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Whether you love or hate Apple products, there is no doubting their success, both in terms of their general reputation and in sheer dollars.
However, that success has not been due to market research. Steve Jobs has repeatedly quipped that Apple never performs any market research nor hires consultants. In that regard, he joins Henry Ford who famously (allegedly) said, "If I asked my customers what they want, they simply would have said a faster horse."
So, while James' excellent column earlier this week on opinion polls is correct that asking your readers what they want is important, it's also important to take what they have to say with a grain of salt.
Simply put, your readers probably know what they want, at least to a certain degree, but they likely have little idea as to what they actually need. However, it's your job as a blogger to give them the latter because giving someone what they need is exactly what makes them the most loyal and long-term readers possible.
So how do you give your readers what they need without ignoring their opinions? That is a much more difficult question to answer.
The Pitfall
To be clear, as James said, user opinion can be incredibly valuable. However, it has a very serious limitation, it is almost always backwards-looking.
The only thing you readers can do is take a look at what you have done currently and then find ways that they think you could improve upon it or ways you can add to it.
While that can be very useful, they aren't going to see any departures from the norm that might be wise or even necessary. For example, if you run a blog that focuses on reviewing headphones, you readers might recommend that you do a review of a certain brand or maybe focus on cheaper/more expensive models, but they probably won't propose a guide on how headphones work, something that could be very useful to your audience and help you expand your readership.
Another problem is that readers will, generally, only suggest things that are to their benefit, often ignoring your needs and the needs of the site. For example, readers might complain or even protest the use of ads on your site, ignoring that, without those ads, the site couldn't exist.
What this means is that, while it is critical to know what your readers want, it's important to remember where that desire is coming from and that those wants may not always be practical or even what is truly in their best interest.
Simply put, sometimes you to ignore and go against the wishes of your readers, the trick is to know when.
How to Avoid It
None of this is to say that you shouldn't take opinion polls or ask your readers what they want. That is still very important and both Steve Jobs and Henry Ford are extremists in this area. That is an approach that can bite you easily as the iPhone copy and paste debacle showed.
Still, you can't trust your readers, no matter how astute they are, to know everything they want or need, especially what they will want or need in a few months time. As Steve Jobs said, "You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."
You have to be the one to look farther down the road and to make the big decisions about the direction your site is going to take.
To do that, you have to put yourself in your reader's shoes. To accomplish that, you need to know who they are. So, instead of or in addition to asking them what they want, ask your who they are. Get all of the pertinent information you can including their age, education level, general tastes, viewpoints, etc. and from that try to imagine yourself as them as they visit your site.
From that perspective, you need to look at what they need or truly want. What does someone like that need that they might not know they need until they get it?
Going back to the aforementioned headphone review site. If you took a poll of your readers and learned that they were primarily music buffs and not engineers or scientists, you would quickly glean that they likely had almost no understanding of how headphones worked and that such knowledge might help them make smarter decisions down the road.
Your readers might not know that they don't know or might not realize that they need to, but once you provide the info, they'll quickly see how valuable it is.
In short, what you need to do is try to understand your readers needs and wants better than they understand themselves. It's not hard to do with an outside perspective, but you have to look past the answers on a survey to do it.
Bottom Line
In the end, your job as the owner of a site is to be looking forward and trying to be ahead of your readers' needs, not behind them. This can be tough, especially if you only go by what readers say they want, but that is exactly how you build a loyal and devoted readership.
This isn't to say you shouldn't take opinion polls from time to time. As James mentioned, they teach you about your audience, help your readers feel engaged with the site, can give you some great ideas and even point out some holes that you need to fill before moving forward.
Opinion polls are a necessary part of the equation, however, using them is not as simple as compiling a list of their suggestions and implementing them one after another. The goal is to take that information and those suggestions and construct something even greater.
While that requires a lot more thinking and a great deal more work, if you can do it, you'll have a site that, like some of the better companies out there, are able to anticipate user needs, meet them and grow because of it.
That, in turh, is how you go from having a "good" blog to have a "great" one.


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Clear v. Superior Court, 2010 WL 2029016 (Cal.App. 4 Dist. May 24, 2010)
The California Court of Appeal has held that a man who set up a bogus MySpace profile of his former church pastor can stand trial for criminal "personation."
The defendant's alleged conduct that might really put him on the hook is what he did after setting up the profile: he posted content that suggested the pastor used drugs and was gay. Because this could have resulted in the pastor losing his job, the court found the statute prohibiting personation of another might have been violated (that question will be resolved at trial unless there's a plea deal).
The criminal personation statute (Penal Code Sec. 529) has an intriguing framework for liability. Apparently it's not enough just to say you're someone else. To be liable you've got to actually do something while assuming that persona that would subject your target to some kind of legal harm.
For example, just saying to the cops that you're someone else, that you have that persons birthday and even responding affirmatively to whether you have their middle name apparently isn't enough to violate the statute. People v. Cole, 23 Cal.App.4th 1672 (1994).
But using your sister's name when you get a traffic ticket and also forging her signature on the citation isn't allowed. People v. Chardon, 77 Cal.App.4th 205 (1999).
All the reason not to set up that Facebook profile of your boss and populate it with tales of drugs and other shenanigans.
Image by Balakov under this Creative Commons license.

subset: commoncrawl


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Compare cheap flights from Cairns to Zimbabwe
Compare and book cheap flights from Cairns (CNS) to Zimbabwe with Skiddoo. Use the Skiddoo flight explorer to find the cheapest time to fly to Zimbabwe from Cairns on a range of leading airlines. Save with our exclusive Cairns to Zimbabwe flight deals online today.
What to do in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a gorgeous country in Southern Africa, and it is home to some of the best landscapes in the world. With lush mountains, stunning waterfalls, exciting safaris, laidback towns and more, Zimbabwe is a fantastic destination for the ultimate outdoor adventure.
Fly to Harare and discover the city's rich history and culture at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, National Archives, and the Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences. Bring your camera to take photos of the National Heroes Arc and Chapungu Sculpture Park.
Visit the natural wonders of Harare too at The Kopje, where you can see amazing views of the city. Spend an afternoon admiring the amazing flora of the National Herbarium and Botanic Garden. And be amazed by Zimbabwe's wildlife at Mukuvisi Woodlands.
See the world's most spectacular and largest sheet of falling water when you fly to Victoria Falls. You will be left speechless when you see it in person. But you can get your heart going again and channel your inner daredevil with some thrill-seeking white water rafting, bungee jumping, abseiling and more.
Feel the laid-back and relaxed pace of Zimbabwe and fly to Bulawayo. Find plenty of photo ops in the city's tree-lined avenues and Victorian buildings. Are you a culture vulture? Then you'll love the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, and the Bulawayo Train Museum.
See more wildlife at Mana Pools National Park and the popular Lake Kariba. At Lake Kariba, you can enjoy game viewing while onboard a houseboat, and then enjoy camping on the shore. Feel like Indiana Jones as you explore the ruins of Great Zimbabwe in Masvingo and the ancient art in Matobo Hills. Find breathtaking scenery of mountains, waterfalls, streams, and more at Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands.
When to visit Zimbabwe
The best time to visit Zimbabwe for game viewing is during the dry winter season of May to October. The best time to visit to see Victoria Falls is between April and May, but if you want to go white water rafting in the falls, plan your trip for August to December.
Australians can fly to Zimbabwe and travel around the country once you pay for a single entry 30-day visa at the point of entry. Be sure that your passport is valid for at least six months when you fly back to Australia. Just visit Smartraveller for more travel info.
Travelling to and around Zimbabwe
Your flight will be bound for Harare International Airport, Victoria Falls Airport, or Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport. You can travel around Zimbabwe by plane, coaches, taxis, and minibus taxis.
See some of the world's best natural wonders and go book your Zimbabwe flights with Skiddoo today!


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Comic Noir: The Art of Joëlle Jones
The Art Institute of Portland Gallery presents a first look at Jones' newest work
May 26, 2009—For the month of June, the Art Institute of Portland Gallery is hosting Portland comic book artist Joëlle Jones and writer Jamie S. Rich in a unique first look at their collaborated novel You Have Killed Me, due this summer from Oni Press. On view will be excerpts and original pages from the book, as well at the opportunity to speak to the artist and writer about the new book and the creative process behind it.
Jones and Rich first collaborated on the acclaimed comic book 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, and have since shown up as a team in the pages of Popgun, Portland Noir, and Madman Atomic Comics. Jones also did the cover and interior illustrations for Rich's novel Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?
Separately, they have multiple creative works between them. Jones has contributed to the long-running comic series Fables at DC/Vertigo, and she drew the Minx young-adult graphic novel Token, written by Alisa Kwitney. Rich has published four prose novels, including Cut My Hair, I Was Someone Dead, and The Everlasting, and wrote the comics series Love the Way You Love, illustrated by Marc Ellerby. He served as the editor-in-chief at Oni Press from 1999 until 2004 and has also worked on the editorial staff at Dark Horse Comics.
The June gallery show, titled "Comic Noir: The Art of Joëlle Jones," will debut on First Thursday with an artist reception from 6-8 p.m. at the College.
Daily gallery hours are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday to Thursday; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Friday; and 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday. Exhibit runs through June 27.
About The Art Institute of Portland
The Art Institute of Portland (www.artinstitutes.edu/portland), located in Portland's Pearl District, provides undergraduate design education and is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Art Institute of Portland offers bachelor's degree programs in Advertising, Apparel Accessory Design, Apparel Design, Culinary Arts, Digital Film & Video, Design Management, Design Studies, Design Visualization, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Fashion Marketing, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Photography & Design, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, Visual & Game Programming, and Web Design & Interactive Media. The college offers a minor in sustainability and associate's degrees for select degree programs.


text: BUSINESS Montreux Jazz Founder Claude Nobs in Coma After Ski Fall 1/7/2013 by Associated Press FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Montreux Jazz Founder Claude Nobs in Coma After Ski Fall The Montreux Jazz Festival says its founder and general manager Claude Nobs has been hospitalized in a coma due to a cross-country skiing injury over the holidays. The summer music festival says 76-year-old Nobs fell while skiing and underwent surgery at the university hospital in Lausanne, where he has remained unconscious and requires further testing to determine how to proceed. A statement Monday from the festival said its planning will continue with its secretary general, Mathieu Jaton, assuming Nobs' responsibilities. Swiss newspaper Le Matin reported Nobs has been in a coma for two weeks since the accident on Christmas Eve, while he was cross-country skiing near his home in the village of Caux, near Montreux, at the eastern end of Lake Geneva. © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME


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Press & Guestbook: detail
July 07 2005
ITALIA UK Feb 2004
The Abadessa is surrounded by five centuries of Venetian history, which is more than evident as you enter.
The elaborately decorated interior is so striking, with its elegant antique furniture and chandeliers made from special Murano glass. Frescoes from the 17th century adorn the silk and " trompe loeil " covered walls make this a magical fairy tale setting.
Elegant and spacious rooms with communicating doors, with sitting rooms upholstered in velvet, original Venetian glass mirrors from the 18th century, artisan antique furniture and as if all that wasnt enough, they feature the original Venetian marble floors. Glenn Routledg


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Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Daring Bakers: Baklava!
Erica of Erica's Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker's June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.
Two challenges in one! Not only creating the lovely Baklava but also creating the phyllo dough from which to make the Baklava.
I, honestly, had not even made Baklava before so I was really looking forward to this one.
It was fabulous and not so difficult, either. My phyllo dough wanted to stick to my counter top so I began to roll it out on a pie guide thing. It's a soft plastic form which really works well for pie crusts and proved to work very well for rolling out phyllo, too.
Neither Troy nor Steve had ever tasted Baklava before. I explained it to them but all they heard was 'nut pie'. I guess it was a good enough description.
They both loved the Baklava. Steve liked the spices, Troy liked the honey. What a great combination.
I didn't have any walnuts on hand so used pistachio, almonds and pecans. I don't have a food processor-really-the horror-so used my super coffee bean grinder instead. Worked like a charm.
The most shocking thing to me while putting the Baklava together was the large amount of liquid (honey,water, sugar, spices) to pour onto the already baked Baklava. Sure enough, the Baklava soaked in all of the honey. The Baklava became sweeter with better texture on the 2nd day. After that, it was all gone :)
If you'd like to create your own Baklava here is a link.
Labels: The Daring Bakers
5 comments:
- SteveQ said...
That looks so much better than mine! For the UMTR awardsfest in 2009, I made baklava - and had to throw it out, as the seeds were rancid!
Seeya at Afton tomorrow.
- The Betz Family said...
Great job on the challenge, Julie! Your baklava looks delicious! I read your story on your sidebar. Good for you for getting on track and passing it on. I too am a runner, not ultras, but a few marathons with a half marathon just last weekend. :)
- Serta Mattress said...
I just found your blog and wanted to say hello :) it is really cool blog
- buy codeine online said...
Great job, Julie - Aren't triathlons a blast?? You sound like you had an amazing time!! Lovin it!
- femteihal said...
mmmmm:)i am hungry:)it looks nice
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Trial of Paclitaxel/Bevacizumab +/- Everolimus for Patients With HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00915603
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : June 8, 2009
Results First Posted : December 22, 2014
Last Update Posted : December 22, 2014
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
This randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial will evaluate the impact of adding everolimus to the combination of weekly paclitaxel plus bevacizumab in the first-line treatment of women with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Patients will be randomized (1:1) to receive either paclitaxel/bevacizumab/everolimus (Treatment Arm 1) or paclitaxel/ bevacizumab/placebo (Treatment Arm 2). Patients will be evaluated for response to treatment every 8 weeks; responding and/or stable patients will continue treatment, with re-evaluations every 8 weeks, until tumor progression or
intolerable toxicity occurs. Outcomes will be assessed for each treatment arm
separately. This trial is not intended to compare treatment arms primarily. Any such analyses are exploratory and will be conducted without adjustment for multiple hypothesis testing.
|Condition or disease
|Metastatic Breast Cancer
|Drug: Everolimus Drug: Bevacizumab Drug: Paclitaxel Drug: Placebo
|Phase 2
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|113 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Trial of Weekly Paclitaxel/Bevacizumab +/- Everolimus as First-Line Chemotherapy for Patients With HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC)
|Study Start Date :
|July 2009
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|June 2014
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|July 2014
Active Comparator: paclitaxel/bevacizumab/everolimus
Systemic Therapy
Drug: Everolimus
Everolimus 10mg PO daily continuously for all 28 days of a cycle
Other Names:
Drug: Bevacizumab
Bevacizumab 10mg/kg IV Days 1 and 15 of 28 day cycle
Other Names:
Drug: Paclitaxel
Paclitaxel 90mg/m2 1-hour IV infusion Days 1, 8 and 15 of 28 day cycle. Patients will receive standard pre-medication before each paclitaxel treatment to prevent a hypersensitivity reaction.
Other Names:
Placebo Comparator: paclitaxel/bevacizumab/placebo
Systemic Therapy
Drug: Placebo
Placebo PO daily continuously for all 28 days of a cycle
Other Name: Systemic therapy
Drug: Bevacizumab
Bevacizumab 10mg/kg IV days 1 and 15 of 28 day cycle
Other Names:
Drug: Paclitaxel
Paclitaxel 90mg/m2 1-hour IV infusion Days 1, 8 and 15 of 28 day cycle. Patients will receive standard pre-medication before each paclitaxel treatment to prevent a hypersensitivity reaction.
Other Names:
- Progression-Free Survival (PFS) [ Time Frame: every 8 weeks until progressive disease, expected average of 18 months ]Progression-free survival will be measured from Day 1 of study drug administration to disease progression defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) as a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, or a measurable increase in a non-target lesion, or the appearance of new lesions
- Number of Patients With Treatment-related Adverse Events (AEs) as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability [ Time Frame: every 4 weeks until intolerable toxicity occurs ]Assessments will be made based on the analysis of reported incidence of treatment-emergent AEs
- Overall Response Rate (ORR) [ Time Frame: every 8 weeks until treatment discontinuation, expected average of 18 months ]The number of patients with observed complete response [CR] or partial response [PR]. Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), >=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR
- Duration of Response (DOR) [ Time Frame: every 8 weeks until treatment discontinuation, expected average 6 months ]Defined as time between date of objective response and date of response to disease progression or death, as defined by RECIST v1.1 criteria. Objective response is defined as either complete response [CR] or partial response [PR]. Per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), >=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions. Progression is defined using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1), as a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, or a measurable increase in a non-target lesion, or the appearance of new lesions
- Overall Survival (OS) [ Time Frame: every 8 weeks until treatment discontinuation, expected average 6 months ]Assessed from Day 1 of study drug administration to date of death due to any cause.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Female or male patients >=18 years of age.
- Histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer, locally unresectable or metastatic.
No prior chemotherapy for MBC. Patients may have received adjuvant or
neoadjuvant chemotherapy (including taxanes and/or bevacizumab) as long as
treated was completed >12 months prior to relapse. Prior hormonal therapy in the
adjuvant or metastatic setting will be permitted.
- Prior hormonal therapy in the adjuvant or metastatic setting is permitted. Estrogen receptor positive patients should be considered candidates for chemotherapy.
HER2-negative breast cancer, defined as follows:
- FISH-negative (FISH ratio <2.2), or
- IHC 0-1+, or
- IHC 2-3+ AND FISH-negative (FISH ratio <2.2).
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 or 1.
Adequate hematologic function, defined by:
· Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >1500/mm3
- Platelet count >=100,000/mm3
- Hemoglobin >9 g/dL
Adequate liver function, defined by:
· AST and ALT <=2.5 x the upper limit of normal (ULN) or <=5 x ULN in
presence of liver metastases
- Total bilirubin <=1.5 x ULN
Adequate renal function, defined by:
· Serum creatinine <=1.5 x ULN or calculated creatinine clearance of
>=40 ml/min
International normalized ratio (INR) <=1.5 or prothrombin time (PT)/partial
thromboplastin time (PTT) within normal limits (WNL) of the institution (if patient is not on anti-coagulation therapy). Patients receiving anti-coagulation treatment with an agent such as warfarin or heparin are eligible if the INR is stable and within the therapeutic range prior to study treatment initiation.
- Adequate lipid profile: total cholesterol <=300 mg/dL OR <=7.75 mmol/L and fasting triglyceride 2.5 x ULN. Note: In case one or both of these thresholds are exceeded,the patient can only be included after initiation of appropriate lipid lowering medication.
Patients with proteinuria at screening as demonstrated by either:
· Urine protein creatinine (UPC) ration >1.0 at screening
- Urine dipstick for proteinuria >=2+ (patients discovered to have
>=2+ proteinuria on dipstick urinalysis at baseline should undergo a 24 hour
urine collection and must demonstrate <1 g of protein in 24 hours to be
- Measurable disease by RECIST criteria.
- Life expectancy >=12 weeks.
- Ability to swallow oral medications.
Adequate cardiac function, defined by baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) value >= normal per institutional guidelines by MUGA scan or
echocardiogram (ECHO).
Adequate recovery from recent surgery.
- Major surgical procedure >28 days from study entry
- Minor surgical procedure >7 days from study entry (Portacath placement
excepted - patients can start treatment <7 days after portacath placement.)
- Patients with previous history of invasive cancers (including breast cancer) are eligible if definitive treatment was completed more than 5 years prior to initiating current study treatment, and there is no evidence of recurrent disease.
- Patient must be accessible for treatment and follow-up.
All patients must be able to understand the investigational nature of the study and give written informed consent prior to study entry.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with active brain metastases or meningeal metastases. Patients who have had brain metastases resected, or have received brain radiation therapy >4 weeks prior to study entry are eligible, if they meet all of the following criteria: 1) residual symptoms < grade 2, 2) no dexamethasone requirement, and 3) follow-up MRI shows regression of lesions after treatment and no new lesions appearing.
Previous treatment with an m-TOR inhibitor (sirolimus, temsirolimus, everolimus) or anti-angiogenesis agent unless:
- in the adjuvant setting, and
- >=12 months prior to recurrence.
- Previous radiotherapy for metastatic disease completed <2 weeks prior to study treatment initiation.
Patients who are current receiving systemic cancer therapy or have received
previous systemic therapy within 4 weeks of the start of study drug (e.g.
chemotherapy, antibody therapy, targeted agents).
- Women who are pregnant or lactating. All patients with reproductive potential must agree to use effective contraception from time of study entry until at least 3 months after the last administration of study drug.
Uncontrolled hypertension defined as systolic blood pressure >150 mmHg or
diastolic pressure >100 mmHg, despite optimal medical management.
- Concurrent use of CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers from 72 hours prior to initiation of study treatment until the end of treatment with everolimus.
- Cardiac disease, including: congestive heart failure (CHF) > Class II per New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification; unstable angina (anginal symptoms at rest) or new-onset angina (i.e., began within the last 3 months), or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months; symptomatic CHF, unstable angina pectoris, or cardiac ventricular arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy.
History of stroke or transient ischemic attack within 6 months prior to first
bevacizumab dose.
- Patients with any non-healing wound, ulcer, or long-bone fracture.
- Patients with clinical history of hemoptysis or hematemesis.
- Patients with any history of a bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy.
- Patients with a PEG or G tube cannot be enrolled into this trial.
- History of abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months prior to beginning bevacizumab.
- Patients with an impairment of gastrointestinal function or gastrointestinal disease that may significantly alter the absorption of everolimus (e.g., ulcerative disease, uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome, or small bowel resection).
Patients who have any severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions or other
conditions that could affect their participation such as:
- severe impaired lung functions as defined as spirometry and DLCO that is 50% of the normal predicted value and/or 02 saturation that is 88% or less at rest on room air
- uncontrolled diabetes as defined by fasting serum glucose >1.5 x ULN.
- History of any other disease, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or condition that contraindicates use of an investigational drug, or that might affect interpretation of the results of this study, or render the subject at high risk for treatment complications.
- History of hypersensitivity to Cremophor EL (polyoxyethylated castor oil) or a drug formulated in Cremophor EL, such as paclitaxel.
- Patients may not receive any other investigational or anti-cancer treatments while participating in this study.
- Patients receiving chronic, systemic treatment with corticosteroids or another immunosuppressive agent. Topical or inhaled corticosteroids are allowed.
- Patients should not receive immunization with attenuated live vaccines within one week of study entry or during study period.
- Concurrent severe, uncontrolled infection or intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
- Patients with a known hypersensitivity to RAD001 (everolimus) or other rapamycins (sirolimus, temsirolimus) or its excipients.
Patients with a known HIV seropositivity.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00915603
|United States, California
|Wilshire Oncology Medical Group
|LaVerne, California, United States, 91750
|United States, Connecticut
|Eastern Connecticut Hematology Oncology
|Norwich, Connecticut, United States, 06360
|United States, Florida
|Aventura Medical Center
|Aventura, Florida, United States, 33180
|Florida Cancer Specialists
|Fort Myers, Florida, United States, 33901
|United States, Maine
|Mercy Hospital
|Portland, Maine, United States, 04101
|United States, Maryland
|Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20817
|National Capital Clinical Research Associates
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20817
|United States, Ohio
|Oncology Hematology Care
|Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45242
|Mid Ohio Oncology/Hematology, Inc./ The Mark H. Zangmeister Center
|Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43219
|United States, South Carolina
|South Carolina Oncology Associates, PA
|Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29210
|United States, Tennessee
|Chattanooga Oncology Hematology Associates
|Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States, 37404
|Tennessee Oncology, PLLC
|Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37023
|United States, Texas
|Texas Oncology
|Dallas, Texas, United States, 75246
|United States, Virginia
|Fairfax Northern Virginia Hem-Onc
|Fairfax, Virginia, United States, 22031
|Virginia Cancer Institute
|Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23235
|Study Chair:
|Denise A. Yardley, M.D.
|SCRI Development Innovations, LLC
|Responsible Party:
|SCRI Development Innovations, LLC
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|June 8, 2009 Key Record Dates
|Results First Posted:
|December 22, 2014
|Last Update Posted:
|December 22, 2014
|Last Verified:
|December 2014
Metastatic Breast Cancer
Breast Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Breast Diseases
Skin Diseases
Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
Antineoplastic Agents
Tubulin Modulators
Antimitotic Agents
Mitosis Modulators
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
Angiogenesis Inhibitors
Angiogenesis Modulating Agents
Growth Substances
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Growth Inhibitors
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors


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|Thread Tools
Wetsanding Clear and Metal Flake on Edge
Ok no Real mess here just very rusty and want to do this right.
I have a 1971 Chevy Nova. I painted it with PPG Radiance Super Custom Base Wine Berry Red Translucent Base over PPG Delton 2000 Pure Gold Base. The Bases had the standard DX57 added to Yield high bond in the bases, and avoid reaction within the two bases. Then I cleared, 3 times with 3 quarts Dupont 7800S Chroma Clear High Glamor each coat. I continued to blend Wineberry reduced @ 125% to areas which appeared to light or in need of blending. Both blends done after the first and second coat of clear. Then I applied the third coat of clear and allowed it to cure. So what are my problems? These items:
1) I wetsanded the clear at 400 grit between the first and second coat of clear.
2) Apparently Metal flakes in the pure gold stood up on edge, in many places throughout the finish. This caused a Fisheye like effect in the clear, however I was able to build the clear to the tune of 2.5 Gals. The spots of on edge metalic flake are properly colored. Will this be overly noticable after the car is wetsanded and Buffed? If so, is there anyway to get another clear coat to lay over and fill these locations a Clear sealer perhaps that won't ruin my base work.
3) I have been testing, the wetsanding process prior to buff, on the deck lid only. I'm using 2000, and 2500 respectivley. It seems no matter how clean I keep the Water, block, Paper I keep getting occational deep scratches. Let me Qualify, The kind if buffing by hand, with Dupont Finesse-it you could remove in million years. However you can get it out with Perfect-it III but not without massive effort ie. 3-4 attempts by hand.
4) I'm concerned that I might burn through the clear with a buffer (because I'm an amature with a buffer) I have the proper Pads 3M (Perfect It Foam compounding and Polishing pads) 6" with a 3M hook-it DA setup. I have attempted to use the Compounding pad with my DA at very low speed and Perfect-It III. I have had mixed results, including swirl scratches from the compund itself.
5) So now what? should I send it out to get done professionally or will the Metal flake be a issue which won't justify the expense of Buffing?
Don't know if i understand this quite right.First question, is your base gold a metalic or a flake? If it's a metalic the edges won,t come through the clear. Second question, did you put some of your color in the top coat clear? If you did and sand it you could get variations in the tone.
As far as I know the metalic Pure gold base is like any other Metalic Base normal metalic. Blending was done over the first and second coat of clear but not in the the final coat of clear. The Wineberry red is translucent base, I'm assuming that because of the sanding between 1st and 2nd applications of clear I shouldn't have to sand through the final coat of (3rd)clear and thus risking any color issues.
I sanded the clears at 400 grit between the first two coats. And it seemed to me that the spots continued to surface with each coat of clear as though the clear flows away from the edge of the metal flake (or point of metal flake explaining the size of the spots
"head of a needle size".
I know this because when I sanded the 1st and 2nd clear coats I hit some of them and they looked like bright silver spots in the translucent Red Base "No Metalic in this coat, only in the Pure Gold. Those areas I re-applied tranclenct Red to cover for the next coat of clear.
[ January 08, 2003: Message edited by: Phillip27 ]</p>
I dont understand the procedure you used. It sounds like you sprayed basecoat over your clearcoat. And that you sanded the clear between coats. Why? I would have sprayed on the gold base until coverage was achieved. Then sprayed on your red midcoat until desired effect, and sprayed on your 3 coats of clear giving about 10 to 15 minutes between coats. After the clear dries overnight you could have sanded it with 2000 grit wet sand and buffed it.
Let me start over the first application of paint was done as you outlined , Gold no sweat, Red looked good at first, after first coat of Clear the spots appeared "the effect of metalic standing on edge resisting clear". So now what? after I saw the problem in the first coat of clear I let it cure over night and Wet sanded it with 400 grit. Attempting to remove as much of the metalic on edge effect as possible, hoping against all hope, that perhaps another coat of clear or two would lay over the problem areas after sanding. During the sanding processes I noticed ares wher the red needed more blending so since I had sanding with 400, I applied a little red at 125% reduction before applying the subsequent coat of clear. There were no reaction issues with this method. The only remaining problem is the pin head size craters which I was intialy trying to get the clear coat to fill or lay into. I used a fisheye additive in the 2nd and 3rd coat of clear just on the off chance that it might aid the clear to flow over these pin marks. Again the Color looks great, it the pin marks I would like to get rid of, hopefully without stripping the product all off the car and starting over from scratch. I don't mind taping off the car and applying more clear if needed I just wat to save my base work unless that's not possible. Mind you the product cost to date is nearly $2000.00 in paint products. The 7800s is $275.00 a gallon
Thanks Phill
paintman is right.metalic paints don't portrude through clear and they usely lay flat unless you know how to make them stand on edge for special effect. sounds like you had problems stabilizing your toner. that should have been delt with before any finish clearcoat. maybe dirt, fisheye, strange reaction two brands of paint is what your running into. hope you don't have to start over, is the color blochy?
just read your post after i posted.
is it possible that the first two colors had a reaction,sort of a wrinkling effect?
Now i understand. Well, sanding the clear and reclearing wont fix any problem with the metallic. If the metallic is standing up on end you might have used to fast a reducer. When spraying a complete use a overall reducer. This keeps the base wet longer to let the metallics lay down. As far as your fish eyes, how long did you let the base dry before clearing. That can cause fisheyes if you applied to clear to so. I use dupont everyday , stay away from fisheye killers. Causes more problems then anything for me. If the surface is clean , you give proper flash times and make sure no foreign substances are on yourself, fisheyes will not be a problem.
You might have to sand the car down,wetsand with 800 flat, then start over with the gold.
i know this may sound funny i had something like that to happen to me once and it was static elec.
i had to unhook the battery and droup a chain over the rear end making sure both ends of the chain are on the ground they also make a spray to stop it to most paint stores have it in stock
spray painting
ive only seen this happen 1 time,so its very very rare. a guy was painting the boot stripe on a yacht,maroon was the color. when he finished spraying,he had a ton of fish eye. as the paint was not dry,he wiped the paint off with reducer. then he painted again.., same thing.we were both pulling our hair out,he wiped the paint off again. and i tried to paint the stripe using my gun and compressor. came out nice no fish eye. then i used his gun and my compressor on another panel. no fish eye.the only thing different was the compressor.. he pulled the compressor head down and found oil on top of the cylinder head..the rings were bad,causing the oil to be sprayed out with the air.a new compressor cured the problem...
So you have creaters,not fisheye's. Fisheye comes from airborn or placed contaminates. Like boat said. OIL is a big one from the comp.
I believe you got crap in your air supply or thinner in the gun from cleaning.
Hook an adapter fitting in the hose coupler and blow it against some white c'board or such and SEE what comes out. Better filtering may be you savior here.
Other issue is cold temps and not enough flash time between coats.
Screw "recommended" in cold weather,best to do a touch test and go with it.
With laying that many coats of clear,I doubt seriously you had any metallic sticking up.Flake,maybe,metallic,nope.
I believe your original "fisheye's" were dirt specks or contamination.
BIG problem is,You used fisheye elim.
NOW, you HAVE to keep using it or it will never come out right.
I don't know who came up with this "snake oil" but they should have to repay every paint job it's screwed up.If your getting fisheye's,you better find out WHY instead of trying to "cover" them up with some crap product.
The pure gold PPG base isn't a heavy flake, I've used it before and it's just a basic gold basecoat, so any flakes even if they were standing on edge would easily be buried after two or three coats of the wine. Maybe you got some dirt specs when painting the gold which are now high spots that are being knocked off when you colorsand the clear? Are these spots consistant in size and shape? round? sharp? Also it could be some wrinkling of an undercoat like previously mentioned. A picture would sure shed some light on the problem.
The sad news is there's really nothing you can do short of doing the whole thing over. 3-stage/candy paint jobs are nothing the amature should tackle--many professional painters have problems getting these products on evenly. If someone wants a candy job done I usually try my best to try and talk them out of it, eventually the car will be scratched or chipped at some point down the road and repairing this stuff is usually a real challenge. Save the candy jobs for show only vehicles IMO.
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Chukwu 7 feet but growing as Division I recruit
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Just because someone happens to be 7 feet tall doesn't necessarily make him a player.
Paschal Chukwu at least looked the part when he stepped on the floor at a camp last summer.
"At first he was kind of tentative," recalled Dan Donnelly, Chukwu's AAU coach. "But once he got his feet wet, he wasn't afraid to push back."
Donnelly said Chukwu had his "coming out party" last July, and the attention from college basketball coaches -- including UConn's -- has been non-stop since for the 7-1 center, who is about to enter his senior year at Fairfield Prep. Providence, Boston College, Georgetown, North Carolina State, Maryland and St. Joseph's are among the members of his fan club, with several schools already offering scholarships to Chukwu, clearly the prime recruit in the region.
"His improvement in the last year has been dramatic," said one longtime NCAA Division I assistant coach. "Providence has done a really good job with him, but I think UConn is trying to make up some ground late."
One veteran college coach, who also remained anonymous due to the NCAA rule on commenting about recruits, compared Chukwu to former Hoya and NBA star Dikembe Mutombo.
"He's one of the best instinctive shot-blockers that you will find," he said. "He's going to be a high major-level kid for sure because of the impact he will have on the defensive end. He's really, really good defensively."
Chukwu's future might be one of the most closely guarded secrets in the state, with the player's host family, the Featherstones, and Prep coach Leo Redgate trying to shield the star senior from much of the recruiting attention.
Outside of attending Sydney Johnson's camp at Fairfield along with the NBPA Top 100 camp (according to Alex Kline of the therecruitscoop.com), even Chukwu's summer schedule has been hidden from many.
"As with Terry Tarpey (a former Prep player who is at William & Mary), we think the college selection process is a very private process," Redgate said. "I applaud the family and our staff for keeping things as normal as we can for Paschal and have him continue to focus on what's most important -- school and getting better. His family is treating the college selection process a lot like every other student' process, privately. I am very confident that Paschal will visit schools in the fall and make a decision that is best for him and his family soon after."
The low exposure of Chukwu might turn some college coaches off, but one coach said that if a program wants a player enough, they will abide by it.
Most coaches were able to get a look at Chukwu the past two months at the camps and while playing for Donnelly before a minor hand injury ended his summer in mid-July.
"He works so hard," Donnelly said. "He's doing something every game where you'd go, `Wow, he's really starting to get it.'
"He's so coachable."
Even though Chukwu's shot-blocking and rebounding might draw more attention, his offensive game has started to evolve, too. On the way to leading the Jesuits to the Class LL and SCC championship games, Chukwu averaged 13.7 points, 12.1 rebounds and 6.8 blocks per game.
"When he faces up, he gets pounded," Donnelly said, "but he's learning to establish himself down low."
Stratford coach Paul Dudzinski didn't have Prep on the schedule last season, but was certainly impressed when he saw Chukwu play.
"It stuns you when you first see him -- he's 7-foot!" said Dudzinski, who admitted he's happy when he gets a center that's 6-5. "You can't teach 7-foot. He's still got a lot to learn, but he's getting stronger and working on some go-to post moves."
One unheralded asset of Chukwu's game appears to be his speed, which was on display during the AAU season.
"Guys 6-7, 6-8 -- he has the ability to outrun them," Donnelly said. "He's very athletic and runs the floor like a deer."
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Once again, I have to ask, "Who were they?" These cave paintings of bison at Niaux are as good as it gets with freehand drawings. Done by torchlight, in the back of a long dangerous cave passage, with primitive brushes no less…about 15,000 years ago. The large domed chamber near these images has an excellent echo, and the guide suggested it may have been a hangout for shamans. The cave is not easy to get to, and the view from the entrance of the glacial valley is impressive. I wonder what the artists thought of it.
Meanwhile, back in the near present, i.e. about 800 years ago, this land was the Pays du Cathar, a region where a heretical sect, a sort of Manichean twist on Christianity, held sway along with the local language, langue d'oc. (Up north, 'yes' was oui, but down here it was said oc, thus the language of 'oc)'. Although closely related to Catalan, it didn't survive as well. The northern French, with the agreement of the Pope and the creation of a special French Inquisition, launched an internal crusade, known as the Albigensian Crusade after the city of Albi that was a political center of the heresy, and successfully stamped it out with great brutality. The castle at Foix, located in a stunning valley, is one of the many strong points that couldn't hold back the tide of the north.


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We have one out of town guest left in our house—Paul Massa, the mayor of New Orleans. Actually, he's staying next door at James + Vanessa's house, but he only sleeps there. J + V gave us their house the day Pablo passed, and went to stay at a friend's house. They wanted us to have more room for friends and family to stay. An act of selflessness in the hour of our greatest need. Amazing how big their hearts are. Amazing how big the hearts of so so so many countless friends are.
Tomorrow morning, Paul leaves. I am freaking out. I don't want anyone to leave. Pablo left. Our little boy Pablo left 10 days ago. Our little boy Pablo left on June 27. June was last month. June is not this month. That is a change, a shift, a new thing since he left. This is enough change in our lives. I want everything to slow down. I want everyone to stay put. This is so so much more difficult than we ever thought it would be. The pain comes in big glassy sheets and it smashes at our feet and we can't move for fear—it always comes with fear—of shearing our feet. The emptiness is debilitating. The emptiness and the fear and the pain are like sleeping underwater. I always felt that way sleeping with Pablo at CHLA. Never able to actually sleep, I always came up for air, worried about the beeps and bings of the machines, always waking up to monitor the rise and fall of Pablo's chest. I always thought of that as sleeping underwater. And now I realize it was a prime foreshadowing of this new era.
I don't want anyone else to leave us. I know you have lives. But I want everyone to stay right where they are when it comes to the Pablog and our electronic ultramodern relationship. So there's no more change in our world. Not for a while. I promise I will keep writing. Always intended to. And I won't always be freaking out like I am now. I want to keep this going, to continue the spirit and the soul of Pablo. I have a need to communicate what's going on with Jo Ann and Grady and I. Our experience. Our journey. I will write about the positive stuff too. When it happens, when it comes, I will write it.
This plea may be without merit. You never said you were leaving. But Paul leaving means that you might leave. And if you leave, and we lose this connection and your feedback through blog comments and emails and text messages and Facebook messages, the pain is going to get deeper and hotter and more intense. You can see why we don't want to be in more pain, or lose our community connection. It has become a very, very strong lifeline for us. It's what community is about.
Tonight, our house is quiet. For the first time in exactly two weeks, our house is quiet. At this time two weeks ago, Pablo had played all afternoon, and was asleep in our bed, in his usual place between us. At this time two weeks ago, we thought Pablo would live forever. We never spoke about it, but I know that Jo Ann and I put a huge emphasis on Pablo making it to his sixth birthday. That was two days before two weeks ago today. Two days after he was running and running and running in the park with his friends celebrating his birthday, he was at the beginning of the end of his life. There was no run-up, no warning. We were in the midst of life. Pablo coughed. And then....
Elliott Smith wrote a song called 'Everything Means Nothing To Me.' Have no capacity to remember or care what the song is about. I am only concerned with pirating the title to describe our condition in the Castelaz / Thrailkill / Gallagher family. Pablo, he meant everything to us. And he has gone away. Nothing means anything to any of us without Pablo. Our hearts are broken. Worse, our hearts are useless. We walk upstairs in the morning and fling ourselves into the eighth, ninth, tenth day since Pablo's passing, and we have no idea why. Why are we here? What are we flinging toward? Where is our little boy and his wondrous symphony of noises and words and gestures and aims and desires? Where? In a flash he was gone. I keep thinking of things I want to say to him, one last time. I keep wanting to hold his hand, one last time. I keep wanting to feel him in my arms, too tired to walk, one last time. We all feel this way. Can you blame us?
Grady noted that just walking in the front door, our house is completely different. He noted that he missed knowing that Pablo would be right inside the door waiting to see who was coming in. Or right in the TV room, 'watching something,' as he liked to say, almost as an apology for loving TV. Or chasing up his big brother to, as he always stated in the simplest, basest term, 'play.' I can tell you, Pablo didn't care what Grady might play with him. He just wanted to play with him.
And I can tell you, we miss Pablo and we are in the glassy, frozen, vacuous, immense marsh of grief. I could never accurately or completely describe it to you. This is just me shooting off a spiritual flare.


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No Place Like Home
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Jeffrey Kolitch, 44, is a real-estate thoroughbred: The son of a developer, he majored in real estate at the Wharton School of Business and now steers the $503 million Baron Real Estate fund (ticker: BREFX), which beat 99% of its peers in the past year and 96% in the past three years.
"My father owned a small, private, retail home-center firm, which sold everything from carpets to nails, but he transitioned into real-estate development when he became concerned that he wouldn't be able to compete with companies like Home Depot [HD] and Lowe's, " Kolitch recalls. "Ironically, they're now his tenants." And Lowe's (LOW) is one of the fund's top-10 holdings.
This is not your average real-estate fund. Real-estate investment trusts make up just 17% of the Baron fund, and it yields just 1%, far less than the typical REIT fund's 3.5%. Kolitch is more interested in growth than income. Many of his holdings pay no dividends.
While REITs invest in office buildings, malls, apartment buildings, self-storage, and hotels, Kolitch owns land-development companies, senior-living facilities, casino operators, real-estate-services firms, data-center operators, and hotel companies.
Kolitch is more interested in growth than income. Many of his holdings pay no dividends.
"In REITs, growth is capped by the leases the companies have made," Kolitch says. "In real-estate-related corporations, such as land developers and cell-tower operators, growth is open-ended. Plus, these other categories are undervalued compared to REITs right now."
This flexibility allows Kolitch to cash in on megatrends like the demand for cell towers and the growing need for senior housing.
AFTER A STINT AT Goldman Sachs, where he was a managing director of the equity capital markets, Kolitch joined Baron Capital Group in 2005 as a research analyst to help with Baron's substantial real-estate investments. Baron funds have invested billions of dollars in real estate since 1987. Founder Ron Baron, an avid skier, was an early investor in Vail Resorts (MTN) and now owns 15% of it. Wynn Resorts (WYNN), operated by Baron's longtime friend Steve Wynn, is also a key holding. About 10% of the $19 billion in assets under management by Baron Capital is devoted to real estate, much of which is overseen by Kolitch.
KOLITCH HAS 20 analysts using bottom-up fundamental analysis to find very high-quality growth companies with strong competitive advantages. The fund looks for stocks that can double in four to five years; it sells if growth falls below the midteens.
Baron Real Estate is a concentrated fund with just 53 positions, and it tends to buy and hold. Annual portfolio turnover is only about 24%. One example: The fund bought CBRE Group (CBG), a leading real-estate-services company, for $14 a share shortly after the fund opened in December 2009. Formerly known as CB Richard Ellis, it's one of the few such firms that operates globally.
CBRE Group survived the global downturn in real estate and is now growing both organically and through acquisitions. It bought ING's real-estate-management business in 2011 and recently announced the acquisition of Impact-Corti, a small property-management company in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Kolitch thinks it could earn $2.50 per share in three to four years, as the recovery in commercial real-estate grows. The stock, which recently traded at $24, could reach $40 over that time, he says.
Baron Real Estate has an annualized return of 24% since its inception, as of April 30, compared with a 14% gain for the S&P 500.
Kolitch really likes housing-related stocks. "Demand for housing is mending, interest rates are very low, and there is very little construction in the pipeline, which should support the recovery in residential real estate for the next several years," he says. Only 3% of the fund's assets are in home builders, however, because he thinks their valuations are stretched.
SENIOR-HOUSING OPERATORS are particularly attractive because they are relatively cheap, the industry is consolidating, and baby boomers are aging. One holding, Sunrise Senior Living, was snapped up at a 62% premium by a health-care REIT late last year.
|Total Returns*
|DJ US Select REIT
|% of
|Top 10 Holdings
|Starwood Hotels & Resorts
|Hyatt Hotels
|Capital Senior Living
|Wynn Resorts
|Brookdale Senior Living
|CBRE Group
|Las Vegas Sands
|Caesarstone Sdot-Yam
|NA= Not Available
*All returns are as of 5/1; three- and five-year returns are annualized. ** As of 03/31/2013
Sources: Morningstar; company reports
Another pick, Capital Senior Living (CSU), may also be an attractive takeover target. It is a small-cap operator of senior-housing communities that he bought at $5 per share. The shares have since jumped to $24. He still likes Capital because it has been buying up companies that have just one to five properties, which usually fly below the radar of REITs. Also, he notes that it's growing faster than most REITs, and trades at about 12 times cash flow, compared with an average of 20 times for REITs. He thinks the stock could climb to the mid-$30s in the next year.
Hotel operators were early holdings for the fund, and he still likes them because he believes both corporate and consumer demand will outstrip supply as the economy improves. The fund's two top holdings are Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (HOT) (see CEO Spotlight) and Hyatt Hotels (H).
He bought Hyatt at $30 and still calls it a bargain at a current $41, thanks to its potential for growth as it renovates rooms and expands in China and India. Plus, Hyatt has a strong balance sheet and has been aggressive about buying back its shares.
"Hyatt trades at 10 times its 2014 estimated cash flow, which we believe may grow by more than 15%," he says.
And he thinks that Starwood, which owns such brands as St. Regis, Sheraton, W Hotels, Le Meridien, and Westin, could reach $90 in the next two years from a recent $64, as it ups its room count by 30%. "Management recently indicated that it believes it may generate more than $3 billion in cash from the sale of hotels in the next three years and that cash could be used for share repurchases, dividends, and/or acquisitions," he says.


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STOCKTON (AP) — Lorenzo McCloud scored 24 points Tuesday night and Pacific defeated Nevada 78-72 in overtime.
McCloud scored five of the Tigers' 12 points in the overtime period. Colin Beatty, who had 14 points, hit a 3-pointer in the opening seconds to put Pacific (4-4) ahead to stay.
Ross Rivera added 14 points for the Tigers. McCloud also had seven assists.
Deonte Burton led the Wolf Pack (4-4) with 25 points. Jordan Burris had 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Jerry Evans Jr. had 13 points and Malik Story scored 12 for Nevada.
Neither team scored in the final minute of regulation and the game went to overtime tied at 66.


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World-class, No-Nonsense Murdochian Sleaze of Epic Proportions...
Just when you thought they couldn't possibly stoop any lower in shamelessly debasing themselves and all who come close enough to breathe over: they've been carrying this around with them the whole time and lying to absolutely every other party affected by the fallout and ripples resulting from these unquiet and immodest nocturnal rasps and grasping in needy, narcissistic desperation.
I can't even summon the strength to even be surprised, less still upset by this new low water mark for public shame - its no less than exactly what I would expect from them.
This could bring down a Government.


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Aretha Franklin reacts to Detroit's bankruptcy
DETROIT Aretha Franklin says Detroit's future is bright.
The Detroit native, known as the "Queen of Soul," is reacting to her city's bankruptcy. In a statement, Franklin says Detroit may be "bankrupt monetarily but we are well-funded in spirit and what it takes to come back."
Franklin says Detroit is a winner. She says "between new and dynamic leadership with the Big Three, the private sector and a little help from D.C., Detroit's best and most glorious days are still ahead."
The statement was released Friday by publicist David Brokaw. The 71-year-old Franklin grew up singing in her father's Baptist church in Detroit.
The city filed for bankruptcy on Thursday.


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Wealthy was my first cousin 4x removed.
Photo and Obituary belong to Gary Hanna, and permission was granted for me to include in this post.
Wealthy M. Hanna
Wealthy M. Hanna, widow of John F. Hanna, formerly of Momence, Ill.,
but who has for the last three years resided with her sons, Herbert and Henry
Hanna, one mile east of Moscow, died early Tuesday morning, Oct., 6th.,
from decease of the heart and old age.
Deceased has been in poor health for about two years, but was not confined
to her bed until recently.
Mrs. Hanna, whose maiden name was Scramlin, was born on Aug. 13,
1833, in Canada. When but four years old she moved with her parents to
Battle Creek, Mich. In 1850 they moved to Kankakee Co., Ill., and settled upon a homestead near which now is the city of Momence.
In 1853 she was united in marriage to John F. Hanna, to which union was born six children Namely: Cother F., Henry S., Arther Eugene, Herbert E., Grant G., and Franklin A. Hanna, of whom but three survive her, Henry, Herbert and Frank Hanna of Moscow.
She was self-denying, kind and patient which qualities attracted many friends, all, who knew her, will remember her bright smiling face.
She passed away with the light of love shining on her face, which showed she was at rest with God, her Maker.
The funeral services were held at the home of her son, Herbert E. Hanna one mile east of Moscow on Thursday Oct., 8th, at 10 o'clock and were conducted by the Rev. Koontz of the Methodist church. The remains were laid to rest in the Moscow cemetery.


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Cardio and Core Exercise
July 1 @ 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm EDT
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An event every week that begins at 1:45 pm on Wednesday, repeating indefinitely
Join this class for nice work out. You will want to keep coming back for the benefits of your health. You will enjoy this class in a welcoming friendly and social atmosphere, while at the same time becoming physically healthier. All the EliteHealth Community Wellness Centers are open to the public and we also accept Silver Sneakers. For more information on all of our classes taking place in our Davie Facility or about this particular class reach out to Barbara at 954-210-9787. There is no cost to those that have Silver Sneakers.


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Ever wonder whether more famous women manage to avoid the pitfalls women face when they speak up in meetings? The short answer: They don't. In this USA Today interview, Ruth Bader Ginsburg gives a rare insight into the inner workings of the Supreme Court, focusing on whether women are heard in meetings. She:
recalled that as a young, female lawyer her voice often was ignored by male peers. "I don't know how many meetings I attended in the '60s and the '70s, where I would say something, and I thought it was a pretty good idea. … Then somebody else would say exactly what I said. Then people would become alert to it, respond to it'....Even after 16 years as a justice, she said, that still sometimes occurs. 'It can happen even in the conferences in the court. When I will say something — and I don't think I'm a confused speaker — and it isn't until somebody else says it that everyone will focus on the point."Ginsburg found herself--as the lone female justice--speaking up in discussions about the case involving the strip search of a 13-year-old Arizona girl during a school's search for drugs. The court recently decided in favor of the girl, but the interview appeared before the decision, which made it highly unusual. And it was an important time to hear a woman justice's voice, coming as the court awaits another female justice's confirmation.
Related posts: How speaking up in meetings affects your image
A book on speaking up in meetings for women
Signaling "let's get down to business" in a meeting
Photo of Ginsburg by Compton & Wright on Flickr


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Create a simple memorial website for a loved one who has passed away.
Use iLasting to:
- Build a simple memorial website
- Invite family & friends to view the memorial
- Share photos and videos
- Preserve stories that otherwise might be lost
Take the Tour or See Plans and Pricing
Thank you for stopping by iLasting.com. I created the site because I wanted to pay tribute to my grandfather who was a special person in my life.
Growing up, I was an altar boy for many years so I served many funerals. The priest would always say a quote and to this day it has stayed with me. He said, "You are never truly gone, until someone stops remembering you."
When my grandfather passed away in 2000, our family ran a short obituary in the newspaper. I always felt it was a shame that we couldn't say more about his life. He was an ordinary man, but led an extraordinary life. He was not a celebrity, but to our family he was the president. When it came time to create a tribute for him, I couldn't find a site which had all the features I wanted, so I created this service.
This site is not about death; it's about celebrating life. We've focused our efforts on creating a site which allows you to go beyond a standard obituary or simple death notice. We've made it easy-to-use and complete with meaningful features for you to create a memorial website you and your family and friends will cherish for many years to come.
Anthony Doctolero
Founder, iLasting.com
Each memorial website comes with useful features to help you celebrate the life of a loved one. View Features


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Canton was a city in the state of Ohio, United States of America
In 2000, it was considered as an alternate location for building the Millennium Gate. Although the representatives of the Texas company who would build the Gate were welcomed with open arms, the Millennium Gate was built in Portage Creek. (VOY: "11:59")
In June of 2151, Captain Jonathan Archer told Thy'lek Shran that "a man in Canton, Ohio" had once rolled a ball of string six meters in diameter. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident")
External links Edit
- Canton at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Canton, Ohio at Wikipedia
Community content is available under CC-BY-NC unless otherwise noted.


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Earth Hour at Market Bar SF 03.28.2009
Earth Hour 2009 was March 28th, 2009 the worldwide effort to turn off the lights around the world from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. San Francisco lead the way with innovative events, volunteer opportunities and unrivaled participation. Market Bar hosted bicycle powered music thanks to Fossil Fool's- Rock the Bike, Guella Music, Justin Archuleta Band and even SF Mayor Gavin Newsom was there! Watch the festivities ensue and the lights go out! For more information on Earth Hour please visit: http://www.myearthhour.orgRead More


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Did the Obama administration know Healthcare.gov would fail?
The British multinational in charge of processing Obamacare paper applications received a hefty contract boost just days before Healthcare.gov's disastrous roll-out, a sign that the Obama administration may have expected serious problems with the website.
The Business of Federal Technology (FCW) reports that on Sept. 26, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) increased their planned payout to Serco's U.S. subsidiary by 75 percent, adding an extra $87 million to the $114 million promised for processing initial Obamacare enrollment applications.
The contract documents do not explain the last-minute infusion of federal dollars, and neither Serco nor CMS would disclose why the agreement was modified so soon before the rollout.
"Serco is a highly-skilled company that has a proven track record in providing cost-effective services to numerous other federal agencies," CMS said in an emailed statement to FCW. "The company has provided exceptional records management and processing support to other federal agencies, similar to work they will do for the Marketplace."
The Rest...HERE


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RICHMOND, Va. – VCU reached the halfway mark of its inaugural Atlantic 10 Conference season Saturday in an enviable position, alone in first place.
The Rams, who also benefited from Richmond's win over Xavier Saturday, cruised to their lofty perch with an 81-65 trouncing of Fordham that wasn't even really that close. At 18-5 overall and 6-2 in the very much still up-for-grabs league, VCU has plenty to crow about.
"I think we're doing pretty good so far," sophomore Treveon Graham said. "We've got a long way to go."
It's already been a season of great highs – a 13-game winning streak and national ranking – and painful lows – a stunning overtime loss to rival Richmond is likely still fresh in players' and coaches' minds. But Sunday morning, VCU will find itself atop its new conference. The A-10 has been a dog-eat-dog league for half the season, but so far, the Rams have had one of the most dangerous barks.
After a seven-game pressure-cooker that introduced VCU to its new home, the Rams got back to the kind of performance that they spoiled us with during much of non-conference play. While Fordham was a sizable underdog, VCU put together a dominant performance based on interrogation-intensity full-court pressure and dynamic 3-point shooting.
Despite its 2-4 league record, three of Fordham's A-10 losses had been decided by two possessions or less. That was not the case Saturday. If not for a free-flowing final six minutes that saw VCU Coach Shaka Smart tinker with multiple lineups, the game could have been even more lob-sided than 16 points.
Senior marksman Troy Daniels, who has recorded games of 11, nine and eight 3-pointers this year, found his way out of a shooting slump to bury 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. He finished with a game-high 29 points.
Poor shooting in the first half by VCU (28 percent) allowed Fordham to hang around longer than some expected, but the Black and Gold found a rhythm on offense and defense to pull away early in the second half. Led by three Daniels' 3-pointers in a 59-second stretch, VCU stormed out of the half with a 22-7 run to push its lead to 60-40 with 12:03 left and effectively remove all drama from the contest.
Daniels had been shooting 30 percent (14-of-47) in A-10 play, but looked more like the guy who buried 11 treys at East Tennessee State earlier this season, knocking down 5-of-7 from behind the arc in the second half alone. His recent rough patch dinged his confidence, but this week Daniels met with Smart, and it appeared the heart-to-heart helped.
"I'm really happy for Troy. Just to see him have a breakout game, because he had really been pressing and had really been hard on himself," said Smart. "He wants to do well for his teammates so bad and when he doesn't have one of his best games he takes it very hard."
Defensively, Smart's "Havoc" forced 22 turnovers, which VCU converted into 32 points. Fordham's leading scorer, junior Branden Frazier won't be itching for a return trip to Richmond anytime soon. He finished 2-of-12 from the field and turned the ball over six times.
It was a good way for VCU to close the first half of an A-10 season marked by much fanfare. The Rams now hold a half-game lead over Butler, Charlotte and Saint Louis as they head into a six-day break.
While the Rams would rather be nowhere else than in the A-10 lead, they're also acutely aware of what lies ahead. There are no walkovers in the second half of VCU's league schedule, and the Rams' final five-game stretch includes road contests at Saint Louis, Xavier and Temple, as well as home tilts with Richmond and Butler. Of VCU's final eight conference opponents, seven are ranked in the RPI top 100. But first, VCU has to travel to upstart Charlotte (17-4, 5-2) on Saturday, Feb. 9.
"[First place] is where we are right now, but it's only halfway through the year," Smart said. "We've got a lot of work to do. We've got a very challenging schedule coming up. We're not really worried so much about the standings right now, we're worried about our next game."
Smart announced Saturday that junior center D.J. Haley had taken a leave of absence from the team to tend to personal matters. Smart stressed that Haley was in good academic standing and was not being disciplined in any way…. Junior Juvonte Reddic scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to record his fourth straight double-double. He is averaging 15.5 points and 10.4 rebounds in A-10 action… Daniels moved past Joey Rodriguez and into sole possession of third place on VCU's career 3-pointers list with Saturday's performance. Daniels has 212 career triples… Saturday's game was announced as the 31st straight sellout at the Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center… Fordham Coach Tom Pecora is now 0-8 all-time at the Siegel Center. He was previously 0-7 in the building as the coach of Hofstra.


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Adam Lambert looks rocker chic as he shoots an interview at the Kimberly Hotel's rooftop lounge Upstairs in New York City on Monday (February 15).
At the 28-year-old entertainer's iheartradio secret show last night at NYC's PC Richard & Son Theater, Adam had to ask a chatty cell phone talker standing up front to get off the phone while he sang over her!
"You're not watching TV, honey - it's a live show!" he said before starting a performance of "Whataya Want From Me?" for a second time.
At the G-Star fashion show earlier tonight, Adam addressed the phone situation, telling JustJared.com, "Oh, it's all out there already. I don't need to bring it up again. Every media outlet out there already picked it up!"
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HorsePLAY! is coming back after a one-week hiatus. Well, maybe we can't call it a hiatus as it wasn't like we went on sabbatical or just got lazy. Obi was under the weather and we've been getting hit by power outages here in Georgia so I could not make it. Heck, we had another blackout last night so hopefully things will settle down in time for our first double-digit episode!
For HorsePLAY! EP 10, we'll be joined by some of the folks over at Zombie Cast and, if we can nail him down (see what I did there?), Tony Rey of We're Alive (and other fame). Eli Sodoom from Knuckleballer Radio may also join us if he can stay awake. This will be a special episode where we'll discuss all things zombies but I am sure we will touch upon the infected and undead monsters that purists would never call a z-word. This will likely be a two-part upload to make up for our week off, too!
Here is a little taste of what we'll likely discuss…
The Walking Dead Episodes 9 & 10
If you ask me, there was quite a huge contrast between Episode 9 and 10 of the Walking Dead Season 4, particularly with the pacing. We'll talk about the wow moments, disappointments, and more predictions. It'll be fun to see the different perspectives, especially since Obi has not caught up on the show yet. Beware – there will be spoilers!
Be sure to tweet us with any topics you'd like us to touch upon. We're @Yogizilla and @ObioneX2, guys. I think we may even go back into previous seasons with some recaps and foreshadowing. Have you noticed any clues or omens on TWD? Do share!
Is Evil Dead A Zombie Movie?
With a title like Evil Dead, one would think the franchise is about zombies but that's a debate that could go either way. Certainly, there are undead creatures but are these zombies? This discussion will almost certainly lead to our definitions of what zombies are, as well as distinctions between infected, behemoths, and the non-shambling runners.
Bring your boomstick and prepare to defend your fanboy position. Regardless of whether you feel Evil Dead is a zombie flick or not, it is one of the best horror flicks ever made. Campy humor, Bruce Campbell, and gore.. Classic horror right there!
Game Developers LOVE Zombies
Dead Pixels and Day-Z are two examples of video games that embrace zombies. Video games seem to be chock-full of them, whether they're the focus of the title or a small part. Plants Vs. Zombies, SolForge, Guardian Heroes, Left 4 Dead, Dead Island, Borderlands.. Zombies are invading all video games, big and small!
Is it me or do indie developers seem particularly drawn to zombies? When will ninjas and vampires make a comeback? Pirates have already started to but zombies seem to be the dominating force…
Anyway, Dead Pixels. Super fun game that is reminiscent of River City Ransom. It has co-op and tons of upgrades. Give it a try and let us know what your longest run was like.
HorsePLAY! LIVE airs every Thursday at 11pm over at the ObioneX2 Twitch Channel (simulcasted on my Yogizilla-branded Twitch channel as well). Come join us!


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Massive sunspot faces Earth
Our Sun has been remarkably active this week. Sunspot 484, which first appeared last weekend, has grown into one of the biggest sunspots seen in years.
Now about the size of the planet Jupiter, it's easy to see. But never look directly at the sun!
Sunspots are cooler regions of the Sun where magnetic energy builds up, often prior to eruptions.
While being monitored by the ESA/NASA SOHO spacecraft, this particular sunspot let loose a storm of energetic particles, known as a 'coronal mass ejection' on Wednesday, 22 October 2003.
The expanding cloud is expected to arrive at Earth on Friday, 24 October, and this activity could generate colourful aurorae, or Northern Lights, over the northern USA and much of northern Europe.
Major eruptions known as 'solar flares' are also possible from these active regions as they rotate across the face of the sun over the next two weeks.
Satellite and other spacecraft operations, power systems, radio communications and navigation systems on Earth may experience disruptions.


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|Story time
Event Type: Early and Family Literacy
Age Group(s): Toddlers and pre-schoolers
Date: 4/10/2019
Start Time: 10:00 AM
End Time: 10:30 AM
Story time is a fun activity with longer stories, and many favourite rhymes and songs. Recommended for 3 to 5 year old children and their parents/carers.Venue: Marsden Library Where Are We?
Location: Junior Area


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Flowering spikes with trumpets of vivid blue. Carefree and drought resistant, this Penstemon sports an interesting purple blush at the stems. Glossy green foliage is a nice complement. Flowers first year.
Attractive glossy deep green foliage. Requires a well-drained soil.
Penstemon are an American native with colorful tubular bell-shaped flowers. Will attract butterflies and hummingbirds and does well in a drier climate. Drought resistant once established. Waxy green foliage stays lush through summer's heat. Avoid too moist (wet feet). Songbirds feast on the seed in fall and winter.
Best in loose, gravelly soil with good drainage. Pinching back taller varieties when about 12" tall will produce more compact plants. Can be divided every 3-4 years in spring by digging mature rhizomes and replanting. Will self sow. Foliage can be trimmed after blooming to freshen. Clean up in fall or spring. May benefit from dry winter mulch in colder zones.
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"I was an average student academically; thatÆs where I came fromģThen I created this garden thatÆs internationally known. It shows that a kid who is average academically can still make important contributions to our society. I want people to be aware of that. I want to be able to encourage those students that donÆt always get the attention that may give them the courage to go after their own dreams.ö Pearl Fryar
Pearl Fryar is dedicated to capturing the attention of at-risk children who do not excel at school and who may be in danger of falling through the cracks. He tells visitors to the garden that he believes a studentÆs academic performance does not always reflect potential for success. His dream is to inspire youth who have creative abilities and to help them find the confidence to pursue creative goals.
Pearl Fryar believes strongly in the role higher education can play in breaking the cycle of poverty. To realize PearlÆs objective of helping the average student to succeed, the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc. contributes to scholarship funds at community colleges and technical colleges in South Carolina. Scholarships are awarded to students who might not have done well in high school but who nevertheless show "potential."
Contributions to PearlÆs scholarship fund may be made online via the Garden Conservancy website or by sending correspondence to:
The Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc.
If sending a check, please make it out to the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc. and write ōscholarshipö in the memo line.
In early spring 2010, students from the University of CaliforniaŚLos Angeles filmed a short documentary about PearlÆs scholarship program.Ā View the complete short here:
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Again, Hall says he will challenge Parker
Nearly two decades after first announcing his interest in running for mayor, Houston lawyer Benjamin L. Hall III, made it official this week: He will be a candidate to unseat two-term Mayor Annise Parker.
Hall, a city attorney in the early 1990s administration of Mayor Bob Lanier, considered running to succeed Lanier and frequently expressed interest in subsequent election cycles. He announced his candidacy in 2009 but withdrew when Gene Locke, also a former city attorney, entered the race; Parker defeated Locke in a runoff. Two years later, Hall again expressed interest in running.
Despite skepticism on the part of local political observers that he actually will run, Hall this time has filed a form designating a treasurer and co-treasurer for his campaign.
He also has chosen a slogan, "Hall for All," emphasizing his ability to unite people.
Hall, 57, received his law degree at Harvard University and also holds a master of divinity and a doctorate from Duke University.
Hall charged that Parker's 16-year tenure at City Hall as a council member, controller and now mayor has produced "leadership fatigue."
'We need a vision'
As mayor, he said, he would focus on job creation, economic growth, international trade and a more creative, compromise-oriented approach to the city's pension challenges.
"This is really a world-class city, and we're treating it as kind of nothing more than the fourth-largest city," he said. "This city is in communication and dynamic relationships with the entire world, but we need a vision coming out of the mayor's office that actually promotes that as a priority, as opposed to a tertiary or corollary idea."
A personal injury lawyer, Hall has been in the news most recently as the attorney for Chad Holley, the teenage burglar whose 2010 arrest was caught on videotape, which appeared to show police officers hitting and kicking the youth as he lay on the ground. He also bought a home in the Memorial area last year after questions were raised in years past about whether he actually resided in Houston.
Parker won her second two-year term in 2011 against a gaggle of unknown, underfunded candidates, but she barely avoided a runoff with 50.8 percent of the vote. That slim margin suggested vulnerability.
"Hall is a formidable challenger but is a long shot to unseat the mayor," University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus said in an email.
Rottinghaus noted Hall's funding capability, his vision and his qualifications but suggested that "with Parker's nationalizing profile and perceptions of her doing a good job, it is a more uphill fight."
Runoff problematic
Rottinghaus added that Parker's most formidable challenge may not be Hall, per se, but a crowded primary field that could squeeze her out of a runoff.
"In a runoff, a well-funded candidate like Hall that can put the right coalition together could have a chance," he said. "This may be the model - almost successful for Gene Locke - that Hall is looking to create."
Jared Woodfill, Harris County Republican Party chairman, said he could see a squeeze play of sorts developing, with challenges coming from Hall and, potentially, at least two Republicans.
"Annise Parker could be the odd person out," Woodfill said. "She doesn't have the constituencies that the other three would have, plus I don't think she has lived up to her campaign promises. She promised to stay out of party politics, but she was an outspoken supporter of Obama."
Woodfill and others recall just such a scenario in 1990 when mayoral candidates Lanier and state Rep. Sylvester Turner, an African-American Democrat, squeezed out five-term incumbent Kathy Whitmire, who finished a distant third.
Former Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt said he and Woodfill discussed the possibility of him running for mayor but said his interest was predicated on the possibility that Parker may leave office early to take a position in the Obama administration, thus necessitating a special election.
"In a special election, I could see what the party chairman is pitching, because that's a low-turnout scenario that would be favorable to Republicans," he said.
Bettencourt also suggested that Hall's candidacy was based, at least initially, on the possibility that the mayor would leave office early.
"The glacier's moving," he said. "The question is, where is it going to stop?"
No compelling issues?
Parker said last week that she anticipated having multiple challengers in an election that still is nearly a year away. Asked about Hall, she seemed to work in an early jab without mentioning him by name.
"Lots of folks are probably going to run," she said. "There have been several folks who have been putting their names out, taking them back, putting their names out, taking them back. I'm just going to run my race."
Potential opponents, she said, may have a hard time coming up with compelling issues.
"I'm proud of my record, and I'm interested to see what issue anyone will raise, considering how well Houston has done in navigating an extremely difficult economy and how we are putting jobs into the community, which is one of the most important priorities I've had," Parker said.


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Hello! And Happy New Years Eve! I love the feeling of hope and joy a new year brings! 2010 has been a great year for us, although this past month has been a bit of a trying time with all of us getting sick before, over and after Christmas! I am looking forward to 2011 as I am believing that it can only get better! I have been seeing all over bloggers sharing there top 10 favorite cards/projects of 2010. I thought it would be fun to share mine. I also thought it would be so easy to pick 10. How wrong was I? I picked 20 and than took forever narrowing it down. I even thought to post my top favorite 15 but it seemed too much! So here they are in order of when I posted them:
I still love this card, the colors and those ribbon roses!
I made these Valentines sucker pop's for Ariel's preschool class and I remember the happiness I felt making this for her and her classmates!
This was my first attempt with the rolled paper roses. I won top 5 at Hero Arts with this card and it will forever be one of my favorites.
I have to share one of my cards with this silhouette flower. I love this stamp so and really enjoyed it in 2010, and plan to in 2011 also! This was my first time trying the pearlized water technique and I was so thrilled when I captured it's shine in a picture!
This is the card I made for my hubby Chad for his birthday! I think this is the only masculine card I am sharing and it's my favorite of them.
This is a card I made for one of the Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Challenge, in the summer I became part of the DT. I love being on the DT, working with Jenny and the other DT gals has been great! I really enjoy it!
I think this may be one of my favorite cards because I really enjoyed making it, and the way I used string...
This is one of my favorites because I liked coming up with the embossing and stamping on the embossed circles. I also have fond memories of this card because it's one of the ones I took to Scrapfest for the card swap we had at our Hero Arts Flickr dinner!
These are the invitations I made for Ariel's birthday. I loved coloring each princess to look like the little girl receiving the invitation and making them magnets!
This is my favorite of the Christmas cards I made this year! I think my favorite part is the twine and the way it loops!
So this is really number 11 but I wanted to pick from my favorite of the card sets and this is it!
Another thing I have seen a lot of bloggers do is pick a word for 2011. It's Ali Edwards idea you can see more about it here. I like this idea. As a new year begins I think we all look at our lives and ponder. Chad and I have been. We have been writing down goals and aspirations because we have heard that if you don't write it down you forget and more than likely it doesn't happen. We also found old plans and goals from before and saw that pretty much everything had been met! So I encourage you to do the same! This one word falls into what we already were doing and something I have been pondering. I have always been a happy person, but I have been finding that with life's little set backs my mood isn't always happy, that I let these little things make me moody. So my word is joy, it's easy for me to be happy, but I want the joy. It's easy to be happy in front of others even when your moody. I want the joy that being happy all the way through brings! I know that through Christ is where I find my joy. And I am going to focus on that!
Here are some great bible verses that mention joy:
Isaiah 55:12 - "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (NIV)
Proverbs 15:13 - "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." (NIV)
Psalm 97:11-12 - "Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name." (NIV)


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Lyon Arboretum celebrates National Public Lands Day
Lend a hand for 2nd annual volunteer cleanup on September 29University of Hawaiʻi
Lyon Arboretum
HONOLULU - Lyon Arboretum joins this national volunteer effort to preserve America's public lands, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteer participants will assist Lyon Arboretum staff with garden trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, planting native Hawaiian plants, facility clean up, botanical signage and light weeding in the children's garden.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the government spends $120 billion annually on the control and impact of more than 800 out-of-control invaders that pose a threat to the environment, economy, and human health. That doesn't include the value of biodiversity, aesthetics, soil erosion, water contamination and other hazards. Every volunteer who removes invasive species helps keep the toll from rising.
"Public lands serve all Americans, and National Public Lands Day provides a fun and educational opportunity for Americans to return the favor to those lands and the wildlife they harbor," said Robb Hampton, Director of National Public Lands Day.
Those interested in volunteering for this year's event should contact Richard Sears at the Lyon Arboretum at email@example.com. Learn more about National Public Lands Day at www.publiclandsday.org.
For more information, visit: http://www.publiclandsday.org