Wish List 2008

[rebeccapea]

I wonder if this is an appropriate place to make out a wish list for this year's festival. For example, if David Massengill is in fact coming I really hope he will do another show in the Family Tent as he did in 2006. Had never heard him before, but the show he put on for the kids was really outstanding and was the highlight of the whole festival for me. Now I own all his cds. Also, I've read through many of the postings and haven't seen anything so far on the Rowan Brothers. I'll be so dissapointed if they aren't there!

[Notlob]

David is indeed confirmed, and will be performing as "the Folk Brothers" with Jack Hardy!

Unfortunately the Rowan Brothers are not booked, but the good news is they are completing a brand new CD and will be touring the northeast August 4-17.

[Notlob]

Just 2 weeks after FRFF, the Rowan Brothers will be opening for and playing with the Levon Helm Band at the Midnight Ramble in Woodstock.

Full details at http://groups.google.com/group/notlobmu ... e-august-9

&

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEast ... ssage/4846

You can order tickets now at http://www.levonhelm.com/midnight_ramble.htm

[night faerie]

I will be missing this year's festivities because I'm due to give birth within a couple of weeks of the fest. So my wish for this year's fest is that every one of you have an extra amazing time on my behalf, haha. Dance a little harder, clap & woot a little louder, smile a little wider. I'll see you all next year, with a little Folkie-In-Training in towe.

[john r]

ok - who is bringing watermelon:

LUBBOCK, Texas - A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top
off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects
similar to Viagra but don't necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks
all night long.

Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger
production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar
to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of
the nation's top producers of the seedless variety.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the
body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into
arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and
immune systems.

"Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic
effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even
prevent it," said Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M's
Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. "Watermelon may not be as
organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels
without any drug side effects."

Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State
University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from
watermelon.

"It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a
substitute for any medical treatment," Wehner said.

The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other
cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mostly in the rind
More citrulline about 60 percent is found in watermelon rind than in the
flesh, Patil said, but that can vary. But scientists may be able to find
ways to boost the concentrations in the flesh, he said.

Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the
yellow-fleshed types, said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in
Lane, Okla.

She said Patil's research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to
eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the
body's arginine level.

"The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run
to the bathroom more," Perkins-Veazie said.

Watermelon is a diuretic and was a homeopathic treatment for kidney
patients before dialysis became widespread.

Another issue is the amount of sugar that much watermelon would spill into
the bloodstream a jolt that could cause cramping, Perkins-Veazie said.

Patil said he would like to do future studies on how to reduce the sugar
content in watermelon.

The relationship between citrulline and arginine might also prove helpful
to those who are obese or suffer from type-2 diabetes. The beneficial
effects among them the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra
does are beginning to be revealed in research.

Citrulline is present in other curcubits, like cucumbers and cantaloupe, at
very low levels, and in the milk protein casein. The highest concentrations
of citrulline are found in walnut seedlings, Perkins-Veazie said.

"But they're bitter and most people don't want to eat them," she said.