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Many people now think of Musk like somewhat of a superhero. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I have felt this way about him for a long time. He's pretty much doing what I have dreamt of doing my whole life: fighting global warming and pushing boundaries in outer space. I haven't even touched space travel in my career yet and he's doing both at the same time! The ideals that motivate his businesses align with my own better than anything I've ever come across. It is a very strange feeling to be an engineer/entrepreneur in the EV industry and watch someone living your entrepreneurial dream. I'm jealous. I'm stoked. I'm in awe. I'm inspired.

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Big Oil continues to enjoy record profits as high gas prices victimize Florida families. It's essential that Washington put aside the partisan bickering and enact a comprehensive, balanced plan to reduce gas prices -- and we can start by holding the oil industry accountable.

As Memorial Day approaches, the price of gasoline continues to rise across the nation. Yet big oil continues to rake in windfall profits -- Exxon Mobil reporting $9.5 billion in the last quarter alone.

The last thing we should be doing is throwing taxpayer dollars at an industry that doesn’t need our help. That’s why I voted to eliminate $18 billion in wasteful and unnecessary tax subsidies for Big Oil. Specifically, the measure I supported ensures oil companies pay royalties, closes loopholes and ends giveaways in the tax code for the oil industry. I was one of only a handful of Republicans to support this measure.

Getting Americans back to work is my highest priority. I will continue to fight for commonsense, bipartisan solutions to get our economy back on track.

As always, please let me know what you think.

Vern

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Autocross is a low-to-medium speed driving skill contest in which cars are individually timed over a short road course marked by traffic cones. Cars are separated from each other to ensure safety.

Drivers provide their own cars for racing. Most street-legal cars, other than SUVs, are allowed. No special modification is required. In fact, we especially welcome 'regular' cars like the one you drive to work every day. No special racing certification or experience is necessary - anyone with a valid driver's license is welcome as we provide instructors for all novices every event.

Besides being an accessible, affordable and fun way to get started in Motorsports, Autocross provides you with the chance to become a part of a very diverse community of men, women, young and 'young-at-heart' - all united by a love of cars and driving. So bring the family car - along with the family, of course - and join in the excitement!

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We're constantly excited to have Novices join us anytime during the season.

Even if you've never done Autocross or any other kind of motorsports before, you're more than welcome to race with us at any official event.

At every event, we will provide skilled helpers to ride along with novices and give feedback. There's no pressure whatsoever to perform well or be competitive. The main objective is for you to have fun with your car.

In addition, we will have at least one dedicated Novice School Event every season. These events are full-day sessions geared specifically for newcomers to the sport.

For 2013, we will be having one Novice School on March 16.

Regardless of whether you're attending a Novice School or an official Race Event, novice instructors will not only help you learn how to navigate through the 'sea of cones' that form an Autocross course, but they will also help you learn the basics of car handling, braking, turning, how to deal with oversteer and understeer etc. - the same fundamental skills that apply to any kind of car racing.

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Tesla Motors’ Model S sedan “blew away” its $90,000 gasoline-burning competitors in a recent review and may be the best car Consumer Reports has ever seen, the magazine recently said.
"It beats the best," Jake Fisher, director of auto testing for Consumer Reports, told Design News. “It’s faster; it’s quieter; it’s roomier; it rides better. This isn’t about new technology or environmental impact. This is simply a better vehicle.”

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Holders may convert their notes at their option at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding March 1, 2018 only under the following circumstances:

(1) during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on September 30, 2013 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the last reported sale price of the common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day;

(2) during the five business day period after any five consecutive trading day period (the “measurement period”) in which the trading price (as defined below) per $1,000 principal amount of notes for each trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of our common stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day; or

(3) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. On or after March 1, 2018 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their notes at any time. Upon conversion, we will deliver cash and, if applicable, shares of our common stock (subject to our right to deliver cash in lieu of such shares of our common stock), as described in this prospectus supplement.

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Fox News and Fox Business previously portrayed electric carmaker Tesla Motors as another "failure" of the Obama administration's green energy investments. But since it is now clear that the company is doing well, both networks have developed amnesia about its federal loan, with Tucker Carlson claiming that "they don't take any government subsidies at all."

Tesla recently reiterated its plans to repay a loan granted through the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program ahead of schedule. This followed a series of positive developments, including the company's first quarterly profits and a shining review of the Model S sedan by Consumer Reports. Financial services firm Morgan Stanley recently told Raw Story that "Many funds approach an investment opportunity by first asking: does the company do something better or cheaper than anybody else? Tesla is beginning to convince the market it may do both."


But no matter how Tesla fares in the coming years, it seems likely that Fox News will change its reporting to follow suit. In 2012, Fox News' claim that Tesla was a "failed" company was eventually adopted by the campaign of then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Later, Fox News admitted Tesla was a "success", eventually forgetting its federal loan in the process.
Video created by Max Greenberg and John Kerr.

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