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LOS ANGELES, April 19 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — This summer, Crystal Cruises’ guests on Mediterranean voyages can explore UNESCO declared national parks, the fragile ecosystems of a Spanish nature reserve and various wildlife habitats with Crystal Eco-Adventures.  Several options ashore highlight Southern Europe’s environmental treasures and natural wonders on dozens of Crystal Serenity voyages from May through October.  

“With increasing consciousness of and sensitivity to the environment, travel-savvy guests are seeking more opportunities to become aware of and intimately enjoy the natural beauty of a destination,” says John Stoll, vice president, land operations.  ”Crystal Mediterranean voyages offer opportunities to discover some of Europe’s most precious ecological sites and learn about the region’s environmental history.”

Among the eco-adventures are:

• Horseback Riding at Montseny National Park – (Barcelona, Spain) Ride through this UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve;
• L’Albufera Nature Reserve – (Valencia, Spain) Protected by many European environmental organizations, the reserve is a habitat for thousands of aquatic birds; and
• Krka National Park – (Trogir, Croatia) Home to dramatic waterfalls that cascade over 17 natural barriers.

In addition to these protected environmental attractions, many European Crystal Adventures ashore allow guests to explore the natural beauty of the destinations in a variety of ways, from mountain biking in Greece to paragliding in Spain and scuba diving off the coast of Turkey.

In 2010, the award-winning Crystal Serenity sails 19 voyages in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Canary Islands ranging from seven to 12 days.  Per person (double occupancy), Two-for-One cruise fares start at $3,680, and include up to $1,000 ‘All Inclusive – As You Wish’ shipboard credits and complimentary air transportation from many North American gateways – Business Class air for Penthouse guests.

In March, Crystal Serenity was awarded the Venice Blue Flag environmental award for its earth-friendly practices in the Adriatic port.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel agent, call 888-799-4625 or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

SOURCE Crystal Cruises

http://www.crystalcruises.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

On this 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, this Thursday, everyone from your grocer to your vintner to your brother-in-law with the new AP-LEED certification may be tugging at you to go green. Earth Day, after decades flying under the radar, is going mainstream. Americans are finally carrying reusable totes to the market, driving ever smaller cars and sticking solar panels on their roofs.

Not so long ago, crowds would have gathered to marvel at such a tiny car, and homeowner’s associations would have risen up against those solar panels. Come to think of it, that still happens. But it’s getting harder to fight the green wave. People are asserting their right to raise chickens, eat GMO free foods, wear organic cotton and buy recycled art. Neighbors, restaurants and clothing stores are starting to listen.

And that “Think Globally, Act Locally” ditty that once seemed like a disembodied bumper sticker on an aging Corolla? It’s resonating. Nurseries are selling native plants intended to be grown in the area where they are being sold. What a concept — these plants can survive on the rainfall typical for that region. Farmers markets are bringing in produce from around a city, shaving food miles off the distribution chain, and selling fresh, seasonal and, according to increasing scientific literature, more nutritious fruits and vegetables.

What’s more we’re finding out that green isn’t always more expensive. Prices are coming down. Organic foods are still a little steep, having not reached the economies of scale needed to compete. But many green home improvements only cost more in terms of up-front spending, returning their cost within a few years in lower energy bills. Other green solutions actually save a person money, such as managing a yard or home vegetable garden organically. What’ not to like about using grass clippings as fertilizer? It’s about as cheap, and far more healthful than the toxic fertilizers and weed controllers that aren’t just a little environmentally unfriendly; some are carcinogenic.

Another price saver: Green household cleaners. As grocers have developed house brands, and big companies like S.C. Johnson have jumped into the green market, it’s no longer more costly to keep an eco-clean home. And of course, it never was, if you factored in the potential harm from the ammonia, bleach, phosphates and synthetic fragrances to ourselves and our natural environment. No longer do you hear, “but it doesn’t clean as well”. Today, the march is on to take on the next batch of less-obvious offenders, the antimicrobials like Triclosan that have creeped into everything from soaps to socks and have been marketed as something that protects us, but actually do the opposite as they play out in the environment, encouraging super bacteria that become antibiotic resistant.

It would be naive to believe that this is the beginning of the de-industrializing of America, a large movement toward cleaner, simpler, less toxic ways. We’re still on the cusp. But the wake-up call is getting through. The vast majority of people are not reading their food labels to see if they list palm oil because they want to protect orangutans. They’re just grabbing the Oreos.

But the situation is improving.

Three years ago, when we started Green Right Now, we tested the only safer drain de-clogger we could find on the market (for when a plunger won’t do), a device called the Kleer Drain. It worked. Today, it has several competitors, and much as we enjoyed blasting the sinks open with the thing, we’ve moved on to the Perma Flow, a pipe with a debris sweeper that keeps the drain from getting clogged in the first place. It works too, and it’s simpler. It’s innovative. Now, we’ve got a dual-flush toilet adapter on order. My kids think I’m a nerd because this is exciting to me. But I get a good feeling saving water, and witnessing all this unfold.

We’re seeing a lot of innovation. It’s wonderful. And I haven’t even discussed energy yet. Here’s where America is bursting with ideas. We’ve got thin film photovoltaics, giant solar concentrators, even solar paint and solar curtains (on the way). In Arizona, they’re testing solar power that doesn’t use so much water. In Texas, they’re bringing wind to the grid with some of the biggest farms anywhere in the world.  In North Carolina, they’ve got a demonstration of some smaller, vertical wind turbines perfect for on-site power. In California, electricity consumers could be saved by geothermal power, the potential for which is so vast Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has said it could power the entire country (theoretically).

Soon, several cities will be ready for electric cars. Shut out of the market after a trial run in the 1990s, they are back by popular demand in a big way. While Nissan’s out front with the first affordable family car (the Leaf) and the bones of a charging network, there’s a line forming behind it.

And finally, we may finally, finally, finally, get high-speed rail in these here United States. Amazing. There’s stimulus money in the bank for it. And there are plans underway in the California, the Midwest and Florida.

Indeed, we live in exciting times. But not all the motion is forward. And certainly not at 150 mph. There’s a lot of human quibbling over where the future lies, and how quickly we could or should get there. We don’t even have the space to get into it all here. But as you know, there are climate deniers for whom the sky is not blue. And foot draggers, doubters (those who will listen as distinguishable from ideologue denialists), waverers and those with conflicts of interest. Where I live, some of those who are pushing urban natural gas wells are drawing royalties from urban gas wells. Surprise!

When climate scientists say we have just a few years to rein in carbon emissions, and the federal government responds with a climate bill (the Senate’s) that reportedly will offer a paltry 3 percent reduction in emissions by 2020 (compared with 2005) obviously we’re not all on the same page. We’re not even reading from the same book.

That’s got to change. In talking last week with Nate Byer, chief coordinator for the Earth Day Network,  I expected a pep talk about what a great day and week it will be, what with so many on board, yadda, yadda. He surprised me. “There’s not a lot to celebrate,” he said, an obvious reference to the Sisyphus-like and so-far-failed efforts to get Congress, and the new more enviro-minded Executive Branch, on the train. That would be the life-saving, high speed train to a cleaner carbon future.

Want to get on board, or at least edge toward the platform? There are big problems out there, large, looming, industrial-size issues. Still, you can do a lot. We’ve tried to assemble some ideas, looking at Energy (we chose coal specifically, the Darth Vader of the dirty energy pack), Water, Transportation and Wildlife Conservation. Some you may have heard before. (If I had a dollar for every green tips list I’ve stumbled upon….) But we’ve tried to offer the latest thinking, and the most authoritative links. Take a look.

Today’s post, Be a Part of the Solution: Chipping away at coal.

Check out the stories this week.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

The next time someone asks you to take the trash out, don’t make a big deal about it. Because, as Namgyal Sherpa will tell you, at least you don’t have to climb a mountain to take out the garbage. Namgyal is leading a team of 20 sherpas who, come May 1st, will be climbing up to the world’s highest garbage dump–on Mount Everest.

The Nepalese mountain climbers will trek to above 26,000 feet to an area known as the “death zone” due to its lack of oxygen, Reuters reports. Once there, they’ll gather up the trash left behind by previous expeditions.

The Mount Everest spring cleaning trip is expected to yield tons of garbage like food wrappings, torn tents, and discarded oxygen bottles left between an area called South Col at 26,000 feet and the summit at 29,035 feet. The sherpas also hope to bring back the dead bodies of three mountaineers who were killed in the death zone, and plan to cremate them near the base camp.

Namgyal Sherpa has already scaled the summit seven times and will be with a team comprised of equally expert mountaineers, including one teammate who has made the trip up Everest 14 times. They’ll all be toting empty sacks to haul the trash back in.

Namgyal, who goes by one name only, says some of the rubbish has been lying around since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first scaled the world’s highest peak in 1953; he says that the trash creates problems for other climbers as they trek through the treacherous terrain. He told Reuters:

“This is the first time we are cleaning at that height, the death zone. It is very difficult and dangerous…. The garbage was buried under snow in the past. But now it has come out on the surface because of the melting of snow due to global warming.”

Many climbers leave their gear and trash behind as they descend due to exhaustion and lack of oxygen, Reuters adds. And garbage left behind on the mountain has become a source of environmental concern for the Nepalese government, which started imposing strict rules 15 years ago requiring climbers to bring back all their trash. But there are still no estimates on how much trash remains on the mountain.

Related Content:
80beats: EXTREME SCIENCE: Doctors Drop Their Pants on Everest for a Blood Oxygen Test
80beats: Why Climbers Die on Everest: It’s Not the Avalanches (or the Yeti)
80beats: Tiny Soot Particles May Be Melting Mighty Himalayan Glaciers
NCBI ROFL: High Altitude Flatus Expulsion (HAFE)

Image: Wikimedia

Hanan Cidor is the Shaliach to NFTY. Hanan grew up in Noar Telem, the Reform youth movement in Israel, and at Kol Haneshama, a Reform congregation in Jerusalem. Hanan moved to New York City in September 2008 following 5 years of IDF service. This piece originally published in iTorah.

Being an Israeli, one of the hardest things to deal with, and as far as I know it is unique to Israel, is the seemingly unbelievable and immediate passage between sorrow and celebration, as portrayed in the pairing of Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). The idea behind this is that the day before celebrating our independence, we are reminded of the price and sacrifice made by so many in order to keep us free.

If you’ve never been in Israel during those two days, nothing can possibly explain the experience and the kind of emotions that it evokes. After a full day of grief and remembrance, something that is very much relevant from a personal standpoint to literally every Israeli, we go rather abruptly to a truly joyous celebration of our freedom and achievements during Israel’s Independence Day.

Those achievements are indeed very impressive. In just 62 years, Israel
has managed to become a regional power, a modern, flourishing democracy
in a region that has very little. In almost every possible measurement
of world countries and societies, the Jewish state, especially when
taking into consideration its small size, is at the top of the ladder
alongside countries that have been around for centuries. When you think
about the fact that all of this was done while facing constant security
threats, some of them even starting literally from day one, the
amazement and sense of awe is even greater.

But Israel’s achievements are not and should not be measured
only in comparison to how other states perform. After all, part of the
whole idea behind the creation of the State of Israel is to see if Jews
can, over 2,000 years after the last time we “took a crack at it,”
actually handle themselves independently, be masters of their own fate,
and create a society based on a combination of human values and Jewish
culture and heritage. When looking at Israel through this “Jewish”
prism, the list of achievements is also quite impressive. As one
example of having done something that was seemingly impossible, I point
to the revival of Hebrew as our people’s language. To think that
millions of Jews are being raised today in Israel having not English,
German, Russian, or Yiddish as their main tongue but Hebrew – a
language previously restricted to scripture alone, is nothing short of
amazing.

Nevertheless, sixty two years is also very young, especially
to have suffered so much loss and dire threats. Of course, this sort of
experience is not without consequences. No different than most other
Israelis, I too have lost friends who died while serving their country
in the Israeli army. Regardless of past and future achievements of the
State of Israel, their lives are forever lost and those who knew and
loved them are left with a hole that can never be filled.

One of the “little traditions” we have in my family during Yom
Hazikaron is to keep the TV on throughout the day on a special channel
that for 24 hours shows nothing but the names of all of the soldiers
and victims of terrorist attacks who have died since the day of
Israel’s birth. I know that many families in Israel do the same, and I
think there’s something very Jewish about that act. In a sense, it’s
our way of reminding ourselves that every person matters, that everyone
had a name and an entire life to go with it – a whole universe that was
lost in a tragic way.

So no, Israel is not perfect. In addition to the tremendous
loss of human life, like every other Israeli, I can name off the top of
my head a whole list of things that I don’t like about my country. The
thing is, none of these things will ever make me doubt my love and
sense of pride for Israel, primarily because it belongs to me, and any
other Jew who chooses to care or identify with it. Israel is our
creation, the grand project of the Jewish people, and like every artist
that has worked hard on a new creation, no one can be more critical
than us towards what we have made; but at the same time no one can love
the creation more than the artist who has put his heart and soul into
his work.

Yom Ha’Atzmaut has always been my favorite holiday of the
year. Not because I don’t like any of the other holidays, but because
in my view it is probably the only holiday where we celebrate a project
that is still ongoing; where all of us can make a difference and shape
the way this wonderful country, filled with our people, will look in
the next year and the one after that. In my eyes, taking an active
involvement in the shaping of our country and our people is the best
way to commemorate the memory of those who have died defending it.
Nothing is worth celebrating more than that.


Related Questions

• How do most Israelis celebrate Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut?
  Yom Hazikaron is observed as a national day of public mourning with
  ceremonies in schools, offices and other public places. The military
  cemeteries are filled with family members and friends of fallen
  soldiers who come to mourn the loss of their loved ones, whether the
  death occurred decades or even a few days prior. Twice during the day
  the entire country literally comes into a stop as a siren is heard all
  throughout Israel and everyone stands at attention for two minutes.

  On the eve of Yom Ha’Atzmaut people go out to the streets and celebrate
  together at outdoor concerts and parties all across the country.
  Fireworks are flown into the sky and barbecues can be seen (and
  smelled) wherever you go. The following day is celebrated as a national
  holiday where friends and families gather together, usually outside
  under the sun, to eat, laugh and enjoy each other’s company. Nature
  reserves, museums and other attractions are open to the public – mostly
  for free. During the day, Israel holds the world Torah championship for
  teenagers and also gives out the prestigious “Israel prize” to
  individuals who excel in a variety of fields.
  
  

• How can I celebrate Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut?
  For
  Yom Hazikaron, consider having a ceremony at your temple youth group or school
  commemorating the day, where you can read out names of fallen soldiers
  that can be found in the official Israeli database (you can ask a rabbi
  or a teacher to help with the translation). You can also wear the
  special “Yizkor” sticker worn by Israelis during the day. Another
  option is to stand at attention for two minutes along side Israelis at
  8pm Israel time on Sunday, April 18th.

  For Yom Ha’Atzmaut, consider having a party or a special meal to
  celebrate the occasion. You can run an Israel program at your temple youth group or
  school from NFTY’s Israel program bank. Consider changing your Facebook
  profile picture to that of the Israeli flag for that day (April 20th)
  or wishing Israel a happy birthday on your status.

• How can I find more information about these holidays?
  You can go to the NFTY holiday pages dedicated to Yom Hazikaron and Yom
  Ha’Atzmaut or to the official website of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where you can learn about the entire history of Israel.
  

As a Jew residing in North America, do
you feel like Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut are important to your
Jewish identity? Why or why not?

FORT WAYNE, Ind., April 19 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Steel Dynamics, Inc. (Nasdaq-GS: STLD) today announced net income of $65 million for the first quarter of 2010, or $0.29 per diluted share, compared to net income of $27 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2009. These results show a marked improvement compared to a net loss of $88 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2009.

First quarter net sales of $1.6 billion were 32 percent higher than net sales of $1.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, and 91 percent higher than net sales of $815 million in the first quarter of 2009. Sequentially, shipping volumes in all operations except fabrication increased from the fourth quarter, and were significantly higher than the year-ago quarter. Steel shipments for the first quarter were 1.4 million tons, 20 percent higher than the fourth quarter. Steel segment profit margins came under slight pressure as SDI’s average scrap cost per net ton charged increased $56 compared to the fourth quarter, while average external steel selling prices for the first quarter increased $50 per ton to $736 from $686 per ton in the fourth quarter. In metals recycling, OmniSource’s ferrous metals shipments were 1.2 million gross tons, up 15 percent from the fourth quarter, and nonferrous shipments were 238 million pounds, up 17 percent from the fourth quarter.

“In the first quarter, the company’s steel operations gained momentum, producing operating income of $138 million, or $99 per ton shipped, while OmniSource, which benefitted from increased volumes and higher scrap prices, achieved operating income of $43 million during the quarter,” said Keith Busse, Chairman and CEO. “As we continue to compete aggressively for orders, our employees have moved quickly to ramp up production as opportunities arise, shipping quality products to meet customer needs while doing an excellent job in controlling costs.

“The first quarter’s strength in steel operations centered on sheet products and special-bar-quality (SBQ) steels. The Flat Roll Division ran at capacity in the first quarter while The Techs approached 85 percent utilization. Both continue to have strong order books. Demand for SBQ strengthened dramatically in February and continued in March, which has resulted in the strongest order backlog in the history of the Engineered Bar Products Division. We also have seen sequential improvement in backlogs in our other long-products steel businesses, but the structural steel market still remains very challenging as non-residential construction remains weak. We have been successful offsetting some of this weakness by serving new customers with new products. At our largest long-products division, Structural and Rail, we have achieved recent success in rail development and have obtained customer certification for our AREMA Standard Strength rail and for welded rail. We expect the volume of rail shipments to grow progressively through the year.  

“In our Ferrous Resources platform,” Busse continued, “we are very excited about the progress made at the new Mesabi Nugget plant in the first quarter. Our goal is to achieve self-sufficiency of iron supply for our steel operations as Mesabi Nugget production increases and complements the current supply of iron from our Iron Dynamics operation. With the rapid progress being made, we are gaining confidence that we will achieve that goal by 2011.

“The fine-tuning of the nugget-production process is going very well. After producing the first batch of nuggets early in January, the Mesabi Nugget team on February 23 made the first shipments of iron nuggets to our Flat Roll steel mill at Butler, Indiana. During the quarter, the plant shipped 7,200 metric tons of nuggets to Butler. Production should ramp up to about 12,000 metric tons in April alone, as good progress continues to be made. This progress is important to the company as we are reducing our dependence on imported pig iron,” Busse said.  

“As noted during our February conference call, we found it necessary to replace some of the conveyor systems at the nugget plant with improved designs. As a result of costs related to installing the equipment and incurring downtime while making the changes, the plant’s operating loss for the quarter exceeded our initial estimate. The impact to the company in the first quarter was an $11 million loss before tax effect.

“In Metals Recycling, OmniSource benefitted in the first quarter from stronger flows of raw materials and greater demand for processed metals. Volumes of ferrous scrap increased during the first quarter for both industrial and obsolete grades of scrap. Ferrous scrap prices steadily increased from November 2009 through March 2010, with prompt industrial grades gaining about 69 percent and #2 shredded scrap gaining 64 percent over that period. Nonferrous metals continued to make a strong contribution to OmniSource’s operating income as a result of higher pricing and stronger volumes.

“A gradually improving economy with moderate strengthening of steel demand is resulting in firmer order backlogs for our mills, which also implies continued better conditions for the scrap markets. However, we have not yet seen signs of a significant rebound in our construction-related businesses, which means these operations will likely continue to negatively impact our results. Overall, though, we now see a more stable and positive outlook for the coming quarter and second half of 2010,” Busse said.

First Quarter 2010 Operating Segment Information

The following highlights first quarter 2010 results for each of SDI’s three primary operating segments. These operating results exclude profit-sharing costs and amortization related to each of the respective segment’s intangible assets.

Steel Operations. Net sales for Steel Operations for the first quarter (including intra-segment and intra-company sales) were $1 billion, which represented 63 percent of the company’s external sales. This segment includes five steel mills and related steel processing facilities, including The Techs. SDI’s five steel mills produce a wide variety of flat-rolled and long steel products. The Techs produce galvanized steel sheet using steel that is sourced primarily from third parties.

First quarter 2010 Steel Operations shipments were 1.4 million tons, of which 960,000 tons were flat-rolled steel shipments. Based on tons shipped, including the steel shipments made by The Techs, flat-rolled products accounted for 68 percent of first quarter steel segment shipments, 11 percent was structural steel and rail products, 9 percent was engineered bars, 8 percent was merchant bars, and 4 percent related to Steel of West Virginia. First quarter operating income for the steel segment was $138 million, or $99 per ton shipped, compared to an operating income of $93 per ton in the fourth quarter of 2009.

The first quarter’s average external selling price per ton for Steel Operations was $736, an increase of $50 per ton from $686 in the fourth quarter of 2009 and an increase of $6 per ton from the year-ago quarter. The average cost of ferrous scrap per net ton charged increased $56 compared to the fourth quarter.

Metals Recycling and Ferrous Resources. This segment includes OmniSource Corporation (collection, processing, and trading of ferrous and non-ferrous metals), Iron Dynamics (a scrap-substitute operation that produces pig iron for use by the Flat Roll Division), SDI’s 81 percent interest in Mesabi Nugget (which produces iron nuggets for mini-mill steelmaking and is co-owned by Kobe Steel, Ltd.), and expenses related to Mesabi Mining (a wholly owned iron mining unit that is awaiting approval of mining permits before it can begin operation).

The segment’s net sales for the first quarter of 2010 were $756 million (including intra-company), which represented 34 percent of SDI’s first quarter external sales. The operating income for this segment was $32 million. OmniSource’s stand-alone first quarter operating income on the same basis was $43 million.

For the first quarter, OmniSource’s total ferrous scrap shipments, including shipments to SDI’s Steel Operations, were 1.2 million gross tons, 15 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 2009 and 89 percent higher than the year-ago quarter. Non-ferrous scrap shipments for the first quarter of 2010 were 238 million pounds, 17 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 2009 and 25 percent higher than the year-ago quarter.

During the first quarter, the company’s scrap operations supplied 519,000 gross tons of ferrous scrap to SDI’s Steel Operations, which was 42 percent of the total tonnage of ferrous scrap OmniSource shipped and was 46 percent of the tonnage of ferrous scrap purchased by our mills during the quarter.

Steel Fabrication Operations. Steel Fabrication Operations consist of the New Millennium Building Systems fabricating plants that produce joists, trusses, and steel decking that is used in the construction of non-residential buildings. First quarter net sales were $24 million (including intra-company), or 2 percent of SDI’s first quarter external sales. New Millennium reported an operating loss of $7 million for the quarter. First quarter shipments totaled 26,000 tons, 15 percent lower than the fourth quarter of 2009 and 43 percent lower than the year-ago quarter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains some predictive statements about future events, including statements related to conditions in the steel and metallic scrap markets, Steel Dynamics’ revenue, costs of purchased materials, future profitability and earnings, and the operation of new or existing facilities.  These statements are intended to be made as “forward-looking,” subject to many risks and uncertainties, within the safe harbor protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such predictive statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations.

Factors that could cause such predictive statements to turn out other than as anticipated or predicted include, among others:  the effects of prolonged or deepening recession on industrial demand; general or specific sector (i.e., automotive, consumer appliance or construction) economic conditions affecting steel consumption; the impact of price competition, whether domestic or the result of foreign imports; difficulties in integrating acquired businesses; risks and uncertainties involving new products or new technologies; changes in the availability or cost of steel scrap or substitute materials; increases in energy costs; occurrence of unanticipated equipment failures and plant outages; labor unrest; and the effect of the elements on production or consumption.

More specifically, we refer you to SDI’s detailed explanation of these and other factors and risks that may cause such predictive statements to turn out differently, as set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or in other reports which we from time to time file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available publicly on the SEC Web site, www.sec.gov, and on the Steel Dynamics Web site, www.steeldynamics.com

Forward-looking or predictive statements we make are based upon information and assumptions concerning our businesses and the environments in which they operate, which we consider reasonable as of the date on which these statements are made.  Due to the foregoing risks and uncertainties however, as well as matters beyond our control which can affect forward-looking statements, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these predictive statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.  We undertake no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Conference Call and Webcast

On Tuesday, April 20, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, Steel Dynamics will host a conference call in which management will discuss first quarter results.  You are invited to listen to the live audio broadcast of the conference call over the Internet, accessible from the Steel Dynamics Web site:  

www.steeldynamics.com

Dial-in information is available on our Web site.  An audio replay of the Webcast and a downloadable podcast will be available from the SDI Web site.  No telephone replay will be available.

Steel Dynamics, Inc.

UNAUDITED SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING INFORMATION

(dollars in thousands)

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

2010

2009

2009

Steel Operations*

Shipments (net tons)

Flat Roll Division

749,258

303,938

645,679

Structural and Rail Division

155,349

129,555

116,695

Engineered Bar Products Division

125,059

71,540

88,524

Roanoke Bar Division

109,186

76,610

93,212

Steel of West Virginia

53,405

43,124

47,118

The Techs

210,545

118,359

178,580

Combined

1,402,802

743,126

1,169,808

Intra-segment

(11,087)

(14,361)

(7,431)

1,391,715

728,765

1,162,377

Intra-company

(70,866)

(37,651)

(60,236)

External

1,320,849

691,114

1,102,141

Production (excluding The Techs)

1,191,138

702,317

996,834

Net sales

Combined

$ 1,018,548

$ 535,184

$   789,960

Intra-segment

(6,052)

(8,070)

(3,995)

1,012,496

527,114

785,965

Intra-company

(39,929)

(22,072)

(29,887)

External

$    972,567

$ 505,042

$   756,078

Operating income (loss) before amortization of intangibles

$    137,669

$ (65,022)

$   107,757

Amortization of intangibles

(2,931)

(3,189)

(2,931)

Operating income (loss)

$    134,738

$ (68,211)

$   104,826

Metals Recycling and Ferrous Resources**

OmniSource

 Ferrous metals shipments (gross tons)

Combined

1,230,075

651,669

1,074,059

Intra-company

(519,306)

(191,744)

(449,230)

External

710,769

459,925

624,829

 Non-ferrous metals shipments (thousands of pounds)

Combined

238,245

190,394

202,838

Intra-company

(2,194)

–

–

External

236,051

190,394

202,838

Mesabi Nugget shipments (metric tons)

7,179

–

–

Iron Dynamics shipments (metric tons)

Liquid pig iron

46,428

37,400

36,289

Hot briquetted iron

11,372

18,440

12,825

Other

698

611

675

Intra-company

58,498

56,451

49,789

Net sales

Combined

$    756,303

$ 296,408

$   521,554

Intra-company

(224,240)

(58,702)

(143,386)

External

$    532,063

$ 237,706

$   378,168

Operating income (loss) before amortization of intangibles

$      32,436

$ (12,204)

$     (2,545)

Amortization of intangibles

(8,302)

(11,943)

(8,865)

Operating income (loss)

$      24,134

$ (24,147)

$   (11,410)

Steel Fabrication***

Shipments (net tons)

Combined

25,678

45,278

30,066

Intra-company

(19)

(15)

(200)

External

25,659

45,263

29,866

Net sales

Combined

$      23,998

$   60,807

$     27,245

Intra-company

(37)

(22)

(311)

External

$      23,961

$   60,785

$     26,934

Operating income (loss) before amortization of intangibles

$      (6,549)

$     3,225

$     (6,173)

Amortization of intangibles

(31)

(165)

(31)

Operating income (loss)

$      (6,580)

$     3,060

$     (6,204)

*  Steel Operations include the company’s five steelmaking divisions and The Techs three galvanizing plants.  

**  Metals Recycling and Ferrous Resources Operations include OmniSource metals recycling operations, as well as  

 Iron Dynamics’ (IDI) pig iron substitute production facility (all IDI shipments are consumed internally) and Mesabi  

 Nugget iron nugget production facility (all Mesabi shipments, which began in 2010, were consumed internally).  

***  Steel Fabrication Operations include the company’s joist and deck fabrication operations.  

SOURCE Steel Dynamics, Inc.

http://www.steeldynamics.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

The 15- and 17-inch MacBooks Pro got new Core i5 and Core i7 processors. They are, in a word, realdamnfast. The 13-inch MacBook Pro did not. Why? Simply, because everything wouldn’t fit. [Ars] More »

Article Tags: Comment, Headline Story, Met Office

The Met Office has been blamed for triggering the “unnecessary” six-day closure of British airspace which has cost airlines, passengers and the economy more than £1.5 billion

The government agency was accused of using a scientific model based on “probability” rather than fact to forecast the spread of the volcanic ash cloud that made Europe a no-fly zone and ruined the plans of more than 2.5 million travellers in and out of Britain.

A senior European official said there was no clear scientific evidence behind the model, which air traffic control services used to justify the unprecedented shutdown.

Click source for more and then think about what has been said concerning computer modeling and “Man Made” Climate Change, ring any bells!!!!!!

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Read in full with comments »   

Filed under: Motorcycle, Design/Style

It doesn’t exactly come as a surprise, but Ducati has just officially announced that it will soon be putting a new Monster on dealership floors in June. As you might expect from the name, the new Ducati Monster 796 will use the same air-cooled L-twin engine as the Hypermotard 796, and it will also share that model’s $9,995 price tag.

Ducati claims that its 804cc mill puts down 87 horsepower and 56 pound-feet of torque, which, when coupled with the 367-pound (claimed, of course) weight, ought to make the newest Monster a fine performer indeed. Along with a higher handlebar and more comfortable seat, Ducati has endowed the Monster 796 with a single sided swingarm, four piston Brembo brakes, an APTC slipper clutch, blackened foot rests and new five spoke wheels.

While the official Monster 796 color palette will include white, black and Ducati red – each with a trellis frame in red, along with red wheel striping – Ducati has also announced a new Monster Art program that will allow owners of the 696, 796 or 1100 to interchange tank covers, mudguards, bikini fairings and seat covers in one of ten new hues and liveries. Click on past the break for all the details.

[Source: Ducati]

Continue reading Ducati officially rolls out Monster 796, Monster Art customization program

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Tomorrow, the House Financial Services Committee, headed by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), will hear testimony regarding the Valukas Report — a lawyer’s examination of the collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers, which uncovered fraudulent actions, including the now-infamous “Repo 105” accounting trick.

The lineup is full of heavy hitters, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, former Lehman Chief Executive Officer Dick Fuld and Securities and Exchange Commissioner Mary Schapiro. And several of the prepared testimonies are online in advance of the hearing. Most notably, Fuld’s. The former Lehman head makes some rather extraordinary claims.

First, he argues that Lehman was appropriately capitalized before its collapse: “The world still is being told that Lehman had a huge capital hole. It did not. … Using the Examiner’s analysis, as of August 31, 2008 Lehman therefore had a remaining equity base of at least $26 billion. That conclusion is totally inconsistent with the capital hole arguments that were used by many to undermine Lehman’s bid for support on that fateful weekend of September 12, 2008.” But then again, the examiner’s report does state: “The Examiner concludes that there is sufficient evidence to support a finding of undercapitalization of [Lehman Brothers] as of August 29, 2008.” I am not sure how Fuld squares that circle.

Fuld also argues that he had no knowledge of Repo 105: “Let me start by saying that I have absolutely no recollection whatsoever of hearing anything about Repo 105 transactions while I was CEO of Lehman. Nor do I have any recollection of seeing documents that related to Repo 105 transactions. The first time I recall ever hearing the term ‘Repo 105′ was a year after the bankruptcy filing, in connection with questions raised by the Examiner.” There is probably no way to know whether Fuld knew about Repo 105 or not — but regardless, it is now abundantly clear that he should have known.

He also argues that, in contravention of the Valukas finding, Repo 105 was acceptable accounting: “As I now understand it, because Lehman’s Repo 105 transactions met the FAS 140 requirements, that accounting rule mandated that those transactions be accounted for as a sale. That was exactly what I believe Lehman did. Lehman should not be criticized for complying with the applicable accounting standards.”

Valukas’ testimony is interesting as well. For one, he goes after Lehman’s regulators, including the SEC and the New York Fed: “We found that the SEC was aware of these excesses and simply acquiesced. With no regulator in place that required Lehman to adhere to its risk limits, … Lehman’s risk limits became meaningless.” He later says, “So the agencies were concerned. They gathered information. They monitored. But no agency regulated.”

“Is my hair going to be frizzy today?” “How many sets of long johns should I wear?” Both are common questions asked daily. Most people rely on the weather man; some rely on their godly ability to forecast the weather themselves, but with the Weather & Toggle Widget you’ll never have to guess again.

The Weather & Toggle Widget, developed by Android Apps, is extremely detailed and a fully functional app for the most finicky of weather watchers. It is beautifully designed and highly customizable – allowing users to have a system that reflects their personality as well as weather and toggle switches right on their desktop!

The weather widget itself is comprised of a flip clock as the prominent feature and the weather embedded into the same widget, so you not only get the weather, you also get a very nice clock that is easy to read. The weather widget has many settings to further customize the widget, such as Fahrenheit and Celsius settings, and an option to choose another program when you click on the weather part of the widget, (which also brings up a separate dialog to forecast the rest of the week). The weather dialog portion also has an add-on found in the Market that gives extra capabilities to the widget, such as animated clouds and other related images. Also, one very cool feature is the screen shots option to show images of your area and the surrounding areas, which gives a user a visual heads up to what they could encounter on their way to wherever it is they’re heading.

In addition, the Weather & Toggle Widget includes a set of toggle switches that allow the user a quick and easy way to change particular settings on their phone with a simple click of the widget – including brightness level, GPS, WIFI and more.

To top it all off, Android Apps provides a method to “theme” the widget along with the toggle switches, which completes the customization we all enjoy. The themes add a skin to the widget, as well as images associated with the widget. The theme also skins the toggle switches to provide a complete custom look.

The Weather & Toggle Widget is a paid or “donate” version which costs $1.99. There is a free version which does not come with all of the features of the Weather & Toggle Widget; it does, however, still allow themes and other customizations. Android Apps also developed add-on packs for the free version to include some of the paid features to the non-paid widget.

The Goods:

• The ability to completely theme the entire widget and accompanying widgets.
• The ability to choose a separate program to open, which allows for quicker use of resources.
• Accurate weather
• Animated forecasts
• Screen shots from surrounding areas
• Large, skinable, flip clock
• Toggle widgets that can also be skinned or “themed”
• A free and donate version to allow one to “try before you buy”
• Excellent support, if anything happens to fail.

The Bad:

• Would like to see more themes
• Sometimes can be buggy, but not often enough to destroy its performance.
• The widget must be excluded from any task killer list (not really a bad thing, but a requirement)

Final Verdict:

The Weather & Toggle Widget by Android Apps is a fully featured and highly customizable widget that boasts sleekness and efficiency that a smart phone user has come to expect. If you need a nice flip clock, weather forecast and toggle switches for ease of use, then this is for you. With the Weather & Toggle Widget, you will never have to squint to see the time, worry if your hair will look like a 70’s rock band mid-day or harness your godly forecasting abilities – you can save your powers for something a bit more useful!

Note: This review was submitted by Phillip Toohill as part of our app review contest.

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A Toyota y Lexus no les acaban de crecer los enanos, que ya deben de medir alrededor de los 2 metros de altura y jugar al baloncesto. Acaban de llamar en España a revisión a las 239 unidades que se han matriculado hasta ahora de su Land Cruiser 150 en las versiones VXL y Limited para la carrocería de 5 puertas por pérdidas de estabilidad.

En el comunicado oficial se explica que esta medida afecta a los vehículos que se han fabricado entre agosto de 2009 y abril de 2010, habiéndose puesto a la venta en noviembre de 2009. Además se hace hincapié en que la pérdida de estabilidad se produciría sólo en casos de conducción extrema, y que en aún en ese caso sería una leve pérdida de estabilidad.

La revisión consistirá en una reprogramación de la Unidad de Control del VSC para aumentar la sensibilidad de activación del Control de Estabilidad, realizándose en 40 minutos y sin cargo para el cliente. Toyota al menos está respondiendo con mucha solvencia a los problemas que se le presentan, todo sea dicho.

El problema de estabilidad se manifestaría si el conductor va circulando en línea recta y a una velocidad aproximada de 100 kms/hr, levanta el pie del acelerador súbitamente, realiza un giro brusco del volante (90º mínimo) y no pisa ni acelerador ni freno. No es que sea la maniobra más normal, ir a 100 kilómetros hora y girar 90º, pero desde luego que cuando uno se compra un Toyota no quiere saber nada de problemas de seguridad.

Fuente | Toyota

Energy rebates take off in Colorado. …

… “Renewable Energy Rebate Applications must be submitted by a contractor on behalf of the residential or small commercial applicant. ” …

Via Governor’s Energy Office: Solar Energy Rebates for Colorado

Alright, I’m going to be honest with you, I love this app. Gmote is what makes my phone more than just a phone; it’s what makes me happy that one night I spent all my money on a shiny HTC Magic.

First, a quick summary. Gmote is an app that allows you to turn your phone into a remote for your computer. It uses Wi-Fi to connect the two devices, and as such, a small program needs to be installed to your PC or Mac. Once this is done, no more setup is necessary. As long as you’re connected to the same network as your computer, you can browse your files and start or stop media playing. If you’re as single-mindedly devoted to efficiency (read lazy) as me, then this has hopefully caught your interest.

The added ability to control your computer’s keyboard and mouse from the comfort of your blankets is what really sold this app to me. Your touch screen can instantly be transformed into a trackpad, like that found on a laptop, with no discernible delay between your touch and the movement of your cursor onscreen. I’m just a simple computer user (it took me an age to setup FTP on my phone), and perhaps that explains some of my enthusiasm, but to be able to do such a thing after 2 minutes of setup makes this a top app in my opinion.

After months of use I have do a few pet peeves. First, is that if you start something playing on your computer, you can’t then pause or skip scenes using your phone, at least not without using the mouse tool. Secondly, it comes bundled with its own version of VLC media player, used as default. It can be changed, but it’s not the simplest process and the app doesn’t work as well with other programs.

Pros:

• No complicated setup
• Simple and easy to use
• Allows you to stay warm and cozy in bed

Areas for improvement:

• More support for alternative media players
• Add support for controlling media initiated on the computer

Final verdict:
This app isn’t perfect, but the problems are small sacrifices and overall this app is more than worth your time.

Special note: All versions of Android supported.

Note: This review was submitted by Sam Bentley as part of our app review contest.

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NASHUA, N.H., April 19 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Ezenia! Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: EZEN), a leading market provider of real-time situation awareness, command and control solutions for corporate and government networks, appoints Rene A. Rodriguez, Vice President of Government Systems Business overseeing all related operations of sales, marketing, and business development in the Company’s Sterling, VA office.

Mr. Rodriguez reports directly to Khoa Nguyen, Ezenia Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, bringing extensive federal and commercial industry knowledge to extend Ezenia’s reach into all agencies of the government market segment.  His new vision concentrates on four key pillars of execution: build from the existing customer base within the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, expand potential sales into additional federal agencies, leverage partnerships to accelerate new business at the state, local, and municipal levels, and compete aggressively for every opportunity.

“Rene’s experience is a rare combination of industry knowledge, technology appreciation, relationship building, and aggressive salesmanship.  His success record and hands-on management style strengthens our sales team and mobilizes our combined resources of finance, engineering, customer service, marketing and lobbying,” commented Mr. Nguyen.  ”As the newest member of our executive team, Rene has already impacted the organization positively and noticeably.  I am pleased with Rene’s leadership and anticipate many far-reaching achievements for Ezenia.”

Mr. Rodriguez served in various sales, marketing, and business development positions of increasing importance during his 22-year career spanning ClearCube Technologies Inc., System Engineering Inc., WRQ Inc., Xerox Corporation, STMS Inc., and Magnetic Supply Inc.  ”What attracted me to Ezenia was the Company’s potential for growth and a remarkably loyal customer base,” stated Mr. Rodriguez.  ”The Company’s lean expense profile, proven InfoWorkSpace product line, and a pending announcement of a new, complimentary product made Ezenia even more attractive.  With the experience I have in growing revenue, I am convinced that Ezenia will turn profitable with their outstanding product line.”  Prior to joining Ezenia, Mr. Rodriguez was a senior consultant with DalCorp, now part of Agile Edge Technologies Inc. (www.AgileEdgeTech.com), focusing on federal systems integrators, such as IBM, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, and generating significant revenue for clients.  ”Rene played a critical role in helping our firm secure significant contracts for our large integrators,” noted Mr. Dallas Hale, President of AET Consulting.  ”Rene’s entrepreneurial skills, winning attitude, market knowledge, and deal-making experience will take Ezenia to the next level.”

About Ezenia! Inc.

Ezenia! Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: EZEN), founded in 1991, is a leading provider of real-time collaboration solutions, bringing new and valuable levels of interaction and collaboration to corporate networks and eGovernment. By integrating voice, video and data collaboration, the Company’s award-winning products enable groups to interact through a natural meeting experience regardless of geographic distance.  Ezenia! products allow dispersed groups to work together in real-time using powerful capabilities such as instant messaging, white boarding, screen sharing and text chat. The ability to discuss projects, share information, and modify documents allows users to significantly improve team communication and accelerate the decision-making process. More information about Ezenia! Inc. and its product and service offerings can be found at the Company’s Web site, http://www.ezenia.com.

Note to Investors Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included herein that are not historical facts may be considered forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by use of the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” and similar words.  Such forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding the Company’s business and financial outlook,  expense control and cash preservation efforts, pursuit of sales opportunities and resulting effects, and long-term strategy, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements.  These risks and uncertainties include the considerations that are discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, such as the evolution of Ezenia!’s market, dependence on the United States government as its largest customer and on other major customers, continued funding of defense programs by the United States government and the timing of such funding, uncertainties associated with procurement processes and on-going bidding activities for government programs, rapid technological change and competition within the collaborative software market, the Company’s reliance on third-party technology, protection of its propriety technology, customer acceptance of IWS and other new products including the acceptance of IWS in the commercial market, retention of key employees, stock price volatility, the Company’s history of liquidity concerns and operating losses, and other considerations that are discussed further in such report.  You should not place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.  The Company disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements after the date of such statements.  

Note: Ezenia! is a registered trademark of Ezenia! Inc., and the Ezenia! Logo and InfoWorkSpace are trademarks of Ezenia! Inc.  Additional information on Ezenia! and its products is available at www.ezenia.com.

SOURCE Ezenia! Inc.

http://www.ezenia.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Published April 2010
By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Columbia Basin College’s main entrance off Argent Road in Pasco has been named in honor of Senior Vice President for Administrative Services Bill Saraceno.  Saraceno Way honors Saraceno, who has been the driving force for capital projects at CBC since 1985.  The entrance way was completed in 2000 following the opening of the new Hawk Union Building.  The college’s latest facility, the 88,000-sq.-ft. Center for Career and Technical Education is scheduled to open in 2011.

Published April 2010
By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Columbia Basin College students Daniel Vickoren and Jessica Castro were honored recently at the All-Washington Academic Team ceremony in Olympia.

Vickoren, 27, is a history major from Burbank with a 3.91 GPA.  He was awarded a $750 scholarship from the National Education Loan Association, a $1,500 Coca-Cola gold medal scholarship, and a $250 scholarship from the Washington State Employees Credit Union.  Vickoren plans to attend WSU in Pullman in the fall and pursue a career as a college history professor.

Castro is an 18-year-old Running Start student from Mesa with a 3.92 GPA.  She also earned a $750 NELA scholarship.  Castro will graduate from Connell High School in June as salutatorian and earn her AA degree from CBC two weeks later.  She plans to attend either Gonzaga University or Whitworth University in the fall to pursue a career as a student counselor.

Published April 2010
By Erick Peterson, Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

When Major Doug Crandall introduced his Leadership Fellows program at Columbia Basin College, along with CBC President Rich Cummins, he sought to bring to the Tri-Cities the sort of course that he saw in other cities.

He envisioned a training ground where management professionals could work out their difficulties, learn new methods and network. Now well into the nine-month program, with a crew of 24 students that were brought into the program by sponsoring companies, Crandall sees his Leadership Fellows Program courses as an instant success.

High-quality guest speakers have come for lectures, students are giving him positive feedback, hopeful future students look to overload next year’s course and Crandall couldn’t be happier.

All this success, and Crandall has a new book coming out later this year.

“I think we feel pretty confident that by June a lot of people will have gotten something substantial out of it, but it will be different things,” Crandall said.

In class, Crandall encourages students to open up about their own failings and understand the underlying causes for their shortcomings.  What makes otherwise great managers bad at delegation, for instance?  Why do managers fall prey to bad decision-making?  Or why do these quality leaders have difficulty giving constructive feedback to their employees?

Crandall’s classes attempt to encourage students to open up, address these issues and correct them.

He said at least one of his students, who credits skills learned in the Leadership Fellows Program, received a job promotion.  Other students are showing signs of becoming more confident and effective leaders, Crandall said.

“Our goal is to impact the Tri-Cities and have people come away from the class with a rally solid experience,” Crandall said.

This is not because the Tri-Cities is particularly desperate for quality leadership.  Far from it, said Crandall, a Stanford Graduate School of Business alum and West Point graduate and former teacher, believes that the Tri-Cities is rich in leadership.

But like anything else, improvement is possible, and he means to provide opportunities for already great leaders to become even better.

“You can’t force people to become better leaders.  You can give them a guide to go for readings and sources on how to become a better leader,” Crandall said.
And this is what he means to do.

One of those sources for learning better leadership has been his highly-credentialed guest speakers, who have come to the Leadership Fellows Program from military and academic sectors.

In May, Scott Snook, who also taught at West Point but now teaches at Harvard Business School, will give a lecture.  And in June, the class will take a trip to Infinia and Gesa to speak with the CEO’s of those companies.

Crandall also hopes to plan public events that bring his Leadership Fellows guest speakers to an open audience, so that more people can benefit.  People wanting a taste of what Crandall has to offer sooner, however, may turn to his literary output.

Crandall edited 2007’s book “Leadership Lessons from West Point,” which he uses in his class.  Among other topics, the book addresses morality, urgency, charisma and a people-centered approach to leadership.

He has also worked on “Hope Unseen” with Scott Smiley.  The book, which comes out November 14, tells Smiley’s story of living through wartime horrors, being blinded in Iraq and returning from war to achieve a life-affirming, accomplished existence.

Crandall’s Richland-based leadership development company, Blue Rudder, is located on the Web at www.bluerudder.net.

 

Looks like the Sony Ericsson might finally land a smartphone on a U.S. carrier. Engadget Mobile says they have it from a trusted source that the Xperia X10 is slated for release in the 30th fiscal week of the year, which would put it at the tail end of July or the first week of August. And remember that the review units that are making the rounds have AT&T’s 3G bands, so it’s not that far-fetched. That said, we can’t help buy wonder what kind of horrible things AT&T may have in store for the X10. Stay tuned. [Engadget Mobile]