KASIE HUNT SALT LAKE CITY — The Associated Press Published Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 8:07PM EST Last updated Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 10:39PM EST

Mitt Romney returned to Salt Lake City on Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Winter Games he helped lead, but the GOP presidential candidate has come under attack for urging the federal government to provide big bucks for Olympic expenses.

So instead of touting his role as savior in the wake of a bribery scandal, as he usually does, Romney told finger-wagging stories about cutting the budget for decorating the city and for building the giant cauldron that held the Olympic flame.

“We had to cut back on spending, as you probably know,” Romney told the crowd gathered at the EnergySolutions arena for a performance of Stars on Ice.

He walked in with figure skater and gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, who offered the argument Romney usually makes on the campaign trail. Because of “the fire he lit from within, the games were a tremendous success,” she said, referring to the games' theme song, “Light the Fire Within.”

Romney was hired to lead the Salt Lake Olympic Committee after a bribery scandal threatened the games. The success of those Olympics, he says during the campaign, help make the case for his bid for the White House.

“I led an Olympics out of the shadows of scandal,” Romney told conservative activists this month, repeating a claim he has made dozens of times on the campaign trail.

His time running the games has proved a boon in other ways. Ahead of his remarks, Romney held a high-dollar fundraiser in Salt Lake with many of the business and community leaders he worked with at the Olympics.

The fundraiser was hosted by Fraser Bullock, who helped him run the Salt Lake Games. Bullock is also major donor to an super PAC that is supporting Romney's bid. Several people listed as associated with the group, Restore Our Future, were on a list of special guests for Saturday night's ice skating ceremonies.

In brief remarks to Olympic staff and volunteers and again at the skating event Saturday night, Romney said he cut millions from the budget to decorate the city and argued some of the venues built in Salt Lake cost much less than they had in other cities that had hosted winter games.

Romney said he cut the cauldron's budget back to $500,000 and eventually secured an $8 million donation to pay for the enormous, clear glass structure where the Olympic flame burned during the 2002 games.

Romney's opponents are attacking his record at the games, with both Democrats and GOP presidential rival Rick Santorum criticizing Romney for helping to secure millions in federal earmarks that helped cover Olympic costs.

“One of the things he talks about most is how he heroically showed up on the scene and bailed out and resolved the problems of the Salt Lake City Olympic Games,” Santorum said during a campaign stop in Columbus, Ohio. “He heroically bailed out the Salt Lake City Olympic Games by heroically going to Congress and asking them for tens of millions of dollars to bail out the Salt Lake games — in an earmark.”

Democrats made those claims, too, in a web video released Friday. They highlighted comments from Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee who's a longtime critic of federal support for the Olympics and other international sporting events.

McCain called the Olympics “an incredible pork-barrel project for Salt Lake City and its environs.”

Romney's campaign says most of the money went to provide security in the wake of Sept. 11. The games were held about five months after the terrorist attacks and were the first major international event since the al-Qaida strikes.

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Mitt Romney cites Olympics success, rivals are leery

19 February 2012 – Pupils of famed coach Victor Chegin dominated at the Russian winter national Race Walking championships in Sochi.

Held Saturday (18) in the city that will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, thew weather corresponded to the name of those Games as the Walkers were obliged to compete against the snow and cold rain.

It was decided that two stars - Olga Kaniskina and Anisiya Kirdiapkina – wouldn’t take part in the Women’s 20 km race. Chegin was sure that in their absence it would be  Vera Sokolova who’d win. But she was later disqualified.

As a result it was Elmira Alembekova who finished first with a 1:25:27 personal best, an excellent performanceby the 21-year-old race walker! The 19-year-old Yelena Lashpanova was second, a minute behind the new champion, clocking 1:26:30. Irina Umanova, 21, clocked 1:26:47 and finished third. The trio also won the national U-23 titles in a race run simultaneously.

The 25-year-old Andrei Ruzavin clocked 1:17:45 to take the men’s 20 km title, five seconds ahead of the 23-year-old Sergei Morozov. World University Games champion Andrei Krivov got the well deserved bronze – 1:18.24. Stanislav Emelyanenko who is 21 got the laurels in the Russian Championships for U-23. The glorious quartet of Chegin’s pupils occupied the first four lines at the world’s top list results of the season.

While the 35-kilometre distance is not a standard one for race walkers it is traditional for the Russian nationals. Two-time World 50km champion Sergey Kirdyapkin won it clocking a personal best of 2:25.41. Unexpectedly it was 20-year-old Mikhail Ryzhov who gained the silver medal in 2:25:28. Ivan Noskov was third in 2:26:32.

It should be noted that all the athletes mentioned except Umanova, who started her career in the Republic of Chuvashiya, are the pupils of Chegin. The Russian winter nationals were again dominated by walkers from the Republic of Mordovia.

Chegin who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, was evidently happy but as always laconic in his replies to our questions.

“Yes, I’m satisfied with the results of our nationals. It means that in the Olympic season we are on our right track," Chegin said.

"What did I like most of all? I would surely say that for me the achievements of our young racers mean a lot. Look – most of the medalists are young and gained the victories not only in the Russian nationals but in the Championships for U-23. The only thing that distressed me is the disqualification of Vera Sokolova – she is a gifted race walker and her disqualification was unexpected. But in our events it happens so we do not lose our hopes.”

Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF    

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More success for Chegin’s charges in Sochi

SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney returned to Salt Lake City on Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Winter Games he helped lead, but the GOP presidential candidate came under attack for urging the federal government to provide big bucks for Olympic expenses.

Romney was hired to lead the Salt Lake Olympic Committee after a bribery scandal threatened the games.

In brief remarks to Olympic staff and volunteers Saturday, Romney highlighted his own efforts to cut costs at the games and was careful to highlight the accomplishments of those who worked for him. He didn't mention his presidential run.

Romney said he cut millions from the budget to decorate the city and argued that some of the Salt Lake venues cost much less than they had in other cities that had hosted winter games.

Romney, who has sometimes been accused of taking too much personal credit for saving the games when many others contributed, was careful to acknowledge the support he received.

"I just want to say thanks to all those that lit the fire within. The accounting team, the legal team," Romney said, referring to the games' theme song, "Light the Fire Within," and rattling off the groups he had left off his list of people to thank.

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Romney cites Salt Lake Olympics success, but his rivals are leery

SALT LAKE CITY –  Mitt Romney returned to Salt Lake City on Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Winter Games he helped lead, but the GOP presidential candidate came under attack for urging the federal government to provide big bucks for Olympic expenses.

Romney was hired to lead the Salt Lake Olympic Committee after a bribery scandal threatened the games. The success of those Olympics, he says during the campaign, help make the case for his bid for the White House. "I led an Olympics out of the shadows of scandal," Romney told conservative activists this month.

In brief remarks to Olympic staff and volunteers on Saturday, Romney highlighted his own efforts to cut costs at the games and was careful to highlight the accomplishments of those who worked for him. He didn't mention his presidential run.

Romney said he cut millions from the budget to decorate the city and argued some of the venues built in Salt Lake cost much less than they had in other cities that had hosted winter games.

Romney, who has sometimes been accused of taking too much personal credit for saving the games when many others contributed, was careful to acknowledge the support he received.

"I just want to say thanks to all those that lit the fire within. The accounting team, the legal team," Romney said, referring to the games' theme song, "Light the Fire Within," and rattling off the groups he had left off his list of people to thank.

Romney also planned to greet several private receptions ahead of a planned speech at an ice skating exhibition celebrating of the anniversary.

"The Olympics was really the first place where the entire country got to know" him, said spokeswoman Gail Gitcho."It propelled him into the national spotlight."

But his opponents are attacking his record at the games, with both Democrats and GOP presidential rival Rick Santorum criticizing Romney for helping to secure millions in federal earmarks that helped cover Olympic costs.

"One of the things he talks about most is how he heroically showed up on the scene and bailed out and resolved the problems of the Salt Lake City Olympic Games," Santorum said during a campaign stop in Columbus, Ohio. "He heroically bailed out the Salt Lake City Olympic Games by heroically going to Congress and asking them for tens of millions of dollars to bail out the Salt Lake games Faeuro" in an earmark."

Democrats made those claims, too, in a web video released Friday. They highlighted comments from Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee who's a longtime critic of federal support for the Olympics and other international sporting events.

McCain called the Olympics "an incredible pork-barrel project for Salt Lake City and its environs."

Romney's campaign says most of the money went to provide security in the wake of Sept. 11. The games were held about five months after the terrorist attacks and were the first major international event since the Al Qaeda strikes.

"There is a pretty wide gulf between seeking money for post-9/11 security at the Olympics and seeking earmarks for polar bear exhibits at the Pittsburgh Zoo," spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in a statement, taking a dig at Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator. "Mitt Romney wants to ban earmarks. Sen. Santorum wants more `Bridges to Nowhere."'

That's a reference to two proposed bridge projects priced at some $450 million, in sparsely populated areas of Alaska, that became a symbol for the proliferation of thousands of earmarks, or special projects sought by individual lawmakers, that were part of 2005 transportation legislation.

While security costs did increase dramatically after Sept. 11, Romney and his team pushed for federal aid long before the attacks. In the fall of 2001, the government already planned to spend about $342 million in non-Sept. 11 related costs, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Romney listed getting more federal dollars as one of the three priorities for his Olympic committee almost as soon as he took the reins in spring of 1999.

"I was going to be spending a lot of time in D.C.," Romney wrote in his book about the games, called "Turnaround."

And McCain's tirade came in 2000, well before the attacks.

After Romney took over, lobbyists for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee asked for money to support a tree planting program, anti-doping educational programs, cultural outreach, communications and Weather Service funding, among other areas. The committee hired lobbyists from top firms in Washington to help with the effort.

All told, according to Romney's account, the government spent about $600 million helping the Salt Lake Olympic Committee. An additional $1.1 billion was planned for projects like roads and bridges, infrastructure improvement projects that the government assumed would have paid for eventually, though the timing of the games may have sped up the construction.

Romney's record at the Olympics is viewed positively, and business and community leaders in Salt Lake City widely say he deserves significant credit for helping to lead the games in the wake of the bribery scandal.

Still, Romney is running as a deficit hawk and accusing rival Santorum of asking for millions in earmarks during his years serving as a senator from Pennsylvania. Earmarks are a potent issue with the conservative tea party voters that are a key part of the GOP primary.

"If you want a fiscal conservative, you can't vote for Rick Santorum. He says he's a deficit hawk. He's not!" Romney told supporters in Boise, Idaho, on Friday.

Santorum on Saturday accused Romney of hypocrisy in those attacks. "Now Governor Romney is suggesting, `Oh Rick Santorum earmarked,"' Santorum said. "Does the word hypocrisy come to mind?"

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Romney cites Olympics success, rivals are leery

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyVDo0p9PwY

17-02-2012 19:05 Part 3 (of 9) of Make Your Game Bigger, How Entrepreneurial Thinking Builds Your Business and Personal Success, by Lenora Edwards

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Talk Your Walk (Part 3 of 9) - Video

Last week, things got personal when we toured MTV POSTED artist of the month Tech N9ne's hometown of Kansas City, MO. This week, Tech turns teacher and offers wisdom on how to be a successful independent recording artist while showing us what it takes to run your own label. Take notes, guys -- the man's a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about making it in the music biz.

Learn more about Tech N9ne's business savvy and watch video interviews after the jump.

In the first clip, Tech N9ne shares his advice on how to succeed as an independent artist like he did under his own Strange Music label: "Have thick skin, have hustle. [You] have to get out there and make your fans." We even learn the Strange Music motto: "Gotta be ready to get up and go." Tech also discusses some differences between indie and major labels (money), but admits his real passion is to have full control over his sound.

Our next video has Tech chatting about all the hats he wears while working behind-the-scenes at his own label. The guy keeps busy acting as A&R (talent scout), but he also deals with a TON of grunt work, like answering a gazillion emails a day. Basically, Tech N9ne has a 9 to 5 like the rest of us -- except he's also a famous rapper.

Catch more Tech N9ne videos at POSTED.MTV.com all month long.

+ Watch Tech N9ne discuss independent record labels and offer music business advice.

Related Content Tech N9ne Shows Us His Hometown + Scenes From His USO Tour, Tech N9ne Shares Music Inspiration + Takes Us Inside Record Company HQ, Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

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POSTED: Tech N9ne Shares Success Tips On Being An Indie Artist, Running A Record Label

WASHINGTON -- Rick Santorum's surprising momentum at a critical stage in the presidential race has forced the Obama campaign to reassess its re-election strategy, which for months has revolved around the likelihood that Mitt Romney would be the president's Republican rival.

With several victories and some strong poll numbers under his belt, Mr. Santorum has garnered more attention at the Obama campaign's Chicago headquarters in recent weeks. The campaign has begun digging into Mr. Santorum's background, diverting opposition researchers who had been scrutinizing Mr. Romney. They also blasted an email to supporters in Pennsylvania, asking them to submit their most damning recollections of Mr. Santorum, a former senator from the state.

Though campaign officials still view Mr. Romney as the likely nominee, they have begun to consider the implications of a Santorum victory. They view him as a weaker general election opponent, but one who has shown an ability to connect with the population that is most disillusioned with Mr. Obama: white, blue-collar voters.

"Looking at the way the Republican race is unfolding, we'd be derelict if we didn't begin looking at Santorum as a real potential opponent," said Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for the Obama campaign.

Mr. Santorum has appeared increasingly confident of his prospects, campaigning heavily in Michigan -- a state that until recently was considered a shoo-in for Mr. Romney -- and touting his strong poll numbers in Ohio. Both are crucial swing states with large numbers of manufacturing workers.

He has centered his message on his social conservatism and blue-collar roots. But he has also tried to address his biggest weakness -- the perception that Mr. Romney would do better against Mr. Obama. During a campaign stop in Shelby Township, Mich., Friday, Mr. Santorum argued that he has a record of beating better-funded and more moderate candidates.

"Do you want someone who can go up against Barack Obama, take him on on the big issues of health care ... the Wall Street bailouts, cap-and-trade?" Mr. Santorum asked several hundred people at a rally hosted by the Michigan Faith and Family Coalition. "Or do you want someone who can just manage Washington a little better?"

Democratic strategists say they had long prepared for an unpredictable Republican primary race, but Mr. Santorum's surge caught them by surprise in part because they did not expect Mr. Romney to face such a difficult path to the nomination.

Early on, Mr. Obama's campaign had made it clear that they viewed Mr. Romney's venture capitalist past as a liability. But they did not expect that Mr. Romney's rival, Newt Gingrich, would use the issue to such great effect. And they were helped by the candidate's own difficulty explaining his personal wealth and why he paid a lower tax rate than many in the middle class.

Despite Mr. Santorum's momentum, Democrats see him as a significantly flawed candidate in a general election.

They believe his politics, particularly on social issues, are too conservative for most swing voters. The former Pennsylvania senator opposes all abortion and has made his opposition to the Obama administration's mandate that religious institutions offer contraceptive coverage a central campaign theme.

They also predict that Mr. Santorum would be less formidable on the fundraising front. Mr. Romney has galvanized the financial community behind his candidacy because of his professional ties, but Mr. Santorum would lack such an advantage.

They believe Mr. Santorum is just as vulnerable as Mr. Romney on his economic plan. Both opposed the bailout of the auto companies and have promised to repeal new laws regulating Wall Street. Both have endorsed tax cuts that Democrats will argue hurt the middle class, and would force draconian cuts to education and the social safety net.

But they acknowledge that Mr. Santorum appears to be connecting with white working-class voters, who have been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and job losses and who largely disapprove of the president's leadership. If Mr. Santorum wins, he may fare better in Midwestern swing states that would be crucial to Mr. Obama's re-election.

Mr. Romney "can't capitalize on the president's weakness with lower-income, non-college voters," said a Democratic strategist working to re-elect the president, granted anonymity in order to speak freely about internal strategy. "Rick Santorum has a better message for that community."

Mr. Santorum's approval rating among GOP voters in January jumped 12 points to 61 percent in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, with the increase almost entirely among those without a college degree. Mr. Romney has struggled with this group, exit polls show.

Mr. Santorum has a mixed record in his appeal to swing voters. Despite his deeply conservative values, he successfully ran for Senate twice in Pennsylvania, a swing state that has leaned Democratic in recent presidential elections. But he failed to win a third term, losing by 18 points in 2006 to Democrat Bob Casey.

First published on February 18, 2012 at 12:00 am

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Road to the White House: Santorum success forces Dems to revise strategy

Chinese leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping declared his US visit a "full success" as he ended it in Hollywood -- and as Washington said he agreed to let more US films into China's vast market.

Xi, who attended a basketball game in Los Angeles on Friday, made the comments in the final hours of his five-day trip, which started with talks in Washington and included a charm offensive in America's heartland.

"I can now say my visit to the United States has been a full success," Xi said in a visit to a Los Angeles school with US Vice President Joe Biden, adding that his meetings with Biden and President Barack Obama had been "very fruitful."

Echoing the warm remarks, Biden -- who visited China last year -- joked: "I envy a lot of things about him, starting with his full head of hair. And I admire his stamina. We have given him virtually no time to sleep."

But Biden also reiterated a key message Xi has heard this week -- that the United States wants Beijing to play the same "rules of the game" to reduce the enormous trade imbalance between the two economic heavyweights.

"We very much want to see more of our business in China, and Vice President Xi has committed to making that possible," he said, adding: "The faster the US economy grows the more Chinese citizens will benefit."

And shortly before Xi's scheduled departure Biden announced that China had agreed to "significantly" increase market access to US movies as part of outstanding issues following a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute.

The deal will allow more than 50 percent more US movies into China, added the Motion Picture Association (MPAA), while Biden did not put numbers on the increase, according to a White House statement.

A Chinese quota system restricts the number of foreign movies coming into the country annually to 20. In 2009 the WTO ruled against Chinese limits on the import of films, DVDs, music and books, but little has changed.

"This agreement with China will make it easier than ever before for US studios and independent filmmakers to reach the fast-growing Chinese audience, supporting thousands of American jobs," Biden said.

There was no immediate Chinese reaction to the White House statement, but Xi hailed Biden earlier in the day, saying: "We have established a good personal friendship and working relationship."

He recalled how China competed in the Olympics in 1984 for the first time after being re-admitted, adding that bilateral relations have "made some twists and turns" along way, but that "over the years we have made some headway."

Building further cooperation between the nations "is the right strategic decision that serves the interests of both," he said.

A string of deals were signed on the sidelines of Xi's visit, including one Friday by "Kung Fu Panda" US studio giant DreamWorks Animation for a $330 million (250 million euro) Chinese joint venture, Oriental DreamWorks.

The tie-up, unveiled by DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg, will team his California-based studio with three Chinese companies -- which will hold a majority 55 percent stake -- to operate a studio in Shanghai.

Katzenberg told AFP a short time afterwards that Oriental DreamWorks' first film was expected to be released in 2016.

The developments came as Xi rounded off a US trip that included a meeting at the White House with Obama, who urged China to play by the "same rules" in the global economy but voiced hope for cooperation.

Xi then traveled to Iowa, where a business delegation accompanying him agreed to buy 317 million bushels of soybeans from major US companies, in a deal estimated to be worth $4.3 billion.

On Friday he spent his final hours on US soil at an economic forum in downtown Los Angeles, before a National Basketball Association game between the LA Lakers and the Phoenix Suns at the Staples Center.

A commentary on his US trip Friday in the overseas edition of the People's Daily -- the mouthpiece of China's Communist Party -- said the visit had "deepened mutual understanding" between China and the United States.

"Xi Jinping's visit was not long, but it had a big impact in promoting exchanges between the two peoples," it said. "This partnership will certainly see a more healthy development."

The Chinese leader starts the next leg of his trip in Ireland on Saturday. He is also due to travel to Turkey before returning home.

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Xi claims 'success' as US trumpets China film deal

Joyce and Bob Gaskin love books. Literature classes at Lamar University served as the setting of their initial courtship which was sometimes punctuated by arguments over book interpretations.

It is only natural that Bob's description of his wife of 25 years is through a metaphor inspired from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream."

"They put a potion in the female lead so when she opens up her eyes she's in a dream and loved the first person she sees," said Bob, 78. "I think Joyce has some Puck's potion in her."

The Gaskins - characters in their own right - are the owners of Red B4 Books, an independent used book seller in Beaumont.

Joyce, 73, says what sets them apart from chain retailers online and in neighborhoods is their personal touch.

"I think it's the difference between Walmart and going to Market Basket. In Market Basket, I could ask for a seasoning for a certain thing and they'll know what I'm talking about," she said. "At Walmart, they'll hardly know I'm there much less I have a question."

A Thriving Independent

Although the 1990s saw many independent book stores succumb to encroaching large chains, tables seemed to have turned in recent years. While big box stores like Borders shuttered with the growing popularity of e-readers, independent book sellers are gaining customers.

"Independent book sellers excel at hand selling in terms of helping readers find the next great read," said Dan Cullen of the American Booksellers Association. "These are not titles that the consumer has in mind when they come into the book store."

Over the holidays in 2011, independent book sales increased by 15.5 percent from the previous year, according to the association.

John Roberts, owner of Book Bazaar in Beaumont, does not believe independent book stores face the same challenges as larger chains. With the onset of e-readers, books are becoming more rare, making older print books more in demand, according to Roberts.

"People thought I was crazy for opening a used book store," said Roberts. "Publishers are going to stop printing books because they're all going to the Kindles. They're going to make the books rare."

He also said that chain retailers have too much diverse inventory and thus high overhead. Used booksellers keep their stock low and cater to what they know the readership is more prone to buying, he said.

Southeast Texas interests

At the Gaskins' Red B4 Books, there is a selection of engineering books standing atop shelves, reflecting the interests of the refinery-heavy Golden Triangle. Meanwhile, the back room of Book Bazaar houses voodoo books and shoppers can find Texana books near the store entrance - marks of the Louisiana influence in the area.

Used book stores usually amass inventory from estate and library sales and whatever the community sells or donates to them, offering customers a collection that is especially representative of Southeast Texas.

"Southeast Texas is probably more culturally mixed in terms of refinery worker readers, types of readers and Louisiana influence," said Bob Gaskin.

Still, the popularity of work and travel reads pall compared to romance novels. Among the genres offered at Reader's Choice in Orange are shelves of romance reads that range from contemporary and historical to paranormal, which owner Celeste Spring says has become very popular.

Spring said both male and female readers have continued to seek out the romance books, even in a tough economy. "(It's) stress relief," said Spring. "You'd be surprised how many people come in and say, 'Give me something that's going to make me laugh.'"

Getting clever

Spring, who is an avid reader of romance novels, is no stranger to hard times. Since opening 11 years ago, the 50-year-old says she's seen her monthly revenue go down by half. Unlike her peers, part of her revenue comes from new books, which e-readers have hurt. On top of that, the ailing economy and hurricanes have also affected her business.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged business so badly in 2005 that the American Booksellers Association established a relief fund for independent booksellers affected by natural disasters.

"To be in the book business, you have to love books," Spring said. "You're not going to get rich. It's a labor of love."

But Spring knows that a little creativity can carry a business. Spring sells books, movies and music online, reflecting a growing trend toward digitization among local book stores across the country.

Roberts from Book Bazaar has also modified his business to attract knew customers, rotating an art gallery through his store every three months.

The Gaskins' business model remains more traditional. The couple maintains their business logs with pencil on paper and don't accept credit cards.

They rely on their love for traditional paper books to drive sales.

"How sterile. It's just this piece of plastic - no personality," Joyce said of e-readers. "To me, that's kind of sad."

JXChang@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/JulieChang1

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Independent book stores find success in crowded e-reader market

by Jim Gintonio - Feb. 17, 2012 05:38 PM
The Arizona Republic

Use a superlative or point out that his statistics mark him as elite player merely generates a shoulder shrug from Coyotes forward Radim Vrbata. On the verge of setting career highs in goals and points, he also leads the NHL with 19 road goals and is second with nine game winners.

He's a player who rarely gives himself enough credit, as evidenced by how he put his goals in perspective.

A game-winning goal, he said, is a nice stat, "but other guys would be scoring, too, so your goal is the winning one." As for the 19 tallies on the road: "This stat means I don't score too much at home probably," he said with a laugh. "I should pick it up at home. It's a good stat for you, but for us, you try to help any way you can, so that's what I'm focusing on."

Vrbata has tied his career high with 27 goals and is nine points short of breaking his personal best (56).

Coach Dave Tippett, who is preparing his team to face the Dallas Stars on Saturday after an emotional win in Los Angeles on Thursday night, isn't surprised that Vrbata, whose power-play goal helped trigger the 1-0 win over the Kings, shies from the spotlight.

"That's who he is, and that's what makes him a great person and a great player, and he fits very well with our team," Tippett said. "He's concerned about how our group does, not how he does personally. He's been a great fit for us here. It's not just his play, he's a quiet leader in that dressing room and very well respected."

Tippett said Vrbata's season has been "phenomenal," but he goes about it in such a quiet way that it can go unnoticed.

"He's been a go-to guy for us," Tippett said. "I think the two stats that stick out the most are nine game-winning goals and 19 goals on the road. You look at what happens, a lot of times on the road those guys are getting the hardest checkers, and that line of (Martin) Hanzal, (Ray) Whitney, Vrbata -- teams are watching them pretty close."

After a somewhat slow start this season, Vrbata turned things around but said he does not try to find an explanation.

"I just want to go with it," he said. "I try to prepare the same, try to play the same. When you're not scoring it's frustrating. I think (the) first nine games I only had one goal; I don't think my game was too bad.

"As long as you're getting chances, a few will eventually go in, so playing on a line with Marty, who I played with the whole four years I was here, and now second year in row we played with Whits, so ... lots of credit to them. I don't think about it too much. You just want to play."

Injury update

Defenseman Rusty Klesla and forward Taylor Pyatt (upper-body injuries) and defenseman Derek Morris (illness) are listed day to day.

Defenseman David Schlemko, who underwent foot surgery, has been skating and could return before the end of the season.

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Coyotes' Radim Vrbata stays humble despite success