Sometimes the contents load and sometimes they don't - php

Question

I have the script below and on the website http://cacrochester.com, sometimes the contents of the right sidebar load and sometimes they don't. I think it's if it's your first few times on a page, it will say no events scheduled.
I'm completely stumped on why this is happening. The data in the database is not changing.
Let me know if you need me to post anymore code.
Thanks for helping!
<?php
$dummy = 0;
$headingLength = 0;
$descriptionLength = 0;
$shortHeading = 0;
$shortDescription = 0;
$todayYear = date('Y');
$todayMonth = date('m');
$todayDay = date('d');
$events = new dates();
$noEvents = 0;
//get the number of upcoming events
$numEvents = $events->getNumberEvents();
//get the actual events
$results = $events->getRows();
//used if there are not at least 5 events to fill up the event scroller
switch($numEvents) {
case 1: $dummy = 4; break;
case 2: $dummy = 3; break;
case 3: $dummy = 2; break;
case 4: $dummy = 1; break;
}
//loops through all of the events in the table and adds them to the list
foreach($results as $result)
{
$strippedHeading = stripslashes($result['heading']);
$strippedDescription = stripslashes($result['description']);
$headingLength = strlen($strippedHeading);
$descriptionLength = strlen($strippedDescription);
$shortHeading = $strippedHeading;
$shortDescription = $strippedDescription;
$time = strftime("%l:%M %P", $result['time']);
$location = $result['location'];
$startDate = getdate($result['start_date']);
$today = getdate();
//if the events are NOT in the past...
if($startDate >= $today)
{
//if we are at the end of the array, add the class 'last' to the li
if(current($result) == end($result))
{
echo "<li class=\"last\"><h4>".$shortHeading."</h4><h6>$time</h6><h6>$location</h6></li>".PHP_EOL;
}
else
{
echo "<li><h4>".$shortHeading."</h4><h6>$time</h6><h6>$location</h6></li>".PHP_EOL;
}
$noEvents = 1;
}
//if there is not at least 5 events, it repeats the events in the list until there are 5 total
elseif($dummy > 0 && $numEvents > 0)
{
//if the events are NOT in the past...
if($startDate >= $today)
{
//if we are at the end of the array, add the class 'last' to the li
if($dummy == 0)
{
echo "<li class=\"last\"><h4>".$shortHeading."</h4> ".$shortDescription."</li>".PHP_EOL;
$dummy--;
}
else
{
echo "<li><h4>".$shortHeading."</h4> ".$shortDescription."</li>".PHP_EOL;
$dummy--;
}
//if we have 5 events, do not add anymore
if($dummy < 0)
{
break;
}
}
$noEvents = 1;
}
}
//if there are no events, display the no events message
if($noEvents == 0)
{
echo "<li class=\"last\"><h4>No Events Scheduled</h4></li>".PHP_EOL;
}
?>

Answer 1

When you do $startDate >= $today you are trying to compare two arrays, which isn't too good an idea. Just use plain timestamps and it should work fine:
$startDate = $result['start_date'];
$today = strtotime('today');
Also, I'm not sure if this is a typo: current($result) == end($result), but shouldn't it be $results, which is the array name?