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They can have him, lol. Everyone knows our D is Rex's baby.
@ProFootballWkly: The #Bills hired former #Jets DC Mike Pettine as their new defensive coordinator, per @mortreport.
They can have him, lol. Everyone knows our D is Rex's baby.
I'm not sorry to see him go but it should improve their defense significantly. Even if he can apply 75% of the things he learned from Rex, it will be a good NFL defense.
Is Pettine taking Manish with him?
Good for him. SEE YA
Well, Pettine is used to leaking stuff about our team, so why should that change now?
So I guess Buffalo will be switching back to the 3-4 now, could see Devito going to Buffalo now.
How has romeo crennels defense been?
Mike Pettine coached outside linebackers in Baltimore and was given the DC position here. Yes he has learned under one of the best, but that does not mean he can handle the responsibility on his own. Furthermore, he needs players to buy into HIS way, which we have no way of knowing.
Lets hold on before we annoint the bills a top 10 defense.
We had a defensive coordinator???
@MMehtaNYDN: More changes for the Jets. Assistant DBs coach Jim O'Neil will join Mike Pettine as a member of his Bills' staff, per source. #nyj
not a fan of anyone in AFC east.... probably see some 2012 jets in bills unifrom next year.....
not much u can do about it... out with old, in with the new..
Congrats Mike! Hopefully you'll find what you're looking for in western NY.


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Friday's print edition of The Argus had a story about the three Fremont Unified School District assistant superintendents volunteering to take 5 percent pay cuts.
The article went on to say that the district has discussed salary reductions with employee groups but that no union has agreed to pay cuts. It turns out that the district has met with the teachers union (and negotiations are ongoing), but there has been no talks yet with CSEA or SEIU leaders.
The article has been corrected online, and a correction should appear in Saturday's print edition.
While we're on the topic of cuts, what do you think of the asst. superintendents' actions? Did they lead by example? Should they — as the highest paid employees behind the superintendent — have offered to take a bigger cut? Should the employee groups agree to pay cuts themselves?

subset: commoncrawl


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Dave White Profile
Dave White
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
In space they can hear you yawn. Read full review
Grae Drake Profile
Grae Drake
Movie maven about town
Grae Drake began her love affair with cinema as a wee bairn, as she spent every weekend corralling her friends over to the local...Read full profile
Movie maven about town
Grae Drake began her love affair with cinema as a wee bairn, as she spent every weekend corralling her friends over to the local...Read full profile
3...2...1...We have anxiety liftoff Read full review
Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.
out of 100
Metascore®Generally unfavorable reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.
Not only is this film's form clichéd, so is its content.
Read Full Review
Apollo 18 fails to stay with you because, like the cratered satellite on which it's set, it has no atmosphere.
Many will find Apollo 18 silly and derivative. It is. Yet it's also a break from the usual hyperbolic, down-your-throat brand of silly and derivative scare movies.
See all Apollo 18 reviews at Metacritic.com
Pause for kids 14 & under
Fake moon-landing chiller is no Blair Witch in space.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this sci-fi/horror movie -- which is told in the "found-footage" format pioneered by The Blair Witch Project and continued by Paranormal Activity and others -- revolves around a final, secret moon mission in which astronauts discover something terrible on the lunar surface. (In real life, 1972's Apollo 17 was the final mission.) There are some intense, frightening sequences, mostly based on sudden movements and scary faces. There's also a gory wound that grows worse as the story progresses. Profanity gets fairly frequent as things escalate but is more along the lines of "hell" and "goddamn" than stronger words (though there are a couple of those as well).
Families can talk about the movie's violence. Is it scary? In general, which has more impact -- seeing frightening things take place or knowing that they're happening but not being able to see them?
Does this film really look or feel like it's made out of real found footage? How does the editing affect that perception? How does this compare to other movies using a similar style?
Messages: The U.S. government sends three astronauts to the moon for no clear reason, seemingly expecting them to perish. It's a hopeless and depressing scenario.
Role models: Astronauts are typically cool role models, but while these characters try their best to complete their mission and be brave, they're not very likeable or admirable. They argue and panic and succumb to anger and frustration.
Violence: Little overt violence, but there are a few scary, disturbing sequences with sudden, shocking images, such as a frightening face or a sudden movement. The worst is a gory wound on one of the astronauts that keeps getting more and more infected.
Sex: Not applicable
Language: Profanity becomes fairly frequent as the horror escalates; words include infrequent use of "s--t" and "f--k," plus many uses of "hell," "damn," "goddamn," and "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation), as well as "bastard," "d--k," "balls," and "prick."
Consumerism: Not applicable
Drinking, drugs and smoking: During interviews at the beginning, one of the astronauts tells a story about drinking "too many" beers at a barbecue.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.
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Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
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Midnight Madness Shopping at the Premium Outlet Mall   Friday, November 29 - Sunday, December 1
After-Thanksgiving Weekend Sale featuring                    Midnight Madness
Select stores open as early as 6pm, 8pm, and 9pm on Thu, Nov 28
Start your Black Friday shopping at the earliest possible moment! Chicago Premium Outlets Select stores open as early as 6pm, 8pm, and 9pm on Thu, Nov 28. Don't miss the biggest sale of the year. Enjoy exceptional holiday savings and extended shopping hours, plus, experience The Midnight Madness as stores open their doors at midnight right after Thanksgiving ends.* Plan Ahead! Visit center-specific Hours pages.
Enjoy your stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Aurora, located just minutes from the Chicago Premium
Outlet Mall.
Book today or call us at 1-630-907-2600.


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| Public Gallery Help
|Sign the Guestbook. Displaying 14 of 14 entries.
Wonderfull photos, reminds me of a painting my mom had by a local artist, Mrs. Pritchard. I was doing research on ancestors from Mason County, who where buried in the New Pontotoc Cemetery. You should offer some of these for sale....
- Mike Ohlhausen, Mon, 22 May 2006 3:57PM
I was thrilled to stumble across your pictures of Mason. This is actually where my Me-Ma (mom's mom) grew up, and as I sit here at home in MD, house sitting for them, while they attend her mothers funeral, I'm still able to look around and see the same beautiful sites they are seeing as well. I am an amateur photographer and haven't been back down in a while to take any pictures, so I was searching for some to welcome them home too, which is how I came to your site. Thanks for sharing your talent!
- Heather B, Mon, 24 Oct 2005 12:00PM
I did get linked here from the (NutJob website), but glad I did. Beautiful pictures. Thanks. Mike, LeonaValeey, CA
- Mike Lynn, Fri, 23 Sep 2005 12:12PM
- Sarah, Sat, 4 Jun 2005 6:17AM
I am a Texan transplanted to South Carolina and I am homesick for sights like these. Thanks for your kindness in sharing them.
- Linda, Tue, 3 May 2005 7:35AM
Your pictures are gorgeous! The locations helped us plan our trip from Austin tomorrow, but it looks like we may have to spend more than day to see it all! Thanks a million.
- Patricia, Mon, 25 Apr 2005 2:52PM
- patricia, Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:40PM
Thanks for sharing your pictures.
We were in the Inks Lake State Park
area the wk of March 21st and the
Blue Bonnets were small then but
enjoyable to see. The Eagles were
at the Llano River on FM29 with their
eaglets! Thanks again.
- Helen, Sun, 24 Apr 2005 5:53PM
Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures with us. You are very talented. Great eye!
- Belyndia Fisher, Sat, 23 Apr 2005 5:43PM
Those are great pictures. I went to Willow City Loop North of Fredricksburg on Hwy. 16 Saturday, 4-16-05 and the wild flowers were in full bloom. Even if the flowers aren't out the drive is great.
- Maria, Fri, 22 Apr 2005 1:33PM
I have travelled over some of the same roads and have gotten some good shots, but yours are great! thanks
- Mae Beth, Fri, 22 Apr 2005 5:01AM
You and your companion must have had a wonderful trip indeed. I enjoyed your photos, thanks for sharing!!
- Colette Pearce, Thu, 21 Apr 2005 6:04PM
Some day I'll get to Texas from Illinois to see those beautiful flowers. Until then I'll depend on these beautiful images. Thank you!
- Keith Richardson, Thu, 21 Apr 2005 2:16PM
I really enjoyed your photos. Thanks for sharing them.
- barbara, Thu, 21 Apr 2005 9:17AM


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Types of Shoe Storage Solutions
Types of Shoe Storage Solutions from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with information about types of shoe storage solutions.
ITEM#: 14163544Endless home organization possibilities start with the Organized Living freedomRail O-Box. Short for the Organization Box, this modular cabinet creates an organized space in any area of your home. When O-Box Drawers are used in a closet, they eliminate the need for a dresser, freeing up valuable bedroom space. O-Boxes can hang side by side horizontally, or can be stacked vertically within any closet, pantry, linen or laundry space. Add doors to O-Box 1 Shelf units to customize your storage systems to fit your own unique needs.
|Casual, Contemporary
|Shelf Type
|Bookshelves, Storage
|Assembly Required
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|Closet Organizer
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|United States
Types of Shoe Storage Solutions from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with information about types of shoe storage solutions.
Your mudroom is the place that collects the remnants of a long day. Here, you'll find practical and charming tips for making this space better than ever.
Bedding can be bulky and inconvenient to store, especially if you have several sheet sets and blankets for multiple beds in the house. Check out this guide for tips to keep your bedding neat and organized.
Find home storage solution ideas for your home. Shop our huge selection of home storage products and home furniture at Overstock.com.
Whether you're building a new kitchen or remodeling an existing one, you're probably in the market for a new kitchen sink. In order to find the sink that meets your needs both functionally and aesthetically, it's important to consider placement, style, and kitchen size.
An outdated bathroom can feel out of place in an otherwise beautiful home, but making upgrades on your own is simple.
How to Refinish Kitchen Cabinet Doors from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with information about how to refinish kitchen cabinet doors.
With our busy lives, there are little things that often get overlooked, like keeping track of how long we've used our pillows or bath towels. However, replacing these things in a timely fashion is efficient and helpful in having a smoothly run household.
Get the most popular Christmas gifts for the home. You can wrap up the best home decor presents of 2016 when you shop these gift ideas. Shop our huge selection of home decor at Overstock.com.
Feng shui helps people bring balance to their lives. Read feng shui tips and be inspired to make small changes that have big impact.
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** Most Oversize orders are delivered within 1-4 weeks. Some orders may take 6 weeks to be delivered.
Organized Living freedomRail O-Box Driftwood 2-drawer Shelf Unit
Today $102.49


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Penguins: Story Of The Bird That Wanted To Be Fish
series: Wild Hour
air date: 1/16/13 4:00 PM
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From W3C eGovernment Wiki
(Redirected from Agenda20100217)
Draft Agenda for February 17th
By teleconference and IRC
- Introductions (5 min)
- Discussion of Scope and Interests of Participants(10 min)
- Discussion of Statement of Work for this Project (10)
- Identifying Resources and Project Management for this Project (10)
- Work on First Project Step (15 min)
How-to join - Phone
- eGov IG teleconferences information
- Day: Wednesdays (every other week)
- Time: 9:00-10:30 EST (lookup other timezones)
- For project meeting times, see Projects. Other information is the same.
- Phone number: +1.617.761.6200 (Boston) or +33.4.89.06.34.99 (Nice) or +44.117.370.6152 (Bristol)
- Conference code: 3468 ("EGOV")
Please, remember to dial "#" right after the conference code. If everything goes well, you should hear a beep meaning you've just joined the conference, and could hear other participants.
The teleconference system at W3C is called Zakim. There are more detailed instructions on how to use it. Zakim has an accompanying and useful IRC bot. Please read next section to learn more about it.
How-to join - IRC
- eGov IG Teleconference IRC information
- Server: irc.w3.org
- Port: 6665 (try port 80 if you have trouble)
- Channel: #egov


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NEW YORK — Everyone in the United States ages 15 to 65 should be screened at least once for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, a medical advisory group to the government has recommended.
Early identification and treatment are crucial for preventing the virus's spread and lengthening the lives of those who are infected, according to the draft guidelines released this week by the US Preventive Services Task Force. Previously, screening focused on people in high-risk groups and pregnant women. That recommendation was made in 2005.
By increasing the number of people to be tested, the group hopes to reduce the estimated 50,000 annual new cases in the United States. About 1.2 million people in the country are infected, and a fifth to a quarter of those do not know they are HIV-positive, according to the task force.
''Not everyone who gets infected has engaged in risky behavior, but none of us ever knows for certain what our partners are doing,'' Virginia Moyer, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and the current task force chairwoman, said in an interview. ''So it's valuable to get tested even if you haven't engaged in any risky behavior.''
The change in guidance stemmed from research conducted recently showing that earlier treatment of HIV makes it less likely that patients will suffer ill effects from the disease or die, Moyer said. And because the HIV test is ''extremely accurate,'' there are rarely false positives, she said.
''It is a huge deal,'' said Carlos del Rio, a professor of global health and medicine at Emory University in Atlanta and codirector of the Emory Center for AIDS Research. ''We have the highest number of new infections of any developed country. We have to do something.''
The new recommendations will allow doctors to order the HIV test for their patients without having to quiz them about sexual habits to see if they are in a high-risk group to justify the test for an insurance company, del Rio said.
''This allows me as a clinician in primary care to avoid having a risk discussion with my patients,'' he said.
Those with the highest risk, which includes gay men and those who use injection drugs, should be tested every year.
The task force, based in Rockville, Md., is a panel of medical professionals, composed mostly of primary care providers. The draft guidelines on HIV have been posted for public comment on the group's website. Comments may be submitted from Nov. 20 to Dec. 17.
The advice of the task force is often used by insurance companies and government programs to decide whether to pay for certain health care procedures. The group recommended in May that prostate cancer screening be discontinued, after scientific studies showed that the number of deaths avoided by the test were ''very small'' compared with the risks from treatment. The panel also drew criticism in 2009 for questioning the value of breast-cancer screening in women younger than 50.


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On Friday, the weather was terrible, very hot and very windy. On Sunday, the weather was not very good, again hot and windy.
BUT, on Saturday, July 20, the weather was great, not real hot and with only the hint of a breeze. Early that morning, 26 mostly Morgan County frolfers, gathered at the Watrous Disc Golf Course in Brush for the Third Annual Singles Disc Golf Tournament.
A short meeting was followed by a shotgun start, right on schedule. Play continued until everyone had completed 18 holes. Scores were tabulated by Brush Recreation personnel as the frolfers relaxed, snacked, kept themselves hydrated.
Individuals in the four classifications (Women, Men Under 30, Men Between the Ages of 30 and 50, Men Over 50) were regrouped according to scores, and a 9 Hole Championship Round ensued. Play was brisk, everyone was competitive, a good to great time was had by all! At the end of this round, scores were added. Sudden death playoffs commenced in two divisions until winners were determined.
Taking top spots in the tournament were Wayne Carlson, first in the men over 50 (27 hole score of 80); Penny Kemble, first women (93); Carlos Aleman, second men 30-50 (74); Jamie Shilz, first men 30-50 (74-beat Carlos in the second hole of Sudden Death); Bill Thiel, second men over 50 (81); Derek Lynch, first men under 30 (75); Gloria Bing Thiel, second women (108); Shawn Kauk, second men under 30 (77).
The next tournament, the 3rd Annual Doubles Tournament, will happen sometime in September. Why not check out this incredible sport and join in the fun?


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The Woodsmith editors pack a lot of woodworking into a small project as they share the ins and outs of building a beautiful box. You'll learn tricks for fitting a lid and getting super-strong miter joints. Plus, they'll let you in on the secret to adding a flowing, wood ribbon handle to wrap it up.
Visit the Website: http://www.woodsmithshop.com/
Episode #406 / Length: 26 minutes


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The Oakland Press (http://www.theoaklandpress.com)
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Rochester is adding another event to its well-known holiday lineup and moving up the start date for one of its biggest attractions.
The city recently announced the addition of the Downtown Rochester Festival of Trees, Nov. 21-23, which is expected to help fund The Big Bright Lights Show, which commences the city's annual holiday lighting of downtown businesses during the city's Lagniappe celebration.
"It's been on our list for a long time," said Kristi Trevarrow, executive director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority. "It seemed natural," given Rochester's history of holiday celebrations, she added.
Individuals and their families as well as businesses and organizations are needed to donate their time to design trees, wreaths, stockings and tablescapes to the tree festival. Those items will then be sold or auctioned at the festival at the Rochester Community House.
An introductory workshop will be held Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Drive, for those interested in participating.
The event begins Nov. 21 with a cocktail reception and will be open to the public Nov. 22-23.
The lights festival will begin Nov. 24, a week earlier than usual, due to popular demand. The weeks-long light show typically draws more than a million visitors to downtown Rochester.
Trevarrow said residents expressed a desire to take their out-of-town Thanksgiving guests to see the renowned show.
"They really wanted to show off the lights," Trevarrow said.
Because the Festival of Trees is a new event to the community, Trevarrow was unsure how much revenue to expect, but she said the goal is get 50 trees decorated. She expects bids on the completed trees to begin at $500.
Another fund-raiser for the lights festival is the Big, Bright Ball, which is Aug. 3 at Royal Park Hotel.
The DDA was forced by higher-than-expected contractor fees last year to launch a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise nearly $30,000 to help fund the event. Most of the funding came from the Metro Detroit area, Trevarrow said.
The fund-raising was used to illuminate the city's businesses along Fourth Street like Froggy's Toy Stop.
Funding has since been adjusted to account for what was a 25-percent increase in 2013, Trevarrow said.
Owner Mary Lytle said the exposure from the holiday lights festival helps increase foot traffic and counteracts online shopping.
"It gets people in the mood for Christmas and shopping and it brings in a lot of business for us," she said.
The store, located at 114 E. 4th Street, specializes in old-fashioned, American- and European-made toys.


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Who Said That?
Florida's quote of the day
"I'm the queen of minimum payments and rotating credit cards."
The parallels rocked Michele McCauley to the core.
Five years ago, she watched the grim reports of a Boca mother and daughter found murdered in their black, still-idling SUV after they were forced to withdraw money from a Bank of America ATM.
Just like Nancy Bochicchio, McCauley drove a black SUV and she had a Bank of America account. And she too was suppose to be at the Boca Town Center alone with her children that same day on December 12, 2007 when Bochicchio and 7-year-old Joey Bochicchio-Hauser were abducted from the mall.
The tragedy — Bochicchio called police on her cellphone but was cut off — made McCauley the mother of a new invention: Earlier this month, the U.S. Patent Office cleared the way for McCauley to patent the Trax24 Pal, developed in response to the still-unsolved Bocchiccio homicides.
Read more at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.


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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. / Ilan Stavans
series: Maria Hinojosa: One-on-one
air date: 5/06/14 4:00 PM
Scholars Henry Louis Gates and former La Plazahost Ilan Stavans talk about the parallels between the Latino and African-American experiences and literature. They also address their hopes for the future, including a broader discourse on literature produced by people of color.
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|SitePoint Sponsor
User Tag List
Results 1 to 4 of 4
Apr 1, 2002, 12:46 #1
Problem with Login script / session_cache_limiter
Hi. I have a user management script that is essentially Kevin Yank's script. I added a session_cache_limiter in an attempt to get rid of the annoying "Page has expired" warnings that come up whenever a user clicks on the "BACK" button. It works great, but it has the unintended effect of logging the user out (I guess it just drops the "uid" and "pwd" session variables). At least that's what happens when I put the session_cache_limiter before the session_start. When I put it AFTER the session_start, it doesn't log the user out, but it also doesn't work! That is, it reverts back to the "Page has expired warnings". Can anyone help? Here's a snippet below. Thanks!
<?php // accesscontrol.php
include($DOCUMENT_ROOT . "/../includes/common.php");
include($DOCUMENT_ROOT . "/../includes/db.php");
//We're trying the following in an effort to fix those annoying "Warning: Page has expired" messages.
if(!isset($uid)) {
Apr 1, 2002, 13:22 #2
- Join Date
- Sep 2001
- Location
- BC, Canada
- Posts
- 109
- Mentioned
- 0 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
I'd recommend reading the PHP manual and the user comments related to this... I don't know what is causing your problem, but someone else may have run into the same problem and found a solution.
Sessions in the PHP manual!NATHAN WRIGHT
PHP Developer, Simple Station
Apr 1, 2002, 14:26 #3
Been there, done that. :-) There were similar issues, but nothing that quite seemed to help solve my dilemma. Thanks anyway.
Apr 2, 2002, 07:58 #4
Hmmm, I tried replacing 'private' with 'private_no_expire' in the session_cache_limiter and it seems to have worked, though I can't say for sure why.


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Auckland teenage swimmer heads for open water
Press Release – SKINS
Fourteen-year-old Auckland swimmer Paige Schendelaar-Kemp is finishing the year with a splash having been selected to represent New Zealand at the New South Wales Open Water Championships in Sydney next month.
The selection is Paige's first time in a national swimming team and tops off a fantastic year for the young athlete, having broken Counties Manukau age group records in the 50m and 100m butterfly at the New Zealand Open in March. She also won bronze in the 100m butterfly at the Australian Age Group Champs and took away medals at the State Epic Open Water swim in Taupo and New Zealand Open Water Champs.
In early November Paige, who is sponsored by SKINS compression sportswear, won the 15-years and under female non-wetsuit division of the State Ocean Swim Series in the Bay of Islands, swimming 3.3km from Paihia to Russell. She was placed second overall in the women's non-wetsuit section.
Paige also holds New Zealand under-13 records in short course and long course butterfly and freestyle – and she was recently named Pakuranga College's Junior Sportsperson of the Year. She says being selected in the team for Sydney is a step towards her big dream of representing New Zealand at the Olympics.
"Being chosen for a national team is a really big deal. I'm really excited. All my hard work is paying off. I can't wait to get into the water in Sydney and compete."
Paige will compete in the heats for both the 5km and 10km swims at the New South Wales Open Water Championships at Penrith on December 1 and 2. After this, the team will go into a four-day camp run by the Australian and New Zealand Open Water head coaches Greg Towle and Philip Rush.
The camp will have intensive pool and open water training; covering all aspects of open water racing skills and strategies designed to help the swimmers develop their open water swimming to a higher level.
"The camp is an amazing opportunity to really improve technique and be a better open water swimmer," says Paige.
Paige wears garments from SKINS A400 compression range – a range that has been designed to help athletes of all levels perform better, by delivering more oxygen to the blood and accelerating blood flow to active muscles. For more information visit www.skins.co.nz
Released on behalf of SKINS by Passion PR.
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url


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Although US military funding is being used to develop the Atlas robot, we are assured that the machine will not be put into service as an infantry unit. That sounds reasonable, in that the machine would be highly vulnerable to the simplest gun/grenade attack. On the other hand, a robot such as this would be an extraordinary device in the context, say, of a catastrophe such as that of Fukushima.
Here's the four-legged Wildcat robot, also being developed by Boston Dynamics, which is a descendant of the Cheetah sprinter that I presented in an earlier blog post [display].


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Video From Grandstands at Daytona International Speedway Shows Crash Impacts [VIDEO]
At least 30 spectators were injured Saturday afternoon when large chunks of debris, including a tire, sailed into the grandstands at Daytona International Speedway when a car flew into the fence on a frightening last-lap accident. Video from the area where debris showered the fans has surfaced.
This isn't confirmed, but in this video you can see a tire (or something that looks like a tire) in the seats near the guy who shot this video.
Caution: explicit language.


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'Amitabha,' gouache painting on paper by Jack Livingston
A warm and lively painting, with yellow and orange emanating from a mysterious blue core. Although it is abstract, this energetic work references cellular structures and cosmic energy. $200, unframed, 15 by 11 inches. Works available at Fleckenstein Gallery, 3316 Keswick Road, Hampden. 410-366-3669 or fleckensteingallery.com
Jack Livingston
Copyright © 2018, Orlando Sentinel


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It is that time of year: egg nog, vacations, holiday music in Starbucks—and predictions for the year ahead.
When it comes to contact centers, four trends stand out for Omer Minkara at the Aberdeen Group, include the necessity of understanding the customer, agent productivity, cloud infrastructure, and customer service as the new marketing.
"Predictive analytics and real-time customer data capture and reporting are two key enablers helping businesses differentiate themselves in the 'last-mile' of customer analytics, and our research shows that we'll see more businesses integrating these two core capabilities within their technology portfolio over the next 12 months," according to Minkara in a post at the Aberdeen Group blog.
Having a complete understanding of the customer has always been a core data management competency for top contact centers, but predictive analytics and real-time reporting are usually considered "nice to have" capabilities for most companies.Only 18 percent of businesses surveyed in Minkara's January, 2012 survey reported using predictive analytics. Another 28 percent indicated they would be deploying them in the next 12 months, but that still means only 46 percent of the industry is using them. This will start to change in 2013.
Using technology for increased agent productivity is another trend for the year ahead. Roughly 90 percent of survey participants indicated they would be tackling agent productivity, noted Minkara. "We'll see more businesses looking to establish and nurture technology tools and business processes that help them accomplish this objective in 2013."
For all the hype about how the cloud is changing the way business is done, it turns out that the cloud is, in fact, making a big impact. This will continue in the coming year. Roughly 34 percent of contact centers already use cloud-based infrastructure, reported Minkara in his blog post. "This is expected to increase to 63 percent over the next 12 months based on the adoption plans indicated by end-users participating in our study," he added.
Finally, 2013 will be the year that customer service becomes the new marketing.
Much has been written about how social media allows customers to voice their pleasure or frustration with contact centers. But this year contact centers will start to pay attention as it becomes even more real. "We've heard it numerous times in 2012," according to Minkara. "Right after a customer hangs up the phone, they can go on numerous social media portals to share their experience with a broad audience. In addition to amplifying the voice of the customer, this trend means that an unsuccessful customer interaction today has direct and huge impact on brand image and perceptions."
So get some egg nog and don't forget to check your company's Twitter account to hear what customers are saying about your agents.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.


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The Centenarians
Over the past year, a surprising number of major local institutions have turned 100—from farms to schools to military bases. What does it take to last a century?
(page 1 of 7)
If you lived here in 1908, you would be one of roughly 50,000 Honolulu residents, under the governorship of Walter Frear. You would have been able to take a taxi (provided by the Hawaiian Automobile Company) to the Stangenwald Building on Merchant Street, to visit our first skyscraper. Or, if you had the means, you could apply for a driver's license—newly available in 1906—and drive your own car.
That same year you would have had the novelty of telegraph communication with the Mainland or dialed a telephone serviced by Hawaiian Bell Telephone Co. On the weekends you might have seen a silent movie at Joel C. Cohen's Orpheum on Fort Street, unless it was Sunday, when showings were prohibited.
Within that year you would have also witnessed Hawaii transition into the 20th century, as many of the state's major institutions formed at this time. Social clubs, a hospital, military bases, a college and more. Here's a look at some of the organizations that have turned 100 through this past year.
Ameron Hawaii
You can see the massive, 416-acre Kapaa Quarry of Ameron Hawaii as you head north on H-3. Chances are, you've also walked on a floor or leaned on a wall built with Ameron concrete. The company began in 1908 when John Belser, who owned a Moiliili rock crushing plant, and William Foster, a retired sea captain and Port of Honolulu Harbor Master, formed the Honolulu Construction & Draying Co. From supplying construction materials on horse-drawn wagons to pouring concrete for the Pali Tunnel and the H-3 Freeway, Ameron Hawaii, as the company is now known, has helped solidify the infrastructure of our state.
Here are some of Ameron's major projects:
• Pali Tunnel - 1956
• Kaneohe Shopping Center - 1958
• Honolulu Tower II - 1987
• Hawaii Prince Hotel - 1990
• Harbor Court - 1994
• First Hawaiian Bank - 1996
• Hawaii Convention Center - 1996
• H-3 Freeway - 1997
• Ford Island Bridge - 1998
• Honolulu Design Center – 2007
Meaning "ocean product" in Japanese, Suisan started out as a small fish market at Hilo's Wailoa Harbor for Japanese fishermen to sell their catch. Although Suisan Co. Ltd. has since expanded on a global scale; business has remained within the family for the past 101 years.
It all began on September 17, 1907, when Kamezo Matsuno became an associate of a fishing cooperative started by fellow Japanese fishermen. He had arrived in Hawaii five years earlier and, after making his way to the Big Island, began peddling his uncle's fish.
In three years, the market's fish auction became a staple seafood provider in Hilo and in 1911 the founders of Sui San Kabushiki Kaisha—the company's original name—decided to build a second, more modern, fish market. To help bring in the market's prized ahi, yellow fin tuna, or onaga, long tailed red snapper, it also bought several sampans, says Cary Tahara, a sales consultant and public relations assistant at Suisan.
However, a booming business was no match for the massive tsunami that destroyed both fish markets in 1923. Suisan rebuilt, but World War II threatened to dismantle the company next. Martial law was declared in Hawaii, prohibiting Japanese fishermen from operating their fishing vessels. Tahara notes that many of the company's Japanese employees were taken to internment camps, including Matsuno.
After a second tsunami in 1946, Suisan rebuilt yet again, and in 1950 Matsuno become the company's president. Under his leadership, the company further expanded before he passed it down to his son, Rex Matsuno, in 1967. In July 2001, Suisan closed down what got it all started, the original fish auction market.
Today, the company distributes much more than seafood, including frozen food, produce, meat, snacks, pasta and rice, desserts, nuts, soups and non-food items, such as paper products and supplies.


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Daniels Sparks UConn To 63-53 Upset Of FloridaDeAndre Daniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds to help UConn snap Florida's 30-game win streak.
Gridiron Grub: Chili Cheese HaystacksIn the belly-filling fare of potluck football parties, who knew a man-pleasing dish could have secret nutritional value? Enter the Chili Cheese Haystack.


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The Dolphins led most of the first half but a blocked field goal by the Bills and a 47 yard field goal by the Bills as the half ended turned a 7-6 Miami lead into a 9-7 deficit.
The Dolphins have done most of their damage through the air today. Quarterback Chad Pennington has completed 11 of 14 passes for 146 yards with one touchdown. He has been actively searching for Ted Ginn Jr. today and as a result, the receiver has three catches for 67 yards.
The Bills are also having success throwing the ball. Quarterback Trent Edwards has 12 completions on 19 attempts for 107 yards.
The feel of the game is strange in that Miami has been leading much of the way and by all accounts has played better. Yet the Dolphins trail. Strange.
Anyway, the teams are coming back on the field now. Join me in the comments section for the continuation of the live blog.


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Florida had the highest overall rate in the nation, but 10 counties in other states had higher foreclosure rates than Flagler.
Flagler County had the highest overall foreclosure rate in Florida in 2012, and the 11th highest rate in the nation, according to a national report.
Florida had the highest overall rate in the nation, but 10 counties in other states had higher foreclosure rates than Flagler. Leading the nation was Walton County in Georgia, where an estimated 1 in every 17 homes, or 5.88 percent, were in some form of financial distress, according to numbers released Wednesday by RealtyTrac.
For the year, Flagler County had an estimated total of 2,233 homes in a stage of foreclosure at some point in the past 12 months — a ratio of 1 out of every 22 homes or nearly 4.6 percent of all homes.
Volusia County had the 32nd highest foreclosure rate in Florida last year and the 142nd highest rate in the nation, out of 3,143 counties. Volusia in 2012 had a total of 5,660 homes in some stage of foreclosure — 1 out of every 45, or 2.23 percent of all homes, according to RealtyTrac.
Some area Realtors see a silver lining in the report.
Steve Koenig, the 2013 president of the Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors, said he views the increase in foreclosure activity locally last year to be a "market correction" that was necessary to "flush out" what was a glut of distressed properties on the market.
"Personally, I think we're at the tail end of this foreclosure crisis," said Kevin Orak, a Flagler Beach Realtor. "The oh-my-gosh deals now are few and far between."
While foreclosure activity in Florida as a whole and in Flagler and Volusia counties rose in 2012 compared with 2011, it was still down somewhat compared with 2010, when foreclosure activity nationally peaked, according to RealtyTrac.
Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac includes in that count homes where either a mortgage loan default notice has been sent, or a foreclosure auction date has been set, as well as homes having actually been repossessed by a bank.
The full-year total includes homes that received a foreclosure warning notice, but have since been "cured" — for example, where the homeowners have gotten caught up in their loan payments and are no longer in danger of defaulting, said Jennifer von Pohlmann, a spokeswoman for RealtyTrac.
Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac's vice president, attributed the increase, at least in part, to Florida being one of 26 states where foreclosures are subject to judicial review.
"2012 was the year of the judicial foreclosure," he stated in a news release, "with foreclosure activity increasing from 2011 in 20 of the 26 states that primarily use the judicial process, and a judicial state — Florida — posting the nation's highest state foreclosure rate for the first time since the housing crisis began."
Conversely, he said, the majority of states where foreclosures are not subject to judicial review saw a decrease in foreclosure activity last year.
Reactions from area Realtors to RealtyTrac's latest foreclosure numbers were mixed, with some questioning the accuracy of the numbers while others said those numbers match what they've been seeing in the local real estate marketplace.
"Our figures don't match RealtyTrac's numbers, but I can't speak to what the banks may be holding," said Carmen Bongiovanni, a Realtor with Watson Realty in Palm Coast.
He added that from what he's seeing, foreclosure activity in Flagler County appears to be holding steady as opposed to increasing.
Orak, a Realtor with The Orak Team at ParkSide Realty in Flagler Beach, on the other hand, said RealtyTrac's estimate that as many as 1 in every 22 homes in Flagler County were in some stage of foreclosure last year sounds "absolutely correct" to him.
Rather than see that as a negative, Orak said foreclosure properties have fueled a surge in interest from prospective home buyers, but added that the inventory has been steadily shrinking.
Orak's optimism was borne out by RealtyTrac's latest report, which also found foreclosure activity in Flagler County declined in December by 23 percent compared with the previous year to 209 homes — or 1 in every 233 — third highest in the state.
Volusia County in December had 534 homes in some stage of foreclosure — or 1 in every 476 — 32nd highest in the state.
While there undoubtedly will be more foreclosure properties put up for sale in the coming months, Koenig — broker at Koenig Realty in Daytona Beach — said he expects the overall inventory to continue to shrink.
"We're definitely optimistic that the residential real estate market is going to continue to improve," he said.
Area foreclosures
Estimated number and ratio of homes in some stage of foreclosure in 2012:
Flagler County 2,2331 in every 22
Volusia County 5,6601 in every 45
SOURCE: RealtyTrac


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Story highlights
- CNN contributor says military action would require ground troops
- "Probabilities are very high that we're going into some very dark times," Sen. Feinstein says
- If Syria uses chemical warfare, "this is a game-changer," McDonough says earlier in day
- Officials say concrete evidence is still needed
There is a "high probability" that Syria deployed chemical weapons in the ongoing civil war, but final verification is needed, the chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee told CNN on Tuesday.
"I have a high probability to believe that chemical weapons were used," Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Michigan) told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "We need that final verification, but given everything we know over the last year and a half, I would come to the conclusion that they are either positioned for use, and ready to do that, or in fact have been used."
Rogers and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, struck ominous tones in an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room" about the possibility that Syria had crossed what President Barack Obama has said was a "red line" that could lead to the United States getting involved militarily in the conflict.
Rogers' statement comes as the specter of chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian civil war emerged Tuesday, with the government and rebels each blaming the other for using such munitions.
In remarks earlier Tuesday, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told Jake Tapper on CNN's "The Lead" that the president takes the issue of chemical weapons in Syria "very, very seriously."
If reports of chemical warfare are substantiated, McDonough told CNN, "this is a game changer, and we'll act accordingly."
Intelligence Committee members received the same briefing given to the White House, Feinstein said.
"The White House has to make some decision in this. I think the days are becoming more desperate. The regime is more desperate," Feinstein said in the interview. "We know where the chemical weapons are. It's not a secret that they are there, and I think the probabilities are very high that we're going into some very dark times."
Feinstein and Rogers stressed that a final verification is needed.
CNN national security contributor and former homeland security adviser Fran Townsend said the United States should be able to get verification in "pretty short order."
If the U.S. and its allies decide to act militarily, ground troops will be needed to secure known sites, she said.
The embattled government of President Bashar al-Assad accused rebels of a deadly chemical weapons missile attack
At least 25 people died and more than 110 others were injured Tuesday in the town of Khan al-Asal in Aleppo province, Syrian state media said, quoting government figures. Rebels rebuffed the claims and blamed the government.
The town of Ateibeh, in eastern Damascus, endured "fierce shelling with chemical rockets," an opposition group said. An unknown number of casualties were reported.
These claims come amid pressure in the West to arm rebels, long overmatched by the Syrian military and its allies. The United States and other world powers have worried that Syria would consider using its chemical weaponry arsenal against fighters trying to topple the al-Assad government. And there is concern that jihadists who are fighting on the side of the opposition could get their hands on chemical weaponry.
The civil war -- which began two years ago after a government crackdown on Syrian protesters -- has left around 70,000 people dead, the United Nations said, and uprooted more than 1 million people.
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said the missile in Aleppo province was launched from inside Syria, but the launcher came from another country.
"Whoever paid for this weapon in Qatar or any other country and whoever brought this weapon to be used in Syria must be held accountable, whoever they are, a king or a prince, a president or a minister," he said. "Whoever made this decision in the last Arab League meeting is responsible for the mass killing and the use of weapons of destruction."
Jamal al Ward, head of the military office of the Syrian Coalition, said the opposition has "no chemical substances and no mechanism for producing" such weapons.
"The regime has these weapons and everyone knows where they keep them. They have missiles and factories where they make missiles with chemicals. They are the ones capable of using this stuff all over Syria," he said.
Added Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, head of the Syrian National Coalition: "First, the Syrian regime lies most of the time.... We are against any use of any chemical weapons from any side."
Syrian rebels accused the government of firing a rocket at a police school west of Aleppo, but the rocket landed in the wrong area, striking an area under control by government forces.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, which reported that most of those killed were civilians, showed photos of people being treated in hospitals on its website.
But Louay Almokdad, political and media coordinator for the Free Syrian Army, told CNN that the rebels lack access to chemical weapons and surface-to-surface missiles. He confirmed injuries in an attack in the town, but said it was carried out with a missile possessed only by the government.
"The area that was targeted is under rebels' control, so it is quite absurd that the regime would accuse us of attacking our own people," he said.
"The Assad regime possesses chemical agents and they already used weapons of mass destruction against its own people, so we do expect the worse from this brutal psychopathic regime," he said.
An activist Facebook page said the location was between rebel-held and regime-held territory, and it appeared that the blast hit mostly Syrian soldiers and some civilians in a regime-held area.
As for Ateibeh, the shelling caused deaths and many injuries, "including suffocating and nausea cases and headache, vomiting and hysteria cases," the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.
There was no immediate government comment about Ateibeh.
International reaction: Shock, concern, skepticism
The international community is looking into the reports. The Russian Foreign Ministry, citing information from Damascus, said chemical weapons were used by the armed opposition, causing deaths and injuries.
"We believe the new incident is an extremely alarming and dangerous development in the Syrian crisis," the Russian ministry said. "Russia is seriously concerned about the fact of (weapons of mass destruction) coming into the hands of militants, which makes the situation in Syria even worse and brings the confrontation in the country to a new level."
The Obama administration is carefully investigating the reports, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Carney said determining what happened is a top priority.
"There will be consequences, and they will be held accountable," Carney said, passing along the president's comment.
"We also consider a red line the proliferation of chemical weapons to other actors by the regime," he added.
Obama will be discussing the Syrian crisis during his visit this week to the Middle East, where it will be a topic of conservation with Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders.
The British Foreign Office is also checking on the reports.
"The use of chemical weapons would be abhorrent and universally condemned. The UK is clear that the use or proliferation of chemical weapons would demand a serious response from the international community and force us to revisit our approach so far," a spokesman said.
Two senior U.S. officials said they don't believe the rebels used chemical weapons and suggested the government itself may have manufactured the incident to preserve the ability to use them in the future.
"The regime is using (the claims) as a pretext for their own possible use," one of the officials said. "The opposition has no such weapons."
The officials said they could not confirm a rebel claim that the regime used some type of agent on its own people in order to blame the rebels but could not rule it out. Officials pointed to previous claims that chemical weapons were used, which, after extensive investigation, were unsubstantiated.
The Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry sent two letters Tuesday to the United Nations warning of the dangers of chemical weapons getting into the hands of al Qaeda-linked opposition groups.
The Syrian government did not use chemical weapons against residents of Homs in a December attack, a U.S. State Department investigation showed but did apparently misuse a riot-control gas in the incident, according to senior U.S. officials.
The investigation stemmed from allegations inside Syria about the use of chemical weapons during the attack on the city of Homs on December 23. The officials said the State Department launched a probe from its consulate in Istanbul after doctors and activists reported dozens of victims suffering from nervous system, respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments after inhaling the gas.
Military analysts believe the Syrian government may have one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world. Specifically, the supply could include sarin, mustard and VX gases.
Arming the rebels
Dissidents inside and outside Syria have called for the United States to take a greater role in helping Syrian rebels, including supplying arms.
So far, the Obama administration has donated nonlethal and humanitarian aid.
But Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would not stand in the way of its allies' arming Syrian rebels.
Kerry acknowledged the need to change the military "imbalance" on the ground in order to change al-Assad's "calculus."
"Right now, President Assad is receiving help from the Iranians, he's receiving help from al Qaeda-related, some elements, he's receiving help from Hezbollah, and obviously some help is coming in through the Russians," Kerry said. "If he believes he can shoot it out, Syrians and the region have a problem and the world has a problem."
Members of the rebel Free Syrian Army have said they've received shipments from some countries and seized and purchased weapons from government troops. But al-Assad's forces have heavy weaponry and warplanes.
Last week, the French foreign minister said he wanted to lift a European Union arms embargo and start arming rebels.
"We must go ahead and allow the Syrian people to defend themselves against this bloodthirsty regime. It's our responsibility to help the (opposition) Syrian National Coalition, its leaders and the Free Syrian Army by all the possible means," Laurent Fabius wrote in an op-ed for the French newspaper Liberation.
"If not, the slaughter will continue, and there will not be any other possible outcome but to strengthen the most extreme groups and the collapse of Syria with devastating consequences for the country itself and the region."
In February, the European Union renewed its arms embargo on Syria for three months -- but amended it to allow greater nonlethal support and technical assistance to help protect civilians.
The latest EU arms embargo is set to expire in May. Member countries could renew it, add amendments or veto it.
A new opposition leader
A Syrian opposition alliance elected Ghassan Hitto, an information technology executive and U.S.-educated Kurdish businessman, to lead its provisional government.
The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces made the announcement Tuesday.
The contingent government's formation should assuage concerns from the West -- particularly the United States -- about who would lead Syria should al-Assad be deposed, the Syrian American Council said.
"This question has now been answered," the group said.
For two years, the lack of a clear alternative to al-Assad's government has hampered the opposition's efforts in gaining more international support. Some say the absence of an alternative leader has helped prolong the bloodshed.
It didn't take long for Hitto to declare what many in the opposition have said: "There will be no dialogue with the Assad regime."


text: UMW News BureauThe University of Montana Western rodeo team made a successful showing at the Dawson Community College Rodeo over Easter weekend in Glendive, Mont. with 27 top ten placings. By Kaitlin Ens The University of Montana Western rodeo team made a successful showing at the Dawson Community College Rodeo over Easter weekend in Glendive, Mont. with 27 top ten placings. The Montana Western men's team won first with 1,125 points, an impressive 685 points more than the second place men's team from Dawson Community College. Kody Lahaye took first in team roping partnered with Colter Garnder, first in tie down roping, fourth in steer wrestling, and winner of the Men's All-around with a total of 430 points. Fellow Montana Western riders Tucker Zingg came in second for the Men's All-around with 255 points. Troy Nahrgang earned 150 points for fifth place in the Men's All-around, and Michael Waldhauser earned 40 points for seventh place in the Men's All-around. The Montana Western women's team came in third, trailing the first-place Dawson Community College women's team by only 65 points and the second-place University of Montana Women's team by only 45 points. Cassie Woosley earned KXLF athlete of the week for her previous firsts in breakaway roping at the Montana State University spring rodeo and the Helena Regional Rodeo. The men's and women's teams for Montana Western rodeo rank second in the Big Sky Region and have moved into contention for allotted places at the 2011 College National Finals in Casper, Wyo. The teams have also earned and additional 44 top 20 Big Sky Region rankings and six rankings on the national level. The final rodeo of the 2010-2011 academic school year will be hosted by The University of Montana in Missoula, Mont. on May 6 through 8, 2011.


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Sandy offers energy lessons
Updated 8:25 am, Thursday, November 8, 2012
Hurricane Sandy, perhaps more than any storm in history, will help put a price tag on global warming and the cost of denial.
Amid the aftermath lurks an important message for governments and businesses: We need to improve our energy infrastructure by better protecting it from disaster.
In the Houston area, we have more experience dealing with major storms, and we've made some charges to strengthen the electricity grid and protect refineries from high winds and storm surges.
"What we've learned on the Gulf Coast I'm not sure has been transferred up the East Coast," said John Hofmeister, head of Houston-based Citizens for Affordable Energy and former president of Shell Oil Co. "They haven't had a lot of storms, so the kind of things that have been done on the Gulf Coast to harden the systems haven't happened."
Lest we become too smug, though, we shouldn't forget that we, too, are vulnerable. We may have taken more steps to improve our electricity grid - from trimming trees near power lines to adding smart meters that can pinpoint outages and reroute power around them - but we also have balked at more expensive investments such as burying power lines.
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Like the New York area, we haven't fully accepted that catastrophic weather - from Sandy-like "superstorms" to blistering droughts in Texas - are happening with greater frequency and taking an expensive toll on the country's infrastructure.
With an estimated $50 billion in damages, Sandy offers a powerful counterpoint to those who still deny global warming or who question the costs of addressing it.
Sandy is the second storm to hit the New York area in as many years, after Hurricane Irene battered the East Coast last year, doing an estimated $10 billion in damage.
Anthony Pizzitola, a facility and disaster recovery expert for Goode Co. Restaurants in Houston, refers to such natural disasters as "low-probability, high-impact" events.
"With the wake-up call they had with Irene, they could have been doing more predictive and preventative maintenance," he said. "Based on global warming, they need to take a more serious approach that this is now a higher probability than there was in the past."
For example, utilities in the region should have replaced weakened poles, trimmed trees and protected transformers, he said. While it wouldn't have prevented all power outages, it could have lessened the storm's impact by as much as 40 percent, Pizzitola estimated.
Generators lacking
Meanwhile, in the New York area, like the rest of the country, most gas stations don't have backup generators that can run their pumps and cash registers. To make matters worse, refinery construction in the Northeast hasn't kept up with population growth, and the area relies on barges and tankers for moving much of its fuel.
Fuel depots are close to the water, and many suffered flood damage, power outages or both.
Officials should have stockpiled extra fuel supplies inland ahead of the storm to make it easier to distribute, Hofmeister said.
Speedy rationing
Given the large number of people in the area, they also should have implemented rationing immediately - as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did a few days later - to cut demand until power was restored.
"When more than half the gas stations are gone and you have this surge in demand, you just can't keep up," Hofmeister said. "Once people start the gas lines, everybody joins the gas lines."
The lesson for businesses nationwide, Pizzitola said, is better preparation.
Disaster recovery experts and facilities managers need to coordinate recovery plans with vendors, customers and others who may be affected. They should identify the areas that are most vulnerable to natural, man-made and technological disasters, then set priorities based on the potential impact to the business, he said.
We may be beginning to see the price of global warming, but before we can think about relying on other fuels, we need to make sure we can protect the distribution of the energy we already have when disaster strikes.
Loren Steffy, firstname.lastname@example.com, is the Chronicle's business columnist. His commentary appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Follow him online at blog.chron.com/lorensteffy, www.facebook.com/LorenSteffypage and twitter.com/lsteffy.


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Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Chillicothe Wednesday afternoon to discuss the expanded Medicaid program now being considered by the state legislature.
In all, around 100 people crowded into the bays of the Chillicothe Fire Department to hear the governor's comments. The state legislature is expected to vote next month whether to opt in to the health care program.
The governor, standing in front of a Chillicothe ambulance, was flanked by leaders in health care, education, business, and law enforcement — those who heal the sick, protect the vulnerable, and keep the streets safe.
"The people standing here with me today understand that bringing billions of our Missouri tax dollars back to Missouri to strengthen Medicaid will have a profound and positive impact not only on our health and safety, but also on the local economy here, in Chillicothe, and in communities in every corner of the Show Me State," the governor stated.
Nixon said that, as governor, he has the opportunity and obligation to keep Missouri's economy moving forward. He noted that the state's unemployment rate has stayed below the national average for four years, and that the number of jobs increased last year.
"We're making solid economic progress," he said. "And, making sure that we continue to build in this progress has everything to do with how we move forward on health care."
Nixon's proposal of expanding Medicaid would bring $5.7 billion to Missouri and provide heath coverage to an additional 300,000 Missourians over the next three years, at no cost to the state.
"The question before us is a narrow one," the governor stated. "Will we bring the tax dollars we send to Washington back home to strengthen our Medicaid system here in Missouri, or will we let our tax dollars that we send to Washington be spent in other states instead? Other states would get the benefits, we get the bill. The answer is clear."
Nixon's budget for fiscal year 2014 includes federal funding to provide basic health coverage for an estimated 300,000 more Missourians who currently have no health insurance.
He said it is the smart and the right thing to do, explaining that for the first three years, 100 percent of the cost for providing health insurance for those additional people will be covered by federal funds.
"That first year alone, that's $1.8 billion coming back here to the state of Missouri," he said. "Make no mistake, that's tax dollars you're sending to Washington — that's us getting them back to use them right here. That 100 percent is only available for three years, starting on Jan. 1."
After the first three years, the state share than phases up to 10 percent by Jan. 2020.
"As a business decision for our state, it is incredibly clear that this would be a big win for our economy," he said.
The program has been endorsed by a broad coalition of business groups across our state. Among those who have endorsed the governor's recommendation to join the Medicaid expansion are: the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Associated Industries of Missouri, the Chambers of Commerce for Kansas City, Independence, Kirksville, Hannibal and Sedalia, the Kirksville Regional Economic Development and others.
"For those business leaders, this was not a political decision," Nixon said. "It was an economical one. And, we shouldn't let last year's politics get in the way of next year's economic growth."
The Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce is slated to consider endorsement next week.
"Moving forward with this plan will bring a total of $5.7 billion of your tax dollars to Missouri, to the first three calendar years, at no additional cost to the state," the governor said.
He stated that a study by the University of Missouri last fall found that bringing these dollars back to Missouri to strengthen Medicaid would create 24,000 new jobs in Missouri alone. The jobs would include nurses, doctors, pharmacists, therapists, and medical technicians.
"Strengthening Medicaid will strengthen our economy," Nixon said.
The governor also explained how the expanded program, which is now offered for those at 20 percent of the federal poverty level, would reach more people once it is expanded so that those who are at 138 percent of the poverty level could get health care.
Under the proposed expansion, low-income Missourians who can't afford health insurance and earn less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level — or $32,500 a year for a family of four — would be eligible for coverage.
"They are people who work hard, but just can't afford to go to the doctor for preventative or even necessary treatment and, as a result, they often end up in our hospital emergency rooms," Nixon said. "That's a terrible way to deliver health care. That puts a heavy burden on our doctors, nurses and hospitals, it drives up premiums for individuals and businesses."
Just as there are clear benefits for seizing this opportunity, the governor said, there are also high costs for inaction.
"For our economy, inaction means fewer jobs," he said. The Missouri Hospital Association estimates that passing up expanded Medicaid will cost the state 9,000 jobs and increase health insurance premiums for families and businesses by more than $1 billion."
"For family and businesses, inaction means crowded emergency rooms and higher insurance premiums," he said.
Inaction, he said, also means fewer mental health services for those who need it most. The Department of Mental Health estimates that hundreds of in-patient psychiatric beds will be cut from the system already struggling to meet current needs.
"Law enforcement folks with us... they understand the mental health aspect," Nixon said.
Of the 300,000 people that will be covered with an expanded program, independent analysis shows that 50,000 of those are in dire need of mental health services.
"They understand that mental health psychiatric services have been dropping," Nixon said. "We all have seen what happens when folks in dire need don't get the treatment they need in the mental health system. We saw it in Aurora, Colo.; we saw it in Newtown; and, unfortunately, across this country, far too often, folks are in deep mental need."
The governor stated that the expanded Medicaid program transcends politics.
"Across the country, we are seeing governors and legislatures put politics aside and do what is undeniably best for their states," Nixon said. "Republican governors across the country are supporting this plan. They are doing this not because it is the easiest thing for them to do politically, but because it is a smart thing for them to do economically."
Standing still and doing nothing will not leave Missouri in the same place it started, the governor warned.
"If we don't move forward, we slip farther behind. Fewer jobs, higher costs, less safety," he said. "That's not the right direction for our great state."
The governor acknowledged that the crowd gathered in front of him most likely had some form of health insurance.
"There's a whole bunch of working Missourians who don't have that," he said. "We need to make sure they have it so they can work harder, be healthier, and have the preventative care that gives them a much better lifestyle than otherwise."
In addition to the federal tax dollars paying for coverage that is currently being paid for with state dollars, the economic benefit of the expansion would generate additional state revenue. These savings and revenue are conservatively estimated to have a positive impact of $46 million in 2014, $125 million in 2015, and $139.6 million in 2016, the governor said.
Governor visits Chillicothe
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Chillicothe Wednesday afternoon to discuss the expanded Medicaid program now being considered by the state legislature.


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City debating financing, needs
- Details
- Category: News
- Published on 04 April 2012
- Written by Mount Vernon Optic-Herald
The Mount Vernon City Council was looking for citizen input, but got little at its Monday, April 2 public hearing on sewer financing. Members debated the city's quandary in financing sorely needed improvements to its waste water treatment facilities and future infrastructure needs. The audience totaled three. For details from the meeting, see the April 5 edition of the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald.


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The University of Montana Western football team opened its 2013 season with a big win at home over Southern Oregon University Raiders, who were ranked 14th in the country entering Saturday's contest.
In the final ten minutes of the game, the Bulldogs made a comeback and scored 14 unanswered points to topple the Raiders.
After falling behind 6-0 early in the first quarter, the Bulldogs answered with two touchdowns on the ground. The first, a 5-yard scamper by quarterback Tyler Hulse, was followed by a 45-yard run by freshman Sam Rutherford to make the score 14-6.
The Raiders came back to score a touchdown on the ground by Zach Marshall early in the second quarter.
Less than two minutes later Rutherford made a 32-yard sprint to the end zone. Not long after, Connor Greth kicked a 27-yard field goal to lengthen the Bulldog lead.
With under two minutes remaining in the half the Raiders struck a 58-yard bomb from Austin Dodge to Dylan Young to shorten the Bulldog lead to 24-19.
Southern Oregon came out strong in the second half and put 15 points on the board with two touchdowns and a converted two-point attempt on a rush by Melvin Mason. The Raiders took the lead 28-19.
The Montana Western squad continued to battle, and Rutherford scored his third touchdown to bring the Bulldogs within one score in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs defense held firm and got the ball back. Montana Western then moved the ball down the field quickly. With 1:23 remaining on the clock, Hulse found freshman receiver Collin Sale, who made a diving reception in the end zone, to take the lead for good.
The Raiders amassed 494 total yards led by quarterback Dodge's 338 passing yards and a pair of 70-yard rushers with the tandem of Marshall and Mason. The Bulldogs offense was led by Rutherford's 185 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Dylan Kramer added 93 yards on the ground. Hulse threw for 119 yards and wide receiver Sale had four receptions for 62 yards.
The Montana Western defense was led by Casey Griffith, who tallied nine solo tackles and assisted in eight more. Other big contributors for the Bulldog defense were defensive tackle Francisco Romero with 11 total tackles, three of which went for losses. Joe Coker and Jesse McCloud added a combined 14 tackles. McCloud and Scott Mundaniohl each had interceptions on the day.


text: Currently having an issue where it seems dynamic sites have a rather high TTFB (Time to first byte) causing "Waiting for..." issues when loading them. Static sites seem fine however dynamic sites seem to have anywhere between a 500ms to 2000ms delay before producing results. Server is fine in terms of load, CPU usage and I/O. EDIT: Just to add, this appears to happen across multiple servers and not just one specific server. Is it a side effect of using LSAPI PHP? Any ideas?


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Remembering Ray Manzarek
By: Legacy Staff
5 years ago
As the rock music scene exploded in popularity in the 1960s, a band had to have something special to really shine – a unique twist on music that set it apart from the rest. Jimi Hendrix had his blistering guitar virtuosity. For Santana, it was a Latin rhythm, while Creedence Clearwater Revival blended country and rock to make their mark. The Doors, though, had a one-two punch that made them one of the most notable bands of their era: the poetry of Jim Morrison and the keyboards of Ray Manzarek.
Members of the Doors pose for an undated publicity photo. From left; John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison. Morrison died in 1971 at age 27. (AP Photo/file)
Manzarek died yesterday at age 74, bringing to an end a career that included innovating the '60s sound, production work for other famous rock acts, writing novels, and much more. The fans missing Manzarek today are probably remembering and listening to the classic Doors tracks that feature his unmistakable keyboards, like "Light My Fire."
Those songs are a huge part of Manzarek's legacy, but they're not the whole picture. There are, for example, the other bands he founded – Nite City and Manzarek-Krieger.
And there are the established acts that he played with – X, Iggy Pop, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Echo & the Bunnymen, who enlisted his expertise for their 1987 cover of The Doors' "People are Strange." Manzarek produced the track as well as playing keyboards.
He even delved into classical music, creating a rock adaptation of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana along with Philip Glass.
We love it all, but it's Ray Manzarek's work with The Doors that shines brightest. We'll always remember him whenever we hear songs like "Hello, I Love You" – and so many more.
Written by Linnea Crowther


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GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- An offensive show was on display Friday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena, as the University of North Dakota women's hockey team opened the 2013-14 season with a 12-1 exhibition win against Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy.
North Dakota received scoring from 10 separate players in the outing, with senior Michelle Karvinen and junior Josefine Jakobsen both scoring twice. Freshmen Susanna Tapani, Gracen Hirschy, Kayla Gardner, Lisa Marvin and redshirt freshman Marissa Salo all scored recorded scores in their first outing wearing the green and white.
With the game being an exhibition, the 1,357 fans in attendance were treated to extra hockey, as the two sides played a five-minute overtime period followed by a five-round shootout after regulation was completed.
UND shared goaltending duties between Shelby Amsley-Benzie, Lexie Shaw and Amanda Koep, with each goalie starting a period of play. Koep played the entire overtime period and faced all of POE's shooters in the shootout as well.
North Dakota wasted no time starting its offensive blitz, scoring just 42 seconds after the puck was dropped. Andrea Dalen received a backdoor pass from Jakobsen for the tally.
Karvinen and Salo added scores in the latter half of the first period to make it a 3-0 scoreline before the first intermission.
Freshman defender Halli Krzyzaniak, a Pursuit of Excellence alum, recorded an assist on Salo's goal. Krzyzaniak fired a shot from the point which Salo deflected in front of the net for the game's third goal.
The second period started off slow as no goals were scored in the first 13 minutes of play. Jakobsen ended the scoreless streak in the period at the 13:57 mark. Less than three minutes later, the combo of Tapani and Hirschy then combined for a pair of goals separated by only 18 seconds. Gardner tallied UND's fourth goal of the period within the final two minutes of the second.
Pursuit of Excellence got on the board after Amy Potomak created a breakaway with 16 seconds remaining in the second period.
North Dakota clamped down defensively in the third, as POE was not allowed a single shot on goal. Sophomore Meghan Dufault, Tanja Eisenschmid and Jakobsen all posted goals to make it 10-1 by the time the final horn blew.
During the four-on-four overtime, Karvinen and freshman Lisa Marvin added a goal each to bring the final score to 12-1.
In the shootout, Amy Potomak once again found the back of the net, but would be the only POE player to do so. Shannon Kaiser and Becca Kohler both scored to give UND the 2-1 win in the shootout.
In net, Amsley-Benzie made a total of five saves during the first period. Shaw recorded four saves during the second period and Koep only needed to make one save during the overtime session.
UND outshot POE by a total of 60-11, and neither side converted on the power play, with North Dakota going 0-2 and POE going 0-3 on the man advantage.
North Dakota begins regular-season play next weekend at home hosting Lindenwood for a Friday-Saturday series, Oct. 4-5. Friday's game is set to begin at 7:07 p.m.


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Blue Buddha Beach House
With astonishing sea views all over the rooms lounge area and guest kitchen you will fill at home staying with us… Blue Buddha new Hostel is perfect for sitting back and relax in all balconies over the ocean while taking in picturesque sunsets this lovely west coast has to offer.
Sleep comfortably and do your meals in the hostel guest kitchen as you do at home. We also offer you amazing balcony, free Wi-Fi and cable TV.
The Blue Buddha Hostel is at the Ericeira World Surf Reserve within easy walking distance to its surf spots (Pedra Branca, Reef, Ribeira de Ilhas) and to the old town center, famous for restaurants, local commerce and surf shops.
We can organize for you airport transfer, surf lessons surf equipment.
Find home away from home staying at Blue Buddha new Hostel.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- Airport Transfers
- Breakfast Not Included
- Cable TV
- Child Friendly
- Common Room
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers For Hire
- Hot Showers
- Self-Catering Facilities
- Linen Included
- Luggage Storage
- Outdoor Terrace
- Steam Room
- Taxes included
- Towels For Hire
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 1 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Our reception area is always at Blue Buddha Hostel (Moinhos do Mar - Casa 1) please find us there :) we will transfer you to the Blue Buddha new Hostel after the check in.
How to arrive by car to Blue Buddha Hostel: Airport - To Blue Buddha Hostel, 40 Km, which will take you approx. 35/40 min.
1. Coming from A8, from Lisbon direction Leiria exit 5 to A21 direction Malveira / Mafra / Ericeira.
2. Arriving to the end of A21 at the roundabout just after Ericeira toll, take the 4th exit towards center in the sea direction.
3. At the end turn right to S. Sebastião / Ribeira D´Ilhas /Parque de Campismo.
4. Straight on you will find Moinhos do Mar at your right, halfway Ribeira D'ilhas and Town center, after a little roundabout is the 2nd road on your right (small children's playground at your left)
5. BlueBuddha Hostel is the first condominium house, on your right at Moinhos do Mar condominium.
How to arrive by bus to Blue Buddha Hostel
1.From Lisbon (nearly 45 Km) – take Ericeira bus at Campo Grande Terminal 2.From Torres Vedras (nearly 35 Km) – take Ericeira bus at Terminal Rodoviário 3.From Sintra (nearly 35 Km) – take Ericeira bus at Portela de Sintra Terminal
After you get out of the bus station turn to your right walk 10 minutes and after the roundabout and the café turn second right inside Moinhos do Mar condominium with a gate and a doorman. BlueBuddha Hostel is the first condominium house, on your right, just after Moinhos do Mar front entrance.
Located Near
Blue Buddha Beach House in Ericeira, a piscatorial and surf village facing the Atlantic ocean, with its narrow streets and white houses. A lovely and trendy town with famous restaurants, bars and nightclub emerging side-by-side with small churches, chapels and ancient buildings. Come to discover this sensational place.
40 km north of Lisbon (30m driving 1h bus). It is perfect if you want to balance between chill out, culture, beach and sports. Easy to visit Lisbon, Sintra (30m), Cascais (40m).


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These 12-year-olds could be a preteen girl's favorite literary characters:
Bella Mannray is a dancer with a broken ankle wrapped in a pink cast.
Uma McGuire is a skier who loves her "Lady and the Tramp" sweatshirt.
Sarah Aaronson is a basketball player with a wide, white headband holding back her dark brown hair, exposing her rainbow sequin earrings.
And Alex Westrick is a cross-country runner who wears a pink watch and a blue watch, both on the same wrist, which she has named "Jenna" and "Katie." She asks: "Doesn't everyone name their watches?"
The girls play soccer and a musical instrument, and paint their fingernails tangerine with silver tips, coral pink, purple with silver crackle or turquoise.
They are smart, funny, self-described nerds who spend up to an hour after school, on weekends and even during spring break reading and memorizing facts in 16 specific books.
But they are not make-believe heroines.
The four Ashland Middle School sixth-graders are, however, celebrated on campus for their ability to answer tough book questions in front of an audience while the clock is ticking down from 15 seconds to zero.
And their fan base is about to get much, much larger.
They are the reigning regional champions of the Oregon Battle of the Books for sixth- through eighth-graders and will head to Salem to compete in the finals on April 13. There, they will be tested in Jeopardy-like fashion against teams from all over Oregon.
The Oregon Battle of the Books, or OBOB, is a reading program for girls and boys in third to 12th grades that is run by volunteers through the Oregon Association of School Libraries.
Ashland School District teacher-librarian Hazel Smith coaches OBOB teams and is a regional coordinator.
"The best part is watching my students develop a cohesive team, making decisions about team responsibilities as well as reading a diverse set of 16 books together," she says.
In the Ashland School District this year, Bellview Elementary formed 21 OBOB teams, Walker Elementary had 18, Helman Elementary 16 and AMS seven.
Last week, the victorious AMS girls gathered in their usual campus hangout, the back of the school library. They pulled 16 paperbacks from shelves, each one they have already read. And read. And read again until each detail — down to the type of candy bar a character eats — has been memorized.
OBOB organizers selected the classic and new books to span a range of interests, from realistic fiction, nonfiction and fantasy to science fiction, historical fiction and mysteries. The book list was posted last summer and like most ambitious OBOB competitors, this team, named Agents of the Lab, read most of them before the school year started.
The girls then splayed the books on a table and each chose four to practically recite by heart. Each girl, who, as Uma explains, "has specialized knowledge," would be relied upon when a question about that particular book was asked. But all the girls have a chance to decide on the answer as a team.
If the question was: "In which book does the main character live on a 12-acre rock surrounded by water?," the girls would huddle, whisper, then nod, and team spokeswoman Bella would stand and announce: "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Jennifer Choldenko.
A follow-up question could be: "What is the name of the island where Moose Flanagan lives?" Answer: "Alcatraz."
"Some teams argue before they answer," says Uma. "But we are all friends. We are a good team."
Do contestants yell? "No, but there are loud whispers and words like, 'Why didn't you know that?' " she says, and some people cry.
Before Sarah can complete her sentence, that starts with, "If we get it wrong, which rarely happens "…," Alex breaks in with a joking "Don't brag."
"I was just bragging sarcastically," continues Sarah.
"Sarcastically real," says Uma. And they all laugh.
The girls write practice questions on note cards and tests themselves repeatedly. Sometimes they meet at the Yogurt Hut. Upstairs, says Sarah, where it's quiet.
There are teams of all girls, and all boys, and a few that are mixed. "If one of us left the team and a boy wanted to join our team, he would have to be smart," says Alex, "and committed."
The four girls thought maybe they could stay in one hotel room the night before the state competition so they could study.
But that idea worries Alex. "We would never get any sleep!" she says.
"But we're not rowdy," confesses Uma.
"We would just read ourselves to sleep," says Bella.
Reach Daily Tidings reporter Janet Eastman at 541-776-4465 or email@example.com.
OBOB Regional Champs
These 12-year-olds could be a preteen girl's favorite literary characters:


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Tonight, one minute after midnight, KLRU will cease analog transmission. Our chief engineer David Kuipers has the honor of ending the analog signal and as a tribute to the station's history he will air KLRU's original sign-off.
Before stations were broadcasting around the clock they were required to "sign off" before ending the broadcast day. These were often patriotic images put to the music of the Star Spangled Banner. The KLRN/KLRU sign-off is no exception and it will be a trip down memory lane for many of our staff. David will air the sign-off on its original 2" tape, eschewing our fancy digital technology one last time.


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Anyone wanting to see President Barack Obama serve a second term in the White House for the sake of LGBT equality has got to be feeling pretty good about now as his Republican challengers struggle to survive what must be one of the most peculiar national campaign seasons ever.
When the Republican candidates aren't self-destructing in mass, they appear to be too busy destroying each other to make any headway with the nation's voters.
Herman Cain, the black anti-gay Georgia businessman who has led the pack of Republican contenders for president in recent weeks, likely will soon suffer a steep plunge in opinion polls as a result of several women telling the New York Times and other members of the media he sexually harassed them years ago. Cain calls the allegations "baseless," but Republican heavyweights, such as Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, are showing signs of nervousness and demanding answers as the controversy persists and the number of allegations grows.
Cain attempted at first to brush off the allegations by refusing to discuss them with the media, but that strategy obviously collapsed earlier this week when he finally called a press conference on the campaign trail near Phoenix to answer the charges. The former Godfather's Pizza CEO denied guilt and defiantly vowed to remain in the presidential race.
In a debate with the other Republican candidates this week in Michigan, Cain insisted the sexual harassment allegations would not affect his campaign. He cited a continuing flow of campaign contributions from his supporters as proof of his invincibility.
That resolve could dissipate though if more details of Cain's alleged improprieties emerge. Two of four women whom Cain allegedly sexually harassed when he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s have spoken out publicly.
And a fifth report has emerged that he made a woman with whom he dined uncomfortable by allegedly asking her for an introduction to another woman -- in addition to sticking her for an $800 bill for two bottles of wine. The dinner followed a speech Cain gave to USAID in Egypt in 2002, according to the Washington Examiner.
Although Cain and his handlers no doubt thought that trying to ignore the controversy might make it go away, he instead came off to many as arrogant and inept.
Things aren't going any better for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who quickly ascended in the polls after he announced his candidacy for president earlier in the fall. But Perry, another major foe of the LGBT community, fell to the bottom just as fast after giving a series of poor debate performances with other GOP candidates.
The governor continued his fall from grace when he spoke at an event in New Hampshire recently and appeared to be under the influence of some sort of intoxicant, although he issued a denial and attributed the odd behavior to a casual speaking style he had adopted for the evening.
In the Republican debate this week Perry again stumbled by being able to remember the name of a federal agency he wanted to eliminate if he was elected president. Before the debate Cain's answer to the sexual harassment question was expected to dominate news coverage afterwards, but Perry's slip-up instead became the lead.
It was Cain's second break of the evening during the debate. Earlier, Romney had declined to answer a question about whether he thought Cain was unfit for the presidency because of the sexual harassment allegations.
The problems stunting the Cain and Perry campaigns ordinarily would work to the advantage of the other major Republican contender, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, but the savagery the other GOP candidates' campaigns will inflict on him in coming months no doubt will offset the advantage. Political analysts expect Romney, who also demanded answers from Cain this week, will be portrayed in multi-millions of dollars' worth of advertising as a flip-flopper who can't be trusted by Republican voters.
For that matter, LGBT voters probably can't trust Romney either – and certainly not Cain or Perry who already have made it clear they would not support gay rights issues.
In the case of Romney, he does indeed appear to flip-flop on issues. Although he once seemed supportive of the LGBT community when he was the governor of Massachusetts, there's no telling what stand he might take in an effort to win the Republican nomination and the presidency.
As for Perry, his disdain for the LGBT community is well known in Texas. He has long fought rumors that he is secretly gay, and that could be part of the reason for his vehement opposition to any LGBT human rights advances. It was for that reason the picture of him going down on a corn dog at a state fair made him the laughing stock of the country.
Likewise, Cain has already vowed to reverse any gay rights gains seen during Obama's administration, and the revelations about his alleged sexual harassment of women should concern all LGBT voters. If he repeatedly treated women over whom he had power with disrespect, it's unlikely that he showed any mercy to gay and lesbian associates he encountered.
But despite the dangers the three major Republican candidates pose to the gay rights movement, the one who wins the nomination will enjoy significant LGBT support. Many LGBT voters believe the Republican Party's policies regarding economic, defense and other issues represent the best course for the country, regardless of the impact on the gay rights movement.
The saving grace for gay rights activists who want to see Obama remain in office is that the Republican Party has failed to come up with a candidate to electrify the nation's voters. As discouraging as the country's economic situation remains, Obama continues to outpoll other candidates and would likely win the election if it were held today.
And at this time it appears unlikely any of the Republican candidates are going to change that scenario by Election Day next year.


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Budding and established artists, craftsmen and musicians will showcase their talents this Saturday at the annual Sweet Owen Arts in the Park at the Owen County Park and Fairgrounds.
The event features student art along with demonstrations of different forms of arts and crafts along with music and food.
Owen County Arts Council event organizer Patty Petzinger said the group is excited by this year's event.
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Game Preview: Queens v. Cobras
Game Date: December 4, 2010
Tip-off Scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Live Webcast: http://coker.nmtvsports.com (Caleb Dunlop – Play by Play)
Live Stats: www.cokercobras.com
HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker snapped a four game losing streak Thursday night with a 72-64 win against Belmont Abbey in the Cobras first Conference Carolinas matchup of the season.
Coker is currently 2-4 on the season, winning both of their home games thus far during the season.
Shaw at Coker: 63-76 (L)
Belmont Abbey at Coker: 72-64 (W)
Coker College
Home: 2-0
Road: 0-3
Neutral: 0-1
2009 vs Queens: 1-1
Avg. points per game (Home): 86.5
Points: Tom Wright (97)
Assists: Delonte Doles (26)
Steals: Liam Kyle (12)
FG% (min. 20 attempts): Tom Wright (59.3)
PPG: Tom Wright (16.2)
FT% (min. 10 attempts): Avery Harris (73.7)
Coker will look to continue their success at home as they try to pick up their third win of the season at Timberlake-Lawton Gymnasium. Thursday night against Belmont Abbey senior Tom Wright (Sydney, AUS) led the Cobra offense scoring 17 points. Wright is just three points shy of the century mark for the 2010 campaign. Senior Liam Kyle (Cleveland, OH) led Coker with 10 rebounds against the Abbey.
Home: 1-0
Away: 1-2
Neutral: 0-2
2009 vs. Coker: 1-1
Avg. points per game (Road): 68
Points: Reggie Hopkins (90)
Assists: Reggie Hopkins (23)
Steals: Daniel Bailey (9)
FG% (min. 31 attempts): Brent Evans (58.7)
PPG: Reggie Hopkins (15)
FT% (min. 14 attempts): Reggie Hopkins (77.8)
Senior Reggie Hopkins (Gastonia, NC) looks to add to his team leading 90 points this season against Coker College. In the past four games against Coker, Queens is 1-3. On the road at Coker College, Queens has gone 1-1 the past 2 seasons.
On January 29, 2009, Coker College and Queens matched up for a double overtime thriller that Coker would eventually win 90-84.
Queens is coming off of a loss in their last game against Catawba, 84-77. Hopkins scored 16 points during the contest.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm at the Timberlake-Lawton Gymnasium in Hartsville, S.C.


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After suffering two road losses last weekend to No. 6 Stanford and No. 7 California, UCLA returned to Pauley Pavilion Friday night.
And the return to familiar surrounding was the change of scenery the 19th-ranked Bruins needed.
Atonye Nyingifa scored a season-high 20 points and had 12 rebounds and Kari Korver scored 14 points to lead UCLA to a 73-57 victory over Arizona in a Pac 12 Conference game Friday.
Nyingifa made 10 of 15 shots and recorded her second double-double of the season as the Bruins (14-4, 5-2) snapped a two-game skid. Korver, a freshman starting in place of injured guard Markel Walker, made three 3-pointers on the way to her season high in points as UCLA remains in third place in the Pac-12, tied with Washington.
Walker, who leads UCLA this season in scoring, rebounding, steals, and assists, did not play due to a back injury. Walker, a 6-1 senior guard, sustained the injury in the Stanford game. Friday was the first game Walker has missed this season.
Nyingifa said the team responded in a positive way despite missing Walker.
"Everyone had to step up and execute the offense," said Nyingifa, who helped UCLA improve to 7-2 at home. "We played harder and smarter defense. They're a physical team and they compete."
UCLA coach Cori Close was concerned how her team would respond to the Bay Area losses.
"Last weekend was a measuring stick," said Close. "But we have six weeks left in the season. We got a little exposed in some areas but it's all fixable.
"It's always difficult to judge how you're going to respond after tough road losses. I was worried how we would respond emotionally, so this week we focused on enthusiasm and team spirit. It played out in many ways tonight — freshmen contributing and people coming off the bench and stepping up."
UCLA led by 13 points midway through the first half, but Arizona rallied. Davellyn White's 3-pointer at the buzzer got the Wildcats within 35-33 at the break.
The Wildcats (11-7, 3-4) kept it close for the first 5 minutes of the second half, but then Nyingifa and UCLA won going away.
Arizona coach Niya Butts said her team made too many mistakes.
"We did not get off to a great start, but we finished the first half well," said Butts. "We played stubborn defense and started to make a run in the second half but then we bobbled too many balls and didn't get anything going.
"I'm very disappointed with our turnovers. We have to forget about his one because we only have one day to regroup and get ready to play USC."
Wildcats guard Kama Griffitts led all scorers with 22 points. Whyte added 17 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Arizona.
Nirra Fields scored 12 points and had four steals. The Bruins had 22 assists and forced 22 turnovers. Alyssia Brewer had nine rebounds and Thea Lemberger contributed nine assists and five steals for UCLA.