spotlight ep news nov 26, 2010 no. 354

8/8/2019 Spotlight EP News Nov 26, 2010 No. 354

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SPOTLIGHT EP NEWS NOVEMBER 26, 2010 PAGE 2

Texas Employers Add 47,900Jobs in October

Texas unemployment rate remained at 8.1 percent

AUSTIN — Texas total non-farm employment was up by47,900 jobs in October repre-senting the addition of 172,800 jobs in the last year.The Texas unemploymentrate remained at 8.1 percentin October and continued totrend well below the U.S. un-employment rate for October at 9.6 percent.

“Every major industry added jobs in October with notableincreases in Construction

employment,” said TexasWorkforce Commission(TWC) Chairman TomPauken. “Texas recorded itssecond month with an unemployment rate at 8.1 percent,the lowest rate of 2010.”

Construction industry employment increased by 8,800 positions in October, thelargest monthly increasesince April 2010. Mining and

Logging added 1,200 jobs inOctober representing jobgrowth of 30,800 over the past year. Employment inManufacturing increased by1,100 jobs in October for a

total of 26,400 jobs addedsince October 2009.

“Job growth continued inOctober creating opportuni-ties for Texas workers,” saidTWC Commissioner Repre-senting Labor Ronny Con-gleton. “For those qualifiedTexas workers who remainunemployed, TWC and the28 boards across the statestand ready to assist jobseekers.”

Professional and BusinessServices employment in-creased by 4,200 jobs in Oc-tober representing theaddition of 50,600 jobs sincelast year. Employment in Ed-ucation and Health Servicesincreased by 5,400 jobs inOctober for a total of 38,800 jobs over the year.

“Texas employers displayedconfidence by adding jobs in

all industries in October, andthe majority of industries arerecording gains over the year as well,” said TWC Commis-sioner Representing the Pub-lic Andres Alcantar. “Staff at

TWC and the 240 workforcecenters across the state re-main committed to providingrecruitment assistance toTexas employers and job-search services for workers.”

In October, Leisure and Hos- pitality employment in-creased 2,400 positions;Trade, Transportation andUtilities was up 1,300 jobs;Information employment in-creased by 1,000 jobs; andFinancial Activities employ-

ment increased by 800 posi-tions. Governmentexperienced an increase of 19,100 jobs in October, butremained down 4,500 posi-tions over the year.

The Midland MetropolitanStatistical Area (MSA) hadthe lowest October unemployment rate in the state at5.1 percent. The AmarilloMSA had the second lowest

unemployment rate in Octo- ber at 5.4 percent, followed by the Lubbock and CollegeStation-Bryan MSAs at 5.9 percent (not seasonally ad- justed).

Prevention Tips for Burglary of Vehicles andAutomobile Thefts during the Holidays

Please be advised the up-coming Holiday activities create an in-

crease of Burglary of Vehicles and Automobile Thefts at variouseastside El Paso apartment parking lots, shopping centers, and

gyms. These crimes occur during various hours. The El Paso Po-

lice Department reminds you and your family to remain alert and

to practice Pro-Active Crime Prevention measures to help reduce

the odds of you becoming a victim of crime during the Holidays.

We also request you share this information with your family.

You can be an effective Crime Stopper if you:

► Always lock your vehicle and keep your vehicle windows rolled up;

► Use an anti-theft device such as a burglar alarm or a steering

wheel lock;

►Do not leave any packages, electronics, or other valuables in

plain sight;

►Secure your valuables in your vehicle’s trunk or in an out of sight

storage;►Park your vehicle in a secured lighted area;

►Report suspicious activity or individuals to the El Paso Police

Department

Non-Emergency number 832-4400 or call 911.

These Crimes are Crimes of opportunity. When you practice these tips

you reduce the opportunity.Pebble Hills Regional Commander Center

10780 Pebble Hills Blvd.

El Paso, TX 79935

915-599-5512




The Downtown Lion’s Club originated thefirst Sun Carnival Parade

By Joe Olvera ©, 2010

From viewing and enjoy-

ing the Sun Carnival Parade -

this year sponsored by the

First Federal Credit Union -on what is expected to be a

chilly November 25 morning,

to later basking and enjoying

a traditional turkey dinner

with all the trimmings and, of

course, watching the Dallas

Cowboys play the New Or-

leans Saints, in a cozy envi-

ronment surrounded by the

ones you love, the Lion’s

Club International will bedoing a bit of celebrating it-

self with a tradition of provid-

ing service, not only in El

Paso, but, throughout the

world.

Originally

created by the Down-

town Lion’s Club in

1935, the Parade,

which has undergone

several name changes because of the groups

that sponsor it, will fea-

ture traditional El Paso

scenes, people, music and

fun. The parade was held on

New Year’s Day from 1936 to

1978, when it was finally

moved to Thanksgiving Day

to avoid those coldish New

Year’s Day mornings. The pa-

rade, as always, will be the

largest community event inWest Texas, New Mexico,

and, yes, even Mexico.

While this Lion’s

Club International Thanksgiv-

ing will have many Lions en-

joying the holiday, many

others will be doing what

they do best – which is help-

ing communities throughout

the world with local projects,

sponsoring international ex-

changes with young people,

bringing drinking water to re-

mote villages, and building,

sharing, repairing, and having

fun.

Lions are groups of

service-minded men and

women who work to improve

their own communities and

others throughout the world.

Members can be young peo-

ple, families, and even baby-

boomers (those older, but

well experienced members).

To become a member, a per-

son must become an activevolunteer. This person will

then become a member of a

respected national and in-

ternational organization

and depending on his

or her skills will be-

come a leader and a

friend to people in

need. Membership

is by invitation

only, but, a person

can also start a newclub.

Many people want

to do good, they want to

help, but, may not know how

to get started. Lions help

communities that have been

torn apart by tsunamis or by

other destructive acts of na-

ture. Members may range in

age from 18 to 89, helping, in

many instances to restore

hope and to make friends all

over the world.

One vital initiative offered by

Lions Club International isthe “Opening Eyes” Program

– a service that, in September,

celebrated 10 years of helping

to improve eye care. A part-

nership between Lions Club

International Foundation,

LCIF, (the charitable arm of

Lions Club International) and

the Special Olympics has

helped screen more than

200,000 athletes competing in

Special Olympics. More than

12,000 Lions have volun-

teered in the “Opening Eyes”

program, while LCIF has

contributed more than $12

million in financial support.

So, whether it’s organizing

the first Sun Carnival Parade

ever, or whether it’s financing

and working to improve the

eyesight of people all over the

world, or whether it’s rebuild-

ing a community after a dev-

astating attack by nature, or

whether it’s helping young

people galvanize and work

hard to make improvements

in such places as Bangladesh,

Sri Lanka, Hawaii, Mexico or

in many other locales, the

Lions Club International has

the right answer – It Takes A

Lion!

Lion Victor Arias sr ,Judge Veronica and Lion Boss Kelly,presenting the judge her Certifate of

Appreciation for being our Speaker.

ImmanuelChristianSchool FootballState Champions

It was a night that most high school football players

only get to dream about, but for 27 young men it was a

dream come true. The Immanuel Christian Warriors

won its first ever 6-man TCAF football State Champi-

onship with a 89-63 win over Lucas Christian in Trent,Texas. The Warriors were led by running back Kyle

O’Leary who earned MVP honors for his performance,

while QB Levi Ramirez and WR Eric Bravo also

helped propel the offense. It was quite an achievement,

and one these young men will remember forever.




Westside Dog Park Groundbreaking

10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at Westside

Community Park

The Westside Dog Park

will have a groundbreaking

for the much anticipated lo-

cation inside Westside

Community Park, 7400

High Ridge St. at 10:00

a.m. on Saturday, Decem- ber 4, 2010.

In October 2009, the City

of El Paso received ap-

proval of a $150,000

matching grant from the

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the development of a Dog

Park facility at Westside Community Park. The City’s financial match

is from the 2000 Quality of Life Bonds.

The park will be three acres and no canine obstacle amenities are

planned for this facility while the dog park will be a free, self-di-

rected facility, similar to the adjacent skate park.

Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Nanette Smejkal, City of

El Paso Parks and Recreation Director and guest speaker will be City

Council Representative Ann Lilly.

Once opened in Spring 2011 the Dog Park will have the same hours

as the Westside Community Park of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Information

Judy Weiss (915) 541-4259

City Council Representative Ann Lilly (915) 541-4886

SPOTLIGHT EP NEWS NOVEMBER 26 2010 PAGE 5




Weather Trivia:

A n s w e r : C – 2 1 % .

Understanding how weather works on our planet means we must

first understand the atmosphere of our planet. Without our at-mosphere there would be no weather; there would be no life onearth.

The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth,held in place by gravity. It is a collection of four distinct layers,and several intermediate layers. These layers start at groundlevel, measured at sea level, and rise into what we call outer space.

The Troposphere

Troposphere means, ‘where the air turns over’. A very appropriate name, since the air closestto the earth is in a constant up and down flow. Also in this layer, the air is hotter closer to theearth’s surface and colder the higher up you travel. The troposphere is immediately importantin our daily activities.

Starting at sea level, the troposphere goes up seven miles. The bottom one third, that which isclosest to us, contains 50% of all atmospheric gases. This is the only part of the wholemakeup of the atmosphere that is breathable. This is the only area where all weather takes place. It also has the property of having a north –south oriented aspect. The air from the north-ern hemisphere and the air from the southern hemisphere meet and mingle at the equator, butnever go farther. Next, is a thin layer called the tropopause, which is just a buffer between thetroposphere and the stratosphere.

The Stratosphere

The stratosphere is the next layer of the atmosphere. Here the air doesn’t flow up and down, but flows parallel to the earth in very fast moving air streams. This is the layer where most jet planes fly. The stratosphere starts at approximately 8 – 10 miles and goes to approximately 30miles. The top edge of the stratosphere is abundant with ozone. Ozone is the byproduct of sunradiation and oxygen; by capturing the ultraviolet rays of the sun and deploying it, ozonetakes out the harmful effects. This is very important to all living things on earth, since unfil-tered radiation from the sun can destroy all animal tissue. After the stratosphere, there is againa buffer layer, this time called the stratopause.

The Mesosphere

Above this from thirty miles up to fifty miles is the mesosphere. This area reaches the coldesttemperatures of all the atmosphere, going to -130 degrees and lower. Here, meteors comingtoo close to earth burn up.

The Thermosphere

The last layer of the atmosphere called the thermosphere, and measured at fifty to ninetymiles above earth, contains less than 0.01% of all air within the atmospheric envelope. Tem- peratures here reach upward to 2000 degrees, but the gas molecules making up the air are sofar apart the temperature is not felt.

The Ionosphere

The very outer edge of the thermosphere is an area called the ionosphere and is not a separatelayer. Gas atoms drift into space from here. It is called ionosphere because in this part of theatmosphere the sun’s radiation is ionized, or pulled apart as it travels earth’s magnetic fields tothe north and south poles. This pulling apart is seen from earth as auroras.

By: “Doppler” Dave Speelman

WEATHER 101

“ Doppler" Dave Speelman is the chief meteorologist at KVIA-TV in El Paso. You can watchhis forecasts at 4, 5, 6 and 10 pm on ABC-7 (channel 6 cable). If you would like Doppler Dave to address (explain) any weather issues you can email him at [email protected].

Layers of our Atmosphere

A. 5%B. 9%

C. 21%

Without the ninety plus miles of atmosphere above us, the closest two plus miles whereall our weather takes place would not be possible. Our atmosphere swirls around theearth and the weather closest to the surface has its overall effective place within it.

The primary gases that make up our atmosphere are Nitro-gen, Oxygen and Argon. What percentage of the air isOxygen?

D. 34%

E. 50%





We must remember and honor allveterans and soldiers,

especially Vietnam Vets

By Joe Olvera ©, 2010

On this Thanksgiving Day, as we prepare to give thanks for the cornucopia of bless-

ings which our nation provides, we must not forget the men and women who pro-vide our protection in our Armed Forces – not only those fighting in the battlefields

of Iraq and Afghanistan, but, those who are securing our peace in other nations

across the globe. But, a special thanks must be given to those who fought and died

in Vietnam – a long-lasting war in which 2.7 million Americans fought, and in

which 58, 267 died.

These heroes, were not considered heroes by an ungrateful nation that welcomed

them back with warm embraces and shouts of hail hero. No, those who survived

and who managed to return were greeted by an angry America, with a mob mental-

ity and shouts of baby killer and other epithets too horrible to mention.

Yet, they did their duty, as they were ordered to. They fought in that far-off land,

where the enemy was relatively unknown, where bamboo sticks greeted their marchacross the land, and where atrocities were committed on both sides of the fence. A

website known as Viper’s Vietnam Veteran’s Page, is a website dedicated to those

who served in The Nam and returned, and to those who are still waiting to return,

and to those who will never return.

With the motto of “All Gave Some...Some Gave All,” the site is meant as a remem-

brance, lest we forget what those brave men and women gave for our freedom.

Many Americans, of course, didn’t see it that way – didn’t see it as fighting for our

freedom. They saw it differently, as many would-be heroes fled to Canada or Mex-

ico to hide from the realities of war. But, even those we have forgiven.

The gist of this reminder comes from an article in the Washington Times by Jim

Robbins, who tells the story of a Pentagon Bureaucrat, Michael L. Rhodes, director

of administration and management at the Pentagon. He has plans to cut a celebra-

tion that had been slated to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War

in half. The original idea, Robbins writes, is that the 50th Anniversary “should be a

time of reflection, of redemption, when a grateful country pays a long-standing debt

to veterans who fought in the conflict, but came home to scorn and spit.”

Rhodes, Robbins contends, wants to cut a $100 million appropriation already ap-

proved by the Secretary of Defense to $30 million. But, that’s not all, he wants to

kick off the celebration in Honolulu, Hawaii – a beautiful locale, to be sure, but, a

locale to which many Vietnam veterans won’t be able to attend either because of

old age, poor health, or because of the distance. .

Robbins writes that a series of events would begin in 2009, 50 years after a July 8,

1959 Viet Cong attack at Bien Hoa that killed Army Major Dale R. Buis, and Mas-

ter Sergeant Chester M. Ovnand, the first two names on the Vietnam War Memorial

in Washington, D.C. The commemoration would continue until 2025 and the 50th

Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon..

To readers who don’t know about Vietnam, or who may have forgotten – that war,

which was called a “conflict” was the longest in U.S. history. Veterans call that con-

flict, a “savage, in your face war where death could and did strike from anywhere,

with no warning. The brave young men and women who fought paid an awful price

of blood, pain, and suffering.”To many veterans who were dragged into that fight, there is still resentment because

their efforts were not recognized by an ungrateful nation. To not recognize in full

bore the men and women who came home in tattered pieces to shouts of “baby

killers,” is to ignore a large segment of our population who remember that war with

terrible memories and nightmares that, to this day, continue unabated.

Yes, let’s give thanks on this Thanksgiving Day to the men and women who are en-

gaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whether you agree with the politics in-

volved or not, they are not there because they want to be, they are being asked to

fight our battles because they are soldiers, while we carve our turkeys and enjoy

ourselves on this day of deliverance. But, please, don’t let’s forget our men and

women who also fought long ago in a conflict that turned into a war, in which advi-sors became battle casualties, and who suffered when they came home. Not com-

memorate the Vietnam War? The audacity!

Sin Fin

Cost of Long-Term Care Rising,but It's Still a Good DealTerry Savage

Cost of Long-Term Care Rising,

but It's Still a Good Deal

Stop what you're doing, and an-swer this question: Will you care

for your parents — and your in-

laws — in their old age? Will

you invite them into your home,

to use the bedroom your college

kid just vacated, and will you

provide them with help dressing

and bathing?

Or let's reverse the situation:

Who will care for you in your

old age? Will your children in-vite you into their home and

help you shower and take you to

your doctors' appointments?

Think about it — because one

way or another, we're all going

to be faced with this problem. If

you're all alone, the situation

might be even more dire.

The one answer to all these

questions is long-term care in-

surance. I've been recommend-

ing it for years. I thought it was

a great deal. And now I have

proof.

Long-term care insurance poli-

cies have been such a great deal

that one of the top underwriters

— MetLife — has just an-

nounced it will no longer sell

these policies. (Of course, it iscontractually required to keep

its existing policies on the books

and stand behind them when

payout is needed.) And another

top LTC insurance underwriter,

John Hancock (a division of

Manulife), has just announced

an intention to raise policy

prices an average of 40 percent!

These policies were such a good

deal that the companies werelosing money on them. If you

had followed my advice to limit

payments to 10 years, you'd

have a fully paid-up policy now

— a valuable asset.

Fortunately, a third major

provider, Genworth, told me:

"Genworth is committed to the

long-term care insurance mar-

ket. We've been there since 1974

and plan to maintain a leader-

ship position in the industry

going forward, with our overall

goal of growing the industry,

and not just Genworth's share."

But the real question is whether

it's too late to buy a long-term

care insurance policy. The an-

swer is no — with some caveats.

Your policy will be more expen-sive — but less likely to have

the premiums increase in future

years because the companies re-

maining in the business have

more experience, which makes

current pricing more accurate.

You might have to settle for

three years' coverage, instead of

lifetime — but that certainly

would be a help if the need

arises.

Ask your agent to help you find

a policy with premiums you can

afford. Compared with the cost

of care, which is increasing

much faster than the consumer

price index, the premiums are

moderate.

Long-term custodial care is not

covered by Medicare or

Medicare supplements — butmay be covered by Medicaid if

you have spent down most of

your assets.

Long-term care is costly. A re-

cent MetLife survey shows the

cost of care rising at 4.6 percent

a year for private room nursing

homes.

— The average private room

nursing home now costs

$83,585 a year.

— Assisted living facilities now

cost nearly $40,000 a year, more

if you have a cognitive problem.

— Home health aides cost

nearly $21 an hour. If you

needed care nine hours a day,

five days a week while your

family caregiver is working, it

would cost $49,140 a year.

So let's get back to the questionof how you will pay for care for

your parents, or yourself. It's not

a burden any generation wants

to put on the next.

And don't rely on the govern-

ment. Medicaid provides care

primarily in state-funded nurs-

ing homes, taking away your

choice of care providers. And

those stressed state budgets

mean that those nursing homesare already woefully under-

funded. The same baby boom

generation that crowded into

mobile classrooms in the 1950s

and 1960s will now be crowded

into whatever facilities can be

found to provide care cheaply.

A woefully small long-term care

benefit was included in the

health care reform bill — with provisions that mean private

long-term care insurance is a

better deal, if you can get it.

That's why you need to purchase

long-term care insurance. You'll

find four chapters — an entire

section — on the subject in my

latest book, "The New Savage

Number."

You'll want to learn about infla-tion protection and other policy

features. But don't let the details

overwhelm you.

And a final piece of advice:

Don't wait until you're older to

buy. Remember, even Super-

man, Christopher Reeve, needed

long-term care in the prime of

his life. The need for care could

happen to you at any time. And

that's The Savage Truth.

Terry Savage is a registered in-

vestment adviser and is on the

board of the Chicago Mercantile

Exchange. She appears weekly

on WMAQ-Channel 5's 4:30

p.m. newscast, and can be

reached at

www.terrysavage.com. She is

the author of the new book,

"The New Savage Number:

How Much Money Do You Re-

ally Need to Retire?"

COPYRIGHT 2010 TERRY SAVAGE PRODUCTIONS





Rich monochromatic color, such as this ruby-red jersey dressfrom Canadian designer Lida Baday, can slim down your holidaywardrobe. Photo courtesy of www.lidabaday.com.

Sharon Mosley

Does the thought of your

Mom's homemade pumpkin

pie make your thighs giggle?

Or Aunt Sally's rum banana

pudding make those belly

rolls do an extra flip flop? If

so, then join the season

when we all think we have a

little (or a lot) of something

to hide. And forget the Santa

suits. We have to wear real

clothes to offices and parties

and family dinners.

So, how do you minimize

the damage of those few

extra pounds that are bound

to appear at this time of

year? Here are a few tipsthat I've personally found to

slim down a holiday

wardrobe and maximize cel-

ebrating a few guilty pleas-

ures at the same time:

— Rule No. 1: Monochro-

matic dressing. OK, this is a

no-brainer: Wear one color

from head to toe. Whether

it's classic black or a rich

ruby red is always going to

make you look slimmer. It's

an instant way to dress ele-

gantly in your favorite jersey

dress or a menswear-tailored

pantsuit. This season, I'd go

for wearing one strong color

or blend one color in differ-

ent shades — lighter and

darker. I find this works par-

ticularly well with various

values of charcoal and silver.

And remember to keep the

lighter shades on top.

— Rule No. 2: Yes, dark colors do make you look

slimmer and can be sophisti-

cated and glamorous. But at

holiday time, I don't know

about you, but I want to have

a little bit more fun. For

more drama, I like to perk up

my basic blacks with some

interesting "sparklers" —

bold jeweled necklaces,

big cocktail rings, dan-gling chande-

lier

earrings (my mom's

rhinestone "earrings" from

the '50s are some of my fa-

vorites), and some sequined

tanks and fringed sheer

scarves.

— Rule No. 3: Stick to ver-

tical lines. We're not just

talking about horizontal

stripes here — we all know

those can make us look as

big as a boat dock — but

think about proportions.

Long and lean is key. Look

at yourself in the mirror

when you get dressed. This

has stopped me cold a few

times. What about that

breezy, printed chiffon pon-

cho top over wide-legged pants? Hmmm ... not so

good.

See how your eyes skim

your overall silhouette. If it

stops mid-thigh — that is the

widest part of your body —

then you need to rethink

things. That's exactly where

everyone else's eyes will

stop when you waltz in thedoor with your poinsettia

martini. I love the long knit

or fur vests that skim right

over the top of the hips ... a

great jacket or tunic top can

do the same thing.

— Rule No. 4: Opposites at-

tract. This has always been a

good rule of thumb for me — just think balance.

We're talking fuller tu-

nics and tops over skinny

pants or slimmer jackets and

tops over fuller skirts and

pants. Keep cuts simple and

fabrics rich.

— Rule No. 5: I'm a big fan

of what I call the "one

unique art piece," and this

often happens to be a shawl

or scarf or jacket for me. I

don't really call them "cover-

ups," but I do tend to collect

interesting, one-of-a-kind

fashion items that I wear for

years and years. I scour an-

tique shops, vintage stores

and have even been known

to cozy up in a mohair throw

from one of my favorite

"home decor" stores.

There is definitely a trick to

layering: Keep fabrics light-

weight and keep the first

layer tight (I love

camisoles). The other outer

layers should skim the body,

not hug it. So think outside

the box when it comes to

"layering" it on for the holi-

days. You'll be surprised athow creative you can get,

and you won't look like any-

one else at the party!

Sharon Mosley is a former

fashion editor of the

Arkansas Gazette in Little

Rock and executive director

of the Fashion Editors and

Reporters Association.

COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM




DEAR ABBY by Abigail Van Buren

DEAR ABBY: My hus-

band and I returned to our

hometown and bought a bun-

galow in a cute older neigh-

borhood. The homes are closetogether, separated by a sin-

gle driveway.

Our neighbors on

both sides of us are smokers.

They smoke on their front

porches and flick their smol-

dering butts onto the drive-

way and yard. The ground is

littered with them, which my

two toddlers want to put into

their mouths every time they

go outside. Often I'll go outwith a bag and collect the

butts, but it's annoying having

to pick up someone's easily

discarded trash -- particularly

trash that has been in some-

one's mouth.

My neighbors are

pretty rough, and I'm afraid a

confrontation could result in

an escalation of the problem.

Should I continue gathering

up the butts and keep mymouth shut? Or should I just

"butt out"? -- BOTHERED

IN MISSOURI

DEAR BOTHERED: If

you are concerned about a

hostile reaction from your

neighbors, do not approach

them -- particularly if you're

afraid that doing so could be-

come confrontational. In-

stead, plant hedges or bushes

between your property and

theirs, and have your children

play -- under your supervi-

sion -- in the backyard.

**DEAR ABBY: My mom

has three sisters, two of

whom I am very close to and

love dearly. The problem is

the third sister, "Aunt

Sandy." She had a

falling out with

Mom a few years

ago and is nowconsid-

ered the

black

sheep of the family.

At my grand-

mother's funeral, I had the

chance to sit and talk with

her, and I didn't feel I was

doing anything wrong. How-

ever, my mom told me later

she was "hurt" because I had

talked to Aunt Sandy know-ing the family is upset with

her. Mom said she'd appreci-

ate it if I didn't do it again. I

tried to explain that the way

she feels about her sister

shouldn't have anything to do

with our relationship, but

Mom refuses to understand. I

want a connection with my

Aunt Sandy without hurting

my mom. Please help. --

WE'RE STILL RELATED

DEAR STILL RE-

LATED: I wish you had told

me in more detail why your

mother is angry with Sandy,

and why the rest of the family

is cooperating in isolating

her. However, you are an

adult. Whom you choose to

befriend is your business, not

your mother's. If you wish to

pursue a relationship withAunt Sandy, you are free to

do so. And if you don't want

your mother to be "hurt,"

don't discuss it with her.

**DEAR ABBY: I was walk-

ing to lunch a few days ago

and approached the entrance

of a restaurant a couple of

seconds after a man ap-

proaching from the opposite

direction. He was a gentle-

man and held the door for

me. I said thank you andwalked inside.

Even though he

was there first, I wound up in

front of him in a long line.

Are there rules of etiquette

for this? I felt a little awk-

ward essentially cutting in

line after he was so chival-

rous. -- NICOLE IN DEN-

VER

DEAR NICOLE: There isno rule of etiquette that dic-

tates it, but you could have

offered the gentleman a

chance to be in line in front

of you. However, if you did,

he might have extended his

chivalry further and refused.

**

Dear Abby is written by Abi-

gail Van Buren, also known

as Jeanne Phillips, and was

founded by her mother,Pauline Phillips. Write Dear

Abby at www.DearAbby.com

or P.O. Box 69440, Los An-

geles, CA 90069.

**

To receive a collection of

Abby's most memorable --

and most frequently re-

quested -- poems and essays,

send a business-sized, self-

addressed envelope, pluscheck or money order for $6

(U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby --

Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box

447, Mount Morris, IL

61054-0447. (Postage is in-

cluded in the price.)COPYRIGHT 2010 UNIVERSAL UCLICK

MOTHER DOES A SLOW BURN PICKINGUP SMOKERS' TRASH

DearAbby

,

Energy Express

Anger in America: Mad Is BadWhen It Comes to Your Health

Marilynn Preston

Sam is a sweet guy — but put

him traffic, and watch him ex-

plode. He gets mad in traffic

jams, mad at stupid drivers,

even mad at himself for

choosing the slowest lane.

Lisa has a hair trigger, too,

when it comes to venting dis-

tress. Her pet peeve? Rude

people who talk on cell

phones within earshot of her.

"I can hear you!" she bellows.Who said two wrongs don't

make a right?

The 2010 election certainly

revealed a high level of anger

and frustration among mil-

lions of voters in and out of

the tea party. People are

stressed about too much

spending, too little spending,

our rising debt, our falling

stature worldwide. Add to thisthe everyday challenges of re-

lationships, kids and bills, and

you've got a tsunami of upset,

a tornado of tension that we

see all around us, whether it's

expressed as road rage or hate

crimes or bullying in schools.

So don't get angry when I re-

mind you that if you want to

live a healthier, happier

lifestyle, it's not enough to eat

well and exercise often.

You've got to do something to

manage your hostility, and let

go of resentment, bitterness

and other toxic emotions.

"Holding on to anger is like

grasping a hot coal with the

intent of throwing it at some-

one else," the Buddha taught.

"You are the one who gets burned."

There is plenty of research to

show that feeling anger — too

often, too long — often puts

an enormous strain on your

health. It boosts your blood

pressure and tenses your mus-

cles. Anger also triggers a

dump of chemicals into your

body — things like epineph-

rine and norepinephrine — and, over time, that can clog

up your blood vessels and

damage your heart. There are

other nasty effects too, but

rather than dwell on the prob-

lem, let's look at a few solu-

tions:

STOP AND THINK.

Develop a witness conscious-

ness. Monitor your reactions

to negative events or people,

and when you observe your-

self going into the mad mode,

stop and switch course. Be

pro-active instead of reactive.

Allow yourself to reframe the

insult so it makes you laugh

instead of fume. Don't get

mad, don't get even, gethealthy with a funny remark

that makes you smile instead

of steam.

TALK YOURSELF

DOWN. Watch your anger

building in any situation, and

talk yourself out of it before it

takes over. It's one thing to

express frustration or appear

assertive. Anger is something

else. It's like throwing up —

you know when it's happen-

ing. To defuse it on the spot,

count to 10 or breathe deeply

or repeat the word "calm"

over and over until anger

gives way and serene self-

confidence moves in.

RISE ABOVE THE

FURY. Don't let someone

else's anger (or rudeness, or stupidity) provoke you. Rise

above it. Step aside, and let

their thoughtless behavior

blow by. Remain calm and in

control. It's a sign of strength,

not weakness.

MEDITATE. You can train

your brain to be calm and

clear by developing a medita-

tion practice. A few minutes a

day on the pillow or in achair — eyes closed, relaxed,

focusing on your breath or a

mantra — is a blissful

way to transform

anger into grati-

tude. How cool is

that?

REMEMBER:

Anger is a toxic

emotion that takes

a terrible toll onyour mind and body.

Holding anger, laying

blame, feeling the victim are

unhealthy ways to react to the

world. Develop a strategy for

dealing with life's inevitable

upsets, and let it inspire calm

and clarity instead of calamity

and chaos.

EAT THIS UP! IN PRAISE

OF THE SWEET POTATO

In the run up to Thanksgiving,let us give thanks for the 150calorie sweet potato. It'sloaded with fiber, rich in vita-mins A and C, packed with potassium and powerful an-tioxidants, and a much health-

ier choice than agarden-variety white baked potato. Every day is a holidaywhen you put one of these beauties into a pre-heated 450degree oven for an hour or so,until soft. Skip the butter,mash and top with your fa-vorite veggie. If you can't de-cide, do petite peas. Divine!

ENERGY EXPRESS-O!

EXERCISE THE WILL TOLET GO

“The best remedy for a short

temper is a long walk.” —

Jacqueline Schiff

Marilynn Preston — fitness

expert, personal trainer and

speaker on healthy lifestyle

issues — is the creator of En-

ergy Express, the longest-run-

ning syndicated fitnesscolumn in the country. She

has a website, http://marilyn-

npreston.com and welcomes

reader questions, which can

be sent to MyEnergyEx-

[email protected].

COPYRIGHT

2010 ENERGYEXPRESS,

LTD.




Everyday Cheapskate

Why Didn't I Think of That?!Mary Hunt

Sticky notes, instant messag-

ing, zip-close bags — these

are just some of the things I

use and love and wish I hadinvented. When I was reading

through the following reader

tips, I had the same thought:

Why didn't I think of that?!

RECIPES ON THE GO.

I like to keep recipes for

quick, simple meals on index

cards in the glove compart-

ment in my car. If I am run-

ning late and need to pick upsomething quick and easy for

dinner, I just select a card; it

has the recipe and a grocery

list right there. — Damian D.,

Colorado

TOOTHPICK

HOLDER . I needed some-

thing to hold toothpicks, so I

cleaned out a short votive

candle holder. It is just the

right size and looks good,too. — Tara H., e-mail

SNAPPY BOOKMARK.

Those metal snap hair clips

make great, inexpensive

bookmarks. You can snap the

point of the clip so it points

directly to the place on the

page where you stopped read-

ing, and the clips hold on to

the pages without ripping

them. You can buy a sheet of

them at the dollar store. —

Raquel W., Florida

NO-FRIZZ CURLS. I

have curly hair, but I don't

buy gel for curly hair. In-

stead, I apply regular condi-

tioner after shampooing, but I

don't rinse it out. Then I just

towel-dry before I blow-dry

my hair and scrunch it with-

out a brush. Some frizz may

appear again, but I simply

place a small amount of con-ditioner in my hand and work

it through the frizzy areas.

My hair stays soft and is not

sticky. — Marianne R., Penn-

sylvania

FREEZE IMPORTANT

PAPERS. I keep my impor-

tant papers in a heavy freezer

bag in the deep freezer. I hear

that in a fire, the inside of thefreezer doesn't burn easily.

Besides, the bank said there is

a waiting list as long as my

arm for safe-deposit boxes.

— Jill N., Florida

HAIRCUT TRICK. Be-

fore cutting your child's (or

spouse's) hair, rub down

his/her neck with cornstarch.

This will keep the cut pieces

of hair from sticking tohis/her skin and causing it to

itch. My son used to cry as if

he were dying whenever I cut

his hair. Now haircuts are

tear-free. — Jan J., Ala-

bama

DOUBLE THE

FROSTING.

When you buy a

container of cakefrosting, whip it

with your

mixer for a few

minutes. You

can double it in

size and frost

more cakes or

cupcakes with the

same amount. A nutri-

tional benefit to this is that

you'll eat less sugar and fewer

calories per serving. — Sue

K., North Carolina

CABINETMAKEOVER. Wish you

had the funds to update your

kitchen? Instead of installing

brand-new cabinets, save

some money by switching out

the old handles or knobs for

brand-new ones. They'll give

the whole room a new look.

— Grace M., Michigan

CHILL THE WRAP. Tomake your plastic wrap easy

to control, store it in your re-

frigerator. It won't be so

prone to stick to itself. —

Marsha H., Kentucky

Would you like to send a tip

to Mary? You can e-mail her

at mary@everydaycheap-

skate.com, or write to Every-

day Cheapskate, P.O. Box

2135, Paramount, CA 90723.Include your first and last

name and state. Mary Hunt is

the founder of www.Debt-

ProofLiving.com and au-

thor of 18 books,

including "Debt-

Proof Living"

and "Tip-

tionary

2."

COPY-RIGHT

2010

CRE-

ATORS.COM

2 Mch TxtngNo Gd 4 Teens

Scott LaFee

A new social disease is running amok among teenagers. It's

called hyper-texting, and it's bad for their health, according

to researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medi-

cine.

Hyper-texting is defined as

sending 120 or more text

messages per school day.

In a Case Western survey,

almost 20 percent of teens

were hyper-texters. They

were most often female,

minority, with lower so-cioeconomic status and no

father in the home. Com-

paring data, the researchers said hyper-texters were 40 per-

cent more likely to have tried cigarettes, two times more

likely to have tried alcohol, 43 percent more likely to be

binge drinkers, 41 percent more likely to have used illicit

drugs, 55 percent more likely to have been in a physical

fight and 3.5 times more likely to have had sex.

The findings follow an earlier study called the Children's

Sleep Habits Questionnaire that found more than half of

children and teens who text a lot are likely to have sleep problems and experience mood, behavior and cognitive

problems during the day.

BODY OFKNOWLEDGE

It takes the food 7 seconds to get fromyour mouth to yourstomach.




Home Zone

Make a Statement When Sending GreetingsMaggie Reed

Zimension Cards

are multifaceted, eye-catch-

ing, handcrafted and exclu-sive cards for every occasion.

This unique line of products

is considered the first com-

pletely custom, pop-up 3-D

cards available to the general

public.

Different than those from a

custom invitation house and

other existing pop-up cards,Zimension is tailored to the

individual. For example, pho-

tos of a family can be made to

stand in front of a pop-up, 3-

D version of their Christmas

tree for a holiday card. For an

invitation to a house warm-

ing, a photo of the family

home can be turned into the

pop-up on the invitation.

Snowflake Gift Co., the com-

pany behind Zimension

Cards, has been providing

these one-of-a-kind products

to celebrities for years.

"When pop-star Lance Bass

was heading off to Broadway,

he chose us to create his

'Going Away Party' invita-

tions," says Ryan Kenney,

president of Zimension Cards.

"We created birthday cards

for actor Jason Boggs andluau wedding invitations for

Marissa Winokur, Tony

Award-winning actress of

'Hairspray,'" Kenney says.

In 2008, Warner Bros. gave

every Oscar nominee a con-

gratulatory pop-up from Zi-

mension. "No matter the

event or occasion, we create

something three-dimensional

that is as unique as the clientsthemselves."

Zimension Cards can make a

card from scratch that's

specifically designed for a

customer. Or they can cus-

tomize any one of their pre-

existing designs listed on the

site.

All a customer has to do is

supply the images, photos andtext they want for their 3-D

card. Proofs will be sent out

in about five days. Once fully

approved, the finished prod-

ucts will arrive within two

weeks. If a customer provides

Zimension Cards with a guest

list, they can even mail out

the cards for an additional fee.

Initially, Zimension Cards

started creating large custom

models of people's homes and

businesses. Although they

made a unique gift, they could

only reach a small audience.

The company then came up

with a new patent-pending

process that would create this

same memorable custom im-

pression, but it would be dis-

tributed through smaller

cards.

These pop-up cards are 5 1/2

inches by 4 1/4 inches or 81/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches

with as many as four layers of

depth.

Made in copies of 20

or 1,000 plus, and

everywhere in be-

tween, pricing is de-

termined by quantity,

card size and number

of 3-D layers in-

volved.

Zimension cards are

ideal for invitations

to parties, birthdays,

holidays, gatherings,

engagements, wed-

dings, births, busi-

ness openings,

graduations and re-

tirements. They also

work well for market-

ing.

For more information,

visit www.zimension-

cards.com.

CAMUS

For this year's holiday season,

the CAMUS family intro-

duces a range of gifts with

VS, VSOP and XO cognacs

from their Elegance collec-

tion.

Gift sets include:

— Elegance VS: A fresh,

lively, smooth cognac that re-

veals distinctive floral aromas

and a fruity palate with a gen-tle vanilla finish. Perfect as a

host/hostess gift, this gift box

includes a bottle of CAMUS

VS Elegance and two tum-

blers. Retail price is $26.

— Elegance VSOP: An ex-

ceptional harmony of floral

aromas, soft fruity notes and a

light touch of oak, CAMUS

VSOP Elegance is great on

ice or in cocktails. The gift

box includes two tumblers

etched with the quatrefoil

CAMUS logo, a bottle of

VSOP. It retails for $42.

— XO Elegance: A blend of

venerable eaux-de-vie from

exceptional vineyards, this

special cognac is rich and

soft. With subtle hints of

vanilla, candied fruits,liquorice and mild oak, it cul-

minates in a lasting and leath-

ery finish. Perfect for an

intimate dinner, a guest of

honor toast or a romantic

evening by the fire, this lim-

ited-edition gift box includes

a bottle of CAMUS XO Ele-

gance and two crystal tulip

glasses. Retail price is $120.

For more information, visit

www.camus.fr.

Maggie Reed may be reached

at [email protected] 2010 CREATORS.COM

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Photo courtesy of CAMUS.




FOCUS ON THE FAMILY with Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery

FIND BALANCE WHEN PLANNING NEW BABY'S SLEEP SCHEDULEQ: I'm expecting my second

child soon and a friend gave

me a book that's supposed to

help infants get on a regular sleeping schedule right away.

I did a little online research

and discovered this book is

controversial. However, I re-

ally need something like this

because my first child didn't

sleep through the night until

after her first birthday! Is

scheduling OK?

Juli: When it

comes to scheduling sleeping

and eating for infants, there

are two major philosophies.

There's what we'll call a

"child-centered approach" in

which the parents plan what

they're doing around the in-

fant's needs. They let the in-

fant eat and sleep whenever

the infant wants to and they

pick up and cuddle the baby

whenever he or she cries.

The second philos-ophy is often called "family-

centered" and focuses on the

baby learning to assimilate to

the family's schedule. Feed-

ings and naptimes are sched-

uled, and the goal is to get the

baby to sleep through the

night as soon as possible.

This approach sounds like the book that you mentioned.

Taken to the ex-

treme, both of these ap-

proaches can be dangerous to

the child -- emotionally and,

perhaps, physically. If you

take the child-centered ap-

proach to the extreme, every

time the baby cries, Mom is

busy trying to feed, rock or

calm her. This can lead to a

child who doesn't know howto self-soothe.

If you take the fam-

ily-centered approach to an

extreme, you run the risk of

not meeting your child's

physical, medical and emo-

tional needs. A baby's needs

change from day-to-day,

week-to-week. Your pediatri-

cian should give you some

guidelines regarding your

baby's need for food andsleep based on weight and de-

velopment.

I'd encourage you

to use common sense in

blending these two ap-

proaches together. Try to in-

troduce some structure into

your baby's life. Loose sched-

ules for eating and sleeping

will do this. But within the

structure, be sure to be re-

sponsive to your baby'schanging needs for food,

sleep and comfort.

**

Q: I often read

about the problems associated

with letting kids watch too

much TV. Certainly, there's a

lot of trash out there. But is

there any research that favors

letting young children watch

strictly educational program-

ming?

Jim: Offensivecontent is not the only reason

to limit a child's TV intake.

Regardless of what they're

watching, research shows that

too much TV can cause kids

to struggle academically and

socially.

A team of re-

searchers from Canada andthe U.S. recently released

some startling findings re-

garding the effects of TV on

toddlers. The Archives of Pe-

diatric and Adolescent Medi-

cine studied children's

viewing habits at age 2 1/2,

and then checked in with the

same kids again when they

reached age 10. The study

found that for every addi-

tional hour of televisionviewing per week at age 2,

the kids experienced a 7 per-

cent drop in classroom atten-

tion and a 6 percent drop in

math skills. They were also

more likely to be bullied;

they exercised less, weighed

more, and ate more unhealthy

snacks.

The same study

also confirmed previous re-

search showing that early TVexposure undermines a

child's attention span. It also

suggested that kids who

spend more time watching

TV and less time playing

with other kids may lose

valuable chances to learn so-

cial skills.If you take this re-

search seriously, then the bot-

tom line is that too much TV

is detrimental to young chil-

dren, regardless of the con-

tent. We'd recommend getting

your kids involved in other

activities, far away from the

TV. Turn it off whenever you

can -- or get rid of it alto-

gether, as my family did two

years ago!**

Jim Daly is president of Focus

on the Family, host of the

Focus on the Family radio pro-

gram, and a husband and fa-

ther of two.

Dr. Juli Slattery is a

licensed psychologist, co-host

of Focus on the Family, author

of several books, and a wife

and mother of three.

Submit your questions to:[email protected]

Copyright 2010 Focus on the Family, ColoradoSprings, CO 80995




Video Game Reviews




Video Game Reviews

Jeb Haught

DEVELOPER: Lionhead Stu-

diosPUBLISHER: Microsoft

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox

360

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars

(out of 5)

Peter Molyneux's "Fable" se-

ries certainly has changed

over the years, but each new

game becomes more and

more accessible to the

masses. While this has drawn

many new players to the se-

ries, some core gamers are

turned off by the streamlined

experience. "Fable III" fol-

lows the same pattern.

Set five decades after the

events in "Fable 2," the story

follows the exploits of the an-cient hero's ancestor as he

gathers followers to help him

or her overthrow the evil dic-

tator of Albion. Along the

way, players can undertake all

sorts of side quests, take on

jobs, upgrade weapons and

magic, purchase property,

marry and start a family, and

much more.

Some quests and other activi-ties like seducing potential

lovers require leading them

around by the hand, which is

a great metaphor for the way I

feel when playing this game.Combat is simplistic and

hardly ever challenging, and

every quest shows me exactly

where to go. Heck, I can't

even tell my pet dog whom to

attack during combat! It just

feels like nearly everything is

too easy.

Everything except accessing

the map or any useful infor-

mation, that is. Instead of aneasy-to-use menu, players

have to run around a sanctu-

ary and activate different

areas, which is a pain in the

butt. Some time and/or effort-

saving features are appreci-

ated, however, such as being

able to fast travel to each area

and buying property from the

map screen.

I appreciate the ability to use

melee, magic and projectile

attacks during combat, but

why is there only one melee

attack button? And why is the

button shared by the block ability? I would love to have

the traditional horizontal and

vertical attack buttons found

in most action games — with

block on another button en-

tirely. That would give com-

bat a deeper feel. Magic, on

the other hand, is done very

well, and I love wielding dif-

ferent magic on each guant-

let!

"Fable III" won't appeal to

everyone, but it definitely

takes players on a unique and

wondrous journey.

'Sengoku BASARA:

Samurai Heroes' is Se-

verely Outdated

DEVELOPER: Capcom

PUBLISHER: CapcomSYSTEM: Sony PlayStation

3, Nintendo Wii

PRICE: $39.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 2 stars

(out of 5)

Koei has the monopoly on

'Dynasty Warriors'-style ac-tion games, but it's not for the

reason you might think. It

isn't because they invented

this action game offshoot or

because it's technologically

stunning. No, the reason no

other company makes them is

because few gamers actually

enjoy playing them. But this

hasn't stopped Capcom from

wasting lots of money creat-

ing "Sengoku BASARA:

Samurai Heroes."

Perhaps, the biggest draw to

this game is the fact that the

producer of 'Devil May Cry

4,' Hiroyuki Kobayashi, takes

the helm. Unfortunately, this

fancy addition doesn't seem to

add much beyond flashy spe-

cial moves, since the game

play is only slightly less bor-ing than every other game of

this sort. Not even the story

line takes any chances; it in-

stead follows complex feudal

warfare in Japan during the

reign of Nobunaga.

Promising warriors begin

their button-mashing journey

by selecting one of a dozen

mighty heroes to take onto the

battlefield. Then it's time toliterally wipe out thousands

of enemies per level as you

mindlessly press the "square"

button over and over and over

(and over and over and over)

to perform the "normal art."

To mix things up, "special

arts" can be used occasionallyand the 'super art' even less

often. Slow-motion "Hero

Time" is supposed to change

things up, but instead it just

drags the experience out

longer.

Players who manage to make

it through a couple of levels

without tossing the disc like a

Frisbee can upgrade weapons

with resources they collected

during combat. This is a cool

addition, but the only way to

enjoy the results is to dive

back into another 45-minute

button-mashing extravaganza!

No, thanks.

"Sengoku BASARA: Samurai

Warriors" may be less expen-

sive than most new releases,

but that's because it's much

less enjoyable.

REVIEW SCORING

SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Very Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rat-

ing Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and

older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

To find out more about Jeb Haught

and read features by other Creators

Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit

the Creators Syndicate website at

www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM.




Exercise keeps your pethealthy and out of trouble,too

By Marty Becker

Universal Uclick

Does your dog have the ba-sics — food, water, shelter

and veterinary care — but

never does anything but sit

around? Pretend your house is

an exhibit at the zoo. You

wouldn’t want visitors to

come by, look at your dog in-

active and bored, and think,

“Oh, that poor thing!” would

you?

A dog’s body is

made for motion — as a

hunter and a scavenger — and

thanks to centuries of selec-

tive breeding, also for count-

less physical tasks in the serv-

ice of humankind. If you want

to see it for yourself, just

watch for your dog’s preydrive. They all have it, though

it’s buried deeper in some

dogs than others. Everything

about a dog is designed to see

and go after potential prey:

the way his eyes focus, the

way his nerves are routed, the

way he’s on his feet and after

that squirrel, tennis ball or the

opening of the treat drawer, or

the movement toward the

door for a walk before even

the dog himself seems to fully

process what’s going on.

An animal with that

strong an instinct to take off

running wants and needs ex-

ercise to be happy and healthy

— no matter how cushy hisspot is on the couch.

Get your dog back

to his roots: He needs to

move, to work, to play and to

prey to be healthy and happy.

Movement helps a dog shed

excess pounds as well as be-

havior problems. And keeping

him active is good for you:

Studies show you’ll be more

likely to be more fit as well,

and you and your dog will be

more tightly bonded.

Long before the ca-

nine family tree was split by

human intervention into suchdiverse branches as the Irish

setter, the bulldog, the

Alaskan malamute and the

Yorkshire terrier (and all com-

binations thereof), feral dogs

spent their waking hours

using their wits and their bod-

ies to search for food. Some-

times they hunted and

sometimes they scavenged,

but they were on the move,

working for the next meal tokeep them alive. When hu-

mans came into the picture,

many kinds of dogs became

even more active. The ma-

jority of breeds worldwide

were developed through se-

lective breeding to help

hunters and farmers get and

protect their own food sup-

plies. All the retrievers,

hounds, terriers, setters,shepherds and collies of the

world are a testament to

these work-dogs, who are

born with a drive to earn

their keep by working along-

side their owners.

Exercising your dogis a responsibility, right up

there with providing him with

food, water, shelter and vet-

erinary care. Without an ade-

quate outlet for their energy,

even sweet, easygoing dogs

can quickly develop a trifecta

of serious issues: bad behav-

ior brought on by boredom,

excess weight and potentially

significant health problems.

The best exercisefor any dog is something that

engages both body and mind.

These activities can help your

dog prove to you the tenet all

veterinarians hold dear: Atired dog is a happy dog.

You can start with

something simple, or dedicate

your life to training and com-

peting with your dog — it

doesn’t matter, as long as you

start. As the saying goes,

“Every journey starts with a

single step,” which is why

there’s a natural place to

begin. Walking! What are you

waiting for? Grab a leash andhit the road with your dog!

Pet Connection is produced by a team

of pet-care experts headed by “Good

Morning America” and “The Dr. Oz

Show” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker

and award-winning journalist GinaSpadafori. The two are also the au-

thors of many best-selling pet-care

books. Dr. Becker can also be found at

Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on

Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

About Pet Connection

A dog who’s getting exercise regularly — even a good daily walk — is going to be a better pet than a bored animal with nothing to do.



George Varga

The stakes are higher than usual for charismatic

R&B vocal star Usher, who launched his eight-week,

25-city "OMG" tour in Seattle on Nov. 10.

His two new albums, "Vs." and "Raymond v. Ray-

mond," both released this year, are arguably the least

inspired efforts of his career, artistically speaking.

Both are weighed down by generic ballads and dial-

by-number dance jams that make him sound dis-

tracted, if not disinterested.

While both albums have done well on the charts and

yielded hit singles — including "OMG's" heavily

Auto-Tuned title track — Usher's star power has

been eclipsed by his 16-year-old protege, Justin

Bieber, whose career Usher played a major role inlaunching.

"I'm very proud. I'm very, very proud of the success

that we've had," Usher, speaking during a recent na-

tional teleconference, said of his work with Bieber.

"The type of foundation we've developed, that all

artists strive for — we want some type of substance

there, you know, to continue to grow. I'm invested in

it. The integrity of what I recognized in him as an

artist. He has not ever compromised, and he is anartist that continues to grow and that he as an artist is

properly relating to his audience.

"I'm very proud though, man. You know, I think that

with a new wave of entertainers that are up and com-ing, and I just wanted to make a contribution that I

felt like would to definitely help to grow Bieb's busi-

ness."

Of course, Usher (himself a former teen-pop star of

sorts) has had a lot on his mind besides Bieber these

past few years.

Born Usher Raymond IV, the Texas native got mar-

ried in 2007 to Tameka Foster. Their son, Usher Ray-

mond V, was born later that year and a second son, Naviyd, was born in 2008. Usher and his wife di-

vorced in 2009.

Continues on page 19

Usher has just

started his "OMG"tour featuring songs

from his two recent

albums. Photo cour-

tesy of Anthony

Mandler.


CINEMARK CIELO VISTA Now Showing



CINEMARK CIELO VISTA

Gateway West Blvd/Cielo Vista Mall

CINEMARK 14 - EL PASO

West side of El Paso at Mesa & I-10

*NO PASSES-NO SUPERSAVERS

Las Palmas i-10 @ Zaragosa

*NO PASSES-NO SUPERSAVERS

(MIDNIGHT SHOW) - LABYRINTH*( PG:, 101 min.) 12:01am (Late FridayNight)BURLESQUE*(PG-13) 10:20am

11:50am 1:30pm 2:50pm 4:30pm 6:00pm7:30pm 9:00pm 10:30pm 11:55pmFASTER*(R) 9:15pm 12:01am (Late Fri-day Night)FASTER* - DIGITAL (R) 11:00am 1:35pm4:15pm 7:10pm 10:15pmLOVE AND OTHER DRUGS*(R) 9:40am10:45am 12:30pm 1:40pm 3:25pm4:50pm 6:50pm 8:00pm 9:45pm 11:05pmTANGLED*(PG)9:30am 12:15pm2:55pm 5:35pm 8:15pm 10:55pmTANGLED* - REAL D 3D (PG) 10:25am11:10am 1:05pm 1:50pm 3:45pm 4:40pm6:25pm 7:20pm 9:05pm 10:00pm11:45pmDUE DATE (R) 11:05am 1:45pm 4:20pm7:45pm 10:35pmHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLYHALLOWS PART 1*(PG-13) 9:35am10:15am 12:05pm 1:20pm

2:00pm 3:50pm 5:05pm 5:45pm7:35pm 8:50pm 9:30pm 11:20pmHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLYHALLOWS PART 1* - DIGITAL

(PG-13)10:50am 2:35pm 6:20pm10:05pmHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLYHALLOWS PART 1* - XD(PG-13)11:30am 3:15pm 7:00pm10:45pmMEGAMIND (PG)10:30am 1:10pm3:55pm 6:35pmMEGAMIND- REAL D 3D(PG)9:45am12:20pm 3:00pm 5:40pm 8:20pm 11:00pmMORNING GLORY (PG-13)11:20am2:10pm 5:00pm 7:50pm 10:50pmSKYLINE (PG-13)11:45am 2:25pm5:15pm 8:05pm 10:40pmTHE NEXT THREE DAYS* (PG-13)12:00pm 3:30pm 7:05pm 10:25pmUNSTOPPABLE (PG-13)10:10am12:45pm 3:20pm 5:55pm 8:30pm11:10pm

Schedule good for Friday November 26th

Tinseltown

BURLESQUE*(PG-13)11:00am 1:55pm4:45pm 7:45pm 10:40pmFASTER*(R) 9:15am 11:50am 2:25pm5:00pm 7:35pm 10:10pmLOVE AND OTHER DRUGS*(R) 11:30am2:20pm 5:10pm 8:00pm 10:50pmTANGLED*(PG) 9:35am 12:10pm 2:45pm5:20pm 7:55pm 10:35pmTANGLED* - REAL D 3D (PG)9:05am11:40am 2:15pm 4:50pm 7:25pm 10:00pmDUE DATE (R) 9:50am 12:05pm 2:40pm5:15pm 7:40pm 10:15pmHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLYHALLOWS PART 1*(PG-13) 8:45am9:45am 12:15pm 1:10pm 3:35pm 4:35pm7:00pm 8:05pm 10:25pm

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLYHALLOWS PART 1* - DIGITAL(PG-13)9:30am 12:50pm 4:10pm 7:30pm10:45pmMEGAMIND - REAL D 3D(PG)11:45am 2:10pm 4:55pm 7:20pm9:40pmMORNING GLORY (PG-13)10:55am1:45pm 4:30pm 7:10pm 9:55pmRED (PG-13)10:25am 3:25pm 8:25pmSKYLINE (PG-13)1:05pm 6:05pmTHE NEXT THREE DAYS* (PG-13)9:40am 12:55pm 4:05pm 7:15pm 10:30pmUNSTOPPABLE - DIGITAL(PG-13)9:25am 12:00pm 2:35pm 5:05pm7:50pm 10:20pm

*3D MEGAMIND- DIGITAL (PG)10:40a 11:10a 11:40a 1:20p 1:40p2:10p 4:20p 4:30p 5:00p 6:50p 7:05p7:45p 9:20p 9:40p 10:15p*DBOX HARRY POTTER 7 (PG-13)11:00a 2:30p 6:05p 9:30p*HARRY POTTER 7 PART 1 –DIGITAL (PG-13) 10:30a 11:00a 11:30a1:00p 2:00p 2:30p 3:00p 4:30p 5:30p6:05p 6:30p 7:55p 9:00p 9:30p 10:00p*HARRY POTTER Y LAS RELIQUIASDE LA MUERTE- 35MM (PG-13)10:45a 2:15p 5:45p 9:15p*JACKASS 3D- DIGITAL (R)11:30a2:25p 5:10p 7:40p 10:05p*THE NEXT THREE DAYS- DIGITAL

(PG-13)10:30a 11:30a 1:30p 2:30p4:30p 5:30p 7:30p 9:00p 10:25p*UNSTOPPABLE- DIGITAL (PG-13)10:30a 11:00a 11:30a 1:05p 1:35p2:15p 3:35p 4:15p 5:05p 6:20p 6:50p7:35p 9:00p 9:25p 10:15pCONVICTION- DIGITAL (R)10:35a 1:15p 4:10p 7:05p 9:45pHEREAFTER- DIGITAL (PG-13)12:15p 3:30p 6:40p 9:50pMEGAMIND- DIGITAL (PG)11:20a 1:50p 4:30p 7:05p 9:45pRED- DIGITAL (PG-13)10:40a 1:50p 4:35p 7:15p 10:00p* -- denotes Pass Restricted features

Premiere Cinemas 6101 Gateway West S.15

ALPHA AND OMEGA (PG)11:00AM | 11:45AM| 1:15 | 2:00 4:35 | 5:15 | 7:35 | 9:50DESPICABLE ME (2D) (PG) 12:20 | 2:50 |5:10 | 7:30 | 9:50DESPICABLE ME (3D) (PG) 11:10AM | 1:30 |3:50 | 6:10 | 8:30DEVIL (PG-13) 11:40AM | 1:55 | 5:05 | 7:20| 9:25EASY A (PG-13) 11:55AM 2:20 4:50 7:15 9:35GROWN UPS (PG-13) 7:00 | 9:40LET ME IN (R) 1:50 | 6:50

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (2D) (R)11:50AM | 2:15 | 4:45 | 7:25 | 10:00RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (3D) (R)11:05AM | 1:35 | 4:00 | 6:45 | 9:15TAKERS (PG-13) 1:20 | 9:10THE LAST EXORCISM (PG-13) 11:35AM |4:30 | 9:30THE TOWN (R) 10:35AM 1:25 4:15 7:05 9:55TOY STORY 3 (G) 10:50AM | 4:05 | 6:35

YOU AGAIN (PG)11:30AM | 2:05 | 4:40 |7:10 | 9:45

EAST POINTE MOVIES 12

I-10 & Lee Trevino Schedule good for 11/26 - 12/02

Schedule good for Friday Nov 26th

Schedule good for 11-26-10

g

BURLESQUE*(PG-13) 10:40am12:10pm 1:40pm 3:10pm 4:40pm6:10pm 7:40pm 9:10pm 10:40pmFAIR GAME *-CinéArts(PG-13)10:35am 1:35pm 4:35pm 7:35pm10:35pmFASTER*(R) 6:00pm 9:00pmFASTER* - DIGITAL (R) 10:30am1:30pm 4:30pm 7:30pm 10:30pmLOVE AND OTHER DRUGS* (R)10:20am 11:50am 1:20pm 2:50pm

4:20pm 5:50pm 7:20pm 8:50pm 10:20pmTANGLED*(PG)10:10am 1:10pm4:10pm 7:10pmTANGLED* - REAL D 3D (PG)

10:00am 11:30am 1:00pm 2:30pm4:00pm 5:30pm 7:00pm 8:30pm10:00pmDUE DATE(R) 10:25am 1:25pm4:25pm 7:25pm 10:25pmFOR COLORED GIRLS (R) 10:10pmMORNING GLORY (PG-13)10:15am1:15pm 4:15pm 7:15pm 10:15pmPOEMA DE SALVACION (SALVATIONPOEM) (PG-13)12:00pm 3:00pmSAW: THE FINAL CHAPTER - REAL

D 3D (R) 10:45am 1:45pm 4:45pm7:45pm 10:45pmSKYLINE (PG-13)10:05am 1:05pm4:05pm 7:05pm 10:05pm

Schedule good for Friday November 26thFair GameAs a covert officer in the CIA's

Counter-Proliferation Divi-

sion, Valerie leads an investi-

gation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction

in Iraq. Valerie's husband,

diplomat JOE WILSON (Sean

Penn), is drawn into the inves-

tigation to substantiate an al-

leged sale of enriched uranium

from Niger. But when the ad-

ministration ignores his find-

ings and uses the issue to

support the call to war, Joe writes a New York Times edito-

rial outlining his conclusions and ignites a firestorm of con-

troversy.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Michael

Kelly, Bruce McGill, Brooke Smith, David Denman, Noah

Emmerich, David Andrews, Louis Ozawa Changchien

Harry Potter and theDeathly Hallows: Part 111/19/10

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hal-

lows" is a much-anticipated motion

picture event to be told in two full-

length parts. The long-feared war has

begun and Voldemort's Death Eaters

seize control of the Ministry of Magic

and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and ar-

resting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prizethey still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry

Potter.

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson,

Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Helena

Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Imelda Staunton

Tangled11/24/2010

Rated: PGGenre: Animated/Comedy

When the kingdom's most

wanted -- and most charming -- bandit Flynn Rider hides out in a

mysterious tower, he's taken

hostage by Rapunzel, a beautiful

and feisty tower-bound teen with

70 feet of magical, golden hair.

Flynn's curious captor, who's

looking for her ticket out of the

tower where she's been locked away for years, strikes a deal

with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an

action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an

over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs.

'Tangled' is a story of adventure, heart, humor and hair -- lots

of hair.

Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron

Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor

PREMIERE MONTWOOD 7 2200 N. YarbroughSchedule good for 11/24,26,27,28 & 30

ALPHA & OMEGA (PG)12:35p 2:45p 4:55p7:00p 9:05pDESPICABLE ME (PG)12:10p 2:20p 4:35p6:55p 9:10pEASY A (PG-13)12:20p 2:30p 4:40p 6:50p 9:00pRESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (R)

2:50p 5:00p 9:50pTHE TOWN (R) 12:05p 7:10pTOY STORY 3 (G) 12:00p 2:25p 4:50p 7:15p9:40p

YOU AGAIN (PG) 12:15p 2:35p 4:55p 7:15p9:35p

Faster (2010)

11/24/2010

Rated: R

Genre: Action/Adventure

After 10 years in prison, Driver has

a singular focus - to avenge the

murder of his brother during the

botched bank robbery that led to

his imprisonment. Now a free man

with a deadly to-do list in hand,

he's finally on his mission...but

with two men on his trail - a veteran cop just days from re-

tirement, and a young egocentric hitman with a flair for the

art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent. The hunter is

also the hunted. It's a do or die race to the list's finish as the

mystery surrounding his brother's murder deepens, and newdetails emerge along the way hinting that Driver's list may be

incomplete.

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom

Berenger, Carla Gugino, Micaela Johnson

Burlesque11/24/2010

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Drama

Ali is a small-town girl

with a big voice who es-capes hardship and an un-

certain future to follow

her dreams to LA. After

stumbling upon The Bur-

lesque Lounge, a majestic

but ailing theater that is

home to an inspired musical revue, Ali lands a job as a

cocktail waitress. Burlesque's outrageous costumes and

bold choreography enrapture the young ingenue, who

vows to perform there one day. Soon enough, Ali makes

her way from the bar to the stage. Her spectacular voice

restores The Burlesque Lounge to its former glory, al-

though not before a charismatic entrepreneur arrives

with an enticing proposal.

Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane, Cam Gi-

gandet, Julianne Hough

Love and

OtherDrugs11/24/2010

Rated: R

Genre: Drama

Maggie is an alluring free

spirit who won't let anyone

- or anything - tie her

down. But she meets her

match in Jamie, whose re-

lentless and nearly infalli- ble charm serve him well with the ladies and in the

cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and

Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise,

as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate

drug: love. Based on Jamie Reidy's memoir 'Hard Sell: The

Evolution of a Viagra Salesman.'

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Oliver Platt,

Hank Azaria, Judy Greer


Usher



Schedule good for 11/26- 12/02

SUPER STIMULUS

TUESDAY: $1 DRINK,$1 POPCORN, or $5.00 OFF ANY REGULAR

COMBO MILITARY DISCOUNT @

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ADVANCE TICKETS NOW AVALIBLE FOR

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TANGLED 3D *3D SUR-

CHARGE APPLIES (PG)

10:50 12:00 1:00 2:20

3:20 4:40 5:40 7:00 8:00

9:30 10:20 (FRI/SAT 12:00)

TANGLED 2D (PG) 12:00

2:20 4:40 7:00 9:30 (12:00

FRI/SAT)

BURLESQUE (PG-13)

12:45 3:55 7:05

9:50 (12:20 FRI/SAT)

FASTER (R) 12:15 12:45

2:40 3:10 5:05 5:35 7:30

8:00 9:55 10:25 (12:10

FRI/SAT)LOVE & OTHER DRUGS(R) 11:00 1:40 4:30 7:20

9:55 (12:10 FRI/SAT)

HARRY POTTER & THE

DEATHLY HALLOWS (PG-

13) 11:30 12:00 12:30

1:00 2:45 3:10 3:45 4:10

6:00 6:20 7:00 7:20 9:10

9:30 10:10 10:30 (11:30

12:25 FRI/SAT)

NEXT 3 DAYS PG-13 1:15

6:30 (11:30 FRI/SAT)

UNSTOPPABLE (PG-13)12:20 2:45 5:10 7:35

10:00 (12:15 FRI/SAT)

SKYLINE (PG-13) 11:00

4:00 9:15

MORNING GLORY (PG-

13) 9:45 (12:00 FRI/SAT)

MEGAMIND 3D (PG) *3D

SURCHARGE APPLIES*

11:00 1:15 3:45 6:15 8:45

MEGAMIND 2D (PG) 12:15

2:35 4:55 7:15

DUE DATE (R) 12:30 2:50

5:10 7:30 9:50 (FRI/SAT12:10)

Continued from page 15

His marriage and divorce re-ceived intense scrutiny fromthe media and from myriadfans online. Ditto his deci-sion to fire his mother as his

personal manager. Many fansthat weighed in, almost non-stop, seemed angry he haddared to marry an "older woman," let alone one withseveral kids from a previousmarriage.

"Well, there really is no pri-vacy," Usher said. "I alwaystell my fans believe half of what you see and none of what you hear, until you hear

it from me."

"Raymond v. Raymond" was billed as an intensely per-sonal "tell-all" work aboutthe dissolution of Usher'smarriage. But apart from afew token songs of mild re-flection, he sounds happier to celebrate his once-againsingle status and lover-manmystique than to engage inthe naked introspection that

inspired such classic breakupalbums as Marvin Gaye's"Here, My Dear," Bob

Dylan's "Blood On TheTracks" and Beck's "SeaChange."

Then again, maybe intro-spection is passe. On hissong "Lil Freak," which fea-

tures current R&B and hip-hop sensation Nicki Minaj,Usher remedies his post-marriage blues with a tryst,with two women who areinto each other at least asmuch as they are into him.The "Vs." album is evenmore threadbare.

The big question, then: CanUsher, who earlier in his ca-reer seemed like a strong

candidate to partly fill thevoid left by Michael Jack-son, still bring it on stage?

Usher, not surprisingly, isconfident he can still bring iton stage, with more dancingand high-tech razzle-dazzlethan ever.

"This is a more technical

show than my normal show,in terms of the staging,"Usher said during his recentteleconference.

"While choreography has al-ways been, you know, themain way — the best wayfor me to articulate myself on stage — there is a lot of screen content, and also afew remarkable momentsthat I've built into the show

... A lot of time and technical practice has gone into it. Soexpect a show that's aboveand beyond what you nor-mally would get from Usher.

"You know, live performancehas always been my thing.It's my purpose to master andcapture the moment everytime I have you connected.For me, you know, I wantedto make sure that it was state

of the art ...

Continues on next page

Usher... The NextThree Days11/19/2010

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Romantic Drama

A man is willing to break

his wife out of prison inorder to get her out of a

murder conviction.

Starring: Liam Neeson,

Russell Crowe, Elizabeth

Banks, Olivia Wilde,

Jonathan Tucker




If you want your upcoming event listed in SPOTLIGHT’S Out & About section, please send all your relevant data by e-mail to:[email protected]

Calendar of upcoming events for

El Paso/ Southern New Mexico

are from November 26th

thru December 2nd. 2010

NORTHEAST/

CENTRAL

Border Art Biennial

2010 — El Paso Museum of

Art and Museo de Arte de

Ciudad Juarez is planned for

Nov. 21-Feb. 13, at both mu-

seums. Information/applica-

tions: 532-1707 or

callforentry.org.

YMCA Turkey Trot — The 34th annual Thanks-

giving Day 5K run, 3K fun

walk and 1K kids run benefit-

ing the YMCA’s youth and

teen programs begin at 7:30

a.m. Thursday, Nov. 25, at

YMCA offices, 808 Montana.

The Turkey Trot is the oldest

road race in El Paso, and fol-lows the Sun Bowl Parade

Route. Information: 584-

9622. Entry forms available

at all YMCA branches or on

active.com.

‘Celebrations!’ - Kids-

N-Co. presents the holiday

production Nov. 27-Dec. 19,

at Kids-N-Co. Performance

Center, 1301 Texas. Show-

time is 7:30 p.m. Fridays and

Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sun-

days. Tickets: $7 ($5 chil-

dren, seniors, students and

active military); available at

the door one hour beforeshow. Advance reservations

accepted for groups of 10 or

more. Information: 351-1455

or kidsnco.org.

‘Much Ado About

Nothing’ — One of the

Bard’s funniest comedies is

Nov. 12-Dec. 4 at El PasoPlayhouse. The William

Shakespeare play is complete

with evil plots, masquerades,

weddings and a happy ending

for all. Directed by Chet

Frame. Showtime is 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday and 2

p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $10 ($8

seniors, $7 military and stu-

dents with ID). Information:

532-1317,

elpasoplayhouse.com.

EASTSIDE

Turkey Bowl

Shootout VII — El Paso

Flag Football’s annual 8-man

indoor adult football event is

Saturday and Sunday, Nov.

27-28, at various city parks.

Double elimination format.

Fee: $50. Information/loca-

tions: 227-9947 or elpa-

soflagfootball.com.

MISSION

VALLEY

Holiday on Ice — Spe-

cial holiday-themed public

skating is Nov. 22-30, at the

Sierra Providence Event

Center next to the Coliseum,

4100 Paisano. Information:

479-PUCK (7825) or elpa-

soicemonitor.com.

Mission Trail Har-

vest Market — The 2nd

annual market is 9 a.m. to 4

p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, at Vet-

eran’s Memorial Plaza, 1500

Main Street in San Elizario,

with more several vendors

selling arts and crafts, fall

harvest goods and food. Live

entertainment featured in the

park gazebo. San Elizario his-

torian Ben Sanchez will lead

guided tours of the historical

district throughout the day.

Admission is free. Informa-

tion: 594-8424 or Mission-

TrailArtMarket.com.

Ballet FolkloricoPaso del Norte — One

of El Paso’s leading folk-

lorico companies performs its

annual gala dance presenta-

tion including folklorico, live

music, and Mexican cultural

experiences at 7:30 p.m. Fri-

day and Saturday, and 3 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 26-28, at the

Chamizal National Memorial,

800 S. San Marcial.Continues on next page


"I wanted to make sure that,in comparison to the other shows that are going on

around the world, you get thetype of experience that leavesyou saying 'OMG'."

And who, exactly is Usher'starget audience? The best an-swer might well be another question: Who isn't?

"These concerts are welcom-ing to all families, all menand women, everybody. Iwant to say this about mymusic and about my musicalexperience, period ... Now asI look back over my full cata-log of music, I feel like I'm atthat point where everybody inthe family can come to myshow. Everybody in the fam-ily can come to this show andenjoy something."

As for his concert repertoire,Usher is aiming to appeal to

as many tastes as possible.

"You know, I think somesongs are a lot more intimateand R&B, some songs arevery much pop and New

Age," he said. "Some songsare very specific for the club.Some songs are every spe-cific for the experience. Soeverybody gets something.

"The younger audience, theyget a chance to hear some of my classic music, you know.For the older audience, theyget a chance to hear and feelsomething they might not

necessarily would go for. My point is to artistically take people on a journey theymight not otherwise be ableto experience, meaning thedance (component) and

everything that I've createdthat has been planned for thistour.

"You know, a lot of it is pulled from all over theworld, different styles of dance. The musical experi-ence, it pulls from all over the world. The visual experi-ence I pulled from a lot of things that I've seen in my in-

spiration of videos and alsomy inspirations for directors.So, I pulled all that stuff to-gether to give people this ul-timate, 'OMG' experience."

COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM

Usher...


innofthemountaingods.com.




Ballet Folklorico

Paso del Norte...Admission: $7. Information:

588-5743.

DOWNTOWN/

WESTSIDE

‘Beauty and the

Beast’ — Broadway El

Paso opens its season with

Disney’s magical family mu-

sical Nov. 29 at The Plaza

Theatre. Ticket information:

544-8444 or

ticketmaster.com.

UTEP Women’s Bas-

ketball — Home games

are in the Don Haskins Cen-

ter. Information: 747-5234 or

utepathletics.com

• The 4th annual UTEP

Thanksgiving Classic is Nov.

26-27. UTEP plays Idaho

State Friday, Nov. 26.

SOUTHERN

NEW MExICO

King of the Cage —

The fighting event is 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27, at Inn of

the Mountain Gods Resort

and Casino, Mescalero, N.M.(near Ruidoso). Tickets:

$71.75-$106.75. Age 21 and

older welcome. (Ticketmas-

ter). Information: 1-877-277-

5677 or

o t e ou ta gods.co .


State Fair Bullriding is Saturday Nov 27 at $14 plus service charge Josh Grider Th



State Fair Bullriding — The New Mexico State

Fair Bullriding Championship

is Saturday, Nov. 27, at

NMSU’s Pan American Cen-

ter in Las Cruces. Time to be

announced. Tickets: $8.75-

$14, plus service charge.

(Ticketmaster)Josh Grider — The

country star and Las Cruces

native performs at 7 p.m. Sat-

urday, Nov. 27, at the Rio

Grande Theatre, 211 N.

Downtown Mall, in Las

Cruces, with opening act Bri

Bagwell. Tickets: $20. Infor-

mation: (575) 649-6411 or ri-ograndetheatre.org.

With a musical style directly

influenced by such country

mainstays as Willie Nelson,

Johnny Cash and Waylon

Jennings, Grider’s blend of

storytelling, lyricism often

cross genres from folk, blue-

grass and country to jazz,

funk and rock.

Spencer Theater forPerforming Arts —

Airport Hwy 220 in Alto,

N.M. (about 12 miles north of

downtown Ruidoso). Free

public guided tours are 10

a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays

(except show dates). Informa-

tion: (575) 336-4800, (888)

818-7872 or

spencertheater.com.

A special acoustic perform-

ance by four-time Female Vo-

calist of the Year Lorrie

Morgan IS 7 p.m. Nov. 27.

The gold and platinum

singer’s hits include “Five

Minutes,” “Something in

Red,” “Watch Me,” and more.

She is also known for her

duets with greats like Frank

Sinatra, The Beach Boys and

George Jones. Tickets: $66

and $69.

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George Jones




8 Hasten9 ___ Charter: WWII dec-



COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There are those days in whichyou have to dress up and pretend your way through a worldthat seems thoroughly artificial. You are still human, withhuman impulses — no need to deny the thoughts you think are inappropriate or try to push them out of your mind.Chances are, others are thinking the same thing.

Love planet Venus enters Scorpio for the second time thisyear. This time its journey through the mysterious realmwill not only pose questions to our soul about the natureof relationships; it will also answer them. Instead of work-ing out problems internally, you'll find solutions throughhands-on experience. The Sagittarius sun favors a risk taker, and there is no greater risk than to give your heart toanother person.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You might think there is a goodreason to be hard on yourself, but there isn't. You need to geton your own side, and there is no time to waste thinking thatyou could have done better. You'll do better when you know

better and feel better. So start learning and move yourself intoa feel-good place.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It is only natural to ask,"What's in it for me?" If you're not asking it out loud or con-sciously, there is a subconscious mastermind inside you fig-uring out the gains and losses and tallying up the profits,emotional, financial or otherwise. No matter how selflessyou are, you are also human.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). If you were a plant, you would

be a hardy one that doesn't need a lot of water, special sun-light or pruning in order to look beautiful. But for all your self-containment, you still like the attention you get thisweek. People will fuss over you. You will feel like royalty,and it's something you could really get used to.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You realize that just becauseyou're not comfortable with a task doesn't mean it's wrongfor you to be doing it. After all, if you did only the thingsthat made you comfortable, your life would be small andyour character weak. That's so not you! You'll stretch out of your comfort zone to embrace a wild adventure.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Is it out with the old and in withthe new? Or are you determined to stay loyal even when it'sclear there is no benefit to you in doing so. The questionarises this week. It may be over something as small as which

brand of printing paper to buy or which car wash to use, or as big as what job to take or whom to date.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You are currently holding a giftof life. It can't be experienced if you're caught up in thinkingabout how great you were in the past, or feeling horribleabout how bad you were in the past. Let go of the glory days

and the gory days so that you can have an optimum experi-ence with this day.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). As powerful as you are, youare not in total control of this scene. This is good news. Nowyou can give up the idea that you could have made every-thing work out better if you had just tried harder. It's not allyou. This week the theme is self-acceptance. When you ac-cept yourself, you can truly enjoy life.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Long ago, you couldn'twait to be the big boss and tell everyone what to do. Nowyou're in a position to give orders, and it's not as easy as youthought it would be. In fact, it's difficult to ask for certainthings, and you'd rather not give a poor critique, either. You

will find a way to handle all responsibilities with grace.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). When you're dreaming,and you will be this week, dream both bigger and smaller.Imagine what you really want, not what you think you canhave with your present mindset. And add lots of small details

— from the color of the walls in your remodeled kitchen tothe fabric of the coat you'll wear to your new awesome job.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Know what you're trying tocommunicate. Do so consciously because you will communi-cate something, whether you are trying to or not. You want to

be in control of that message. Even in your silence, you willspeak. You have a powerful del ivery, too. With your lipsclosed, you will get your message across.

ACROSS1 Rope in6 Workplace safety org.

10 “Mamma Mia” group14 Music ensemble15 Tab16 Muffin stuff17 BICYCLE PART19 Billionth: prefix20 Grass21 Propellers22 Get up24 Friend, on the Riviera25 Taipan26 Rascal

29 Versified32 New York city33 Kind of mass

34 Caesar’s welcome35 Clothe36 Keynote: mus.37 Organ setting

38 MD’s group39 Prettify40 Indonesian diplomat41 Most raucous43 Accedes44 Redgrave and Swann45 Mug’s contents46 “Droll Stories” author48 Threshold49 Exclamation from MissPiggy52 One-time marriage vow

53 BICYCLE PART56 Pistol projectile

57 List ender58 Goatherd’s commu-nique59 Spooky

60 Wrath61 Vascular cylin-der: bot.

DOWN1 Fluff factor2 Sector sector3 Promenade4 Bumpers orHatch: abbr.5 Turk6 Earthy color

7 “___ a Fool”:Lesley Gore song

___laration10 Native of Maine11 BICYCLE PART12 Bugbear13 Some other time18 Tarry23 Give notice24 Jezebel’s better half

25 Take hold26 Backwater27 An affair to remember?28 BICYCLE PART29 19th C. painter30 Kind of wt.31 Amaryllis kin33 Loam36 Platter37 Lunks39 Sheer fabric40 Some races

42 Celestial line-up43 Listless45 Move furtively46 Indian physicist47 Ready and willing part-ner48 Run49 Fabricated50 Pitcher Hershiser51 Archipelago part54 One ___ time55 Burbank’s sci.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The new people you've met recentlywill take some getting used to. You've been through this be-fore. Though you often find that you instantly click withsomeone, it's not always the case. Whether it's business or

pleasure, you'll be glad you weathered the slight discomfortsin order to figure out how to groove with others.




By T.J. TOMASI

IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR GAME

An eye to

Since your visual system is a

strong determiner of how your musclesmove, your putting stroke will follow

your eye alignment. In essence, you putt

where you look, so it’s key to make sure

that where you look is correct.

How you position your eyes at ad-

dress affects where you see the hole.

With your eyes lined up outside your

aim line, you’ll miss a well-stroked putt

to the left. With your eyes inside your

aim line, you’ll miss to the right.

There are two adjustments you need to

make for correct eye alignment:

1. An imaginary line connecting your

eyes should be directly over the start

line at address.2. Your dominant eye should be di-

rectly over the ball.

You can determine your eye domi-

nance with this method:

1. With both eyes open, look at an

object about 20 feet away.

2. Raise a finger and line it up so that

your finger is overlapping the object.

3. Now close one eye. If it looks like

your finger “jumped” and it is no longer

in line with the object, then the eye you

closed is dominant.

Continues on next page

This golfer is left-eye dominant. He’saddressing the ball with his eye line over theaim line and his dominant eye directly over the

ball. Check to make sure your dominant eye ispositioned correctly by taking your set-up anddropping a ball positioned over your dominanteye. It should hit the ball on the ground.)

Taking the club back outside the aim line isa danger of left-eye dominance. It’s theopposite if you’re right-eye dominant.


An eye to dominanceGOLF BY THE NUMBERSTHE GOLF DOCTOR

How to play the When 388




Your dominant eye is the one that focuses on specific

parts of the target while your other eye gathers informa-

tion to help you determine distance and depth perception

by locating objects surrounding your target as reference

points. The brain then takes information from both eyes

and fuses it together into a composite.Basically, we guess where things are using our third

eye, the “mind’s eye.” Most of the time it works out pret-

ty well for locating large objects of interest like bears and

bridges, but a 4 1/4-inch hole 30 feet away demands spe-

cial procedures. And you can improve your “guess” dra-

matically if you’re set up correctly.

Set-upAt address, square your shoulders and hips to the aim line,

then bend forward from your hip sockets until your eyes are

directly over the aim line. Now, making sure that your eyes

are still over the target line, rotate your head just enough to po-

sition your dominant eye directly over the ball. Position the

putter shaft in the middle of your body with the ball directly in

front of the putter face.

To locate the target from

this position, you need only

rotate your head instead of

disrupting your eye line by

lifting your head, but be

sure to return your eyes back to their original posi-

tion before you putt.

Dr. T.J.Tomasi is ateaching professional in Port St.

Lucie, Fla.Visit hisWeb site attjtomasi.com.

ABOUT THE WRITER

JamieSadlowski, at 22the youngeststar among longdrivers, has wonthe RE/MaxWorld LongDrive contesttwice before.This year,against a fieldof 10,000, he

lost in the semifinals to Joe Miller from England.

Sadlowski’s 388-yard semifinaldrive was bested by Miller’s 396-yard drive. Miller went on to win the2010 RE/Max with a final drive of 414 yards, beating Domenic Mazza’s371-yard effort.

To give a sense of how long theseguys hit, Sadlowski’s 388-yard drivewas 100 yards longer than the averagePGA Tour drive in 2010. The compe-tition will air on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. ETon Christmas Day, and on ESPN at2:30 p.m. on Dec. 26.

I hear this question quite often:

What do I need to play theChampions Tour? There are a number of requirements that are easy,and one that is very hard — youhave to be a player.

The easy part:1. A signed application and a

$3,000 entry fee.2. Certified birth certificate show-

ing that you’re 50 years old.3. Two letters of recommendation

from Class A PGA members or

Champions Tour members.4. Results from two tournaments

that took place within the year.And now comes the hard part:The next step is to compete in a

regional 72-hole qualifying round,unless you are exempt by the PGA.A number of qualifying golfers willmove on to the next round, and theavailable number of spots is an-nounced at the event.

Final step: Play another 72-holequalifier and be among the 12 low-est scores. This will earn you your

exemption and tour card. The top

five golfers will qualify to play inChampions Tour events, and thenext seven will receive conditionalexemptions, which means they can

play if there is room in the field.And maybe you have heard

of some of the folks you’ll be playing against — Tom Watson,Hale Irwin, Tom Kite and FreddyCouples. If you couldn’t beat theseguys as juniorsand adults, you aren’t going to beat

them as seniors.

How to play the When 388yards arenot enough

Jamie Sadlowski

Tom Watson


GOLF SPOKEN HERE

P i lk



DON’T MISS IT

Arc of consistencyThe Tac-Tic Elbow is designed to help maintain a

consistent swing arc by producing an audible “click” if your lead elbow

breaks down toomuch. It’s easy to

put on, fits any play-er and may be used

by both right- or left-handers. And because it’s not astiff sleeve, it willallow your arm tofold naturallyon the follow-through.

From an instruc-tional point of view,a stiff front arm at

the top is not a goodidea, but I have usedthe Tac-Tic, and itallows for a slight flex at the top without issuing awarning. It’s $40 at www.golftrainingaids.com.

Posi-talkSelf-talk that

puts a positive interpretation

on events and outcomes.

For example, “My

ball missed the green,

but it also missed

the bunker.”

BIRDIES AND BOGEYS

Tiger’s new house on exclusive

Jupiter Island, Fla., is just down theroad from my house, so Tiger is fixin’ to

be my neighbor. I go to bed pretty early,

so if he plans to have his pals like

Anthony Kim, Roger Federer and Alex

Rodriquez over to party, he better think

again.

But I’m going to try to keep good re-lations with him because I might want

to stroll over and play a few holes in his

yard. For diehard golfers, the yard is

golf impressive. He has one hole to hit

drivers. (Drivers? And there are a lot of

windows.) Other areas are designed to

hit all iron shots to any of the four greens, with plenty of bunkers.

The cost? $50 million. I hope he

keeps up his property. All it takes is one

bad owner who lets the weeds grow to

ruin the property values for all of us.

The new golf course design firm of Greg Normanand Lorena Ochoa called Sharkoa (clever combina-tion) is submitting a course design for the 2016Olympics that will take place inRio de Janeiro. It will be the first

time since 1904 that golf will bean Olympic event.

One of their major competitorsis the team of Jack Nicklaus andAnnika Sorenstam (Nickstam?).Why don’t they just play an 18-hole team best ball where the win-ner gets the contract?

Lorena Ochoa




By RICK MINTER / Cox NewspapersBy RICK MINTER / Cox Newspapers

For most of the 2010

Sprint Cup season, Jim-mie Johnson and his No.

8 team looked vulnerable de-

pite the fact that they were rid-

ng a streak of four straight

hampionships.

Throughout the season and in

he Chase, they admittedly

idn’t show the pure speed they

ave in recent seasons. But

hen the title was on the line in

he season finale at Homestead-

iami Speedway, Johnson andis team looked more invincible

han vulnerable.

While Denny Hamlin, the

oints leader coming into the

ord 400, was involved in an

early fender-banger with Greg

Biffle, and third-place KevinHarvick was caught speeding on

pit road, Johnson and his team

simply made their car better

when it counted and finished a

strong second to secure a record

fifth straight Sprint Cup title and

become the first champion to

have entered the final Chase

race without the points lead.

So much for being considered

vulnerable.

“They are spectacular,” saidCarl Edwards, who won the last

two races of the season but fin-

ished a distant fourth in the

standings. “It just looked like

they didn’t make any mistakes

today. They steadily made their

car better and they let the other guys make mistakes…

“That is probably what they

do best. They toe the line and

keep progressing forward with-

out too much emotion or too

many mistakes. I think that is

the thing that all of us are trying

to do, be that good … I believe

we really are all witnessing

something that is nothing short

of spectacular.”

But Edwards wouldn’t go asfar as saying Johnson is invinci-

ble. “No, I feel like I’m better

than him,” he said. “I mean,

everybody feels like that. That’s

why we race. If you get a driver

out there right now that’s driv-

ing that says, ‘Oh no, Jimmie is

a lot better than me,’ you don’t

want that guy on your team.

Obviously, they have proven

that they are able to win more

races and more championships

than the rest of us, we just have

to figure out how to do that.”

Johnson’s latest championship

also was the 10th for his Hen-

drick Motorsports team, breakinga tie with the old Petty Enterprises

team.

And his fifth title is being

compared to championship

streaks in other sports, such as

the Boston Celtics’ streak of

eight NBA titles in a row back

in the 1950s and early 1960s,

and the New York Yankees that

won five World Series from

1949-1953, and the Montreal

Canadiens who captured four

Stanley Cups from 1956 to

1960.

Now, only two drivers,

Richard Petty and the late Dale

Earnhardt, have more champi-

onships than Johnson. They

have seven apiece, which were

won using a season-long points

formula, while Johnson’s came

in a 10-race Chase format.

Among the obvious questionsin the aftermath of Johnson’s

fifth title are just where he

stacks up among the sport’s all-

time greats and when and if he’ll

move up from his current posi-

tion – third on the all-time

championship list – to first

place.

Continues on page 29Johnson wins fifth consecutive Sprint Cup

Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR photo) Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR photo)

‘Hi,

five’‘Hi,

five’‘Hi,

five’ Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR photo)

From left, Denny Hamlin stands next to the Sprint Cup trophy, newly crowned five-time champ Jimmie

Johnson andKevin Harvick following Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

(NASCAR photo)


www.spotlightepnews.comNOTEBOOK

Once and future contender



www.spotlightepnews.com


“I don’t know if it’s in

reach,” Johnson said in his

champion’s interview at Home-

stead. “I know we are going to

have chances to win champi-

onships, but you just don’t

know how the year is going to

unfold. You just don’t know

what is going to take place. It is

so tough to win championships,

and it’s easy to look at us hav-

ing five in a row and say, natu-rally, just keep doing it.

“Next year is a whole new

year. There’s no telling what the

challenges will be, with what

we are going to face, strengths

of the other teams and where

we are going to be at. We are

closer. There’s six and seven out

there ahead of us, and we’ll

work as hard as we can to do

it.”

Johnson’s crew chief Chad

Knaus said he believes his

driver is as good as Earnhardt or

Waltrip or Pearson or any of the

great ones who have come be-

fore him.“The guys that raced back in

the day, the Earnhardts, the

Waltrips, the Pearsons, the guys

like that; you hear a lot of what

they say about the tenacity of

those drivers and how aggres-

sive they were and how they

could do things with the race

car that nobody else could do,”

Knaus said.

“I think if you really sat back

and looked at what this guy

[Johnson] can do with a race

car, you would be pretty im-

pressed. He’s been in some

pretty precarious situations and

driven through them. He’s puthis nose in places that other

people would not do and not be

able to pull off.”

“Hi, five”...

Once and future contenderCarl Edwards has been in this position before: winning races at

the end of the season, and labeled a contender for next year’s title.

After he won the season finale at Homestead in 2008, capping off

a season that saw him win a circuit-best nine times, he was picked

the most likely to dethrone Jimmie Johnson. Instead, he won no

races at all in 2009, finally breaking that streak this fall in Phoenix.

But he insists that, this time around, things are different. For onething, he won at Homestead in 2008 by stretching his fuel, and this

time he dominated, leading 190 of 267 laps.

“For our team, to finish like this and be on the upswing that we

are, this is as good as it gets,” he said. “I feel a lot better right now

going into 2011 than I did going into 2009, and that’s because I feel

like we’ve got a lot of momentum.”

Comeback kid looks to ‘11When it comes to comebacks, few can top Kevin Harvick’s this season. After finishing 19th in

the points standings last year, he was a close third this year. And if the championship had been

decided under the old season-long format, he’d have been a runaway winner, beating JimmieJohnson by 285 points.

“You always want to win,” he said, “but I’m not going to sit here and be disappointed. We

raced as hard as we could race this year, with everybody putting up every piece of effort that

they had, week in and week out … This is going to make us stronger. We have got a good race

team that’s going to stick around for a while, and I’m just happy to be a part of it right now.”

Carl Edwards


Mustang Five-O: the classic is back.



Back in the 1980’s, when a

Ford Mustang drove by, there

was one thing car enthusiasts

looked for on it – that 5.0 em-

blem on the Mustang’s fend-

ers. For if it was there, they

knew that Mustang packed a powerful 5.0 liter V8 engine

under the hood. Since 1995

when we saw the last of the

5.0, Ford fans have been

clamoring its return. Well it’s

back and better than ever.

The 2011 Ford Mustang GT

5.0 is a total game changer in

the pony car market. The en-

gine upgrade has revitalized

the car’s performance making

it amazingly quick and pow-

erful. And Ford didn’t just

drop in a new engine - they

improved the ride and han-

dling. Add that to the interior

and exterior changes from

last year and you have the

best pony car on the market.

Of course the biggest news is

the engine. The 5.0 (yep, 302cubic inches!) V8 returns in

new form by way of four

valves per cylinder and dual

overhead cams. It now packs

a super powerful punch: 412

horsepower and 390 lb-ft of

torque – that’s up 97 horses

from last year. And the way

Ford tuned the exhaust note, a

stereo system is hardly neces-

sary – the growl of the ex-

haust is music to the ears andextremely addicting. No need

for an aftermarket exhaust

system for this Mustang.

Also new to the GT are the

available transmissions. Both

are six-speeds – the standard

being the manual, with the

automatic available as an op-

tion.

The exterior of the MustangGT remains basically un-

changed from last year – with

one main exception – the GT

fender emblems have been re-

placed with big ‘5.0’ em-

blems. Those knowing the

meaning of the emblems will

know that this is one of the

hottest Mustang GTs ever.

The power from the new 5.0

is simply amazing. With six-speeds at your disposal, you

can easily feel every one of

those 412 horses that reside

under the hood. The shifter is

an improvement over the one

in the last GT making it super

easy to row through the gears,

but also feeling solid and

durable. Race through the

gears (redline is at an amaz-

ing 7,000 RPMS) and you

can hit 60 mph in just 4.3 sec-onds and break the quarter

mile in just 12.8 seconds.

In the handling department,

for 2011, Ford has dumped

the traditional hydraulic

power steering, replacing it

with an electronic unit. This

makes the steering feel more

direct and little more sensi-

tive. In the rear, you still

won’t find an independentrear suspension – Ford con-

tinues to use an old-fashion

solid-rear axle. But who

cares? When it comes to han-

dling, this Mustang is easily

the best ever – it feels planted

and stable – and very reassur-

ing. Mustangs of the pastwere never known to handle

well. Not so the new 2011

Mustang GT – it really wants

to be thrown into corners, and

is great fun doing so.

My test car came to me with

the six-speed manual and the

optional 3.73 ratio rear end

(the standard rear end is a

3:31). Around town, the GT

is very easy to manage, but

the wonderful growl from the

exhaust can easily tempt you

into stepping harder on the

right-most pedal. Ford also

lets you pack the GT with lots

of goodies like a rear video

back up camera and a glass

roof. For maximum stopping

power, there is a Brembo

brake package

available. The black Mustang

I was in had

had all these

options includ-

ing a beautiful

saddle leather

interior setting

the price of the

vehicle to a

not-so-unreasonable price tag

of $39,680.

As wonderful as the 5.0 Mus-

tang GTs exhaust sounds and

as powerful as it is, fuel econ-

omy isn’t as bad as youwould think – figure 17 mpg

in town and 26 mpg on the

highway. My mostly city

driving and heavy right foot

brought me 14 mpg – but you

never heard a complaint

about it from me.

It may have taken Ford 15

years to bring back the fa-

mous 5.0, but they listened

and they got it right. They

have simply made the 2011

Mustang GT the car to beat.

Offering good looks, amazing

performance and a comfort-

able interior, this Mustang GT

has it all. Welcome back,

five-oh.

- Christopher A. Randazzo

By The Numbers:

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

Base Price: $32,845.00

Price as Tested: $39,680.00

Layout: front-engine / rear-wheel drive

Engine: 5.0 liter V8

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Horsepower: 412 hp

Torque: 390 ft-lbs

EPA Fuel Economy:17 mpg city, 26 mpg highway

[Questions/Comments/Feedback can be sent via email [email protected]]


2010 CHASE RESULTS



Points standings, race results from Sunday’s

Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

and commentary by Rick Minter

1. Jimmie Johnson 6,622 (finished second)

He came into the race second in points, but rose to the occasion

and had his record fifth-straight title pretty much in hand fromthe drop of the green flag. “We didn’t really pay a lot of attention

to the points,” he said. “We knew what we needed to do was to goout there and run competitively.”

2. Denny Hamlin –39 (finished 14th) An early race run-in with Greg Biffle damaged his car, and

the points leader coming into the race was never really a factorafter that. “Our car was lightning fast up until that wreck,” he

said. “When we hit the 16 [Biffle] it just knocked the [toe-in] out, and the car just

didn’t drive the same for the rest of the day.”

3. Kevin Harvick –41 (finished third)

He came into the race as the underdog and gave it a good try, but he wound up justwhere he started, points-wise. “All in all, we went down swinging, and that’s all you can

ask for.”

4. Carl Edwards –229 (finished first)

After winning his second Cup race in a row, he began his interviews by congratulating

Johnson for five straight championships. “That’s unreal,” he said. “I think the way we’regoing here, if we could start like this our, Aflac team could have a shot at them next year.”

5. Matt Kenseth –328 (finished ninth)

He still sees room for improvement despite some fairly strong runs in recent weeks.“I was happy that we performed better, but I was too loose all day and just couldn’t keep

up.”

6. Greg Biffle –375 (finished 10th)He was already thinking about 2011. “I think we’re going to be five spots better, and

I think we can win two or three times as many as we did this year – maybe four, five or

six wins.”

7. Tony Stewart –401 (finished eighth)

He came back from being a lap down on two different occasions to race among theleaders. “Nothing spectacular, but a solid result nonetheless,” he said.

8. Kyle Busch –440 (finished 32nd)He wrecked after contact from Kevin Harvick, contact that seemed to surprise him. “I

talked to [Harvick] in the pre-race, in the driver’s meeting and all of that, but he’s such

a two-faced guy it just doesn’t matter.”

9. Jeff Gordon –446 (finished 37th)

A blown engine ended his day early. Another disappointingChase means that he loses the battle with his teammate

Jimmie Johnson in their quest to become the first of them tobe a five-time Sprint Cup champion. (Richard Petty and the

late Dale Earnhardt lead all drivers with seven apiece.)

10. Clint Bowyer –467 (finished 12th)

His finish at Homestead, on top of his two Chase race victories,

ensures that he’ll have a speaking part in the Sprint Cup Awards Banquet in Las Vegas.

11. Kurt Busch –480 (finished 18th)His final ride in the “Blue Deuce” before switching car numbers and sponsors with

Brad Keselowski was ruined by an early crash with David Reutimann. “We fought a

tight condition for the rest of the race. It was just so bent up that all the adjustmentsdid little to help.”

12. Jeff Burton –589 (finished 31st)Hard contact with the wall sent him to the garage for repairs and left him with another

disappointing finish in a Chase that many expected him to be a front-runner through-

out.

spotlight ep news nov 26, 2010 no. 354

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