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Father: Patrick J Donaldson b: ABT 1880 in Wisconsin, USA
Mother: Agnes Ernst b: SEP 1884 in Alliance, Clay County, Minnesota, USA
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How To Dress For Turkey Day At Your Boss's House
Going to your boss's house for Thanksgiving? Don't be the turkey by dressing inappropriately. Since dinner is at your boss's pad, it is a little trickier to decide on an appropriate outfit. It could be either formal or casual, and if the invitation does not specify, you're left to figure this puzzle out on your own.
First, consider what field you work in and what is considered acceptable attire for your industry. In some professions, wearing a suit and tie is more appropriate attire than in others. The second consideration: How formal is your boss's home? Does he/she live in a mansion or a small house near the lake? In addition to the typical attire for your profession, consider the time of day for this event. If Thanksgiving dinner is being served at noon, you're probably safe wearing a more casual outfit. However, if you have been invited to Thanksgiving dinner in the evening, it is a safe assumption that the event will require more formal attire. Ask co-workers or a manager who might know what the acceptable attire is for the event. It's safe to assume you'll feel under-dressed if you put on jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap.
Casual professional clothing is typically a safe choice if there is no way for you to determine the dress code for the event. Cut the difference between formal and casual and wear something that you would wear if attending an afternoon wedding or a graduation ceremony. Though you probably don't need to wear a suit. For men, dress pants and a dress shirt with a jacket would be acceptable; women can opt for dress pants or a simple dress or skirt.
You can also add a nice festive touch since Thanksgiving dinner is the start of the holiday season. Consider wearing a red blouse or sweater, or adding a pretty autumnal scarf. Do avoid the sweater with blinking Christmas lights and the crocheted Santa jacket. While these are appropriate for some office holiday parties, they are probably not the safest bet for Thanksgiving dinner at your boss's home.

subset: commoncrawl


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Obviously this post isn't about saving money or living a frugal lifestyle because it is about spending money, but I believe that we all save money to reflect our values, and one of my values is traveling. According to Urban Dictionary, "bucket list" is a list of things that you want to do before you "kick the bucket", or bluntly, things that you want to do before you die.
I'm a happy girl. I truly try my best to live my life to the fullest and live without regrets. In a way, you could say I live a "You Only Live Once" #YOLO lifestyle, but at the same time, I live this YOLO lifestyle within reason and with conscious effort and thought. I have traveled to a lot of places and have experienced a lot of things (I feel so lucky!) but there are places that I still want to go to because I have been afflicted by a terrible case of wanderlust. Sometimes I don't feel completely at ease unless I have another trip planned. When I finish one trip I feel a bit of sadness because it has ended, and planning is seriously have the fun.
I have a travel bucket list that never seems to end though I will be tackling a chunk of it in 2013:
- Mt Kilimanjaro and an African safari– I am sure everyone and their neighbours cousin knows of my interest to hike mount Kilimanjaro. I think this might be the year that it is done!
- Swim with dolphins– I had the opportunity to do this in Cuba but it just seemed very forced as I think it was a "dolphinarium" and I couldn't bring myself to swim with dolphins in captivity for the sake of it. Perhaps I just put this on my list because it's on everyone's list and it's cliche. Maybe I should take it off.
- Visit lavender fields in Provence– Another big European dream of mine. I love love love lavender and to be immersed in a bright purple field of fresh lavender during a hot summer's day in France would be so….. oh la la!! 🙂
- Visit Portugal- I went to Spain last year but didn't get a chance to visit Portugal as I had so little time.
- Visit Scandanavia– It would be nice to see where Ikea and H&M came from. I hear they have some pretty good snow boarding too!
- See the Aurora Borealis– Apparently this is THE year to see the northern lights! I have never seen them, it would be amazing to see them up north in NWT or something!
- See Iceland and hang out in the hot springs
- Go to Mongolia and be nomadic like the nomads
- Dubai- I could take this one or leave it, but it would be cool to see the man made islands
- Greece- Santorini and the Greek islands, 'nuff said! This is one of my major dreams, the contrasting white and blue homes with the turquoise blue water is one of my top bucket list destinations
- Pompeii Italy– I have been to Italy but never got the chance to go to Pompeii, one of my dream places to go ever since I learned about it in elementary school
- Laos- I am going to Laos this year but mainly just hanging out in Luang Prabang.
- Turkey- I would like to ride in a hot air balloon except that I'm afraid of heights, so I don't know how this is going to happen
- Maldives- I know this one is kind of unreasonable because it is so ridiculously expensive. But it is sinking and it would be nice to see it before it sinks.
I know my list is ridiculously long… it's kind of embarassing. However, I'm not in too much of a rush to tackle all of these. I know that one could just go on a 6 month leave or something and see all of these things on a RTW (that's round the world for you non-travel addicts) trip but I think it's much more fun to have something to look forward to when you are doing the 9-5 grind, do you know what i mean?
Some Rules To Follow
Now, here are some rules to follow when creating and enacting your travel bucket list:
- Do not go into debt for it
- Set aside money each month to make your bucket list dreams come true
- Think about things like the Latte factor and other unconscious spending that you may do without realizing it
- Sacrificing one thing (like daily lunches) can mean that you can reach your travel goal faster
- Remember, think positive and eliminate excuses to achieve your goals
If you're looking for inspiration, why not start in your own backyard and see the 2013 Outside Online Adventure bucket list for North America.


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Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Master of Arts
The Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy offers a Master of Arts degree with two routes of entry. Those with a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy begin taking graduate course work (500 level) immediately. Those with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than occupational therapy take 400‑level courses before beginning graduate work. Eligibility to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy examination occurs when all course work is completed, including the equivalent of 24 full-time weeks of clinical internships, and the M.A. degree has been awarded.
Admission RequirementsFor those with baccalaureate degrees in occupational therapy: prerequisites are a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from an accredited college or university; registration (or eligibility for registration) by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy; a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0); acceptable scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations; three letters of recommendation and an autobiographical sketch/statement of purpose.
For those with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than occupational therapy: you must have completed all prerequisites:
- Within the last five years
- Prior to the start of the senior year with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (pass/fail or grades below a C are not accepted)
- All courses from an accredited junior college, college or university
- Either in a classroom setting or online, however anatomy must be completed in a classroom setting
- Each course totaling three or four semester units (with exception of medical terminology which may be 1 or 2 units) as follows (course numbers refer to USC courses, but prerequisites can be taken at any accredited college or university):
human anatomy with laboratory* (EXSC 301L or OT 260)
human physiology* (OT 261)
introductory (general) psychology (PSYC 100)
developmental psychology or human development (PSYC 336L)
abnormal psychology (PSYC 360)
introductory sociology or cultural anthropology (SOCI 200 or ANTH 201)
medical terminology (effective summer 2009)
gerontology or adult development (recommended but not required)
Four-week intensive courses in human anatomy with lab and human physiology are offered from mid-May to mid-June (just prior to the start of the program) for those students who have been unable to complete them earlier.
Also required are a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0; a grade of "A" or "B" in division prerequisite courses (pass/fail grading is not acceptable for the division prerequisites); acceptable scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations; three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose/autobiographical sketch.
Courses prerequisite to master's degree work include: OT 405, OT 415, OT 420, OT 440, OT 441, OT 452, OT 453, OT 463, OT 464, OT 465, OT 466, OT 467, OT 468, OT 485 and OT 486.
Application ProcedureFor those with baccalaureate degrees in occupational therapy: applications are accepted at any time, preferably by February 15 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission.
For those with degrees in fields other than occupational therapy: applications for early decisions are due by November 30; all other applications are due February 15.
Applications received after the February 15 deadline are considered on a space available basis. Application materials include: (1) USC Online Graduate Application; (2) division online Supplemental Application for Graduate Admission; (3) three references indicating the applicant's perspectives on occupational therapy; (4) transcripts from all colleges/universities attended; (5) results of the aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examinations. This should be taken no later than February prior to summer and fall admission requests and no later than October for spring semester requests. A personal interview may be requested. Application must be made to the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, 1540 Alcazar Street (CHP 133), Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003, as well as to the USC Graduate Admission Office. Transcripts must be sent to the division as well as to the Graduate Admission Office.
International StudentsStudents educated outside of the United States must have their credentials evaluated by the Office of Admission before application to the division can be reviewed. See the Admission section of this catalogue. International students must demonstrate competency in English, as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Degree RequirementsThe M.A. degree is under the jurisdiction of the USC Graduate School. Students should also refer to the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degree must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.
Requirements include: GPA of 3.0 in all course work attempted and all course work applied to the degree; at least two-thirds of units applied to the degree must be at the 500 level or higher.
|Required courses for both options
|The Making of a Profession
|Daily Dilemmas for the Reflective Practitioner
|Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Occupational Data
|Foundations of Occupational Science
|Research Methods


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The following are selected reports from the Seattle Police Department. They represent the officers' accounts of the events described.
A woman was pulling out of her driveway at 9:45 a.m. on Aug. 5 when she heard an alarm sounding at a neighbor's home in the 900 block of 30th Avenue South. She saw that a rear door had been shattered and open, so she called police.
The woman waited in the 2900 block of South Charles Street until police arrived. She did not see anyone or anything suspicious at the burgled home while she waited.
Police spoke with one of the homeowners over the phone. He called his wife, who responded to the home.
The wife determined that only a $3,000 digital camera was stolen.
No fingerprints were found.
Someone broke into a vacant home in the 700 block of Lake Washington Boulevard at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 1 and stole appliances.
The homeowners said they had recently bought the home through foreclosure. A lawyer told them that the previous homeowner needed 20 days to remove items that weren't permanent fixtures, such as furniture; the deadline was Aug. 8.
On the day of the police report, one of the new homeowners went to the home to watch the Blue Angels perform. She saw a moving truck and four men sitting in front of the home, drinking beer. Thinking they were moving items for the former homeowners, she left.
She returned later that day to find a side door damaged as if it had been forced open. She then saw that all of the built-in appliances were missing, as were custom light fixtures and the face from a gas fireplace.
Beds, a couch and floor lamps were still in the house.
A bottle of beer and a can of chewing tobacco were left on the kitchen counter. These were collected for fingerprints.
A resident in the 600 block of 33rd Avenue heard his dog barking and his front gate opening at 5:45 a.m. on Aug. 14. He thought it was the paperboy so he went downstairs, only to see the knob to the side door rattling.
He looked up to see two male suspects trying his door handle. He yelled loudly for them to leave, and they ran off.
The resident then ran out to the front yard and saw the suspects leave in a car down East James Street.
He said he didn't get a good look at the suspects because they ran off so quickly.
Nothing was damaged or stolen. No fingerprints were recovered.
Police responded to the 500 block of 28th Avenue to investigate a report of a bike stolen from a garage at 3:50 p.m. on Aug. 17.
According to the police report, the resident opened his garage around 3:30 p.m. and then went back inside to prepare for a bike ride. He looked out his window about 20 minutes later to see a teenage boy riding the resident's bike down the driveway. The suspect was wearing the resident's bike helmet, too.
The resident yelled after the suspect, "That's my bike — stop!" He chased him down the street and then east onto East Cherry Street before losing sight of him.
Nothing else was stolen or damaged during the burglary.
The manager of a restaurant in the 1800 block of 42nd Avenue East called police around 10:45 a.m. on Aug. 5 after learning from other employees that it had been burglarized overnight.
The doors were locked when it closed at 10 p.m. the previous evening. But staff arrived that morning to find the back door unlocked.
A safe, which contained $374 cash and credit-card receipts from the previous day, was stolen. The $1,000 worth of wine near the safe and the cash register were untouched.
There were no signs of forced entry, and the front door was undamaged.
The manager doesn't suspect anyone of the burglary.
A shelf, which would need to be removed to access the safe, was taken for fingerprints, along with a vase that had been on the shelf.
A woman was walking toward home in the 2700 block of East John Street around 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 5 when she was knocked sideways and her backpack was snatched off her shoulder.
The bag contained her wallet with miscellaneous credit cards, an iPhone and house keys.
The woman provided a general description of the suspect to police.
The responding officer drove the woman home, where the officer made sure no one else was inside.
The woman wasn't injured in the incident.
Someone broke into a business in the 2700 block of East Madison Street between 11:50 a.m. Aug. 2 and 6:45 a.m. Aug. 3 and stole 15 several bottles of wine. Nothing else was taken.
The rear door had been kicked in.
A woman was sitting on a bench at 24th Avenue East and East Harrison Street around 10:20 p.m. on Aug. 13 when two men approached her. One of them pointed a gun at her face and demanded her belongings.
She began to scream, but the gunman threatened to shoot her if she continued. He then told her to empty her pockets.
The woman handed over her backpack and her mobile phone; she said she had nothing else.
The suspects grabbed her belongings and told her not to look at them as they left southbound on 24th Avenue. They left the area in a car that had been parked outside her home nearby.
The woman, who was injured, was visibly upset and worried that the suspects might return with her house keys.
Police responded to the 3600 block of East Union Street, where a house cleaner reported seeing a man on her client's back porch, looking through the windows, at 10:20 a.m. on Aug. 5.
The suspect saw her looking at him, so he waved. He then climbed off the deck, ran to the side yard and waved again, before running away.
The suspect had entered through two unlocked gates and scaled a fence to get to the deck.
While the police were investigating this incident, a suspect wearing similar clothing was seen inside an occupied home in the 800 block of 32nd Avenue, five blocks away around 11 a.m.
In that incident, the resident heard someone inside his house. He went to the living room, where he saw the suspect grab a laptop computer from a table. He yelled at the suspect, who turned and ran out the front door.
The resident followed the suspect until East Marion Street. He then went home to call police.
He told police that the suspect appeared surprised and startled when the resident confronted him.
Police believe the same suspect committed both crimes.
A man tried to leave a store along Martin Luther King Jr. Way around 1:55 p.m. on Aug. 3 with clothing concealed in his pants and in a bag he was carrying.
When four store employees confronted him, the suspect started flailing his arms and elbows to prevent them from grabbing him. The suspect then dropped the bag, which contained a shirt and a pair of shorts.
The suspect pulled out a knife and began swinging at the employees, who backed away.
He then ran off northbound, with the employees chasing him. They lost track of them, but responding officers found him at 30th Avenue and East Pike Street.
The man was taken into custody and brought back to the store, where employees identified him. He was then arrested.


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Steroid abuse is currently becoming rampant not only in the world of athletic sports but progressively more in high schools, colleges and even the workplace. Although anabolic steroids are available only through a doctor's prescription, they are often regulated like narcotics. Illegal distribution of different types of steroids is prevalent in gyms, sports competitions, and mail operations after being smuggled in the country. Steroids can also be obtained by users from illegal drug manufacturing laboratories and by smuggling from countries like Mexico and Europe as steroids can be purchased in these countries without a medical prescription. But the easiest way that anyone can get their hands on steroids is through internet purchases, which often leaves innocent teens in danger.
The short-term effects of steroid abuse have been reasonably known. Nevertheless, it has only been these past recent years that researchers are able to identify the long-term complications of steroid use. As these studies are continually being conducted and abusers themselves present the various problems of the addiction as they age, it is worth noting that steroids do have continuing and dangerous side effects that are detrimental to the user's health. The following are some medical complications that can be brought about by steroid abuse:
• HIV/AIDS or hepatitis B and C infections. One of the deadliest side effects of steroid abuse is the increased possibility of being infected by HIV/AIDS or hepatitis B or C. Many steroid users scoff at the idea that they may get infected and often times downsize the thought of getting these infections. The sharing of non-sterile needles coupled with an increased sex drive or libido can put teens and young adults at risk, especially if they have poor decision-making skills and are easily influenced by peer pressure.
• Liver problems and complications. Several studies have reported that many patients receiving long-term steroid treatments experience a condition called peliosis hepatitis, wherein normal liver and spleen tissue is replaced by blood-filled cysts. These cysts have also been linked with liver failure. There have been reports of regression and disappearance of the cysts with discontinued steroid use. However, through the course the use, the cysts can develop into tumors, and eventually lead to liver cancer. Jaundice has also been associated with steroid abuse.
• Cardiovascular conditions. Steroids are known to increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol) levels. This leads to high blood pressure and increased chances for blood clotting. High blood pressure results from salt and water retention in the body. Therefore, steroid users become more prone to stroke, premature heart conditions like infective endocarditis, and heart attack. Increased muscle mass puts undue strain on the body, while there is also an increased demand for the heart to supply blood to more tissues and process greater amounts of bad cholesterol.
• Musculoskeletal complications and injuries. Studies reveal that adolescents who use steroids are at risk of stunted growth. When the brain at puberty stage senses a certain amount of body hormone, it responds by sending signals to the bones to stop growing, thus the growth plates in the long bones tend to close prematurely. Since one of the side effects of steroids is increased muscle mass and strength, too much strain is also placed on the ligaments and joints. This often leads to orthopedic conditions like tears in the ligaments and joint sprains.
• Neurologic complications. Different types of steroids have been reported affect the brain's neurologic pathways. Although the effect usually depends on the age when the steroids were taken, it can sometimes be permanent. Steroid abuse during teenage years can alter the brain's ability to produce serotonin, an enzyme associated with our sense of well-being. This can lead to bouts of depression and aggression later in life. In women, steroid use can significantly lower progesterone and estrogen levels and induces severe anxiety and depression disorders.
• Other long-term side effects of steroids may include prostate cancer in men, kidney cancer, bacterial skin infections on the injection site and severe acne. Weight problems have also been noted in many steroid users.


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As President Obama and congressional Republicans joust in the coming weeks over the federal debt ceiling, consider this quote:
The fact that we're here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means 'The buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit.
The speaker: Then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., back in 2006.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs -- who immediately recognized the quote when ABC's Jake Tapper read it to him -- said Obama wanted to make a point at that time, namely the deficit spending run up by the George W. Bush administration. Gibbs noted that in 2006 Obama knew the Senate as a whole would vote to raise the debt ceiling.
"The full faith and credit of our government and our economy was not in doubt," Gibbs said. "And the president used it to make a point about needing to get serious about fiscal discipline."
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the new chairman of the House Budget Committee, cited fiscal discipline in saying he would demand spending cuts in exchange for any increase to the $14.3 trillion borrowing limit. The government is likely to bump against that ceiling in March, prompting a congressional vote.
"I'm only interested in raising the debt ceiling if we get concessions on spending, on real controls to get our fiscal situation turned around and headed in the right direction," Ryan said on MSNBC's Morning Joe program. "I'm not interested in raising the debt ceiling on the hope that a promise will be fulfilled at a later time."
Gibbs said the administration wants to work with Congress "to get our fiscal house in order," but -- as his boss did five years ago -- he noted that the federal debt is a long-standing problem. "We're not here because of a series of decisions that just got made in the last six months," Gibbs said.
The debt ceiling should not be part of those decisions, Gibbs said, because refusal to raise it threatens "the full faith and credit of our government" and could lead to "catastrophic actions" with regard to programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
"The effects of something like that ... would exceed anything that we saw in the financial collapse in 2008," Gibbs said.
Still: Don't be surprised if Republicans hold Obama's words against him in the weeks ahead.
(Posted by David Jackson)
David's journalism career spans three decades, including coverage of five presidential elections, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the White House for USA TODAY since 2005. His interests include history, politics, books, movies and college football -- not necessarily in that order. More about David
Follow the Oval on Twitter: @The Oval, @djusatoday.
Also contributing to the Oval: Richard Wolf @richardjwolf; Aamer Madhani @AamerISmad


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20 largest stocks: good, bad, just OK
Some investors prefer large stocks because they lend stability and solidity to a portfolio. So about once a year, I rate the largest 20 stocks in the United States.
Today's ranking is the ninth one I've attempted, the previous ones being in 2001-2006, 2009 and 2011. On average, the big-cap stocks I've recommended have shown one-year total returns (including dividends) of 13.4 percent. Those on which I was neutral have returned 10.8 percent. And those I said to avoid have returned 9.5 percent.
Here are my latest rankings, with the largest stocks first.
• Apple Inc. (AAPL, $656 billion). Avoid. People are lining up for the iPhone 5, the latest in a string of big hits for Apple. But most stocks have faltered once they became the biggest in the nation. While CEO Tim Cook is capable, his late predecessor Steve Jobs was a genius.
• Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM, $434 billion). Buy. The largest oil company has the muscle to grab the best drilling locations and hire the top engineers. I love Exxon's balance sheet, with long-term debt of less than $9 billion and cash or near-cash of nearly $18 billion.
• Microsoft Corp. (MSFT, $261 billon). Buy. In light of Apple's rapid ascent, investors view Microsoft as dowdy. Yet Microsoft had a return on stockholders' equity last year of 27 percent. I'll take that any day of the week, especially if I only have to pay 11 times earnings.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT, $250 billion). Avoid. The balance sheet is just so-so, with debt about 75 percent of stockholders' equity. The giant discounter withstood the recession beautifully, but when better times come, I think it will lose market share.
• Google Inc. (GOOG, $241 billion). Neutral. The stock is too expensive for me, but growth is impressive, with earnings growing at a 22 percent annual pace the past five years.
• General Electric Co. (GE, $239 million). Avoid. None of GE's four main segments (GE Capital, aerospace, energy infrastructure and health care) has been growing fast lately. Two of them — GE Capital and aerospace — are struggling to achieve any growth at all.
• International Business Machines Corp. (IBM, $235 billion). Neutral. Earnings growth is quite healthy, but the stock seems close to fairly priced at 14 times earnings.
• Chevron Corp. (CVX, $231 billion). Buy. Chevron is quite profitable, with a return on stockholders' equity last year of about 24 percent. Debt is only 8 percent of equity, and the stock is cheap at a mere 9 times earnings.
• Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/B, $222 billion). Buy. It's late innings for CEO Warren Buffett, 82, but he remains probably the greatest investment mind of our time. The stock sells for only 1.3 times book value (corporate net worth per share).
• AT&T Inc. (T, $220 billion). Buy. I expect smartphones and texting to get even more popular, and I like the 4.6 percent dividend yield.
• Procter & Gamble Co. (PG, $191 million). Avoid. There is not enough growth, in my opinion, to justify the current multiple of 19 times earnings.
• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ, $190 billion). Buy. The health-care conglomerate had a pre-tax profit margin of 19 percent last year and offers a 3.5 percent dividend yield.
• Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC, $185 billion). Neutral. Wells Fargo stayed profitable during the Great Recession, which is more than you can say for many big banks. But growth has been tepid.
• Pfizer Inc. (PFE, $183 billion). Buy. The big pharmaceutical companies are out of favor but still quite profitable. And their dividend yields are attractive.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO, $173 billion). Neutral. This is a top-flight company but at 19 times earnings and five times book value, you're paying up for quality. A great company is not always a great stock.
• Oracle Corp. (ORCL, $159 million). Buy. The sultan of the database world is suitable for growth investors, with a 17-percent-a-year earnings growth pace the past five years.
• Philip Morris International Inc. (PM, $155 billion). Avoid. The company carries a lot of debt, and the health concerns about smoking are a permanent problem.
• JP Morgan Chase Co. (JPM, $155 billion). Buy. The "London Whale" trading scandal will prove to be just a blip, I predict.
• Merck & Co. (MRK, $137 billion). Buy. The 3.7 percent dividend yield is attractive, and the dividend seems secure. Analysts expect a 50 percent increase in earnings this year.
• Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ, $130 billion). Avoid. Earnings have shrunk in recent years, and profitability is puny. The dividend yield looks good, but I fear the dividend might have to be cut.
Disclosure notes: Past performance doesn't guarantee future results, and my column recommendations shouldn't be confused with results for real-money portfolios I run. I own Exxon Mobil and Johnson & Johnson for most of my clients, AT&T, Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan, Merck, Microsoft and Pfizer for some clients.
John Dorfman is chairman of Thunderstorm Capital LLC in Boston; email@example.com or 617-542-8888.