diff --git a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/Global.java b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/Global.java
index b44842b..5171143 100644
--- a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/Global.java
+++ b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/Global.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 package org.thdl.lex;
-
+import java.io.*;
 import java.util.*;
 import org.thdl.lex.component.*;
 
@@ -27,8 +27,13 @@ public class Global
 	 */
 	public Date getLastUpdate() throws LexRepositoryException
 	{
-		ITerm term = (ITerm) getRecentTerms().get( 0 );
-		return term.getMeta().getModifiedOn();
+		Date date = null;
+		if ( null != getRecentTerms() && getRecentTerms().size() > 0 )
+		{
+			ITerm term = (ITerm) getRecentTerms().get( 0 );
+			date = term.getMeta().getModifiedOn();
+		}
+		return date;
 	}
 
 
@@ -177,8 +182,8 @@ public class Global
 	 */
 	public void doRefresh() throws LexRepositoryException
 	{
-		int limit = getRecentTermsCount();
-		setRecentTerms( LexComponentRepository.getRecentTerms( limit ) );
+		GlobalRefresher gr = new GlobalRefresher();
+		new Thread( gr ).start();
 	}
 
 
@@ -199,5 +204,41 @@ public class Global
 		setRecentTermsCount( recentItems );
 		setRefreshDelay( refreshDelay );
 	}
+
+
+	/**
+	 *  Description of the Class
+	 *
+	 * @author     travis
+	 * @created    October 21, 2003
+	 */
+	class GlobalRefresher implements Runnable
+	{
+		/**
+		 *  Main processing method for the GlobalRefresher object
+		 */
+		public void run()
+		{
+			int limit = getRecentTermsCount();
+			try
+			{
+				setRecentTerms( LexComponentRepository.getRecentTerms( limit ) );
+			}
+			catch ( Exception e )
+			{
+				StringWriter writer = new StringWriter();
+				e.printStackTrace( new PrintWriter( writer ) );
+				String stackTrace = writer.getBuffer().toString();
+				LexLogger.error( "GlobalRefresher Thread caught an Exception: " + stackTrace );
+			}
+
+		}
+
+
+		/**
+		 *Constructor for the GlobalRefresher object
+		 */
+		GlobalRefresher() { }
+	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexComponentFilter.java b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexComponentFilter.java
index 22802f3..672746b 100644
--- a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexComponentFilter.java
+++ b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexComponentFilter.java
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ public class LexComponentFilter implements Filter
 		try
 		{
 			setBlanks( new HashMap() );
-			getBlanks().put( LexConstants.TERMLABEL_VALUE, new Term() );
+			ITerm term = new Term();
+			getBlanks().put( LexConstants.TERMLABEL_VALUE, term );
 			getBlanks().put( LexConstants.PRONUNCIATIONLABEL_VALUE, new Pronunciation() );
 			getBlanks().put( LexConstants.ETYMOLOGYLABEL_VALUE, new Etymology() );
 			getBlanks().put( LexConstants.FUNCTIONLABEL_VALUE, new GrammaticalFunction() );
@@ -145,15 +146,15 @@ public class LexComponentFilter implements Filter
 				{
 					if ( getBlanks().get( labelValue ) != null )
 					{
-						Class glass = getBlanks().get( labelValue ).getClass();
-						LexComponent component = (LexComponent) glass.newInstance();
+						Class c = getBlanks().get( labelValue ).getClass();
+						LexComponent component = (LexComponent) c.newInstance();
 						component.populate( req.getParameterMap() );
 						component.getMeta().populate( req.getParameterMap() );
 						req.setAttribute( LexConstants.COMPONENT_REQ_ATTR, component );
 					}
 					else
 					{
-						req.setAttribute( "LCFilter says: ", "componentLabel was not in blank components" );
+						LexLogger.error( "componentLabel was not in blank components" );
 					}
 				}
 				catch ( InstantiationException ie )
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ public class LexComponentFilter implements Filter
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				req.setAttribute( "LexComponentFilter says: '", LexConstants.LABEL_REQ_PARAM + "' was not specified." );
+				LexLogger.error( "Required parameter, '" + LexConstants.LABEL_REQ_PARAM + "' was not specified." );
 			}
 			chain.doFilter( request, response );
 
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ public class LexComponentFilter implements Filter
 			    LexLogger.debug( "Checking Request state at end of LexComponentFilter.doFilter()" );
 			    LexLogger.logRequestState( req );
 			    LexLogger.logSessionState( req );
-			 */
+			  */
 			long dur = System.currentTimeMillis() - start;
 			LexLogger.debug( "Total Request took: " + dur / 1000 + " seconds.\n\n" );
 		}
diff --git a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexLogger.java b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexLogger.java
index 9000c9a..a1de3b5 100644
--- a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexLogger.java
+++ b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/LexLogger.java
@@ -126,6 +126,17 @@ public class LexLogger
 	}
 
 
+	/**
+	 *  Description of the Method
+	 *
+	 * @param  msg  Description of the Parameter
+	 */
+	public static void error( String msg )
+	{
+		LOGGER.error( msg );
+	}
+
+
 	/**
 	 *Constructor for the debugComponent object
 	 *
@@ -151,8 +162,6 @@ public class LexLogger
 			String stackTrace = writer.getBuffer().toString();
 			LOGGER.debug( "LexLogger caught an Exception: " + stackTrace );
 		}
-
 	}
-
 }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/commands/DisplayCommand.java b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/commands/DisplayCommand.java
index 92f0be5..e5e7b0c 100644
--- a/src/java/org/thdl/lex/commands/DisplayCommand.java
+++ b/src/java/org/thdl/lex/commands/DisplayCommand.java
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ public class DisplayCommand extends LexCommand implements Command
 				}
 
 				displayHelper.populate( req.getParameterMap() );
-
 			}
 			else
 			{
 				setNext( "menu.jsp" );
-				msg = "The component you were trying to display was not a term.";
+				msg = "The component set for display was not a term.";
+				LexLogger.error( msg );
 			}
 			req.setAttribute( LexConstants.MESSAGE_REQ_ATTR, msg );