-Dispatch High C-section rate spurs call for change - Detroit Free Press Reality of avoidable maternal mortality is so hard to bear - The Herald Blacks New Best Frenemy: The Antiabortionists... - Eurweb.com Isabella county woman charged with failing to disclose her HIV-positive status ... - Michigan Messenger 42 Million Condoms Being Sent to South Africa for World Cup - MyFox Spokane Revamped Female Condom Gets Promotional Push - AOL News A Better Female Condom – Newsweek March 10, 2010 No compromise seen on health care abortion battle - Washington Examiner Deliberations are next for jury in 2 Mich. deaths - 9&10 News State Senate passes abortion bills - Tulsa World Women's Reproductive Rights: An Update - The Journal Lawmakers look for a quick buck with sponsored license plates - Tampabay.com Stupak facing primary challenger over abortion funding - CNN Political Ticker Tom Cruise's Religion in the Spotlight Over Forced Abortion Allegations – Lifesite House Judiciary advances abortion bill with changes - Charleston Gazette Supporters of Georgia bill: Abortion providers are racist - MiamiHerald.com Utah law potentially endangers mothers' rights - RU Daily Targum A View of Abortion From Three Eras - New York Times Mitt Romney's Abortion Stance: 'I Never Really Called Myself Pro-Choice' - Huffington Post Divisiveness Of Abortion Impedes Health Care Plan – WBUR Powerful Catholic Quietly Shaping Abortion, Health Bill Debate – NPR Santorum makes pitch for Iowa evangelical voters - The Associated Press New Utah Law Holds Women Criminally Liable for Illegal Abortions - AOL News Program pays addicts to use birth control - Honolulu Star-Bulletin MYANMAR: Abortion a leading cause of maternal death - IRINnews.org Feminomics: Pro-Life Atlanta's Big Lie to Poor and Minority Women - Huffington Post Woman conceives despite family planning surgery - Times of India Lawmakers delay health care conscience bill – CNBC Statement by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the United ... - United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) President Clinton Defends Family Planning Abroad, Says Women In Developing ... - Talk Radio News Service Planned Parenthood presses Colorado lawmakers to support maternity coverage - The Colorado Independent

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Parsley Declares That The End Times Are Coming

Last weekend, Rod Parsley hosted a Biblical prophecy conference at this World Harvest Church entitled "Collide 2010" at which he, Tim LaHaye, and others warned that we are living in the End Times, declaring this the "rapture generation" and warning those who have not been saved that they had better start hoarding guns, food, and supplies: Speakers at a recent prophecy conference proclaimed that this is "the rapture generation" as they warned of a looming one-world government and attacks on Israel that could hasten end-times events. "The last pages of your Bible read like the front pages of your paper," said conference host Rod Parsley in a dramatic video introduction that included footage of recent earthquakes and other natural disasters. "You are here because you've been chosen to live in this final hour." ... Most of the conference attendees were Christians, but during his sermon Sunday Parsley warned people to be rapture-ready. He outlined a chilling scenario for those who might be left behind for "seven years of tribulation," which he said would be 100 times worse than the devastation from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the recent earthquake combined. "Wrap it all together times 100 and it will not begin to compare with what will be happening in every city in the world," he said. Utilizing visual aids including real firearms and backpacks, he said those left behind would need to get out of cities, gather food and Bibles, arm themselves and refuse to take the mark of the beast. "But I've got a better idea," Parsley said. "Give your life to Jesus today. Don't miss the rapture."

View original story : aids+conference Feed : Right Wing Watch

HIV Prevention: On the Verge of Success?

At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—David Evans speaks with Mitchell Warren, from the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition in New York City, about the state of prevention research, which could be on the verge of new successes with PrEP and test-and-treat strategies.

View original story : aids+conference Feed : HIV/AIDS Treatment News from POZ and AIDSmeds

Travel like a journalist

Gulliver Packing tips E.L. | LONDON A foreign correspondent shares his packing tips (Women readers will probably find this post rather annoying as convention dictates that they have to look smarter than men.) I was recently talking to Charlemagne and we noticed that we were dressed identically—heavy cords, tweed jacket, brown shoes etc. That’s the ideal journalistic clothing: warm, presentable and clean, and easily made informal by discarding the tie. The tie is a useful signalling device. Some people plan this carefully (eg, wearing blue-black-white when going to Estonia). I find it better to wear my university (LSE) tie. It often starts conversations at airports or on trains. LSE alumni are just the sort of people you want to meet. Here are a few other tips from 25 years of life as a perpetual traveller. You can manage for a week out of a laptop bag, so long as you fold your shirts neatly. It is good to have one with three compartments as it is embarrassing if you have to rummage for a pen and notebook at a meeting and find your dirty laundry emerging from the bag. The bag itself should ideally cost nothing—the kind given out at conferences are ideal, especially the World Economic Forum ones. The sponge bag should be tiny and light. Key contents: an almost exhausted tube of toothpaste which weighs nothing and doesn’t show up at baggage control; a sliver of soap; a battery-powered razor, using the kind of AA batteries that you can recharge from a USB port on the computer. Then you can use them for your dictaphone as well. Also, a tiny sewing kit, a couple of pills (two sleeping pills, two pain-killers, two Imodium; a couple of sticking plasters (band-aids in American); spare cufflinks; an almost exhausted roll of sticky tape, a blob of Blu-Tack, a few yellow Post-it notes, spare fountain-pen cartridges. In backward places a film canister full of green tea leaves is handy. In travels round the ex-Soviet Union I used to carry another canister full of Marmite (a strange British food product that you spread on bread or dissolve in water). But it looks disconcertingly like raw opium and in these security-conscious days can attract unwelcome attention. However, a few sticks of biltong weigh nothing, keep for ever, and ward off hunger if you are stuck on the Moldovan-Transdniestrian border in an immobile queue for a couple of hours. I also keep pay-as-you-go SIM cards for the main countries that I cover and use them in a lightweight $20 mobile phone that I bought in Dubai: much cheaper than roaming charges, both for you and people wanting to call you. And it confuses the chekists. Travel comfort: an inflatable neck cushion, a blindfold and earplugs are a lot cheaper than flying business class. Take off your shoes as soon as you get in the plane. Electronics used to take up too much space but that’s getting better now that you can recharge things with a USB cable. That means no Blackberry or iPod chargers. If you know you are staying in a hotel with a kettle in the room you can even leave your laptop cable behind and use the one attached to the kettle. The little Sony ICF-100 radio is still useful sometimes, but increasingly I listen to radio on my laptop. (That way you get Ekho Moskvy as well as the BBC.) But it is well worth the extra weight to get an extended battery for your laptop. In Soviet days I never travelled without several thousand dollars in cash, just in case I needed suddenly to rent a satellite phone or buy an air ticket from a cash-only travel agent. However, it’s still useful to take postage stamps—I carry them for all the countries that I cover. Plus lots of passport photos—you never know when you will need some pointless accreditation or visa. Also handy: lots and lots of business cards, in wallet, jacket pockets and the bag. At a good conference you can get through hundreds. It’s annoying in this electronic age that these are still necessary, though if someone gives me theirs first I just get out my Blackberry and e-mail them my contacts, explaining that this is the modern thing to do. Also useful in the wallet is a tiny credit-card shaped torch. Reading material: a photocopy of a good poem, preferably in Russian or some other foreign language that you have to think hard about, folded in the wallet just in case you are stuck with no electronic or other diversion. Any brilliant packing tips of your own to share? Please do so below.

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