Took about 3-4 months off last year (basically fall semester), played a bit over the winter break, and have just started playing again.  I hadn't even been checking the boards, that is how low AH was on my list of priorities...  
But wow.  Nash is back, that is good.  Curly is apparently a communist Bush-hater, which is new (for me anyway).  Of course, a lot still hasn't changed, but I'm sure I'll be surprised by more stuff when I start hanging around here more in the summer.
Grunherz is apparently still a jack-boot wearing die-hard "conservative", good to see that hasn't changed.  Has he stopped screeching "DETH TO AMRIKEWA" every time anyone posts anything that isn't happy-happy joy-joy propoganda yet?