OLYMPICS

"These were happy and glorious Games," - IOC president Jacques Rogge at the closing ceremony.

"I did everything I wanted to. I finished my career the way I wanted to," - American swimmer Michael Phelps after retiring with 18 gold medals.

"I hope that this medal inspires the kids at home to put down guns and knives and pick up a pair of trainers instead," - Erick Barrondo, winner of Guatemala's first-ever Olympic medal with silver in the men's 20-kilometre race walk.

"I'm now a legend. I'm also the greatest athlete to live," - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt after retaining his 100 and 200 meter titles.

"Bolt was good but Rudisha was magnificent - it was the performance of the Games, not just track and field," - London 2012 head Sebastian Coe about Kenyan David Rudisha's world record win in the 800 meters.

- - -

SOCCER

"I am more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world. When all this is over, what are you left with?" - Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi.

"We're talking about a great generation of footballers. This is a great era for Spanish football," - Spain coach Vicente del Bosque after his team won the European championship.

- - -

TENNIS

"I'm sure he's smiling from up there that someone has finally managed to do it from Britain. I just hope I can see another British player in my lifetime win a Grand Slam," - Andy Murray after becoming the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the U.S. Open.

"I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall. I have fallen several times. Each time I just get up and I dust myself off and I pray and I'm able to do better," - Serena Williams after coming back from a life-threatening illness to win the Wimbledon, Olympic and U.S. Open titles.

- - -

GOLF

"I never got this far in my dreams," - Bubba Watson after winning the Masters in a dramatic playoff with Louis Oosthuizen.

"He's got all the talent in the world to do what he's doing. And this is the way that Rory can play," - Tiger Woods about Rory McIlroy after the Northern Irishman won the PGA Championship by eight shots.

- - -

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

"This isn't about bragging rights. This is a lot bigger. This is about a team, an organization being named world champions," - New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning after winning his second Super Bowl, one more than his older brother Peyton.

"It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game and this kind of conduct will not be tolerated," - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after announcing a range of penalties following revelations of the New Orleans Saints cash-for-hits scheme.

- - -

BASKETBALL

"It's about damn time," - Miami Heat forward LeBron James after winning his first NBA title.

"We're all so proud of LeBron. When you get to know LeBron, you don't understand why he was such a lightning rod for the criticism," - Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

- - -

CYCLING

"It sounds cheesy, but your whole life is for this and the reason I got into cycling as a kid was today," - Bradley Wiggins after becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France.

"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now," - Lance Armstrong, announcing he would not contest the doping charges against him and his former team.

"The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen," - statement from U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart.

- - -

MOTOR RACING

"People were not even mentioning us when they were talking about the championship, but I think the most important thing was that we always kept believing," - Sebastian Vettel after winning his third successive Formula One world title at age 25.

"If the sword breaks, attack with the hands. If they cut off your hands, push the enemy with your shoulders, even with your teeth," - Championship runner-up Fernando Alonso about his battles with Vettel.

- - -

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

"It's amazing what a group of guys who play like a team can accomplish. I'm numb that we have won two World Series in the last three years," - San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy after the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers 4-0 to win the Fall Classic.

"I'm a little bit flabbergasted to be honest with you. I never would have thought that we would have swept the New York Yankees (to reach the World Series) and I never would have thought that the Giants would have swept us but it happened," - Detroit manager Jim Leyland.

- - -

ICE HOCKEY

"This is something everyone's dreamed of for their whole lives and this city's dreamed of for 45 years," - Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown after the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time.

"We are not prepared to open another season until we have a new collective bargaining agreement," - NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman signaling the start of another player lockout.

- - -

CRICKET

"Where else in the world do you get the opportunity to basically kill someone with two bouncers an over? Or try, legally," - South African fast bowler Dale Steyn.

"Cricket is not like a government job where retirement age is fixed at 60. A cricketer can retire at 30 or 60; it's up to the player," - India's evergreen batsman Virender Sehwag.

- - -

RUGBY

"It's for other people to judge whether we are the greatest team or not - or if we are a great team," - New Zealand coach Steve Hansen after another dominant season by the All Blacks.

"Today, we witnessed the arrival of a new generation of Welsh rugby heroes - a group of players who have equaled the success of those great Welsh teams of the past," - Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones after Wales won the Grand Slam and the Six Nations.

(Compiled by Julian Linden, edited by Josh Reich)

"They weren't just investigating," Gregory Pagano, representing alleged mob capo Anthony "Ant" Staino Jr., said in his closing argument. "They were waiting for something bigger to come along than video poker machines and sports betting. ... It never did. This is what they got."

With so little to work with to prove their case, Pagano argued, the feds instead instigated a "manhunt" against his client and co-defendants and knowingly painted a picture of them that is completely false.

"The government is hiding evidence, distorting evidence and miscategorizing evidence," he said. "You can't hide from the truth."

Friday marked the second day of closing arguments in the two-month trial of reputed acting mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and six other alleged mob members or associates. The jury is expected to start deliberations Tuesday.

The trial revolves around allegations of illegal gambling, extortion and loansharking. The FBI accuses Ligambi, 73, of running the South Philadelphia-based crime family since Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino went to prison in 1999.

According to the indictment, the Ligambi organization controlled illegal gambling machines and sports betting at several South Philadelphia bars and clubs, and threatened violence to collect debts. Ligambi also is charged with defrauding a Teamsters fund by getting health care for himself and his family members through a no-show job at a sanitation company.Ligambi's attorney will give his closing argument Monday, followed by a rebuttal by prosecutors.

Attorney Christopher Warren seized upon U.S. Attorney John Han's assertion during his closing argument Thursday that a series of surreptitious tape recordings of some of the defendants in meetings, among themselves and with other crime families, were the most powerful evidence in the case.

"These tapes were a bunch of geriatric gangsters waxing nostalgic about things that happened long ago," said Warren, whose own client was heard on the tapes. Philadelphia's once-formidable La Cosa Nostra of past decades, run by bosses like Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo and Giovanni "John" Stanfa, no longer exists, Warren said.

"It died," he said. "It is a broke, broke mob."

Warren said prosecutors paraded a procession of witnesses on the stand who told "flat-out lies" in exchange for getting out of their own criminal troubles.

"The message is only as credible as the messenger," he told jurors. "What you've got, folks, is people just up there saying stuff."

This inane publicity stunt backfired when the website Mediaite reported on Dec. 7 that Psy (real name: Park Jae-sang) had participated in a 2002 protest in which he crushed a model of an American tank with a microphone stand. But that's nothing compared to the footage of a 2004 performance after a Korean missionary was slaughtered by Islamists in Iraq. These lyrics cannot be misunderstood.

"Kill those f-ing Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives ... Kill those f-ing Yankees who ordered them to torture ... Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers ... Kill them all slowly and painfully."

This isn't just anti-American. It's anti-human.

Guess where this story first surfaced in the American media? CNN, from the same corporate family tree as TNT. It was posted back on Oct. 6 on CNN's iReport, an open-source online news feature that allows users to submit stories for CNN consideration.

The Korean one-hit wonder put out the usual abject careerist apology, but he weirdly said, "I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted." Those darn lyrics and those darn people who misinterpret lyrics about killing Yankees' mothers. It is like Barack Obama expressing regret for the awful things said about Susan Rice, ignoring the awful things said by Susan Rice.

Psy is now a millionaire. As Jim Treacher wrote at the Daily Caller: "So far he's made over $8 million from the song, about $3 million of it from the people he once wanted to kill." Brad Schaeffer at Big Hollywood noted his own father fought for South Korea's independence in the Korean War: "Had it not been for 'f-g Yankees' like my Dad, this now-wealthy South Korean wouldn't be 'Oppan Gangnam Style' so much as 'Starving Pyongyang Style.'" (Gangnam is a posh district in the South Korean capital of Seoul.)

Despite the controversy, neither the Obama White House nor the TNT brass felt it was necessary to send Psy packing before the Dec. 9 taping. On Saturday, ABC reporter Muhammad Lila merely repeated, "the White House says the concert will go on and that President Obama will attend, saying that they have no control over who performs at that concert."

What moral cowardice. On Monday morning, another pliant publicist, NBC correspondent Peter Alexander, calmly relayed that the White House did take control on the Psy front on its own "We The People" website, where the people may post petitions to the president for their fellow citizens to sign. A petition asking Obama to dump Psy from the Christmas concert was itself dumped. Alexander explained: "But that petition was removed because the rules say the petitions only apply to federal actions. And, of course, the President had no say over who the private charity chose to invite."

This is double baloney. The White House hasn't removed silly "federal action" petitions like the one asking to "Nationalize the Twinkie Industry," or one to "Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016." They removed one that they didn't want people to sign.

As for Obama having "no say over" who appeared on the TNT show, the president could easily declare he wasn't going to share a stage with this America-hater. Or he could have obviously placed one phone call to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes (an Obama donor), and expressed the dismay of the President of the United States.

Instead, the Obamas came and honored Psy. Yes, the president honored a man who despised America enough to want its citizens slaughtered.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting and Cable magazine observed, "At the end of the taping, when the First Family customarily shakes hands and talks briefly with the performers, the First Lady gave Psy a hug, followed by a handshake from the President, who engaged Psy in a short, animated discussion at one point Psy appeared to rock back with laughter and patted the singer on the shoulder."

I never thought I'd ever view a Christmas special featuring a hideous hater of America celebrated by the President of the United States.

L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. To find out more about Brent Bozell III, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- Delays in Exxon Mobil Corp.'s response to a major pipeline break beneath Montana's Yellowstone River made an oil spill far worse than it otherwise would have been, federal regulators said in a new report.

The July 2011 rupture fouled 70 miles of riverbank along the scenic Yellowstone, killing fish and wildlife and prompting a massive, months-long cleanup.

The damage could have been significantly reduced if pipeline controllers had acted more quickly, according to Department of Transportation investigators.

The report, provided to The Associated Press by the office of Montana U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, marks the first time federal regulators have highlighted specific actions by Exxon as contributing to the severity of the spill.

An Exxon spokeswoman said Wednesday the company was reviewing the findings.

The spill released about 63,000 gallons of crude from Exxon's 20-year-old Silvertip pipeline into the river near the city of Laurel. That damage would have been reduced by about two-thirds if controllers in Houston isolated the rupture as soon as problems emerged, investigators said.

Instead, after Exxon personnel partially shut down the line and were weighing their next steps, crude drained from the severed, 12-inch pipeline for another 46 minutes before a key control valve was finally closed.

Exxon spent $135 million on its response to the spill, including cleanup and repair work.

Spokeswoman Rachael Moore said the company will continue to cooperate with Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and "is committed to learning from these events."

The report chalks up the immediate cause of the spill to floodwaters that damaged the pipeline and left it exposed. Debris washing downriver piled up on the line, increasing pressure until it ruptured.

The "volume would have been much less" and the location of spill "would have been identified far more quickly" if Exxon's emergency procedures had called for the immediate closure of upstream valves, investigators said.

The report also faulted Exxon for lacking a plan to notify pipeline controllers that the river was flooding.

Exxon workers were not blamed, however, for steps taken in the lead-up to the spill.

Exxon's field observations and "depth of cover survey took reasonable precautions to address the flooding of the Yellowstone River it the spring and early summer of 2011," the investigators wrote.

City officials in Laurel had warned Exxon that the riverbank was eroding. The company, however, continued to run crude beneath the Yellowstone after finding that a section of pipeline leading away from the river was still buried more than 6 feet deep.

The report did not address concerns raised by Baucus, a Democrat, and other lawmakers over whether existing pipeline regulations do enough to prevent spills at river crossings.

Under current rules, companies must bury pipelines 4 feet beneath a riverbed and inspect them periodically.

Those rules are being reviewed, and Baucus said Wednesday that "transparency and oversight are critical to making sure we never have to go through the devastation of the Yellowstone River oil spill again."

Landowners along the river have sued Exxon, saying the company didn't do enough to prevent the spill and should have shut down the line during flooding. Exxon is fighting the lawsuits.

An attorney for plaintiffs in one of the cases, Jory Ruggiero, said Wednesday that Exxon at a minimum should have been on high alert when the pipeline broke and ready to shut it down instantly.

But federal officials also bear some responsibility, said Carl Weimer with the Pipeline Safety Trust, an advocacy group. He said government officials were in a position to review the company's accident response plans prior to the accident and make sure those were sufficient.

The federal investigation into the spill remains open. Whether any citations will be issued is under review, said spokesman Damon Hill with the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

No timetable was available for any such decision, Hill added.

The 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been moved to his Johannesburg home. He has been in frail health for several years.

"He will undergo home-based high care at his ... home until he recovers fully," the government said in a statement issued by the presidency.

"We request a continuation of the privacy consideration in order to allow for the best possible conditions for full recovery," it said, without offering further details.

Mandela has a history of lung problems dating back to when he contracted tuberculosis while in jail as a political prisoner. He spent 27 years in prison, including 18 years on the windswept Robben Island off Cape Town.

The former president was admitted to a Pretoria hospital on December 8 and this was his longest stay in hospital since he was released from prison in 1990.

Current President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela on Christmas Day and said the former South African leader was doing much better, making progress and in good spirits.

Mandela was also admitted to hospital in February because of abdominal pain but released the following day after a keyhole examination showed there was nothing seriously wrong with him.

He has spent most of his time since then in another home in Qunu, his ancestral village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province.

His poor health has prevented him from making any public appearances in the past two years, although he has continued to receive high-profile visitors, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton earlier this year.

Mandela became South Africa's first black president after the country's first all-race elections in 1994.

After his release from prison, he used his popularity to push for reconciliation between whites and blacks, which became the bedrock of the post-apartheid "Rainbow Nation".

Mandela stepped down as president in 1999 after one term in office and has largely been absent from public life for the last decade.

(Reporting by David Dolan, Peroshni Govender and Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005 in October, received 300,000 pounds from the Sunday Times as payment towards his legal fees after the paper raised questions about the American's success following his recovery from testicular cancer.

"It is clear that the proceedings were baseless and fraudulent. Your representations that you had never taken performance enhancing drugs were deliberately false," read the letter to Armstrong's lawyers in the Sunday Times.

The paper is demanding the return of the 300,000 pounds payment plus interest, as well as costs accrued in defending the case, which was settled in 2006.

A report by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in October said the now-retired Armstrong had been involved in the "most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping program the sport has ever seen."

Armstrong has always denied using performance-enhancing drugs but chose not to contest the USADA charges.

(Writing by Tom Pilcher, Editing by Alison Wildey)

West Brom's second goal in the 50th minute, given as an own goal to QPR keeper Robert Green after he came under an aerial challenge from Marc Antoine-Fortune, left Redknapp raging.

The QPR manager also slammed the officials for not awarding a late penalty when West Brom defender Liam Ridgewell appeared to handle the ball inside the area as his side tried to salvage a draw.

"At the end it's a blatant penalty. Ridgewell's got his hands up. They are scandalous decisions. I can't do anything about it. It's just poor refereeing," Redknapp told the BBC before having time to cool down.

Talking to reporters later, Redknapp toned down his emotions but remained highly critical of Ridgwell's apparent handball.

"I thought the referee got it completely wrong. How does he not see the penalty at the end? Ridgewell's hand is up there. It's the most blatant handball I've ever seen," he said.

"I asked the referee how he couldn't see it and he told me it was murky over there."

On Green's own goal, Redknapp added: "It was an absolutely blatant foul. Listen I hate hearing managers moan about decisions. I never do that and it's not a part of my life.

"I don't slate referees off. They'll all tell you that. I don't go knock on their doors, but today was really poor. Two vital decisions wrong.

"I expected the referee to give a free kick. How can a keeper play the ball when a fella backs him in over the line? Someone said you should push him over, but you can't because it's a penalty. That's obstruction. How can it stand?"

Reading's 0-0 draw with Swansea City meant QPR dropped to the bottom of the table on goal difference with 10 points from 19 matches. (Writing by Martyn Herman, Editing by Tom Pilcher)

Shopping for a new bed can seem like a daunting task with so many brands, models, and types in the marketplace. How can consumers figure out the best bed for their needs? BedEd.org seeks to help shoppers make the research process a little smoother with informational support regarding mattresses, brands and innovations.

Using an easy to navigate blog format, the website will provide first hand research as well as write ups and summaries of third party reviews and research. As an information aggregate, the blog will contain information on the spectrum of companies and offerings available, making research simpler and more efficient for shoppers.

Planned topics are to include mattress buying guides, pros and cons of specific mattress types and brands, product reviews, and sleep hygiene tips. They will also run series detailing the best mattress types based on specific needs in response to common concerns and reader questions. The blog also hopes to serve as a social tool via commentary on personal experience and recommendations.

The blogs initial post takes an informational stance on mattress material composition and effects on health. Titled the post outlines how flame retardants, volatile organic compounds, and allergens impact sleepers. Using these criteria, it is explained why natural latex and memory foam offer superior alternatives for individuals concerned about mattress health.

Upcoming posts will include tips for combating allergies in the bedroom, detailed information on mattress types, and how to pick the best beds for back pain and fibromyalgia. BedEd.org offers newsletter options and a Twitter feed for interested readers to receive updates on recent posts and industry news.

BedEd.org is a mattress education blog dedicated to providing informational resources to shoppers. The blog features impartial assessments of mattress types, brands, and other sleep related products, developed via first party research, third party reviews, and expert research and opinion. In addition, readers receive useful sleep quality tips and news on the latest mattress developments

Bed Ed BlogBedEd.org480 264 0725

This could be your vacation, with a bit of planning.

With miles of sandy beaches, endless winter sunshine and a laid-back vibe, there's no reason to leave your four-legged friend behind when you vacation in Florida. From lodging that offers special pet beds, to beaches with off-leash play, to theme parks with nearby kennels, many places around the state accommodate visitors with pets. Many Florida state parks also allow leashed dogs.

Lodging with your dog can be as rustic as a campground or as ritzy as, well, the Ritz Carlton. In places like Key West or Sanibel Island where all beaches are open to leashed dogs unique and funky pet-friendly accommodations are easy to find in various price ranges.

Most counties have their own tourism boards and many have specific pages on their websites about pet-friendly activities, restaurants and hotels. Visit Florida has lots of information at http://www.visitflorida.com/Pet_Friendly_Florida.

Jeannette Scott, a fashion blogger from Orlando, took her shih tzu-Yorkie mix named Bella on a three-day trip in June. Together, they drove three hours to Fort Myers, boarded a ferry to Key West, stayed at a Sheraton that offered a doggie bed for Bella, and posed for photos in front of a frozen yogurt stand that carried Yoghund, a froyo for doggies.

"She thought it was really fun to get away and go on adventure instead of staying at home," said Scott.

If your dog might enjoy the same, here are some dog-friendly destinations around Florida, along with lodging advice and general tips for traveling here with pets.

DESTINATIONS

Dog Beach and Paw Playground at Fort De Soto State Park. In 2010, Southern Living magazine named this spot in Pinellas County on Florida's West Coast one of the top five dog beaches in the South. You only need to set one paw onto the sugary sand to know why: It's a gorgeous and peaceful place. The Gulf of Mexico is usually warm and calm, and dogs of all sizes love to play in the soft surf. Dogs can run on the beach and swim off-leash, then enjoy a large, adjacent fenced-in grassy dog park area. There are water fountains, waste bags and a place to wash salt out of dog fur. Admission to the park area is $5.

Dinosaur World in Plant City. Who loves dinosaurs? Dogs, that's who. Located halfway between Tampa and Disney, Dinosaur World is a park featuring 150 giant dinosaur statues and trails winding through the lush Florida landscape. Leashed dogs are welcome on the trails and it's a great opportunity to snap a photo of your pooch with a giant Stegosaurus (some intrepid bloggers have gotten shots of their dogs posing inside a dinosaur's mouth). Tickets are $14.95, dogs are free; open daily.

Dog Wood Park, Jacksonville. This 25-acre, privately owned park is heaven for dogs. It's all off-leash and entirely fenced in, from the pond to the grassy knoll to the trails. A separate small area nearby has chairs where owners can sip coffee and chat. There are two ponds, Lake Bow Wow for the big dogs and Lake Fifi for little ones, plus doggie sand piles, shady areas and tires for dogs to climb on. Day visits are $11, including tax. Additional services, like use of the park's indoor dog wash area, are extra.

The Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine. Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles discovered this spring in 1565 and the Timucua Indians lived here for 4,000 years before that. You and your dog can sniff around and drink from the fountain. Tickets are $12.

Downtown Naples. A great place to stroll with your pet while embracing tropical Florida, downtown Naples has lots of outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants where you can dine al fresco with your dog. Several stores Diva Doghouse, For Footed Friends, Pucci & Catana and Fergie's Closet Doggie Boutique specialize in upscale pet accessories, clothing and food.

Lincoln Road, Miami. Located on South Beach, this pedestrian-friendly shopping area is the place to watch all of the beautiful people and their designer dogs. Outdoor restaurants and tropical drinks abound.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Hobe Sound. This sprawling park on Florida's East Coast, north of tony Palm Beach, offers miles of trails that showcase how Florida looked before development. Dogs must be leashed. Admission is $6 per vehicle.

Panama City Beach dog playground. This Florida Panhandle spring break favorite offers 400 feet of beachfront for leashed dogs and the new Panama City Beach Conservation Park with 12 trails (dogs must be leashed there).

Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway, Tallahassee. This park in the state's capitol is popular with local dog owners because of its beautiful trails and secluded grassy areas.

LODGING

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, Lake Buena Vista. Located on 750 acres near the theme parks, this campground allows RVs with full hookups and tent camping. Some spaces allow pets, but those spaces are limited and should be reserved well in advance. Leashed dogs are allowed on some trails near the campground. There is also an off-leash dog park, Waggin' Tails Dog Park, within the campground.

Best Friends Pet Resort, Lake Buena Vista. Best Friends provides day and overnight care for pets (not just dogs) in the Orlando area. Discounts are available for Disney World Resort guests, but anyone can use the service, which starts at $27 for doggie daycare.

Loews hotels at Universal Orlando Resort. All three are pet-friendly.

La Quinta. This ubiquitous and affordable chain, found throughout Florida, is probably the best-known pet-friendly chain, with free stays for dogs.

Aloft Hotels. This Starwood boutique hotel chain offers hip decor and sophisticated style and it's also pet-friendly. Aloft offers two locations in Jacksonville (one not far from Dog Wood Park), one in Tallahassee and several opening in Miami and Orlando in the coming year. A recent weekday room rate in Jacksonville was $69, not including taxes. Aloft policies vary regarding weight restrictions for dogs, fees and deposits.

Luxury hotels. Pampered people have pampered pooches. For small dogs who need luxury (under 25 pounds) try Ritz Carlton hotels in Sarasota, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Miami Beach. Non-refundable pet fees vary, but hover in the $250 range. The Mandarin Oriental in Miami a swanky hotel frequented by celebrities like Jennifer Anniston also accepts pets up to 25 pounds. The Mandarin sells dog T-shirts bedazzled with Swarovski crystals in its gift shop and the concierge can book doggie boot camp appointments and dog massages.

GENERAL TIPS

While it might seem like you are in a remote area as you hike through jungle-like trails or play on deserted beaches with your dog, you're actually never far from civilization in Florida. There's usually a veterinarian, big-box pet store and pet-friendly hotel within a short drive. A quick Google search or sites like http://www.bringfido.com or http://www.dogfriendly.com can help locate them.

Larger theme parks such as Busch Gardens in Tampa offer kennel services; make sure to bring your pet's vaccination record along.

Other essentials for a Florida vacation with your dog: Drinking water, heartworm medicine and even sunscreen. With temperatures in the 70s and 80s in many Florida locations during the winter, dogs (and people) can easily become dehydrated. Specially-formulated sunscreen for dogs isn't a bad idea, especially if your furry friend has a short, fair coat and pink skin.

Take shady breaks, put ice cubes in the water dish and let dogs sprawl on cool tiles. Never, ever, leave your dog in a car in Florida, even for a few minutes. Temperatures inside cars can heat up to 120 degrees and kill animals quickly.

Heartworm, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes, is endemic to Florida. Plan to visit a vet before your trip to get a heartworm test and pills to prevent infection.

Many beaches in Florida allow leashed dogs on the sand, but check first. In some places, you can receive a heavy fine. Dogs are welcome in many places at outdoor cafes and along pedestrian malls.

___

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush

Delays racked up from Dallas to Indianapolis to Chicago. By 3 p.m. EST Wednesday, more than 1,100 flights nationwide had been scrapped, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.com.

More cancelations are likely throughout the evening, with Washington, New York and Philadelphia expected to see the largest problems. For instance, wind gusts at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport could exceed 50 mph Wednesday night, according to FlightAware.

Passengers are pretty much at the mercy of Mother Nature and the airlines. But there are a few things they can do to improve their odds of getting home quickly.

If you miss your connection, the airlines will automatically rebook you on the next available flight. However, with flights at near capacity, the next open seat could be several days away. Two years ago, some Christmas fliers had to wait nearly a week to get home.

If you're unhappy with your rebooked flight, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. But also, pick up the phone and call the airline directly, go onto the airline's website and even consider sending a Tweet.

Consider buying a one-day pass to the airline lounge. It's a nice place to relax away from the crowd and there are usually free drinks and small snacks. But the real secret to the lounges is that the airline staffs them with some of its best and friendliest ticket agents. The lines inside will be much shorter and these agents are magically able to find empty seats where nobody else can. One-day passes typically cost $50 per person.

___

Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott .