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Submitted for your approval: 100-degree heat, ten venues, 55 bands and a handful of nightclub managers who responded to the record temperatures the only way they knew how -- by chilling their interiors to meat-freezer comfort levels.
But never mind the temperature: Enough of you showed up to make the June 14 Press Music Awards Showcase a resounding success. The event, which once again took place in and near Shepherd Plaza, attracted around 3,000 people. Despite the sizzling weather and wind-tunnel acoustics, the outdoor stage saw its largest, most enthusiastic crowd to date. Just as the sun was letting up, Middlefinger fans trampled the stage-front fencing in an amusing display of pointless defiance -- a perfect accompaniment to a particularly volatile set from Conroe's ska-divers extraordinaire. A few hours earlier on the same stage, punk pranksters 30footFALL ripped a fissure in the melting ozone layer while bashing the Press for what they saw as an indictment of their music and fans in this year's Music Awards supplement.
Naturally, the kids ate up the evening's shenanigans; the outdoor show was assembled with them in mind. The largely underage crowd seemed to stave off dehydration by drinking in every last detail of a bill that also included arty mood-rockers Blue October, Latino ska ambassadors Los Skarnales, hip-hop mainstays Aftershock and the punk/pop outfit riverfenix.
Indoors, meanwhile, one of the showcase's more inspired rosters came off beautifully at the Bighorn Saloon. Beginning at 7 p.m., Beans Barton and the Bi-Peds flailed, silly and surreal, in a performance most notable for its superhuman energy levels -- even if it was a grossly abbreviated set by Barton's eccentric standards. Blues guitarist Mark May and his Agitators were up next, handling material from their latest CD, Telephone Road, with effortless precision. May's impressive set was followed by yet another sterling headliner turn from Jesse Dayton, who -- contrary to the country trappings -- was in a decidedly rocking mood. Rest assured, there were other great shows. Technically and emotionally stunning performances from I End Result and Free Radicals earned high marks with audiences, and the Allen Oldies Band succeeded as usual in leaving fans both giddy and at a loss for words.
With a few exceptions, though, the underdogs fell prey to the well-known names when it came time for voters to fill out their ballots. So if a bulk of the winner's circle looks all too familiar, don't blame the newcomers' performances. Established or obscure, the bands did their part, playing their sweaty asses off and -- win or lose -- beefing up their fan bases in the process. Awards are swell, but the fact is, you can't eat a trophy. (Hobart Rowland)
Local Musician of the Year
Song of the Year ("Blue Lights")
Songwriter(s) of the Year
Best Blues
Best Female Vocalist
Best Guitarist (Eric Dane)
Best Drummer (Leesa Harrington Squyres)
Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys
"Blue Lights" came fully out of left field. A smoldering, blind-side knockout of a yuletide lament and this year's winner in the Song of the Year category, the track can only on be found on a three-song, limited-edition Justice Records EP. Yes, it's a Christmas song, but its sorry sentiments are applicable year round. Ugly breakups, after all, are hardly exclusive to the holidays.
"Now Betty told Margaret / And your best friend Sue / That she talked to Linda / You said we were through," Wonderland holds forth in her weary, soul-sapped lilt, one that, much like the best whiskey, only seems to grow more gut-searingly potent with age. "And those are such sad words / That I hate to hear / There'll only be blue lights / On my Christmas tree this year."
Wonderland didn't pen those lyrics (they belong to longtime friend and collaborator Kenny Blanchet, as does the music), but she makes them her own, leaving little doubt that they were written with her road-burned temperament in mind. Such is the toll on musicians' personal lives when a band travels as much as the Imperial Monkeys have in the last few years.
Besides being away from their loved ones, they've been MIA for the last two Press showcases and every awards ceremony in recent memory. But all that road work has earned them a profile on the festival and club circuit disproportionate to the meager popularity of their recorded output. That might explain why this year's Best Drummer winner, Leesa Harrington Squyres, was pulled back into the Monkeys' fold just months after she'd turned in her notice, claiming she'd had enough of the lifestyle.
Meanwhile, playing so much has tightly fused the group's ragged ends. Harrington Squyres and Chris King never fail to lock into a low-maintenance backbeat to set your pacemaker by, while Eric Dane continues to unearth the perfect Stonesy leads to soothe Wonderland's chronic case of the blues. Though the band's songwriting evolves in fits and spurts, their emotional honesty and infallible work ethic add poignancy to even their murkiest creative currents. And naturally, getting out of town so much has only bolstered their local mystique -- a get-off-yer-ass lesson other Houston bands could stand to learn.
As for the Imperial Monkeys' inexplicable habit of garnering the winner's share of the votes in the Best Blues category -- an honor they loathe -- it looks like they'll have to suck it up. Unconditional love is a bitch. (Hobart Rowland)
Critic's Choice: Local Musician of the Year, Mary Cutrufello; Song of the Year, "Blue Lights"; Songwriter(s) of the Year, Jesse Dayton; Best Blues, Texas Johnny Brown; Best Female Vocalist, Carolyn Wonderland; Best Guitarist, Arnett Vaughn (I End Result); Best Drummer, Damon DeLaPaz (30footFALL)
Best New Act
Best Underground
Album of the Year
But once on-stage, he might wear a grass skirt and coconut-shell bra with a water gun hat while exclaiming that he would like to have sex with teen R&B idol Usher. At the band's Music Awards showcase, Kelly wore just that get-up -- and made precisely that proclamation. A heavy, dual-guitar assault fuels the band's ska-punk live show and their most recent release, the EP Quickie. Mix that frantic and energetic music with Kelly's spontaneous outbursts, and chaos is bound to ensue.
Quickie is as brazen as the quartet is in concert. Mixing thrash-metal guitar breaks and stop/start ska rhythms, the six-song record brims with the confidence of a band sure of its abilities; the sound feels live but not raw. Kelly's personality, in particular, shows itself in lyrics that read like Dr. Seuss-meets-Christopher Walken -- and sound a bit like that, too, sung in Kelly's emotive and occasionally silly voice.
Averaging one and a half shows a week since its inception in January 1996, the two-year-old band has a "play anywhere, anytime" mentality; the foursome (which also includes guitarists Jason Davis and David Cummings and bassist Jay Brooks) once played three shows in 24 hours. Such hard work appears to be paying off: Besides winning this year's Best New Act and Best Underground categories, the band is rumored to be cutting a deal with a seminal ska imprint.
This summer, Davis says the group will begin working on a second album and "play many, many more live shows." Anything to give Kelly an excuse to act out in public. (David Simutis)
Critic's Choice: Best New Act, Blue October; Best Underground, Free Radicals
Best Rock/Pop
Chlorine frontman Mark Fain wants to be a rock star. Never mind that such ambitions aren't fashionable anymore: During the two years the outspoken singer and his crew have been playing melodic hard rock, they've been shameless crowd pleasers. Fain gets audiences to clap their hands above their heads and hold up cigarette lighters during slow songs. He asks the crowd, in big-rock fashion, "How you doing tonight?" And sure enough, the crowd roars back.
For all of this, Fain says, "We get a lot of crap. I love it: It means I'm doing my job. We are a rock band that believes in charisma. Music is at a point where there are very few rock stars. I want to be able to look at a band's album and say, 'That guy is cool. I want to be like him.' People give us a hard time because we worry about how we dress, but we're total showoffs and flamboyant."
Now that development deals with both Columbia and Mercury Records have run their course, the quartet is playing showcases for various major labels. Because of what Fain terms "slipping through weird cracks and weird luck," Chlorine left Columbia when their A&R representative changed. As Fain explains, "If you don't have a champion for your band at the label, you'll drown." As free agents, the band will soon be playing at Los Angeles's Viper Room for A&R people from virtually every record company -- all at least somewhat interested in distributing Chlorine's long-awaited debut record.
Even though the band would love to be in front of stadium-sized crowds, they enjoy adulation wherever they find it. Told that they were Press Music Award winners, Fain was ecstatic. "It's great because it's our hometown, but I really respect anyone who digs us enough to go out and vote for us," he gushes. "I was just thankful that we were on the ballot." (D.S.)
Critic's Choice: Sonnier Brothers Band
Best C&W
Best Bassist (Denny Dale)
The Hollisters
The Hollisters will be the first to admit (in typical aw-shucks manner, of course) that their perennial dominance in this category was a long time coming. And, rest assured, they earned every vote. Mike Barfield (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Kevin "Snit" Fitzpatrick (drums) and the lovable Dale brothers (Denny and Eddie on bass and lead guitar, respectively) play loving hosts to the truest honky-tonk strains around. The Hollisters' sound is based in the crusty Bakersfield twang, adorned with bits from past associations (the Rounders, the Wagoneers, Webb Wilder, the Chris Masterson Band) and longtime influences (Dwight Yoakam, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens). It's a melange that tears up Nashville's dreary corporate output.
One of the liveliest Texas releases of last year, the Hollisters' debut CD, The Land of Rhythm and Pleasure, left other local releases in the dust, offering a refinement of the band's rollicking live sound without buffing away the sass. In the meantime, Houston audiences have finally claimed the band for their own. The quartet is one of a precious few local bands that can pack a house wherever they play, be it a country joint (Blanco's) or a rock venue (Fabulous Satellite Lounge). These days, the Hollisters are undoubtedly one of the best live acts (if not the best live act) this side of Austin.
Not that the Hollisters have ever let their Music Awards status -- nor the inexplicable fact that Eric "Eddie Dale" Danheim is consistently left out of the running for Best Guitarist -- steer their career choices locally and elsewhere. For them, the key to success is laid out before them for miles and miles in the form of the country's countless highways and back roads.
That said, you can bet the Hollisters had a damn good reason for missing this year's Music Awards Showcase. That's right: They were on the road -- again. (H.R.)
Critic's Choice: Best C&W, The Hollisters; Best Bassist, Denny Dale.
Best Folk/Acoustic
Sisters Morales
Granted, the folk angle may make sense to some, but Best Acoustic? Sure, Roberta Morales strums an acoustic guitar on-stage -- fair enough. But you could easily argue that the quintet's plucky personality is best defined by the rock- and country-leaning electricity generated by Lisa Morales's catchier, more upbeat compositions and the tangy licks of her guitarist hubby, David Spencer. When you get right down to it, the Sisters Morales are too country for folk purists, too rocking to call themselves acoustic, too mindful of their Latin roots to please mainstream Nashville, and too much of everything else to be neatly categorized.
But, hey, Lisa and Roberta will take their kudos where they get 'em these days. It's been rough going for the group over the last few years, so any smidgen of recognition ought to feel that much more sweet. Talk about an emotional roller coaster: There's been serious illness (Roberta's long, draining but ultimately successful bout with cancer), enormous highs (the band's signing to major label BNA/RCA), plummeting lows (their parting of ways with the company before a single note was made public) and a lot of tense and idle months in between. But Sisters forged ahead anyway, recording and releasing their own CD, the spunky, eclectic Ain't No Perfect Diamond, and performing live whenever possible.
So while Nashville may have written off the Arizona-bred Morales sibs as far too exotic for the rest of the country, they're a perfect match for Texas. We are, after all, a state full of eccentrics with impeccable taste in music. (H.R.)
Critic's Choice: Denice Franke
Best Reggae/World Music
"You know what?" D.R.U.M. bandleader Alafia Gaidi says over the phone. "I'm gonna shoot you, man. I'm gonna get a gun, hunt you down and shoot you, man."
How could this possibly be? Is the mellow, spirited founder of Houston's long-running reggae ensemble promising vengeance to someone who is bringing him news of his group's third triumphant win for Best Reggae/World Beat? Nah, he's just joshing. The last time he was quoted in these pages, Gaidi felt he gave off an ungrateful vibe over some comments about the visual presence of his previous Press award. The last thing Gaidi wants his gang to be mistaken for is ungrateful, especially after this latest win in the band's trophy case. "We treat [awards] with respect," he says. "It's a reflection of how people feel about our music."
People can feel more of D.R.U.M. when the band releases its next album, Africanexus, which is due in July. They've also gotten the call to play the North Sea Jazz Festival in Finland in the second week of July. So it looks like D.R.U.M. isn't hurting one bit. Just don't hurt us or any of our families, man. (C.D.L.)
Critic's Choice: Wazobia
Best Metal/Hard Rock
Best Rap/Hip-Hop
Oh yeah, it looks like those magnificent sons-a-bitches affectionately known as Aftershock have done it again, not only snagging another win for Best Rap/Hip-Hop but also stealing the nod for Best Metal/Hard Rock. It's the latter category that bassist Lee Leal and company feel proudest about.
"Rap, to me, is Public Enemy and the Geto Boys and stuff like that," says Leal. "And I love that. But we are a rock band. If you put a DJ in Metallica, does that make them a rap band?" Good point.
The Aftershock boys have had one slapdash year. Joining the trio of Leal, guitarist Ray "Bone" Herrera and vocalist Julio Alonzo are three new members: DJ/keyboardist Carlos M., drummer Ken Culton and rapper Que. The band also got out of its deal with Retrograde Records and is now looking for a better one. Leal says (for musicians taking notes) that you have to search in the right places to get your chance in the sun. "South by Southwest is a joke," says Leal about the much-hyped Austin-based media and music festival. "It's a good time, but it's just an excuse for executives to party. In order for a band to go and get a deal, you have to go to where the action is, like the West Coast or the East Coast or even Atlanta."
And until they make that next deal, Aftershock won't be slowing down. They'll be featured on a local-artist compilation called Houston, We Have A Problem, to be released in July. Perfectionists at heart, Aftershock aren't looking to let down their ardent fan base. "We're not gonna deprive our fans with shitty product," says Leal. "We can't lie to the kids." (Craig D. Lindsey)
Critic's Choice: Best Metal/Hard Rock, I End Result; Best Rap/Hip-Hop, Scarface
Best Cover Band
Toy Subs
Bands change, and this perpetual favorite is no exception. Never mind its popularity as a cover band; never mind this award. Lead singer Jamie Jahan Daruwala has unequivocally declared that the Toy Subs will, from now on, perform mostly their own songs.
But even with the release of their all-original Vim Fuego, the transition for the Subs will not be an easy one; fans are still going to expect to hear songs by Oasis, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, STP, Van Halen and even the Bangles. "We've played over 1,000 shows in the past five or six years as a cover band, and it's definitely helped give us a polish and get tight as a unit," Daruwala says. "But the bottom line is that when the majority of people go to clubs, they're seeing the band as an afterthought. They know they want to hear songs they like, but they're not really paying attention. Their main [concerns] are mostly drinking and getting laid."
Toy Subs first submerged in the Houston music waters in the late '80s, shortly after Daruwala met guitarist Alex Tittel. Though cover tunes was where the money and booking trail led them, the band members strove to put at least a little of their own spin on the music. "There's certain ringers you have to play, but we tried to avoid as many as we could and stuck with the stuff we really wanted to do," Daruwala says. The band also worked to "rock up" tired numbers like The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and "Jet" from Wings. "There's a lot of great songs that a lot of bands don't do, because they're so focused on playing the same Top 40 songs," he continues. Though, of course, Toy Subs has performed its share of Chili Peppers, Aerosmith and Cheap Trick tunes over the years.
Daruwala's not ashamed of those covers; it's just that he wants to attempt something more. "It's a real band," he concludes. "And even bands like the Beatles and the Replacements did a lot of cover songs in concert." (Bob Ruggiero)
Critic's Choice: Allen Oldies Band
Best Funk/R&B
Destiny's Child
For a while, it looked touch-and-go for the nubile singing quartet known as Destiny's Child, but the former Star Search contestants came from behind to snag the Best Funk/R&B Award. (An ironic payback of sorts, since the song that has made them famous, "No, No, No," is all about getting perpetually teased by something you want.) But at the 11th hour, voters saw promise in the fresh, blemish-free faces of LeToya, Beyonce, LaTavia and Kelly.
And no wonder: After all, nearly every Top 40 station in North America played the hell out of "No, No, No." And their self-titled debut LP also offers a new single: "With Me (Part 1)."
Currently on tour with Boyz II Men, Next and Too Close, the girls couldn't be more on top of the world if James Cameron digitally put them there. Always humble ladies first and world-class divas second, Destiny's Child seeks only one destiny: to perform for audiences. As Beyonce told Houston Press earlier this year, "Even if there's one person in the audience, we will perform." Where's the Kleenex? (C.D.L.)
Critic's Choice: Destiny's Child
Best Jazz
Free Radicals
"We're probably more of a jazz band than anything else," admits bassist Shawn Durrani, "because of our ability to improvise." But, he adds, "I'm always worried that we'll come across as a fusion band." Certainly, the Radicals' potent and eclectic instrumental mix covers a heck of a lot of ground: funk, ska, R&B, acid jazz and post-rock. Improv and standard jazz provide the basis for their wilder flights of fancy.
For three years, drummer Nick Cooper was the group's only permanent fixture, but in July of last year, he found more permanent partners. Not that he's closed the doors to potential jam partners: The Radicals' debut CD, The Rising Tide Sinks All, spreads 55 musicians across 29 tracks, swinging and swaying across genres and continents. Looped funk collides with Texas jazz mainstays, ska rhythms, African singing, Indian musicians, blasts of saxophone, South African percussion, tablas and rapping. And somehow it works.
In its current incarnation (which includes saxophonists Marcos Melchor and Pete Sullivano, pianist Tsepo Rhodes, trumpet player John Durbin and new, one-name guitarists John and Stu), the band plays compositions that appear on Tide, but they don't try to replicate the record. Live, the group blasts a wall of sound bigger than most rock bands.
But the band members and their tunes have bigger aspirations and ambitions than that. The band is writing new material, with a mini-tour in the works for the end of the summer and plans for a new record. Durrani notes that on their next release, they will most likely distinguish between the performing troupe and guest musicians. Not, he admits, that the distinction will be obvious: "The funny thing is, a lot of the guest musicians on the record were in the band at one time." (D.S.)
Critic's Choice: Free Radicals
Best Traditional/Ethnic
The Gypsies
It's often just a matter of being in the right place at the right time: Mary Ann Harbar was lucky enough to be in Sharpstown Mall when The Gypsies were playing their patented international mix. It wasn't long before the classically trained violinist from California started playing Hungarian Gypsy music, joined the band and married the group's founder, Greg Harbar. The rest, as they say, is polyethnic.
Greg Harbar grew up in a rural New Jersey town of Eastern European emigres and started his first band, a polka outfit, with his brothers when he was 15. Harbar's multi-culti repertoire came later. As Mary Ann explains: "The Gypsies had a reputation as an ethnic band. Anytime anyone needed an ethnic band, they called us."
That meant Irish music on St. Patrick's Day, German music for Oktoberfest and lots of Christmas music the entire month of December.
They've played for such luminaries as Isabella Rossellini, Buzz Aldrin, President Bush, princesses and kings. And though they specialize in private affairs, every year they host a Julian calendar New Year's party at which they play everything from polkas to Cajun waltzes to blues.
Filling all those niches is Greg's passion; he's become quite the ethnomusicologist. Today his record collection fills an entire room, his tapes a slightly smaller one. On a sturdy shelf reside fat binders of sheet music bearing labels such as "Germanic music," "Latin," "swing," "country," "rock and roll," "movie themes," "Hebraic," "Israeli" and "Hasidic." Klezmer, of course, rates its own binder. (Seth Hurwitz)
Critic's Choice: Clandestine
Best Tejano/Latin
Norma Zenteno
A fourth-generation performing artist, Norma Zenteno has been immersed in the arts as long as she can remember and has been writing and playing music since she got her first guitar. Her father, Roberto, leads a local big band (which she plays with every Tuesday night at the supper club lysee), and most of her relatives are either actors or musicians. It's not surprising that when she began leading her first band at age 15, she was already blending the many musical influences that surrounded her.
Today Zenteno leads one of the most versatile and tightest bands in Houston. It's not uncommon for her to play Latin jazz, classic rock, salsa and an alternative-sounding song in one night (though she adamantly says she doesn't play Tejano). She'll often blend influences in one song, so a cha-cha might have a rock edge, or a rock song might have a touch of Latin jazz. Anyone who's heard her killer version of "Oye como va?" knows it owes a debt to Tito Puente and Carlos Santana. Oh, did we mention she can belt out a romantic ballad with the best of them?
"I like to mix it up," says Zenteno. "I can't sit and play a whole bunch of heavy Latin chops because I grew up playing the rock stuff. I hear it my way, and then I transpose it into whatever it is, which is why it sounds a little bit different -- so it sounds kind of weird, I guess." She laughs.
Continuing her journey into new musical territories, Zenteno recently completed an album with Calvin Owens, a former compadre of B.B. King. The album combines big-band sound with R&B and features Zenteno singing in Spanish (you didn't think she'd keep it simple). She's already planning to work again with Owens, and is looking to do a new solo album as well.
"It's hard for people to pinpoint us," she says. Perhaps, but such is often the case with uncommon talent. That's why Zenteno is a Houston treasure. (Paul MacArthur)
Critic's Choice: Norma Zenteno
Best Industrial/Noise
Bozo Porno Circus
Given that the band is sponsored by a fetish clothing store, you might expect more style than substance from Bozo Porno Circus, but the sadomasochistic industrial band delivers on the musical end, too. Their forthcoming album, Cybersmut, delves into deeper-than-Darth Vader vocals, heavy keyboards, dark beats and slashing guitars. The emphasis is on gloom-and-doom beats, which come across with sternum-thumping bass, keeping the record firmly danceable.
Of course, their popularity surely has something to do with their over-the-top stage shows: Who could resist eight band members sparsely clad in G-strings, vinyl and leather S&M and bondage gear? Especially when the band proclaims that its mission is to coerce audiences into a "mass sexual frenzy"? Their brand of musicianship is called "shock rock" for a reason, but Bozo Porno Circus does have a sense of humor; witness song titles such as "Biker Sluts from Pluto" and "Texas Chainsaw Masochist."
In its various incarnations, the band has been playing industrial music for seven years -- long before the term "electronica" was ever uttered. But it's only recently that Bozo has become more of a group than a sex joke. The band now rehearses regularly and makes each concert an event. Says drummer Ador Charming, "Especially over the past year, we've really grown up."
A big part of this growth was recording and releasing Cybersmut. Because of the outrageous lyrics and artwork, the Nashville record-pressing plant "flipped out," according to Charming, and refused to produce the record. Luckily, a Houston company was able to take over at the last minute -- but when the computer disc containing the artwork went bad, Charming had to stay up all night redoing it in order to meet the band's July 1 release date. Even with all of the hassles, Charming is upbeat about the future, which he says should include a national tour, videos and possibly remixes from Cybersmut.
All of which sounds like a lot of work for an S&M freak show band. (D.S.)
Critic's Choice: Number Nine
Best DJ/Dance
Sean Carnahan
Sean Carnahan is probably the only spin doctor in the DJ biz who doesn't go by some quirky handle. Oh sure, there were some names -- among them, Bossa Nova and Travel Agent (a title he would later use for his troupe of club remixers). But those are gone now, and his use of his given name illustrates the bare-essentials mentality that has made him a DJ to respect.
An 11-year veteran of Houston's vinyl-spinning scene, the Louisiana-born Carnahan has seen his own musical taste move from conventional to experimental. Three years ago, you would've likely seen him playing the likes of lounge music somewhere. Now, he has shifted his pendulum to the digital sound, playing electronica at Club Some on Saturdays or occasional Thursday-night stints at Spy.
Carnahan and other men of the record-rotating ilk are still being recognized via a 3,000-subscriber Internet organization known as the S.C.T.C. (Social Club/Turntable Club). Look for Carnahan to announce more gigs through the Web soon. (C.D.L.)
Critic's Choice: DJ Bizz
Best Cajun/Zydeco
Zydeco Dots
Zydeco has been in and around Houston for a long, long time, but guitarist Tom Potter believes it might have been the Zydeco Dots that made it cool inside the Loop. Back in the early '80s, when the group was known as Ted and the Polka Dots, Potter remembers that it was almost impossible to get booked around Houston: "You'd have to explain what zydeco was. But it's fun music. Once you hear it, you like it."
Which explains, at least in part, the Zydeco Dots' enduring success: They finally got heard.
And they stayed together. The core members -- including Potter, Mike Vowell on washboard, Joe Hurst and drummer Joe Rossyion -- have been playing together for almost 11 years. "We always have a good time," says Potter. "More fun than the law allows." It's no wonder the Dots are one of the tightest bands in town. As Potter says immodestly, "We can make up shit and it sounds like we've been playing it for a hundred years."
Crack accordion player and vocalist Leon Sam actually joined the band only recently, but he's been playing with the Dots for years. If Potter had an open date, he'd sit in with Sam, and vice versa. Since Sam plays the larger piano-note accordion instead of the small Cajun accordion, the Zydeco Dots can now slip in an old-fashioned R&B tune every once in a while.
But their real love remains zydeco, and best of all, they love playing it live. Starting every February, the Dots play about 30 gigs a month, and even when the crawfish aren't in season, the pace barely slows. And that's why fans have had to wait so long for their new album on Mastertrack. The Zydeco Dots are just having too damn much fun playing. (S.H.)
Critic's Choice: Step Rideau
Best Male Vocalist
Jesse Dayton
Forget, for the moment, that Jesse Dayton hasn't had an album out in three years, that he's actually a native of Beaumont, and that he's spent an awful lot of time schmoozing in Los Angeles lately. The strapping, boyish singer/songwriter with a voice that can liquefy steel will always be ours, wherever he is. Remember, he got his start here with rockabilly heartthrobs the Road Kings. And contrary to rumor, he's still the marquee act for local label Justice Records. Oh, and, yes, he still maintains a residence here and can still be spotted out and about at clubs like Blanco's and the Blue Iguana, either headlining or just hanging out.
Yessir, Dayton still has a soft spot for Houston, and we have one for him. Now, if only we had a bit more of Jesse to love -- namely, that new CD that seems stuck on the back burner. Its latest title -- the third so far -- is Wayward Soul, and by all indications, it's a stone-cold country album, with an emphasis on pretty melodies, sweepingly stylized George Jones balladry and vocal theatrics that would make Presley proud. An advance copy of "Never Started Living" -- an incendiary autobiographical epic said to be the album's first single -- hints that Dayton has made the impressive leap from roughneck back-alley crooner to unconventional C&W sex symbol with his historical perspective and peerless pipes intact.
But don't take our word for it; hear the latest material live. Alas, for the time being, that's the only way to test-drive the new and improved Jesse Dayton -- that is, unless you're gullible enough to believe Wayward Soul will be out before the new year. (H.R.)
Critic's Choice: Jesse Dayton
Best Pianist/Keyboardist
Paul English
This year's winner considers himself a "musician first and a jazz musician second." But for Paul English -- equally at home on the keyboard solo, in a quartet or as part of an orchestra, you could say with even magnanimity that "it's aaalll good." And the pianist/composer/arranger enjoys the flexibility of his musical career. "The history of jazz is one of variety. Look at Miles Davis. He just grew and grew and grew. The thing that attracted me to jazz is that it's a music that's always evolving. And if you're a performer, you're not expected to play the same thing the same way every time."
He likes playing in ensembles, and praises the high quality of local musicians. "Even jazz musicians from New York are scared to death of players from Texas," he says. "You see a lot of creativity and artistry here."
But he admits that the city lacks the firmly entrenched jazz club scene of, say, Chicago, New York or L.A. -- and it's a shortcoming he'd love to remedy. He's just taken over as manager of Ovations, which he's turned into a full-time jazz club. "My motivation," he notes, "is that there aren't a lot of venues to play, and [fewer] with a really nice piano like we have."
How would he advise a newcomer to enter the world of Bird, Dizzy, Satchmo, Thelonious and Chet without going nuts? "That's tough, but I would say it's like the first time you eat sushi -- have a guide. Go with somebody you trust and listen to what they say. I mean, I love sushi, but there's some items on the menu that I won't touch. It's the same with jazz. Just because you don't like one [kind] of jazz doesn't mean you don't like jazz." (B.R.)
Critic's Choice: Joe LoCascio
Best Horn/Horn Section
They don't really rehearse. Their lineup is always changing. They're really more of a jam session. But that doesn't stop TKoh! (pronounced T-K-O) from being a mutha of a band. They can play funk with the best of them. They have credible jazz chops, love R&B and their shows burn from start to finish. Just ask anyone who's seen them. These guys know how to put on a show that gets people on the dance floor, yet at the same time features blistering solos.
Lead by Kelly Dean, who co-founded TKoh! in 1994 and does double duty as saxophonist and lead vocalist, TKoh!'s concept was relatively simple: Get some of Houston's best players to get together every week for a jam session (no one said you had to restrict that to New York City or New Orleans). In fact, if you miss TKoh! on Sundays, you may find its members playing around town, doing studio work, leading their own bands or teaching college music classes (whoever said, "Those who can't do, teach" never heard these guys). The result is one of the most dangerous horn sections around.
Every Sunday, TKoh! features at least seven horn players and a killer rhythm section who get together and blow the roof off of Instant Karma, their current Sunday-night home. "Guest" musicians and singers often join in and jam, covering music by Stevie Wonder, Maceo Parker, Steely Dan or James Brown. There's ample room for solos -- the group is, after all, an excuse for musicians to have fun. (P.M.)
Critic's Choice: TKoh!
Best Local Label
Justice Records
From a statistical standpoint, the last 24 months at Justice Records have been sluggish, to say the least. Indeed, significant layoffs were the biggest news at the Houston label in the last year. Justice could boast only six CD projects in all of '97, and two of those were a limited-edition EP (Carolyn Wonderland's eloquent bummer of a Christmas greeting, "Blue Lights") and a rerelease (Willie Nelson's 1971 effort Yesterday's Wine). As for 1998, nada so far.
But things might be looking up for Justice -- or so we've been told in so few words. Rumors that a juicy deal is imminent seem to be drifting closer to fact. Theories on what that deal might be have ranged from the possibility of Justice's being absorbed by a major label to its entering a mutually lucrative deal with a mammoth industry player while still maintaining autonomy. Whatever the case, we ought to hear something by summer's end. And judging from preliminary samples of Jesse Dayton's latest material, Justice may have, at the very least, a critical and artistic smash on its hands. If label president Randall Jamail plays his cards right, Justice might turn that into a commercial victory as well. (H.R.)
Critic's Choice: Broken Note
Best CD/Record Store
Cactus Music and Video
Recalling the glory days of music retail -- the era before appliance chains used music as a loss leader -- Cactus Records is a testament to all that is good about a smaller store. "We try to be a music lover's store," says Cactus general manager Quinn Bishop. "We have a commitment to have the best customer service and selection in town."
That commitment has enabled Cactus to be in the midst of what could be its best year ever, according to Bishop. His complaint about chain stores is not that they cut into profit, or devalue music in order to sell dishwashers, but that "it's just not fun, because these chains aren't music-driven. We are able to persevere because our commitment to music comes first."
Hosting frequent in-store performances from local and national artists gives the store a chance to "give something back to our customer base," says Bishop. Rather than viewing the low-key concerts as a way to increase sales, Bishop sees them as a bonus for his clientele.
Cactus opened its current location on South Shepherd in 1975, but its roots go even deeper: The store was a continuation of Daily's Record Ranch, which started in the '40s. In fact, Cactus's tradition of in-store performances dates back to that era; Hank Williams Sr. was broadcast on the radio performing from the location on 11th Street. In the '50s, the store had an in-house record label that was the home to George Jones, the Big Bopper and many Texas acts. Bishop notes that Cactus still attempts to "nurture and cultivate bands which are a part of the Texas music scene. We position grassroots artists next to offerings from the mainstream, trying to blur the boundaries between labels. Good music is good music." (D.S.)
Critic's Choice: Cactus Music and Video
Best Rock Venue
Fabulous Satellite Lounge
With its giant oblong bar and knee-high stage, the Fabulous Satellite Lounge has what a live venue needs: plenty of spots on the floor to view the band and easy access to the liquor. On busy nights, they open a small bar right by the entrance, making it that much easier to have a Shiner in your hands before you even scope the crowd or take note of the band.
But booze isn't the point, says co-owner and music programmer Susie Criner: "The Satellite is not a bar first with music thrown in as an afterthought. It is a music lover's room with a bar thrown in." That's why you won't find a pool table or darts.
Since the club's inception six years ago, Criner and the Satellite staff have specialized in unheard-of bands with potential. Criner notes with pride that groups like Wilco, Son Volt, Keb Mo and the Squirrel Nut Zippers played the club before they were able to pack crowds into larger venues. During the middle of the week, Satellite imports top bands from other markets, allowing Houstonians to sample those groups for a negligible cover. Brags Criner, "The bands we present for next to nothing are the bands people stand in line for on Friday or Saturday nights in other cities." (D.S.)
Critic's Choice: Fabulous Satellite Lounge
Best Blues/R&B Venue
The Big Easy
Tom McLendon's funky little joint, where the family feeling is as much in evidence as a cover charge is not, readily wins this category again this year. "People have a real personal attachment to this club," the owner notes over a shot and a beer. "It's not a bar; it's a church. This is where they come to testify."
Featuring the best in live, local blues five nights a week and zydeco on Sundays, this "House of Mixology" strives to make the blues accessible to a wide audience. McLendon, a blues aficionado, respectfully explains that his club is not the most "authentic" blues bastion in town; it's a "transition" club for those who wouldn't venture to unfamiliar streets to seek the music. "It's about educating people to the music while letting them have a great time," explains McLendon. "The blues is all about overcoming trouble. And the best way to do that is with joy."
McLendon opened the club four years ago. Despite its perch on the edge of upscale West U, the club's decor is a study in blue-collar modesty: sturdy wooden bar and tables, plenty of neon beer signs, posters of blues heroes and a dance floor that's about twice the size of the tiny stage. On nights without live blues, the jukebox serves as an aural textbook on the genre: Muddy Waters shares space with Albert King, the Neville Brothers and Paul Butterfield.
The Big Easy has also gained the respect of blues artists outside of Houston, many of whom lower their usual performance fees for a chance to perform at the place they've heard much about.
McLendon buys a shot for one of his parishioners. "I've remained true to my original vision of the club, which is to make it a tribute to the soul of the blues," McLendon says. "And to the musicians who showed me how to carry on. Misery and pain are inescapable, but if they could handle it with grace, then any of us can." (B.R.)
Critic's Choice: The Big Easy
Best Jazz Venue
Until April, jazz was just one of many kinds of music played at Ovations. But now the club features the music six nights a week -- making it Houston's only full-time jazz club.
Apparently the club has found an audience and believes the best is yet to come: This summer, it's expanding its capacity from 120 to 160. A cafe bar will be added, seating another 30 people, and it'll serve food. Best of all, the house piano will be upgraded to a Steinway Concert Grand.
Artistically, Ovations will also be making a few changes. After renovations are completed, it will devote at least one night a week to Latin jazz; another will go to big bands. The club is also courting national acts: Tim Reynolds, the guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band, is scheduled for July, and Kirk Whalum will appear in August.
"The tradition of jazz clubs nationwide is you go in and put up with the adverse conditions to hear great musicians," says Paul English, the jazz player who took over as Ovations' musical director in April. "I think Houston audiences are different than that. We're spoiled. We have nice restaurants, good civic organizations, good fine arts.... I think, presented in that light, you'll see the popularity of jazz in this town grow a lot in the next few years." (P.M.)
Critic's Choice: Cezanne
Best Latin Venue
Bursting with enough energy and sparkle to make Charo look like a wallflower -- and almost bursting out of a form-fitting black cocktail dress -- owner Elvia Parsons-Kras is just as much an attraction to the place as her bar, full-service restaurant, dance floor and live Tejano bands. Catering to an upscale crowd that salsas late into the night, Elvia's attracts a crowd about half Hispanic and half Anglo.
The club began seven years ago as an English pub with a Mexican restaurant and some live music. But, according to manager Ed Parsons, the salsa-music night soon grew too popular to contain to once a week, and Elvia's quickly mutated into a supper club with live music. "Every year, it gets better," Elvia notes immodestly. "More quality."
Bands including Mi Rumba, Ka-Che, La Banda Mambo and most important, unofficial house band Walter Suhr and Mango Punch!, play to the joyous, Anglo and Hispanic crowd that continually packs the dance floor.
Along with the scent of carne tampiquena, romance hangs heavy in the air. Elvia's twentysomething daughter met her husband at the club -- as did Elvia, who's currently on husband number four. (Surprisingly, Parsons was a previous husband; the pair's harmonious working relationship outlasted the marriage.)
Like any good businesswoman, Elvia has expanded her brand name, opening Elvia's Travel and Tours next door to the club. Can Elvia's Wedding Chapel be far behind? (B.R.)
Critic's Choice: Elvia's
Best C&W Venue
Blanco's Bar and Grill
No doubt about it, Blanco's is the least conspicuous kicker joint in Houston, and thereby the most authentic and true to the Texas lifestyle combo of great music, simple eats, friendly service and solid wood floorboards beneath your feet for boot-scootin' the night away. This rugged, unpretentious West Alabama roadhouse doesn't offer shiny dance-floor varnish, parking-lot asphalt or cookie-cutter cowboy gimmicks-- and thus, it doesn't attract jar-head frat types and clean-pressed Clay Walker wannabes.
All that, combined with one of the most underrated Lone Star music lineups around (locals Kevin Black, the Hollisters and Mary Cutrufello are all routine draws), makes Blanco's a comfortable, low-stress evening out for just about anyone, even if you can't two-step a lick. But if you happen to be cursed with two left feet, don't expect your honey to be sitting idle for long. There are usually plenty of guys roving around the place looking for dance partners. And most won't take no for an answer. (H.R.)
Critic's Choice: Blanco's Bar and Grill
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Best Folk Venue
McGonigel's Mucky Duck
It's no secret that Rusty and Teresa Andrews have a reputation for being difficult -- stubborn, if you will. But it's just that hard-nosed unwillingness to compromise their vision that has made McGonigel's Mucky Duck the folk/acoustic mainstay that it is: a refuge from loud rock music, with no megaphone-mouth rowdies in the audience.
In achieving its tenuous balance -- equal parts lively Irish pub and subdued, performer-friendly listening room -- the Duck has seen its reputation in folk circles solidify considerably over the last nine years. But then, the club's intimate environs and the Andrews' steadfast loyalty to those who earn it has always had a place in the hearts of its repeat headliners. That list includes a truckload of Texas legends (Terry Allen, Guy Clark, Alejandro Escovedo, Toni Price) as well as the cream of the out-of-state troubadour crop (Gillian Welsh, John Gorka, Chris Smither, Dar Williams).
Perhaps even more important, artists like to play at the Duck -- as shown by Lyle Lovett's recent surprise appearance at the club to sit in with Allen and Clark on a few numbers. A rare treat -- and a coup for the Duck. (H.R.)
Critic's Choice: McGonigel's Mucky Duck


text:
Packed with five-star resorts, fine beaches and exlusive boutique shopping enclaves, the Nusa Dua area, on Bali's southern peninsula, is known for high-end living and luxury tourism. Yet the area is also the gateway to Pecatu, with its high cliffs, secluded beaches and stunning vistas, not to mention the stunning Uluwatu temple complex, dramatically situated on Bali's southern tip.
Ideally located within easy walking distance of Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center as well as multiple shopping and entertaintment options, Amaris Pratama Nusa Dua is the ideal base from which to explore Bali's 'Deep South'
At Amaris Hotels, our guests enjoy the comfort of clean, 'smart' room with crisp, stylish design and cutting edge LED TV - all wthout having to pay more fo the privilege.
No Official Description
Copyright © 2016 LPP RRI. All Rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Deaconess Men's Health Series Continues with Diabetes Lecture
Do you have diabetes? Does diabetes run in your family? Here's an opportunity for you to learn how to manage your pre-diabetes or diabetes. Deaconess Hospital's Men's Health Series continues with a lecture about diabetes on Tuesday evening, May 14 in Johnson Hall.
Cindy Head, a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator will provide you with nutrition tips, healthy recipes and more. Registration begins at 5 p.m. and the lecture begins at 6 p.m. Food will be provided by Subway and a pair of Indianapolis Colts tickets will be won by some lucky participant! You can call 812-450-7000 to get registered.


text:
The Realty Alliance is a network of North America's elite real estate firms. Our members serve most every major market on the continent. Through The Realty Alliance our members access the best and latest ideas and solutions to make them the most qualified to provide expert analysis and guidance to you.
Member Company Site Locator
Find Homes in Your Area
To view properties that are for sale right now, select the country you're interested in below to get started.
Discount Login


text:
|Product Code:
|Bulb Type:
|Colour Options:
|Warm White
|LED Linear Strip Profile
|Frosted Lens
|Light Output:
|200 Lumens
|Beam Angle:
|120 (Wide Angle)
|CE and RoHS Certified:
|Input Power:
|300 mm
|10 g
|Average Life in Hrs:
Our F-Type Under Cabinet LED Strip Profile has a robust construction and produce consistent high quality light. The sleek design finished with a frosted lens makes this light perfect for all applications. Ideal for use in the home, under kitchen cabinets or in bedroom wardrobes/drawers, or in commercial applications such as retail display cabinets.
The light is designed for easy installation and comes with screws to attach directly to any surface; allowing for simple installation in areas usually difficult to access. Looking to light up a longer area? The design allows for multiple strip lights to be connected together, so lights can be installed in a straight line or around corners. Check out the compatible straight connectors here and corner connectors here
The light can be powered with one of our compatible "plug and play" drivers; the low wattage of this strip light offers big power savings while maintaining a high light output. These lights offer the best performance with an average operating life of 30,000 hours.
*Please note: Connectors and Power Supply are sold separately
Compatible with:
Connector: CON-F & CON-90-D-F
Power Supply/Cable: 3.5 DC Connecting Cables/Drivers
All orders are dispatched within 24 hours of placing your order and for standard free delivery usually arrives between 1-5 days. Most orders arrive the next day but this is not guaranteed. If your order is delayed longer than 5 days please email our customer service team for further information.
The method of delivery varies according to the size, weight and value of the order. If your package is small and low cost then we use Royal Mail. If your package(s) are large or of a high value we use one of our nominated couriers.
Returns & Replacements
We offer a comprehensive returns policy. In the first instance please contact us to advise the problem. The email should include:
• Your name
• Your order reference number
• Contact details (phone no. etc)
• Description of issue or query and desired action to be taken
Payment can be made online by credit and debit card, Paypal, Amazon Checkout, and Google Checkout. Our credit and debit card processing is carried out by SagePay.
Our site uses the latest 128 bit SSL security, complying with and exceeding all necessary security requirements to protect your details. We do not store any sensitive information (card number, etc).
SSL encrypts your order online to avoid any decoding of that information of anyone other than the necessary processing parties. To check the security of your connection, look at the status bar of your browser window after accessing the website. If you see an unbroken key or a closed lock then, depending upon your browser, SSL is active. You can also double check by looking at the URL line of your browser - while accessing a secure server the first characters of the address will change from HTTP to HTTPS.


text:
Box Office: Lucy Tops Hercules
Jul 27, 2014 6:13 PM EDT
Lucy was the queen of the box office this weekend. The action film that stars Scarlett Johansson cruised to No. 1 after taking in an impressive $44 million in its opening weekend, Box Office Mojoreports. It was enough to top … Read more


text:
Middleton-by-Youlgreave Camping Barn YHA, Derbyshire
This barn is part of a working farm on the edge of the small village of Middleton-by-Youlgreave. It is a good base for walking in Bradford Dale and Lathkill Dale, an area full of wildlife interest. The sleeping accommodation for 12 people is on the first floor, with access via external stone steps. There is a communal living area, and a separate cooking area on the ground floor. The toilet is in an adjacent building. The barn has electricity on a meter. Well behaved dogs on leads accepted, as this is a working farm.
You can use the interactive controls to zoom in and out and to move around the map, or click on a path for more info. (interactive map help)
© OpenStreetMap contributors under Open Database Licence.
Rights of way data from selected Local Authorities.
Large scale digital mapping is provided by John Thorn.


text:
Essentially we have one stationary GPS that assumes the first point it reads is the point it is at and all other data it receives has error in it. It calculates this error and sends it over to the "rover" so that it may calculate what the error is and subtract it from its own coordinates.
You keep mentioning differential GPS but I don't know how that would work, is it significantly different than what I am trying to do?
Don't you need a surveyed point for the GPS to compare with to do differential?


text:
About this font family
Quadon was designed to fill the gap between traditional serifs and the lasting trend of using sans serif fonts for contemporary design. The result is a modern, clear and infinitely flexible interpretation of slab serif fonts. The open shapes and a large x-height keep the font legible in small sizes while the short descender supports the compact heart and strength of a slab serif. Quadon has a wide range of typographic features and alternative glyphs to create your own and unique version of it.
It comes in nine different weights with matching italics. From the sensitive but sharp thinner weights to the punchy and powerful heavy weights, Quadon is well-suited for a wide range of versatile tasks.
- Basic text strings
- Random text strings
- News feeds
- Pangrams
Quadon Thin
Quadon Thin Italic
Quadon Light
Quadon Light Italic
Quadon Italic
Quadon Medium
Quadon Medium Italic
Quadon Bold
Quadon Bold Italic
Quadon UltraBold
Quadon UltraBold Italic
Quadon ExtraBold
Quadon ExtraBold Italic
Quadon Black
Quadon Black Italic
Quadon Heavy
Quadon Heavy Italic
Available formats
available in all of the styles:


text:
I thought I'd fix up a couple of Prince of Wales cocktails tonight, a fizzy drink for a fizzy evening. I followed Wondrich's recipe to the letter, using bonded Rittenhouse for the rye. My pineapple was a couple squares of thawed frozen pineapple from Whole Foods. Maybe it's the pineapple, but…
I don't get it. This drink just doesn't hit it for me.
If we all liked the same things, it would be a very boring world.
Happy New Year!


text:
Arsenal end trophy drought with FA Cup win
Arsenal ended its nine-year trophy drought on Saturday, coming from two goals...
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Michael Carter-Williams recorded his
first triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Orlando Magic,
126-125, in two overtimes.
Carter-Williams, who was named Rookie of the Month earlier Tuesday, totaled 27
points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Sixers, who had lost four in a row
and eight of their previous nine.
Thaddeus Young chipped in 25 points and 12 boards in a game that featured 23
lead changes and 16 ties.
Evan Turner scored 24 points but committed eight of Philadelphia's 23
turnovers, missed a runner at the regulation buzzer and fouled Arron Afflalo
taking a 3-pointer near the end of the first extra session.
Afflalo made all three free throws to tie the game, 118-118, and Turner turned
the ball over at the other end to keep things even.
Carter-Williams hit a tie-breaking free throw in the second OT, put in a
finger-roll a little later for a 123-120 Sixers lead, and assisted on a Young
bucket that nearly sealed the win.
Afflalo finished with a career-high 43 points, but drew iron on a potential
game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Orlando's third straight loss.
Glen Davis also set a personal best with 33 points, and Victor Oladipo matched
Carter-Williams' triple-double with a 26-point, 10-assist, 10-rebound effort.
Turner converted a three-point play to give the Sixers a seemingly healthy
96-89 lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation, but Orlando scored the
next nine points to keep the see-saw battle going.
The Sixers scored the next six points and were up by three, 104-101, after
Young got a tough runner to fall with under a minute to play.
Davis, though, stepped back and drained his first 3-pointer of the season with
18.4 seconds to go, and Turner's contested pull-up in the lane bounced off the
rim at the buzzer.
Afflalo scored 14 points in the first quarter, and the Magic's .688 shooting
percentage in the opening frame gave them a 34-29 lead.
Orlando trailed at the break, 58-57, and went down by as many as 11 in the
third after the Sixers went on a 14-2 run. Oladipo went coast-to-coast and got
a floater to fall prior to the third-quarter buzzer to get the Magic within
Game Notes
The Sixers are 3-1 in overtime games this season … Orlando lost its only
other OT game against Minnesota on Oct. 30 … Magic center Nikola Vucevic sat
out with a sprained left ankle, while point guard Jameer Nelson missed his
third straight game due to a foot injury … Orlando is 1-7 away from home …
The Sixers made 11 3-pointers, had 20 more points in the paint (58-38) and 15
more second-chance points (31-16).


text:
File Systems
From ForensicsWiki
Revision as of 04:38, 9 November 2005 by Lenageraghty (Talk | contribs) (→Cryptographic File Systems)
Conventional File Systems
- ffs
- The Fast File System, a variant of ufs that is faster and supports symbolic links.
- ext2fs, ext3
- ext2fs was introduced with Linux. ext3 is a journaled version of ext2 which allows for speedy disk recovery after a crash.
- Originally used by MSDOS. Includes FAT12 (for floppy disks), FAT16 and FAT32
- The New Technology File System, introduced by Microsoft with Windows NT 4.0. Now used on XP.
- ufs
- The Unix File System, introduced with Unix.
Cryptographic File Systems
Cryptographic file systems encrypt information before it is stored on the media. Some of these file systems store encrypted files directly. Others are better thought of as device drivers, which are then used to store some of the file systems discussed above.
- Apple's File Vault
- A clever user interface to Apple's encrypted disk images. Uses the ".sparseimage" extension on disk files.
- CFS - Matt Blaze's Cryptographic File System for Unix
- Management in an Encrypting File System, Matt Blaze, USENIX Summer 1994 Technical Conference, Boston, MA, June 1994.
- Cryptographic File System for Unix, Matt Blaze, Proceedings of the First ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, Fairfax, VA, November 1993.
- Transparent Cryptographic File System
- http://www.tcfs.it/
Full Disk Encryption
- Network Appliance
- http://www.netapp.com/ftp/decru-fileshredding.pdf


text:
In addition to the food supply, Alpi provides also services of specialized logistics, using air, maritime and terrestrial canals. The Alpi logistics network is extremely widespread, able to satisfy any
requirement of delivery worldwide.. The service is particularly accurate and the supervision follows every step, from the production to the final destination.
Alpitrading S.r.l. - Via Gramsci, 34 - 47015 Modigliana (FC) - Italy Cod. Fiscale e Iscr. n. 03395040409 del Reg. Imprese di FC - Partita Iva IT 03395040409


text:
THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
Today at PASS Summit 2012 there have been several announcements during the keynote. Moreover, other news have not been highlighted in the keynote but are equally if not more important for the BI community.
Let's start from the big news in the keynote (other details on SQL Server Blog):
So what about Mobile BI? Well, even if not announced during the keynote, there is a dedicated session on this topic and there are very important news in this area:
If you are at PASS Summit 2012, come and join me, Alberto Ferrari and Chris Webb at our book signing event tomorrow, Thursday 8 2012, at the bookstore between 12:00pm and 12:30pm, or follow one of our sessions!


text:
All Muslims I knew in my life have betrayed me somehow... and one of them betrayed me so hard that I cut a spot on my hand to not be friends and trust any Muslim anymore... There may be good Muslims, But finding them is the hardest thing to do in this world. Since this religion mess up people's mind so hard.
And don't tell me that majority of Muslims are law-abiding loving people...
Ofcourse they are law-abiding, In fact they are the most law-abiding people in the world... But SHARIAH LAW-Abiding!!!
Majority of Muslims are evil and that is because of Islam teachings... Look at the Islamic countries look how they treat people from other beliefs... And most of this countries have support from +90% of their own people.
Like Iran, 99% Voted Iran to be an Islamic Republic... 99%=~70m People.
look at Pakistan also an Islamic Republic and the Majority support that.
and the list goes...
All of this people make up the majority of Muslims... So see, They are not so loving, Islam doesn't teach love, it teaches hate.


text:
chadConnects needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 16 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
I need a nice, spacious and vibrant site for a dance studio.
My Dance Studio
I need a visually interesting site design for so a studio can promote itself.
Feel free to use whatever stock dance photos you have. Think more ballroom and ballet rather than street. I don't mind seeing street dance if you have a great design though.
It should have the following menu links:
- Home
- About Us
- Calendar
- Location
- Classes
- Private Lessons
- Photo Gallery
- Contact Us
The design should have a email newsletter sign up box above the fold
asking for name and email address. Whether it's on the right or the
left doesn't matter.
- boxy, template looking design that I could


text:
In honor of Fan Appreciation Weekend at Dodger Stadium, the final homestand, Joe Torre's going-away party and another page turned in the Dodgers' team chapter, we've taken up a collection and have something to present to the owners of the team.
Frank and Jamie McCourt: You've been served.
By the powers vested in us, the citizens of Los Angeles, we hereby declare a class-action divorce from the McCourts and demand full custody of the Dodgers.
Ipso facto, E pluribus unum, carpe diem and, considering how much the two of them have been spending on their hairstylists, coiffure interruptus.
Divorcing ourselves from the courtroom circus that has become McCourt v. McCourt over the last few months, culminating in a charade that ended with closing arguments this week, has been a very difficult task.
Frank and Jamie each contend they own the Dodgers in one bad shape or another. They don't want to play nice about it as they attempt to split up their leveraged fortunes and actually stop believin'.
An otherwise wise judge now has to waste his time going over the testimony and has until around Christmas to rule on their marital unbliss. But then, with appeals, new trials and just plain stubbornness, Frank could use millions of more borrowed dollars that perhaps could be better spent on a hypnotist for Jonathan Broxton to drag this out.
We can't wait'll next year. Because, in all seriousness, who really owns the Dodgers?
Isn't it community property that's property of the community?
Shouldn't the fans take ownership of this situation?
Maybe we're treading on Chavez Ravine ground that has already seen enough abuse, but we propose a new legal measure of revenge.
Don't worry, Silverstein. We're not even messing with typos here. Exclusive, inclusive or reclusive, we'll make this as plain and painless as possible.
Now, in California, petitions for the dissolution of marriage are based only on a) irreconcilable differences or b) incurable insanity. We intend to hit for the cycle on this. Sign us up for both.
And irregardless of whether that's an actual word or not, we add irrational behavior unbecoming of a O'Malley successor, irrevocable trust, irreversible damage, irregular heartbeat, irreplaceable left fielders with dreadlocks, illogical thinking and, not to get too graphic, but irritable towel syndrome (have you tried to pull off one of those sheets of sandpaper in the restrooms at Dodger Stadium)?
You may try to rephrase this as a case of "emancipation." We will stick with the big D-word, without the help of anyone from LegalDoom.com.
Despite having watched plenty of episodes of "Family Court with Judge Penny," we're not about to squeeze every nickel out of you in this, although we know payback can be bitchin'.
In the division of assets, our demands are simple.
We get:
== Vin Scully.
== Nancy Bea Hefley.
== Roger Owens, the peanut man.
== Dodger Stadium.
== The land surrounding Dodger Stadium.
== The promise never to "enhance" the land surrounding Dodger Stadium with a shopping mall, Indian casino or rifle range.
== The Dodger Stadium naming rights (which we vow to never use).
== The annual Jackie Robinson night promotion.
== Hollywood Stars Night (can't believe that was so botched this season that it didn't even happen).
== All remaining light-blue paint left.
== All future prospects in the farm system under the age of 21.
== Andre Either's bat.
== James Loney's glove.
== Clayton Kershaw arm.
== Larry Bowa's attitude.
== The four seats next to the dugout where the McCourts currently have reserved, but will be used on a rotating basis, given away to four fans each game who originally buy a ticket to the left-field pavilion.
As such, we also propose the McCourts can have:
== Continued liabilities of all deferred salary payments, including but not limited to Manny Ramirez, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, Darren Dreifort, Don Stanhouse and Vladimir Shpunt.
== All concession stand workers, especially those who act as if punching the order into the cash register pad is the first time they've seen it in their lives.
== Any future trademark rights to "$2 Tuesdays."
== All broken maple bats.
== All advertising decals on the outfield walls.
== One percent of parking revenue, not to exceed .002 cents per automobile per year.
== Rental of the Stadium Club one night every 10 years, at an agreed-upon date, for family functions only (with a necessary cleaning deposit).
== All profits from the California Pizza Kitchen stand, since no one should be eating that stuff anyway.
== Rhianna.
== The ear-piercing center-field speaker system.
== The overpaid guy running the "Dodger Dream Foundation."
== Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's future requests for free tickets.
As for Tommy Lasorda: That's open for negotiation.
We accept a demand to be named later, but respect whatever visitation rights you intend to set up in the interim. We can pick him up at the local McDonald's parking lot and take him to the games on every other weekend if that's amicable.
Sorry it's come to this. Really. Truly. True Bluely.
It's not your fault. It's our fault for not doing this earlier. Even if this is a no-fault state of confusion now.
Enjoy the final games of the 2010 season, McCourts. An usher will escort you out of the facility whenever you've finished cleaning out our wallets.


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(Reuters) - Asian champions Japan can become the first side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with victory in Jordan on Tuesday, while South Korea, Australia and Uzbekistan are odds on to score home wins and clarify the crowded pool picture.
The Blue Samurai thrashed Jordan 6-0 at home in June, a result that has helped them establish an eight point lead over Australia, Iraq and Oman in Group B.
But Tuesday's clash in Amman will be a tougher prospect without the key duo of playmaker Keisuke Honda and attack-minded fullback Yuto Nagatomo at a venue where Jordan were able to humble Australia in September.
A 2-1 friendly win over Canada in Qatar on Friday involved some sloppy errors by Asia's best side and the players know improvements are required to see off Jordan, who have bounced back well from their Saitama rout.
"If we play like we did in the first half against Canada then things could become very difficult for us," playmaker Shinji Kagawa said after the win over the North Americans.
Shinji Okazaki should start after scoring the opener against Canada with the VfB Stuttgart forward demanding big improvements ahead of the decisive qualifier.
"It is good that we have got this game out of the way because we can't play like we did (against Canada). We allowed our opponents to create a good shape and we have to take a good look at ourselves about that," he said.
Japan might only need a draw to qualify should Australia and Oman draw in the earlier Group B clash in Sydney.
That result is a strong possibility as the duo, along with Jordan and Iraq, have all taken points off each other in a number of defensive-minded, slow tempo clashes. The quartet have each scored only four goals in the group.
The Socceroos remain favorites, though, to grab the runners-up spot and the other Brazil berth from the pool as they have a game in hand on their rivals and host three of their remaining four matches.
New York Red Bull striker Tim Cahill is expected to lead the line and the former Everton player has called for a high-tempo display, something that was lacking in a drab 0-0 draw when the teams met in muggy Muscat in June.
"I know the international game can be a bit more relaxed, slow tempo (compared with club soccer), but this game has to be high tempo from us and we have to make sure we pressure them and make them feel unwelcome in our stadium," Cahill told reporters.
"They'll be under pressure to get a result, so they'll play very deep.
"We have got pace on the wings with Krusey (Robbie Kruse), Brosquey (Alex Brosque), Brett Holman and other options so we will look to them to get a lot of crosses into the box."
In Group A, South Korea and Uzbekistan can put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack if they claim expected victories at home to Qatar and Lebanon.
The Uzbeks, who lost 2-1 to the United Arab Emirates in Asian Cup qualifying on Friday, top the group with eight points from five games, with the Koreans a point back but having played a game less.
Qatar have seven from five games, as do three-times Asian champions Iran who are the most likely to prevent the top two from going to Brazil but are not in World Cup action on Tuesday and instead face Kuwait in an Asian Cup fixture.
The Qataris will be led by Fahad Thani for the Seoul clash, the 2022 World Cup hosts fourth head coach of the campaign as they bid to qualify for a first finals.
Qatar lost 1-0 away to Bahrain in Asian Cup qualifying on Friday but Thani remained confident his side could get something against the perennial World Cup qualifying Koreans, who thrashed the West Asians 4-1 in Doha in June.
"This result will not affect us going into our next match. We know the importance of the next match," Thani said after the defeat in Bahrain.
"We have appropriate plans for our next clash. Hopefully, we will get a satisfactory result."
Reporting by Patrick Johnston, editing by Justin Palmer


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Light Pink Hot Pink "Put Up Your Dukes" Bow
Availability: In stock
See all bows
This light pink and hot pink "Put Up Your Dukes" single layer bow is cute! The bow material is 2 inch wide grosgrain ribbon.
The back of the bow has a hair clip, but we will include at least four sticky velcro dots. Use the clip or velcro now, and when your daughter outgrows the band, keep using the bow! Velcro dots wear out, so that is why we include four sets (four hook dots, four fuzzy dots).
The bows are about 5 inches across.
Custom CMS block displayed as a tab. You can use it to display info about returns and refunds, latest promotions etc. You can put your own content here: text, HTML, images - whatever you like. There are many similar blocks accross the store. All CMS blocks are editable from the admin panel.
Magento Community Edition is the most powerful open source e-commerce software and can be downloaded 100% for free. Developers can modify the core code, add custom features and functionality by installing extensions from Magento Connect marketplace.
Manage the fully dynamic catalog with the intutive admistrative interface. The flexible catalog system includes various options for the display of items. Magento is also integrated with a variety of major payment gateways out of the box.
Magento is a fully global platform, allowing for the expansion of business or simply offering multiple versions of your site to meet the needs of your customers. Translated into over 60 languages, supporting multiple currencies, payment methods and taxes, Magento allows for internationalization of your online stores.


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Phyllis Samson
Born In: Sydney
Passed on: January 13th, 2013
Phyllis Winnifred Samson, 77, St. Peter's, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, in St. Martha's Regional Hospital, Antigonish.
Born in Sydney, she was a daughter of the late Donald H. and Ruth (Phillips) MacIntyre and stepmother, the late Kaye (Pyne) MacIntyre.
In 1957, she married her husband, Finley Samson. They moved to Brooksville, Fla., where they made their home for 43 and half years. While there she was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, where she was an elder, Sunday school teacher and member of the Presbyterian Women's Circles.
She was an employee of Publix Supermarkets for 30 years, retiring in 1988.
In 2001, they moved back to Nova Scotia and made their home in St. Peter's, Richmond County. There she was a member of St. Peter's United Church and UCW, Bonnie Brae Seniors Club. She enjoyed quilting, knitting, crocheting and working with crafts.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Finley Samson; sisters, Louise Glasgow, Sydney, Ruthie (Alex) Smith, South Lake Ainslie; brother, Donnie (Sandra) MacIntyre, New Boston Road, Louisbourg; stepbrothers, William (Rene) MacIntyre, Balls Creek, Kevin (Darlene) Beaver, Sydney; sister-in-law, Sr. Theresa Sampson CND, Sydney; several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by stepbrother, Allister MacIntyre, brothers-in-law, Herbert, Burt and Lee Sampson, Ray Glasgow.
Special thanks to the nurses and staff of Strait Richmond Hospital, Evantson, and staff and doctors of St. Martha's Regional Hospital and also the paramedics.
Visitation will be from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m., Wednesday in Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home, 26 Centennial St., St. Peter's. Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Thursday from St. Peter's United Church, St. Peter's with Rev. Dana Feltmate officiating. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery, De Raymond St., St. Peter's.
Donations in memory of Phyllis may be made to a charity of your choice.
Words of comfort may be forwarded to the family at www.haverstocks.com.


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8:00 pm
Are You Being Served? "Friends and Neighbors" The staff are offered accommodations on the premises to save travel time and money but find flat-sharing is difficult too.G
8:31 pm
Keeping Up Appearances - The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket "Golfing with the Major" Hyacinth decides she and her husband, Richard, should spend a weekend at a golfing hotel in order to keep up with the Major and his wife.G
9:01 pm
As Time Goes By "The House Next Door" Lionel, Jean, Judy and Sandy are concerned when they hear noises from the empty house next door.G
9:31 pm
The Thin Blue Line "The Queen's Birthday Present" Rowan Atkinson is Inspector Fowler, head of the uniform branch of a suburban English police station. The series opens as the Queen's official birthday is approaching - along with Raymond and Patricia's 10th anniversary. Fowler forgets about the anniversary and creates tension in the relationship.G
10:01 pm
The Red Green Show "Dalton's Hot Gift" Mike gets Dalton a new barbecue as a birthday present. Red uses a golf club to clean up the yard.G
10:30 pm
My Family "The Guru" Ben is mentioned in a book dedication by a successful and wealthy celebrity dentist, whom Ben cannot remember having met. Susan reveals a romantic encounter in Albania.G
11:00 pm
Doctor Who Series "Amy's Choice" It has been five years since Amy Pond last traveled with the Doctor and when he lands in her garden again, on the eve of the birth of her first child, she finds herself facing a heartbreaking choice.G


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California Department of Transportation
Date: January 9, 2013
District: 6 - Fresno
Contact: Jose Camarena
Phone: (559) 488-4067
FRESNO - Continuing the push to rebuild California's infrastructure, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) today allocated $64 million to 43 projects that will reduce traffic congestion and repair highways, local streets, and bridges.
"We are putting transportation dollars to work supporting jobs and making improvements that will benefit Californians now and for decades to come," said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.
The allocations include $42 million from Proposition 1B, a transportation bond approved by voters in 2006. In total, approximately $14.7 billion in Proposition 1B funds have been distributed statewide.
The remaining allocations ($22 million) came from assorted transportation accounts funded by state and federal dollars.
Among the projects that received funding today were:
- An allocation of more than $11 million towards the construction of phase 2 of the Kings Canyon Expressway Project on State Route 180. This project will construct 2.7 miles of new 4-lane expressway near Centerville, from Quality Avenue to Smith Road.
- An allocation of $567,000 to the City of Madera for the 4th Street Rehabilitation Project. This reconstruction/resurfacing project will improve safety and extend the service life of the pavement from Pine Street to east of K Street.
- An allocation of $799,000 to the City of Clovis for the Herndon Avenue Widening Project between Clovis and Fowler Avenues.
- An allocation of $3.6 million to the City of Fresno for the Peach Avenue Widening Project, from 2 to 4-lanes, between Kings Canyon Road and Belmont Avenue.
Please see the attached file for information about all projects that received allocations today.
# # # #


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Each bank of the System may purchase its own obligations and the obligations of other banks of the System and may provide for the sale of obligations issued by it, consolidated obligations, or Systemwide obligations through a fiscal agent or agents, by negotiation, offer, bid, syndicate sale, and to deliver such obligations by book entry, wire transfer, or such other means as may be appropriate.
Through December 31, 1992, each bank of the System, in addition to purchasing obligations as authorized by this chapter, may, with the prior approval of the Farm Credit Administration and subject to such conditions as it may establish, (1) reduce the cost of its borrowings by doing one or more of the following: (A) contracting with a third party, or an entity that is established as a limited purpose System institution under section 2211 of this title and that is not to be included in the combined financial statements of other System institutions, with respect to the payment of interest on the bank's obligations and the obligations of other banks incurred before January 1, 1985, in consideration of the payment of market interest rates on such obligations, plus a premium, or (B) for the period July 1, 1986, through December 31, 1992, capitalizing interest costs on obligations incurred before January 1, 1985, in excess of the estimated interest costs on an equivalent amount of Farm Credit System obligations at prevailing market rates on such obligations of similar maturities as of October 21, 1986, or (C) taking other similar action; and (2) amortize, over a period of not to exceed 20 years, the capitalization of the premium, capitalization of interest expense, or like costs of any action taken under clause (1).
(Pub. L. 92–181, title IV, § 4.8, Dec. 10, 1971, 85 Stat. 612; Pub. L. 99–509, title I, § 1034, Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1878; Pub. L. 100–233, title II, § 205(a), Jan. 6, 1988, 101 Stat. 1607.)


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The Syrian government has agreed to allow the first aid convoy in more than a year to enter the besieged old city quarter of Homs and to permit the evacuation of women and children trapped there, Syria's deputy foreign minister said Sunday.
If the aid convoy and the evacuation take place as planned, it would be the first concrete development from the peace talks unfolding here. The U.N.'s special envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, who is mediating the talks, said a convoy could go in as early as Monday, if local agreements can be worked out.
Faisal Meqdad, Syria's deputy foreign minister, said his government was "ready" for the aid shipment to take place, but he emphasized that his government believed that the evacuation of women and children from the old city neighborhood was the more significant of the agreements. As many as 3,000 people may be trapped in the neighborhood, which has been under siege for 18 months.
There are many ways the agreement could fail. A previous agreement to deliver 200 food packets to the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus last weekend has yet to be completed, said Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to Palestinians. Gunness said that only 138 of the packets have been delivered since Jan. 18. One packet, Gunness said, would feed a family of eight for 10 days. An estimated 18,000 people are believed trapped in Yarmouk, which is controlled by rebels and sealed off by militias loyal to Assad.
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"Assurances given by the authorities have not been backed up by action on the ground," Gunness said in a statement emailed to reporters.
Asked about the situation in Yarmouk, Meqdad said as many as 500 food packets had been delivered, and that more had not been delivered because the camp "is occupied entirely by armed groups." When UNRWA attempted to deliver aid, "they started shooting at the aid convoy," he said.
Gunness' email did not blame either side for the delivery difficulties, though he implied that the biggest burden for carrying out the agreement lay with the government. "For the sake of alleviating the grave suffering in Yarmouk, Syrian authorities and all parties to the Syria conflict that are present in and around Yarmouk must support and facilitate humanitarian access to civilians," he said in his emailed statement.
The situation in Homs could be just as difficult. The Syrian government has long claimed that the people still in the old city area are primarily armed rebels and their families, and that some of the civilians are being kept there against their will.
Brahimi said that as part of the evacuation plan, the Syrian government was insisting that the opposition coalition provide a list of all the men in the besieged part of Homs, so that it could sort out combatants from non-combatants. But it was not clear that the rebels in the besieged district would agree to provide it, given that it might be used to single them out for retaliation.
Meqdad also denied that government forces were shelling Homs, as local anti-government activists had reported. The activists said government forces had used mortars and heavy machine gun fire to destroy homes and wound civilians.
"It is a big lie that the government is shelling" Homs, he said. "The armed groups are shelling, and they report it as the government." He said the government had "not fired a single shell" at Homs.
Meqdad's comments came during his first extended encounter with reporters since the peace talks began in earnest on Friday and his comments were the subject of amusement among Western officials monitoring the talks here. One diplomat who briefed reporters under a condition of anonymity said Meqdad's assertion that the rebels were shelling themselves in Homs would be believed only by Syria's President Bashar Assad.
Meqdad insisted that Assad's government, charged by U.N. investigators as likely responsible for many crimes against humanity, "is the warm heart of the people."
Brahimi opened the talks Friday with humanitarian crisis as the top agenda item. The two sides have been meeting face to face since Saturday in a conference room at the U.N.'s Geneva headquarters, but Brahimi said he primarily met with the two sides separately on Sunday. Other than the aid deliveries to Homs and the evacuation of the civilians there, they spoke at length over opposition requests to the government to release women, children and the elderly in detention.
Meqdad disputed the premise of the request. "I categorically deny there are any children detained," he said. If children had been arrested on the battlefield, they "should not go to jail, but a nurturing place," he said.
He also disputed the content of a list of people allegedly held by the Syrian government, which he said Syria received from "a friendly country" – presumably Russia. He said 60 to 70 percent of the names on it were "people who never entered any prison" and 20 per cent were people who'd been imprisoned but had been freed.
The toughest discussion, starting Monday, will be on the topic of creating a transitional government with full executive powers and control of all security services, as called for in the June 2012 joint statement by the United States and Russia. Syria says only the Syrian people can choose a successor to Assad, while the opposition coalition says reaching an agreement on a group to succeed Assad is the most important issue at the talks.


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Contacting the Fan Site NetworkPlease feel free to contact us using the below email address or complete and submit the information form below. We want to make sure our users are having the best experience possible and take all contact requests very seriously. You can expect a response from us within 24-48 hours. Thank you.
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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, at a news conference celebrating the launch of the Affordable Care Act's online insurance marketplace, said it was "relatively easy" to enroll one of his adult sons.
But as Utahns and hopeful shoppers across the country struggle to load and use the site often getting a "please wait" page Becker has since clarified that he did not enroll his son.
"[His oldest son] is still going to pursue coverage, but has not completed the process," Becker's spokesman Art Raymond said Friday, noting the mayor "was under the impression he finished it when we did the press event."
Some Utah insurers say they have enrolled a scattering of individuals on the federal health exchange, through their own portals. But social media reports of Utahns snapping up deals on healthcare.gov are practically nonexistent, with some reporting failed attempts.
Four days after the website's debut, consumers continue to face computer crashes and glitches that at least one expert says may have as much to do with programming as demand.
"It's not just a volume issue; it's also a technical issue, which is really the result of the states and the feds not having time to thoroughly test their systems," said Daniel Schuyler, an adviser with Leavitt Partners who previously managed Utah's small-business exchange.
Schuyler was able to register with the federal exchange and create an account but he couldn't get past the security questions used to verify his identity.
The programming behind creating user accounts is fairly simple and doesn't bode well for the challenges consumers may face when it comes to applying for tax credits to put toward their insurance purchase, said Schuyler. "That's a more complicated process."
U.S. Health and Human Services officials chalk up hiccups to demand, saying they've logged millions of visitors to the website but they aren't providing enrollment data.
"Americans across the nation have started enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace. We know the system works," a spokesman said in an email. "We have added more servers and engineers, improved system configurations so it can handle more volume to improve wait times. Additionally, we are urging people to use the call center."
But brokers and navigators charged with helping people vet Utah's 96 health plans uniformly report troubles with enrollment.
"The web pages took over five minutes to load and then we got kicked out of the system," said Salt Lake City broker Ernie Sweat about his attempts to enroll a Utah couple Tuesday. "I'm telling applicants to wait until Oct. 15 to try again. Not a big deal coverage starts on Jan. 1, so long as the application gets in by Dec. 15."
The enrollment window lasts through March 31.
Utah navigators initially faced barriers to getting trained and licensed, but 30 are now in the process of being certified, according to state insurance regulators.
But, as of Friday afternoon, none of the navigators or certified insurance counselors was reporting successful sign-ups.
Delaying the launch of the exchange wasn't an option, because the health law requires Americans to have insurance by Jan. 1, 2014, and "to do that you really need three months [of enrollment time]," said Schuyler.
Meeting that coverage deadline will be tough for consumers, he said, if "problems persist for four weeks or longer."
Frustrated, some of Utah's uninsured are enrolling directly through insurance companies, which have their own portals to the exchange.
Arches Health Plan, a co-op or member-owned insurer, has signed up a few enrollees but none who has qualified for tax credits to put toward purchases, "which is most of our market," said company spokeswoman Judi Hilman.
Aetna has "started to see enrollment activity," said company spokeswoman Anjanette Coplin. "But it's too premature to share numbers publicly."
Intermountain Healthcare's insurance arm, SelectHealth reports enrolling one consumer from Idaho.
"We know that some individuals have been able to initiate a purchase in Utah County, but not complete a transaction," said company spokeswoman Carrie Brown. "We believe that challenges are regional and may exist elsewhere."
Jason Stevenson, spokesman for Take Care Utah, which is overseeing a network of navigators, fears some consumers will enroll directly with an insurance company for coverage that's effectively immediately and doesn't come with subsidies or carry the same benefits.
"We're doing as much as we can to educate people," he said.
Twitter: @kirstendstewart
Save the date
On Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., The Salt Lake Tribune and KCPW will co-sponsor an Affordable Care Act town-hall meeting at the Salt Lake City Main Library's auditorium, 210 E. 400 South. Jennifer Napier-Pearce will moderate a discussion with a panel of experts, who also will answer questions.
Share your success
Have you been able to enroll in the federal health exchange? Tell us about it at firstname.lastname@example.com. Oops! More exchange celebration gaffes
Chad Henderson, a 21-year-old from Georgia who was interviewed by several reporters after Enroll America claimed he had bought insurance on healthcare.gov, later revealed to The Washington Post he hadn't. And California's health exchange, Covered California, overstated its web traffic on Tuesday. The website got 645,000 hits that first day of enrollment, not 5 million, as reported earlier, according to the Los Angeles Times.