Friday, March 14, 2008

The Blue Lizard to debut at Stony Brook Film Festival

Fred Carpenter makes his 13th independent feature directorial with, The Blue Lizard, an intense drama mixed with dance and action. The film will debut at the Stony Brook Film Festival on Friday, July 26 at 10:40 P.M.

NEW YORK, June 26 2002 -- Fred Carpenter makes his 13th independent feature directorial with, The Blue Lizard, an intense drama mixed with dance and action. The film will debut at the Stony Brook Film Festival on Friday, July 26 at 10:40 P.M. Set in New York’s Blue Lizard Lounge, Paul Regina (It’s My Party, TV’s The New Untouchables) stars as Nick, a mob hired hand sent to investigate the theft of five million dollars taken from the club. Nick’s life takes a turn when he confronts Donna DeCianni (Marie, Deadly Sin), who stars as Ariana, his ex-lover and co-manager of the club about the stolen cash. Unfortunately for Nick, his expected meeting with Ariana brings up old emotions that leads them both down a violent path.

Described by Carpenter as "Casablanca meets Flash Dance," Weintraub/Carpenter Productions in Association with Austin/Shepherd Ltd. present, The Blue Lizard. In addition to Regina and DeCianni, The Blue Lizard stars Joel Weiss (Undisputed, The Warriors) as Sammy the psychopathic co-manager controlling the illegal operations in the club, Wings Hauser (The Insider, A Soldier’s Story) as Little G an underworld mob boss seeking to take over The Blue Lizard, Charles Sessions (Marie) as Billy a corrupt police detective, Dafna Galili as Joy the flamboyant bartender, Fred Carpenter (Small Kill, Murdered Innocence) as Jason the sleazy drug fiend.

Produced and directed by Fred Carpenter, The Blue Lizard was filmed in Long Island, NY and was written by Carpenter, Lee Kolinsky and Gloria Shepherd. Associate Producers are Dick Austin and Gloria Shepherd, Executive Producer is Leonard Weintraub. Cinematography by Thom Ross with editing by Carpenter, Doug Brown and Paul Regina.

ComicCon - June

Reflux Issue # 3 Travels Into the Future With Alien Exile - Now Available Through Previews

NEW YORK, June 1, 2004-- Reflux Comics #3, entitled Alien Exile, is now available through the June catalogue of Previews Magazine, page 331. This third installment from the Reflux anthology is comprised of action, surprise and sci-fi fantasy. Alien Exile features cover art by Rob Donnelly (Meathaus Comics).

Along with the regular contributions from Matthew K. Manning (Justice League Adventures & Meathaus Comics), Cory Petit, and Matt Loux (ONI Press), Reflux Comics #3 features new stories from Vito Delsante (Batman Adventures), Abby Denson (DC Comics), Jacob Chabot (Dark Horse's Strip Search) and A. David Lewis (Mortal Coils).
Alien Exile features I'm Madly In Love by Vito Delsante and Michel Fiffe. The story entails a love that truly hurts. Gordon loves Hannah and he will do anything not to stray away from her. Tempted by beautiful women in his daily life Gordon tries to keep his mind on Hannah by biting his lip until it bleeds and throwing himself down a flight of stairs. His passion for Hannah has no bounds and if he can control himself, Gordon may one day marry her.

"New talented writers and artists join the team, delivering even more perspectives and observations within the comic book medium," said Mike Zagari, contributor and editor.
Some of that new talent comes with the story Subterranean Road Sick Blues, by Joe Flood and Dave Brennan. On the run from the Robo-Hobo and his pals, Bill makes a mad dash back to his Subterranean home and tells Cricket and Frankie that its time to go on a quick vacation. However, the trip leads them right to the Robo-Hobos and forces them to confront the cliché spouting machines.

Reflux Comics is an ongoing anthology featuring various artists and genres. To order Issue #3, tell your local comic retailer and see page 331 in the June issue of Previews Magazine.

Also look out for Reflux #1: Welcome to the Circus in comic stores now. Reflux #2: The Great Squirrel Riots (page 323 of the April 2004 Previews catalogue) will be available in stores in July.
For more information on Reflux Comics go to http://www.refluxcomics.com

ComicCon - June

Reflux Issue # 2 - The Great Squirrel Riots Available Through Previews Magazine

NEW YORK, June 1, 2004--The Great Squirrel Riots from Reflux Comics is now available now in the April catalogue of Previews Magazine. Reflux Issue #2 is a 64-page, square bound book that combines the realistic and the fantastic with just a pinch of the absurd for flavor.

Among the unique work from various artists, The Great Squirrel Riots features the title story by ONI Press’s Matt Loux, a documentation of an enraged squirrel nation which fights to take control of the United States to bring it to its knees.
Reflux #2 once again includes contributions from Matthew K. Manning (Justice League Adventures & Meathaus Comics), Rob Donnelly (Meathaus Comics), and Jon Roscetti (Image Comics' Feather), plus special back cover art by illustrator Cory Petit.

The team of Manning and Donnelly bring forth Something That Happened, a modern take on a Greek tragedy that encompasses a powerful prize stolen from Zeus and brought to Piqua, Ohio in the year 2999. The prize, taken by Prometheus, is then left in the hands of a dullard, whose simple mind can’t comprehend the magnitude of the item he now possesses.

Mike Zagari presents his story entitled Some Kind of Monster, the story of Officer Kolinsky who is seeking to locate his missing partner. As the mystery leads the Officer to a dark apartment in the city, a terrifying surprise awaits him and those who mess with him.

Reflux Comics is an ongoing anthology featuring various artists and genres. To order Issue #2, tell your local comic retailer and see page 323 in the April issue of Previews Magazine. Welcome to the Circus, the first edition of Reflux, an eclectic 48-page issue is also available now in the March 2004 issue of Previews Magazine, page 316.
For more information on Reflux Comics go to www.refluxcomics.com.

ComicCon - March

Reflux Issue # 1 - Welcome to the Circus!
Available Through Previews Magazine


NEW YORK, March 9, 2004 -- Issue # 1 of Reflux Comics’ anthology, entitled Welcome to the Circus, is now available through the March catalogue of Previews Magazine. This eclectic 48-page issue features various genres from over a dozen contributors.
Reflux # 1 contains an exclusive excerpt from the original B&W edition of Steve Uy’s creator owned series Feather, a landscape of the future and fantasy, populated with diverse characters, for Image Comics.

“Steve Uy's art is clean, slick, and a bundle of energy bursting off the page. He uses the computer for his art in a way few others can, by creating believable fantasy worlds steeped in old-fashioned animation techniques and a strong personal style." -- Augie De Blieck Jr., Comic Book Resources.

In addition to Uy, issue #1 also includes contributions from Matthew K. Manning (Justice League Adventures and Meathaus Comics), Raina Telgemeier (Broad Appeal), and Matt Loux (who is working on an upcoming graphic novel for ONI Press).
Poker Face, written by Matthew K. Manning and drawn by Rob Donnelly, is the story of Petey, a desperate man seeking to get ahead in life by making a quick buck. He develops the invincible poker face and decides to buy into a no limit Texas hold’em poker match.

“Manning has a keen insight into the American emotional landscape and demonstrates a rare talent for character-specific dialogue… I expect we'll see a lot more from Matthew Manning in the future... or at least I hope we will!” -- Frank Beaton, Ain’t It Cool News.

The first issue also includes The Scrounge by Will Grant, an underground adventure that takes us into a restaurant run by human oddities and sideshow freaks with glutinous customers that love their food.

“Reflux is an excellent outlet for talented writers and artists displaying a mix of humor and drama. Each creator’s passion for the medium is what makes the book so exciting. And that passion is something that will grow with every issue." -- Mike Zagari, Reflux Comics Editor and Contributor.

Reflux Comics is an ongoing anthology featuring various artists and genres. To order Issue # 1, tell your local comic retailer and see page 316 in the March issue of Previews. The 64-page second issue, The Great Squirrel Riots, will be available for pre-order in April.

For more information on Reflux Comics go to www.refluxcomics.com .

Thursday, March 13, 2008

PR Newswire - ShopKo Merger -- September 29 2005 - Copy Edited

ShopKo Extends Tender Offer for $100MM 9-1/4% Senior Notes Due 2022

ShopKo Stores, Inc. (NYSE: SKO) announced today that it has extended its offer to purchase (the "Offer") any and all of its outstanding $100 million principal amount of 9-1/4% Senior Notes due 2022 (the "Notes") in connection with the previously announced definitive merger agreement, as amended, that provides for the acquisition of ShopKo by Badger Retail Holding, Inc. and Badger Acquisition Corp., which are affiliates of Minneapolis-based private equity firm Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison Incorporated (the "Merger").

The Offer, scheduled to expire on Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, will now expire at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on Tuesday, October 18, 2005, the day after the special shareholders' meeting at which ShopKo shareholders will vote on the proposal relating to the amended merger agreement, unless further extended or earlier terminated by ShopKo.

All other terms, provisions and conditions of the Offer will remain in full force and effect. The terms of the Offer and Solicitation are described in the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement dated June 30, 2005, as amended by a Supplement dated August 10, 2005. ShopKo announced on August 15, 2005 that it had received the requisite consents to amend the indenture governing the Notes. ShopKo executed the supplemental indenture on August 16, 2005, eliminating substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of default in the indenture governing the Notes. Copies of the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement may be obtained from Global Bondholder Services Corporation, the information agent for the Offer, at (866) 736-2200 (US toll free) or (212) 430-3774 (collect).

ShopKo said it has been informed by the information agent that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 29, 2005, approximately $94.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Notes had been tendered in the Offer. This amount represents approximately 94.0% of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes.
Banc of America Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated are acting as the dealer managers for the Offer. Questions regarding the Offer may be directed to Banc of America Securities LLC, the lead dealer manager, at (212) 847-5834 or (888) 292-0070.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO PURCHASE OR SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF CONSENTS WITH RESPECT TO ANY SECURITIES. THE OFFER AND CONSENT SOLICITATION ARE BEING MADE SOLELY BY THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT DATED JUNE 30, 2005, AS AMENDED.

ShopKo Stores, Inc. is a retailer of quality goods and services headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., with stores located throughout the Midwest, Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions. Retail formats include 140 ShopKo stores, providing quality name-brand merchandise, great values, pharmacy and optical services in mid-sized to larger cities; 223 Pamida stores, 116 of which contain pharmacies, bringing value and convenience close to home in small, rural communities; and three ShopKo Express Rx stores, a new and convenient neighborhood drugstore concept. With more than $3.0 billion in annual sales, ShopKo Stores, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SKO. For more information about ShopKo, Pamida or ShopKo Express Rx, visit our Web site at http://www.shopko.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expected sales and other financial results. Such statements are subject to important factors that could cause ShopKo's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements including those referenced in ShopKo's current annual report on Form 10-K or as may be described from time to time in ShopKo's subsequent SEC filings, and such factors are incorporated by reference.

PR Newswire - Newsweek -- Katrina -- September 19 2005 - Copy Edited

NEWSWEEK COVER: 'Bush's Math: No Big Easy'

On Thursday, President Bush delivered a speech to the nation where he pledged to "do what it takes," to rebuild the Gulf region. By late last week there were signs of renewal in New Orleans and the sounds of hammers and saws all along the coast. But Bush's new commitments, as broad and sweeping as the Mississippi River itself, could divide his own party, blast gaping holes in the federal budget and create management tasks that swamp his second-term agenda -- including the creation of a benign Iraq, reports Newsweek Chief Political Correspondent Howard Fineman in the September 27 cover, "Bush's Math: No Big Easy" (on newsstands Monday, September 19).

The administration now must renew its financial case for the Iraq war against the backdrop of the desperate needs of the Other Gulf, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice conceded in an interview with Newsweek. In the fall, when Congress considers military spending -- and perhaps a new special appropriation to fund the war -- the pressure will grow. "I don't doubt that we'll have to make the argument in budget time..." she said. "But I have every confidence that it's an argument that Americans will understand, resonate with."

Fineman examines the political ramifications of Bush's speech and how it will affect his second-term agenda in the cover package. "I think it's the best speech he has ever given," declared Michael Oliver, the state Economic Development secretary. John Maginnis, a plugged-in Louisiana pundit, had an explanation for the official good cheer. "Everyone wants all of the money," he said.

The first sign of an internecine war on the budget emerged at a recent gathering of the House Republican Conference. Rep. Mike Pence, the House's leading deficit hawk, challenged Joshua Bolten, a former Goldman Sachs banker who runs the Office of Management and Budget. There to seek a tranche of $50 billion in relief money, Bolten brushed aside the congressman's insistent fiscal questions. Pence suggested a yearlong delay in launching the Medicare drug benefit; several allies floated the idea of a 10 percent, across-the-board cut in every category of spending. No dice. Bolten agreed that spending "offsets" were a "worthy topic," but stayed mum. It was "not the time to have this debate," he told the assembled Republicans, saying the cash was needed immediately to save lives in the region.

Some GOP strategists worry that the costs of Katrina -- on top of everything else -- will generate pressure, at the grassroots, to cut back support for the war in Iraq. "I'm worried about the moment when a mayor in Louisiana is told that he's not going to get his bridge or his firehouse built for two years," said a top GOP staffer in the House, declining to be named because he deals with the White House daily. "And we're going to tell him to get in line, that the money isn't there right now, and he is going to say "How come we can afford to keep rebuilding the same damned bridge in Baghdad every day and y'all can't afford to build mine?"

Also in this week's cover package, Detroit Bureau Chief Keith Naughton and Investigative Correspondent Mark Hosenball report on the waves of contractors, prospectors and speculators looking to cash in on one of the largest reconstruction efforts in history. They also report on widespread snafus. In one instance, with thousands of starving animals wandering New Orleans, the federal disaster agency placed an emergency $28,370 order with PetsMart for 970 wire pet crates on September 9. The pet-supply chain jumped at the chance to help, even waiving delivery charges, a spokeswoman tells newsweek. Over four days, FEMA first changed its order, canceled it, reinstated it, put it on hold and finally demanded it. But when the PetsMart truck arrived at a New Orleans naval base Friday, it was initially turned away. When the driver finally gained entry, he drove around the base all day, racking up 152 miles, to find someone to take delivery. The tail-chasing experience left PetsMart "frustrated and disappointed." FEMA admits "kinks" in the process, but says it was its first big pet rescue.

And Wall Street Editor Allan Sloan looks at how the country can pay for the reconstruction and the problems future borrowing can mean in the long-term. "Just keep on spending and borrowing, because at least for now, there's no limit to the debt that Uncle Sam can rack up with foreign and U.S. lenders," Sloan writes. "But one day, we'll have one Katrina -- or one other

unexpected problem -- too many. We'll finally spook the financial markets on which we're now so dependent. Federal borrowing costs will rise, the economy will tank, we'll all be hurt. Instead of a 'perfect storm' of the physical variety, we'll have one of the financial variety. And like Katrina, it's going to be devastating."
General Editor Jon Darman reports on Haley Barbour, who as governor of Mississippi, in the first long nights after Katrina, was struck by the scenes of New Orleans descending into madness and contrast with the calm he saw inside his own state. "I don't want to make comparisons," he told Newsweek, "all I'll say is we want people to know that in Mississippi, things work." A former D.C. lobbyist, now as Barbour's state looks to the Feds to cover staggering reconstruction costs, nobody is complaining about having an old Washington hand in the governor's chair. "When Haley calls Washington, there's a lot of familiarity and a lot of good will," says one close Barbour associate who asked not to be identified so as to avoid drawing attention from the governor.