Mother’s Day is coming Sunday, and The Sacramento Press has a few gift ideas that are sure to let mom know how much you love her.

Gift idea No. 1: Send your mom on a relaxing getaway.

Super Spa, located at 1722 J St., Suite 1, offers a variety of massage services. Relaxation or therapeutic massages range from $40 to $120 depending on the length of the massage.

A warm stone therapy ranges from $90 to $140, and a head and scalp treatment for 30 minutes costs $40.

Every 60 minutes of massage includes an organic aromatherapy steam.

According to owner Suzanne Saunders, Super Spa's "Treat Mom to 90 minutes of bliss" special includes a L'initié facial care with Univera's super hydrating line-reducing face cream.

"We we will finish with their radiant and tightening skin toner," Saunders said. "She will be glowing for days."

Super Spa offers a chiropractic service, nutrition consulting, yoga sessions and a rain forest tub with Super Spa Me Organics bath salts, soaps and organic teas.

They have couples and single spa packages, including a chocolate rub and scrub package with a steam, 90-minute massage, body scrub, one-hour rain forest tub soak and organic chocolate.

Gift idea No. 2: Make her garden special.

The Gifted Gardener, located at 1730 J St., is a family-owned store that has an array of garden accessories, bird feeders and chimes to spruce up mom’s garden.

According to sales associate Taffetta Lassen, customers can expect store items to range from 25 cents to $270.

The two most popular items for the Mother’s Day holiday are chimes and bird feeders.

“Ninety-five percent (of our items) are meant to be outside,” Lassen said. “(We want to) encourage you to live outside, preferably in the garden.”

Several notable gifts include handmade clay flowers from Thailand, a large rock collection with various inspirational words, shea butter-enriched soaps in rhubarb, linden and honey almond, and gnome statues.

Sales associate Xian Kwong is Lassen’s son. "(Mother's Day) is a pretty big holiday for us," he said. "(We offer) something pretty for her garden."

One notable gift is a colorful hanging slate plaque with a hummingbird and flowers painted on it, which can be purchased for $23.

Gift idea No. 3: Buy her beautiful flowers.

Relles Florist, 2400 J St., is having several specials for Mother's Day with their cash-and-carry option. If you go directly to the store, you can purchase flowers at a discount if you pay with cash and take it with you.

According to Jim Relles, the president of Relles Florist, they carry at least 200 varieties of flowers from orchids, lilies, sunflowers, birds of paradise, liatris and anthuriums.

Relles said he recommends preordering flowers, but they have never sold out on Mother’s Day.

“We’ll have plenty of flowers (for Mother’s Day),” Relles said. “Mixed spring arrangements (are) very colorful.”

Relles also said that the average arrangement costs $40.

The arrangement below costs $40 and includes carnations, stock, pink statice and purple pom pom chrysanthemums.

Below is another arrangement that costs $40 and includes roses, carnations, statice, solidago and pom pom chrysanthemums.

“Roses are beautiful for Mother’s Day,” Relles said.

Gift idea No. 4: Treat mom to some retail therapy.

Several downtown Sacramento clothing boutiques have plenty of gift ideas for mom.

Sugar Shack, 2425 J St., is the perfect destination for the trendy mom. Sugar Shack has cute spring dresses and tops, belts, shoes and sunglasses. Also, they have lots of locally handmade jewelry.

Several of the brands the boutique carries include Toms shoes, Chaser, Level 99, Ark and Co. and OBEY.

Clothing prices range from $29 to $150.

A cute gift for mom that you can find at Sugar Shack is the polka-dot blouse below, from Ellison, which costs $38.

Clothing Remix, 2419 J St., carries new and used women's clothing, accessories and shoes.

According to co-owner Julie Vue, although their fashion pieces might look trendy, she said they “don’t want to rule out anyone.”

Vue said that the accessories and clothing range from $5 to $70.

Starting Mother's Day, they will offer 30 percent off of new merchandise and 20 percent off used merchandise.

They also offer styling tips on how to spruce up your wardrobe. According to Vue, if customers like a particular item, she shows them how they can incorporate it into their style by matching it with a pair of sandals or a nice blazer.

“We believe in trying the pieces on,” Vue said.

Vue said that she uses today’s magazines as inspiration combined with the customer’s personal style.

Below is a flutter sleeve blouse, from Von Chic, which costs $39.99.

The Cotton Club, at 2331 J St., is a boutique that offers unique, natural fiber clothing and all kinds of accessories. 

They carry casual to professional women’s clothing, from tops, blouses and dresses. They also have a large selection of scarves, purses, jewelry and hats.

Their clothing and accessory items range from $25 to $120.

Several of the brands the store carries are Cut Loose, Tribal, Nomadic Traders, Color Me Cotton and Flax.

Was your mom obsessed with the Royal Wedding? Treat her like a queen with one of the Cotton Club’s colorful hats.

One gift idea at the Cotton Club is this purple top below, which costs $84, by Color Me Cotton.

Make your mother feel special this Mother's Day. No matter what you get for her, she will appreciate anything that comes from the heart.

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In its five seasons, 30 Rock has won more than a dozen Emmys, left critics smittened, made Tina Fey a (rare bespectacled) star, and staked out a cozy place in the pop culture canon. But Thursday's season finale — in which Jack turned to Kenneth to entertain him in lieu of Avery (still in North Korea's custody), Tracy ruined Liz's perfect Barefoot Contessa summer, and Jenna feigned wholesomeness to secure an Wool Council endorsement gig — failed to thrill many commentators. One called the episode "extremely flat." Was it really so mediocre?

Yes, it was underwhelming: "It's not that...

Comics -- the cure for the boring Twitter feed. 

Hollywood's biggest names have become full-fledged Twitter addicts. But most of the time the rock legends and movie stars waste their micro-blogs trying to make us care about melting ice caps or Malaria or the latest outbreak of intestinal tape worms, leaving us gasping to be entertained. 

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Sorry for the delay between posts. I got busy with college visits and high school work and this slipped through the cracks. The final post should be out by the end of the weekend.

The dust is beginning to settle on the 2011 NFL Draft, which for me only means time is ticking for me to go about giving initial grades to each and every pick, as well as all 32 teams. These grades will be revisited around this time next year. The AFC West and South was done here and the AFC North and East was done here. First, a word on my subjective evaluation process once more. The basic grading rules are...

Individual Player Grades

A+: Designated for players that provide incredible value at a position of need, and have Pro Bowl potential

A: Designated for player that provide great value at a position of need, OR for players that provide  incredible value at a position that is not a huge need

B: Designated for players that provide good value at a position of need, OR for players that provide great value that is not a position of need

C: Designated for players player that provide good value at a minor need, OR for players that provide great value at no need, OR for players with clearly identifiable potential at a position of future need

D: Designated for players that provide decent value at a position of no need, OR for players that fall short in addressing positions of need, OR for solid players that were taken significantly earlier than their talent suggested they would be.

F: Designated for player that provide no value at positions where there's no immediate need, OR for players that most agree are a huge reach at a position of need, OR a player that has no means being in the draft.

Al Davis: A player with great speed that is over-drafted by 1 to 2 rounds (usually would grade out to a C)

Note: In the 6th round the lowest grade you can get is a D. In the 7th round regular picks, the lowest grade you can get is a D+. In the 7th round compensatory picks the lowest grade you can get is a C-

Team Grades:

A: A team filled all/most of their needs without reaching at any pick and got one or more steals

B: A team filled most/all of their needs but reached on some of their picks and failed to get a major steal

C: A team did not fill most of their needs or reached to fill those needs with less than two major steals

D: A team filled none or very few of their needs and reached to do those and failed to draft good players at non needs

F: A team filled no needs, reached for players, picked bad scheme fits, and traded away future picks.

Even though it goes without saying....As we all know, grading a draft immediately after it is mostly useless so this is just speculation on my part.

Without further ado, let's get to the individual and team grades for the NFC East and NFC North

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

2010 Record: 6-10

Grade: B+   Smith was projected to go the the Cowboys by a lot of people. Smith is suited as a RT right now (played it in college) but could eventually transition to LT.

Round 2 Pick 8: Bruce Carter, LB, UNC

Grade: B-   Carter is an extremely talented LB but is very injury prone. If he can stay healthy, this pick could become an A.

Round 3 Pick 7: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma

Grade: C+    RB was not a huge need for the Cowboys and Murray was not the best RB available. He is also extremely injury prone.

Round 4 Pick 13: David Arkin, OG, Missouri State

Grade: C+   Arkin is a under the radar prospect who was probably over-drafted by one round. He should provide solid depth at guard.

Round 5 Pick 12: Josh Thomas, CB, Buffalo

Grade: B-     Thomas is a sleeper pick that could make this draft very good. He has good ball skills and decent size and speed.

Round 6 Pick 11: Dwayne Harris, WR, East Carolina

Grade: B+   Harris is good value in the 6th round and provides depth at WR. He could eventually become a #2 WR to complement Dez Bryant.

Round 7 Pick 17: Shaun Chapas, FB, Georgia

Grade: B-   Chapas is decent value in round 7 but does not fill a need. The Cowboys have stockpiled backs and will likely need to cut one to two backs this off season.

Round 7 Pick 49: Bill Nagy, C, Wisconsin

Grade: B    Nagy is a solid pick that should be a very solid backup center.

Team Grade: B-

The Cowboys had no really impressive picks but no really bad picks. They found a starting tackle in the 1st round. The health of their 2nd and 3rd round picks will make or break this drat. If Murray and Carter stay healthy, this draft could be an A. If not, this draft could be a D or F.

Washington Redskins

2010 record: 6-10

Round 1 Pick 16: Ryan Kerrigan, OLB, Purdue

Grade: B   I, unlike many others, think Kerrigan can play 3-4 OLB in the Redskins system. If it turns out that he can't than this grade plummets.

Round 2 Pick 9: Jarvis Jenkins, DT/DE, Clemson

Grade: B-    Jenkins was a slight reach at this point in round 2 but he can play multiple positions and will provide a pretty good pass rush.

Round 3 Pick 15: Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami

Grade: A    I had Hankerson going in the 2nd round and so did many others. He is a potential #1 wideout so this is a huge steal.

Round 4 Pick 8: Roy Helu, RB, Nebraska

Grade: B-   Helu has a decent skill set that fits in the Skins offense but this is a reach.

Round 5 Pick 15: Dejon Gomes, SS, Nebraska

Grade: C   Gomes is a good all around player but not great at anything. He was mocked by many in the 7th round so this is a reach.

Round 5 Pick 24: Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska

Grade: B-   3rd straight Nebraska player. Paul fits the range and will provide good depth and a possible slot receiver.

Round 6 Pick 12: Evan Royster, RB, Penn State

Grade: B-    Royster fits the range and could team with Helu and Terrain to form a good trio of backs.

Round 6 Pick 13: Aldrick Robinson, WR, SMU

Grade: C+    Robinson is an explosive receiver that could provide a good 4th WR.

Round 7 Pick 10: Brandyn Thompson, CB, Boise State

Grade: B    Thompson fits the range and could become a good nickel corner.

Round 7 Pick 14: Maurice Hurt, OG/OT, Florida

Grade: B    Hurt is a very good pick here and should provide great depth at both guard and RT spot.

Round 7 Pick 21: Markus White, DE, Florida State

Grade: B+     White is a very good pick here. He can play 3-4 DE and will provide a good backup on the DL.

Round 7 Pick 50: Chris Neild, NT, West Virginia

Grade: B    Neild is another good pick that fits the range.

Team Grade: B-

The Redskins draft could be graded in many ways. It is tough to evaluate the 1st round pick because he might not be able to play in a 3-4 scheme. If their 3 DL picks pan out, they could have fond their 3 starting DL for the next decade. The best pick of this draft was 3rd round pick Leonard Hankerson.

New York Giants

2010 Record: 10-6

Round 1 Pick 19: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

Grade: A+   Amukamara is a huge steal and was by far the BPA. He has pro-bowl potential and although it does not fill a huge need that is not a big deal because Prince will likely start this year.

Round 2 Pick 20: Marvin Austin, DT, UNC

Grade: A    Austin is a late first round talent so picking him up in the middle of the 2nd round is a good value. He did not fill a big need at DT but could provide a good pass rush.

Round 3 Pick 19: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy

Grade: A-    Jernigan will provide an explosive slot receiver and kick returner and fits the range in the 3rd round.

Round 4 Pick 20: James Brewer, OT, Indiana

Grade: A-    Brewer will provide a backup to both tackle spots and could be the eventual starting RT. Also, he is good value in the 4th.

Round 6 Pick 20: Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan State

Grade: A    Jones is an absolute steal in round 6. Mocked by many in rounds 3 and 4, getting him in the middle of round 6 is incredible. Should provide a very good backup to Goff at ILB.

Round 6 Pick 33: Tyler Sash, SS, Iowa

Grade: A   Sash, like Jones, was mocked in the 3rd and 4th round of many mock drafts. He should provide a very good backup SS.

Round 6 Pick 37: Jacquian Williams, OLB, South Florida

Grade: C+    This was the only pick I did not love. Williams could contribute on ST but is unlikely to provide any depth at the OLB spot.

Round 7 Pick 18: Da'Rel Scott, RB, Maryland

Grade: A-    Scott is a great pick in round 7 and gives the Giants a 3rd back to pair with Bradshaw and Jacobs.

Team Grade: A

The Giants had one of the best drafts of any team. Every pick was great value and they filled some needs at LB, S, and OT. Also got some luxury picks at CB, DT, RB, and WR.

Philadelphia Eagles

2010 Record: 10-6

Round 1 Pick 23: Danny Watkins, OT/OG, Baylor

Grade: B   Watkins is a very talented player so that is not the problem. The problem is that he is already 26 years old.

Round 2 Pick 22: Jaiquawn Jarret, S, Temple

Grade: B+    Jarret is a huge hitter who has great instincts. He fits the range in the 2nd round and could start at safety next to Nate Allen.

Round 3 Pick 26: Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah State

Grade: B   Marsh is a slight reach but fills a huge need at corner. Could compete for the #2 corner spot.

Round 4 Pick 19: Casey Matthews, ILB, Oregon

Grade: B    Matthews fills a minor need at backup ILB and is a good value in round 4.

Round 5 Pick 18: Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh

Grade: B     Lewis and McCoy makeup the Pittsburgh backfield. Lewis is a good value and should make an impact in his rookie year.

Round 5 Pick 30: Julian Vandervelde, OG, Iowa

Grade: B    Vandervelde is a good pickup in the 5th round and could become a starting RG one day.

Round 6 Pick 26: Jason Kelce, OT, Cincinnati

Grade: B-    Kelce could become a LT if he gains 20 pounds. He is a project but could end up being a great pick.

Round 6 Pick 28: Brian Rolle, OLB, Ohio State

Grade: A-    Rolle is great value and fills a huge need at OLB. He should be able to compete for a starting spot at OLB.

Round 7 Pick 34: Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut

Grade: B+   Lloyd projects as an OLB in the Eagles scheme and can provide depth at all 3 LB spots of the Eagles 4-3.

Round 7 Pick 37: Stanley Havili, FB, USC

Grade: B-    Havili is a good lead blocker that can also run the ball and catch passes.

Team Grade: B+

The Eagles did a good job filling their needs at OT, OG, OLB, CB, and S. They got a bunch of talented players and took no major risks. Very solid draft for the Eagles.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings:

2010 Record: 6-10

Round 1 Pick 12: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State

Grade: C+    Ponder is a reach at #12 but you can't fault the Vikings for trying. They tried to trade back but could not find a partner. Once that happened, they decided to take their potential franchise QB. Smart move but still a reach.

Round 2 Pick 11: Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame

Grade: A-    Rudolph missed the 2010 season but is a great receiver none-the-less. He has to improve his blocking to become an every down TE.

Round 4 Pick 9: Christian Ballard, DE, Iowa

Grade: A-    Ballard was over-shadowed by Clayborn but Ballard had an equal season this year. He is an adequate pass rush that excels stopping the run.

Round 5 Pick 8: Brandon Burton, CB, Utah

Grade: A   Burton was mocked in the 3rd round by most mock drafts. He is a steal here and fills a need at corner.

Round 6 Pick 3: DeMarcus Love, OG, Arkansas

Grade: A-    Love will provide great depth at guard for an aging Vikings OL.

Round 6 Pick 5: Raymond Mistral, CB, South Florida

Grade: C    Mistral was not projected to be drafted and with Burton already drafted, does not fill a need. Bad pick.

Round 6 Pick 7: Brandon Fusco, OC, Slippery Rock

Grade: B+   Fusco has good potential and will provide depth at center and could eventually start.

Round 6 Pick 35: Ross Homan, OLB, Ohio State

Grade: A-    Homan is a steal here. He could start at OLB this year opposite Chad Greenway.

Round 7 Pick 12: D'Aundre Reed, DE, Arizona

Grade: B-     Reed is a good situational pass rusher that provides good value in the 7th round.

Round 7 Pick 33: Stephon Burton, WR, West Texas A&M

Grade: B      Burton dominated his lower level of competition and could be a solid contributor for whoever the new QB is.

Team Grade: B

The Vikings made good use of their many draft picks. They found a QB, TE, multiple DL, multiple OL, and some other very good selections.

Detroit Lions

2010 Record: 6-10

Round 1 Pick 13: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

Grade: A    No denying Fairley is a great player but his work ethic leaves a lot to be desired. He does not fill a need though.

Round 2 Pick 12: Titus Young, WR, Boise State

Grade: A    Young has great speed and is an explosive player. Fills a need and should start opposite Calvin Johnson.

Round 2 Pick 25: Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois

Grade: A     Leshoure is great value here and will be a great complement to Jhavid Best.

Round 5 Pick 26: Doug Hogue, OLB, Syracuse

Grade: B    Hougue has good potential and could be a solid backup at OLB.

Round 7 Pick 6: Johnny Culbreath, OT, South Carolina State

Grade: B-    Culbreath has to do a lot of work to become anything more than a  backup tackle but is worth the 7th round pick.

Team Grade: B+

Everyone is saying how great the Lions draft was. Yes they got great players but they failed to fill their biggest needs until the 5th and 7th rounds and ignored their other big need. Everyone knew the Lions needed multiple OLB's, a OT, and CB in the draft and they failed to get any good players at those positions.

Chicago Bears

2010 Record: 11-5

Round 1 Pick 29: Gabe Carimi, OT/OG, Wisconsin

Grade: A    Carimi should have gone much higher than 29 and is great value here. He can probably play 4 positions on the line and will help this terrible OL.

Round 2 Pick 21: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

Grade: A   Paea was mocked in the late 1st or early 2nd and fills a need at the 3-tech/1-tech DT for the Bears.

Round 3 Pick 29: Chris Conte, CB/FS, California

Grade: B-    Conte is a reach in the 3rd round and does not fill a big need. Shaky pick.

Round 5 Pick 29: Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho

Grade: B-     Enderle is a good project QB and if they trade Hanie he will probably be the backup.

Round 6 Pick 30: James Thomas, LB, West Virginia

Grade: B    Thomas is a good late round pickup that can play ST and backup at LB for the Bears.

Team Grade: B+

The Bears had two great selections in the 1st 2 rounds. Their last 3 selections were all solid but could have been used better.

Green Bay Packers

2010 Record: 10-6

Round 1 Pick 32: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

Grade: A-      This fits Sherrod's range. I had him as the 5th best OT and he was the 6th one picked so it is a slight steal and fills a big need at tackle.

Round 2 Pick 32: Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky

Grade: A-     Cobb is an explosive, multi-faceted play-maker that provides another weapon for Rodgers and fits the range at the end of the 2nd round.

Round 3 Pick 32: Alex Green, RB, Hawaii

Grade: C+    Green is a very shaky pick. He fills a need at 3rd down RB but might have still been available in round 5 or 6.

Round 5 Pick 10: D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas

Grade: A     Williams is an excellent selection in the 5th round. He has the versatility and athleticism to be another great weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

Round 6 Pick 14: Caleb Schlauderaff, OG, Utah

Grade: B+      Schlauderaff fits the range and fills a need at backup OG.

Round 6 Pick 21: D.J. Smith, LB, Appalachian State

Grade: B      Smith is a decent pick and could be solid depth at ILB.

Round 6 Pick 32: Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona

Grade: A-      Elmore is a very good late round selection. He is a fierce pass rusher that can probably rotate in the Packers DE group.

Round 7 Pick 15: Ryan Taylor, TE, UNC

Grade: C+    Taylor is one of two shaky picks in this draft. He is a good blocker but they did not need another TE.

Round 7 Pick 30: Lawrence Guy, DE, Arizona State

Grade: A      Guy is a big steal in round 7. He has great skills and could rotate in on passing situations.

Team Grade: A-

The Packers did a good job with their 1st two draft picks. All of their picks were ok but their 3rd and 1st 7th round picks could have been better.

That ends the 3rd part of this series. Sorry for the wait and look for the 4th part on Sunday or Monday.

(LANSING, Mich) – Twenty Michigan Brewers Guild member breweries collectively snagged 51 medals at the 2011 World Expo of Beer Competition, April 30 in Frankenmuth. Overall, there were 554 entries from around the world in 29 categories. Many of the beers entered in the competition will be available for sampling at the World Expo of Beer, May 20-21, at Heritage Park in Frankenmuth.
 
2011 MBG winners include:
 
Category 3 European Amber Lager 9 Entries
Silver               Fest Beer                                Kuhnhenn Brewery                 Warren, MI
Bronze             District 16 Amber                    Wolverine State                      Ann Arbor, MI
 
Category 4 Dark Lager 10 Entries
Bronze             Munich Style Dunkel              Frankenmuth Brewing            Frankenmuth, MI
 
Category 5 Bock 19 Entries
Bronze             Drag Me to Helles                   Wolverine State                      Ann Arbor, MI
 
Category 6 Light Hybrid 33 Entries
Silver               Cream Ale                               Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI
Bronze             Dirty Blonde                            Atwater                                    Detroit, MI
  
Category 7 Amber Hybrid 6 Entries
Gold                Amber Tease                          Schmohz                                 Grand Rapids, MI
 
Category 8 English Pale Ale 11 Entries
Gold                Midland Pale Ale                     Midland Brewing                     Midland, MI
Silver               Sir Williams ESB                     Dragonmead                           Warren, MI
 
Category 9 Scottish/Irish Ale 22 Entries
Gold                A Few Shillings Too Many      Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
Silver               Brik                                          MillKing It                                Royal Oak, MI
Bronze             Grateful Red                           Black Forest                            Frankenmuth, MI
 
Category 10 American Ale 22 Entries
Gold                Best Brown                             Bell’s Brewery                         Galesburg, MI
Bronze             Hobos Breath                          Mt. Pleasant Brewing              Mt. Pleasant, MI
 
Category 11 English Brown Ale 9 Entries
Silver               English Brown                         Redwood Lodge                      Flint, MI
Bronze             Jimmy Brown                         Great Baraboo                        Clinton Twp, MI
 
Category 12 Porter 13 Entries
Silver               London Porter                         Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI
Bronze             Pirates Porter                          Black Forest                            Frankenmuth, MI
 
Category 13 Stout 34 Entries
Gold                Kalamazoo Stout                    Bell’s Brewing                         Galesburg, MI
Silver               Oatmeal Stout                         Redwood Lodge                      Flint, MI
Bronze             Double Cream Stout               Bell’s Brewing                         Galesburg, MI
 
Category 14 IPA 45 Entries
Gold                Buzz Saw IPA                         Arbor Brewing                         Ann Arbor, MI
Silver               Two Hearted Ale                     Bell’s Brewing                         Galesburg, MI
Bronze             Arcadia IPA                             Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI
 
Category 15 German Wheat/Rye 21
Bronze             Dunkel Weizenbock                Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI
 
Category 16 Belgian/French Ale 33 Entries
Silver               Golden Cap                             New Holland Brewing             Holland, MI
Bronze             Witface                                    Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI
 
Category 17 Sour Ale 10 Entries
Gold                Red Rock                                Big Rock Chop House            Birmingham, MI
 
Category 18 Belgian Strong Ale 21 Entries
Gold                Thors Hammer                       Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI
Silver               Dubbel Vision                          Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI
Bronze             Final Absolution                       Dragonmead                           Warren, MI
 
Category 19 Strong Ale 16 Entries
Gold                Cereal Killer (2009)                 Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI
Silver               Old Ale                                    Mt. Pleasant Brewing              Mt. Pleasant, MI
Bronze             Barleywine                              Mt. Pleasant Brewing              Mt. Pleasant, MI
 
Category 20 Fruit Beer 21 Entries
Bronze             Tart Cherry Porter                  Liberty Street                          Plymouth, MI
 
Category 21 Spice/Herb/Vegetable 24 Entries
Silver               Sacred Gruit                           Mt. Pleasant Brewing              Mt. Pleasant
Bronze             Clementine Lemon Thyme     Liberty Street                          Plymouth, MI
 
Category 22 Smoke/Wood Aged 15 Entries
Gold                London Porter                         Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI
Silver               Bourbon 4th Dementia            Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
Bronze             Bourbon Belgian Blond           Walldorff                                 Hastings, MI
 
Category 23 Specialty 24 Entries
Gold                Wanderer                                North Peak Brewing               Traverse City, MI
Silver               Cobains                                   Walldorff                                 Hastings, MI
Bronze             Cocoa Loco                            Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI
 
Category 24 Traditional Mead 9 Entries
Silver               Wildflower Sack                      Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
Bronze             Orange Blossom                     Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
 
Category 25 Melomel 13 Entries
Gold                Michigan Tart Cherry              Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
Silver               Lingonberry                             Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
Bronze             Elderberry                               Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
 
Category 26 Other Mead 24 Entries
Gold                Green Apple Riesling              Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI
 
 
The World Expo of Beer festival runs from 5-10pm on Friday, May 20 and 3-10pm on Saturday, May 21. For more information, visit www.WorldExpoOfBeer.com.
 
Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #5 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.”
 
The Michigan Brewers Guild exists to unify the Michigan brewing community; to increase sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education; and to monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state. For more information, including a list of Michigan microbreweries, log on to www.michiganbrewersguild.org.

Sock Loss: it’s happened to everyone. Sure, you can blow it off as a non-issue, but you have to admit that it gets really, really annoying after a while. That’s why GE, along with agency LBi, created L.O.S.S. or the Laundered and Orphaned Sock Society. Through years of “research,” GE deduced that, rather convenient, the force behind missing socks is laundry equipment. Apparently, socks run away after being “mistreated” by outdated laundry equipment. But, as you can see from the fake televised debate above, most people have yet to come to any agreement about the motivations behind socks’ disappearance. Enter GE’s washers and dryers to save the day.

We posted an earlier video from this campaign, which commenters were irate about because, well, it’s really stupid. So, we warn you, the above video has nearly a 3-minute run time. Consider this before pushing play on YouTube. But, hey, maybe you think this is a cute idea from a company that, in better times, was directly associated with 30 Rock as the sort of company that could poke fun of itself. Now, we have L.O.S.S., which has a website where you can make a flyer for lost socks and learn about the myths associate with sock loss. Credits after the jump.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Reminiscent of Jenna and boyfriend Paul's leashed walk through the park on last night's season finale of 30 Rock, a model takes two male models for a stroll during today's Lisa Maree show during Australian Fashion Week. See more photos now.

On last night's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy explained there's a secret floor at 30 Rock called "The Jersey Floor" that Jersey-fies anyone who goes there. See Tina Fey and Amy Poehler stalk Jimmy "J-Bro" at the club and get in a fight with Rachel Dratch aka "Drootchie" in this hilarious clip from the spoof. And see the full skit on Buzz!

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Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com.

Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events

A Grand Night For Singing at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00.

Friday Night Concerts In The Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th & J Street in Sacramento will feature Tatooed Love Dogs - Aaron King & The Imperials - Wahnderlust. 5:30PM - 9PM. Free/Beer Garden 21+

Saturday, May 7th: JAMMIES Evening of Classical Music at Mondavi Center Jackson Hall on UC Davis Campus. Concert at 7:30PM. Tickets are $10.00 - $15.00.

Wednesday, May 11th - Sunday, May 15th: Cirque du Soleil: Quidam at Power Balance Pavilion. Shows begin at various times. Tickets are $37.00 - 97.00.

Thursday, May 12th - Monday, May 16th: Fourth Annual In The Flow Improvisational Music and Art Festival will take place at various venues in Sacramento. The events will feature jazz, rock, poetry/spoken word, electronic, and blues. Daily tickets are $10. More information at intheflowsacramento.com.     

Thursday, May 12th: Zac Brown Band with Blackberry Smoke at Raley Field in West Sacramento. Concert begins at  6:30PM. Tickets are $36.00 - $81.00.

The Local Music Scene:

Friday, May 6th

Jerry Perry presents Crazy Ballhead - Be Brave Robot Old Ironsides 9PM/$5-$7

Reminisce at Harlows 10PM/$10

Aaron King & The Imperials at Torch Club 9PM/$10

MollyMawks - Rosie and Ash - Karen Valdez at Fox & Goose 9PM/$5

3 Dance Floors of DJ Top Hits, Hip-Hop, Latin at Faces $5 before 10PM/$10 After

Wonderbread 5 at Power House Pub 10PM/$15

CrookOne TGIF at Golden Bear 10PM/No Cover

Autumn Sky - Dick Larson at Distillery 10PM/$6

The Guverment at Marilyns 9PM/$8

80's & 90's DJ Mix at Mix Downtown 9PM

DJ Illest at Dream Ultra Lounge 9PM

DJ Slick D at District 30 9PM

Sage - Francis - Who Cares at Ace of Spades 7PM

Instagon - Ritural Race - Garage Jazz Architechts at Naked Lounge Downtown 8:30PM/$5

DJ Billy Lane at Park Ultra Lounge 10PM/$15

Ape Machine - Pets - DJ Roger at Townhouse 9PM/$5

Get Down To The Champion Sound with DJ Esef at Capitol Garage 10PM/$5

A Single Second - Early States at Luigis Fungarden 8:30PM/$5

Hellbound Glory - Golden Cadillacs - Dry Country Drinkers at Blue Lamp 9PM

Dogfood - Goodness Gracious Me - Kaero with DJ Blend downstairs at Shenanigans 9PM/$5

Loudness - Dirty Passion - Warmachine - Sucker Punch at The Boardwalk 6PM

Saturday, May 7th

The Lipstick Weekender with Shaun Slaughter & Roger Carpio at Old Ironsides 10PM/$7

Simpl3Jack - The Trees at Luigis Fungarden (All Ages) 7PM/$7.

Plex at Marilyns 9PM

Dredg - The Dear Hunter - Balance and Composure  at Ace of Spades 6:30PM

Hullabaloo Rock & Roll Shinding! with DJ Hailey at Fox & Goose 9PM/$5

Larisa Bryski - Bad Connection - Liz Benson at Naked Lounge Downtown 8:30PM/$5

Wonderland at Mix Downtown 9PM

Knife Thru Head - Armed Forces Radio - Armed Forces Radio at The Distillery 10PM/$6

Country Music & Line Dancing 8PM with DJ's on Three Floors at Faces $5 before 10PM/$10 after

DJ Peeti-V at Park Ultra Lounge 9PM

House of Floyd at 6:30PM/$20 & Departure (Journey Tribute) 10PM/$10 at Harlows

Kevin Russell at The Torch Club 9PM/$8

DJ Whores at The Golden Bear 10PM/No Cover

Eli Young Band - Department of Rock at Power House Pub 10PM/$10

DJ Scotty Boy at District 30 9PM

DJ Larry Rodriquez at Press Club 9PM/$5

Thicker Than Thieves - The Snobs - Perro Bravo  at Blue Lamp 9PM

Oh Dang! at Townhouse Lounge 9PM/$3

Sunday, May 8th

Dragalicious Show & DJ Hits at Faces 9PM/$5

Shadia Powell & Friends  8PM at Torch Club 8PM/$7

Industry Night at Golden Bear 9PM

Reggae Basement with DJ Wokstar at Blue Lamp 9:30PM

Robert Johnson 100 Year B-Day Tribute at Harlows 8PM

NEW YORK — Jack Donaghy, the boss on NBC's comedy "30 Rock," had had enough of TV inefficiencies and waste.

"Do you know what the business model is in the entertainment industry? Make 10 shows and hope that one of them works," huffed Donaghy (played by Alec Baldwin) to put-upon producer Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) in a recent episode. "We produce more failed pilots than the French air force!"

John Vechey on whether the maker of Plants vs Zombies will become as big as Disney and how the iPad 2 changes gaming

The growth in popularity of casual gaming in recent years has catapulted video games from fringe to mainstream entertainment. The Wii has been immensely influential in this regard, but recently smartphones and social media have started replacing consoles as the "go-to" platforms for casual gaming.

One of the best and most influential developers behind casual-core video games is PopCap. The Seattle-based company's catalogue features some of the most critically acclaimed and biggest-selling titles of all time – Bejewelled, Peggle and Plants vs Zombies among them.

With casual gaming becoming more and more popular – throw a rock into a crowd and you'll hit someone playing Angry Birds – some pundits have begun speculating that companies such as Rovio and PopCap may some day be as big as Disney. We thought it we'd find out from PopCap's chief executive John Vechey what he thought of that assessment, as well as his opinion on several other topics.

Last year was a fantastic year for casual games and casual gaming – with the success of Plants vs Zombies on various platforms, Angry Birds and Cut the Rope – especially on mobile platforms. It's really captured the imagination of millions. Has all this competition been good for PopCap?
I think so. I mean, we don't really think of gaming as some industry. We're friends with nearly every single every game company in our competitive environment. When you look at Angry Birds on mobile phones and Zynga's games on Facebook, they're really great for us because people are playing more games because of them.

Look at it this way; the majority of people in the world will argue about movies and have favourite movies, but very few of them will say, "I don't like movies at all". In gaming right now there are still more people or as many people who say, "I'm not a gamer and I don't play games" as there are people who play games. Any game that has the success we've seen from some titles in the last year, increases the number of people who play games. There are people discovering gaming for the first time, because of Angry Birds. And that is good for us! And it's good for the industry! (Laughs) It's all good!

What did you think of Angry Birds?
Angry Birds to me is like golf in that it's more frustrating than fun. However, it's incredibly rewarding when things go your way in it. I can play something like Cut the Rope – and I did for hours – and get three stars on every level. With Angry Birds, the scoring is a bit to arbitrary for my tastes. I like it, but I feel it would be a better game if it wasn't so opaque – but that's me.

There are a lot of people who play games who don't consider themselves gamers, but the audience for casual games has grown in leaps and bounds in the last year. Do you think the market is becoming saturated?
I think the sky's the limit. I can't predict how fast it's going to grow; when started in 2,000 with Bejeweled there was a big acceleration in casual gaming. Then it settled down a bit over the next few years. Now with Facebook and smartphones being a great one-two punch, it's picked up again and you're seeing huge growth again.

PopCap's goal is this; everyone in the world has a top five games list and we want a couple of our titles on everyone's top five list. Whether that takes us 10 to 50 years to accomplish this, we don't care. I know we have so much further to go.

We're a very inwardly focused company. We believe markets and platforms aren't static – everything changes, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. For us, it's about focusing on great games and great game franchises. We don't need to release 50 games per year that are C+ or B- quality releases. What we need to do is keep reinvesting in the great games we have and continue to experiment with games that we think would make amazing experiences. We're like Pixar; they don't feel the need to make 10 times as many movies as their competitors, but they do feel the need to keep making every movie great. We're okay being the tortoise. The tortoise eventually wins the race.

There are some pundits who – because of the success of Angry Birds and PvZ – are saying that companies such as Rovio and PopCap will become bigger than Disney. What's your take on that?
I definitely think that companies such as Rovio and Zynga and PopCap are going to end up looking like companies such as Disney. You look at what Hasbro's done with Transformers and how that revitalised the brand in the toy business.

I think that what's going to happen is, at some point we're going to see that gaming is just one aspect of what we do. How else can our customers want to interact with what we do? Whether that's toys or movies or TV or some other medium, it's another way that customers gain appreciation for it.

Look, Disney's a giant company and I think it would be foolhardy to say, "hey, we're gonna be bigger than Disney", but I think that in 30 or so years, we're going to look a lot more like Disney than we do right now.

I think the fact that the big media companies don't have great interactive experiences for their audiences nailed yet, will mean that eventually, they're going to start to look more like us.

The quality of their games is factor. PopCap seems to be one of those developers who seem to straddle the casual and core markets. Your games are visually very cute and friendly, but the depth of play is guaranteed to bring in the core crowd too. Is it a tricky balancing act?
We get that just by the nature of the development process. We make games first and foremost for ourselves and we cancel titles that we aren't having fun with. Once we've started having fun with a title, we try to make that experience as accessible to as many people as possible, and once again, if we can't do that we cancel it.

By nature, everyone at PopCap is a hardcore gamer. If we find it fun, we've got the core audience. Once you make that experience accessible to people outside that core audience, you increase your game's reach. We spend a lot of time making what we enjoy appeal to as many people as possible.

Your titles have had a lot of success on portable devices. The Sony PSP2 (NGP) is on the horizon, and it's come under fire from some quarters who say that the experiences available on it don't lend themselves to the easy "pick-up-and-play" appeal that audiences want on portable gaming devices. What's your take on that?

(Laughs) I think the thing with portable gaming – and portable gaming devices – is they all have the same problem; the mobile phone. I don't carry my DS with me anymore when I go travelling. It just sits there until there's a game I absolutely have to play on it, which isn't available on any other platform.

The PSP2 will have the same problem. People always have their smartphones with them. Yeah, you're always going to get better hardware and more immersive expereinces, but when I'm on the road, I'm looking for a less immersive experience. That's really what all those devices are up against.

So would you say these portable devices are on their way out, because they don't offer all of the conveniences of a smartphone – such as a phone, a camera, a gaming device, a music player and so forth?
I think that if they want to survive, in my mind, they'll have to evolve into something that's way beyond what they are now. Whether or not they do that, or what they need to do, or what they'll even look like, I'll be honest, I don't know. But it's very definitely a challenge they face.

Speaking of evolving platforms, the iPad 2 just got released ...

We're really rooting for the iPad, just because so many great experiences can be made. We need more users on it for us to develop more specific content for it – the way we did with multiplayers on the Xbox 360 – but there are all sorts of things the iPad 2 can do, such as LAN gaming. Usually that involves a big headache of setting up machines, feeling really nerdy and wondering why women talk to you at all. With the iPad, if you have a multiplayer game, you can just bring your iPad round, sit on the couch and have a blast.

In the past, PopCap mainly made games for PCs and Apple's touchscreen platforms, but recently you made the jump to Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS. What were the main challenges in porting your games to these consoles?
I think the big challenge there breaks into two parts. First, you have to look at the modes that are expected by the audiences of those consoles. For example, when we ported Plants vs Zombies to the Xbox 360, we probably spent well over half the development time on designing its multiplayer mode. We wanted to make it a really great, "on the couch" type of experience because we knew that that's what people expect and want from an Xbox 360 game.

Second, we spent a lot of time adapting our control systems to the console interface. What makes a great iPhone game or a PC game is different to what makes a great Xbox 360 game – and in turn, what makes a great Nintendo DS game. So, really the creative challenge that we embrace and take very seriously, focuses a lot on those two areas.

Now that you've made the jump on to these platforms, will we see PopCap make a title exclusively for one of those consoles?
We will never release a game that's exclusive to any platform. Whatever gaming experiences we create and continue to create, we're all about the multi-platform aspect of gaming. We feel it's very important to our strategy and very important to our customers.

Will we ever start a title off on a console? Well, it's something that we've talked about at various stages. We've even done some prototypes of some games on a console. I can see us at least starting on a console in the next five years, certainly.

We don't have a hard and fast rule for or against the idea; it's all about whether or not we've got a great idea for a console game. And the same goes for PC, or mobile phones, or any other platform we're currently on.

You talked about the challenges of adapating to the Xbox 360 and DS control interface – being, as they are, very different from PCs and smartphones. But the interfaces of consoles are changing again, with the introduction of Kinect and the PS Move ...
Yeah, we're looking at them. The problem we have with those interfaces is... well, the great Wii and Move and Kinect games you see are designed from scratch to be great Wii and Move and Kinect games. We have yet to see a game that's a port or an adaptation on those control systems that's a great game too. To the extent that one of our games would be a good adaptation, then, yeah, we could think about porting it. But the question, once again, would focus on whether the game would be a great experience with those interfaces. For example, Bejeweled on Kinect would just be Bejeweled exactly how it is, but you'd control it by moving your hands, which wouldn't exactly be a great Kinect experience.

We're not a mobile company or a console company or a PC company. We're a games company – that's our DNA.

• PopCap Hits and PopCap Hits Vol 2 (for the Xbox 360) and Plants vs Zombies (for the DS are out now. All three titles are published by Mastertronic

A label like this (from Cowan's Coney Island Lager line) could only be the work of a literary soul.

>>FINELY BREWED PROSE Though his boozy empire is no longer based in the Bay Area of his youth, we still have a soft spot in our hardened alcoholic hearts (or is that livers) for Jeremy Cowan. The founder of Shmaltz Brewing, Cowan has brought corny Jewish wit into the world of craft beers -- see the label for his nut brown Messiah Bold: "the beer you've been waiting for" -- and done so at a time when we all still considered Sam Adams a microbrew. He's written a memoir about his rise to beer lord, which he'll be back in the Bay promoting this week. Check out his signing at Omnivore Books on Sat/7, and tell him l'chaim for us.<!--break-->

>>A WEDNESDAY KNIGHT Sharon Funchess contributed vocals to a standout track on Teengirl Fantasy's album 7AM, but her main musical project is Light Asylum, with Bruno Coviello. "Knights and Week Ends," one of four songs on the recent tour EP In Tension, exemplifies the duo's melding of powerfully dramatic '80s diva vocalization and cold metallic beats. The Brooklyn-based Funchess and Coviello have an album due next year on Mexican Summer, and they return to SF for a show this month.

Light Asylum, "Dark Allies":

>>PREPARE TO STOP The clusterfuck of a new-bike-lane-meets-intersection that is Fell and Scott streets is being revamped in an effort to un-fuck and un-cluster the mess. The center of-the-street bike lane—a recent addition to assist cyclists turning left from Route 47 on Scott to Route 30 on Fell—has proved perilous to pedestrians crossing east and west due to hordes of cyclists who don’t stop for them, and to drivers turning left from Fell onto Scott who have had to swerve to avoid oncoming cyclists in their lane. This week the city installed two more signals, which have yet to be turned on but will likely be dedicated left-turn lights for bikes and cars. Now, if the city can only do something about doofuses turning right onto Fell -– right into three lanes of oncoming traffic...like maybe a "No right turn" sign?

Signs of a pedestrian, cyclist, and driver intersection.

>>CINCO DE DRINKO? On the hunt for the best deal on a bucket of Pacifico bottles, we ran across Colorlines' timely reflection on the de-politification of Cinco de Mayo. Kinda crazy how all immigrant commmunity celebrations become occasions for the country to get shit-faced (see: St. Patrick's Day).

 >>REINSTALLATION Bliss Dance, a 40-foot sculpture of a dancing nude woman, was one of the best art projects at Burning Man last year. And this week, artist Marco Cochrane and his talented and hard-working crew have been installing the piece on Treasure Island, where she'll be dancing for city residents until at least October. The build, sponsored in part by the Black Rock Arts Foundation, should be finished by the weekend. An opening reception is set for May 26.

On Thursday's season finale of 30 Rock, Liz Lemon revealed what she thinks is a dream summer vacation: 12 weeks of community service on a chain gang. She gets to be outside, wear comfortable clothes, garden, and learn Spanish! But we know that Tina Fey has higher standards. To that end, we've come up with a handy list of activities for her to do on her hiatus (besides having her second child):

Read More >

Other Links From TVGuide.com

• 3rd Rock From the Sun
• Elizabeth Banks
• Jane Curtin
• John Lithgow
• Sarah Silverman
• Tom Cruise
• Patton Oswalt
• Tina Fey
• Will Forte
• Ina Garten
• Vienna Boys' Choir
• 30 Rock
• Steve Jobs
• Lady GaGa
• The Hunger Games

Some oil fields never die. In fact, some just get better with age.

Alberta's Duvernay shale may just be the best example yet.
 
It all has to do with the "shale revolution,” and how it's dramatically altering the energy landscape.
 
To be sure, large volumes of natural gas are being found in the least likely of places: Quebec, Michigan, even countries like Poland and Latvia.
 
That’s all well and good -- the world is finally cueing into the fact that cheap abundant natural gas will drive the global economy for decades to come.
 
Alberta has been a latecomer to the shale gas game, but that's about to change in a big way -- thanks to the emergence of the liquids-rich Duvernay play.
 
For weeks, speculation has been building that unknown buyers have been staking out a new shale play in Wild Rose Country, driving land prices at Crown mineral auctions to new heights.  In fact the Alberta government took in $2.6 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, which was an all-time high (but still far short of liquor, tobacco and video lottery).
 
Since last summer unknown bidders have paid as much as $35,000 a hectare for land (2.5 acres=1 hectare) in an area called Kaybob that normally sells for only a tenth as much. At an Alberta land sale in March unknown buyers put up the ridiculous sum of $107 million for a single parcel near Fox Creek, 260 km northwest of Edmonton, a sure sign that something is afoot in the hinterland.
 
This is Montney country, yes. But the sheer scale of the bids was enough to turn heads and set tongues wagging in the high skyscrapers of downtown Calgary. All that money for deeper rights down to the Devonian -- it could only be the Duvernay.
 
The Duvernay is noteworthy because it's the source rock for the original Leduc oil discovery in 1947. It's also a high-quality source rock for most of the crown jewel oil discoveries in Alberta over the decades, from the Swan Hills to the Keg River reefs.

It's the same rock that built an industry... a gift that keeps giving to this day.
 
The Duvernay is a spot-on, perfect example of a well-known play that could never be developed without the technologies we have today: the dynamic duo of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling.

On April 19, Trilogy Energy Corp. (TSX-TET), along with partners Celtic Exploration Ltd. (TSX-CLT) and Yoho Resources Inc. (TSX-YO) announced test results from their second Duvernay joint venture well.
 
The results were quite strong -- 7.5 million cubic feet per day of gas.  More important, the well yielded 75 barrels of liquid condensates and 56-degree API oil for every million cubic feet of gas, for some 1,250 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
 
If the crew at Canadian brokerage firm Peters & Co. was disappointed with the cost of the well -- $17.5 million including the fracs -- it was clearly impressed with the production numbers, especially the liquids content which amounts to more than 500 barrels a day alone (Do the match by multiplying by $100 a barrel). Peters thinks there are cost savings to be realized with full scale development, which is usually the case with these early stage plays.
 
In some ways, it could be the most important well drilled in Western Canada since the first Leduc discovery well in 1947. That's because the liquids, which are priced on an oil equivalent basis, are more than enough to make up for the relatively weak gas price.
 
Wellington West Capital Markets reports that the addition of those liquids effectively pushes the realized gas price up to $8 per mcf equivalent (mcfe), which is not bad at all, especially in the current market.
 
These are the kinds of numbers that draw attention of major players.

So it was hardly a surprise that Encana Corp. (TSX-ECA) came out the very next day and revealed itself as the mystery buyer of all those Duvernay rights, spending $300 million on land acquisition in the first quarter alone.
 
For a company like Encana -- North America's second-largest gas producer, the shift into liquids is a no-brainer after the haircut they took in the first quarter. As one of the most gas-levered companies on the planet, they have to do something.
 
And one look at the company's first quarter results tells the story: it barely broke even in the first three months of the year (thanks to effective hedging) compared to a $1.5 billion profit in the same period a year ago.

They're basically giving the gas away for free.
 
Encana CEO Randy Eresman practically said so much at the company's annual meeting in Calgary last week when he suggested the company could give away the gas and still make money on the liquids.
 
In that sense Duvernay is manna from heaven, and some serious good fortune for a trouble gas sector.
 
Plus, Alberta has a ready-made market for those liquids, which are used to dilute bitumen and heavy oil and make it flow through pipelines like the Keystone XL to the U.S. Those liquids have been in short supply in recent years, and there was even talk of importing them from offshore for use in the oil sands.

As I said, Encana shelled out $300 million on land acquisition, just in the first quarter.

It’s a big number considering there are only two published drill holes into the Duvernay – and neither one belongs to Encana.

The Duvernay is the hot new stealth play in western Canada.

Yes, it’s early stage, but Encana’s big purchase shows they believe it will be a highly profitable play – so profitable in fact, the big dog of Canadian gas could become a take-over target itself.  As I mentioned, the Duvernay is the “source rock” where much of the oil in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin was formed – and then migrated upwards into the pools and traps that have been the discovered since the first Leduc well in Alberta in 1947.

Ironically, Encana quoted Trilogy’s test numbers as a benchmark of success even though it hasn’t drilled a single horizontal well into the play. In fact, it only has one vertical penetration to date, which it described as “encouraging.” Assuming of course, a company like Encana has enough clout to create “the economies of scale” needed to drive down costs. Indeed, it has shown it has plenty of muscle, even in a weak gas price environment, to do just that.

On a conference call to discuss its disappointing first quarter results, company officials raved that the Duvernay has the potential to be a “top quartile” shale play in North America.

Confidence or cockiness? Given Encana’s reputation as a low cost producer that has become a victim of its own success by unlocking tens of trillions of cubic feet of reserves, we’re going to say both. Let’s face it, they ARE a big part of the reason there’s so much gas around these days.

But what happens next is an investor’s dream. This could be a HUGE new play, like the Horn River in remote northeast B.C., but on a larger scale.

Except Duvernay isn’t northeast B.C.  In the Duvernay area, we’re talking about good roads capable of carrying good crews and equipment to work each day. You can even get a good cup of coffee on the way there, and drive back home at night – no camps with extended absences from family. It’s a virtuous circle.

So here's the full tally:

• The Duvernay has an abundant and highly profitable natural gas liquids, to the point where Encana says it can give the regular dry gas away for free and still make money.

• There is lots of infrastructure in the area – pipelines, gas processing centres, and so forth.

• Several junior and intermediate producers already own dozens of sections each of Duvernay rights that haven’t been priced into their stocks yet (this is exactly what happened in the Cardium play in late 2009 and Alberta Bakken plays in mid-late 2010).

So which companies/stocks will likely benefit the most from the emerging Duvernay play?

Companies like Trilogy have been playing Kaybob and another area called Simonette for almost two decades. Almost by accident, it’s now the largest Duvernay land holder after Encana.

Trilogy is either going to become a big fish in a small pond or its going to get swallowed fast. Ditto for Celtic and Yoho, which might as well hang out the for sale sign and get it over with.

Other junior companies that could be ripe for the picking include Donnybrook Energy (DEI-TSXv) and Cequence Energy (CQE-TSX).  Both juniors own more than three dozen net sections near where Encana bought a large acreage position for the Duvernay – Donnybrook is on both sides of Encana’s new package – Simonette to the west and BigStone to the east.

Even Encana has been rumored to be a takeover target for a super major like Shell, and its shares must look pretty cheap right at $30 or so, especially if it’s sitting on another Marcellus or Eagleford. Unlike Exxon, Shell has been sitting on the shale gas sidelines and it could be looking to make a move. Taking out Encana would probably be a $40-billion bite and undoubtedly one of the biggest corporate deals in Canadian history (hypothetically speaking, of course).

But it’s not just producers that stand to gain from a big shale discovery in Alberta. Considering this first well cost nearly $18 million to drill and complete, it’s a trickle down economy with all the attendant drilling, completion and transportation stocks having nowhere to go but up.

Even if producers can get the all-in well cost down to $15 million or even $10 million, all your favorite drilling stocks, Precision Drilling Corp. (TSX-PD), Trinidad Drilling (TSX-TDG), and Ensign Energy Services (TSX-TSI), are going to reap the benefits of this next drilling boom.

Along with all your pressure pumpers and frack masters, the Calfracs (TSX-CFW) and Flints (TSX-FES) of the world, whose pumper trucks are the key to making unconventional gas a viable proposition.

And unlike Quebec or New York, even the politicos will get on board this train.

Given that the Alberta government had the scare of its life when its ill-conceived royalty changes just about scared every rig out of the province three years ago, it isn’t eager to make the same mistake twice. The bean counters in Edmonton are probably toasting their good luck about the Duvernay now, because this is the kind of tide that raises all boats, including theirs.

The Duvernay is the gift that keeps on giving.  Only now, it’s going to be giving directly to investor’s wallets.

By. Keith Schaefer

Keith Schaefer is the editor of the Oil and Gas Investments Bulletin. He has just released a free guide on the Fracking industry which shows investors how to profit from the technological developments in the industry and which companies present the best opportunities for investors. Click here for your free guide.

It was going to be difficult to compete with last week's Kim Jong Il-related episode no matter what 30 Rock put out for its fifth season finale.

Even so, "Respawn" still felt extremely flat as a way to end the year.

Jack's story line was the main culprit. The guy uses another guy to replace his absentee wife thing has been done well before, and to perfection with Doug and Arthur on King of Queens, so Jack treating Kenneth like Avery was both tiresome and a little weird. The pouring of wine, staring into Ken's eyes, and giving him earrings was just weird, and not funny.

While Jenna's plot also missed the mark, as most do with her boyfriend Paul, it still had its moments. Honestly how can it not be funny when a sheep and a giant wool mascot are sitting in on a boardroom meeting.

The Paul stuff continues the trend of just being more strange than funny. I get it. They do crazy stuff like walk each other like dogs. It just doesn't really work on a comedic level.

Unsurprisingly, the Tracy action was some of the best of the night. His interruption of Liz's perfect summer worked on multiple occasions, from yelling in his sleep to introducing himself as both "Tracy from work" and "the black guy from work."

But it was the scene with Liz in the courtroom that really kept the episode alive.  There is nothing like listening to Lemon recite every line from a courtroom movie scene that she could think of.  Add to that a judge actually named Judge Dredd, who has to yell "gavel, gavel, gavel!" because he doesn't have an actual gavel, and you have yourself multiple laughs.

It had its moments, but "Respawn" was not an extremely positive way to end this great bounce back season for 30 Rock.  What did you all think of the episode?

How did season five work for you? And are you excited for a sixth season? We leave you with some of our favorite quotes of the night, and don't forget to check out the 30 Rock quotes page for all the best one-liners.

Dr. Spaceman: Alright. Now that the popsicle's melted we've got ourselves a tongue depressor. | permalink

Frank: How's this for grown up? Last night for dinner, I put milk in my Apple Jacks. | permalink

Kenneth: It's an old Parcell family recipe, but I like to replace the Union soldier meat with boiled potatoes. | permalink

Paul: I hate to be the stereotypical man, but this is my home and I wanna wear this blouse. | permalink

Tracy: Hey guys. It's me Tracy, the black guy from work. | permalink

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['30 Rock' - 'Respawn']

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My affair crept up on me as my mother-in-law Linda and I were teaching the kids to play shuffleboard on deck 4. As the Disney Wonder approached the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, Lands End came into view. We stopped in our tracks and marveled at these famously tall and stoic landmarks at the tip of the Baja Peninsula.

A colony of sea lions bathed on the rocks, sun-worshippers laid out on remote Lover's Beach (only accessible via water taxi) and kayaks wove around Arch Rock. Cabo San Lucas impressively loomed with its mansion-dotted hilltops, testifying of Cabo's reputation as Mexico's most elite destination.

Lands End Coastal Cruise

I had foolishly signed up for the 40-minute Lands End Coastal Cruise ($33 adults, $19 kids) in a motorized catamaran. I say foolishly because I had wrongfully assumed we would be unable to see Lands End from the cruise ship and was disappointed we would not be experiencing anything new.

However, the excursion was not a total waste of time. We enjoyed getting up-close-and-personal with the landmarks and the informative narrative by J.M. Cousteau. But during my next visit, I'm renting a water taxi or kayaking to Lover's Beach.

Because there will be a next time.

Cabo San Lucas' Beaches

I had thoroughly researched Cabo’s beaches (a great resource is 10 Best Beaches in Cabo San Lucas) and had narrowed it down to Chileno Beach. Perfect for families, this beach skips the local party scene, has bathrooms, palapas for shade, snorkeling equipment and tide pools for exploration that I knew my kids would love.

The problem is Chileno Beach is located on what is called "The Corridor"--an 18-mile four-lane highway that follows a stunning coastline past championship golf courses, world-class beaches and luxury resorts.

OK, that wasn't the problem because that sounds pretty darn idyllic. The quandary was the cab ride cost around $80 round-trip. Renting a car for $47 was another option, but one I was unwilling to take with self-professed map dementia, unfamiliar roads, a foreign country and no car seats.

It was my way of preserving my children’s lives.

People repeatedly recommended the very beach I wanted to avoid: El Médona. Sure, it has a convenient location (just around the pier), a variety of restaurants and stellar views of Lands End but it’s also the crowded party beach.

In the end, the price was right. For $2/person, we rode in a glass-bottomed water taxi with a glass floor to our very own cut of paradise on Medona where we could rent boogie boards, jet skis, snorkel gear and anything our heart desired.

When we arrived at Medona, a cool Mexican dude offered us boogie boards but after taking one look at the relatively steep drop and undertow of the beach, turned him down. I did take him up on his offer to rent an umbrella for $10 for the day.

I didn't tell him that I would have paid double that for shade.

Despite several annoyances that included locals toting their wares no less than every 30 seconds (not an exaggeration), we had a nice time. The temperatures were mild, Haddie got her hair braided by a local merchant and another made her a bracelet. The kids never tired of chasing the waves and it was a chaotic form of paradise.

After a couple of hours, I left to explore the shops along Marina Boulevard, the main artery that curves around the waterfront. When I came back, the tide was starting to come in and the waves looked more dangerous. Linda and I moved closer to the kids and not even two minutes after making this decision, Bode (who was body surfing) got caught in an undertow and gobbled by a following wave.

OK, more like instead of the sexy red bathing suit I was fully clothed after my walk and though scary, his situation was not life-and-death.

But for drama’s sake just work with me here.

That was our sign to call it a day. Despite our less-than-optimal beach conditions, we were reluctant to leave. As we rode our tender boat back to the cruise ship, sea lions and pelicans escorted us as a final, memorable farewell to glorious Cabo San Lucas.

Pirates IN the Caribbean Soiree

The "Pirate IN the Caribbean" deck party is the Disney Wonder's most highly anticipated event. The evening starts with a pirate-themed dinner where everyone receives a pirate special bandanna and orders from a menu resembling the parchment of an age old treasure map. It ends with a buccaneer bash starring Mickey Mouse, games, a huge spread of food and the only fireworks display at sea.

Despite being worn out from our day at the beach, my kids insisted upon waiting up until 9:30 p.m. for the party. When we arrived, it was in full swing with interactive games on the big screen, a pirate-style line dance, black lighting, raucous music and Captain Hook.

Exhausted Bode and Linda bailed at 10 p.m. but Hadley was committed to wait up for the fireworks display and more importantly: the pirate-themed buffet at 10:30 p.m.Families huddled together in wonderment as the pirate pyrotechnics lit up the Mexican Riviera's ebony sky. Haddie then raced over to score the very first spot in line for the buffet and indulged in treasures like The Black Pearls' Beef Tenderloin and the Treasure Chest Meringue filled with tropical fruit, berries and vanilla sauce.

Because we hadn't eaten enough food on the cruise already. But it was all worth the wait.

© Crazy Bloggin' Canuck--A Denver Mom's Blog

New mom and 30 Rock star Jane Krakowski bundled up her infant son Bennett Robert Godley and ventured out for a stroll around their NYC neighborhood yesterday. Jane gave birth to Bennett on April 13 and it looks like she's already showing the little guy all the sights of springtime in New York. 30 Rock is experiencing quite the baby boom this year, with Tina Fey announcing her second pregnancy and Elizabeth Banks welcoming her son Felix via surrogate earlier this year. The 30 Rock season finale aired last night and Jane was up to her usual scene stealing tricks, galloping around the set in a shaggy animal costume that also cleverly concealed her former bump.

A look at sweeps with Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy. The Office tries to get rid of Will Ferrell, Parker Posey on Parks and Rec. 30 Rock has it's season finale and Tina Fey takes on Jersey Shore on Jimmy Fallon. Also, Idol Results.

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Added: Fri May 06 11:15:10 UTC 2011
Air date: Fri May 06 00:00:00 UTC 2011
Duration: 01:51

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Jimmy and Tina talk about '30 Rock' and her return to 'Saturday Night Live' to host.

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Added: Fri May 06 05:17:08 UTC 2011
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There is a line in this gem from the Eagles, Seven Bridges Road, "Sometimes there's a part of me, has to turn from here and go, running like a child from these warm stars, down the Seven Bridges Road. "

That's sort of how I feel about this series.  Its been perfectly pleasant seeing the wonderful embracing of the game in Nashville. They look like wonderful people, and they treated the Green Men just as well as you would guests in your own home ( look at them getting all friendly and such with Nicole Kidman)   They get loud, they love the game, and put paid to the assertion that Southern hockey fans don't know the game.

But yeah, we would rather just file it under "pleasant memories" and move on. The Canucks took a step in that direction tonight, with a win that at least gives the Prez Trophy winners a chance to close it out at home.

The ESPN box score.  The NHL link. Yankee as on point as always with the game recap.

Lets see who wins the shiny gold star tonight. As if you did not know already. A certain native of a certain suburb of Detroit perhaps?

I think we all know who the high mark guy is once again tonight.  But a few thoughts and points on the other guys.  

-With all the talk about the Twins, they had a pretty strong game.  Most shifts that started in their own end did not end up there ( back me up on that Cam! ), and they did pretty good at pushing the play.  Burrows has made a huge difference being back on that line.  He has made it much harder for Suter and Weber, forcing them to be aware of his physical play and general Mr. Everything awesomeness.

-Erhoff is the embodiment of the hockey term "high risk / high reward". He might just be in the dictionary as an example. But he made some good plays late defensively, and I still love the big German.

-Max Lapierre is not Manny Malhotra.  He is an excellent playoff performer though. As is his old Habs running buddy Higgins, who may just pinch himself daily to be on a team like the Canucks, and not the Panthers. Well done Mr Gillis.

-After the eventual game winner at 7:28 of the third, the Preds got 12 shots at the net.  Five required saves. Great work and give a shit on the blocks late by Kesler with one of them, Edler and Higgins on back to back Weber bombs, Rome, Ehrhoff and Lapierre.  Kostitsyn got a couple in that Luongo had to handle, but the whole team looked engaged for most of the game. They certainly were engaged after the Franson mystery puck goal.

-Alex Motherf%$^ing Burrows.  His play on Weber on the empty netter for Hank embodies the reasons we love the guy here.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2011/2012 Hart Trophy nominee. His mates kick ass too ;

Unless anyone has any objection, I think I will just hang a 10 on this guy. Ryan Kesler. Hockey player.  I think he is the physical manifestation of the "Beast Mode" gamer option the kids tell me about. That unintentional elbow that forced Smithson out was just a case of too much man. The goal is just another to add to the growing legend. Consider ; 1 goal, 2 assists, +2. 6 shots (1 missed), 1 blocked shot, 3 hits, led the forwards in ice time with 23:40 TOI ( 4:07 PP/ 2:40 PK ).He and Burrows ( and Hamhuis ) the big reason the 5 on 3 looked so bad for the Preds.  I'll forgive the 14 of 31 night on the draws. By his force of will alone, his line goes. 10/10.  (PS, loved the celebration on the GWG too. Looked like Buf' breaking OUR hearts last year! )

Chris Higgins is not all that bad either.  He seems to, every game and shift, find new ways of contributing.  He also seems to be getting even better at reading Raymond and Kesler and being where he needs to be. That line has made Fisher's line a non factor in this series.  3 shots, 1 block, and 1 hit in 17:21 TOI (1:00 PP / :12 PK ), but he does the "little things". 9/10.

Any game now, Mason Raymond is going to break out.  His stats line is not all that impressive. 1 shot, 1 missed, and 1 giveaway in 17:53 TOI ( 1:00 PP / 1:05 PK ) But everytime you looked up, he was out hustling someone in the offensive zone to get the puck and exert more pressure. His solid defensive play in his own end, especially on the penalty kill. 8.9/10.

So, don't you know you are supposed to be sucking right now? ;

To me anyhow, its kind of amazing how the Twins have become the current whipping boys ( Forwards category ) in this market. ( the speed of it, and the amount of invective thrown at the back to back Hart trophy guys. You would think that would buy you a second of a break, but not with some in Canuck Nation.)  The expectations on them are extraordinary, and they still keep battling.  The assists on the Ehrhoff goal were an example. Critics will just call that all lucky and whatnot, but they both fought through checks and made little touch passes in traffic to get that chance out of nothing.  Their work on the power play was great as always.  Their work 5 on 5 was not all that bad either!

Henrik Sedin has had to answer questions about being injured, and the "what's wrong" sly queries.  You know he wants to contribute and shut some people up.  Tonight, I heard Denis Potvin still say "No" on that question on SNET. Far be it from me to question one of the best defensemen of the past 40 years, but I have to a bit. 1 goal, 2 assists, a +2, with 1 shot and 1 takeaway in 18:05 TOI (4:07 PP / :16 PK ). He went 10 of 20 in the circle, but that draw with 30 seconds left on Fisher won the game. 8.89/10.

His brother Daniel Sedin was working hard too. People forget that the Twins are still seeing Weber and Suter on almost every shift. They still end up making those two ( thought by many the top pair in the NHL ) work their asses off to contain them. The battle aint over yet, but the Sedins looked better this game than the previous nights in this series.  In his 16:55 TOI (4:07 PP ) Daniel was credited with 1 assist, +1, 2 shots, (1 missed) and a takeaway. The Preds blocked 15 shots tonight. Weber led his team with 5 blocks. I am wiling to bet more than one of those was on Daniel. 8.7/10

Alexandre Burrows. Hated in opposing cities the league over. The member of the Ball Hockey Hall of Fame, one time Growwl, Checker (ECHL), Moose (AHL,thank you Craig Heizinger for insisting Nonis sign this guy! ), and now Canuck star got there by just outworking the other guy. He has talent. He has moves. But its that hard work every shift that makes him the fan favorite he is.  Tonight was just another example.  His work on the penalty kill, especially the 5 on 3 with his fellow Terror Twin Kesler, was wonderful.  His hard work on the Henrik empty netter, his screen on Rinne on the Ehrhoff goal. 1 assist, a +2, and 3 shots. I flat out am calling the ESPN stats guy a liar for the no blocks and hits. I saw him hit Weber with my own two eyes! 1 takeaway, 1 giveaway, and 1 of 3 filling in at the dot round out a very full 17:15 TOI ( 1:00 PP / 2:40 PK ) 9.125/10.

A Quebecois, a Mexican from Toronto, and a 9th round Dane walk into a bar... ;

Maxim Lapierre is a dirty player, we heard. He'll cost you dumb penalties, other fans intoned.  Media mavens would remind us that he was a fantastic playoff performer.  Those media guys were right so far.  Tonight, Mr Lapierre took a penalty for getting "interference" on Tootoo, before the Rome call made it a 5 on 3, but it was killed off by his guys. Every shift seemed a hard working one though.  He won 9 of 14 draws, including several defensive zone draws, as well as ones on the penalty kill.  That skill has enabled AV to not have to rely just on Kesler for big faceoffs. He was the guy AV went with when he cut down,for the most part, to three lines in the third, giving Hodgson's shifts to Lapierre as well. 1 hit, 1 block, 1 missed shot in his 14:06 TOI ( :36 PK ) 8.66/10.

Raffi Torres looked comfortable with Hansen and Lapierre. They all work hard, and force the other team to defend them as often as they lock down on defense to prevent opposition chances.  His 12:46 TOI, he was a +1, had 3 shots and missed one more.  The stats guys said he had no hits, but he menaced several guys at least.  8.65/10.

Everyone's favorite Dane Jannik Hansen had another solid game.  The stats guy only saw him get 1 blocked shot, and 1 hit, while going a +1 in his 12:20 TOI ( :59 PK ).  That almost seems inconsequential by his standards.  Led the team in pissing other guys off, how's that? 8.64/10.

Stick with me kid, I'll make you a star ;

Cody Hodgson will do just fine in the NHL. In his limited duty in the playoffs so far, he has shown solid hockey sense, and he definitely has the skills.  His skating is fine as well, thank you very much.  Tonight he was a -1 ( on for the Franson goal, I think it was ), and had 1 hit. 1 for 2 in the circle tonight. 7.99/10.

Mikael Samuelsson had a few more shifts and ice time than the rookie. He is back on the point on the #1 PP, because he works there ( had a couple lousy plays there too, but also several good ones ) Was a -1, had a hit and a takeaway in his 13:27 TOI (4:00 PP ). He did get back with the Twins a few times, after penalty kills and such. But he is where he deserves to be 5 on 5 still. 8.1/10

Tanner Glass? About the same. He had a few more shifts and ice late compared to Cody. 8:04 TOI. 2 hits. I think he had a half chance or two against the Borg like checking of the Preds, but I can't be sure without an audit. 8.02/10.

Blue line powers activate ;

Big minute man tonight was former Pred Dan Hamhuis. He was on for 24:13 TOI ( 2:04 PK ). The stats man said he had a +1,1 hit, 1 blocked shot, 1 shot, and a giveaway. The stats man can suck it. Hammer was a rock tonight. His work on the 5 on 3 was legendary, as was his work on other kills. Passes that started breakouts. Plays on boards that prevented the other team getting pressure. Dan the Man has a knack for being in the right place when he is on his game. He was on his game. 9/10.

His partner Kevin Bieksa had a bit more noticeable game according to the stats team. His 23:54 TOI (:51 PP / 1:33 PK )  was considerable. Most the time it was positive. +1, 3 shots, 1 hit, 3 blocks, and a takeaway.  His penalty was an offsetting one for getting to physical with Weber.  8.9/10

Mr Christian Ehrhoff had a bit of what we might call a "lively" night.  He was directly at fault on the Ward goal ( with his partner), but had a goal and 2 assists.  Was a +1, had 3 shots, 2 blocks and a hit in 20:37 TOI ( 4:00 PP/ 22 PK ) I know he may have made a couple mistakes here and there. but he was solid late when it counted, and had a goal and 2 assists. 9.1/10.

Alexander Edler had a similar evening.  He played less than Ehrhoff ( his minutes taken here and there by Salo pairing with the big German instead, as well as 'Hoff's big minutes on the power play contributing ) at 16:21 TOI (:16 PP / :56 PK ), but he had a goal, on a great shot. A +1 with 2 other shots missed, 2 blocks, and 3 hits.  8.9/10.

I don't know about you, but I am pretty happy that Sami Salo is back.  He makes the whole team better with his presence, and is just a solid all round player.  In 16:45 TOI ( 1:07 PP / 1:29 PK ) he had a penalty for the always called, the dreaded "delay of game".  Not his fault the Preds finally score a power play goal!  He also blocked 2 shots, and had 2 hits. He was solid, as evidenced by his getting more minutes in the third. 8.8/10.

Aaron Rome, however, has had better games, though its not like he was horrible. He was fairly solid defensively ( though the stats guy says no, I saw he had 2 giveaways anyhow. One in his own end particularly galling ), but not THAT good.  His penalty on Erat that led to the 5 on 3 was one that just cannot happen. 1 shot, 2 blocks, and 1 hit in 13:20 TOI ( 1:13 SH ). Let's start a rumour that Ballard starts Game 5. 8.49/10.

Ricky Bobby is a DRIVER Roberto Luongo is a GOALTENDER ;

There was a goal he would like back, the early third period one that tied the game.  The other one seemed more a case of his defenders leaving Ward alone too long in front, and he did make the original save.  But that tying goal will be enough for some of the goaltending sages to nod their head and intone how he has to grow.  Perhaps.  Roberto Luongo made some huge saves tonight as well. The ones on Hornqvist, during a scramble, and later on a strong rush, were both all about hanging in and never giving up on the play. Luongo did that. 21 shots and 2 goals is a fairly pedestrian .905 sv % in this game for the big fella.  Still he made the saves when he had to.  Let's keep with the lucky Chinese Numerology numbers for the goalie. 8.88/10.

So, there you go.  It was a solid game overall, and a win is a win. The Predators pushed a little harder than they have in the other games the Canucks won.  They did not push enough. The better team won again.  Let's not forget that the Preds were the better team in Game 2 on Roger's Arena ice. They can do that again. Put the workboots on, and out hustle these guys on home ice fellas.

A label like this (from Cowan's Coney Island Lager line) could only be the work of a literary soul.

>>FINELY BREWED PROSE Though his boozy empire is no longer based in the Bay Area of his youth, we still have a soft spot in our hardened alcoholic hearts (or is that livers) for Jeremy Cowan. The founder of Shmaltz Brewing, Cowan has brought corny Jewish wit into the world of craft beers -- see the label for his nut brown Messiah Bold: "the beer you've been waiting for" -- and done so at a time when we all still considered Sam Adams a microbrew. He's written a memoir about his rise to beer lord, which he'll be back in the Bay promoting this week. Check out his signing at Omnivore Books on Sat/7, and tell him l'chaim for us.<!--break-->

>>A WEDNESDAY KNIGHT Sharon Funchess contributed vocals to a standout track on Teengirl Fantasy's album 7AM, but her main musical project is Light Asylum, with Bruno Coviello. "Knights and Week Ends," one of four songs on the recent tour EP In Tension, exemplifies the duo's melding of powerfully dramatic '80s diva vocalization and cold metallic beats. The Brooklyn-based Funchess and Coviello have an album due next year on Mexican Summer, and they return to SF for a show this month.

Light Asylum, "Dark Allies":

>>PREPARE TO STOP The clusterfuck of a new-bike-lane-meets-intersection that is Fell and Scott streets is being revamped in an effort to un-fuck and un-cluster the mess. The center of-the-street bike lane—a recent addition to assist cyclists turning left from Route 47 on Scott to Route 30 on Fell—has proved perilous to pedestrians crossing east and west due to hordes of cyclists who don’t stop for them, and to drivers turning left from Fell onto Scott who have had to swerve to avoid oncoming cyclists in their lane. This week the city installed two more signals, which have yet to be turned on but will likely be dedicated left-turn lights for bikes and cars. Now, if the city can only do something about doofuses turning right onto Fell -– right into three lanes of oncoming traffic...like maybe a "No right turn" sign?

Signs of a pedestrian, cyclist, and driver intersection.

>>CINCO DE DRINKO? On the hunt for the best deal on a bucket of Pacifico bottles, we ran across Colorlines' timely reflection on the de-politification of Cinco de Mayo. Kinda crazy how all immigrant commmunity celebrations become occasions for the country to get shit-faced (see: St. Patrick's Day).

 >>REINSTALLATION Bliss Dance, a 40-foot sculpture of a dancing nude woman, was one of the best art projects at Burning Man last year. And this week, artist Marco Cochrane and his talented and hard-working crew have been installing the piece on Treasure Island, where she'll be dancing for city residents until at least October. The build, sponsored in part by the Black Rock Arts Foundation, should be finished by the weekend. An opening reception is set for May 26.

Liz can't handle having Tracy as her vacation neighbor.

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Added: Fri May 06 03:45:10 UTC 2011
Air date: Thu May 05 00:00:00 UTC 2011
Duration: 00:54

A label like this (from Cowan's Coney Island Lager line) could only be the work of a literary soul.

>>FINELY BREWED PROSE Though his boozy empire is no longer based in the Bay Area of his youth, we still have a soft spot in our hardened alcoholic hearts (or is that livers) for Jeremy Cowan. The founder of Shmaltz Brewing, Cowan has brought corny Jewish wit into the world of craft beers -- see the label for his nut brown Messiah Bold: "the beer you've been waiting for" -- and done so at a time when we all still considered Sam Adams a microbrew. He's written a memoir about his rise to beer lord, which he'll be back in the Bay promoting this week. Check out his signing at Omnivore Books on Sat/7, and tell him l'chaim for us.<!--break-->

>>A WEDNESDAY KNIGHT Sharon Funchess contributed vocals to a standout track on Teengirl Fantasy's album 7AM, but her main musical project is Light Asylum, with Bruno Coviello. "Knights and Week Ends," one of four songs on the recent tour EP In Tension, exemplifies the duo's melding of powerfully dramatic '80s diva vocalization and cold metallic beats. The Brooklyn-based Funchess and Coviello have an album due next year on Mexican Summer, and they return to SF for a show this month.

Light Asylum, "Dark Allies":

>>PREPARE TO STOP The clusterfuck of a new-bike-lane-meets-intersection that is Fell and Scott streets is being revamped in an effort to un-fuck and un-cluster the mess. The center of-the-street bike lane—a recent addition to assist cyclists turning left from Route 47 on Scott to Route 30 on Fell—has proved perilous to pedestrians crossing east and west due to hordes of cyclists who don’t stop for them, and to drivers turning left from Fell onto Scott who have had to swerve to avoid oncoming cyclists in their lane. This week the city installed two more signals, which have yet to be turned on but will likely be dedicated left-turn lights for bikes and cars. Now, if the city can only do something about doofuses turning right onto Fell -– right into three lanes of oncoming traffic...like maybe a "No right turn" sign?

Signs of a pedestrian, cyclist, and driver intersection.

>>CINCO DE DRINKO? On the hunt for the best deal on a bucket of Pacifico bottles, we ran across Colorlines' timely reflection on the de-politification of Cinco de Mayo. Kinda crazy how all immigrant commmunity celebrations become occasions for the country to get shit-faced (see: St. Patrick's Day).

 >>REINSTALLATION Bliss Dance, a 40-foot sculpture of a dancing nude woman, was one of the best art projects at Burning Man last year. And this week, artist Marco Cochrane and his talented and hard-working crew have been installing the piece on Treasure Island, where she'll be dancing for city residents until at least October. The build, sponsored in part by the Black Rock Arts Foundation, should be finished by the weekend. An opening reception is set for May 26.

Sheryl Crow must have a new album coming out.

Yes, last night producer Jimmy Iovine was joined by Sheryl Crow in the coaching circle, and she was there with mic in hand, ready to sing back-up to our Idols (much as she did for Michael Jackson back in the day). Together they thought everyone was awesome and was going to have "a moment" -- which only means that they learned their lessons from Jimmy making a bold prediction that Jacob would go home last week.

The theme was "Now and Then", with each contestant singing a song from today, and a song from some undefined long time ago. And I will say, again, because I like reiterating when I'm right: Three judges means less talking, more time for singing. I think it's AWESOME that we get to start having two songs as early as the Top 5. Way to go, AI producers.

So, here's how it went down:

1. James: Can this AdLam wanna-be exceed the AdLam himself???

Now: He sang "Closer to the Edge" by 30 Seconds to Mars

This is a great song, and it's also a surprisingly rangy song. It has some significant chunks in the lower register, which is not James's strong point, so he sounded fairly weak to start out. Then he went crowd-mingling, which I believe distracted him and drove him off-key.

Then: Sang "Without You" by Harry Nilsson

With all that tearful build-up, James was going to have a tough time living up to the expectations he set for an emotional deliver. But he did deliver. There was a heartfelt beginning. Again, some wading through his weak lower range, and then a reversion to his typical screaming high range. But, and it's a big but: I really did believe him, and it really touched me, and that is indeed what matters most sometimes.

Bottom line: Oh, he'll be safe. No one's going to boot the boy he cried. But personally, as an AdLam fan, I will actually be pretty annoyed if he wins, given AdLam didn't. Yes, I'm petty like that.

2. Jacob: Did he save or skewer himself last night?

Now: "No Air" by Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks

OK, pet peeve #1: Why was he smiling? Pet peeve #2: Why was he screaming? Pet peeve #3: Why does the guy who wouldn't sing "Let's Get It On" feel OK with down and dirty hip rolls? Only I don't think he really felt OK, he seemed to distract himself with the dance moves and go a little off. Now, the ending, when he brought it back down, that was fine and true. But Randy is right...the rest sounded off key and felt corny.

Then: "Love Hurts"

This has some really good moments, especially during the quiet poignant beginning. I really like when Jacob keeps it sweet. This also had some irredeemable screaming. And Anthony Hopkins in the audience, what the what???!!!

Bottom line: Hmmmm. Y'all know I'm no Jacolyte. But I'm not sure he was the worst he could be. I think he'll be at risk, but may not go home.

3. Lauren: I know you're tryin' to work the Carrie Underwood angle, honey!

Now: "Flat on the Floor" by Carrie Underwood

So, I've been saying for a while that Lauren is all pipes no passion, but hey, I guess she's reading this blog because this week she decided to just go for it and sing some Carrie. This may have been rough, but it may also have been her best effort yet, because it was the first time she blew it out, actually. Of course she still just does not know what to do with herself on stage. Lord help her. She just can't help herself from wiggling and shimmying...awkwardly.

Then: "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers

This had some loveliness (not her 70s "lounging dress" and feathered hair, though), but her low range is really weak. And she totally and completely bailed on the famous, soaring falsetto ending. What a disappointing ending. I just don't think one can perform that song if one is not willing to shoot for the sky on the final "I neeeeeeeeed your love." And I kinda cracked up the way she said "Thank you" at the end, like she was an obedient child reaching the end of a long-dreaded recital.

Bottom line: Lauren's the only one who can save Jacob tonight, I think.

4. Scotty: Isn't it sweet to watch them grow up before our very eyes?

Now: "Gone" by John Michael Montgomery

This was a good song choice for Scotty, because he was able to show a little personality. And have you noticed he doesn't finger his mic anymore? Yeah, I'm glad.

Then: ""You Were Always On my Mind" by Willie Nelson

Nice, smooth, simple. Actually a nice antidote to all the wailing. He may be young, and he may not bring quite the gravitas the song can handle, but he didn't muck it up, let's just put it that way.

Bottom line: I'm going to shock you now: I think Scotty joins Haley as the most improved contestant this season...and perhaps he has improved the most. He's gotten rid of some of his annoying tics; he's made the most effort to show the full range of what he can do; he's made an effort to show actual emotion and specific interpretations. Don't faint. But he's safe, and I'm OK with that.

5. Haley: Wow, the Woman can Wail, and yes, I Adore Alliteration

Now: "You and I" by Lady Gaga (unreleased)

Wow. Well, she can wail, and that's for real. But yeah, what a mistake to sing this song. Hopefully she'll be rewarded for her chutzpah, but I just don't think this song was worth it.

Then: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals

And yet again: Wow. What can you say: She can sing. She has what they call "chops" :)

Bottom line: Haley is who we thought Lauren was going to be after her first audition. Remember that no-holds-barred seemingly wild child? Lauren lost that essence. Haley has it. If she goes home, it's really too bad, because her voice is solid like a rock and really current too. I still think she needs work on her movement, but even that has gotten much better. Like I said above: She and Scotty have really worked on growing, changing, improving. The others have stayed pretty much the same.

Bottom line for the Bottom Two:

Should be: Jacob and Lauren with Lauren going home

Will be: Jacob and Haley with Jacob going home

But it's a total guess, as you may have noticed I do a lot of with these predictions!

So, what's your guess?

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