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An upcoming walk will raise funds and awareness for a pro-life ministry.
An upcoming walk will raise funds and awareness for a pro-life ministry.
The fourth annual Walk 4-Life will be held Sept. 28 at Riverwalk Crossing Park at 421 Court St. in downtown Jacksonville. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and the walk will commence at 10 a.m. The event is scheduled until noon.
�What we plan to do with this event, it is a fundraiser but at the same time we are hoping that it will be a marketing tool as well to let our community know that we are here and the services that we offer,� said Shelia Judon, the executive director of the Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center.
The center offers free pregnancy tests, which she said is the No. 1 service the community takes advantage of; parenting classes; life skills classes; discussion of the options a woman has for an unplanned pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and termination.; and more.
�We educate, that�s our key thing; we educate her on all her options,� Judon said. �We are not a medical facility therefore we don�t refer or provide that service here � and we are a pro-life ministry. With that being said, she has every right to know about the procedures and the side effects that she can expect, as well as adoption if she chooses to adopt or to parent. We�re just a place to educate.�
And given Onslow County�s young, transient population, the center also hopes to be there for the moms-to-be who just want a bit of support but may not have family nearby.
�If we can be here for her, maybe Mom and Grandma is not accessible, but our volunteers are; and we just want the community to know that we are here,� she said.
Last year, there were 642 client visits, and Judon hopes that the 1.5-mile noncompetitive walk will encourage others to stop in.
�The work that we�re doing was reactive; so what we�re studying now and we�re trying to launch into is sexual integrity, healthy relationships because some of our women, we want them to know, �Hey you have a choice. Your body is yours,�� Judon said explaining that a 17-year-old who is unsure of beginning a sexual relationship may want more information before doing so, giving center staff and volunteers a chance to educate her. �We want them to make wise choices, we want to empower them.�
Funds raised through the Walk 4-Life will benefit the center�s goals to become more proactive and create a program encouraging the area�s young population to maintain healthy relationships, Judon said.
According to information from the center, community members will participate by forming teams of walkers consisting of 10 friends, family members or co-workers; and those teams will collect donations on behalf of the resource center and participate in the walking event. There will be music, children�s events and refreshments. Prizes will be awarded for the highest donations per walker.
Judon says the center hopes to raise $100,000.
The event is also designed to bring awareness: One walker plans to walk with a beam with names dedicated to the 740 pregnancies terminated by Onslow County residents in 2010.
Pre-registration is encouraged and can be done at the Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center�s website, oprcfriends.com. Participants can also sponsor the names of terminated pregnancies for $10.
�(Residents) should come out and support the walk for life because in our culture we want to put forth a positive message about being pro-life and pro-family and just involving ourselves as a community,� she said.
For more information, call 910-938-7000.
Amanda Hickey is the government reporter at The Daily News. She can be reached at email@example.com.


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An Evening BBQ
We had one today to celebrate
Easter Lily's recovery.
My Mother made this "jello" and as she handed it to me said, "I just threw this together. I don't know if it's good or not." Thanks?
I could only handle one bite of that so traded it in for a cream cake. Sorry Mom. Still love you.
By the end of the night we all had food coma. Look at that belly!
Before all the festivities I worked on the new apron style.
Some tweaking still has to be done but this is what it's going to look like more or less.
This french maid apron is similar to the Bella style but there's a double skirt, a mini apron, and ruffles.
Hope those who celebrated had a lovely Easter! If not, I hope your Sunday was awesome!
Trude permalinkApril 9, 2012 2:21 pm
That apron is so super cute! Glad you guys had an awesome Easter. We did much the same, a bunch of food followed by lounging on the patio. 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


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With tablet devices playing a larger and larger role in the world of consumer computing, it's no surprise that Microsoft has high hopes for its ability to compete in the tablet space. But right now there's one big problem: it doesn't have a tablet OS.
That will change with the release of Windows 8, an OS that has been designed for touch and which may contain the biggest changes to Windows since the company's flagship product was released in 1985.
According to Bloomberg's Dina Bass, Microsoft is expected to finish Windows 8 this summer, and unveil it for sale in October. It's a can't-miss month for Microsoft: as Bass notes, the anticipated October release date is crucial if Microsoft is going to be able to get Windows 8-enabled devices, including Windows 8 tablets and ultrabooks, into the hands of consumers in a big way this year.
The stakes couldn't be higher for the Redmond-based software giant.
Apple has reported record-breaking sales of the new iPad, giving it an even more commanding lead in the tablet space. Microsoft can't start competing in the tablet space until Windows 8 is released and making sure Windows 8 devices are on store shelves during the 2012 holiday shopping season is absolutely crucial to driving meaningful sales early on.
Microsoft is expected to hold an event in April during which time it will further detail its plans and schedules. In the meantime, it appears that the biggest threat to an on-time launch of Windows 8 is compatibility for devices running ARM processors. Windows has never supported ARM processors before, but Microsoft appears committed to making sure Windows 8 debuts with support for ARM. And for good reason: supporting ARM devices could be crucial in ensuring that there are plentiful options for lower cost Windows 8 tablets.
Clearly, if there has ever been a deadline that Microsoft can't miss, it's this one. But in the mad dash to the Windows 8 finish line, Microsoft needs to be careful. Getting Windows 8 to market is less than half the battle. Microsoft's new operating system is a very different creature and it remains to be seen whether consumers will embrace the biggest changes, which include the new Metro interface and the lack of the familiar Start button. If Microsoft's bold changes prove to be too bold (read: confusing), when Microsoft gets Windows 8 out the door won't really matter.


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This pledge closed over 4 years ago
African and Asian countries are reeling under a poaching crisis. Ruthless criminal networks are plundering the wild to supply skyrocketing demand for illegal ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts. As a WWF supporter, you know that wildlife crime is the most immediate threat to wild elephants, tigers and rhinos.
WWF is urging governments—particularly those of demand countries such
as China, Vietnam, Thailand and the U.S.—to strengthen law enforcement,
invest in more boots on the ground and commit to long-term demand
reduction efforts. But we also need your support to stop demand for
illegal wildlife parts and products.
Please pledge to stand with WWF and help stop wildlife crime:


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Kosher Revolution's Onion-Stuffed Knaidlach
The following recipe is from the December 21 edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!
Every bowl of really good chicken soup deserves really good matzoh balls, but the sad case is that those holy grail of matzoh balls are pretty difficult to come by. Either overly dense or or fall apart fluffy and softball-sized, a happy medium is rarely found.
That is, until we found these Onion-Stuffed Knaidlach from Kosher Revolution. For the uninitiated knaidlach is the Yiddish term for matzoh balls, and these matzoh balls are truly exemplary. Perfectly sized and seasoned and flecked with cilantro, these matzoh balls are filled with sweet caramelized onions, boiled until light and tender, then plopped into a steaming bowl of chicken soup. They might not be your bubbe's matzoh balls, but when they taste this good we're sure she won't object.
Adapted from Kosher Revolution by Geila Hocherman and Arthur Boehm. Copyright © 2011. Published by Kyle Books. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved
Read more: Cook the Book: 'Kosher Revolution'
- Yield:makes 12; serves 4 to 6
- Active time: 1 hour
- Total time:4 hours
- 3 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons chicken stock or seltzer
- 5 tablespoons chicken fat or canola oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
- 3/4 cup matzo meal
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, stock, 3 tablespoons of the fat, salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro, if using. Add the matzo meal and blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
In a medium skillet, warm the remaining fat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Drain the onions on a paper towel and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce the heat so the water boils slowly. (Too rapid boiling can make the knaidlach break when cooking.) Using wet hands, form 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons each of the matzo meal mixture into a disk held in one palm. Place 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the onion in the middle of the disc, pinch to enclose, and roll between both hands until a ball is formed. Drop into the water. Repeat with the remaining mixture and onions.
When the knaidlach float to the surface of the water, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the knaidlach with a slotted spoon, transfer to soup, and serve.
This Recipe Appears InCook the Book: 'Kosher Revolution'
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Construction Consumer Products Metals & Materials Safety Environment Transportation Chemicals Energy Medical Quality
Unalloyed Titanium Components for Surgical Implants
A new ASTM International standard covers unalloyed titanium components that are used for surgical implants. F2989, Specification for Metal Injection Molded Unalloyed Titanium Components for Surgical Implant Applications, was developed by Subcommittee F04.12 on Metallurgical Materials, part of ASTM International Committee F04 on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices.
F2989 covers the chemical, mechanical and metallurgical requirements for three grades of metal injection molded unalloyed titanium components to be used in the manufacture of surgical implants.
Matthias Scharvogel, managing director, Element 22 GmbH, and an F04 member, says that the manufacturing process for implants made by metal injection molding allows for the design of new geometries and reduces manufacturing costs.
"Through F2989, the material properties of metal injection molded unalloyed titanium components can be directly compared to components that are made with conventional methods," says Scharvogel.
In addition to manufacturers and medical companies, F2989 will be used as the basis by laboratories that test the material properties of the metal injection molded component. The standard also defines the requirements as a baseline for the regulatory bodies.
To purchase ASTM standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation, or contact ASTM Sales (phone: 877-909-ASTM; email@example.com).
CONTACT Technical Information: Matthias Scharvogel, Element 22 GmbH • Kiel, Germany • Phone: 49-431-6594620 | ASTM Staff: Pat Picariello • Phone: 610-832-9720 | Upcoming Meeting: May 21-24 • May Committee Week • Indianapolis, Ind.


text: Show your friends how much you love and support them with a stunning daisy card made using the Daisy Lane Stamp Set. Also available in French.Stampin' Up!'s cling stamps * Are premium rubber stamps.* Have deeply etched images so you get a superior stamped impression each time. * Are precut so you don't have to trim.* Are repositionable; temporarily mount them on clear blocks for stamping, then remove them for storage.* Save space—you need only one set of blocks for all your cling stamps (blocks sold separately). * Come packaged in cases with images on the spine for easy storage and quick reference.Quantity: 9 cling stampsSuggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, c, d, g, hTwo-Step Stampin'


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Your member of parliament for
Media can stay in the know with inside information on all things in Markham-Thornhill by signing up for email updates from Mary. You'll get all the latest on upcoming events and announcements. All you have to do is submit the information below, and we'll add you to our media mailing list.
© 2020 Mary Ng. All rights reserved.


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Cheryl Ann Cole (aka Tweedy, born June 30, 1983) is a British singer and member of the band Girls Aloud. As part of Girls Aloud and as a featuring artist, Cole has had 21 UK Top Ten singles. In 2008, Cole became a judge on the British reality TV show The X Factor.
She is married to the Chelsea and England football player Ashley Cole. Cole was voted "World's Sexiest Woman 2009" by the readers of men's magazine FHM.


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Every electrical current creates an electromagnetic field. Remember that from physics class? Well, a team from Carnegie Mellon University is using this piece of knowledge to build a wireless meter that measures power consumption and could be used to make regular homes into an energy-efficient smart homes.
The non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) device is just one part of an energy monitoring system being tested by CMU's Infer (Intelligent Infrastructure Research) Lab. The device does not need to be plugged into the wall or in-line with any other device, and will read EMF using just two AA batteries. It also does not have a rating that limits it from use with high-power appliances, as do other commercial power meters. It actually works better with high current devices because they create stronger EMFs.
The power consumption of a single appliance can be deduced by communicating changes in current with a central circuit panel that measures power consumption directly. By combining the EMF measurements of the NILM device with the central panel meter, energy usage can be attributed to a specific appliance.
Researchers also found they could make the system even more energy efficient with a new Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) sensor networking protocol that's built specifically for the systems throughput data and synchronization requirements. (This most likely refers to something spawning from InferLab's Syntonistor device, a low-power, low-cost tool that provides clock synchronization to wireless devices using the induced signals from 60 Hz AC).
The system, composed of an EMF reader, the three-phase central power meter, and the communication protocol, was tested in a residential building with appliances that included an LCD TV, washing machine, toaster oven, A/C, laser printer, refrigerator, and iron. Comparing the results to those obtained with regular meters that plug in between appliances and outlets, the team found their method to work with 98 percent accuracy.
The project is being developed by Naranjini Rajagopal and colleagues at CMU's Infer Lab. The results of the research were presented at the International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems in Philadelphia this year. The work was partially funded by Samsung, but no word yet on when a commercial system could be released.
Related posts:
- Energy Harvesting Wireless Technology
- Energy Harvesting Empowers Next-Gen Wireless Designs & Automation
- Wireless Sensors Are Making Automation More Intelligent
- Sensing Trouble Out at the Network Edge
- Thin-Film Ferros Promise Energy Harvesting Bounty
- Smart Paint Detects Microscopic Cracks
- US Army's Boot-Based Energy Harvester Lightens Soldier's Load
- Energy Harvesting Design Advances


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by Viet Dinh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2016
In his debut novel, Dinh explores the complicated world of aid workers and the many ways people can be drawn to work that is dangerous, demanding, and often thankless.
When an earthquake destroys the city of Bhuj, India, the international aid community begins convening immediately. Among the many people trying to bring assistance to the region are four men with varying degrees of connection to each other: Dev is a Delhi-based doctor who heads an HIV clinic; Ted is his one-time lover who now works with USAID. Piotr, Ted's colleague, is a seasoned aid worker who does his best to maintain a distance between himself and his surroundings. Andy is an untested British firefighter anxious to do his part and prove his muster. As the situation grows more and more chaotic and resources become scarce, all four men grapple with their pasts, the things that made them decide to pursue careers in disaster relief, and the true impact they are having on the people around them. The author deftly communicates the urgency facing the teams on the ground but also moves seamlessly between the past and present, illuminating the many desires and regrets pulling each character in varied directions. This novel doesn't shy away from uncomfortable truths about the nature of aid work or the flaws in those we often see as heroes. Shocking, engaging, and moving, this novel embraces humanity in all its messy, thrilling complexity.A strong debut from an author capable of immersing the reader in a foreign world.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
Page Count: 294
Publisher: Little A
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Categories: LITERARY FICTION
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by Brit Bennett ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020
Inseparable identical twin sisters ditch home together, and then one decides to vanish.
The talented Bennett fuels her fiction with secrets—first in her lauded debut, The Mothers (2016), and now in the assured and magnetic story of the Vignes sisters, light-skinned women parked on opposite sides of the color line. Desiree, the "fidgety twin," and Stella, "a smart, careful girl," make their break from stultifying rural Mallard, Louisiana, becoming 16-year-old runaways in 1954 New Orleans. The novel opens 14 years later as Desiree, fleeing a violent marriage in D.C., returns home with a different relative: her 8-year-old daughter, Jude. The gossips are agog: "In Mallard, nobody married dark....Marrying a dark man and dragging his blueblack child all over town was one step too far." Desiree's decision seals Jude's misery in this "colorstruck" place and propels a new generation of flight: Jude escapes on a track scholarship to UCLA. Tending bar as a side job in Beverly Hills, she catches a glimpse of her mother's doppelgänger. Stella, ensconced in white society, is shedding her fur coat. Jude, so black that strangers routinely stare, is unrecognizable to her aunt. All this is expertly paced, unfurling before the book is half finished; a reader can guess what is coming. Bennett is deeply engaged in the unknowability of other people and the scourge of colorism. The scene in which Stella adopts her white persona is a tour de force of doubling and confusion. It calls up Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, the book's 50-year-old antecedent. Bennett's novel plays with its characters' nagging feelings of being incomplete—for the twins without each other; for Jude's boyfriend, Reese, who is trans and seeks surgery; for their friend Barry, who performs in drag as Bianca. Bennett keeps all these plot threads thrumming and her social commentary crisp. In the second half, Jude spars with her cousin Kennedy, Stella's daughter, a spoiled actress.Kin "[find] each other's lives inscrutable" in this rich, sharp story about the way identity is formed.
Pub Date: June 2, 2020
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
Categories: LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION
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by Colson Whitehead ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2019
The acclaimed author of The Underground Railroad (2016) follows up with a leaner, meaner saga of Deep South captivity set in the mid-20th century and fraught with horrors more chilling for being based on true-life atrocities.
Elwood Curtis is a law-abiding, teenage paragon of rectitude, an avid reader of encyclopedias and after-school worker diligently overcoming hardships that come from being abandoned by his parents and growing up black and poor in segregated Tallahassee, Florida. It's the early 1960s, and Elwood can feel changes coming every time he listens to an LP of his hero Martin Luther King Jr. sermonizing about breaking down racial barriers. But while hitchhiking to his first day of classes at a nearby black college, Elwood accepts a ride in what turns out to be a stolen car and is sentenced to the Nickel Academy, a juvenile reformatory that looks somewhat like the campus he'd almost attended but turns out to be a monstrously racist institution whose students, white and black alike, are brutally beaten, sexually abused, and used by the school's two-faced officials to steal food and supplies. At first, Elwood thinks he can work his way past the arbitrary punishments and sadistic treatment ("I am stuck here, but I'll make the best of it…and I'll make it brief"). He befriends another black inmate, a street-wise kid he knows only as Turner, who has a different take on withstanding Nickel: "The key to in here is the same as surviving out there—you got to see how people act, and then you got to figure out how to get around them like an obstacle course." And if you defy them, Turner warns, you'll get taken "out back" and are never seen or heard from again. Both Elwood's idealism and Turner's cynicism entwine into an alliance that compels drastic action—and a shared destiny. There's something a tad more melodramatic in this book's conception (and resolution) than one expects from Whitehead, giving it a drugstore-paperback glossiness that enhances its blunt-edged impact.Inspired by disclosures of a real-life Florida reform school's long-standing corruption and abusive practices, Whitehead's novel displays its author's facility with violent imagery and his skill at weaving narrative strands into an ingenious if disquieting whole.
Pub Date: July 16, 2019
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Categories: LITERARY FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION
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Max B Got His Wave Smashed In By 730 Dips/Freekey Zekey? Plus Ron Browz Gonna Have Goons Lookin For Him? "Ron Browz. Please Be Up There. We Dont Want To Come Looking For You
Freekey Zekey and 730 DIPS interview with HipHopStan
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Company Cites Additional Upside Value Identified Since Initial Offer
CHICAGO (July 2, 2009) -- Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) today announced an increase in its offer to acquire all of the outstanding NRG common stock in an all-stock transaction with a fixed exchange ratio of 0.545 of a share of Exelon common stock for each NRG share, a 12.4 percent increase over the initial exchange offer of 0.485. Exelon's increased offer represents value of over $3 billion to NRG shareholders.
Exelon also filed today with the SEC an investor presentation that will be used as part of the company's proxy solicitation for the election of nine new, independent directors to the NRG board of directors. In the presentation, Exelon cited approximately $1.5 billion of additional newly identified synergies as the primary reason for the increase. The new offer also reflects the value of NRG's recent acquisition of the Reliant Energy retail business.
"We listened to NRG investors and balanced their views with the best interests of Exelon shareholders. An exhaustive analysis by our internal team, informed by the best third-party experts, resulted in additional synergies, allowing us to increase our offer to NRG shareholders," said John Rowe, chairman and chief executive officer of Exelon. "Our track record of the Unicom-PECO merger, cost-cutting initiatives, and fleet optimization proves we can deliver this further value to Exelon and NRG shareholders. This is our best and final offer, and we will use the time leading up to the NRG annual meeting on July 21 to communicate the value of our new offer to NRG shareholders, encouraging them to vote for nine new independent directors who can unlock that value."
Exelon's more detailed analysis of NRG's structure, cost platform and operations assumes that the company would not only absorb NRG but also integrate and transform it. This approach, plant benchmarking, and application of Exelon's management model to NRG's assets yielded an estimated present value of $3.6 billion to $4.0 billion in operational synergies from areas including corporate/IT, fossil and nuclear fleet, trading, development, and retail operations. It reflects a 30 percent reduction in NRG's O&M expense, which is consistent with prior power sector transactions and reflects Exelon's track record of delivering cost reductions.
In the presentation, Exelon also shared details on its financing plan to maintain its investment grade credit ratings while optimizing long-term shareholder value. Exelon says it is confident, based on discussions with its outside advisors, that the company will be able to meet all financing needs associated with the transaction, including the re-financing of $4.7 billion of NRG's senior notes and other NRG debt, if necessary, while maintaining investment grade credit ratings.
Exelon says it continues to pursue NRG because of the long-term value that can be created by industry consolidation. Exelon believes that the scope, scale and diversified risk of the combined company will allow it not only to withstand the ever-changing forces of the markets and regulation but also to grow and create more value than each company could on its own.
Exelon says its offer will create immediate value for NRG shareholders and a commensurate value for Exelon shareholders. NRG shareholders will benefit from Exelon's stronger investment grade balance sheet, low-carbon nuclear fleet, operating excellence, and a $600 million share in the synergies resulting from the combination. Exelon shareholders benefit from NRG's assets, cash flow, and its own share of the synergies.
"Together, the two companies would become the first national generation company," said Rowe. "There is no model that can do more for shareholders of both companies than an Exelon-NRG combination."
Exelon will conduct a conference call with investors to discuss this announcement and presentation at 8 a.m. ET (7 a.m. CT) today. The call-in number in the U.S. and Canada is 800-690-3108, and the international call-in number is 973-935-8753. If requested, the conference ID number is 17092348. Media representatives are invited to participate on a listen-only basis. The call will be web-cast and archived on Exelon's Web site: www.exeloncorp.com. (Please select the Investor Relations page.) Telephone replays will be available until July 16. The U.S. and Canada call-in number for replays is 800-642-1687, and the international call-in number is 706-645-9291. The conference ID number is 17092348.
Exelon announced on June 17, 2009, that it had filed its definitive proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission to solicit proxies from NRG shareholders at the NRG annual meeting of shareholders scheduled for July 21, 2009. In today's presentation, Exelon urges all NRG shareholders to use the BLUE proxy card to vote in favor of proposals to expand the NRG Board and elect nine new, independent and experienced directors who will act in shareholders' best interests to capture the highest shareholder value possible.
Important Information
This press release relates, in part, to the offer (the "Offer") by Exelon Corporation ("Exelon") through its direct wholly-owned subsidiary, Exelon Xchange Corporation ("Xchange"), to exchange each issued and outstanding share of common stock (the "NRG shares") of NRG Energy, Inc. ("NRG") for 0.545 of a share of Exelon common stock. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to exchange, NRG shares, nor is it a substitute for the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO or the Prospectus/Offer to Exchange included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-155278) (including the Letter of Transmittal and related documents and as amended from time to time, the "Exchange Offer Documents") previously filed by Exelon and Xchange with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The Offer is made only through the Exchange Offer Documents. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents and other relevant materials as they become available, because they will contain important information.
Exelon filed a preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC on April 17, 2009 in connection with its solicitation of proxies (the "Preliminary Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement") for a meeting of Exelon shareholders (the "Exelon Meeting") to be called in order to approve the issuance of shares of Exelon common stock pursuant to the Offer. Exelon expects to file a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Exelon Meeting (the "Definitive Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement"). Investors and security holders are urged to read the Preliminary Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement and the Definitive Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement and other relevant materials as they become available, because they will contain important information.
Investors and security holders can obtain copies of the materials described above (and all other related documents filed with the SEC) at no charge on the SEC's website: www.sec.gov. Copies can also be obtained at no charge by directing a request for such materials to Innisfree M&A Incorporated, 501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10022, toll free at 1-877-750-9501. Investors and security holders may also read and copy any reports, statements and other information filed by Exelon, Xchange or NRG with the SEC, at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visit the SEC's website for further information on its public reference room.
Exelon and Xchange will be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Exelon shareholders for the Exelon Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. In addition, certain directors and executive officers of Exelon and Xchange may solicit proxies for the Exelon Meeting. Information about Exelon and Exelon's directors and executive officers is available in the Preliminary Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement. Information about Xchange and Xchange's directors and executive officers is available in Schedule II to the Prospectus/Offer to Exchange. Information about any other participants will be included in the Definitive Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include Exelon's ability to achieve the synergies contemplated by the proposed transaction, Exelon's ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of NRG and Exelon, and the timing to consummate the proposed transaction and obtain required regulatory approvals as well as those discussed in (1) the Exchange Offer Documents; (2) Exelon's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K in (a) ITEM 1A. Risk Factors, (b) ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Note 18; (3) Exelon's First Quarter 2009 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in (a) Part II, Other Information, ITEM 1A. Risk Factors and (b) Part I, Financial Information, ITEM 1. Financial Statements: Note 13; and (4) other factors discussed in Exelon's filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this press release. Exelon does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revision to its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as required by law.
Statements made in connection with the Offer are not subject to the safe harbor protections provided to forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
All information in this press release concerning NRG, including its business, operations, and financial results, was obtained from public sources. While Exelon has no knowledge that any such information is inaccurate or incomplete, Exelon has not had the opportunity to verify any of that information.


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The 4x4 Equation
Drive into any suburban mall parking lot today and take a look around. Instead of row after row of sleek sedans with virtually the same sloping roof lines, there are bulbous tops sticking up everywhere. The protrusions range from tall and square to steroidal bulging at the sides. But the impression is the same: Something new and unusual has taken over the mind-set of American drivers.
The answer is simple. Sport utility vehicles--trucks that look like a Volvo station wagon squeezed in a vice--are the fastest-growing segment of the car market today. For many upscale buyers, especially suburban pioneer types, these quasi-trucks are competing with Jaguar, Lexus and Infinity for their automotive dollar.
No longer outback transportation with a harsh bouncing ride, four-wheel drive (4WD) sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have evolved far beyond their military, off-the-road roots, becoming mobile status symbols and anti-aging antidotes for graying baby boomers. A million and a half units are sold in the United States each year, many with every option and accessory available on the most deluxe of import sedans.
Yet few purchasers understand what they are getting, and manufacturers have done little to educate the public as to the nature, differences and relative advantages of their designs. Most new buyers don't understand how 4WD works, nor do they realize that they now legally own a light truck, not even a car.
SUVs derived from Willys-Overland's military jeep, developed in 1940 for U.S. Army use in the Second World War. After the war, consumer demand for a civilian jeep was minimal. Utilitarian and cumbersome, with amenities such as windshield wipers considered lavish, the spartan jeep lacked mass appeal. A few were used for recreational off-roading or by the U.S. Park Service. International Harvester and Land Rover developed 4WD vehicles suitable for agricultural use, while Toyota came up with models designed for police and forestry use in Japan. But overall, SUV sales languished for decades. As recently as 1982, SUVs accounted for less than 2 percent of total vehicle sales in the United States.
But in the early 1990s, something happened. Chrysler introduced its upscale Jeep Grand Cherokee, the first four-door SUV, while Ford presented its Explorer--sleek, stylish cousins to the workhorses of earlier decades. Sales jumped to more than 5 percent in one year. Today, one in every 10 new vehicles sold in the United States is an SUV.
Why have SUVs become so popular? From the consumer's perspective, some of the success is due to a larger trend--America has become a nation of truck drivers. Forty percent of new vehicle sales in the United States are light trucks, which include minivans, pickups and SUVs. Now SUVs are the chic practical alternative to mundane minivans or stodgy station wagons for domesticated chores, turning erstwhile domesticated housewives into urban road warriors. Being in such demand, they carry a prestige beyond their price tag, so they make comparatively inexpensive substitutes for luxury cars. In a crowded society with more and more limits, SUVs have broad appeal, from Yuppies turning 50 to hip Generation Xers. The image is about youth, rugged individuality and time for outdoor activities like hunting, fishing or skiing. It is the "I can do anything," conquering the wilderness, crossing obstacles feeling. And these powerful images sell.
SUVs are a manufacturer's dream, a profit bonanza, and their last great wild growth frontier. The government-mandated fuel economy manufacturers must achieve is substantially lower for light trucks (20 mpg versus 27 mpg for cars). And the U.S. Treasury doesn't collect a 10 percent luxury tax on trucks as it does on cars selling for over $32,000. Best of all, it is the largest single automobile market where foreign manufacturers are comparatively weak.
Without SUV sales, most manufacturers' profits would be substantially lower. Sport utility vehicles have a median purchase price $3,000 higher than cars, and manufacturers are literally selling all they can make. With that kind of demand, they don't need to overspend on marketing promotions or dealer incentives. The 10 percent of the vehicle market that SUVs occupy contribute a whopping 40 percent of industry earnings!
Compared to cars, SUVs and other light trucks are relatively unregulated. Most of the safety equipment that is mandatory in cars is not yet required for trucks. But SUV safety is a complicated issue. Eighty percent of SUVs have 4WD for better traction: People can drive them in snow, ice, mud and sand where ordinary passenger cars would become stranded. They have higher ground clearance and seating than cars, giving drivers increased visibility. But this elevation also raises the center of gravity, making SUVs more top-heavy and harder to handle around turns and in crosswinds, and therefore, more susceptible to rollover. SUVs have a rollover fatality rate two to three times that of cars.
Although SUVs, with their rigid, heavy truck bodies, are perceived to be more crashworthy than cars, in some accidents they are more dangerous. Unlike passenger cars, SUVs are not usually designed with energy-absorbing crumple zones. As a result, a Volvo 940 protects a driver from fatal injuries in a frontal crash four times better than, for example, a Land Rover Discovery or a Mitsubishi Montero.
Actually, the biggest danger in driving an SUV is false confidence. Many SUV accidents are caused by a driver's inability to stop suddenly--better traction doesn't mean better stopping. No matter how expensive and sophisticated the vehicle, control, traction, steering and stopping ultimately depend on four little patches of tire, where the rubber meets the road.
Four-wheel drive divides the engine's power among all four wheels instead of two, the result being superior lateral stability and handling. After all, no vehicle today uses only two wheels to brake, and some sophisticated sports cars even steer with all four wheels. But 4WD systems differ greatly in performance, function and sophistication.
The heart of any 4WD system is a gearbox next to the transmission called a transfer case. It divides the engine torque and sends it to the front and rear axles. Most 4WDs also have a separate set of low gears for engine breaking, hauling a trailer or crawling over rough terrain. What sets apart 4WD systems are the number and type of grapefruit-sized gear arrangements called differentials. A 2WD vehicle only has a single differential, while part-time 4WDs have two, and full-time 4WD or AWD vehicles have three. When a car goes through a turn, each wheel is turning at a different speed. Differentials allow each wheel to be driven at a different speed.
Part-time 4WD is the least expensive, most common and least convenient type of 4WD. The Isuzu Rodeo, Suzuki Samurai and SUVs with similar part-time systems require that a driver come to a complete stop before shifting between 2WD and 4WD. The transfer cases of some part-time 4WD systems--such as those standard in the Rodeo and the Jeep Wrangler, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee Laredo and SE--lock the front and rear driveshafts together when entering 4WD. SUVs in part-time 4WD mode should not be driven on dry or damp hard-surfaced roads, because it forces all four wheels to rotate at fixed speeds, causing the tires to skip. They also require driving slowly in strong crosswinds and around curves.
Higher in cost and convenience are the various "shift-on-the-fly" part-time systems standard in the Ford Bronco, the Nissan Pathfinder and the Toyota 4Runner. With shift-on-the-fly, the transfer case allows shifting in and out of 4WD mode while the vehicle is in gear. Depending on the model, mode shifting is possible at speeds as fast as 55 mph.
Part-time and shift-on-the-fly systems have either manual or automatically locking front wheel hubs that must engage the front axle for a driver to shift into 4WD mode. When returning to 2WD, a driver must either stop, for manual-locking hubs, and get out of the SUV to twist the lock on the hubs back to the "free" position, or he must back the vehicle up as much as 15 feet to disengage automatic-locking hubs. Were this unlocking not done, driving in 2WD mode would result in unnecessary and damaging driveline wear and much lower fuel economy.
The most functional and expensive type of 4WD is full-time 4WD. The A.M. General Hummer, all Land Rover models, the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Mitsubishi Montero, the 1995 Ford Explorer and the Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited are equipped with full-time, all-surface 4WD. These models require special preparation to be towed and must only be transported on a flatbed tow truck.
Full-time systems are either permanent or set-and-forget type 4WD systems. Their transfer cases have either a "limited slip" differential or an "open" differential and a "viscous coupling" that variably distributes torque to the front and rear axles as needed, while allowing the axles to turn at different rates. Set-and-forget 4WD systems also have an automatic front axle system that eliminates the need for locking front wheel hubs.
All-wheel drive (AWD) is a form of permanent, full-time 4WD without a low gear range. Manufacturers have chosen not to publicize AWD or educate the public about its value; instead, they focus attention on their more profitable, but less effective, traction control systems. As a result, even though AWD improves handling on wet or dry roads, it sells primarily in northern snow states. When Ford recently started to advertise the AWD option for its Aerostar minivan in the Canadian market, orders jumped by a factor of four.
AWD is available on the Chevy Blazer and the Oldsmobile Bravada. But best of all, AWD is available on vehicles other than SUVs. Most minivans have an AWD option, which improves overall handling, towing and bad weather driving. Subaru has a complete line of reliable subcompact and compact sedans, station wagons and a sports car available with AWD. Audi also has AWD as an option on all its cars, including a sedan, sports sedan and station wagon. In Europe, Mercedes offers AWD, which it calls 4Matic, on sedans and station wagons, while BMW offers its 525ix with AWD. Its 325ix sedan, which was available briefly in the United States, is now the most difficult to find of secondhand BMWs.
Although 4WD is now synonymous with high-off-the-ground sport utility vehicles, where it truly shines is in the virtually unknown category of AWD sports cars. Sports cars routinely have high-performance engines that generate lots of torque, in addition to wide, low-aspect-ratio speed-rated tires, low centers of gravity and ground clearances, and tight steering and suspension geometries. Properly controlling a good sports car takes education and experience.
Sports cars are sensitive to changes in weight distribution during acceleration and braking. Depending on engine location, they will understeer (with front-wheel drive) or oversteer (with rear-wheel drive) through turns. And sports cars generate enough horses to overpower and spin the wheels. Anyone buying a Corvette or the like should attend a three-day specialized driving course at racing schools such as those run by Skip Barber, Bob Bondurant or Jim Russell to develop the necessary handling skills.
A trained racing driver will be able to take advantage of a car's handling, but novices can find pushing the limits of a sports car to be dangerous. AWD's true value is improving high-performance car handling for anyone who is less than a seasoned professional. By distributing the engine's power over all four wheels, many sports car idiosyncrasies go away. Tires are near impossible to burn. Steering is precise and forgiving. Road holding is measured and noticeably improved. Many people experience an identical reaction when first driving a 4WD sports car: "It feels like its riding on rails!"
Some track racing drivers initially carped at adding the extra 100 or so pounds of AWD to their cars. Because they can't oversteer and slide into curves, they found AWD to be a bit slower through fast turns. But it is faster through slow turns and much faster during rain and bad track conditions. Rally drivers, on the other hand, immediately took to AWD. Now, they will not race without an AWD-equipped car.
For the rest of us, a wide selection of AWD models, manufacturers and price ranges is available. Unfortunately, since every manufacturer of AWD vehicles is selling all it can build, there is no incentive to advertise. Most models are well-kept secrets.
One example of AWD is the Audi A6 Quattro, a $35,000 sports sedan that is a beauty. It just begs to be driven. It is fast, handles comfortably and has incredibly soft leather seats. Another little-known AWD sports car is the $35,000, 230 Bhp (brake horsepower), 3.3 liter boxer six-cylinder Subaru SVX LSi. Its radical styling and its AWD handling put it a world apart from its FWD cousins.
Among the less expensive two-seaters, Chrysler and Mitsubishi's joint venture, the Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX and its Chrysler twin, the Eagle Talon TSi, are real sleepers. Manufactured in Normal, Illinois, the turbo-powered and AWD-equipped GSX/TSi is only superficially related to the other models in its series. At $20,000 to $23,000, they offer the most fun per dollar of any sports cars I have driven.
In the mid-priced range, the GSX/TSi has a 320 Bhp big brother in the form of the $45,000 Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 and its assembly-line twin, the $40,000 Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo. This twin-turbo V6 has AWD and all-wheel steering that make it especially agile, almost slippery. Any potential buyers should book track time to check out its performance envelope. In casual driving, I have found it to take curves on average 5 mph to 10 mph faster than non-AWD vehicles. Its California styling is a blend of traditional Italian bodywork and fussy Japanese high tech, and it favors luxury over performance. It is the first production car since the 1957 and 1959 Ford Skyliner to offer a power-retractable convertible hardtop. If it could go on a 1,000-pound diet and gain 20 percent more engine output, it would be as fast as it looks and a match for all but the superexotics.
Porsche now markets three AWD models, successors to the 911, which was first introduced in 1964. The base-model, $67,000 911 Carrera 4 Coupe is spartan but still has dual airbags and cruise control. Its stiff bodywork coupled with AWD make it difficult to give it challenging road situations. The six-speed, 270 Bhp version accelerates from 0 mph to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and tops out on the track at 168 mph. For $8,000 more you can get it as a Cabriolet soft top. This spring, Porsche introduced a $100,000, 400 Bhp twin-turbo 911 model that will get to 60 mph in 4 seconds and top out on the Autobahn at 190 mph. This year's AWD models are sold out to the dealers and are in high demand.
For now, there is only one AWD superexotic--the 5.7 liter, 492 Bhp Lamborghini Diablo VT. More spacecraft than car, it has a top speed of over 200 mph. Its 12 cylinders give it more torque horsepower, and higher top speed without turbo boost. This is one very powerful automobile, so powerful that a four-camshaft 1,000 Bhp version of the engine has powered winning offshore racing boats and given new meaning to the term "land cruiser." With a suggested retail price at a daunting $220,000, it is available through a more affordable lease program of $52,000 down and about $3,000 a month.
AWD enhances the handling of all of these cars. It almost eliminates the possibility of the rear end breaking into a spin while going through a curve. AWD sports cars are much less boring and clichéd than SUVs. They get better gas mileage. They are fun to drive. The real downside of 4WD and AWD is the need to relearn the limits when switching back to the world of traditional 2WD sports cars.
The future is bright for those desiring 4WD. Manufacturers are gearing up new models and more manufacturing capacity. This should mean more choice, less time in waiting for back-ordered vehicles and even lower prices for buyers. Should mild winters prevail and the interest in sport utility models decline, the market would be glutted and manufacturers might have to initiate buyer incentive programs to move surplus product. Even if buyer demand remains strong, there would be an SUV war in the marketplace.
For the prospective buyer, this glut translates to an embarrassment of riches as every major luxury car maker but BMW, who already acquired Land Rover, plans to bring out new sport utility vehicles by 1998. This year, Toyota is bringing out its RAV4 compact SUV, already a best-seller in Japan. Not a replacement for the family station wagon, it is upscale competition to the compact Suzuki Sidekick as a fun car to take to the beach or as a personal SUV with better gas mileage for the daily commute. At the beginning of 1996, Lexus will introduce a six-cylinder Lexus LX450. Based on the Toyota Land Cruiser, it is targeted at "prestige, luxury, urban driving" couples who would shudder at scratching the lacquer on their new $50,000 car. Later in 1996, expect the Toyota 4Runner to get an overdue update.
Ford is also badly bitten by the SUV bug. It is toying with the idea of adding an AWD Taurus to its line. Expect to see models derived from Ford's popular Explorer badged by Mazda, Mercury and, in 1998, possibly even Jaguar. Aimed at the Range Rover market, the $50,000-plus Jaguar LUX is likely to have a sophisticated, height-adjustable, active-air suspension along with lots of leather, deep pile carpeting and polished wood trim. Lincoln is still considering its own 1998 luxury offering.
Honda is also looking at the luxury sport utility segment and is considering a leather-trimmed version of the Isuzu Trooper that may be marketed as a $40,000 Acura this fall. Infinity is also due late next year to launch a vehicle aimed at the same market. It may be based on the Nissan Patrol, a large Land Cruiser-like platform now only available in Japan. The Nissan Pathfinder itself is due at the end of this year to get a total makeover.
Chrysler has cancelled its plans for a new luxury SUV, the Dodge Adventurer, based on its Ram pickup truck. But it is still considering introducing a youth-oriented, compact Plymouth Back Pack, based on the Plymouth Neon chassis. GM is of several minds regarding new SUV offerings. It withdrew and is now reintroducing the Oldsmobile Bravada. GMC Truck is trying to differentiate itself from Chevrolet's models and capture the high end of the SUV market. Meanwhile, Chevy management is doing its best to prevent the move. At the same time, Cadillac is working on a Chevy Tahoe-based SUV powered by Cadillac's Northstar V8 engine. The projected price is no surprise--$50,000.
In Alabama, Mercedes is busy building its first manufacturing facility outside of Germany, geared to introduce an "All Activity Vehicle" in 1997 that may even sell for under $50,000. And Land Rover, the image leader that most of these companies are chasing, is slated to introduce its CB40, a luxury compact SUV that it would like to sell in high volume. Land Rover, like other manufacturers, is concerned that by 1998, the U.S. government will raise the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards for light trucks.
If, by 1998, you are tired of suburban traffic jams looking like upscale military convoys, additional AWD choices are on the horizon. This fall, the Audi division of Volkswagen will replace its 90 series sedans with a new V6-powered A4 model. Early reviews of the European model indicate that the A4 is worthy competition for the 328i. Unfortunately, Audi is not bringing over the turbocharged 1.8 liter version of the A4. Nor is it hurrying to bring over its aluminum-bodied A8 luxury sedan.
A bit farther north, the sensible Swedes at Volvo will introduce AWD versions of their popular sedans and station wagons to the U.S. market in 1997. And Land Rover is even considering putting its 4WD expertise into a series of luxury sedans and wagons.
For the enthusiast who need never ask of price, two Italian 4WD treats are in the offing. If Bugatti can bring stability to its finances, it may finally export its already federalized EB110 America. Detailed in Cigar Aficionado's Spring 1995 issue, the America could be the most exotic, no-compromise, street-legal car ever built. Powered by a quad overhead cam, 3.5 liter V12 with five valves per cylinder and four turbochargers, the aluminum and carbon fiber-clad car should develop 600 Bhp and top out at a serene 212 mph.
Finally, by 1998, Lamborghini is expected to introduce its LM003, successor to its older (and withdrawn from the market) LM002, its superexclusive, superexpensive sports utility. Favored by captains of industry and generalissimos of unruly nations, the 3.5 ton LM002 shared the 5.2 liter, 420 Bhp V12 engine of the Diablo VT, and can sprint at 124 mph across desert sands or beachfront drives. The LM003 should do that and more. Buon viaggio!
Joshua Shapiro is a freelance writer based in New York.


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There is little worse in the world of mainstream film than movies designed to "inspire" or "uplift" through cheesy clichéd tropes of some poor jerk rising above the impossible through sheer pluck and magical, hidden talents.
Moreover, when those stories also involve a white woman helping a minority individual to discover this hidden worth inside themselves by getting them off "the streets" and showing them what books are, it's usually not just bad entertainment, it's also offensive, condescending and harmful. Judging by the atrocious Blind Side trailers, I thought I was in for the worst of both those worlds, but, and I can't believe I'm saying this, it's smarter and more self-aware than that, and honestly, not that bad of a movie.
To be fair, it's helped by the fact that it can defend some of its clichés by many of them being based on real people and events (the movie's based on the true story of Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher, in case you hadn't heard). Were this a fictional story, I'd surely complain about a young black man being "saved" by a series of rich white ladies and their Christianity -- and there is a lot of that going on in the movie, at every turn -- but that actually happened, so it's not like they're trying to make some racist statement here by inventing that.
The plot is pretty straightforward. A homeless, parent-less, barely literate teen, "Big Mike," is taken in by a wealthy Memphis family one night when walking down a freezing road without a jacket (their son recognizes him from school), and they take a liking to him and he ends up staying for a long time and being adopted by them. They also teach him how to play football, and being that he is enormous, he ends up being a pretty great tackle, and is eventually recruited by a bunch of great football colleges. In order to make the 2.0 GPA necessary for college admission, Michael's adoptive mother Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) gets him a feisty Southern (but liberal? There's all this Republicans vs. Democrats humor bouncing around in her scenes for some reason) tutor (Kathy Bates), and he struggles and studies hard and gets his grades up and, as we know, gets to go to college, and eventually gets to play in the NFL.
Now, all of that, on paper, sounds like awfully well-worn territory. And though the film does fall into those traps at times (there's a line from the trailer where a bunch of Leigh Anne's snobby rich girlfriends commend her for changing Mike's life, and Leigh Anne gets all teary and proud and says "No. He's changing mine." I want to shoot that line in the face.), it actually shies away from a lot of that groan-worthy convention overall. Michael doesn't become an amazing football player overnight. He has training scenes, not montages.
He gets his grades up by working his ass off and getting C's, and really only learns to express himself in English class in the most basic ways possible; he's not a scholar by the end. And though Leigh Anne says Michael's changing her life, there isn't any corny the-homeless-kid-teaches-the-family-how-to-love, and vice versa, in the film.
U.S. & World
The family is in great shape when Michael comes into their lives, and Michael already knows how to be a good person coming in; he just needs to learn how to read and figure out a career trajectory, and they simply help him with that because they think he's worth their time and kindness. I don't know how it's possible, but the movie's kind of nice, and somehow believable, that way.
And it doesn't hurt that I'm a huge unabashed Sandra Bullock fan, and that Tim McGraw is one of my biggest guilty pleasures (he plays Bullock's husband, and he's just adorable), and that they somehow found a precocious little boy to play their son who is actually funny and didn't make me want to claw my eyes out, but this movie is more than a Hallmark film. I can't say I'd ever go out of my way to watch it again, but I have no ill will towards it, and considering the trailer and plot, that is a true testament to the direction and performances. Take your mom to see it -- it may be your last chance at a heartwarming story that won't make you barf for a while.
For more from Television Without Pity:


text: I am streaming Sirius through my computer and it repeats the same program material every 15 minutes. It happens on all channels and is driving my crazy. I've called Sirius several times and they said the signal is fine and it must be a computer problem. I've tried several different settings on my computer with no luck. Has anyone else had this problem? I want to re-up my service for another 2 years but, if I can't get it through the internet I might not. I should mention I am using a MacBook on System 10.4.4.


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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ambitious plan to reorganize almost every aspect of state government was influenced significantly by oil and gas giant ChevronTexaco Corp., which managed to shape such key recommendations as the removal of restrictions on oil refineries.
Many corporations and interest groups participated in the governor's reform plan — known as the California Performance Review — but state records and interviews with the participants show Chevron enjoyed immense success in influencing the report through its array of lobbyists, attorneys and trade organizations.
Environmental watchdogs and local agencies that regulate some of Chevron's operations complain that they had no such access, and that their counterproposals appear nowhere in the massive report.
Big donations
Few corporations have spent so much political cash on the governor, either. Since Schwarzenegger's election last October, the San Ramon company has contributed more than $200,000 to his committees and $500,000 to the California Republican Party.
Chevron, whose officials acknowledge they lobbied hard to get their ideas in the report, is one of about 20 companies that paid to send the governor and his staff to this week's Republican National Convention in New York. On Wednesday, Schwarzenegger attended a closed-door meeting in New York with representatives of those companies, including Chevron. And just three weeks after the governor's office released the 2,700-page reorganization report, the company gave $100,000 to a Schwarzenegger-controlled political fund.
Billy Hamilton, co-executive director of the Performance Review, said the report's authors were not influenced by Chevron and that special interests had no role in the production of the report.
"I don't believe that's what took place," said Hamilton, the deputy state comptroller of Texas. "I went through these issues myself. I know these people who did the reports; none of them had anything to gain."
Disclosure of Chevron's determined role in what many believe is the administration's most important political reform effort contrasts sharply with statements he made during last year's election campaign and afterward in which he promised to sweep out a corrupt system where "contributions go in, the favors go out."
Schwarzenegger launched the reorganization effort in January, calling the state bureaucracy a "mastodon frozen in time" that needed to be reviewed from top to bottom to eliminate waste and duplication. The administration said the recommendations in the report would save $32 billion over five years, a claim analysts said is exaggerated.
Response from governor's office
Although the governor's senior aides helped organize and oversee the reorganization effort, a spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger said the review staff, not the governor's office, was responsible for the report. Schwarzenegger announced the review in January and then appointed its two top members, who then assembled the rest of the staff.
Ashley Snee, the governor's deputy press secretary, said it was premature to assume any of the recommendations will be adopted and that those who are unhappy with parts of the report can comment at a series of statewide hearings on the proposal.
Proposals that would benefit Chevron are peppered throughout the four-volume report. They include:
- Streamlining the permit process for the construction of new oil refineries and the expansion of existing ones. Chevron, which owns two of the state's largest refineries in Richmond and El Segundo, wanted the state's help in revising existing laws so local government officials would be required to make decisions more quickly on construction permits at refineries.
- Streamlining the activities of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. That agency, which issues permits for dredging and sand mining in the Bay Area, oversees activities related to Chevron's interests in the Bay Area.
- Reorganizing the regulatory process for picking the locations for refineries, tank farms, liquefied natural gas and other energy facilities. Chevron has two proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Southern California and the Mexican state of Baja California.
"California's ability to produce gasoline is shrinking at the same time demand for gasoline is rising, contributing to California's dubious position as a national leader in the fuel prices. Time-consuming, costly and complex permitting processes are among the obstacles to expanding ... California's petroleum infrastructure to meet the growing demand," the CPR report said. "The state needs to streamline its permitting processes to allow supply to more readily keep pace with demand, so that price volatility and price differentials are reduced."
But Mark Petracca, a University of California, Irvine political scientist, said Chevron's considerable influence on the CPR report may taint the whole review because the study was presented to the public as an objective and authoritative analysis of how to fix state government.
"This is good old fashioned interest-group politics," Petracca said. "Powerful people who have money can hire powerful people and use occasions like this report to set the agenda for policy beneficial to those interests."
In response, Snee repeated that the report was independent of the governor's office.
Hefty fines recently
Chevron's operations have drawn steady and critical scrutiny from state and federal regulators, including a settlement last October of a lawsuit with the U.S. Justice Department that required the company to install $275 million in air pollution equipment and pay $3.5 million in civil penalties.
Company officials said they were just doing their jobs through their vigorous participation in the CPR process, which included meeting with senior aides to the governor.
"This is what we are here for," said Jack Coffey, Chevron's general manager over state government relations, from New York where he was attending the Republican convention.
Chevron learned about the CPR early and "obviously understood their agenda," Coffey said, adding that while there was direct contact by company lobbyists, most contact came through trade groups of which Chevron is a member. "We made an effort to feed those trade associations who were more active."
But, Coffey said, Chevron's donations to Schwarzenegger are because of his "pro-business agenda" and have nothing to do with the CPR report.
In an interview, Chevron lobbyist K.C. Bishop said he met with Richard Costigan, Schwarzenegger's legislative affairs secretary, in April or May, about trouble the company was having with routine refinery permits and proposed legislation on the issue. At the end of the discussion, Bishop was directed to the CPR staff, which he visited a week or so later.
Neither the meeting with Costigan nor with CPR staff were reported in Chevron's quarterly lobbying filings.
Also acknowledged in the CPR report were Bishop; Mike Barr, a lawyer with the San Francisco-based firm Pillsbury Winthrop and who represents Chevron; and affiliated lobbyists of the Western States Petroleum — Kahl/Pownall Advocates — of which Chevron is also a member.
Meanwhile, the Bay Planning Coalition — a business-oriented group of which Chevron is a board member — contacted the governor's cabinet secretary over problems its members were having with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
Schwarzenegger's staff sent the coalition's issue to the CPR staff, which met with the coalition sometime in April, according to Ellen Johnck, the coalition's executive director.
A letter from the coalition outlining the complaints — including some lodged by Chevron — was used as a primary source for the CPR report, which concluded that BCDC had overstepped its authority. Although BCDC officials offered significant documentation to rebut the allegations, none of the commission's defense was included in the CPR report.
In its section about making it easier to locate refineries or LNG plants, the CPR report cites attorney Mike Carroll of the law firm Latham & Watkins as a source. Based in the firm's Orange County office, Carroll represents Chevron on a variety of regulatory issues, according to the firm's Web site.
Carroll did not return telephone calls for comment from The Associated Press.
Chevron has two LNG proposals — a $650 million facility that would be built offshore on an island near Tijuana in Baja California; and a second plan that would place a facility at Camp Pendleton in Orange County.
Schwarzenegger is expected to meet with Mexican officials in Mexicali later this month. One expected topic of discussion is Chevron's LNG proposal.
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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be (well) on the/(one's) way to/towards (something)(redirected from are on your way towards)
be (well) on the/(one's) way to/towards (something)
To be approaching a particular goal or outcome. With another stellar report card, you are well on your way to becoming valedictorian. He's on the way toward stardom after that performance.


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Malin Biller Bredefeldt is a comic artist from Sweden who draws autobiographical comic stories under the title 'Biller'. Born in Helsingborg and raised in Hammarö, Värmland, she attended the Comic Art School in Malmö from 2002 to 2004.
She published her earliest work in self-published fanzines, but she first gained a wider audience with her series 'Prutt-Lucia', starring the character Kaxiga Mia, in Serie-Paraden in 2003. Since then, her work has been published in several other magazines, including Galago, ETC Comics, Komika Magasin, Pondus, Ernie, Hjälp, M and Lantis. Her children's series 'Doris & Loppan' was publihsed in Pets (2004-05) and Maskot (2005 onwards).
Om någon vrålar i skogen
Although her autobiographical comics are usually filled with wacky humour, she has also dealt with heavier themes, such as bullying and growing up with an alcoholic father ('Välkommen till Hammarö', 2003). Her 2010 graphic novel 'Om någon vrålar i skogen' was also a realistic autobiographical drama, and thus differing from her regular work.
The more comical 'Biller' strips, which she describes as autobiographical fantasy, were published in PunktSE in 2007-08 and from then on in Sörmlands Nyheter. Her work has been collected in books like 'Billerboken' (2005), 'Du vet att du vill!' (2008) and 'LyckoBiller' (2009).
Biller strip from Norwegian M magazine 2012-06
Biller's work is also occasionally featured in (international) anthologies like Stripburger, Allt för konsten and From the Shadow of the Northern Lights. Besides working as a comic artist, she does commercial illustrations and gives workshops in comic art.
Biller strip from Stripburger (Slovenia)


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Sorry I haven't been about very much. Short story: I am in Oxford and I do not presently have the resources to access anything except the visitor wireless network which generally bans (a) my work e-mail and (b) this site as deeply suspicious. Don't ask. Hopefully to be rectified soon. But it is a red letter day. For reasons unknown the wireless network has decided to let me through. Hurrah!
A friend alerted me to the following extraordinary case from the US, reported by Newser:
If you feel the urge to have sex with your lawyer, make sure you're off the clock first. Otherwise, you might find out that your lawyer is like this one in Minnesota—suspended after having an affair with a client and billing her for time they spent having sex, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Thomas Lowe was representing the woman in a divorce, and at one point, while asking about her sexual relationship with her husband, suggested she sleep with him. She agreed, and he billed a number of their liaisons as meetings. When he eventually broke things off, the woman tried to kill herself, and, while recovering in the hospital, revealed the affair. Lowe "unconditionally admits" the whole thing, says the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility. He isn't eligible for reinstatement for 15 months.
Now, as emerged in the infamous Julia Gillard post, and as my colleague Linda Haller explains here, there is no law in Victoria stating that it is unethical to be in a sexual relationship with one's client. The more I think about it, the more I think it should be, much as it is a breach of medical ethics for a doctor to sleep with a patient. This is not only to protect the client, but also to protect the lawyer from him or herself.
However, it is a definite breach of legal ethics rules to sleep with one's client and bill the client for that time as a 'client meeting'. Presumably the lawyer did not disclose the basis of the costs he was charging in relation to his 'services' to the client, and it can hardly be said that the services were a legal service. That guy brings a whole new nuance to the word 'solicitor'.
I always goggle when I see a lawyer do something like that. Did he sleep through the entire ethics class? How could he possibly think that was a legitimate thing to do?


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This free 3D printing design is exactly what you need for your next creation. Just download the free STL file and enjoy the result.
If you have question or remarks or if you print this 3D model, please let me know!
For more 3D models you can have a look at my Cults profile, there are many open source designs and all of them are shared for free.


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Guest co-Hosts for today's show will be Emily Harper (Fancy) and Erin Cardillo (Esme).
Friday, August 31, 2007
DON'T FORGET: Passions Live Tonight
Guest co-Hosts for today's show will be Emily Harper (Fancy) and Erin Cardillo (Esme).
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Ian Ziering Reunites with Former 90210 Castmate Jason Priestley
Ian Ziering to Guest Star on 3 Episodes of the Lifetime Series Side Order of Life Starting Sunday, September 23 at 10 PM
LOS ANGELES, CA - Ian Ziering (Dancing with the Stars) will guest star on three episodes of the Lifetime Television series Side Order of Life, which stars Marisa Coughlan, Jason Priestley, Diana Maria Riva and Christopher Gartin. He was most recently seen in the popular celebrity dance-competition show, Dancing with the Stars where he was a semi-finalist. Ziering was recently a front-runner to host the game show The Price is Right and just completed filming Azteca, an action-adventure film in which he stars. His next film, Step Seven, begins shooting this October.
Ian, of course, is most well-known to television audiences for his role as Steve in the hit FOX series Beverly Hills, 90210 in which he starred with Jason. In the Side Order of Life episode, "Awakenings," Ian will portray Brian Fowler, a man Jenny (Coughlan) thinks might be Cell Phone Man, the man she has been having a telephone romance with but has never met in person. The episode premieres on Sunday, September 23rd at 10:00 pm (ET/PT).
Below is a description of the episode "Awakenings": Jenny (Marisa Coughlan) overhears a nearby conversation and tracks downa man named Brian Fowler (Ian Ziering) who she thinks could be Cell Phone Man. Jenny's father Richard (Joe Regalbuto) leaves town. Ian (Jason Priestley) spontaneously proposes to Becca (Ashley Williams). Vivy (Diana Maria Riva) and Rick (Christopher Gartin) plan a road trip to Mexico to buy her expensive cancer drugs. Starring Marisa Coughlan, Jason Priestley, Diana Maria Riva, Christopher Gartin and guest-star Ian Ziering.
90210 Alum and AMC Star to Dance the Night Away!
The newest round of Dancing With the Stars competitors has been announced. They are as follows:
* All My Children star Cameron Mathison (pictured) with Edyta Sliwinska, who has appeared in all five seasons.
* Two-time champ Cheryl Burke with Wayne Newton.
* Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
* Sabrina Bryan of The Cheetah Girls with newcomer Mark Ballas.
* Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves with Julianne Hough. She danced with Apolo Anton Ohno, last season's victor.
* Billionaire Mark Cuban with Kym Johnson.
* Model-actress Josie Maran with Alec Mazo, who was the season one winner with Kelly Monaco (of GH).
* Boxer Floyd Mayweather with Karina Smirnoff.
* Marie Osmond with Jonathan Roberts.
* Model Albert Reed -- of Abercrombie & Fitch fame -- with Anna Trebunskaya.
* Actress Jane Seymour with Tony Dovolani.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Real-Life Couple Has Split
Kyle Lowder (Rick, BB; ex-Brady, Days) and Arianne Zuker (ex-Nicole, Days), who married on Aug.3, 2002, have gone their separate ways.
SPOILERS for B&B, Days, Passions and Y&R!
Tuesday, September 4
* Ethan wakes up from his coma.
* Sheridan tells Luis that their son, Marty, is still alive.
* Pretty poisons Fancy's lemonade!
Wednesday, September 5
* Whitney and Theresa have a tearful goodbye as Whitney announces she is leaving Harmony.
* Alistair orders a doctor to implant a device in Fancy's brain.
* Kay and Paloma worry that their relationships with Miguel and Noah could be in trouble.
Thursday, September 6
* Evil returns to Harmony - in more ways than one!
* Gwen tells Rebecca the truth about her secret love.
* Fancy's life is in danger during her surgery.
Friday, September 7
* Gwen ruins Theresa and Ethan's happy reunion with a big surprise.
* Sheridan gets proof that her beloved son is not dead.
* Tabitha, Kay and Miguel struggle to save Endora.
* Complications during Jana's brain surgery put her life in danger, terrifying Kevin.
* Paul continues to help Heather with her legal cases, but will he reveal the truth about her paternity?
* Jill makes a deal with Ji Min to expose a secret that could destroy many in Genoa City, including Jack, Katherine and Nikki.
* Fearing she will be sent to prison, Amber searches for the missing money.
* Noah angrily lashes out after learning of Brad and Sharon's affair
Holiday Pre-Emptions and Repeats
As you know, the Labor Day Weekend is upon us. For many, that means a day off work, bar-b-ques and beer. For soap fans, it means we don't get a new episode(s). Here is the following Labor Day Week schedule for the three major networks:
Monday, Sept. 3 and Friday, Sept. 7, all four shows (YR, BB, ATWT, GL) will not be shown, as the station will be airing the U.S. Tennis Open.
All shows will still air on Monday, Sept. 3, however, they will be repeats of a past favorite episode. AMC will be an unspecified encore presentation, while GH will re-air the show from Feb. 19, and OLTL will air an encore presentation of this year's Valentine's Day show.
Both Days and Passions will not be shown on Monday, Sept. 3.
Monday, August 27, 2007
SPOILERS! Week of Aug. 27th
AMC: Tad and Krystal surprise themselves with a kiss.
ATWT: Gwen finds herself back at square one.
B&B: Ridge grants Brooke her wish.
Days: Belle and Philip leave town together.
GH: Kate wants to know how Sonny really feels about her.
GL: Alan learns the truth about Jonathan.
OLTL: Blair tells Todd where his son is.
Passions: Fancy is kidnapped while making love to Luis.
Y&R: With her marriage on shaky ground, Nikki turns to David.


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Updated 2:48 p.m. - The Senate's top Democrat said Thursday that he was pessimistic that Washington could avoid the impending fiscal cliff, accusing House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, of running the lower chamber as a "dictatorship."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he was unsure there was enough time between now and the end of the year to reach a deal to avoid the combination of spending cuts and tax hikes set to take effect on Jan. 1. Reid said "the only viable escape route" was for the GOP-controlled House to give its approval to a Senate bill that would preserve existing tax rates on income under $250,000.
Senator Harry Reid delivers a statement on the fiscal cliff condemning the actions of Republican leadership, saying he "can't imagine their consciences. They are out there, wherever they are ... and we're here trying to get something done."
"Everyone knows that if they had brought up the Senate-passed bill, it would pass overwhelmingly. But the speaker says, no we can't do that," Reid said on the Senate floor this morning. "It's [the House] being operated by a dictatorship of the speaker."
In response, a spokesman for Boehner said in a statement, "Senator Reid should talk less and legislate more. The House has already passed legislation to avoid the entire fiscal cliff. Senate Democrats have not."
Recommended: The Top 10 political events of 2012
Reid's remarks suggest there has been no thaw in the stalemate that has plagued Washington for weeks, as consensus continues to elude Republicans and Democrats on averting the fiscal cliff. Amid the standoff, President Barack Obama called Reid and Boehner (along with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell) late Wednesday from Hawaii. The president traveled back to the White House on Thursday following his brief family vacation.
NBC's Chuck Todd weighs in the current state of negotiations in the fiscal cliff crisis, saying it doesn't look that both sides will budge before the deadline hits.
"The leader is happy to review what the president has in mind, but to date, the Senate Democrat majority has not put forward a plan," said a spokesman for McConnell. "When they do, members on both sides of the aisle will review the legislation and make decisions on how best to proceed."
The discord almost gave way to an agreement on Thursday, as outgoing Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, R, posted on social media that he was rushing back to Washington to mull over a new offer Obama had made to Senate Republicans. Alas, those were false hopes; the administration and Senate Democrats flatly denied that they had made any new offer, and said that no agreement was imminent.
Both parties departed Washington on poor terms, a political chasm widened last week by Boehner's unsuccessful pitch of "Plan B" legislation meant to extend tax rates on income under $1 million. Obama had vowed to veto it, and Boehner's backup plan was generally regarded as more of a negotiating ploy than a comprehensive solution to the impending fiscal cliff. Nonetheless, conservatives balked at the speaker's plan, laying bare Boehner's ability to rally most Republicans behind any deal that even hinted at raising taxes.
And just five days before the onset of the fiscal cliff, Washington was locked in little more than a staring match between the House and Senate.
Republican leaders said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the Senate must amend Republican-passed legislation and return it to the House before any steps can be taken.
"The House will take this action on whatever the Senate can pass, but the Senate first must act," the GOP leaders said.
But Reid said that arcane Senate rules prevented him from bringing up anything new for a vote. Republican leaders argue that the Senate bill also faces procedural flaws which would prevent it from consideration in the House; Democrats assert that the excuse is nonsense.
In the meantime, it appears that Thursday might be a lost day for negotiations. Obama landed in Washington around midday, but most House members remain in their districts. But Republican leaders notified their rank-and-file members that the House would be in session at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, and remain so for the remainder of the year. The Senate is in session on Thursday, but is concentrating on other unfinished business from this year.
Lawmakers are playing a high-stakes game of chicken as each side dares the other to let higher taxes and deep spending cuts kick in with the new year. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
The absence of the House, though, prompted Reid to lay into Republicans and fret that a fiscal cliff failure was all but inevitable.
"If we go over the cliff, and it looks like that's where we're headed, Mr. President – the House of Representatives as we speak with four days left after today before the first year aren't here with the speaker telling him he'll give them 48 hours' notice," he said. "I can't imagine their consciences – they're out wherever they are around the country and we're here trying to get something done."
Mary F. Calvert / Reuters
The U.S. Capitol building is pictured as lawmakers return from the Christmas recess in Washington Dec. 27, 2012.
Amid the standoff, each party was left bracing for the potential political fallout associated with a fiscal cliff failure.
The bleak atmosphere in Washington appeared to be extending across the country, for instance. A Gallup poll conducted Dec. 21-22 – as lawmakers left the Capitol for the Christmas holiday with no deal in hand – found that optimism in leaders' ability to reach a deal had declined; just 50 percent viewed a deal as somewhat or very likely, versus 48 percent who said a fiscal cliff agreement was not too or very unlikely.
And as Congress and the administration appears set to do anything but, 68 percent of Americans said they thought the principal actors should compromise, versus sticking rigidly to their ideological guideposts.


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Praise for George Will and A Nice Little Place on the North Side
"Fond yet surprisingly hard-hitting…an intelligent, tough little book." –USA Today
"George Will is as serious about baseball as he is about the Constitution or foreign policy…. A Nice Little Place on the North Side is replete with the amusing trivia that in baseball constitutes lore."—Wall Street Journal
"America's leading poet of baseball" –Chicago Tribune, Printers Row Journal
"George F. Will's wonderful book A Nice Little Place on the North Side reads like a history of a ballpark, but it's really a fan's interrogation of the most harrowing riddle: Why can't the Cubs win?…[Will is] one of the great baseball writers." –Commentary
"Will's bow-tied, button-down prose wears quite well in this, his third insightful book about baseball, after Men at Work and Bunts. His eye for the game remains warm and acute, as do his conservative instincts." –New York Times Book Review
"George Will is the most elegant of today's political essayists, and with 'Men at Work,' 'Bunts' and this tribute to Chicago, the ballpark that graces it, and the fans who pack it to root for its hapless team, he can be counted among the best baseball writers to come down the pike…" –The Washington Times
"[Will's] latest, A Nice Little Place on the North Side, will sit solidly on the bookshelf with his previous baseball classics…. As is always the case with Will, readers are treated to a mix of history, anecdotes, vignettes, cultural analysis, various informative diversions, and much wry humor."—The American Spectator
"George F. Will is as eloquent on baseball as he is on politics." –AARP Bulletin
"Required reading" –New York Post


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Jimmie Johnson misses chance to take Chase lead from Matt Kenseth
CONCORD, N.C. -- Jimmie Johnson had a chance to cut into Matt Kenseth's points lead Saturday night while leading 130 laps in the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
But Kenseth passed him late in the race and Johnson wound up finishing fourth — one spot behind Kenseth — to fall another point behind in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
A caution for debris with 27 laps remaining resulted in the leaders coming down pit road, with Johnson losing the lead to Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon, who took two fresh tires while Johnson took four.
MORE: Charlotte results | Keselowski wins | NASCAR's most beloved drivers
Restarting third, Johnson got shuffled back to seventh before rallying for a fourth-place finish.
Kenseth, who led only one lap, finished third and increased his points lead from three to four over Johnson with five races left in the season.
"That sucks," Johnson said. "We'll come back next week. … To have a debris caution stop the race when you're out there controlling it and having a good thing going is awfully frustrating.
"We'll take the fourth. It's not the end of the world. But every point matters right now and I hate to see something like that shake things up. We should be one or two (points) ahead."
Johnson obviously hated to see the caution flag and didn't know there was debris on the track.
"I don't know where it was or what it was -- I didn't see anything myself," Johnson said. "I clearly hated to see that debris caution when it happened.
"I've thrown (NASCAR) under the bus before and it turned out there was something there so I've just got to watch myself and watch the video and see for myself."
Kevin Harvick, who finished sixth, is 29 points behind Kenseth, while Gordon (seventh) is 36 points back and Kyle Busch (fifth) 37 points back.
Kenseth had struggled much of the weekend as he qualified 20th and was 23rd in the final practice heading into the race.
But he gradually put himself in the top 10 and seemed to have a top-five car for the final 100 laps of the 334-lap race.
"I'm certainly glad we're still leading," Kenseth said. "Tonight was a big positive for us. It was a little bit of a struggle this weekend more than we anticipated. I didn't get a good lap qualifying, and that was really the start of us being behind tonight.
"About our second or third adjustment, … our group really hit it and really found something that I liked, and our car started driving really good."
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver opened the Chase with back-to-back wins but had finished seventh and 11th in the last two races before Charlotte.
"You've got to be able to run in the top five every week to have a shot at this deal," Kenseth said. "I know you're not going to finish there every week, but I think you have to be good enough to finish there every week and not make mistakes and hopefully get good finishes."
The key, though, is to win the races drivers are supposed to win.
"I don't know what we would have done differently," Johnson said. "No caution, everything is fine. We were inches from beating the 24 (of Gordon) out (of the pits).
"If we would have beat the 24 out, we would have been on the front row in clean air and that would have been a different scenario."
Restarting third, Johnson couldn't get a good final restart behind Kahne and Gordon, his Hendrick Motorsports teammates.
"Just in the dirty air, I pushed the 5 (of Kahne) off into (Turn) 1, he didn't get the best restart, and something to do with that combo got me off the bottom and a couple of cars got inside of me," Johnson said.
So does Kenseth feel fortunate how it all played out?
"I'd feel more fortunate if we would have won. … That's part of the sport, "Kenseth said. "You just don't know when the caution is going to come out, and these restarts are crazy.
"You've got to be good on long runs and restarts and all that. Some nights are easier to restart than others."


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In the Year 2033, Svedka Vodka Will Make You a Monster!
We continue to feel confused about Svedka Vodka's interpretations of the future. But confusion from arm's length is way better than getting dragged headlong into Svedka's Fem-bot world, which is exactly they're trying to do with Find Your Future You, a bewildering new marketing effort.
Grow Interactive, the interactive agency that put the site together, said we can upload our pictures and find out what we'll look like in the future. Our future selves can also send us witty text messages lending insight on what all's going down beyond the realms of trackable time.
Messages include the following example: "Hey It's Gender Bender You, mostly we date republican senators and televangelists now."
WTF, Svedka?
Anyway, we were having a little trouble finding pictures that matched the criteria for the site so we have no examples to show you. But the agency guy did send us this future-shot of a person called Chrystal.
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Strange


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This 5 gram pot of Pastel Pink Edible Glitter Dust comes with a tamper proof seal on the lid.
Why Buy?
Product Description
This pot of glitter dust is completely edible, unlike many others which are non-toxic only! It comes in a convenient screw top lid for ease of use, and is perfect for sprinkling onto cupcakes, cakes, cakepops and desserts to enhance the finished appearance.
Gum arabic E414; carmoisine E122; titanium dioxide E171; potassium sorbate E202.
E122 may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
Allergy Advice:
Suitable for vegetarians & vegans.
Gluten free.
Rainbow Dust Colours Ltd
Unit 3-6 Ward Street,
Cuerden Green Mill,
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With unrivalled space for your caravan or camper trailer, Ingenia Holidays Rivershore gives you the freedom to set up camp however you choose. Get back to basics and come along with your own tent, RV or caravan, whether you are travelling as a family or with a group their sites cater for all. Or maybe you wish to indulge yourself, and stay in luxurious self-contained safari tents with pristine river views and gorgeous wildlife in abundance.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Replacement for Model GHSC39ETEB2
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Frigidaire Icemaker 5303918344 - FDI103C
The Frigidaire 5303918344 is the correct replacement for the following refrigerators:
- Frigidaire FDI103C
- Frigidaire 5303918344
- Frigidaire 5304436617
- Kenmore 253 Series
- Other Frigidaire and Kenmore models
In addition to replacing part numbers 5303918344 and 5304436617, this Frigidaire icemaker replacement is a compatible ice maker for part numbers 240599901, 241627701, 241680601, 241696501, 241709801, 5304436617, plus others.
This icemaker replacement kit is an 8 cube icemaker which features an attached fill cup, a module ON/OFF switch, and more.
The Frigidaire AKA FDI103C Specifications:
- 8 cube icemaker
- Attached fill cup
- Module ON/OFF switch
NOTE: it can take up to 24 hours after installation for your icemaker to begin producing ice.
Customer Reviews:
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