Replacements

ART Raymond Pettibon For "Desire in Pursuyt of the Whole" — Raymond Pettibon's ninth solo exhibition at Regen Projects — the artist reaches into the cultural grab bag for imagery that offers plenty in the way of pop subtext, political baggage, art/kitsch tension and an off-kilter sense of humor. This heady mix, colliding with phrases and text snippets culled from a variety of sources, makes for enigmatic and pleasantly sensory-overloading works. Regen Projects, 633 N. Almont Drive, L.A. Opening reception 6-8 p.m. Free.

The number of days taken off by teachers during the school year is not an area of particular concern according to an Orange County Department of Education official. What is of concern is the problem of how to replace these individuals, often on short notice, when the pool of fully-accredited replacements is limited. Part of the reason for the dearth of replacements is the recent enactment of more stringent teacher certification requirements, which has effectively reduced the number of qualified substitutes.

A late summer symphony of labor struggle in the arts that has seen lockouts involving orchestras in Indianapolis and Atlanta and a full-scale strike on the part of the Chicago Symphony Orchesta continues. The musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra failed to reach an agreement with management on a new contract by the midnight deadline Sunday and as a result, management has locked them out of their jobs. The orchestra has canceled performances through Nov. 25. In a storyline that's become all too grimly familiar, management rejected the Minnesota musicians' appeals for arbitration and allowing the orchestra to play as talks continue.

Shannon Eastin is in the starting lineup, set to become the first female official in an NFL regular-season game. The 42-year-old has been assigned to work the Rams-Lions game Sunday in Detroit, where she will be the line judge. Of course, this historic moment comes courtesy of a labor disagreement between the regular officials and the NFL, which is using replacements to start the season, Eastin among them. Eastin, who has 16 years of experience, including most recently with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, worked NFL exhibition games this summer, making her debut during the Packers-Chargers preseason game.

WASHINGTON -- The White House is again coming to the defense of a possible Cabinet nominee, even before President Obama makes up his mind on the post. White House spokesman Jay Carney backed up former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel on Thursday, saying the possible pick for secretary of Defense has been a "remarkable servant to this country. " "What I can tell you is that Sen. Hagel fought and bled for his country. He served his country well. He was an excellent senator," Carney told reporters.

When surgeons cut into Kevin Glover's back in December, they found a lot more damage than they expected. A five-hour operation left the Seattle Seahawks center wondering if his NFL career was finished. "I'd be lying if I stood here and told you that I knew for sure I was coming back, because I didn't," Glover said Wednesday at practice. "My wife thought it was over too."

It's game over for NFL replacements. The regular officials are coming back. The NFL and NFL Referees Assn. reached an agreement on an eight-year deal late Wednesday that immediately puts the regulars back on the field, beginning with the game Thursday night between Cleveland and Baltimore. "Our officials will be back on the field starting tomorrow night," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement released after midnight on the East Coast. "We appreciate the commitment of the NFLRA in working through the issues to reach this important agreement.

Healthy middle-aged women who take hormones to ease the misery of hot flashes and night sweats have fewer depressive symptoms, less anxiety and tension, and better and more sex than those who do not, according to a new study. Though the long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy could not be measured by the new research, it did offer some reassuring findings. It suggested that some women's cholesterol profiles and metabolic function might improve on hormone replacement therapy and that blood pressure did not rise during or after a relatively brief stay on hormone replacement.