Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.
The comments of The Queue yesterday wanted more cat pictures. So here's a cat. Specifically, it is Kelly Aarons' cat Alfrado.
Besides humans (which far and away need it the most), which race do you feel needs the graphic upgrade the most? And do you think this will finally - FINALLY - happen in 5.0? Considering all the gear assets they'll have to readjust for each race, it seems the longer they take, the more work they're gonna have to do. So the sooner the better, right?
Ugh. All of the original races need an overhaul. I don't think I can pick just once. Draenei and blood elves are still pretty cool, but all of the races that launched with vanilla WoW are not so good. With every new game that releases, it becomes a little harder for me to look at WoW's races, and I imagine it's even worse for new players. I'm going to be much more accepting of graphics I've been seeing for eight years than someone who has been playing, say ... an MMO like RIFT/Aion/TOR, or even a single player game like Skyrim. Those people are going to look at World of Warcraft's characters (and character creator) and go, "Really? This is what all the fuss is? Really?"
We're not looking for photorealism; we're just looking for ... better. The cartoony style is perfectly fine, but Warcraft right now is like watching cartoons from the '80s and '90s. They're not nearly as vivid as you remember them.
I love World of Warcraft, but I feel it needs to start putting up a serious fight to maintain its status as top dog in the MMO 'verse. Updating character models is just one thing the developers need to do. I think that many of us still playing WoW in 2012 are waiting for the developers to pull out a Hyper Beam, but they're Splash Attacking instead. I'm really eager to see what they're going to pull out for Mists of Pandaria.
... OK, fine, if I must pick one race that absolutely needs a redo, it's night elves. Holy crap, what is wrong with night elf males? They looked like horrific science experiments in 2004, and we're still looking at their mutant flipper hands eight years later. Destroy them. Destroy them all.
What exactly happened with Benedictus? I thought we found him out abou him turning trator during the alliance intro to twilight highlands- did Varian think it'd be funny not to tell Thrall that Benedictus had turned?
That quest chain never made it into the actual game. All of the sound files for that quest were recorded, Varian and Benedictus and the whole thing, but it was never actually implemented. The Alliance is given no indication of Benedictus' going traitor at all.
The Alliance's introduction to the Twilight Highlands is ... a little lackluster. We get a 24 reference, than Fargo Flintlocke flies us to the Twilight Highlands, where we discover the Horde has nearly destroyed our only foothold in the zone. That's it. The Horde's intro to the Twilight Highlands is much better and actually has some story relevance.
I've been farming MC on my hunter trying to get Thunderfury (2 years and no left binding, Geddon hates me) and I got the Eye of Sulfuras off Rag one run, My question is if I get the Sulfuron Hammer could I make the Legendary and get the achievement off it?
I wasn't sure, so I checked the Wowhead comments for Sulfuras. According to the comments over there, you'll only get the Feat of Strength if you can actually equip the item.
Like you, I also spent multiple years farming my second binding for Thunderfury. I finally gave up on it when transmogrification was announced. I'm not much of an achievement guy; I just wanted it to look cool.
2012年1月9日星期一
2011年12月29日星期四
The next generation stands tall
Kate Gridley is accustomed to toiling many hours in her studio to produce some of the most stunning and realistic portraits you will ever lay your eyes upon.
It is usually a solitary endeavor, but Gridley these days has a dozen sets of eyes — of her own creation — that are following her every move. Those eyes are peering our from the portraits of 12 young men and women that Gridley is painting as part of a new exhibit titled, “Twelve: Oil Portraits of Emerging Adults.”
It’s an exhibit featuring a dozen energetic and enterprising young people from disparate backgrounds whose paths all led through Middlebury, en route to promising lives that figure to change the world for the better.
“Ultimately, these are young people who I feel good that the country and the world’s future is in their hands,” Gridley said.
“All of these kids have something interesting to say.”
It was while serving as a volunteer for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008 in Ohio that Gridley developed the inspiration for what would become “Twelve: Oil Portraits of Emerging Adults.”
“Our (campaign) field bosses were 19, 21, 22 and 23” years old, she recalled. “They were motivated, they had left school, they had left jobs, and they were running this wonderful ship out there … We discovered that we loved working for this motivated, energized group of young people.”
At the same time, Gridley said she and her husband and fellow campaign worker John Barstow realized they were getting older, and that their own children were the same age as their campaign bosses.
“At some point, the mantle gets handed to the next generation, and it felt good,” Gridley said.
Aside from being an election year, 2008 also ushered in a major recession that Gridley anticipated would have a significant impact on artists like herself. She considered the “Emerging Adults” project as an endeavor to sustain her artistically during the lean commission period she believed was coming.
“I thought, ‘Well, we’re going to have to tighten our belts and if I were in the position of having no portraits to paint on commission and if I were just painting them for myself — which is a very different feeling — who would I choose to paint?’” Gridley recalled. “I realized that what I really wanted to do was a set of portraits of young people who are 17 to 23.”
That age bracket now has a name, Gridley noted: “Emerging adults.”
As part of researching her budding project, Gridley connected with Middlebury College Psychology Professor Barbara Hofer, who teaches a course on the subject of emerging adults and their connections to family and technology. The two women chatted about that subject and Gridley’s artistic ideas. Hofer would later join an advisory board that Gridley set up to guide her project, which is gradually taking shape, brush stroke by brush stroke, in Gridley’s workshop. Once completed, the exhibit will consist of a set of 12 large oil portraits (each 30-by-60 inches) of emerging adults — seven males and five females — that Gridley took great care in selecting. Each subject is depicted standing in a three-quarter view to just below the knees.
The portraits will “speak” through digitally recorded testimonials that viewers of the exhibit will be able to access through their cell phones — which happen to be one of the essential networking tools for emerging adults.
Gridley’s 12 subjects are from many varied backgrounds but are all tied together by a common thread — her two sons, Angus and Charles, both of whom also fall into the emerging adults age bracket. The two sons will also be immortalized on canvas, with their portraits posted as the symbolic gateway to the featured 12.
“A lot of really interesting young people have paraded through John’s and my door,” Gridley said. “We know some of them very, very well. I decided to choose young people who had interesting stories to tell who were comfortable enough in their own skins to not be afraid to say what they believe in and say who their hopes are and what their dreams are, and who also have enough spine to get on out in the world and try things.”
Examples of some of her subjects — whom she lists simply by first name to protect their privacy — include:
Kamal, originally from East Harlem, who spent many summers at the Gridley/Barstow household as a Fresh Air Fund child. His family is Muslim. He escaped from a building near the World Trade Center during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He is now working his way through college.
Meg, from Cornwall, a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who wants to teach reproductive health in Africa. She is a journalist, actress, singer and activist.
Nathaniel, who left Middlebury to attend the United World College in Mostar, Bosnia. He is passionate about world issues, foreign languages, literature and theater.
Aubrey, a Middlebury College student from Botswana who speaks seven languages and is majoring in economics and theater.
“Each of these emerging adults has a unique voice,” Gridley wrote in her project narrative. “A diversity of religious and cultural beliefs, a range of sexual identities and orientations, socioeconomic status, work and travel experiences, failures and successes, family structures, and health issues are represented in this group.”
All of the subjects have come in to pose for their portraits, attired in casual clothing they would wear every day. And all have agreed to be interviewed, with assistance from National Public Radio Correspondent Anne Garrels and the Middlebury-based Vermont Community Foundation. The youths will speak about their personal aspirations as well as their hopes for society and the world.
Gridley has been tending to her emerging adults as time allows. The economy did not take as heavy a toll on her commissioned work as she had feared, so Gridley has had to multi-task on assignments. Some of those assignments have come in the wake of her being selected to paint former Gov. James Douglas’s official portrait. That portrait now hangs in the Statehouse. She is currently painting a portrait of U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions III, in honor of his work as chairman of the Federal Sentencing Commission. The painting will hang in the Federal Judiciary Building in Washington, D.C.
The goal, Gridley said, is to have the “Twelve” completed by Dec. 30, 2012. The exhibit will then go on tour for lengthy shows at the Wilson Museum of The Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester and Burlington College, before ending up at the Jackson Gallery in Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater during the fall of 2014.
At the same time, Middlebury College and other local institutions will feature courses and/or parallel exhibits on the topic of emerging adults.
Gridley hopes the exhibit will also tour nationally. After that, the paintings will be for sale.
In the meantime, she continues to work diligently on the “Twelve” and has been writing grant applications to help underwrite her work and supplies. She recently received a $3,000 grant through the Vermont Community Foundation.
It is usually a solitary endeavor, but Gridley these days has a dozen sets of eyes — of her own creation — that are following her every move. Those eyes are peering our from the portraits of 12 young men and women that Gridley is painting as part of a new exhibit titled, “Twelve: Oil Portraits of Emerging Adults.”
It’s an exhibit featuring a dozen energetic and enterprising young people from disparate backgrounds whose paths all led through Middlebury, en route to promising lives that figure to change the world for the better.
“Ultimately, these are young people who I feel good that the country and the world’s future is in their hands,” Gridley said.
“All of these kids have something interesting to say.”
It was while serving as a volunteer for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008 in Ohio that Gridley developed the inspiration for what would become “Twelve: Oil Portraits of Emerging Adults.”
“Our (campaign) field bosses were 19, 21, 22 and 23” years old, she recalled. “They were motivated, they had left school, they had left jobs, and they were running this wonderful ship out there … We discovered that we loved working for this motivated, energized group of young people.”
At the same time, Gridley said she and her husband and fellow campaign worker John Barstow realized they were getting older, and that their own children were the same age as their campaign bosses.
“At some point, the mantle gets handed to the next generation, and it felt good,” Gridley said.
Aside from being an election year, 2008 also ushered in a major recession that Gridley anticipated would have a significant impact on artists like herself. She considered the “Emerging Adults” project as an endeavor to sustain her artistically during the lean commission period she believed was coming.
“I thought, ‘Well, we’re going to have to tighten our belts and if I were in the position of having no portraits to paint on commission and if I were just painting them for myself — which is a very different feeling — who would I choose to paint?’” Gridley recalled. “I realized that what I really wanted to do was a set of portraits of young people who are 17 to 23.”
That age bracket now has a name, Gridley noted: “Emerging adults.”
As part of researching her budding project, Gridley connected with Middlebury College Psychology Professor Barbara Hofer, who teaches a course on the subject of emerging adults and their connections to family and technology. The two women chatted about that subject and Gridley’s artistic ideas. Hofer would later join an advisory board that Gridley set up to guide her project, which is gradually taking shape, brush stroke by brush stroke, in Gridley’s workshop. Once completed, the exhibit will consist of a set of 12 large oil portraits (each 30-by-60 inches) of emerging adults — seven males and five females — that Gridley took great care in selecting. Each subject is depicted standing in a three-quarter view to just below the knees.
The portraits will “speak” through digitally recorded testimonials that viewers of the exhibit will be able to access through their cell phones — which happen to be one of the essential networking tools for emerging adults.
Gridley’s 12 subjects are from many varied backgrounds but are all tied together by a common thread — her two sons, Angus and Charles, both of whom also fall into the emerging adults age bracket. The two sons will also be immortalized on canvas, with their portraits posted as the symbolic gateway to the featured 12.
“A lot of really interesting young people have paraded through John’s and my door,” Gridley said. “We know some of them very, very well. I decided to choose young people who had interesting stories to tell who were comfortable enough in their own skins to not be afraid to say what they believe in and say who their hopes are and what their dreams are, and who also have enough spine to get on out in the world and try things.”
Examples of some of her subjects — whom she lists simply by first name to protect their privacy — include:
Kamal, originally from East Harlem, who spent many summers at the Gridley/Barstow household as a Fresh Air Fund child. His family is Muslim. He escaped from a building near the World Trade Center during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He is now working his way through college.
Meg, from Cornwall, a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who wants to teach reproductive health in Africa. She is a journalist, actress, singer and activist.
Nathaniel, who left Middlebury to attend the United World College in Mostar, Bosnia. He is passionate about world issues, foreign languages, literature and theater.
Aubrey, a Middlebury College student from Botswana who speaks seven languages and is majoring in economics and theater.
“Each of these emerging adults has a unique voice,” Gridley wrote in her project narrative. “A diversity of religious and cultural beliefs, a range of sexual identities and orientations, socioeconomic status, work and travel experiences, failures and successes, family structures, and health issues are represented in this group.”
All of the subjects have come in to pose for their portraits, attired in casual clothing they would wear every day. And all have agreed to be interviewed, with assistance from National Public Radio Correspondent Anne Garrels and the Middlebury-based Vermont Community Foundation. The youths will speak about their personal aspirations as well as their hopes for society and the world.
Gridley has been tending to her emerging adults as time allows. The economy did not take as heavy a toll on her commissioned work as she had feared, so Gridley has had to multi-task on assignments. Some of those assignments have come in the wake of her being selected to paint former Gov. James Douglas’s official portrait. That portrait now hangs in the Statehouse. She is currently painting a portrait of U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions III, in honor of his work as chairman of the Federal Sentencing Commission. The painting will hang in the Federal Judiciary Building in Washington, D.C.
The goal, Gridley said, is to have the “Twelve” completed by Dec. 30, 2012. The exhibit will then go on tour for lengthy shows at the Wilson Museum of The Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester and Burlington College, before ending up at the Jackson Gallery in Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater during the fall of 2014.
At the same time, Middlebury College and other local institutions will feature courses and/or parallel exhibits on the topic of emerging adults.
Gridley hopes the exhibit will also tour nationally. After that, the paintings will be for sale.
In the meantime, she continues to work diligently on the “Twelve” and has been writing grant applications to help underwrite her work and supplies. She recently received a $3,000 grant through the Vermont Community Foundation.
2011年11月30日星期三
GE's Discovery IGS 730 takes a different approach to interventional imaging
GE Healthcare has introduced a new interventional X-ray unit that is neither floor-mounted nor ceiling-mounted. Instead, the Discovery IGS 730 uses a mobile motorized gantry with laser-guided navigation, the ability to preset movement parameters and of course, steering and guidance by a user during a procedure.
"We created a totally different class of imaging system," says Hooman Hakami, president and CEO of GE's interventional systems unit. "If you're an interventional radiologist and you're trying to decide between ceiling-mount and floor-mount, you're deciding between, 'Do I want patient access or do I want room, air flow and sterility?' You don't have to make that choice here."
The Discovery IGS 730 features precise positioning, unlimited parking capabilities and nearly two dozen advanced applications. It has a cable management system that is fully expandable and retractable, allowing for full mobility.
The installation time, Hakami estimates, is the same as what it would be for one of GE's existing floor-mounted systems. "We tried to make it so that it wasn't more cumbersome from an install standpoint," he says.
In terms of safety features, the Discover IGS 730-which has gone through the equivalent of a decade's worth of clinical procedures testing-has a mechanism that will automatically stop the machine if it bumps into something - a foot for example.
Although this system is still pending 510(k) approval, it has been generating a lot of excitement among radiologists, according to Hakami. "Interest in it so far has been phenomenal," he says. "Even as a concept, the idea was getting a tremendous amount of feedback. Now that can see it, touch it and see what the capabilities are, the reaction has been just amazing."
"We created a totally different class of imaging system," says Hooman Hakami, president and CEO of GE's interventional systems unit. "If you're an interventional radiologist and you're trying to decide between ceiling-mount and floor-mount, you're deciding between, 'Do I want patient access or do I want room, air flow and sterility?' You don't have to make that choice here."
The Discovery IGS 730 features precise positioning, unlimited parking capabilities and nearly two dozen advanced applications. It has a cable management system that is fully expandable and retractable, allowing for full mobility.
The installation time, Hakami estimates, is the same as what it would be for one of GE's existing floor-mounted systems. "We tried to make it so that it wasn't more cumbersome from an install standpoint," he says.
In terms of safety features, the Discover IGS 730-which has gone through the equivalent of a decade's worth of clinical procedures testing-has a mechanism that will automatically stop the machine if it bumps into something - a foot for example.
Although this system is still pending 510(k) approval, it has been generating a lot of excitement among radiologists, according to Hakami. "Interest in it so far has been phenomenal," he says. "Even as a concept, the idea was getting a tremendous amount of feedback. Now that can see it, touch it and see what the capabilities are, the reaction has been just amazing."
2011年11月10日星期四
New Garden State Plaza Manager Has Jersey Roots
Deborah Mattes has managed four malls for Westfield, most of them in the Chicago area.
But none of them compare to her fifth mall, the Garden State Plaza, Westfield's largest U.S. shopping center, where Mattes was named senior general manager in September.
Mattes says she's ready for the challenge, and is even looking forward to Black Friday, when shoppers from miles away make a pilgrimage to Paramus to start their Christmas shopping.
"I'm looking forward to that energy and seeing the holiday season kick off that way," Mattes said.
Her move to New Jersey is in some ways a return home. Though Mattes grew up in the Chicago area, she was born in the Garden State and has some family in the area.
She's still getting used to the traffic, but the October snow was probably a familiar sight.
Her leadership isn't the only change at the Garden State Plaza. Mattes said the mall is sprucing up in advance of the holiday season, with new furniture and plantings.
The mall is redoing the pedestrian crosswalks from the outer ring road to the interior of the mall lot and is working to reroute the ring road to improve traffic flow. The mall also added floor space on the upper level, and customers can expect improved lighting both inside and outside.
The Planning Board recently approved a new parking guidance system for one of the mall's parking decks that will tell customers where and how much parking is available within.
Mattes said that despite the slow economy the mall is making its way back to the highs of 2007, when the mall made a reported $358.6 million in retail sales on the year, according to Westfield's annual reports. That number dipped to $308.5 million in 2009, but climbed back to $344.1 million last year.
The mall has seen an increase in spending from luxury customers and gotten more visitors from New York City, just 8 miles away, Mattes said.
Mattes said she tries to cultivate relationships with each store manager in the mall, communicating about any issues and working together on marketing strategies. The collaboration helps drive sales and traffic, she said.
The Garden State Plaza has a broad appeal that made it less vulnerable to the downturn than other businesses, Mattes said.
"You really have enough of an offering that appeals to everybody," she said.
The Garden State Plaza is about to increase those offerings with several new stores like C Wonder, a women's fashion accessory boutique; Aroma Espresso Bar, an Israel-based chain; Skagen Design, a designer of high-end watches; Naanoosh Mediterranean Grill, a fast-casual restaurant; and many others.
"I'm really excited," Mattes said. "It's a big honor to be running the Garden State Plaza, so I'm just thrilled that Westfield chose me to do that."
But none of them compare to her fifth mall, the Garden State Plaza, Westfield's largest U.S. shopping center, where Mattes was named senior general manager in September.
Mattes says she's ready for the challenge, and is even looking forward to Black Friday, when shoppers from miles away make a pilgrimage to Paramus to start their Christmas shopping.
"I'm looking forward to that energy and seeing the holiday season kick off that way," Mattes said.
Her move to New Jersey is in some ways a return home. Though Mattes grew up in the Chicago area, she was born in the Garden State and has some family in the area.
She's still getting used to the traffic, but the October snow was probably a familiar sight.
Her leadership isn't the only change at the Garden State Plaza. Mattes said the mall is sprucing up in advance of the holiday season, with new furniture and plantings.
The mall is redoing the pedestrian crosswalks from the outer ring road to the interior of the mall lot and is working to reroute the ring road to improve traffic flow. The mall also added floor space on the upper level, and customers can expect improved lighting both inside and outside.
The Planning Board recently approved a new parking guidance system for one of the mall's parking decks that will tell customers where and how much parking is available within.
Mattes said that despite the slow economy the mall is making its way back to the highs of 2007, when the mall made a reported $358.6 million in retail sales on the year, according to Westfield's annual reports. That number dipped to $308.5 million in 2009, but climbed back to $344.1 million last year.
The mall has seen an increase in spending from luxury customers and gotten more visitors from New York City, just 8 miles away, Mattes said.
Mattes said she tries to cultivate relationships with each store manager in the mall, communicating about any issues and working together on marketing strategies. The collaboration helps drive sales and traffic, she said.
The Garden State Plaza has a broad appeal that made it less vulnerable to the downturn than other businesses, Mattes said.
"You really have enough of an offering that appeals to everybody," she said.
The Garden State Plaza is about to increase those offerings with several new stores like C Wonder, a women's fashion accessory boutique; Aroma Espresso Bar, an Israel-based chain; Skagen Design, a designer of high-end watches; Naanoosh Mediterranean Grill, a fast-casual restaurant; and many others.
"I'm really excited," Mattes said. "It's a big honor to be running the Garden State Plaza, so I'm just thrilled that Westfield chose me to do that."
2011年11月9日星期三
Southington voters approve funding for middle school projects
Voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved spending $85 million to renovate and expand DePaolo and Kennedy middle schools.
The referendum question passed 4,697 to 2,215. Early in the voting, supporters of the projects were worried, as the numbers were running against the proposal. Democrats backing the school improvements attributed that to parents of children in the school system not voting until the late afternoon or at night, after dinner.
School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr. had been pushing hard for approval. Along with school board members, Erardi made 32 presentations over the past year on the project, many attended by the public.
"It's great news for us," said Erardi, on Tuesday night. "Southington continues to write a story for the state to pay attention to, for New England to pay attention to and for this country to pay attention. It speaks to our commitment to our children to pass with a margin of over 2-1 in these times. This is a very special community in regards to public schools and children."
The project is scheduled to start in June 2013 and be completed by June 2015.
Talk of renovating the middle schools started 13 years ago. The schools are more than 50 years old and do not meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The renovation project would restore the schools to "like new" condition.
"Like new" refers to the stipulations of a Connecticut law that provides towns and school districts increased state-reimbursement eligibility if they choose to renovate a school rather than build a new one, according to literature distributed by the Southington Executive PTO Council.
"After nearly 60 years without renovations, it's time," said Al Natelli, a Republican re-elected to the Town Council Tuesday night, who spoke about the referendum before the results were in.
"There is technology that has emerged in the last 10 to 20 years that has to be implemented into the middle schools," he said. "We have these children that are coming from elementary schools that have all this technology and they are going to the middle schools without (it). We have to prepare them for the global economy."
The renovation plan for each school will increase the size of each from 107,450 square feet to 140,160 square feet. Each school's renovation will cost an estimated $42,450,000.
Each school will get 12 new classrooms, eight renovated science lab classrooms and new guidance and student service areas, computer labs, media centers, art rooms and music rooms.
New mechanical and electrical systems and technology and security systems are included in the plans, as well as enlarged health offices, additional parking and renovated graphics and tech labs.
According to the town, the cost of the project will not exceed $85 million. Southington is eligible for a maximum of $44.5 million in state reimbursement for both schools, which would result in a total potential cost to the taxpayer of $40.5 million with interest to be paid over 20 years.
"The bottom line is that I am grateful for the school board and elected officials that supported this during these tough times," said Erardi. "It's hats off to them."
The referendum question passed 4,697 to 2,215. Early in the voting, supporters of the projects were worried, as the numbers were running against the proposal. Democrats backing the school improvements attributed that to parents of children in the school system not voting until the late afternoon or at night, after dinner.
School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr. had been pushing hard for approval. Along with school board members, Erardi made 32 presentations over the past year on the project, many attended by the public.
"It's great news for us," said Erardi, on Tuesday night. "Southington continues to write a story for the state to pay attention to, for New England to pay attention to and for this country to pay attention. It speaks to our commitment to our children to pass with a margin of over 2-1 in these times. This is a very special community in regards to public schools and children."
The project is scheduled to start in June 2013 and be completed by June 2015.
Talk of renovating the middle schools started 13 years ago. The schools are more than 50 years old and do not meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The renovation project would restore the schools to "like new" condition.
"Like new" refers to the stipulations of a Connecticut law that provides towns and school districts increased state-reimbursement eligibility if they choose to renovate a school rather than build a new one, according to literature distributed by the Southington Executive PTO Council.
"After nearly 60 years without renovations, it's time," said Al Natelli, a Republican re-elected to the Town Council Tuesday night, who spoke about the referendum before the results were in.
"There is technology that has emerged in the last 10 to 20 years that has to be implemented into the middle schools," he said. "We have these children that are coming from elementary schools that have all this technology and they are going to the middle schools without (it). We have to prepare them for the global economy."
The renovation plan for each school will increase the size of each from 107,450 square feet to 140,160 square feet. Each school's renovation will cost an estimated $42,450,000.
Each school will get 12 new classrooms, eight renovated science lab classrooms and new guidance and student service areas, computer labs, media centers, art rooms and music rooms.
New mechanical and electrical systems and technology and security systems are included in the plans, as well as enlarged health offices, additional parking and renovated graphics and tech labs.
According to the town, the cost of the project will not exceed $85 million. Southington is eligible for a maximum of $44.5 million in state reimbursement for both schools, which would result in a total potential cost to the taxpayer of $40.5 million with interest to be paid over 20 years.
"The bottom line is that I am grateful for the school board and elected officials that supported this during these tough times," said Erardi. "It's hats off to them."
2011年10月17日星期一
Hyundai Veloster: prices announced
With two doors on the driver’s side of the cabin, and one on the passenger side, it offers a unique configuration in its class, making it easier for rear-seat passengers to get in and out.
It marks a return to the coupe class for Hyundai, after its last sporty model went out of production in 2009. The Veloster will compete against the Volkswagen Scirocco, Renault Megane Coupe and Vauxhall Astra GTC.
Just one engine is available at launch – the 1.6-litre GDi diesel with 138bhp, fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox or Hyundai’s first dual-clutch automatic.
Stop and start and low rolling-resistance tyres contribute to the Veloster Blue Drive managing 47.9mpg average fuel consumption and emitting 137g/km of CO2.
This makes it an economical choice, but it’s some way behind the Volkswagen Scirocco 2-litre TDI Bluemotion Technology, which manages 62.8mpg and emits 118g/km of CO2. Its saving grace is an asking price of £18,345, compared with £22,435 for the Scirocco.
The Veloster promises to be well-equipped, with standard features including 17-inch alloy wheels, 7-inch touch-screen media centre, Bluetooth with voice recognition, climate control, reversing sensors, front and rear fog lights, LED daytime running lights, CD player, iPod connection and leather steering wheel.
Choose the Sport trim level and 18-inch alloys, leather upholstery, heated front seats, panoramic sunroof, cruise control, keyless entry, engine stop/start button and alloy pedals are also fitted. On the options list, you’ll find sat-nav, rear parking camera, ParkingGuidance system , speaker upgrade and a red leather interior.
All Hyundai Veloster models are covered by a five-year/unlimited miles warranty, including five years of roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks.
It marks a return to the coupe class for Hyundai, after its last sporty model went out of production in 2009. The Veloster will compete against the Volkswagen Scirocco, Renault Megane Coupe and Vauxhall Astra GTC.
Just one engine is available at launch – the 1.6-litre GDi diesel with 138bhp, fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox or Hyundai’s first dual-clutch automatic.
Stop and start and low rolling-resistance tyres contribute to the Veloster Blue Drive managing 47.9mpg average fuel consumption and emitting 137g/km of CO2.
This makes it an economical choice, but it’s some way behind the Volkswagen Scirocco 2-litre TDI Bluemotion Technology, which manages 62.8mpg and emits 118g/km of CO2. Its saving grace is an asking price of £18,345, compared with £22,435 for the Scirocco.
The Veloster promises to be well-equipped, with standard features including 17-inch alloy wheels, 7-inch touch-screen media centre, Bluetooth with voice recognition, climate control, reversing sensors, front and rear fog lights, LED daytime running lights, CD player, iPod connection and leather steering wheel.
Choose the Sport trim level and 18-inch alloys, leather upholstery, heated front seats, panoramic sunroof, cruise control, keyless entry, engine stop/start button and alloy pedals are also fitted. On the options list, you’ll find sat-nav, rear parking camera, Parking
All Hyundai Veloster models are covered by a five-year/unlimited miles warranty, including five years of roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks.
2011年9月22日星期四
Driving Ireland in Ford Focus diesel
One of many pleasant little villages you pass through along this road, "it could be missed with the blink of an eye", as they say in Ireland, unless you spot an unusual monument. It's a full-sized stainless-steel replica of a Model-T Ford. Yes, you are on the ancestral home turf of Henry Ford, of Ford Motor Company fame. Erected as a new millennium project, the site has been visited by a number of Ford family members, the most recent being William Clay "Bill" Ford Jr. and family.
Bill is a great-grandson of Henry Ford and currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company. A commemorative plaque at the site was dated August 3, 2011. That was only a couple of weeks prior to my visit with the latest product from the Dearborn, Michiganbased company, a 2012 model year Ford Focus.
The new Focus was redesigned mainly in Germany and is built on a new C-car platform that will underpin a number of other Ford products. It's a global car in every other sense and is produced in Ford plants in Spain, Russia, China and, as well as Germany and North America (Michigan).
In Canada, Ford sells Focus in both 5-door hatchback and 4-door sedan body styles. And in Ireland it's also offered in a wagon version, called an "Estate". Although different descriptive names are used, both countries also offer Focus models in four prepackaged equipment and trim levels.
Sticker shock, however, is a highvoltage jolt when you do a euro-todollar conversion on the asking prices on an Irish Focus - it's almost double the Canadian price. Our proximity to the largest and most lucrative car market in the world certainly helps keep Canadian auto prices low when compared with most other countries in the world.
Even though diesel models are priced higher (about $700 more) they tend to be more popular with Irish buyers. It's mainly because diesel fuel is cheaper and these engines provide considerable better fuel economy. You pay a bit more, but get more for the car when you trade it in, I was told.
My test Focus came with Active Park Assist, which automatically pilots the Focus into a parallel roadside parking space. A salesperson at the dealership sheepishly described it as a "lady park system" and could only recall ever selling one vehicle with it.
Apparently I'm more in touch with my feminine side than I ever realized - okay, call me a sissy - but I do like Active Park Assist. It first measures a parking space as you drive by and tells you if the car will fit in it. You can then choose to let it do the steering or just use it as a guidance system - so parking is a much easier task.
On a side note, Ford is planning to build (in Detroit) a full electric version of the Focus and it's expected to be released next year. A full recharge, with a 240-volt charging station is reported to take less than four hours, which would be best in the industry.
The Healy Pass spans Ireland's spectacular Beara Peninsula. It connects the counties of Cork and Kerry and it's a very special driving experience. The road is long, winding and narrow, but the valley views on either side of the mountain ridge can be absolutely stunning when the weather cooperates - and it did.
The Focus also proved to be a highly enjoyable driving experience as it danced back and forth along the winding mountain road with Michael Flatley-like agility. Some credit must go to the new, and standard Dynamic Cornering Control system that uses "torque vectoring" techniques. It enhances cornering ability by lightly applying the brakes to an inside front wheel.
Bill is a great-grandson of Henry Ford and currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company. A commemorative plaque at the site was dated August 3, 2011. That was only a couple of weeks prior to my visit with the latest product from the Dearborn, Michiganbased company, a 2012 model year Ford Focus.
The new Focus was redesigned mainly in Germany and is built on a new C-car platform that will underpin a number of other Ford products. It's a global car in every other sense and is produced in Ford plants in Spain, Russia, China and, as well as Germany and North America (Michigan).
In Canada, Ford sells Focus in both 5-door hatchback and 4-door sedan body styles. And in Ireland it's also offered in a wagon version, called an "Estate". Although different descriptive names are used, both countries also offer Focus models in four prepackaged equipment and trim levels.
Sticker shock, however, is a highvoltage jolt when you do a euro-todollar conversion on the asking prices on an Irish Focus - it's almost double the Canadian price. Our proximity to the largest and most lucrative car market in the world certainly helps keep Canadian auto prices low when compared with most other countries in the world.
Even though diesel models are priced higher (about $700 more) they tend to be more popular with Irish buyers. It's mainly because diesel fuel is cheaper and these engines provide considerable better fuel economy. You pay a bit more, but get more for the car when you trade it in, I was told.
My test Focus came with Active Park Assist, which automatically pilots the Focus into a parallel roadside parking space. A salesperson at the dealership sheepishly described it as a "lady park system" and could only recall ever selling one vehicle with it.
Apparently I'm more in touch with my feminine side than I ever realized - okay, call me a sissy - but I do like Active Park Assist. It first measures a parking space as you drive by and tells you if the car will fit in it. You can then choose to let it do the steering or just use it as a guidance system - so parking is a much easier task.
On a side note, Ford is planning to build (in Detroit) a full electric version of the Focus and it's expected to be released next year. A full recharge, with a 240-volt charging station is reported to take less than four hours, which would be best in the industry.
The Healy Pass spans Ireland's spectacular Beara Peninsula. It connects the counties of Cork and Kerry and it's a very special driving experience. The road is long, winding and narrow, but the valley views on either side of the mountain ridge can be absolutely stunning when the weather cooperates - and it did.
The Focus also proved to be a highly enjoyable driving experience as it danced back and forth along the winding mountain road with Michael Flatley-like agility. Some credit must go to the new, and standard Dynamic Cornering Control system that uses "torque vectoring" techniques. It enhances cornering ability by lightly applying the brakes to an inside front wheel.
2011年5月2日星期一
Loading... Symbols: Authors: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP's CEO Discusses Q1 2011 Results - Earnings Call Transcript
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (BWP) Q1 2011 Earnings Call May 02, 2011 9:00 am ET
Operator
Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Q1 2011 Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP Earnings Conference Call. My name is Shantale, and I will be your facilitator for today's call. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the presentation over to your host for today's call, Ms. Allison McLean, Director of Investor Relations. Please proceed.
Allison McLean
Thank you, Shantale. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the First Quarter 2011 Earnings Call for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP. I’m Allison McLean, and I’m pleased to be joined today by Mr. Arthur Rebell, our Chairman; Mr. Rolf Gafvert, our CEO; and Mr. Jamie Buskill, our CFO.
If you'd like a copy of the earnings release associated with this call, please download it from our website at www.bwpmlp.com. Following our prepared remarks this morning, we will turn the call over for your questions.
We would like to remind you that this conference call will include the use of statements that are forward-looking in nature. Statements in this earnings call related to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions using currently available information and expectations. Actual results achieved by the company may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. The company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made during this call.
I’d also like to remind you that during the call today, we may discuss certain non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA and distributable cash flow. With regard to such financial measures, please refer to our earnings release for reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measures.
Now I'd like to turn the call over to Mr. Arthur Rebell.
Arthur Rebell
Thank you, Allison. As we have previously announced, Rolf told us last year that he looked forward to retirement in the near future. As our press announcement this morning noted, Stan Horton is joining Boardwalk today and will be the new CEO. Many of you know of Stan's distinguished record in the energy area and, hopefully, share our enthusiasm and welcome him as he leads Boardwalk into its future growth.
But I do want to take a moment and acknowledge the important role which Rolf has played in bringing Boardwalk from a small private company to one of America's leading public MLPs.
Rolf will remain an adviser to the company, and we know that he will continue to share his perspectives and advice with Stan and all of us. Rolf, thanks for your efforts and good luck.
And I will now turn the call over to Rolf.
Rolf Gafvert
Thank you, Arthur. Good morning, everyone. For the first quarter, we announced a quarterly distribution to unit holders of $0.5225 per unit. I will provide an update on our business, and then Jamie will discuss our financial performance in greater detail.
During the first quarter, a substantial portion of our pipeline capacity was contracted under firm agreements, and we experienced one of the coldest winters in the past 10 years, which helped us overcome overall weak market fundamentals. However, despite favorable weather conditions, declining price spreads between time periods impacted our storage and parking and lending services. For example, for the first quarter this year, parking and lending revenues were down approximately 65% over the comparable quarter in 2010 due to these unfavorable market conditions.
Should weak market fundamentals continue, our interruptible services, including parking and lending services and possibly firm contract renewals could be negatively impacted for the remainder of the year. These industry conditions led us to increase our distribution by $0.0025 per unit this quarter compared to the $0.005 increase in the previous quarter.
Although a relatively small portion of our overall business, net transportational revenues from power generators increased by more than 50% for the quarter compared to the first quarter of last year, as power providers signed up for firm services during the winter season. We are pursuing opportunities to add additional power generation facilities to our system, as operators review options for replacing older coal-fired power generation facilities.
During 2011, we are also adding compression to our system in order to create additional flexibility to better serve growing demand. In order to focus on expansion and acquisition growth opportunities, I am pleased to announce that during the first quarter, Jonathan Nathanson joined Boardwalk to head up our Corporate Development team.
That concludes my overview for Boardwalk. I would now like to turn the call over to Jamie, who will share with you the financial results for the quarter.
Jamie Buskill
Thanks, Rolf, and good morning, everyone. Operating revenues for the first quarter of 2011 were $311 million, an increase of $10 million or 3% from $301 million for the comparable period in 2010. The increase was driven by transportation revenues from our pipeline expansion projects, partially offset by $6 million lower parking and lending revenues due to unfavorable market conditions.
Turning now to operating expenses. We reported operating expenses of $181 million for the quarter, an increase of $8 million or 4% from $173 million for the comparable period in 2010. The increase was driven by expenses related to a fire at our Carthage compressor station that occurred in February. The incident had minimal impact to our gas flows, there were no injuries and we anticipate that insurance will the cover the loss. We expensed $5 million in the first quarter related to this incident, representing the amount of our deductible.
Operating expenses were also impacted by higher depreciation expense associated with our increased asset base and increased maintenance expenses. As we mentioned during last quarter's call, in January of this year, we issued $325 million of 10-year notes at our Texas Gas subsidiary, which carry a coupon rate of 4.5%. A portion of the proceeds were used to redeem $135 million of Texas Gas notes that carried a 5.5% coupon rate, and the remainder was used to pay down $190 million under our credit facility. In the first quarter, we recognized a $7 million loss due to the early redemption of the notes.
EBITDA for the quarter was $187 million, an increase of $6 million or 3% from $181 million for the comparable period in 2010. Net income for the quarter was $83 million, a decrease of $7 million or 8% from $90 million for the comparable period last year. Net income and EBITDA for the quarter were impacted by the revenue and expense drivers previously discussed, and net income was lower due to the early redemption loss of $7 million. We generated $113 million of distributable cash for the quarter. Growth capital expenditures were $16 million in the first quarter, and we expect to spend approximately $78 million for the remaining 3 quarters.
Operator
Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Q1 2011 Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP Earnings Conference Call. My name is Shantale, and I will be your facilitator for today's call. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the presentation over to your host for today's call, Ms. Allison McLean, Director of Investor Relations. Please proceed.
Allison McLean
Thank you, Shantale. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the First Quarter 2011 Earnings Call for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP. I’m Allison McLean, and I’m pleased to be joined today by Mr. Arthur Rebell, our Chairman; Mr. Rolf Gafvert, our CEO; and Mr. Jamie Buskill, our CFO.
If you'd like a copy of the earnings release associated with this call, please download it from our website at www.bwpmlp.com. Following our prepared remarks this morning, we will turn the call over for your questions.
We would like to remind you that this conference call will include the use of statements that are forward-looking in nature. Statements in this earnings call related to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions using currently available information and expectations. Actual results achieved by the company may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. The company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made during this call.
I’d also like to remind you that during the call today, we may discuss certain non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA and distributable cash flow. With regard to such financial measures, please refer to our earnings release for reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measures.
Now I'd like to turn the call over to Mr. Arthur Rebell.
Arthur Rebell
Thank you, Allison. As we have previously announced, Rolf told us last year that he looked forward to retirement in the near future. As our press announcement this morning noted, Stan Horton is joining Boardwalk today and will be the new CEO. Many of you know of Stan's distinguished record in the energy area and, hopefully, share our enthusiasm and welcome him as he leads Boardwalk into its future growth.
But I do want to take a moment and acknowledge the important role which Rolf has played in bringing Boardwalk from a small private company to one of America's leading public MLPs.
Rolf will remain an adviser to the company, and we know that he will continue to share his perspectives and advice with Stan and all of us. Rolf, thanks for your efforts and good luck.
And I will now turn the call over to Rolf.
Rolf Gafvert
Thank you, Arthur. Good morning, everyone. For the first quarter, we announced a quarterly distribution to unit holders of $0.5225 per unit. I will provide an update on our business, and then Jamie will discuss our financial performance in greater detail.
During the first quarter, a substantial portion of our pipeline capacity was contracted under firm agreements, and we experienced one of the coldest winters in the past 10 years, which helped us overcome overall weak market fundamentals. However, despite favorable weather conditions, declining price spreads between time periods impacted our storage and parking and lending services. For example, for the first quarter this year, parking and lending revenues were down approximately 65% over the comparable quarter in 2010 due to these unfavorable market conditions.
Should weak market fundamentals continue, our interruptible services, including parking and lending services and possibly firm contract renewals could be negatively impacted for the remainder of the year. These industry conditions led us to increase our distribution by $0.0025 per unit this quarter compared to the $0.005 increase in the previous quarter.
Although a relatively small portion of our overall business, net transportational revenues from power generators increased by more than 50% for the quarter compared to the first quarter of last year, as power providers signed up for firm services during the winter season. We are pursuing opportunities to add additional power generation facilities to our system, as operators review options for replacing older coal-fired power generation facilities.
During 2011, we are also adding compression to our system in order to create additional flexibility to better serve growing demand. In order to focus on expansion and acquisition growth opportunities, I am pleased to announce that during the first quarter, Jonathan Nathanson joined Boardwalk to head up our Corporate Development team.
That concludes my overview for Boardwalk. I would now like to turn the call over to Jamie, who will share with you the financial results for the quarter.
Jamie Buskill
Thanks, Rolf, and good morning, everyone. Operating revenues for the first quarter of 2011 were $311 million, an increase of $10 million or 3% from $301 million for the comparable period in 2010. The increase was driven by transportation revenues from our pipeline expansion projects, partially offset by $6 million lower parking and lending revenues due to unfavorable market conditions.
Turning now to operating expenses. We reported operating expenses of $181 million for the quarter, an increase of $8 million or 4% from $173 million for the comparable period in 2010. The increase was driven by expenses related to a fire at our Carthage compressor station that occurred in February. The incident had minimal impact to our gas flows, there were no injuries and we anticipate that insurance will the cover the loss. We expensed $5 million in the first quarter related to this incident, representing the amount of our deductible.
Operating expenses were also impacted by higher depreciation expense associated with our increased asset base and increased maintenance expenses. As we mentioned during last quarter's call, in January of this year, we issued $325 million of 10-year notes at our Texas Gas subsidiary, which carry a coupon rate of 4.5%. A portion of the proceeds were used to redeem $135 million of Texas Gas notes that carried a 5.5% coupon rate, and the remainder was used to pay down $190 million under our credit facility. In the first quarter, we recognized a $7 million loss due to the early redemption of the notes.
EBITDA for the quarter was $187 million, an increase of $6 million or 3% from $181 million for the comparable period in 2010. Net income for the quarter was $83 million, a decrease of $7 million or 8% from $90 million for the comparable period last year. Net income and EBITDA for the quarter were impacted by the revenue and expense drivers previously discussed, and net income was lower due to the early redemption loss of $7 million. We generated $113 million of distributable cash for the quarter. Growth capital expenditures were $16 million in the first quarter, and we expect to spend approximately $78 million for the remaining 3 quarters.
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