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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
From: Plymouth, England, Other
Region: Other
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Smarty Plants on Walter Ernest Jones
Answered by: Nan Hampton
If you lived in Texas, I would have some native plant choices for you. For instance, there is Philadelphus ernestii, canyon mock-orange, and Cooperia jonesii, Jones rain lily. However, I haven't been successful in finding a native British plant with a name connected to your grandfather's name. You can view a check list of native British plants and even search the Postcode Plants Database for a native plants species list for your particular location. Unfortunately, I couldn't see any names that would link to your grandfather's name. You can visit the Royal Horticultural Society's Plant Finder and see what they can guide you to by searching on "jonesii" or "jonesiae" or "ernestii" or "walteri". Since these will not necessarily be British native plants, your mother may encounter difficulties in growing them in her garden. Several of the species I found there are native to the U. S. You can see information about them by searching the Wildflower Center's Native Plants Database and the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Plants Database, but we do not recommend growing native American species in England. Perhaps the Royal Horticultural Society can help in finding a native plant for your mother's garden that will honor your grandfather's name.
Pruning practices from Austin
May 16, 2013 - I need to do some pruning in my front beds and I know nothing about plants. From what I have been able to identify I have bicolor irises, plumbago, Japanese Aralia. I don't even know where to begin o...
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Muscari neglectum image
March 23, 2007 - I am doing a school project and found a native plant on the native plant information network image gallery. It is plant NPIN Image Id 524. What is it's name?
view the full question and answer
Hours of darkness for non-native poinsettia to bloom
October 28, 2005 - I have a poinsettia from last Christmas still alive. I was told to get it so many hours of darkness. Do you know how many hours? When would be the best time to start displaying the plant again?
view the full question and answer
Problems with non-native Chinaberry tree from Tucson AZ
September 05, 2013 - I have a 30+ year old Chinaberry tree and this year the branches are much sparser with leaves and there are a lot of small dead branches. Should I fertilize and what should I use? Thank you
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Is a mulberry tree undesirable?
June 27, 2013 - I have a hard time keeping plants alive, so I was happy when a random plant just started growing and thriving about 5 years ago in my yard. My mom (a frequent volunteer at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildf...
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We haven't done much in the way of updating the blog this Month since we've been tied up dealing with the new BMW M Project / Beast Part 2 / M Gladiator. This is a follow up to last years "Beast Inside" campaign for the M3's 25th anniversary. We wrapped it late last week and you can check it out here. They gave us a script and as always we had about 2 weeks to turn it around including all the casting, location scouting, shooting and post. As always, interested in your feedback.
We've just wrapped up the principal filming for a new BMW short film and it is looking pretty damn sweet (if we do say so ourselves). Unfortunately we've been hit with a gag order so can't say too much about it or show you exactly what it involves. Naturally this is a wee bit frustrating so in the mean time you can take a look at us making it. Phase 1 launches on August 16th so we'll be updating here as we go. We had a blast filming this, hoping you'll have a blast watching the final product!
Part 1 of the BMW Joy campaign can be viewed here now! Click picture for link. You can also watch it at bmw-joy.com.cn and post your ideas for how this short film should end. By the time we recover from making this one, it'll be time to start making the 2nd part.

subset: commoncrawl


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Drew Doesn't Wanna Be Sedated
Drew Doesn't Wanna Be Sedated
Drew looks lovely as she graces the pages of the October UK edition of Elle magazine. The girl who was drinking and using drugs at a very young age reveals she would never use anti-depressants, even though she gets panic attacks. She is totally terrified they will change her cute personality. Here's more:
"Every single medical expert says (panic attacks) are not real. So you're like, 'But how come when my throat is closing up, I'm blind with dizziness, I can't catch my breath, and I am hot and faint and want to rip my skin off and am convinced I'm going to die, that's so real to me?' I had some specialist recommend a daily drug, but I don't want to do it because I don't want to suppress my emotions. I would never take a pill.
Drew did say that pills worked for her father so she sees how they can work but she just isn't interested. This little girl lost seems to have grown up nicely but her panic attacks also sound like freaky flashbacks - scary. To see more beautiful pics from Elle, just read more
Link Love
- Miley Cyrus receives a dubious honor — Gossip Girl
- LeAnn Rimes's strange stage trick — Us Weekly
- Tom Hardy is preparing to play Elton John — Lainey Gossip
- Justin Bieber says he is being bullied — HuffPost Celebrity
- Meet Rocco Faison's famous godfather — People
- Ashley Benson slams photoshopping — BuzzFeed
- Simon Pegg joins Monty Python — ET
- Mariah Carey shows off her Christmas decorations — Pink Is the New Blog
- Why is Damian Lewis apologizing? — D-Listed
- Tom Daley steps out with his boyfriend — JustJared
- Max George's girlfriend shows skin — Hollywood Tuna
- Kanye West isn't happy about his Grammy nominations — The Superficial


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Jun 25/2003 AM
Well, today is a Ben day. If the weather is good, should be swimming in the ocean with friends this morning and play day this afternoon. Perhaps I will get some work in as well.
Spent some time yeaterday with dia i diagramming the network on one of my jobs.
Gotta run, the day has begun.


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Founded by a crab fisherman, FishEx brings you the Internet's largest selection of crab! Gargantuan crab legs, delicious crab cakes, gourmet bisque, split crab legs, premium merus meat, king crab gift boxes, and seasonal fresh crab. Seasonal, fresh crab is our specialty!
Sign-up here for email notifications of fresh crab shipments.
Talk about some sweet crab! This is not your typical snow crab. It is much larger and exceptionally flavorful. These giant Bairdi snow crab legs and claws are filled with flavorful & snowy-white meat that is absolutely delicious.An impressive and delicious way to serve large groups. Giant snow crab will make any party one to be remembered!
▪ Large "Bairdi" snow crab.▪ Average 2/3 to 1 lb. per cluster.▪ 4 legs & claw per cluster.▪ Flash-frozen, glazed, & packaged.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Lbs.
Note: Giant Alaska Snow Crab (Bairdi) is significantly larger than regular snow crab (Opilio)- which is the snow crab most people are familiar with.
This is absolutely huge Alaska snow crab!Captain's Reserve is the biggest & best that you can buy. These giant, flavorful, succulent snow crab legs are quite simply the largest you have ever seen!
Makes a delicious & impressive gift, a fantastic meal for special occasions, or a luxurious treat for yourself.Limited quantity available.
▪ Giant "Bairdi" snow crab.▪ 1.2 lbs. or larger, per cluster.▪ Due to size - 3 lb minimum order.
Captain's Reserve Giant Snow Crab is the largest you can buy. Many of these massive snow crab legsweigh 1/3 pound each!
Our Alaskan red king crab legs are themost popular king crab legs from Alaska, and some of the most highly-prized crab legs in the world. They are hailed for their sweet, robust flavor, jumbo size, and snow-white meat. There's nothing quite like sitting down to a table heaped with steaming king crab legs. You can hardly wait to dunk that first piece of tender crab meat into melted butter!We offer jumbo Alaska red king crab legs and claws that are pre-cooked and fresh-frozen. We also offer split king crab legs for those of you who can't wait to get to the "yummy stuff" inside! MORE INFO
Also available: Red King Crab Gift Boxes
▪ Our most popular crab.▪ Flash-frozen - Enjoy year-round!▪ Jumbo size - Average ½ lb per leg.
We have procured a limited supply of the acclaimed Captain's Reserve: the largest & best that Alaska has to offer. These huge, sweet, decadent crab legs are guaranteed to impress! MORE INFO
Try it with Truffle Butter.Makes excellent crab spectacular!
3 oz Tub $14.95
▪ Average 2/3 to 1 lb. per leg.▪ Count 6-9.▪ Minimun 3 lbs. due to size▪ Flash-frozen, glazed, & packaged.
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Lbs.
Buy more and SAVE - 10% off for orders 25 lbs and greater.
For a truly magnificent dinner, try a whole-cooked Alaska red king crab. These crab are sweet, rich, and create a regal presentation on your table.A whole-cooked king crab is fun to serve, absolutely delicious, and guaranteed to create an excited clamor among your family and friendsWhole-cooked king crab are much richer than simple legs & claws, because the fats from the body spread-out into the leg meat during the cooking process.Our whole-cooks arrive at your door already cooked, cleaned, and ready to be steamed and served. MORE INFO
▪ Weighs between 5 and 6 lbs.▪ Very rich, flavorful meat.▪ Frozen, glazed, and packaged.
It may be smaller in size than its giant cousin, but it is still huge on flavor. The noticeably sweet meat and delicate texture, makes this a real treasure on any table. Let your taste buds latch onto this succulent treat.Perfect for large gatherings and crab feeds; this affordable crab is sure to please.MORE INFO
$29 Flat-Rate Shipping*
- Overnight from Alaska- Stock-up and save!- MORE INFO
▪ "Opilio" snow crab.▪ Average 1/2 lb. per cluster.▪ 4 legs & claw per cluster▪ Flash-frozen, glazed, & packaged.
2 - 3 People
3 - 5 People
6 - 10 People
14 - 20 People
Alaska's blue king crab is winning accolades among crab connoisseurs. Caught in the icy waters surrounding St. Matthew Island, it is notably sweeter than red king crab. Blue king crab is becoming a favorite of many FishEx customers (including our company's founder). Now is the best time of year to stock up on the world's sweetest king crab. MORE INFO
Also available: Blue King Crab Gift Boxes
▪ Succulent, rich king crab legs▪ Average 1/3 to 1/2 lb. per leg.▪ Frozen, glazed and packaged.
Dungeness Crab is known for its exceptionally flavorful & sweet meat. The legs of Dungeness crab legs are packed-full of this delicate meat. This crab is noted for having a high meat-to-shell ratio.Dungeness crab is excellent for crab feasts. Just steam your crab legs, cover the table with newspaper, grab some mallets and forks, and dig in! This is a terrific way to have a enjoyable and memorable meal.Our Dungeness crab legs are arrive in the form of "clusters", meaning their are no bodies included, just legs and claws.MORE INFO
▪ From From Pacific NW waters.▪ Average 1/2 to 2/3 lb. per cluster.▪ 4 legs & claw per cluster.▪ Flash-frozen, glazed, & packaged.
These lower-cost king crab legs are perfect for crab feasts- when serving many people. These mild-flavored king crab legs also great for crab recipes such as soups, bisques, salads, dips, and more.
Stock your freezer at this special price!
Special: FishEx offers SPLIT Golden King Crab legs at no extra charge!MORE INFO
▪ Split legs & claws.▪ Average 1/4 to 1/3 lb per leg.▪ Convenient & easy to eat.
▪ Whole legs & claws.▪ Average 1/4 to 1/3 lb per leg.▪ Frozen, glazed & packaged.
Wow your friends next time you bring an appetizer tray to a party.
Snow crab cocktail claws are a delightfully fun, tasty, and attractive appetizer.
Not just good for parties - you'll find that they make great casual snacks as well. These cocktail claws store well in your freezer, require no cooking, and are easy to eat! After trying these, you may find yourself abstaining from snow crab legs; cocktail claws are every bit as tasty - and a lot easier to eat!
Can be served chilled, with a dipping sauce, or warm, with drawn butter on the side.MORE INFO
▪ 16-24 per pound.▪ Sweet & flavorful!.▪ Kids love them. Adults love them.
This scrumptious crab dip is made from succulent king & snow crab meat, blended with artichoke hearts, parmesan, cream cheese, mayo, and a dash of lemon. A tangy combination of "craby goodness" that will dazzle your taste buds!Ideal for holiday appetizers, parties, entertaining, and special occasions. You will love its delicious crabby flavor. Just bake and serve bubbling-hot.Allergen Information: Contains Shellfish, Soy, Milk, & Egg.
▪ Perfect for parties & appetizers.▪ Oven-ready frozen 5" tins.▪ Just bake and serve!
Feel like a Viking when armed with these useful and powerful Crab Hammers.Our crab hammers are made of durable beech wood, and weigh double what most mallets available weigh.To ensure a festive crab event, just add Crab Hammers and begin crackin' the night away!
Add some Truffle Butter.Makes the perfect crab feast!
▪ Made of durable beech wood.▪ Twice the weight of most mallets.▪ Cracks crab (and claws) easily!
Feast like a Viking on our delicious & fun-to-eat Lillehammer crab claws! Armed with wooden Crab Hammers, adults and kids alike will have a blast cracking into these tasty claws.Lillehammer crab claws have a mildly sweet flavor that is like a cross between Dungeness and Stone crab.Serve chilled with an aioli or creamy mustard sauce. Serve warm with melted butter or white truffle butter.
Get crackin' with these durable beech wood Crab Hammers!
Only $4.95 ea.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Ea..
▪ Average 7 claws per pound.▪ Great for parties and get-togethers.▪ Delicious & fun to eat!
2 People
4 People
6 People
8 People
We make it easy & convenient to access our crab legs by splitting the legs in half length-wise, so all you have to do is heat and serve. No cracking necessary!You're family & friends will love the easy access to the sweet, succulent crab meat. Each leg is individually glazed with frozen water to protect its delicious, sweet meat.MORE INFO
▪ Average 1/2 lb. per leg.▪ Alaska's most popular king crab.▪ Split lengthwise.
▪ Average 2/3 to 1 lb. per leg.▪ Biggest & best!▪ Legs split lengthwise.▪ Giant red king crab legs.
3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Lbs.
▪ Average 1/3 lb. per leg.▪ Alaska's sweetest king crab.▪ Split lengthwise.
King crab merus is the highly-prized chunk of meat from of a king crab leg.
If you want the very best, then this isthe crab for you. MORE INFO
▪ Giant crab leg meat shanks.▪ Flash-frozen & vacuum-sealed.▪ 1 lb. packages.
What's the difference?
$9.95 ea.Convenient & stylish. Includes two votive candles.
Out of Stock
Makes great crab spectacular!
8 oz Tub $34.95
Stock-up and save!
- Overnight from Alaska- FedEx / UPS delivery- MORE INFO
This perfectly flavored crab bisque has become one of our most popular items. It is expertly made with heavy cream, butter, sherry, and lots of red king crab. It's rich, crabby flavor and velvety texture is second to none!Each year, at "The Crab Shack" (our booth at the Alaska State Fair), we serve-up thousands of cups of this Alaskan favorite!MORE INFO
▪ Made with Alaska red king crab.▪ Individual frozen pints.▪ Convenient; just heat and serve.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Pint
Allergen Info: contains shellfish, soy, milk, wheat.
3 - 4 People
6 - 8 People
12 - 16 People
Our pure Alaska king crab meat is made up of luscious portions of King Crab knuckles, merus sections, and propodus leg meat pieces. Excellent for soups, chowders, salads, and a variety of gourmet recipes.If you just love king crab and need it around for appetizers and gourmet entrees, this is the ticket for you. Individually sealed packages of pure king crab meat. Just thaw and add to your favorite recipe. MORE INFO
White Truffle ButterMakes excellent crab spectacular!
▪ King crab leg & body meat.▪ Flash-frozen & vacuum-sealed.▪ 1 lb. packages.
One taste...and we will win you over to this delectable bit of heaven. Our white truffle butter is rich and creamy with an abundance of fragrant and delicious truffles. Truffle pieces are blended into the butter, with natural truffle juice, then chilled. It is made in small quantities, for a consistently fresh product. This butter works well when added to fish and is an ideal seasonings for braised, steamed or sautéed seafood. Ingredients: Premium butter, porcini mushrooms, white truffles, white truffle oil, salt, soy sauce.
▪ 3 oz resealable tub.▪ A unique decadent flavor.▪ Excellent with king crab.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Tub
▪ 8 oz resealable tub.▪ Adds a delicious aromatic flavor.▪ Wonderfuly earthy & garlicky!
Filled to the brim with delicious Alaskan seafood. You'll find heaping amounts ofcrab, shrimp, salmon, halibut, lobster, and shellfish. To make this amazing seafood stew,we first fill-up the containers with seafood, then we pour-in the flavorful, slightly-spicy tomato broth around it!So, roll up your sleeves and dig-into a delicious feast of Alaskan seafood!
▪ Packed full of Alaska seafood!▪ Individual frozen pints.▪ Just reheat and serve.
Saw through your crab legs with this easy to use crab shelling tool. These ergonomically shaped hand-held tools make opening crab legs fast and easy. Our shellers will help you get to that delectable crab meat with ease and make your crab dinners more enjoyable. So be sure to get enough of the handy tools for the whole family to use. Made from durable plastic and dishwasher safe.
▪ Ergonomic handle.▪ Sawtooth tip.▪ Excellent for shelling crab.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Sheller
$29 Unlimited FLAT-RATE - Overnight Delivery from Alaska*
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International Boxing Stats Monday, December 2, 2013 Weekly Res...Weekly Results --------------- (Final) December 1 (Sunday) At Trieste, Italy Roberto Cocco (14-10) W 10 Fabrizio Leone (6-3) At Manila, Philippines Chris Paulino (13-1) W 10 Renren Tesorio (12-4) At Maguan, China Xiong Zhao Zhong (22-4-1) KO 5 ... TickerTech.com, 1 week ago
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Global Update: Who's Where and Doing What - Nov 2013.
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Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, Vol 41500 Pages Elsevier Science and Technology Natural products in the plant and animal kingdom offer a huge diversity of chemical structures that are the result of biosynthetic processes that have been modulated over the millennia through genetic ... Research and Markets, 1 day ago
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LET Exam Results Secondary Level Letter M (September 2013)The PRC released the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) on November 23, 2013. PRC announced that there are 25,755 passers in the Secondary Level out of 64,792 takers with a total of 39%. Here's the List of Passers (Secondary Level Letter M): ... Philippine News, 2 weeks ago
411's MMA Rankings 11.12.13: Featherweight DivisionIt's Tuesday, it may be snowing or it may be balmy depending on where you live, but either way, it's time for the weekly 411 MMA Rankings! This week, we'll shine the spotlight on the featherweight division that has seen a significant change recently ... 411mania.com, 1 month ago
411 MMA Rankings 10.29.13: Middleweight DivisionLyoto Machida debuted at middleweight by blasting Mark Munoz's head into oblivion. Now, how does he stack up against Jacare Souza, Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort? Meanwhile, Tim Kennedy headlines the next UFC Fight for the Troops special against ... 411mania.com, 1 month ago
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Choose among solid door, clear door, half door, and more, in our great selection of holding cabinets! We also have an array of sizes, from undercounter to full height.
Other Food Holding Equipment and Food Warming
- Stainless Steel Steam Table Pan Adapter Bars
- Spec Line / Institutional / Heavy Duty Holding Cabinets
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- Double Lighted Infrared Food Warmer Heat Lamps
- Infrared Food Warmer Heat Lamp Accessories
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- Resin Vollrath Miramar Steam Table Adapter Plates
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Expert Reviews
Samsung Rugby 3 (AT&T)
Built for durability and outdoor work, the Samsung Rugby 3 is a sturdy clamshell cell phone. It features AT&T's enhanced push-to-talk and noise suppression, and it comes with large, responsive, and widely-spaced buttons that make it possible to hit...
alaTest has collected and analyzed 293 reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers really like the reception and value for money. The battery and usability are also mentioned favorably, but there are some less positive reviews about the portability...
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
- Overall
- features
- Performance
- Design
- Value
''Poor user functions''
Puts contacts in order by last name first. Can't change to first name. Ringtones have terrible selections.
Richadio on 2013-11-13
''Good phone''
Like it? A lot? A little? Tell us.
If you own one of these we'd like to hear what you think of it.


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Dear Fellow Members,
Congratulations to our newest Director, Stephen Miskell, who won the election for the vacated board seat on Friday, November 8th, at the November Monthly Meeting. Thank you to the other nominees, Todd Barry and Ed Perkins, for accepting your nominations and running for the position. Elections are healthy for any organization. It shows that its members are engaged and have an interest in the success of their club. So hats off to Stephen, Todd and Ed for your interest in this Society.
We had a very healthy turn out for the November meeting and it would be fabulous to see that kind of attendance at every monthly meeting. Perhaps as we head into the New Year you might consider a resolution to become a little more involved in your club...because the truth is...we miss you. If you haven't come around in a while, why not stop by for a visit sometime soon? With the holiday season upon us, there are many events and reasons to spend a little time at 132 Commerce Street in Glastonbury. So come by soon....we'd love to see you!
On behalf of the Officers and Directors, I wish for you a blessed holiday season, spent in the company of family and friends and those you hold most dear.
Sincerely Yours,
Maureen A. Kennedy President
The cultural committee of the CCCCC is creating a pictorial book on the history of the Hartford Saint Patrick's Day Parade as a fundraiser for the parade. We are looking for any pictures of previous parades and parade fundraisers. Any-one who would like to share their pictures with the commit-tee for possible submission in the proposed book can contact Dan Cahill at 860-985-6102 or through e-mail at email@example.com. Thank you in advance for your submissions. I look forward to hearing from you.
The children's Christmas party will be a pancake breakfast held on Sunday, December 8th from 9:00 am to 12 noon. We ask each child to bring a new unwrapped toy for admission (please consider toys for older children). There is a $5 charge for adults that wish to dine with their children. A photographer will be on hand to capture your child's moment with Santa. Please contact: Kathy Saimininkas 860-836-3785 firstname.lastname@example.com for reservations. Last year the toys were donated to children who were victims of Super Storm Sandy. If you would like to suggest an organization to receive the toys this year, please contact Maureen Kennedy at (860) 550-3126 or email@example.com
Our annual Christmas Ceili will be held on Sunday, December 8th at 4:00 p.m. in the Upstairs Hall. Music provided by The Pride of Moyvane. The cost is $10 and can be paid at the door. Refreshments will be served and a cash bar is available. For more information, please contact John Droney (860)521-2696


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- New prosthetic hand technology lets amputees feel again
- Child killed, 4 injured in Idaho elementary school bus crash
- Obama downplays IRS scandal, blames Obamacare rollout on 'outdated' agencies
- Pregnancies decline overall, up among older women
- Pentagon plans to destroy Syrian chemical arms on ship at sea
- Paris Metro issues 'politeness manual' to improve passengers' behavior
- Justin Bieber, crew detained at Australian airport in drug search
- Lee Rigby trial: Muslim who machete-hacked soldier calls it 'humane' kill
- GM ending Chevy sales in Europe to focus on Opel and Vauxhall
- Putin's diplomats to U.S. busted for living high life off $1.5M bilked from Medicaid
Insulin pump maker identified after hacking talk
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When Jay Radcliffe revealed three weeks ago that he'd found serious security holes in a popular type of insulin pump that diabetics wear, he kept two important details secret: the pump maker's name, and the specific technique he used to hack the device.
The problems he found carry exceptional risks, such as being able to program a special remote control to command strangers' pumps to dispense the wrong dosage of insulin. But Radcliffe said he was ignored in repeated attempts to alert the company to the defects. On Thursday he identified the company _ Medtronic Inc. _ in an effort to apply public pressure to fix the vulnerabilities.
The disclosure raises the risk of attacks on certain Medtronic insulin pumps. But Radcliffe said he hopes that exposure helps fix the problems. He said he tried to handle the disclosure ethically _ by working with the company first _ and felt "there should have been an ethical response (from the company) to that."
Radcliffe, a diabetic who experimented on his own Medtronic pump, revealed the details to The Associated Press ahead of a planned news conference.
Medtronic would not directly address its interactions with Radcliffe. Spokeswoman Amanda Sheldon said a Medtronic employee attended Radcliffe's presentation at the Black Hat computer security conference this month in Las Vegas and said the company was analyzing his public statements.
"We have to evaluate the sources of the information and figure out what we should do with it," she said.
Radcliffe said his public statements intentionally lacked the specific technical details that Medtronic would need to address the vulnerabilities he's found. After the Department of Homeland Security, which examined his research, helped make the introduction to Medtronic, his calls and e-mails went unanswered, he said, a claim Medtronic wouldn't specifically address.
Radcliffe, who lives in Meridian, Idaho, said the experience has caused him to switch to another company that appears to use stronger security.
However, he said Medtronic customers should continue to use their pumps, as the techniques he developed are hard to execute in the real world _ for now. Hacking attacks tend to get easier as more people do them, because hackers can write programs to automate the most cumbersome tasks.
The tension is more than an inside-baseball ethical dilemma about how security professionals should deal with companies they believe have been uncooperative and aren't fixing known vulnerabilities.
Medtronic, which is based in Minneapolis, is one of the world's biggest medical device makers. A Medtronic device that works as a pacemaker and defibrillator was also found in a different study in 2008 to be vulnerable to hacking attacks.
Radcliffe's findings and the earlier study are examples of hacking attack of the future, in which the sophisticated software and communications chips being added to everyday technologies will make them vulnerable to frightening new attacks.
Medical devices are particularly vulnerable because there are clear advantages in allowing them to talk to each other wirelessly and connect to the Internet. That connection allows devices to receive important software updates, and it lets patients upload their medical information to special websites to track the status of their conditions. But medical device makers aren't used to hackers picking apart their products, and there's no clear path for disclosing weaknesses.
In light of Radcliffe's findings, two lawmakers, Reps. Anna Eshoo of California and Edward Markey of Massachusetts, both Democrats, have asked the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to evaluate the government's efforts to identify the risks of implants and other medical devices that use wireless communication.
Radcliffe said he also took issue with a statement that Medtronic issued after his presentation. The company had asserted that turning off the device's wireless function would protect users from attack. Radcliffe said that statement is inaccurate because the particular wireless ability he exploited can't be turned off, which means a deeper fix would be needed.
KNIGHT: Can the ACLU force Catholic hospitals to accept abortion?
Why such hatred toward America's freedom of religion?
- 'Hunger Games' delivers Obama's message on income inequality: liberal group
- Activists urge Obama to go rogue, sidestep Congress
- Blast of winter weather heads to D.C. area
- PRUDEN: British press horrified as London's new mayor dares to proclaim the truth
- Child killed, 4 injured in Idaho elementary school bus crash
- Spike in battlefield deaths linked to restrictive rules of engagement
- New battlefront emerges in war between Republicans, tea party
- U.S. pilot scares off Iranians with 'Top Gun'-worthy stunt: 'You really ought to go home'
- Obama lived with Uncle Onyango Obama in the 1980s, White House admits
- Inside China: Nuclear submarines capable of widespread attack on U.S.
Independent voices from the The Washington Times Communities
Common Sense Conservative
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.
Funding Democracy: The Economics of Freedom
Understanding economic events with a free market explanation
The Wood Review
John Wood illustrates a new American politics, and the path to get there.
Wells on Music
Interviews and show reviews from the Los Angeles punk scene past and present. Los Angeles has always been rich in punk rock talent since punk rock was born.


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Right now I'm writing on a blank page. To me this computer screen is the same as a piece of paper. This computer screen doesn't know about Facebook. It doesn't have the Windows bar reminding me that I have 25 tabs open in my browser and that my processor is struggling to render the video that I have paused at 1:21.
Right now there are renovations going on in my basement, but I am all but unaware of the racket they are making because my music playlist is pumping out the tunes from a customized playlist. I can sing along to every song, but that seems to make the background aspect of it that much more appealing.
So this takes me to the question from the title of this post (which I can't see right now by the way):
How does one eliminate distractions from a world turning so fast and shrinking in size so rapidly?
Spoiler alert: I don't have an answer for everybody, I just have the answer that works for me… And in the simplest terms possible this is how I'm accomplishing it right now:
Make it BIGGGER!
- Most people want to see things normal size on their screen
- I don't like to strain my eyes
- I like to actually see what I'm doing
- Big things look important. If you make them big, you better make them important too
- Change the resolution on your desktop to the lowest possible setting, it will make everything bigger, and you won't have to individually change the sizes of your various applications.
- BONUS: Doing as above will allow you to seamlessly edit in Google Docs. Changing the size in your browser, unfortunately will not be such a smooth transition.
White Paper
- WordPress to press my words on the screen
- Full Screen edit mode to enlarge the writing area
- F11 to go full screen on Google Chrome and hide the toolbars
- It's like a notebook on steriods.
- I don't have to worry about my illegible handwriting.
- I can type much faster than I write.
- I don't run out of ink or paper.
- I can make these awesome lists and other wonderful formatting
The cloud
- Use it!
- Everything you work on goes wherever you go.
- Need to gain access to that important document in Timbuktu? There's clouds there right?
- Your laptop melts down with all of those important documents? Did you backup to the server since you made that change on the Peterson account? What revision is the right one?
- The cloud. Period. Your everything is everywhere and updated all the time.
- Google Docs is free and will give you 5 Gb of cloud space.
- Your corporation doesn't have cloud support? So? Get a personal account anyway.
- Grooveshark to allow for custom lists to be played on my command
- Pandora just won't do. It doesn't play what you want and requires too many skips. I found myself fiddling with it far too much a long time ago.
- Jammin tunes to get me in the mood. I have to nod my head to get into the music. It helps me relax and continue to work well.
- I have a list called chill – that's not really what I'm aiming for.
- I have another list called high – its all uplifting music with a bpm fast enough to motivate. Bingo.
Take breaks
- I'm on one right now.
- They help you refocus on what is important for today
- They help you think about that thing that you know you forgot to do today
- Give your eyes a rest and avoid burnout
Eat right
- You're probably wondering what this has to do with anything. How can eating affect your productivity?
- In general, I know I'm not as productive when I'm hungry. Don't make a mistake on the Peterson account at 12:45 pm because you're not paying attention, go get some food.
- I only wrote this section because I was hungry and it was 12:45
Get It Out the Door
- Short bursts of high capacity work time
- Wellll this editor just changed its appearance halfway through editing this post.
- So it goes out the door! I'll make more sense of this next time. There is no use for this post to sit in my drafts folder collecting dust until a later date when I finally find out how to make it perfect.
- Make it done, don't make it perfect. There can be a rev 2 later to re – up everything that couldn't be done in 1.0.
In order for me to focus, I discard as many opportunities for distraction as I can. I make the task at hand fill up all the space in front of me and enlarge it to create a self fulfilling prophesy: It's big so it's important. A computer can do multiple things at once, but mutli – tasking has been shown to decrease a person's productivity on any one item. For that reason, all the toolbars, links, tabs, and notifications are out the window.
After that its time to turn the crank and get some words on the screen until it's time for a break to regroup and re-prioritize.
Wash, rinse, and repeat.
More to come. I'm all out of paper for today.


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Upload & View Holiday Photos | Holiday Guide | Gift Guide Contest | Holiday Hints
NAME THE NEW LION CUBS: Read Story | Vote In The Poll | Meaning Of Names | Adorable Video
Elections Board
Board Clears Way For Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Vote
It's official. The State Board of Elections has certified the petition to put same-sex marriage on the November ballot.
Brown's Resignation From D.C. Council Certified
Kwame Brown's resignation as chairman of the D.C. Council has been certified by the district's elections board.
Md. Libertarians, Greens, Sue For Ballot Access
The Libertarian Party of Maryland and the Maryland Green Party are suing the state elections board to be recognized as parties in Maryland, after their nominees failed to get the required 1 percent of votes cast last November in the governor's race.


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Nawras net profit falls 21pc in Q1
Dubai, April 28, 2013
Nawras, a top telecom operator in Oman, made a net profit of RO7.7 million ($20 million) in the three months of the year, down from RO9.8 million in the year-earlier period, marking a 21 per cent drop as text and domestic call income fell.
The firm posted a fifth straight quarterly profit decline as margins shrunk and depreciation rose while overall revenue increased 3 percent.
Two analysts polled by Reuters forecast Nawras, which ended Oman Telecommunication Co's (Omantel) monopoly in 2005, would make a quarterly profit of RO10 million.
Margins at Gulf telecom operators are under sustained pressure as subscribers increasingly switch to Internet-based communications such as instant messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) services.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), a key industry metric, fell 4.1 percent to RO23.2 million.
Nawras, majority-owned by Ooredoo (former Qatar Telecom), said increased depreciation arising from network modernisation had impacted its net profit.
First-quarter revenue was RO48.2 million, Nawras said in a statement. This compares with RO46.8 million a year ago.
Nawras attributed the revenue increase to rising income from fixed and mobile data and international calls, although income from text and domestic calls fell. The company did not provide a revenue breakdown.
The operator had 2.23 million fixed and mobile customers as of March 31, up 12.3 percent from a year earlier.
The company signed a new financing agreement of RO70 Million, followed by two additional bilateral revolving credit facility agreements worth RO20 million to support ongoing network investment and working capital requirements.
"We started the Network Turbocharging programme in order to increase speed, extend capacity and provide wider coverage giving our customers a more rewarding experience," said Ross Cormack, CEO of Nawras.
"Initial feedback from customers in upgraded areas has been very positive and helped us to achieve positive customer and revenue growth in the quarter. These results were bolstered by further improvements in our customer care service levels, with our Champions helping to resolve customer issues in a faster and more satisfactory manner.
"Looking towards our future, we were also pleased to announce the launch of 4G LTE service adding another exciting Nawras milestone," he added.
In January, Nawras said its 2012 annual profit fell 22.2 percent from a year earlier. – Reuters & TradeArabia News Service
Tags: Oman | Telecom | Net Profit | Nawras | First quarter | Ooredoo |
More IT & Telecommunications Stories
- Bahrain 'a key player in Nokia Mideast growth'
- Mobily App Store records 3m downloads
- Cyber threat spurs new drive to step up online security
- CSPs to face big revenue challenges
- Bahrain set to bolster e-content
- Batelco wins eContent award
- Trend Micro in cybersecurity deal
- Etisalat may revive talks to sell Sudanese unit
- Bahrain TRA to boost customer contact
- Batelco yet to receive Seychelles nod for CWS deal


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Truth-telling seems to have gone by the boards of late.
Over the past few decades, college professors and best-selling authors have been found guilty of blatant plagiarism. Journalists have been exposed for writing stories from interviews they had with people they never met at places they've never been. There are periodic reports from major universities of students being expelled for printing term papers off the Internet and offering them as their work.
A turbulent American economy traces more directly to a fundamental lack of honesty among people in the financial markets than to terrorism. Investment firms urged their brokers to dump poor-performing stocks on trusting buyers. Top officers at major companies used "creative accounting" to pursue their greedy goals – and flushed down the toilet the pensions of countless people who are struggling now just to get by. And I haven't even used the word "politician" yet!
We are facing an integrity crisis of the first order. We don't know whom to believe. Sometimes we simply say we don't know whether we can believe anyone. We are defensive. We live cynically. We don't trust one another.
One researcher estimates that somewhere between ten and twenty percent of the payroll of a typical corporation is spent on people whose job is to check on its own employees, suppliers, and customers for fraud. What a waste of manpower and money due to the lack of basic integrity in our fallen world.
If I lie to you, I demean you as a person – deciding that you have no right to know something relevant to your life or that you can't handle knowing the truth. Thus the paternalism of some physicians and families to a dying patient.
If I lie to you, I am robbing you of your freedom – forcing you to make decisions on the basis of false or misleading information. Thus the tactics of some salespersons or televangelists.
If I lie to you, I am arrogant in the extreme – playing a role which says I have the right to decide when you should know enough to make your own informed decision. Thus the strategy of certain political or religious leaders to put others at jeopardy for the sake of some end-justifies-the-means scheme.
"Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself" (Ephesians 4:25 MSG).
Dr. Rubel Shelly is Pastor of Woodmont Hills Church of Christ, Nashville and authors Fax of Life a weekly service. He is the author of more than 20 books, including several which have been translated into languages such as Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Russian. To subscribe to Fax of Life, send email to email@example.com


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Local Alabama fans arrive in Miami for BCS title game
MIAMI (WALA) - Planes touched down in South Florida today, carrying hundreds of Alabama fans ahead of Monday's BCS National Championship game.
Springdale Travel said they chartered a personal plane ride for roughly 150 Bama fans, and one family of Notre Dame supporters out of Mobile.
The flight touched down at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport just before noon.
"We played the fight song, we had bloody Mary's, we were hanging out," said Bama Fan, Maegan McKean.
"We're the most intense out of everybody," said Rayford Smith. "Notre Dame doesn't stand a chance."
Fans said the flight attendants teased the few Notre Dame fans that made the trip.
The groups were bussed to their hotels throughout South Florida and then hit Miami Beach.
They have pep rallies all weekend followed by a tailgating event at Sun Life stadium.
More Mobile, Pensacola Headlines
Former victim becomes the victimizer
Nearly seven years ago, an Orange Beach man was tortured and robbed in his own home. As of Friday night, Shaun Cassidy, 65, is behind bars for a number of charges involving minors.
Auburn defeats Missouri, 59-42
Tre Mason rushed for 304 yards and four touchdowns, leading No. 3 Auburn to a wild 59-42 victory over No. 5 Missouri in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday.
WCSO: Child, 4, accidentally shot with BB gun
According to authorities, deputies and investigators with the Walton County Sheriff's Office responded to a home on South Bay Grove Drive in Freeport around 3:30 p.m. after a 4-year-old was shot in the chest with a BB gun.
PHOTOS: SEC Championship preparation
A double dose of Tigers invade Atlanta for the 2013 SEC Championship.
PHOTOS: Dressed for success in Atlanta
Auburn and Missouri fans get decked out for the big showdown in Atlanta.
Local Pearl Harbor survivor leads parade, remembers anniversary
A.C. Hillman, 93, of Lucedale will be the Grand Marshall of the city's Christmas parade Saturday, December 7, which coincides with the anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor.


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My name is Jewel. I'm an Aquarius. I enjoy sunsets, long walks on the beach, and frisky women. And I did not kill anyone. [background credit to sayonararolling] |
me: | *sick* |
me: | *goes on the computer* |
parents: | OH I GUESS SINCE YOU'RE ON THE COMPUTER IT MEANS THAT YOU'RE PERFECTLY 100% BETTER NOW GO TO SCHOOL AND GRADUATE AND GET A JOB AND GET MARRIED AND HAVE CHILDREN AND DIE |


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Neptune 3.5ml ViVi Nova Tank, Black
This Vivi Nova tank holds about 3.5 ml of e-liquid so you can vape all day without refilling. The tube is anodized aluminum and has a window on opposite sides so you can check your e-liquid level. This tank comes with 3 replaceable heating elements. One (1) each of 1.8, 2.4 and 2.8 ohms so you can choose the one that produces the best experience for you. Use the link below to make sure you are using a heating element that works with your battery. This produces tons of vapor making for a great vaping experience. It is a 510 compatible and comes with a removable drip tip. The top unscrews for easy filling. The bottom unscrews to replace the heating element. To replace the heating element unscrew the bottom of the tank. The heating element is at the top of the center pole and unscrews from the center pole. It is about 19mm in diameter and has a total length of 67mm with the drip tip installed.
Please note: There is no warranty, returns, refunds or exchanges on cartomizers.
Click here to see if this tank is right for your device.
Additional Information
Color | No |
ok tank Review by lloyd
Rating this is an ok tank but its leaky and very tight draw also not much vapor production. ill stick to dual coil tanks. (Posted on 2/26/13)
Also Leaky Review by Bart
Rating i had the same problem as Michael. it seems with mine that the outer sleeve is just slightly longer than the inner plastic tank and keeps the base from fully tightning. i didnt have the problem of the finish wearing off.i also flipped the ends but with the same result and having a juice spot on my shirt pocket were i cary it is not cool.
(Posted on 1/5/13) -
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Review by ALICIA
Rating This tank is the best I have ever used, and I have used a lot! As long as it is put together correctly it is leak proof. It is very easy to miss-install the coil and if that happens the liquid runs down middle tube and leaks out the bottom. So if you use a paper clip and make sure the threading is lined up while screwing it in until tight it will not leak. great smoke (Posted on 12/12/12)
Good idea, leaky though. Review by Michael
Rating The first time I filled it, the threads seemed to leak pretty bad even though I made sure they were tight. I unscrewed and flipped the tank over and it seemed better, but it still occasionally seeps out of the bottom threads. The black outside is just a sleeve glued on to the tank, this gives excess juice a place to hide and eventually seep out. It also makes it hard to dry when washing it as water easily gets stuck in between the outside black jacket and the tank. The rubber-ish coating wore off the day after I started using it (not sure if that was supposed to happen). The atty's inside are pretty good, nice vapor production on my LT with the 2.4 coil at 4V and the 2.8 coil at 4.5V. I've read up a lot on rebuilding the attys, I've already tried cotton wick and that delivers a burnt taste after a day so I'm switching back to the silica wick for rebuilding. Can't beat the upkeep cost, you can rebuild the attys at a fraction of the cost of buying even cheap cartos. I like it, but the leaks leave me kind of wanting. This is the first tank system I've tried and I have to say it's nice not having to drip anymore. I'm using less liquid despite the fact I'm a heavy vaper. Dry hits are almost a thing of the past (as long as you keep the tank wet). Due to the design of the little funnel above the coil, no liquid has made it into my mouth at all (big plus). In conclusion, if you're trying a tank for the first time, go for it, I may have just received a slightly defective one. (Posted on 11/14/12)
Works like it should Review by Mr.E210
Rating I really like the finish on the tank. No leaks, easy to replace heads or you can just rebuild them (Posted on 11/5/12)


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October 29, 2013 Opening Doors of Opportunity for Women and Girls Through Sports On October 6, 2013, 16 women from Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland,… more 0
September 25, 2013 New Donors Join the Lifeline Fund To Assist Embattled Civil Society Organizations We know that civil society organizations (CSOs) in every region are all too often harassed, threatened, and attacked by both… more 1
September 19, 2013 Creating Stronger Societies--On and Off the Field Zola was born into a segregated South Africa, where poverty and inequality were just a few of the challenges she… more 0
June 18, 2013 Commemorating the 'Lost Music of the Holocaust' When many of us reflect on the Holocaust, the beauty of the arts is the farthest thing from our minds.… more 0
May 15, 2013 Visegrád Four: Key Partners in the Transatlantic Community On May 14, I hosted my counterparts from the foreign ministries of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. These… more 0
December 5, 2012 Secretary Clinton Attends NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting Secretary Hillary Clinton, in Brussels for her ninth and final NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting, began a typically industrious day meeting… more 3
September 6, 2012 Judy and Dennis Shepard Speak Up for LGBT Rights in Europe Sitting down to dinner to wrap up two jam-packed days of outreach by Judy and Dennis Shepard in Poland to… more 1
July 24, 2012 Keeping the Memory and Spirit of Poland's Absent Jews Alive As the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism and the child of a Holocaust survivor, I have found that… more 1
July 6, 2012 Boosting Missile Defense Cooperation in Europe The European Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense (or EPAA) is designed to protect our deployed forces and Allies in… more 2
April 27, 2012 Celebrating International Jazz Day The inaugural International Jazz Day, proposed by the United States and organized in cooperation with UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock,… more 1
April 25, 2012 All That Jazz On an unseasonably cold and rainy Sunday, the action inside the Smithsonian's new Warner Bros Theatre was anything but dreary.… more 0
February 6, 2012 U.S. Suspends Embassy Operations in Syria The United States advised the government of Syria that it has suspended all embassy operations effective February 6, 2012, given… more 13
December 12, 2013 Assisting Africa in its Efforts to Connect its People In July, I joined a team of Americans an official trip to South Africa for ICANN47. It happened to fall… more 0
December 12, 2013 A Week of Inspiration and Hope Last week, people around the world gathered to recognize World AIDS Day , honor those whose lives have been lost… more 0
December 11, 2013 Beating Malaria: We Must Win This Fight It's important to mark milestones of great progress both because they remind us that disciplined and determined efforts can be… more 0


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The Crowd Says (63) | Page 1 of Comments
July 31st 2012 @ 10:04am
formeropenside said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:04am | Report commentLook, Schatz is a genuine 8, and I think can make the position his own, barring injury. Its a shame the ARU made us donate Higgy to the Rebels – its yet another reason to think the ARU are a bunch of useless fools – but he can probably be covered. There are some good young backrowers coming through, and McDuling could prove to be a good pickup if he stays injury free (but being a New South Welshman his loyalty is always suspect).
It would be nice if Hugh McMeniman could come back: after a few years in Japan he might like to try Super rugby again. He'd be a perfect 6, at least when you were not playing Beau Robbo there.
I think Slipper did fine at THP all year: there is a need for a backup THP to take Shepherdson's spot, and its Paul Alo-Emile coming home. The problem is that he is in the Rebels squad next year, and another 3. option in Ruan Smith may be tied up with the Force. But apart from that, is no need to go hunting for a southern replacement, and especially not trading a local product for one.
The backs are fine. It would be nice to get Sam Lane into the EPS though.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:09am
Jutsie said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:09am | Report commentHow old is McMeniman? Do u have any info if he has gotten over his injury issues whilst playing in japan.
He would be a great addition to both the reds and wallabies if he was to return.
Schatz has had an excellent season and does alot more grunt work that higgy.
I think scrum is OK when holmes and slipper are on but still not great, they dont really dominate anyone. Also wish link would start hanson instead of S Finger, S finger is a penalty magnet and drops the ball alot too.-
July 31st 2012 @ 10:36am
formeropenside said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:36am | Report commentMMM is not yet 30 – heck, even Daniel Heenan is still only 31 by the start of next season.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:42am
Jutsie said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:42am | Report commentI had forgotten all about heenan. Where does he play nowadays?
July 31st 2012 @ 11:25am
formeropenside said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:25am | Report commentJapan, I believe.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:41am
Harry said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:41am | Report commentAgree with all of that FOS. What about this Envers bloke FOS, I hear he's a great prospect, so hopefully him and McDuling will step up and provide some more depth at 4,5 and 6.
July 31st 2012 @ 11:16am
formeropenside said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:16am | Report commentBlake Enever did get on the park for the Reds this year – seems OK, and still young.
August 2nd 2012 @ 11:37pm
Hawko said | August 2nd 2012 @ 11:37pm | Report commentRuan Smith has signed for the Brumbies.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:39am
formeropenside said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:39am | Report commentYes he is, but yet to play a game after doing his knee (?) in a pre-season.
July 31st 2012 @ 10:36am
chuck said | July 31st 2012 @ 10:36am | Report commentCan they be a winner next year no !!!
July 31st 2012 @ 11:04am
Shaun said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:04am | Report commentPretty similar season to the one the Bulls had in 2008 after winning their first title in 2007.
If that pattern follows, the Reds might be looking forward to the next 2 seasons!-
July 31st 2012 @ 3:03pm
Spencer said | July 31st 2012 @ 3:03pm | Report commentBulls finished 10/14. Reds finished 4/15.
July 31st 2012 @ 5:12pm
Jutsie said | July 31st 2012 @ 5:12pm | Report commentNevertheless it was still a disapointing season considering the heights they reached in 2011. If the bulls could bounce back from finishing 10th then surely the reds can bounce back from this.
July 31st 2012 @ 7:03pm
Spencer said | July 31st 2012 @ 7:03pm | Report commentBiltong – yep, and the Reds have had a massive injury problem in 2012. My point is that there are always reasons. I think Jutsie had it about right..see below. Jutsie said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:53am
July 31st 2012 @ 11:46am
Invictus said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:46am | Report commentYou can have Ma'afu, no charge. Free delivery!!!
July 31st 2012 @ 12:05pm
redsnut said | July 31st 2012 @ 12:05pm | Report commentNo thanks.
I'd rather turn out, and I haven't played for a long time. -
July 31st 2012 @ 3:04pm
Spencer said | July 31st 2012 @ 3:04pm | Report commentFree delivery!! Hope youre not using express courier – cost a fortune!
July 31st 2012 @ 5:06pm
Invictus said | July 31st 2012 @ 5:06pm | Report commentWould be worth it just to get rid of him…
July 31st 2012 @ 11:53am
Jutsie said | July 31st 2012 @ 11:53am | Report commentI think a major problem for the reds this year (in addition to the injury toll to no 10′s) was complacency and perhaps a bit of arrogance.
This usually happens to young teams that taste success ahead of schedule (refer to the hawks in the afl when they won in 2008).They start to believe their own press and continue with the same game plans as the previous year without realising that every team in the comp wouldve have deconstructed their game plan over the pre-season.
In addition alot of the younger players (especially in the pack) dont have the same hunger now that they have reached the peak so only put in 80% effort when 90-100% is required.
Now that the reds have tasted failure again I have no doubt that they will find the hunger and commitment required for next season. And Im sure after a few weeks Link will sit down and analyse his coaching performance in the finals and all year and work on his own weaknesses too.-
August 4th 2012 @ 2:20pm
STU said | August 4th 2012 @ 2:20pm | Report commentjutsie,link should start analysing now and take an honesty pill. lucky to make finals and then made a fool of himself imo.
Have Your Say
- Explore:
- Queensland Reds, Rugby Union, Super Rugby


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Valener Announces its Financial Results for the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2012
A Quarter that Saw the Completion of the Central Vermont Public Service
Corporation Acquisition:
Another Step Forward in the Electricity Distribution Sector
MONTREAL, Aug. 10, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ – Valener Inc. (Valener) (TSX:
VNR), which has held the public ownership interest in Gaz Métro Limited
Partnership (Gaz Métro) since September 30, 2010, is today announcing
its financial results for the third quarter ended June 30, 2012.
Valener's results
Valener posted a net loss of $0.5 million ($0.02 per common share) for
the third quarter of fiscal 2012 versus net income of $0.3 million (nil
per common share) for the third quarter of last year. For the first
nine months of fiscal 2012, net income totalled $31.3 million ($0.83
per common share) compared to $33.8 million ($0.91 per common share) in
the same period last year.
These year-over-year decreases of $0.8 million for the third quarter and
of $2.5 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2012 were mainly
due to the one-time costs incurred for the acquisition of Central
Vermont Public Service Corporation (CVPS) by Gaz Métro as well as to
the rate reduction authorized by the Régie de l'énergie for fiscal 2012
that translated into lower net income for Gaz Métro. Other factors
include temperature-related impacts and changing demand by industrial
customers in Gaz Métro's gas distribution activity, which drove up the
average cost of transporting natural gas to Quebec.
"Despite these impacts, Gaz Métro's growth strategy deployments in the
electricity sector, including completion of the CVPS acquisition and
development of the wind power projects in Quebec and Vermont, are
precursory of a promising future for Valener," said Pierre Monahan,
Chairman of the Board of Valener.
Excluding the non-recurring items of Gaz Métro, Valener would have
posted a net income of $1.8 million ($0.04 per common share) for the
third quarter of fiscal 2012, up $1.4 million from the third quarter of
last year, and net income of $33.6 million ($0.89 per common share) for
the first nine months of fiscal 2012, comparable to the same period
last year.
Valener's consolidated net income (loss), excluding the share in the
non-recurring items of Gaz Métro, net of income taxes
3 months ended June 30 9 months ended June 30 (in millions of dollars, unless otherwise indicated) 2012 2011 2012 2011 Consolidated net income (loss) (0.5) 0.3 31.3 33.8 Share in the non-recurring items of Gaz Métro 2.3 0.1 2.3 (0.2) Income taxes on the share in the non-recurring items of Gaz Métro - - - - Consolidated net income, excluding the share in the non-recurring items of Gaz Métro, net of income taxes 1.8 0.4 33.6 33.6 Less: Cumulative dividends on preferred shares 0.3 - 0.3 - Consolidated net income attributable to common shareholders, excluding the share in the non-recurring items of Gaz Métro, net of income taxes (1) 1.5 0.4 33.3 33.6 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (in millions of common shares) 37.5 37.3 37.4 37.0 Consolidated net income attributable to common shareholders, excluding the share in the non-recurring items of Gaz Métro, net of income taxes, per common share (in $)(1) 0.04 0.01 0.89 0.91
1) These measures are financial measures that are not defined in
Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
Gaz Métro's prudent and targeted diversification in the electricity
"The third quarter of fiscal 2012 saw the completion of the acquisition
of CVPS, Vermont's largest electric power distributor. This transaction
stands as a major milestone in Gaz Métro's prudent and targeted
diversification strategy in the electricity sector. Gaz Métro
successfully ventured into the sector in 2007 with the acquisition of
Green Mountain Power Corporation, Vermont's second largest electric
power distributor, and is also involved in developing 341 MW and 63 MW
wind power projects in Quebec and Vermont," said Sophie Brochu,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Gaz Métro.
"The combination of the two electric utilities in Vermont, will generate
significant synergies for both our Vermont customers and our Partners,
Valener and Gaz Métro inc.," added Ms. Brochu.
Acquisition of Central Vermont Public Service Corporation (CVPS)
On June 27, 2012, having received the required regulatory approvals, Gaz
Métro, through its wholly owned subsidiary Northern New England Energy
Corporation (NNEEC), acquired all the issued and outstanding shares of
CVPS. CVPS serves approximately 160,000 customers in 163 Vermont towns
and municipalities.
CVPS was acquired for a net cash consideration of $513.5 million
(US$500.7 million), $20.0 million of which was paid in fiscal 2011.
Transaction-related costs expensed in the income statement were
$7.9 million (net of income taxes) for the nine-month period ended June
30, 2012 and $1.8 million in fiscal 2011. The preliminary purchase
price allocation resulted in the recognition of $233.1 million of
Gaz Métro financed the acquisition with 50/50 debt/equity. On November
11, 2011, Gaz Métro inc. (GMi) entered into a note purchase agreement
with investors, by way of private placement, for a total capital amount
of US$260.0 million. On May 15, 2012, the notes (secured by Gaz Métro)
were issued in two series of US$130.0 million each. The notes bear
interest at 3.86% and 5.06% per annum and mature 10 years and 30 years
after the issuance date, respectively. The proceeds of the issuance
were loaned to Gaz Métro on conditions similar to those of the secured
notes. For the equity portion, on June 28, 2012, Gaz Métro issued, by
way of a private placement, new units to its Partners, GMi and Valener,
for total proceeds of $260.0 million.
This acquisition paves the way for a business combination, by way of
merger, planned for the coming months, between CVPS and Green Mountain
Power Corporation (GMP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NNEEC, to create
a stronger public utility for Vermont residents. The new utility will
cover an extensive area of Vermont and serve more than 255,000
customers. The combined resources will continue to provide the
competitively priced power needed for vibrant communities and a growing
economy and will strengthen Gaz Métro's commitment to providing
low-carbon electricity.
Wind power projects of the Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms 2 and 3
General Partnership (wind power projects 2 and 3)
Beaupré Éole General Partnership (which is 51% and 49% indirectly owned
by Gaz Métro and Valener, respectively) and a wholly owned subsidiary
of Boralex Inc. are equal-share partners in two wind power projects
with an installed capacity of 272 megawatts, namely, wind power
projects 2 and 3, which are scheduled to begin operations in December
Completion of these wind power projects will require a total investment
of approximately $750 million (including financing costs). On November
8, 2011, Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms 2 and 3 General Partnership,
the entity that owns these projects, completed a $725 million debt
financing (including a construction loan and short-term facilities)
with a group of lenders.
Construction on wind power projects 2 and 3 began in May 2011 and
stopped for the winter in November 2011. According to schedule, work
resumed on May 7, 2012, and the consortium has since almost completed
the road access and foundation work and began work on the collector
system and electrical substation as well as erection of some of the
concrete towers.
Wind power project of Seigneurie de Beaupré wind farm 4 (wind power
project 4)
Beaupré Éole 4 General Partnership (which is 51% and 49% indirectly
owned by Gaz Métro and Valener, respectively) and a wholly owned
subsidiary of Boralex inc. are equal-share partners in a wind power
project with an installed capacity of 69 megawatts, namely, wind power
project 4.
Last June, public environment-related hearings were held by the relevant
Quebec government agency, BAPE (Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement), and the final report is expected by the end of September 2012. The
decree from the Quebec ministry of Sustainable Development, the
Environment and Parks (Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs) is expected to be received in January 2013, which will constitute the
final authorization required to begin the work. This wind power project
is scheduled to begin operations in December 2014.
Subscription of Gaz Métro units and issuance of Series A preferred
On June 28, 2012, Valener subscribed approximately $75 million,
representing its proportionate share in the outstanding units, in a
private placement equity offering of approximately $260 million by
Gaz Métro. Gaz Métro inc. also subscribed for its proportionate share
of these units. The purpose of the equity offering was to finance a
portion of the CVPS acquisition, which was completed on June 27, 2012.
Valener financed this investment using part of the net proceeds of the
June 6 issuance of $100 million in Series A cumulative rate reset
preferred shares (Series A preferred shares) paying cumulative
dividends of $1.0875 per share per annum, for a yield of 4.35% per
annum, payable quarterly, for the initial period ending October 15,
2017. The dividend rate will be reset on October 15, 2017 and every
five years thereafter at a rate equal to the 5-year Government of
Canada bond yield plus 2.81%.
Declaration of the quarterly dividends on the common shares and on the
Series A preferred shares
Valener's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per
common share payable on October 15, 2012 to shareholders of record at
the close of business on September 28, 2012. Valener expects to
maintain the dividend level at $0.25 per common share for each quarter
of fiscal 2013.
Under Valener's Dividend Reinvestment Plan, the Board of Directors
approved the reinvestment of dividends into additional common shares,
for the dividend payable on October 15, 2012, by way of an issuance of
new Valener common shares at a discount of 5% to the weighted average
price during the five trading days immediately preceding the dividend
payment date.
The Board of Directors also declared a first quarterly dividend of
$0.39031 per Series A preferred share for the period of June 6, 2012 to
October 15, 2012, payable on October 15, 2012 to shareholders of record
at the close of business on October 12, 2012.
Gaz Métro's results
Excluding non-recurring items, net income attributable to the Partners
of Gaz Métro totalled $6.1 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2012
and $167.2 million for the first nine months of the current fiscal
year, year-over-year decreases of $5.7 million and $12.4 million,
respectively. These decreases were mainly due to lower net income from
the natural gas distribution activity in Quebec, as explained below.
Gaz Métro's segment results – Consolidated net income (loss)
attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro
3 months ended June 30 9 months ended June 30 (1) (1) (in millions of dollars) 2012 2011 Change 2012 2011 Change Energy Distribution Gaz Métro-QDA 2.9 7.6 (4.7) 139.0 148.2 (9.2) VGS, GMP and CVPS (6.8) 2.5 (9.3) 8.9 17.0 (8.1) Financing costs of investments in this segment (2) (2.5) (1.0) (1.5) (4.4) (2.9) (1.5) Costs related to the CVPS acquisition (net of income taxes) 7.9 - 7.9 7.9 - 7.9 1.5 9.1 (7.6) 151.4 162.3 (10.9) Natural Gas Transportation TQM, PNGTS and Champion Pipe Line Corporation Ltd 4.1 3.6 0.5 15.3 15.9 (0.6) Financing costs of investments in this segment (2) (0.6) (0.9) 0.3 (2.3) (2.7) 0.4 3.5 2.7 0.8 13.0 13.2 (0.2) Natural Gas Storage Intragaz 2.0 1.5 0.5 5.9 5.1 0.8 Financing costs of investments in this segment (2) (0.4) (0.4) - (1.2) (1.3) 0.1 1.6 1.1 0.5 4.7 3.8 0.9 Energy Services and Other Energy, water 0.2 0.5 (0.3) 2.4 4.0 (1.6) and fibre optic Financing costs of investments in this segment (2) (0.2) (0.4) 0.2 (0.7) (1.1) 0.4 Loss on the sale of Aqua Data Inc. - 0.2 (0.2) - 0.2 (0.2) - 0.3 (0.3) 1.7 3.1 (1.4) Corporate Affairs and Other Corporate Affairs and Other (0.5) (1.5) 1.0 (3.6) (1.8) (1.8) Gain realized by Gaz Métro Éole inc. on the sale of 49% of its interest in the Seigneurie projects - - - - (1.1) 1.1 Corporate reorganization expenses - 0.1 (0.1) - 0.1 (0.1) (0.5) (1.4) 0.9 (3.6) (2.8) (0.8) Consolidated net income attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro, excluding non-recurring items(3) 6.1 11.8 (5.7) 167.2 179.6 (12.4) Non-recurring items(3) (7.9) (0.3) (7.6) (7.9) 0.8 (8.7) Consolidated net income (loss) attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro (1.8) 11.5 (13.3) 159.3 180.4 (21.1)
1) Seasonal temperature fluctuations influence the energy consumption levels of customers and in turn influence Gaz Métro's interim consolidated financial results. Historically, Gaz Métro's revenues and profitability are higher in the first two quarters of a fiscal year than in the last two quarters. 2) These costs consist of the interest on the long-term debt incurred by Gaz Métro to finance investments in the subsidiaries, joint ventures and companies subject to significant influence of each segment. 3) This measure is a financial measure that is not defined in Canadian GAAP.
Segment analysis of Gaz Métro's results
Quebec Natural Gas Distribution (Gaz Métro-QDA)
For the third quarter of fiscal 2012, Gaz Métro-QDA's normalized natural
gas deliveries totalled 1,036 million cubic metres, down 38 million
cubic metres or 3.5% from the same quarter last year.
For the first nine months of fiscal 2012, deliveries totalled
4,560 million cubic metres, down 44 million cubic metres or 1.0% from
the first nine months of last year.
It should be noted that Gaz Métro-QDA's normalized natural gas
deliveries exceeded those in the 2012 rate case, which had anticipated
year-over-year decreases of 85 million cubic metres or 7.9% for the
third quarter of fiscal 2012 and of 296 million cubic metres or 6.4%
for the first nine months of fiscal 2012.
In the industrial market, nine-month natural gas deliveries rose 0.5%
from the first nine months of fiscal 2011, partly due to greater
consumption, particularly in the metallurgy, refining and petrochemical
sectors and, to a lesser extent, in the pulp and paper sector.
Normalized deliveries to the residential and commercial markets declined
0.2% and 3.7%, respectively, from the first nine months of fiscal 2011,
essentially due to slow economic growth combined with energy
conservation measures undertaken by Gaz Métro-QDA's customers, partly
offset by the maturation of new sales.
Gaz Métro-QDA's net income attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro
totalled $2.9 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2012 and
$139.0 million for the first nine months, year-over-year decreases of
$4.7 million and $9.2 million, respectively. These decreases were
mainly due to:
-- the rate reduction authorized for fiscal 2012 that resulted in a $6.8 million decline in net income for the third quarter ($5.6 million decline for the nine-month period); and -- the higher average cost of transportation tools, which could not be recovered from customers, resulting from changing demand from industrial customers, despite a higher level of deliveries than anticipated in the 2012 rate case.
These items were partly offset, among other factors, by the favourable
impact on the gross margin of the distribution service due to higher
normalized natural gas deliveries to the industrial market compared to
the 2012 rate case. This made it possible to recover the unfavourable
impacts, recognized in the first six months of fiscal 2012, due to
considerably warmer-than-normal temperatures.
Project to serve the Côte-Nord region
The Côte-Nord region is the last of Quebec's major industrial regions
that does not yet benefit from the environmental and economic
advantages of natural gas, and large amounts of heavy oil are currently
consumed in that region.
However, the distance separating the Côte-Nord from Gaz Métro-QDA's
existing infrastructures is considerable. More than 450 km of pipeline
would have to be laid to connect Saguenay to Sept-Þles, passing through
the other major industrial centres of Baie-Comeau and Port-Cartier.
Such a project would require an investment of about $750 million, adding
approximately 40% to Gaz Métro-QDA's rate base. To make a fully
informed decision on a project of such magnitude, the Quebec government
and Gaz Métro are diligently carrying out the following three
comprehensive feasibility studies:
-- market studies to determine the expected potential energy consumption in the Côte-Nord if natural gas were available; -- environmental and social studies to select the lowest-impact route for the gas pipeline; and -- technical and financial feasibility studies, including engineering, to optimize the design and confirm the costs.
These studies are under way and the conclusions are expected by the end
of 2012. If the conclusions are positive, Gaz Métro-QDA will continue
the regulatory and environmental approval processes in 2013 while
continuing to consult the main stakeholders to evaluate their needs and
expectations. If all the necessary approvals are obtained, the
preparatory work and construction of Gaz Métro-QDA's Côte-Nord service
could start in 2014 with a view to operational start-up at the end of
2015 or in 2016.
First project to inject biomethane in Gaz Métro-QDA's network
On July 26, 2012, Gaz Métro announced the first project to inject
biomethane into its network. This major project is an important
milestone in the development of a new renewable energy in Quebec. It
involves the construction of an anaerobic digestion plant in
Saint-Hyacinthe as well as the infrastructures needed to feed
biomethane into Gaz Métro-QDA's distribution network.
The Quebec government has created a program to treat organic wastes
through biomethanation, or composting, and thereby divert organic
materials from landfills to produce a new green energy, biomethane,
that will aim at replacing fossil and other fuels.
Use of the biomethane produced in Saint-Hyacinthe will eventually reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) by 25,000 tonnes annually. Under the agreement
with the City of Saint-Hyacinthe, Gaz Métro-QDA will purchase the
energy produced by the city and install the infrastructures needed to
inject biomethane into its distribution network and make it available
to customers. As a public utility, Gaz Métro will therefore be serving
the needs of municipalities and the Quebec government's goal of
promoting biomethane, a locally produced, renewable energy. The project
is subject to the approval of the Régie de l'énergie.
Energy Distribution in Vermont
The results attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro from energy
distribution activities in Vermont, which now include the results of
CVPS, showed a $9.3 million net loss(1) for the third quarter of fiscal 2012, down $10.8 million from net
income of $1.5 million in the same period of 2011. The main factors
underlying this decrease were:
-- $7.9 million in costs (net of income taxes) related to the CVPS acquisition and severance benefits payable to certain of its officers; and -- a $2.8 million increase in financial expenses resulting, in particular, from the additional financing associated with the CVPS acquisition and GMP's Kingdom Community Wind (KCW) project.
These items were offset by a 3.2% increase in GMP's distribution rates
attributable to its 2012 rate case and by the decrease in its direct
electricity supply costs.
For the first nine months, net income attributable to the Partners of
Gaz Métro from energy distribution activities in Vermont totalled
$4.5 million(1), a $9.6 million year-over-year decrease that came mainly from the
above-described factors, from reductions in VGS's natural gas
deliveries and GMP's electricity deliveries due, among others, to
temperatures considerably warmer year over year, and from increases in
VGS's and GMP's operating and maintenance costs.
Excluding the one-time expenses related to the CPVS acquisition, the net
loss attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro from energy distribution
activities in Vermont was $1.4 million(1) for the third quarter, and net income was $12.4 million for the first
nine months of fiscal 2012, corresponding to declines of $2.9 million
and $1.7 million, respectively, from the same periods of fiscal 2011.
Kingdom Community Wind (KCW) project
At the end of fiscal 2011, GMP began construction of the KCW project, a
63-megawatt wind power project located in Lowell, Vermont. This
US$150-million, 21-turbine project will supply power to more than
24,000 households consisting of GMP customers and members of the
Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc. Construction is proceeding as
planned with operational start-up scheduled for the end of 2012. At
this time, construction of the access road and all of the turbine pads
has been completed as well as the power transmission line for the wind
farm. Erection of the towers began in July 2012.
Since this investment is regulated and part of GMP's rate base, it will
be financed through both debt and equity, in accordance with GMP's
capital structure. To that effect, on November 16, 2011, GMP issued, by
way of private placement, US$50.0 million in Series A First Mortgage
Bonds. On April 2, 2012, GMP issued the second tranche of Series B
First Mortgage Bonds in the amount of US$25.0 million. The remainder of
the investment will be financed by an equity injection from Gaz Métro,
through NNEEC.
Natural Gas Transportation
Net income attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro from the Natural
Gas Transportation segment totalled $3.5 million(1) for the third quarter of fiscal 2012, up $0.8 million from the third
quarter of fiscal 2011. This increase came mainly from the higher share
in the income of Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS),
which, given a decline in the natural gas available on other networks,
increased its transported volumes of natural gas and consequently its
short-term revenues and interruptible service revenues, as well as from
lower costs for its pending rate cases before the FERC.
For the first nine months, the segment's net income totalled
$13.0 million(1), down $0.2 million from the same period in fiscal 2011. This decline
was mainly due to the fact that Trans Québec & Maritimes Pipeline Inc.
(TQM) had benefited from a favourable adjustment to its amortization
expense in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, after the amortization
rates for property, plant and equipment were revised downward upon
National Energy Board approval.
Natural Gas Storage
Net income attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro from the Natural
Gas Storage segment totalled $1.6 million(1) for the third quarter of fiscal 2012 and $4.7 million(1) for the first nine months, up $0.5 million and $0.9 million,
respectively, from the same periods last year. These slight increases
were mainly due to lower operating expenses as certain maintenance
projects were delayed.
Energy Services and Other
The net income attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro from the Energy
Services and Other segment was nil(1) in the third quarter of fiscal 2012, down $0.1 million from the same
period in fiscal 2011. For the first nine months, the segment's net
income totalled $1.7 million, down $1.2 million from the same period in
fiscal 2011. This decrease relates mainly to the fiscal 2011 sale of
the interests in Aqua Data Inc. and MTO Telecom Inc. and to higher
expenses for Gaz Métro Transport Solutions, L.P. (Transport Solutions),
which began its operations in fiscal 2011. Being in the start-up phase,
Transport Solutions has started to execute its first liquefied natural
gas (LNG) supply contract for vehicles, in addition to building the
refuelling stations. These factors were partly offset by HydroSolution
L.P.'s higher profitability from higher rental rates for water heaters
and from greater unit sales in the electric water heater business as
well as from additional revenues generated on the sale of heating and
air conditioning equipment that began in March 2011.
Natural gas as transportation fuel
Transport Solutions, an indirect subsidiary of Gaz Métro created to
develop natural gas for use as fuel by the transport industry, is
deploying the Blue Road. Since July 2011, it has been installing the
facilities needed to supply LNG to 180 freight trucks from three
refuelling stations, under an agreement entered into with Transport
Robert 1973 Ltée (Robert Transport). The Boucherville and Mississauga
stations have been in operation since September 19, 2011 and January
16, 2012, respectively. Construction of the third station, which will
be located in the Quebec City region, is planned for fiscal 2013. For
Transport Solutions, the project represents an investment of
approximately $5 million. Delivery of trucks ordered by Robert
Transport began in autumn 2011 and is continuing in fiscal 2012.
On July 31, 2012, Gaz Métro announced a first public liquefied
biomethane fuelling station in Rivière-du-Loup. Attentive to the needs
of municipalities and the government's goal to promote green energy,
Transport Solutions has signed an agreement with the Société d'économie mixte d'énergie renouvelable de la région de
Rivière-du-Loup (SÉMER). Under this agreement, Transport Solutions will buy all the
liquefied biomethane produced by the Rivière-du-Loup plant for a
minimum of 20 years and will operate a new biomethane fuelling station
for the heavy transport market.
Conference call
Valener will hold a conference call with financial analysts today,
Friday, August 10, 2012 at 11 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its
results and those of Gaz Métro for the third quarter ended
June 30, 2012.
Pursuant to an administration and management support agreement entered
into between Valener and Gaz Métro on September 30, 2010, Gaz Métro
acts as the manager of Valener. As such, Sophie Brochu, President and
Chief Executive Officer, and Pierre Despars, Executive Vice-President,
Corporate Affairs and Chief Financial Officer of Gaz Métro inc., the
General Partner of Gaz Métro, will be the speakers, and a question
period will follow.
The call will be broadcast live and accessible by dialling 647-427-7450 or toll-free 1-888-231-8191. It will also be available via webcast on Valener's website (www.valener.com) in the Events & Presentations page of the Investors section.
Media and other interested parties are invited to listen in on this
conference call. After the conference call, the speakers will be
available for media interviews and questions.
For 30 days afterward, a rebroadcast will be accessible by dialling
416-849-0833 or toll-free 1-855-859-2056 (access code: 11792953). For
90 days afterward, the call can be played back on the above-mentioned
Overview of Valener
Valener owns an economic interest of approximately 29% in Gaz Métro.
Valener therefore has a stake in the energy industry and benefits from
Gaz Métro's diversified profile, both in terms of geography and
business segment. Valener also owns an indirect interest of 24.5% in
the wind power projects developed with Gaz Métro and Boralex inc. on
the private lands of Séminaire de Québec. Valener's common shares and
preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the
"VNR" trading symbol for common shares and under the "VNR.PR.A" symbol
for Series A preferred shares. www.valener.com
Overview of Gaz Métro
With almost $5 billion in assets as at June 30, 2012, Gaz Métro is a
major energy distributor. It is the principal natural gas distributor
in Quebec, where its more than 10,000-km underground distribution
network serves some 300 municipalities. Gaz Métro is also present in
Vermont, where it is active in the electricity distribution and natural
gas markets. Gaz Métro is actively involved in the development of
innovative energy projects such as the production of wind power, the
use of natural gas as a fuel for transportation, and the promotion of
biomethane. Gaz Métro is committed to the satisfaction of its over
180,000 customers in Quebec and 295,000 customers in Vermont, its
Partners (Gaz Métro inc. and Valener), its employees and the
communities it serves. www.gazmetro.com
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements
This press release may contain forward-looking information within the
meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information
reflects the intentions, plans, expectations and opinions of the
management of GMi, in its capacity as General Partner of Gaz Métro, and
acting as manager of Valener (the management of the manager) and is
based on information currently available to the management of the
manager and assumptions about future events. Forward-looking statements
can often be identified by words such as "plans," "expects,"
"estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates" or "believes," or
similar expressions, including the negative and conjugated forms of
these words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks
and uncertainties and other factors beyond the control of the
management of the manager. A number of factors could cause the actual
results of Valener or of Gaz Métro to differ significantly from current
expectations, as described in the forward-looking statements, including
but not limited to the general nature of the aforementioned, terms of
decisions rendered by regulatory agencies, the competitiveness of
natural gas in relation to other energy sources, the reliability of
natural gas supply, the integrity of the natural gas distribution
system, the progress of wind power projects and other development
projects, the ability to complete attractive acquisitions and the
related financing and integration aspects, the ability to secure future
financing, general economic conditions, exchange rate fluctuations, and
other factors described in the Risk Factors Relating to Valener and the
Risk Factors Relating to Gaz Métro sections of Valener's and Gaz
Metro's MD&As for the year ended September 30, 2011 and in Valener's
disclosure filings. Although the forward-looking statements contained
herein are based on what the management of the manager believes to be
reasonable assumptions, among others, assumptions to the effect that no
unforeseen changes in the legislative and regulatory framework of
energy markets in Quebec and in the New England states will occur; that
no significant event occurring outside the ordinary course of business,
such as a natural disaster or other calamity, will occur; that Gaz
Métro can continue to distribute substantially all of its net income
(excluding non-recurring items); that the wind power projects in which
Valener and Gaz Métro are indirectly involved will be completed on time
and within the defined parameters; that GMP and CVPS will obtain the
required approvals from federal and state authorities for their merger;
that GMP will be able to quickly and effectively integrate CVPS's
operations; and that the conclusions of studies on the project to serve
the Côte-Nord region will be positive and that the required regulatory
approvals will be obtained in addition to the other assumptions
described in the MD&A of Valener and Gaz Métro for the quarter ended
June 30, 2012, the management of the manager cannot assure investors
that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of this date,
and the management of the manager assumes no obligation to update or
revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required
pursuant to applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned to not
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
(1) Net of financing costs
VALENER INC. 3 months ended June 30 9 months ended June 30 (in millions of dollars, except for share data, which is in dollars) 2012 2011 2012 2011 (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited) CONSOLIDATED INCOME AND CASH FLOWS Share in the $ $ $ $ net income (loss) of Gaz Métro (0.5) 3.3 46.2 52.3 Net income $ $ $ $ (loss) (0.5) 0.3 31.3 33.8 Cash flows $ $ $ $ related to operating activities 9.0 11.9 14.1 21.4 Basic and $ $ $ $ diluted net income (loss) per common share (0.02) - 0.83 0.91 Dividends declared per share to shareholders of record on December 30, 2011, March 30, 2012 and June 29, 2012 $ 0.25 $ 0.25 $ 0.75 $ 0.75 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (in millions) 37.5 37.3 37.4 37.0 OTHER INFORMATION Market prices of common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX): High $ 15.48 $ 16.88 $ 16.50 $ 18.37 Low $ 14.60 $ 16.05 $ 13.55 $ 16.05 Close $ 15.29 $ 16.22 $ 15.29 $ 16.22 Market prices of Series A preferred shares on the TSX: High $ 25.92 $ - $ 25.92 $ - Low $ 25.10 $ - $ 25.10 $ - Close $ 25.50 $ - $ 25.50 $ - CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS September June 30 30 2012 2011 (unaudited) (audited) Total assets $ 773.8 $ 672.7 Total debt $ 26.9 $ - Shareholders' $ $ equity 696.6 602.6 GAZ MÉTRO 3 months ended June 30 LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 9 months ended June 30 (in millions of dollars, except for unit data, which is in dollars) 2012 2011 2012 2011 (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited) CONSOLIDATED INCOME AND CASH FLOWS Revenues $ 334.3 $ 364.1 $ 1,549.9 $ 1,676.4 Gross margin $ 156.7 $ 158.1 $ 613.6 $ 624.9 Net income $ $ $ $ (loss) attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro (1.8) 11.5 159.3 180.4 Cash flows $ $ $ $ related to operating activities 79.3 99.7 405.0 412.5 Purchases of $ $ $ $ property, plant and equipment 105.4 43.0 281.6 120.3 Changes in $ $ $ $ deferred charges and credits 41.6 30.0 109.5 73.7 Basic and diluted net income (loss) per unit attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro $ (0.01) $ 0.09 $ 1.26 $ 1.43 Distributions $ $ $ $ paid per unit to Partners (1) 0.28 0.28 0.84 0.56 Weighted average number of units outstanding (in millions) 126.9 126.3 126.5 126.2 OTHER INFORMATION Authorized rate of return on deemed common equity (Gaz Métro's natural gas distribution activity in Quebec)(2) 9.69% 9.09% Credit ratings First mortgage bonds (Standard & Poor's (S&P)/DBRS Limited (DBRS)) (3) A/A A/A Commercial paper A-1 A-1 (S&P/DBRS) (low)/R-1 (low)/R-1 (3) (low) (low) CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS September June 30 30 2012 2011 (unaudited) (audited) Total assets $ 4,999.5 $ 3,727.2 Total debt $ 2,370.3 $ 1,762.9 Partners' $ $ equity attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro 1,329.1 1,023.3 Partners' $ $ equity per unit attributable to the Partners of Gaz Métro 9.25 8.10
(1) No distributions were made in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, given that, as part of the reorganization of Gaz Métro, a distribution of $0.31 per unit was paid on September 30, 2010 instead of on October 1, 2010. (2) Including the sharing of productivity gains, if applicable, and excluding the Global Energy Efficiency Plan incentive. (3) Through its General Partner, Gaz Métro inc.


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