Could Triple Crown winner revive fading sport?

I'll Have Another, with exercise rider Jonny Garcia up, trains at Belmont Park, Wednesday, June 6, 2012, in Elmont, N.Y. The winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness will attempt to win the Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown Saturday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

I'll Have Another, with exercise rider Jonny Garcia up, trains at Belmont Park, Wednesday, June 6, 2012, in Elmont, N.Y. The winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness will attempt to win the Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown Saturday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

I'll Have Another, with exercise rider Jonny Garcia up, trains at Belmont Park, Wednesday, June 6, 2012, in Elmont, N.Y. The winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness will attempt to win the Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown on Saturday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NEW YORK (AP) ? By Saturday night, the horse racing world will know if a chestnut colt named I'll Have Another has done what 11 other contenders have failed to do since 1978: Win the Triple Crown.

But even if he beats his competitors in the Belmont Stakes, questions remain over whether that singular triumph can reinvigorate a sport that has experienced precipitous drops in fan interest, gambling dollars and prestige in the American sports landscape.

And the home of Saturday's pivotal race is an emblem of racing's troubles: Last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo replaced management of the agency that oversees racing at Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga following years of scandal and mismanagement. The three tracks stage more than one third of all the country's top stakes races and generate a large chunk of gambling income nationwide.

"Just having the Triple Crown on the line is a shot in the arm for the business and from a public relations point of view, we have seen a media bump already," said Alex Waldrop, president and chief executive officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. "We will absolutely have a superstar on our hands if I'll Have Another wins the race. We have to be prepared to take advantage of that; the problem is we don't know how many more races he may have."

Doug Reed, director of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona, predicts a Triple Crown victory will spark something like the bump a presidential candidate enjoys after a political convention. But, he notes, there have been monumental changes in the culture since Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes 34 years ago.

"The media back then was nothing like it is today, with the Internet and so many other things to attract attention," he said. He recalls there were slight upticks in interest after the release of the films "Secretariat" and "Seabiscuit" in recent years, but it didn't last.

"Everything moves so much faster," Reed said. "Will there be interest in horse racing because of the Triple Crown? Yes, but it will probably fade."

The Jockey Club, which advocates for thoroughbred breeding and racing, commissioned a 2011 study and developed recommendations to improve the sport. The study found that since 2000, the amount bet ? called the handle ? is down by 37 percent, track attendance has fallen by 30 percent, and starts per horse and race days both dropped 14 percent.

Only 22 percent of the public had a positive impression of racing, the report said.

Jockey Club President Jim Gagliano said recommendations include a new branding effort called "America's Best Racing," intended to showcase the sport's top races and personalities. He said an affiliation with NBC Sports, which aired a series of races before this year's Kentucky Derby helped boost viewership on Derby day by 6 percent over 2011.

Plans are to attract a younger audience with online video games and social networking, including blogging by some of the sport's top personalities. There are even plans for reality based television shows. One idea is to follow a syndicate of inexperienced horse owners, showing the process of developing a potential winner from the yearling auctions to actual competition.

A turnaround of the New York Racing Association, whose three tracks accounted for about one-third of the national wagering handle of $11 billion in 2011, is seen as a key to the sport's fortunes. Cuomo last month struck a deal to create a new NYRA board after years of scandal, a dispute over $8.5 million in winnings that hadn't been paid to bettors, and concerns about treatment of horses and backstretch workers.

The new board is charged with enhancing racing at the state's three tracks, although officials have not said how it will do that. It also will try to integrate racing with video slot machines and other electronic gambling as Cuomo pushes to expand gambling in New York.

"NYRA has been a very important cornerstone in the national racing market for a long time," said Eric Mitchell, editorial director and editor-in-chief of the Lexington, Ky.-based magazine The Blood-Horse. The three NYRA tracks last year staged 39 of the 112 Grade 1, or top level, races in the country.

"A lot of the most talented and well-bred juvenile horses make their starts in New York," he said, noting that the Saratoga race card every summer holds two of the sport's marquee races outside the Triple Crown, the Travers and Whitney Stakes.

"It has been shown that people are more likely to wager on the quality races, so the more stakes races you have, the better horses and more competitive fields will find more people wagering on those races," Mitchell said. "If NYRA were to go away, that would create an awfully big vacuum."

Justin Nicholson, a 26-year-old who left Georgetown law school to join a family business that develops race horses in Elkton, Md., is encouraged by the moves to overhaul NYRA and the Jockey Club initiatives toward attracting younger fans.

"The greatest thing is the stories that we have to tell," he said. "We need to get serious about an aggressive marketing strategy. When people see all great stories that surround horse racing, they will begin to feel invested in the sport. What happens is we spend a lot of time responding to criticism rather than showing the positive stories."

Associated Press

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Guest Post: 3 Ways To Increase The Value Of Your Home And Make ...

Your home is your relaxing place. It is where you go at the end of a hard day. It is where you play with your children and have meals with them. It is where you go to get away. Your home is important, and it is also important to keep it secure and safe. A simple door lock is not enough to keep burglars away. There are many ways to increase security for your home, but here are the top three:

1.) Outdoor lighting.

Burglars want an easy and quick way into a home. Homes without outdoor lighting are twice as likely to get broken into when compared to homes with outdoor lighting. Regular lights are important when you are out late at night. However, you should also consider motion detectors. These can be indoor or outdoor, and can make a big difference. Burglars do not want to draw attention to themselves. Installing motion detectors outside your home can make potential thieves turn away and look for another home to burgle. Lifeshield.com has a great selection of motion detectors for inside and outside the home.

2.) Alarm System

Installing an alarm system can great improve your home?s safety. Many people put placards around their home saying they have an alarm system, and this can help, but some burglars are more daring than others and the placards will not work for them. They will try and succeed because there is no alarm.

Some alarms are noisy and some are silent. It depends on which you prefer. Many people prefer the noisy ones because it wakes them up and lets them know there is a problem and it also scares the burglar into fleeing. Some alarms also notify the police, but some just make noise to hopefully scare the burglar away and keep your family and possessions safe. However, some prefer silent alarms that immediately notify the police when there is a breach. The burglar does not know an alarm has been tripped and the police have time to arrive and catch the thief.

You should decide for yourself which type of alarm system is best. There are benefits and negatives with each choice, so it depends on what you want for your family. If you are installing a system to scare away burglars, a noisy alarm may be best. If you are afraid the noise would scare young children unnecessarily, a silent alarm may be better.

3.) Security Camera

Many times, people are extremely scared of their surroundings and feel that alarm systems are not good enough. For them, it is not enough to scare away a burglar or have an alarm system notify the police. Security cameras can help you find potential problems before they become problems. You can have them installed around the perimeter of the home, with a specific location set up to check the perimeter. You can then watch your surroundings at any time. This can help you notice potential thieves. If you see anything odd, you can call the police before a break-in.

With these 3 easy places to start, there is really no reason to delay securing your home and increasing it?s value.? If these aren?t upgrades you feel comfortable doing yourself, the fee to hire a company to do them for you is small compared to the benefits you will receive.

Author Bio

Jennifer Kurtz is a stay-at-home mom who writes about Technology and Lifestyle on her blog.? She worked in marketing before her son was born, and keeps up with the tech field through her blog, http://en.netlog.com/kurtzjennifer/blog . She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, her 2-year-old son, and a cat named Einstein.

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The Chocolate Invitational starts in Venice | Tastings + Truffles + ...

Our Welo Contributing writer Mikki Sage and Ashley Walsh of Intentional Chocolate are teaming up to throw Chocolate parties. The Chocolate Invitational is their latest adventure, which encompasses a series of sweet events, all in the name of Chocolate.

The Chocolate Invitational series will start in Venice and make its way around town then head up to Ojai?

Chocolate tastings and truffles provided by Intentional Chocolate, wine pairings by Rendarrio Wines, tea ceremonies by Temple Tea, Music By Joplin MacColl, culinary bites, photographic series, art and more. Proceeds will go to Walk with Sally Foundation. ?Tickets go on sales?June 1st, $30 ?to purchase go to: http://thechocolateinvitational.eventbrite.com/

Be sure to LIKE their page on FB where you?ll find out on the event. Location will be announced day of the event.

Series 1, Venice. June 28th, 7pm-11pm. It?s limited capacity, party is sure to sell out quickly. ?For More info and future locations? visit their website and facebook page.

www.thechocolateinvitational.com

http://www.facebook.com/TheChocolateInvitational

www.intentionalchocolate.com

http://www.rendarrio.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Temple-Tea/194665333939026

?

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Fusion Drug Slows Advanced Breast Cancer -Breast Cancer news-

? Breast Cancer news ? Jun 02, 2012

A novel form of trastuzumab (Herceptin) with chemotherapy attached appears to improve progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced HER2-positive breast cancer with a hint of survival benefit as well, a pivotal clinical trial showed.

Progression-free survival (PFS) rose by a relative 35% and absolute 3.2 months with the agent, dubbed trastuzumab emtansine or T-DM1, compared with standard chemotherapy (P

Overall survival odds improved 38%, but didn?t reach the high bar set for statistical significance (P=0.0005 versus the trial stopping threshold of P=0.0003), the group reported here at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting.

"I think this will offer a very important therapeutic option for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer,? Blackwell told reporters at an ASCO press conference. ?I think it?s the first of many antibody-drug conjugates to follow that will link a potent anti-cancer agent to a targeted delivery system with an antibody.?

T-DM1 uses trastuzumab to guide the cytotoxic agent emtansine, which is too potent to give systemically, according to Blackwell, inside cancer cells using the HER2 receptor as a target.

The trial included 991 women with locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer and disease progression on, or within 6 months of, adjuvant treatment with a taxane and conventional trastuzumab. They were randomized to open-label treatment with:

T-DM1 at 3.6 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks
Capecitabine (Xeloda) at 1,000 mg/m2 orally twice daily for days one to 14 in a 3-week cycle and lapatinib (Tykerb) at 1,250 mg orally once daily

After a median follow-up of over 12 months, median PFS reached 9.6 months with the novel trastuzumab drug compared with 6.4 months in the control chemotherapy group for a stratified hazard ratio of 0.65 (95% confidence interval 0.55 to 0.77).

Overall survival rates were 85% with T-DM1 versus 77% in the capecitabine and lapatinib group at 1 year, and 65% versus 48%, respectively, at 2 years.

Survival topped out at a median 23.3 months in the chemotherapy group, which Blackwell called ?quite good,? but had not yet reached a median with the novel agent.

Serious adverse events were less common with T-DM1 than with capecitabine and lapatinib (41% versus 57%).

The most common grade 3 or higher events with the novel agent were thrombocytopenia (13% versus less than 1%) and elevated liver enzymes (4% versus less than 1% aspartate aminotransferase and 3% versus 1% alanine transaminase).

Drugmaker Genentech is preparing to go to the FDA with just the phase II and interim phase III data to seek approval for T-DM1, Blackwell noted.

However, without significant overall survival benefit, there?s some question of whether the FDA would give the drug a green light based on prolonged PFS alone.

Since the debacle in which bevacizumab?s (Avastin) accelerated approval was revoked in metastatic breast cancer over lack of overall survival advantage, and minimal PFS benefit in subsequent trials, the agency has given signs that PFS is no longer a sufficient outcome on its own.

The study was sponsored by Genentech.

Blackwell reported having no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Several co-authors reported employment with Genentech.

Primary source: American Society of Clinical Oncology

Source reference: Blackwell KL, et al ?Primary results from EMILIA, a phase 3 study of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) vs capecitabine (X) and lapatinib (L) in HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) previously treated with trastuzumab (T) and a taxane? ASCO 2012; Abstract LBA1.

Provided by ArmMed Media

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Obama, Clinton to headline trio of NYC fundraisers

FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2010 file photo, President Barack Obama, accompanied by former President Bill Clinton in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. President Barack Obama is getting a little help from former President Bill Clinton at a trio of campaign fundraisers in New York. The presidential duo will speak at a high-dollar fundraiser at a private home, then headline a gala at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Obama and Clinton will end the night at an event dubbed "Barack on Broadway" at the New Amsterdam Theatre. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2010 file photo, President Barack Obama, accompanied by former President Bill Clinton in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. President Barack Obama is getting a little help from former President Bill Clinton at a trio of campaign fundraisers in New York. The presidential duo will speak at a high-dollar fundraiser at a private home, then headline a gala at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Obama and Clinton will end the night at an event dubbed "Barack on Broadway" at the New Amsterdam Theatre. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama laughs with former President Bill Clinton in Washington. President Barack Obama is getting a little help from former President Bill Clinton at a trio of campaign fundraisers in New York. The presidential duo will speak at a high-dollar fundraiser at a private home, then headline a gala at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Obama and Clinton will end the night at an event dubbed "Barack on Broadway" at the New Amsterdam Theatre. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is getting a little help from former President Bill Clinton at a trio of campaign fundraisers in New York.

The presidential duo will speak at a high-dollar fundraiser at a private home, headline a gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel and end the night at an event dubbed "Barack on Broadway" at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Monday's trip is Obama's first of two fundraising blitzes in New York in the coming weeks. He will return to Manhattan next week for a fundraiser at the home of actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

Obama is seeking to persuade voters that he is still the right steward for the economy following a dismal jobs report out last week that showed an uptick in the unemployment rate.

Associated Press

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Experts find credible calls from Amelia Earhart

Dozens of previously dismissed radio signals were actually credible transmissions from Amelia Earhart, according to a new study of the alleged post-loss signals from Earhart's plane. The transmissions started riding the air waves just hours after Earhart sent her last in-flight message.

The study, presented on Friday at a three day conference by researchers of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), sheds new light on what may have happened to the legendary aviator 75 years ago. The researchers plan to start a high-tech underwater search for pieces of her aircraft next July.

"Amelia Earhart did not simply vanish on July 2, 1937. Radio distress calls believed to have been sent from the missing plane dominated the headlines and drove much of the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy search," Ric Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR, told Discovery News.

PHOTOS: Jars Hint at Amelia Earhart Castaway Presence

"When the search failed, all of the reported post-loss radio signals were categorically dismissed as bogus and have been largely ignored ever since," he added.

Using digitized information management systems, antenna modeling software, and radio wave propagation analysis programs, TIGHAR re-examined all the 120 known reports of radio signals suspected or alleged to have been sent from the Earhart aircraft after local noon on July 2, 1937 through July 18, 1937, when the official search ended.

They concluded that 57 out of the 120 reported signals are credible.

"The results of the study suggest that the aircraft was on land and on its wheels for several days following the disappearance," Gillespie said.

Tracking Earhart's transmissions
Earhart used radio transmissions on her last flight on July 2, 1937, during her record attempt to fly around the world at the equator.

At 07:42 local time, as she flew toward the target destination, Howland Island in the Pacific, with her navigator Fred Noonan, Earhart called the Coast Guard cutter Itasca, stationed at Howland Island to support her flight.

?We must be on you, but cannot see you ? but gas is running low. Have been unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1,000 feet,? she said.

NEWS: Earhart's Anti-Freckle Ointment Jar Possibly Recovered

Earhart's final in-flight radio message occurred a hour later, at 08:43.

?We are on the line 157 337. We will repeat this message. We will repeat this on 6210 kilocycles. Wait,? she said.

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According to TIGHAR, the numbers 157 and 337 refer to compass headings ? 157 degrees and 337 degrees ? and describe a navigation line that passed not only Howland Island, the target destination, but also Gardner Island, now called Nikumaroro.

This uninhabited atoll in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati is where TIGHAR believes Earhart and Noonan landed safely and ultimately died as castaways.

According to TIGHAR's hypothesis, Earhart would have used the aircraft's radio to make distress calls for several days until the plane was washed over the reef and disappeared before Navy searchers flew over the area.

Detailed analysis done
TIGHAR built a detailed catalog and analysis of all the reported post-loss radio signals, and selected the credible ones based on their frequencies.

PHOTOS: Amelia Earhart

Transmissions from Earhart's Electra (NR16020) were possible on three primary frequencies: 3105 kHz, 6210 kHz and 500 kHz. For the latter, however, there were no reported post loss signals.

On her world flight, Earhart transmitted on 3105 kHz at night, and 6210 kHz during daylight, using her 50-watt WE-13C transmitter.

The Itasca transmitted on 3105 kHz, but did not have voice capability on 6210 kHz.

Under favorable propagation conditions, it was possible for aircraft operating on the U.S. West Coast at night to be heard on 3105 kHz in the central Pacific. Indeed, the Itasca reported hearing such signals on one occasion.

There were three 50-watt Morse code radio stations in Nicaragua that could be heard on a receiver tuned to 3105 kHz, but the stations sent only code, not voice.

Moreover, all transport aircraft in the area used assigned route frequencies, instead of 3105 kHz.

"Therefore, other than Itasca, Earhart?s Electra was the only plausible central Pacific source of voice signals on 3105 kHz," said Gillespie.

Spurious claims identified
Although several of the analyzed post-loss signal reports were determined to be hoaxes, Gillespie ruled out the hypothesis of an illegal transmitter "given the numerous constraints militating against successfully perpetrating a signal transmission hoax."

"We do not really have hoax transmissions but rather reports from people who, for whatever reason, claimed to have heard something they did not hear," Gillespie said.

To make multiple transmissions, the Electra plane needed to run the right-hand, generator-equipped engine to recharge the batteries.

"The safest procedure is to transmit only when the engine is running, and battery power is required to start the engine," said Gillespie. "To run the engine, the propeller must be clear of obstructions, and water level must never reach the transmitter."

To verify the hypothesis that the plane landed on Nikumaroro's reef, TIGHAR researchers analyzed tidal condition on the island from 2 to 9 July 1937, the week following Earhart disappearance. It emerged that transmission of credible signals occurred in periods during which the water level on the reef was low enough to permit engine operation.

Four messages of particular interest
According to Gillespie, at least four radio signals are of particular interest, as they were simultaneously heard by more than one station.

The first signal, made when the pilot had been officially missing for just five hours, was received by the Itasca, and two other ships, the HMS Achilles and the SS New Zealand Star.

The Itasca logged, ?We hear her on 3105 now ? very weak and unreadable/ fone? and asked Earhart to send Morse code dashes.

The Achilles did not hear ?very weak and unreadable? voice, but heard Itasca?s request and heard dashes in response. The SS New Zealand only heard the response dashes.

In other cases, credible sources in widely separated locations in the U.S., Canada and the central Pacific, reported hearing a woman requesting help. She spoke English, and in some cases said she was identified as Amelia Earhart.

In one case, on July 5, the U.S. Navy Radio at Wailupe, Honolulu heard a garbled Morse code: ?281 north Howland - call KHAQQ - beyond north ? won?t hold with us much longer ? above water ? shut off.?

At the same time, an amateur radio operator in Melbourne, Australia, reported having heard a "strange? code which included KHAQQ, Amelia's call sign.

According to Gillespie, the reanalysis of the credible post-loss signals supports the hypothesis that they were sent by Earhart?s Electra from a point on the reef at Nikumaroro, about a quarter-mile north of the shipwreck of the British freighter SS Norwich City.

"The results of the study show a body of evidence which might be the forgotten key to the mystery. It is the elephant in the room that has gone unacknowledged for nearly 75 years," said Gillespie.

? 2012 Discovery Channel

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Kitchen Cabinet Depot - Where to Buy Quality Kitchen Cabinet ...

Building a home, or simply remodeling it, will always have adequate relation with the means of value. I mean, both of these works are intended to bring more value into our house. So what we do need in such circumstance is the best thing that we can get. Surely the ?thing? here can be represented by furniture, painting, wallpaper, and so on. But to make our perspective become specific, I intend to discuss about kitchen cabinet, a type of furniture that can be add onto your kitchen. As usual, the furniture can be purchased anywhere. But in most cases, you may choose to buy it from online store. So let us take closer look on an online store which able to sell that furniture.

Let us put it in simple way: all you need to do is just open a source located at Kitchen Cabinet Depot. From there, you can find cabinet product made of solid wood and already constructed with no particle board at all. So what you are about to find there is cabinet product which made from the same materials as been applied on high-end kitchen cabinetry. They have been experienced for more than 35 years of excellence service. So apparently, there is no reason for you to deny what are going to offer by them. By entering the store, what you will get is the best, and it is because they only offer the best kitchen cabinet for its customers. You may also get free shipping service for an order which amounts to more than $ 1500.

The entire custom cabinet product offering some features, including here: solid wood with durable finish, solid wood drawer boxes, cabinet face frames, and plywood cabinet boxes. Quality features applied on every cabinet product they sell is the main advantage of Kitchen Cabinet Depot.

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