var
   storeProfiles = new Ext.data.Store({
     // load using HTTP
     url: 'profilexml.jsp',
     params: ({'get_profiles':1}),
 
     // the return will be XML, so lets set up a reader
     reader: new Ext.data.XmlReader({
       record: 'profile',
       'profile_name': 'profile_name',
       totalRecords: '@total'
     },
     [
       // set up the fields mapping into the xml doc
         'profile_name'
     ])
   });
 
   // next line does NOT work:
   storeProfiles.load();
 
   // this does work:
   storeProfiles.load({params:{'get_profiles':1}});