Back to basics at the First Church of Savion Glover

Stepping back from his recently complex productions, Savion Glover takes us straight to the altar and back to his roots, dancing solo and with fellow hoofer Marshall Davis Jr. in “SoLe Sanctuary.”

The stage is practically bare. A little nook in the back brick wall gleams with lines of red votive candle-holders, flames flickering within. High in the air dangle photos of tap ancestors, notably the late Gregory Hines and Jimmy Slyde.  Black speakers send out the sounds of Glover's incredibly articulate dancing, and the occasional quiet monologue or song addressed to the dancers whose images hang overhead.

Glover, wearing white down to his tap shoes, sets his extraordinary feet in motion, his body quietly swinging above them, channeling the inspiration and the riffs of generations of dancers from whom he learned his craft.

Davis, in green and beige, has a different style and attack, more the “hitting” of Glover's middle period. Pay attention to both of them; their rhythms sound like pre-verbal rap.  They tap different patterns with each foot; sometimes Glover hangs back, providing the bass line for Davis' riffs.

“SoLe Sanctuary” is a magnificent, sophisticated evening of dancing-as-percussion; you could close your eyes and just listen, but then you'd miss the beatific expression on Glover's face and his obvious pleasure in his sweaty, sacred work.

Fly Guy: Frequent flier tips that only the pros know

I don't know how some frequent fliers manage. Travel can be so discombobulating and disruptive, yet some road warriors spend half their lives on planes, sometimes just to collect miles and attain elite frequent flier status. But with the work comes the perks, as that same group knows how to make the best of it, collecting as many frequent flier miles as possible and using the status they earn from traveling so much to their advantage. Here are some of their tricks that any flier can put to good use.

1. Getting into business class lounges even if you're in economy class

Airports aren't much fun, but one way to make the whole flying experience more pleasurable is to wait for your flight in an airline lounge. Savvy fliers know that even if they are flying in economy class, they can access business class lounges when flying overseas. If you're a member of Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounge, Continental's Presidents Club, the United Red Carpet Club, or the US Airways club you can access any Star Alliance business class lounge when flying internationally. No matter what class of service you are flying or elite status, show your club membership card and you gain access to alliance member lounges across the globe.

2. Getting elite status

Elite status is an important tool in every road warrior's bag of tricks, but achieving status can be troublesome if your travel patterns change each year. But did you know that most airlines award elite status for life upon reaching the one million miles flown mark? Sure, it takes a lot of flying to get there, but you are a road warrior and you will live a long time.

Most airlines are very specific about what miles they count towards the accrual of elite status, usually including only flown miles on the airline and its alliance partners. However, American stands out of the crowd to include any miles earned (such as credit card spending and promotions) towards its AAdvantage program as part of its million mile status calculation. This makes it the easiest program in which to earn lifetime elite status. United counts elite levels from only its own UA-coded flights towards elite status whereas airlines like Delta and Continental also count its alliance partners' flights towards lifetime accrual.

And speaking of elite status, frequent fliers know that if they attain status in one airline's program they can often get a competing airline to match that status; here's an airline-by-airline guide on how to execute that.

3. Getting elite status faster

Want a fast track to Grand Poobah status on your favorite airline? There are easier ways to achieve alliance-wide status if you are willing to collect miles in foreign programs. Aegean Airlines, for example, awards Star Alliance Gold elite status at a much lower threshold than many of its alliance partners bringing with it lounge-access benefits and baggage fee waivers.

4. When it's wise to buy miles

Ever seen those promotions about buying frequent flier miles and wondered if it was worth it? Well there are some promotions (often with US Airways) where buying miles can save you big bucks and help you to fly business class overseas for as little as $1,000, a bargain since most business class fares cost $4,000-7,000. And if you collect American Express Membership Reward points, check their site frequently for bonus transfer offers. Recently, for example, British Airways was offering a 50% bonus on transferred points (transfer 100,000 points and you actually get 150,000 miles).

And speaking of American Express points, you're probably aware that later this year Continental Airlines will no longer participate. But since Continental has merged with United, you can take advantage of your Amex points with Continental after the cut-off date by transferring points from Amex to Continental now, and then immediately transfer them, if you wish, to United.

For more on this topic, we published a detailed guide to when you should buy miles and when you should steer clear on Airfarewatchdog.com earlier this year.

5. Hacks to finding award seats on partner airlines

When you have miles burning in your account, what's the best way to redeem them? The process can be complicated, and calling an agent to have them do the work for you is a bad idea because they may not do a great job! You have to do the homework first. Star Alliance has a secret backend tool to finding the award availability for your next trip thanks to partner airline ANA All Nippon Airways of Japan.

SkyTeam has its own method of searching for availability (that luckily does not involve the clunky Delta website). Sign up for Air France-KLM's Flying Blue frequent flier program to search for award inventory on Delta, Air France, KLM, CSA Czech, Alitalia, Kenya Airways and other partners.

There's also an easy way for oneworld alliance fans to find seats on partner airlines. If you collect miles in any of the oneworld alliance member programs, you can scour award availability by using the British Airways and Qantas Airways websites. These give access to most partner availability online so you can do your homework before calling your airline's reservation number to make the booking.

6. Shopping for bonus miles

Experienced mile collectors know that it's a sin to buy anything online without checking first to see if there are bonus frequent flier miles to be had. Sure, they collect a mile or maybe 1.5 miles for each dollar charged to their credit cards, but that's chump change compared to the bonus miles. Buying a Mac iBook? How about collecting your additional 5000-10,000 miles? Continental might be awarding an additional four miles for each dollar spent at Apple.com, but only if you reach Apple's website by clicking over from Continental's shopping mall first. Buying a $200 pair of shoes at Saks? You might earn an additional 2,400 frequent flier miles with British Airways. Each airline has their own shopping portal through which you can access your favorite stores (you know, the ones you already use for your online shopping). And, of course, online shopping is always a good way to prevent your miles from expiring.

A change at the Joint Base

"I'm ready to go to work."
The message was short and direct as Col. John Wood addressed members of the 87th Air Base Wing after officially taking over as the new commander of the joint base at a change of command ceremony on Friday.
Wood, a California native, became just the second commander of the military post since Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force Base and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst merged into the first tri-service joint base in the nation in 2009.
Wood most recently was commander of the 437th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. He also served as the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron commander at McGuire Air Force Base.
On Friday, Wood returned to New Jersey to take the command from Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, who will head to the Pentagon outside Washington as deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services.
"I know how proud you are of this wing," Wood told Grosso during the ceremony. "I'm walking into a great wing."
Hundreds of guests as well as 253 service members of the 87th Air Base Wing took part in the ceremony inside a large aircraft hangar near the airstrip.
After receiving the Legion of Merit, an Army Commendation Medal and a final salute from her former staff, Grosso said goodbye to the many people who touched her life over the last two years at the base.
"As a commander, you know when you take the flag, you have the privilege of command for just two years," she said. "But it's truly impossible to prepare for this day, the day you have to give up the flag and let someone else lead the way."
Grosso also thanked the surrounding communities, with which she formed a strong bond.
"To the community members I've had the great pleasure of spending time with these past two years, thank you for making me feel so welcome in the community," she said. "Thank you for your friendship, but mostly thank you for caring about America's men and women serving in the United States military. I enjoyed every event you included me in, and I hope our friendship will endure far beyond my time here in New Jersey."
Grosso was known as an ambassador to local community leaders, forming strong bridges of communication between the base and the towns.
"She always did a great deal out in the community," said Michael Gorman, superintendent of the Pemberton Township School District. "She was always responsive to any needs we had."
Wrightstown Mayor Tom Harper said he hoped to continue a good relationship with the base under Wood's command.
"He's going to have to hit the ground running to compare to what she did," Harper said with a laugh. "Gina was always very helpful to Wrightstown and the surrounding communities. She was very good at her job."
Pemberton Township Mayor David Patriarca waited in line after the ceremony to personally greet Wood and shake hands.
"He's got big shoes to fill," Patriarca said. "But I look forward to working with him on many projects, and I hope the base will continue to be receptive to the concerns of the communities as Gen. Grosso was."

DAN OF "GOSSIP GIRL" embodies JEFF BUCKLEY AT THE MOVIES

You charmed, cajoled you, then you disappointed and annoyed, Penn Badgley known as Dan in the series of American success, "Gossip Girl" abandons the features of the troubled teen from Brooklyn to bring those of gifted musician and singer from the West Coast. Indeed, the role of farewell pussy tortured, actor, and optionally the former Blake Lively, will play the virtuoso musician Jeff Buckley in the month of August, when the filming is scheduled to begin.
If the world has not forgotten the shocking cover of "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley, released in 1994, director Dan Algrant decided that the biopic would focus on the relationship between Jeff and his father, singer Tim Buckley died in 1975 while Jeff was still a child. Called "Greetings from Tim Buckley," The film traces the rise to the myth of Jeff Buckley based on his musical debut at a tribute concert to his father in 1991. Singer unanimously recognized the talent, Jeff Buckley is unfortunately became a legend after his mysterious death by drowning in 1991.

What Obama's Golf Fashion Reveals

Virtually every American president in recent history has been devoted to the supremely dull game of golf, which can only be explained by the fact that it is the sole sport in which a man can wear a pair of baggy slacks or shorts and a loose-fitting polo shirt, putz around on beautifully landscaped grounds, and never break a sweat.

There is a kind of regular-guy dignity inherent in most golf attire—the heavily sponsored professionals of the U.S. Open notwithstanding. To be sure, the game has anything but a “we-the-people” buzz, despite its schlubby attire. It still has a nagging reputation as a sport dominated by advantaged white men—an image that Tiger Woods nicked but failed to destroy. It is associated with country clubs and gated communities, celebrities and flush retirees. It is the preferred pastime of corporate titans and power brokers because it allows so much time for conversation. It is a game of skill—like billiards or a Rubik's cube—but it demands limited physical effort. Whose heart rate ever escalated during a game of golf in which players are driven from hole to hole? And even when the players do walk the course, it's not as though they are moving at anything close to a sprint.

But golf fashion favors the Everyman. It steers safely clear of anything that is remotely body-conscious. The clothes do not require or even hope for an athletic physique. They offer no suggestions of aerodynamic speed or a masterful sense of balance and coordination. No, these are clothes that a man could well mow his lawn in.

And when the most powerful Democrat and Republican got together for 18 holes, the overwhelming sense of regular dude-ness, in the matter of their attire, was so overwhelming that it left one numb. When President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner gathered at Andrews Air Force Base for their long-anticipated—by the Washington press corps, at least—golf game Saturday afternoon, they were a study in staid. The president wore a pair of dark bark-colored trousers. (They appeared to be flat-front and for that let us all be grateful.) He paired the trousers with a white Nike short-sleeve shirt. The speaker was wearing a pair of beige shorts—pleated, alas—and a pale blue-and-white striped polo. The two men appeared to be wearing the same style golfing shoes—akin to a white-and-black saddle shoe.

In terms of attire, one did not upstage the other by looking more sophisticated or fashionable—or elitist, God forbid. They took their style cues from the suburban cul-de-sacs of America.

The other members of their foursome were Ohio's Republican Governor John Kasich and Vice President Joe Biden. The vice president was considered—by those who keep track of such things—the best golfer. And so, perhaps his confidence on the course led to his decision to eschew the washed-out color palette of the other players and wear a sapphire-blue shirt and tan shorts. The jolt of deep color gave him a fairly elegant look. Indeed, he looked rather sophisticated. Nice job, sir. (But alas, he and his teammate, Kasich, lost on the 18th hole.)

Kasich dressed like a fellow from the hinterlands who simply refused to pretend that this golf outing was anything but pure political theater. He wore an Ohio State University shirt with its bright scarlet stripes racing down the shoulder seams and the school's name emblazoned below the collar. It wasn't exactly discreet—or even attractive—but it made a statement about just where Kasich's allegiances lay. Not in the mad, overwrought world of federal Washington where a game—a game, people—had been transformed into a statement on moral character, but rather back in the great Midwest, where highways don't go in circles and snowstorms are considered weather, not a national disaster.

If anything, Kasich dressed for the role of unabashed realist during this micro-managed publicity stunt. And as a result, he may have been the only one who came out of the day's political putt-putt an actual winner.

High-level sports for 91 years

On the third floor of the Montreal Chest Institute (MCI), McGill University, Olga Kotelko stands before a treadmill in the middle of a crowded room full of people and came especially for her. These people are there for him to pass the fitness tests, give blood samples in the earlobe or simply to watch and take notes. Olga takes off his glasses. She wears white sneakers New Balance running tights and black. On his silver hair, a circle kept a plastic breathing tube.

Taivassalo Tanja, 40, a specialist in muscle physiology, adjusts the jacket of Olga, whose interior is connected to several electrodes measuring heart rate, a good indicator of the health of the heart. Taivassalo made the acquaintance of Olga in the World Sprint Championships 2009 in Lahti, Finland. This competition is the highlight of the season for senior runners. Taivassalo had come to see her father run a marathon. However, it has not failed to spot the Canadian Lycra beating record after record ... at 91!

The senior competitions are generally open from 35 years and host many of their sixties, seventies and eighties (and some nonagenarians as Olga and one or two old). Among the thousands of participants at Lahti, several hundred were over 75 years, but Olga was that held everyone's attention. Considered one of the greatest athletes in the world, Olga is the owner of 23 world records, including 17 in his age category (90 to 95 years).

"In the senior race, there are records of 'easy' and records 'difficult'"Said Ken Stone, head of Masterstrack.com, main source of information on the senior circuit. Records "easy" are those that simply pick like ripe fruit into categories where there are so few competitors that nothing is immortalized in presenting. Stone does not consider, however, records of Olga as easy, because its performance is truly remarkable. Championships last fall in Lahti, Olga launched his javelin six meters farther than the best competitor in its class. Senior Olympic Games in Sydney, Olga ran the 100 meters in 23.95 seconds, two seconds faster than some of the finalists in the category 80-84 years.

The World Masters Athletics, the body responsible for the athletic senior, uses grids "for records" developed by statisticians to harmonize and then compare the performance out of the age factor. These grids are presented as percentages for each discipline. Theoretically, a record corresponds to a score of 100%. However, several performances of Olga - in shot put, high jump and the 100 meters - more than 100%. However, due to the limited number of competitors, this evaluation system is still groping.

A Lahti, saw Olga run fast enough to have her hair brushed back slightly, Taivassalo was personally shocked (also practice run) and deeply intrigued professionally, she hopes to build a database of various physiological parameters of Athletes over 85 years. Scientifically, it is a field almost unexplored. The category of over 85 years - which is currently the fastest growing in the population - is the subject of more and more studies on longevity. But until now, scientists are focusing mainly on ways of life: food, air quality, social networks and more recently the genes. It is just beginning to recover data on long-term effects of physical activity, now that the children of the revolution of the 1970s fitness starting to get old.

Although the senior athletics championships offer a field of interesting research, Taivassalo is not exactly the kind of specialist that is expected to invest. His area of ​​expertise is research on mitochondria and is to observe what happens in the body when mitochondria - the energy source of the cell - malfunction. His subjects are usually young people who come to see it because they suffer from neuromuscular disorders that will not go that worse. (Muscle cells require much energy, they are particularly affected when mitochondria lacking.) Mitochondrial problems appear with age and affect endurance, strength and function of the body. There is evidence, revealing that, for young patients with mitochondrial diseases, the practice of an exercise is an effective way to reduce symptoms. If this is proven, the sport could be treated as an elixir of youth whose effects against aging are well above what we thought until now.

No need to be an athlete to see the relentless ravages of age. The decline began with the quarantine, and our muscles begin to decrease over fifty. Then we slowly wither away until about 75 years ago, when something horrible happens: the muscle fibers, which should theoretically respond to physical training, no longer respond. There is something that hangs.

This is Olga complicates things, to the delight of scientists. Olga seems to age more slowly than normal. "Given the impressive muscle size keeps it, we say it must have a form of resistance"Said Russ Hepple, a physiologist at the University of Calgary and a specialist in aging muscle. By studying this resistance, the researchers hope to slow down more effectively the mechanisms of aging.

"I have the same energy as 50 years"

Hepple, who at 44, kept his physical runner, Taivassalo met at a conference on the physiology and sports. Taivassalo received his doctorate by studying people with mitochondrial diseases, and Hepple was more an expert in rats. This does not prevent them from marrying. In the room at McGill University, Hepple stands next to the treadmill, encouraging Olga as necessary to raise his heart beyond 135 beats per minute. Finally, the VO2 max [maximum oxygen consumption by the subject] Olga - closely linked to cardiovascular endurance - $ 15.5, what would be expected from a trained athlete of 91 ... if indeed the category exists!

RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan Takes ARCA Racing Series to Home Superspeedway for 30th Time

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will make its 30th appearance at its home superspeedway, Michigan International Speedway, in Friday's RainEater Wiper Blades 200.

The 100-lap, 200-mile RainEater Wiper Blades 200 will air live on SPEED at 5 p.m. Friday.

The two-mile MIS oval, located in Brooklyn, is situated less than 50 miles away from ARCA's home office in Temperance, Mich., and holds a key spot on the annual schedule.

"We have always considered MIS our hometown superspeedway. It's a special place for us, with our history there since 1980 and it being an ISC-owned track," said ARCA president Ron Drager, noting his family's connection to the ISC-operating France family.

"Our drivers really look forward to racing at MIS since it's such a competitive track and it's close to home for many of our Midwest-based teams. The administration and staff at MIS have always been solidly supportive in promoting the series, and our teams and drivers appreciate that."

The race - the eighth of 19 on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule - is the second event in the pursuit of the Bill France Four Crown. The award, depictive of the series' versatility, is a separate point fund that tests drivers on four very different tracks. This year's Bill France Four Crown includes events in four different months on the calendar. Competition for the celebrated prize began in May at New Jersey Motorsports Park, where Andrew Ranger scored a road course triumph.

Filling out the Four Crown schedule will be the August 21 dirt mile race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield and the September 17 short track showdown at Salem Speedway in Indiana.

Additionally, the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 is the last of a string of three consecutive speedway events which will play a significant role in the 2011 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge. The Challenge consists of seven races (Daytona, Talladega, Chicagoland, Pocono, Michigan, Pocono, Kansas).

Chris Buescher (No. 17 David Ragan Fan Club Ford) currently leads overall series points leader Ty Dillon (No. 41 Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet) atop the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge standings. Each driver will make his Michigan debut.

"Michigan is not really my expertise yet, but we're going to try it here," said Buescher, who has finished second three times this season and is currently fourth in overall series points. "Hopefully, it'll go good. We've got a fast car. We weren't as fast as we wanted to be (in the May 25 test), but we should be okay come race time."

Dillon has three wins in 2011, including two on larger speedways. He won at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway in April, the half-mile Toledo Speedway in May, and the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway in June.

"It's my first time going to Michigan International Speedway," said Dillon. "It's really exciting. It's a really fast track; you go, like, 200 miles per hour off into the corner. It's a little flatter than other places I've been."

Tim George Jr. (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet) is the most recent first-time winner in the ARCA Racing Series, having passed Grant Enfinger (No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest/RaceTires.com Dodge) Saturday at Pocono Raceway just before fog settled in and forced ARCA officials to call the 80-lap race after just 59 laps. George finished eighth at Michigan last season.

"Michigan's a good spot," George said. "This is the place where I had my first good intermediate finish, and that's been my hardest part of the learning curve, to figure out the intermediate tracks. I like this place. I had a good finish here last year and obviously, all the GM and Chevy people are here, so you always want to do well in front of the home bases."

Buescher, Dillon, and George all tested in the ARCA Racing Series' open test at Michigan on May 25, but none of them were as fast as Max Gresham (No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota), who led the session with a best lap of 38.724 seconds (185.931 mph).

"I don't think it's unrealistic to think we can win the race," Gresham said. "When we did the ARCA test at Michigan, we were at the top of the speed charts. Hopefully, that will carry over and we can walk away with my first superspeedway win."

In addition to his test speed, Gresham enters the race with another advantage. His Venturini Motorsports team is the defending winner at Michigan, having helped Mikey Kile to Victory Lane last June. Having just turned 18, Gresham's Michigan start will also be his first. He claims to have gained valuable knowledge about the track and its wide, multiple grooves in the open test.

"Michigan is so much fun," he said. "You can drive off into the corner as deep as you want to go. The biggest thing is to make sure the car doesn't get tight over a long run. You have to keep the car loose enough at the start of the race, free enough at the end of the race. The car that can do that is going to be the car that will win the race."

On an entry list featuring 41 cars, there's one man who definitely knows what it takes to win at Michigan, and that's Frank Kimmel (No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford). Currently second to Dillon in series points, Kimmel won at Michigan in 1998 and 2005. A third victory will seat him next to Jeff Purvis and Tim Steele, ARCA's all-time leading winners at Michigan with three wins apiece.

Practice begins at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, and will last for 90 minutes. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell begins at 10 a.m. Friday, and the 100-lap, 200-mile race will air live on SPEED at 5 p.m. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of all events.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

Airlines get slightly higher marks from passengers

The faces of passengers at airports may not always show it, but satisfaction with airline service is on the rise, according to a new survey.

But the 2011 North American Airline Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power & Associates was not all good news for the airline industry: Passengers remain unhappy about rising airfares and fees, particularly those charged by the major carriers.

Overall satisfaction with airlines in 2011 improved to an average of 682 on a 1,000-point scale, up 10 points from 2010, according to the survey of more than 13,500 passengers who said they flew on a major North American airline between July 2010 and April 2011.

But when it comes to airfares and fees — such as those for checking bags, changing reservations or requesting a snack — passengers gave most airlines low marks. The survey showed that satisfaction with the airfares and fees of large airlines fell to 555 in 2011 from 582 last year.

For the six straight year, JetBlue Airways had the highest overall satisfaction rating among low-cost airlines. One reason offered by the survey: JetBlue's in-flight service. The New York carrier charges nothing for the first checked bag and offers unlimited complimentary snacks and drinks and 36 channels of free television and 100 channels of free satellite radio.

• Soldiers' complaints get Delta's attention

Among U.S. soldiers, the satisfaction level with Delta Air Lines may have been pretty low last week after a group of warriors returning from Afghanistan posted an online video complaining that they were charged to bring a fourth piece of baggage on a Delta flight.

Two Army staff sergeants shown on the video said Delta charged them $200 each to check a fourth bag, totaling $2,800 for an entire unit of returning soldiers.

Like many other airlines, Delta has a contract with the U.S. military to transport soldiers who are traveling on military orders. They can check up to three bags for free if they are traveling in economy seats or four bags if they travel in first or business class.

Once the video was posted online, Delta changed its policy on checked bags. It will now allow soldiers and their dependents to check up to four bags for free in the economy section or five bags when they fly first or business class.

"We hope these changes to our policies reflect the true respect we hold for our service men and women," Delta posted in an online blog last week.

Delta also offered to reimburse the soldiers' fees if the government failed to do so.

Soon after Delta changed its policy, a wave of patriotism swept through the airline industry. American Airlines, United Air Lines and Continental Airlines also said they would increase the number of free bags soldiers can check when flying on orders.

• Airlines outline their vision for passenger screening

In the airport checkpoint of the future, travelers may breeze past sensors that can detect metal, explosives and liquids, eliminating the need to take off shoes and belts or unpack carry-on luggage.

At least that was the vision unveiled last week by the International Air Transport Assn., the trade group for the world's airlines. The association is promoting the idea that passengers who pose the highest risk should undergo the most stringent screening.

Under the plan, passengers would be directed into one of three security lanes: "known traveler," "normal," and "enhanced security." Passengers moving through the "known traveler" lane would get the least rigorous screening, while the passengers directed into the "enhanced security" lane would get the most.

For years, the federal government has sought to treat everyone in the security lines equally, but under the industry plan the government would choose which lane is for you.

The government would conduct a risk assessment" before you get to the airport, based on background information. A "biometric identifier" in your passport or identification document would tell airport screeners how much screening you need.

IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said the idea is to stop looking for bad objects and instead look for bad people.

But when a video of the plan appeared on YouTube last week, most comments were highly critical.

"This is just another step down the road to tyranny and we are being trained like slaves to accept it," one said.

Said another: "Next, they will be implanting us with some GPS tracker.…geez!"

Airlines Plan for Fast, Touchless Security Checkpoint of the Future

Singapore played host to a mockup of what airlines are calling the Checkpoint of the Future, which could soon be replacing security checkpoints around the world. The mockup was presented by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), whose members number around 230 and account for some 90% of international air travel. It’s hoped that these fast and high tech scanners will get travelers to their planes faster without having to deal with personally invasive security procedures.

In this future model, travelers are directed toward one of three 20-foot long corridors: A normal scan, an enhanced scan, or a “known traveler” lane. Which corridor passengers go toward is based on background checks carried out by the traveler’s government. “Known travelers” would likely have to pay a fee and submit to more thorough background checks, but have a lower-security screening.  This information will be stored on chips embedded in travelers’ passports, and their identity will be confirmed using retinal scanners.

Once at the correct lane, travelers begin their security check. But in the IATA’s vision, it’s far different from what we know today.Instead of unpacking bags, taking off shoes, or being patted down, travelers simply walk while sensors embedded in the corridor walls scan their person. The system is also designed to reserve some forms of scanning, such as full-body imaging, only for the enhanced security lane. The system is designed to keep passengers moving forward, “with dignity.” It’s hoped that such a system could reduce security wait time to mere minutes, as opposed to the curent average of over half an hour.

Key to this new system is the idea of sorting passengers by threat level. The TSA has already begun work on such a plan, and it may be implemented soon. This facet alone is expected to reduce wait times dramatically, since 30% of the passengers will be shunted into a different lane.

While the new checkpoint is designed to be highly secure, its showpiece is the speed and ease with which travelers traverse the system. While this is ostensibly good for regular folk, the emphasis is not wholly altruistic. According to Yahoo News, the IATA is expected to see a $4 billion dollar profit this year — down some $14 billion from last year. It’s believed that these awful financial figures spring from passengers disenfranchised with the hassle of flying and seeking alternative transportation. These new, fast, safe, and touchless checkpoints are aimed at winning back some of those travelers.

The IATA says that the checkpoints could be up and running in five to seven years, though there are many obstacles yet to be overcome. Cost is certainly an issue, and some of the technologies necessary for the walk-through scanners aren’t currently available. Some have already objected to the level of automation, claiming that a computer will never be able to make better judgement calls than a human. The model also calls for sharing of passenger data between nations, something governments may be unwilling to do.

Even if this model checkpoint never gets off the ground, the technologies and methodologies it displays could eventually make their way into airports. With the current hectic and stressful state of air travel, any improvements would surely be welcome by a wary populace.

Quiksilver's CEO Discusses Q2 2011 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

Operator

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by. [Operator Instructions] I would like to remind everyone that this conference is being recorded. And now, I'd like to introduce Bruce Thomas, Quiksilver's Vice President of Investor Relations, who will chair this afternoon's conference.

Bruce Thomas

Thanks, operator. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Quiksilver's Second Quarter Fiscal 2011 Earnings Conference Call.

Our speakers today are Bob McKnight, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer; and Joe Scirocco, our Chief Financial and Operating Officer.

Before we begin, I'd like to briefly review the company's Safe Harbor language. Throughout our call today, items may be discussed that are not based on historical facts and are considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, statements regarding Quiksilver's business outlook and future performance constitute forward-looking statements, and results could differ materially from those stated or implied by these forward-looking statements as a result of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically under the section titled, Risk Factors, in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K .

All forward-looking statements made on this call speak only as of today's date, and the company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements. In addition, this presentation may contain references to non-GAAP financial information. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial information to the most directly comparable GAAP financial information is included in our press release, which can be found in electronic form on our website at www.quiksilverinc.com.

With that out of the way, I'd like to turn the call over to Bob McKnight.

Robert McKnight

Thanks, Bruce. Good afternoon, everyone, and thanks for joining us for our second quarter conference call. I want to start by saying that we're very pleased to have exceeded expectations for the second quarter despite several natural disasters that have unfortunately, impacted the Asia Pacific region over the past few months. Our Americas and European businesses delivered very solid performance coming at ahead of plan and offsetting the near-term impact of these natural disasters.

As such, I am pleased to report solid second quarter results that were better than we expected when the quarter began. Revenues of $478 million in the second quarter exceeded our plan, and were up when compared to the second quarter of 2010. Gross profit of $262 million was up 5% this quarter compared to a year ago, demonstrating that our business is performing considerably better. Gross margins expanded 160 basis points to a Q2 record, 54.8% of revenues as we benefited from continued improvements in our U.S. retail stores and less discounting in the wholesale channel. Pro forma adjusted EBITDA was $62 million in the second quarter, in line with last year, as gross profit gains were offset by increased spend ahead of revenue generation. And finally, our net debt at April 30 was $594; million, representing 2.9x pro forma adjusted EBITDA, as down 19% over the last 12 months, reflecting the enormous progress we've made in improving our balance sheet.

Taken together, the solid second quarter performance resulted from us continuing to do what we do best: Developing and delivering exciting, innovative, authentic, quality products and connecting with our consumer base with creative and impactful marketing campaigns. Signs of improvement are evident in many areas of our business and we believe we are well positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities within our 3 strong global action sports brand and our many markets around the world.

Our European business performed better than expected in Q2, despite weaker sales in markets such as the U.K. and Spain. Our business is much better now in France and sales were strong in our emerging European markets where investments made to further develop our business are driving profitable growth in all 3 brands, Quiksilver, Roxy and DC, are doing well.

On the European retail front, we're delighted with our new concept stores. We've had great reaction and strong performance from the new store formats in these core markets of Capbreton and Hossegor in Southwest France, as well as the incredible Bercy Village store in Paris. These stores feature broad offerings from each of our brands, together with a deep stock of surfboards, wetsuits, skateboards and other products that reinforce our heritage and authenticity to the consumer in a way that other brands simply cannot.