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Thread: The One Hour D&D Game
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 12:37 PM #1
Lama (Lvl 13)
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The One Hour D&D Game
New L&L is up:
Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (The One-Hour D&D Game)
The design goals don't seem bad to me. I was just thinking I'd like to see a system that could support both one, large fight or many, smaller fights over the course of one adventure.
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Monday, 19th March, 2012, 12:47 PM #2
Myrmidon (Lvl 10)
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Sounds excellent!
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 12:50 PM #3
Myrmidon (Lvl 10)
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One hour is a bit of a short time frame, but I absolutely want this type of game. In fact, if 5e doesn't really support streamlined gameplay where an adventure can happen in a couple hours, I won't buy it, or buy into it.
I already have two versions of D&D that are intricate and feature detailed and time-consuming combat and non-combat resolution (3.5 and 4e). I don't want another one like that.
I want something with the simplicity of Basic, but with the options of 3e or 4e.
Glamour is a rocky road!
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 12:59 PM #4
Orcus on an Off-Day (Lvl 22)
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I thought this was an excellent article. I agree with it 100%, especially with the bit that noted that this should not be the only way to play.
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 01:08 PM #5
Magsman (Lvl 14)
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The one hour game is really a stress test. A good GM can cram more into a session than an average GM. If a good GM can make a one hour game work, then the average, tired, adult, weekday night GM can run a satisfying session in the two-and-a-half hours they have to run.
But, yeah, a great idea.
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 01:44 PM #6
Orcus on an Off-Day (Lvl 22)
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I think the simple 1 hour adventure is a great building block. You can add complexity and tactical modules to the base as desired depending on the desires of the group and the time available.
Death is for amateurs -Charlie Sheen
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 02:00 PM #7
Waghalter (Lvl 7)
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It does help that they were running a party of 3 players and one GM.
I've always found a small group runs through challenges faster. You have several advantages for this;
-- less herding cats as it takes less time for the group to discuss and evolve a course of action
-- less players usually means the GM has cut down the size of the opposition. This reduces the overall size and length of combat.
-- interaction scenes and problem solving are more to the point with only one rogue in the party it follows that the thief leads on the puzzle scene and one of the three would have led on the interaction (who ever was more the party leader).
-- this is 1st level Basic where the Wizard has 1 spell to cast in the entire game night (if it is sleep then it can be a battle ender or a charm then it can be an interaction ender). There is really only one main active player in the fights (fighter) while the mage might toss a dagger or two and the thief is likely maneuvering on the first round or two to get in a 'backstab' unless this rule has been modified.
-- if this is a basic module (like they used to produce at TSR) then the battle space is usually pretty bare with no environmental hazards. It is pretty much move and hit the things.
Also, this is not a 5e gameplay.
It is Mearls usage of 1981 Basic with some of his ideas that are a version of what might be in 5e or tests of ideas.
The aim is good but I would not extrapolate conclusions from the test without knowing how similar the two objects are that the one is testing (a bad test is worse than no test because it can lead to false assumptions or beliefs).
I mean, I've run battles in PF with no terrain where the players (group of 9 players plus me as GM) basically tell me there actions and destroy the opposition in a single round (total time is around 10 min to get their plan and 5 min to resolve).
I've also run battles like Sat night which featured the opposition holding a hill with 10 defenders with armour and shields, 3 ninja (disguised initially as warriors), 3 cannon raining fire every other round on a group that was pinned down (inside a cave where they depended on their light source for seeing and the opponents/ratlings/skaven had darkvision). Two thirds of the players were in the rescue group (they had played the week before) and the other third of the group (missed that week for various reason) along with 3 NPCs were in the group pinned down needing rescue. The group pinned down were at a lower level trapped amongst rocks and one of the NPCs was an enemy/rival of one of the players in the rescue group.
I had one other element to drop on the players as 'trap' (a pair of doomwheels based on Warhammer Skaven like the guns were basically Jezzarails) but figured the players already had their hands full and didn't need an extra wave.
This was a big complex battle that took 5 full turns for the players (with a 6th fudged to mop up) to play out over 2.5 hours (using PF rules). There was plenty of variety and enough battle space for people that were stealth types to move with shadows. There was a variety of opposition types so even people with AoE attacks covered and blasted only a portion of the opposition meaning everyone had opportunities. There was even the final problem when some of the players turned on their own NPC commander for leading them into such a bad spot and the rival player having to make a choice on whether to support his companions or his duties to church and justice.
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 02:11 PM #8
The Great Druid (Lvl 17)
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It's been a LONG time since I've been able to sit down with a group and complete a short adventure in even 4 hours... I HIGHLY support this goal.
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 02:19 PM #9
Acolyte (Lvl 2)
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I REALLY enjoy this particular quote from the Mearls article because I agree with this concept design-wise. 4e was explicitly built around using the Encounter as the basic unit of DM design - which I though it did an excellent job of - but did skew and limit aspects of the game outside of this narrow focus.Ideally, focusing on the adventure as the basic unit of DM design also helps us cover different campaign styles.
By making the Adventure itself the basic unit, it allows for a wider use of the Three Pillars (Combat, Exploration, Interaction) to work together as an organic whole along with the rules necessary to facilitate this style of gameplay.
If this iS their De Facto Mission Statement of what they hope to achieve in DNDNEW then it is exactly the kind of thing I need to hear to garner my interest.
Basically, this sold me on giving it a chance when, at the moment, my gaming group and I are quite happy sticking to our 4e campaign.
Monday, 19th March, 2012, 02:25 PM #10
Grandmaster of Flowers (Lvl 18)
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I support the goal.
I just don't know how you can play an adventurer hook in an hour with more than 2 PCs without the game being ridiculously simple and boring.
My beard is hairy.


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Study finds Tylenol eases existential angst
Acetaminophen or Tylenol is an over-the-counter pain medicine used to relieve minor aches or fever. The new study has shown that Tylenol can also help reduce pain experienced after thinking about death or uncertainty of life.
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Oshie Placed on Injured Reserve
The Blues forward was injured in the March 12 game vs. San Jose
Saturday, 03.16.2013 / 11:28 AM CT / St Louis Blues - News
By Chris Pinkert - St. Louis Blues
Blues forward T.J. Oshie has been placed on injured reserve.
Oshie suffered an upper-body injury during the second period of the March 12 game vs. San Jose and was listed by the team as day-to-day.
"He's just skating," Ken Hitchcock said Saturday. "He's a little bit better obviously being able to skate, but he's no where near ready to play yet."
Oshie will be eligible to be activated from injured reserve as early as Wednesday, March 20. The 26-year-old forward has dressed in 26 games this season, registering 17 points (5 goals and 12 assists) to go along with 13 penalty minutes.
Overall, the 5-foot-11, 189-pound forward is in his fifth NHL season, all with the Blues, accumulating 192 points (68 goals, 124 assists) and 144 penalty minutes in 288 career games.


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First of all, I wish you a happy new
Many things happened last year, it was really exciting to be involved in the MySQL ecosystem.
I hope this enthusiasm will be increased this year, up to you !
To start the year, I propose the MySQL[plus] Awards
It will only take 5 minutes to fill out these polls.
Answer with your heart first and then with your experience with some of these tools or services.
Polls will be closed January 31, so, vote now ! …[Read more...]


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On Nov. 8, China is set to hold the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party. We already know who will be the next party leader: Vice President Xi Jinping. What we don't know is what matters: Does Xi have a "Chinese Dream" that is different from the "American Dream?" Because if Xi's dream for China's emerging middle class -- 300 million people expected to grow to 800 million by 2025 -- is just like the American Dream (a big car, a big house and Big Macs for all) then we need another planet.
Spend a week in China and you'll see why. Here's a Shanghai Daily headline from Sept. 7: "City Warned of Water Resource Shortage." The article said: "Shanghai may face a shortage of water resources if the population continues to soar. ... The current capacity of the city's water supply was about 16 million tons per day, which is able to cover the demand of 26 million people. However, once the population reaches 30 million, the demand would rise to 18 million tons per day, exceeding the current capacity." Shanghai will hit 30 million in about seven years!
"Success in the 'American Dream,' " notes Peggy Liu, the founder of the Joint U.S.-China Collaboration on Clean Energy, or Juccce, "used to just mean a house, a family of four and two cars, but now it's escalated to conspicuous consumption as epitomized by Kim Kardashian. China simply cannot follow that path -- or the planet will be stripped bare of natural resources to make all that the Chinese consumers want to consume."
Liu, an MIT graduate and former McKinsey consultant, argues that Chinese today are yearning to create a new national identity, one that merges traditional Chinese values, like balance, respect and flow, with its modern urban reality.
So Juccce has been working with Chinese mayors and social networks, sustainability experts and Western advertising agencies to catalyze sustainable habits in the emergent consuming class by redefining personal prosperity -- which so many more Chinese are gaining access to for the first time -- as "more access to better products and services, not necessarily by owning them, but also by sharing -- so everyone gets a piece of a better pie."
That means, among other things, better public transportation, better public spaces and better housing that encourages dense vertical buildings, which are more energy efficient and make shared services easier to deliver, and more e-learning opportunities that reduce commuting. Emphasizing access versus ownership isn't just more sustainable, it helps ease friction from the differences between rich and poor.
Chinese are more open to this than ever. A decade ago, the prevailing attitude was, "Hey, you Americans got to grow dirty for 150 years. Now it is our turn." A couple of weeks ago, though, I took part in the opening day of Tongji University's Urban Planning and Design Institute in Shanghai and asked students whether they still felt that way. I got a very different answer. Zhou Lin, a graduate student studying energy systems, declared, with classmates nodding, "You can politicize this issue as much as you want, but, in the end, it doesn't do us any good." It is not about fairness anymore, he said. It is in China's best interest to find a "cleaner" growth path.
China's latest five-year plan -- 2011-15 -- has set impressive sustainability goals for cutting energy and water intensity per unit of GDP. All of these goals are critical to the greening of China, but they are not sufficient, argues Liu. With retail sales growing 17 percent a year since 2005 and urban incomes up 150 percent in the last decade, "the government must also have a plan to steer consumer behavior toward a sustainable path," adds Liu. "But it doesn't yet."
So Xi Jinping has two very different challenges from his predecessor. He needs to ensure that the Communist Party continues to rule -- despite awakened citizen pressure for reform -- and that requires more high growth to keep the population satisfied with party control. But he also must manage the downsides of that growth -- from widening income gaps to massive rural-urban migration to choking pollution and environmental destruction.
The only way to square all that is with a new Chinese Dream that marries people's expectations of prosperity with a more sustainable China. Does Xi know that, and, if he does, can he move the system fast enough? So much is riding on the answers to those questions.
Thomas Friedman is a columnist for The New York Times.


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Sage Francis wrote: I will be on Epitpah's next Punkorama cd compilation.
that is step one.
Jesse wrote: excell>
cforce> I don't think you really managed to establish much of a controversy on that topic, did you? I don't think there's really much of a potential downside to Sage having a relationship with Epitaph.


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Grand Theft Aero
this wiki
- Asuka: "So, the whore got away. However, you've done me a favor. You're not the only one who has a score to settle with the Cartel. This worm killed my brother!"
- Miguel: "I never killed no Yakuza!"
- Asuka: "LIAR! We all saw the Cartel assassin! We are going to hunt down and kill all of you Colombian dogs!"
- —Asuka Kasen and Miguel, after Catalina betrays Miguel and Asuka captures him
Grand Theft Aero is a mission in Grand Theft Auto III given to protagonist Claude by media mogul and businessman Donald Love from the Love Media building in the Bedford Point district of Staunton Island, Liberty City.
Claude drops by Donald's penthouse and Donald informs him that the packages he had previously collected were decoys, so he needs to collect the real package, which was on that plane all along. Donald states that the authorities had intercepted the plane, however he has managed to bribe them.
Claude drives to Donald's hangar at Francis International Airport on Shoreside Vale. However the Liberty City Port Authority officers have all been killed, and six Colombian Cartel gang members are waiting inside. Claude kills them and enters the Dodo, but realizes the package has gone. Noticing a Panlantic van in front of the hangar, he drives to the Panlantic construction site in Fort Staunton on Staunton Island.
Once at the construction site, he kills more Colombian Cartel gang members and uses the elevator to get to the upper levels. There, he sees Miguel and Catalina, who have Love's package. When Claude challenges them, Miguel hands him the package, which leads to Catalina shooting Miguel before she leaps out of the building and lands in a garbage bin to escape.
A little later, Asuka Kasen and the Yakuza arrive to take over the area from the Cartel. Still thinking the Cartel killed her brother, she begins to torture Miguel. Claude then goes to Love Media to deliver the package.
Mission objectives
In order to complete the mission the player must:
- Go to Donald's hangar
- Kill the Colombian gang members
- The package should be in the plane...
- The package is gone! Track down the Colombians and retrieve it
- There's a construction yard in Staunton Island, maybe they took the package there
- Take the package back to Donald Love
The reward for completing this mission is $50,000. The missions Escort Service and Bait are unlocked.
- Having body armor and using the sniper rifle to engage the Cartel is recommended here, as they carry powerful weapons and will utilise cover, making it difficult to lock onto them.
- At the airport, one Panlantic van is seen driving away. If the player follows it, it will get all the way to the middle of the Lift Bridge and stop there. The van will remain parked there, frozen in place. It is also bulletproof and fireproof, and if the lift bridge is raised, the van will sink through the road and float in midair below the bridge, until the bridge comes back down again. If Claude tries to enter the Panlantic, he will start running in circles around the van and will sometimes flinch and fall over. It is possible to obtain it before it freezes in the Lift Bridge, by blocking the van's way and pulling the driver out, but it only gets bulletproof and fireproof when it's frozen on the bridge.
- At the airport, if the second Panlantic is destroyed before the player gets inside, the mission will be considered failed. However, all the player has to do is to get inside the van, then they can switch to another vehicle to head to the construction site.
- If you drive fast enough, you can get to Francis International Airport before the Dodo does. If this is done, you can see that the Dodo turns as if it were in the sky, and once it gets to the hangar it disappears.
- During the mission Kingdom Come for King Courtney, Claude reads a note from Catalina saying that she knows that he's been a "busy boy" and that she's been a "busy girl". Yet during this mission, which takes place afterwards, she is surprised that he is still alive. However, she likely believed that he was killed during Kingdom Come, rather than during the Introduction.
- When you go to the airport, you can see the guards having the blood splatter around their heads, seen also in Kanbu Bust Out in GTA III and in Apartment 3C in GTA Vice City.Probably because in order to save time and money, the same textures are used for all three.
- Notice after this mission, the Yakuza take over the Panlantic Construction site, with Yakuza Stingers replacing the Cartel Cruisers around the site, and Yakuza members walking the streets surrounding the construction project, duking it out with any Colombian Cartel members still left. They don't drive their cars through the area though.
Video walkthroughs
|iPad Version
|PC Version


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Kyle Rutter, Chance Isaacson, Kelsey Cuna, Ryan King, Morgan Zunino, Dallin Havens, Rebecca Ryan and Taylor Harrison are some of the GHS Choir members, who would like to surprise your special someone with a unique and romantic gift on Valentine's Day, February 14th. The student vocalists are now taking orders to serenade your Valentine with songs of love, for a prepaid donation of $20.00. They will also deliver See's chocolates, available at various prices. Contact a choir member to make arrangements, or call 846-4808 for information. Appointments are limited, don't delay.
Location, ST | website.com


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- Dec 24:
- Grading the 49ers' victory over the Atlanta Falcons
- 30 arrested at 49ers' last Candlestick game; some seats stolen
- Dec 23:
- NaVorro Bowman picks his spot in 49ers' Candlestick Park lore
- Kawakami: NaVorro Bowman provides another memorable moment for Candlestick
- Purdy: 49ers give Candlestick a dandy farewell
- Thompson: NaVorro Bowman's interception return for touchdown adds to 49ers' Candlestick lore
- Former 49ers and fans relive the memories in Candlestick finale
- 49ers close out Candlestick with victory
- 49ers' Brock does more than 'make a play'
- 49ers' Mario Manningham out for Candlestick finale
SAN FRANCISCO -- Candlestick Park will host its final scheduled 49ers game Monday night, when the Atlanta Falcons visit the Bay-side stadium that first opened in 1960 as the Giants' baseball diamond.
The 49ers technically could still host a playoff game there next month, by virtue of overtaking the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West title and a top-two seed or by advancing in an unprecedented No. 5-vs.-No. 6 conference-finals matchup.
Victories certainly aren't guaranteed upon a stadium departure. Here is how other NFL teams fared upon recent stadium finales:
-- Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.), 2009: Jets win 37-0 over Bengals (Jan. 3, 2010); Giants lose 41-9 to Carolina Panthers (Dec. 27, 2009)
-- Texas Stadium (Dallas), 2008: Cowboys lose 33-24 to Baltimore Ravens
-- RCA Dome (Indianapolis), 2007: Colts lose 28-24 to Chargers in playoffs (also lost regular-season home finale, 16-10 to Titans)
-- Sun Devil Stadium (Tempe, Ariz.), 2005: Cardinals win 27-21 over Eagles
-- Veterans Stadium (Philadelphia), 2002: Eagles lose 27-10 to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in NFC Championship game (Jan. 19, 2003) (Phillies played 2003 season there)
-- Foxboro Stadium, 2001: Patriots win 16-13 over Raiders in divisional playoffs ("Tuck Rule" game)
-- Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac, Mich.), 2001: Lions win 15-10 over Cowboys (Jan. 6, 2002)
-- Three Rivers Stadium (Pittsburgh), 2000: Steelers win 24-3 over Redskins
-- Mile High Stadium (Denver), 2000: Broncos win 38-9 over 49ers
-- Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field (Cincinnati), 1999: Bengals win 44-28 over Browns
-- Kingdome (Seattle), 1999: Seahawks lose 20-17 to Miami Dolphins in playoffs (Jan. 9, 2000)
-- Tampa (Houlihan's) Stadium, 1997: Buccaneers win Lions 20-10 in wild-card playoffs
-- Memorial Stadium (Baltimore), 1997: Ravens win 21-19 over Oilers
-- RFK Stadium (WashingtonD.C.), 1996: Redskins win 37-10 over Cowboys
-- Municipal Stadium (Cleveland), 1995: Browns win 26-10 over Bengals
-- Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (Atlanta), 1991: Falcons win 26-13 over Seahawks; (Braves played baseball there through 1996)
-- Orange Bowl (Miami), 1986: Dolphins lose 34-27 to New England
For more on the 49ers, see Cam Inman's Hot Read blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CamInman.


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Here's another sign that the recession is losing its grip on the northern San Joaquin Valley: Per-capita personal income rose to record-high levels in 2011.
San Joaquin County had an average $31,013 in personal income per person last year.
Calaveras County incomes rose to $35,828.
Income estimates released Monday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show income increases in all the nation's 366 metropolitan statistical areas. That hasn't happened since 2007.
While the region's incomes are up, they're still far less than state and national averages.
California's per-capita income was $43,647 last year.
U.S. per-capita income hit a record-high $41,560 in 2011. That was a 5.2 percent annual increase.
Of California's 58 counties, San Joaquin ranked 46th.
For incomes in San Joaquin County, 61 percent came from working, 25 percent from social programs and business benefits, and 14 percent from dividends, interest and rents.
Nationwide, personal incomes came 66 percent from working, 18 percent from social programs and business benefits, and 16 percent from dividends, interest and rents.
How much U.S. residents earned last year varied greatly from one community to another.
The nation's highest per-capita income was in New York County (Manhattan), where every man, woman and child earned an average $121,301 last year.
The nation's poorest place was Crowley County, Colo., where the per-capita income was $16,752 in 2011.
Location, ST | website.com


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SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A second-half equalizer sent the Southern Oregon University women's soccer team to overtime for the second time this season, but the Raiders fell Thursday, 2-1, to The Master's College.
Jessica Long lofted the game-winner over the outstretched arms of SOU goalkeeper Kylie Moltzen from straight on with 2 minutes, 10 seconds remaining in the first extra period, running the 21st-ranked Mustangs' record to 7-0-0.
The loss ended a program-record unbeaten streak of seven matches for the Raiders (2-1-1) dating back to last year. They'll finish up their road trip Saturday at No. 9 Westmont in Santa Barbara, Calif.
SOU's Sydney Paulsen set up freshman Caylin Jackson for her first career goal to tie the match in the 87th minute. Jackson became the ninth different Raider to get on the board this season.
The Master's went ahead in the 14th minute when Tara Struiksma found Natasha Coyle for a header. Jordan Benson was credited with the assist of Long's goal.
Moltzen finished the match with nine saves as the Mustangs outshot the Raiders 20-6. Jackson had two of those shots off the bench, as did Chloe Welch.
SOU is without head coach Jon Clement, who has been placed on administrative leave. He is being investigated by the school for reasons that have not been disclosed by the university.
Prep Volleyball
At Medford, Ashland was competitive, but North Medford swept the Grizzlies in nonconference play, 25-16, 25-18, 25-21.
Hannah Borgerson registered 10 digs and five kills for Ashland (1-2), and Hope Baldrica had five kills, three blocks and three digs. Carly Walker chipped in 10 digs, and Jordan Tilley had three aces.
"It was actually a very competitive match," said Grizzlies coach Robin Akpan. "We had some good play in there, we just couldn't string it together. And North Medford is a very good team. They play a fast game."
Location, ST | website.com


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Friday, June 18, 2010
Dog Days Of Summer (Weekend Whine)
I'm a wimp when it comes to extreme weather. Hubby would say that anything less than 70 or more than 72 degrees constitutes "extreme," but I'm really not as bad as he likes to make me sound. (When you're as nearly flawless as I am I suppose he has to find something to nitpick about.)
I'm far more tolerant of temperatures in the 50's and 60's than I am the 80's and 90's. I guess what it boils down to is that I just don't like to sweat. There, I said it. I hate feeling sticky and frizzy haired and damp under the collar. And so does Sloopy, I imagine. So I took him to get groomed and he just looks so handsome in his summer cut and patriotic bandanna that I thought I'd share this photo with you. After all, to him all summer days are dog days. (He needs some serious orthodontic work, don't you think?)
Have fantastic Father's Day all you Dads out there!
16 comments:
- Sherry said...
This was the coldest winter ever, and now it's the hottest summer! Not fair!
- June 18, 2010 at 9:10 PM
- Julie said...
Hi, Maggie! I hear ya! It's been in the 90's with a zillion percent humidity all week. However, it's still better than the 50+ inches of snow and cold we had this winter. My husband says I am only happy when it's between 60 - 75 degrees out.
Have a great weekend and try and stay cool.
- June 18, 2010 at 9:49 PM
- Grumpy and HoneyB said...
I'd gladly take some of your heat. We have had wet and not really so warm weather so far.
- June 19, 2010 at 5:03 AM
- Haden News said...
It's hot here too -- 95 today. Sloopy is adorable!!
- June 19, 2010 at 8:06 AM
- From the Kitchen said...
I'm with you, Mags. I don't like hot weather. Of course, when we lived in the ideal climate of La Jolla, CA, I complained about the endless perfection! I like four definite seasons like the climate in the Shenandoah Valley where I grew up.
Keep cool or hot or whatever pleases you!!
- June 19, 2010 at 8:46 AM
- Barbara Bakes said...
My range is 72 - 77. But I'd take hot over cold any day.
- June 19, 2010 at 8:49 AM
- June said...
Mags - I'm with ya' on the "hate to sweat" although give me about 10 days and I'll be freezing on the Oregon coast. Ha. Love your little Sloop Dawg - he is absolutely adorable. Cute as a button and a heap a "terror" I'm betting.
- June 19, 2010 at 9:08 AM
- Moogie said...
Hot flashes.... hot weather... it all sucks!
- June 19, 2010 at 9:23 AM
- Lyndsey said...
First off...you hate to whine? Just kidding, I love reading when you start out with that!
I am not a cold weather person even though I grew up in SW Michigan. My perfect weather is 83 and we are often right around that here in SW Florida, where I've been for 20 years. You never hear me complain about the heat, and give me humidity over dry air anytime. My hair loves the humidity it curls perfectly with tons of body, where it goes pin straight and flat in dry. My family back in Michigan are exactly like you which is why they still live there! Beside when it's nice and hot I can use the pool. It's funny when people complain about the heat here in Florida, my husband always says to them...yes it's like Florida in the summer! :D
- June 19, 2010 at 10:13 AM
- Lyndsey said...
Oh Sloopy is too cute!!
- June 19, 2010 at 10:14 AM
- A Year on the Grill said...
I've been sweaty since February...
So does this mean you don;t want to visit me in St Thomas???
- June 19, 2010 at 7:55 PM
- All Our Fingers in the Pie said...
Sorry, Mags, but I just burst out laughing at your cute dog! Why make him a "pretty boy" with orthodontics. He has character. Well, I wish I could say we have had heat! We are in the middle of a monsoon sans the heat. Serious flooding, in fact. When will it ever stop raining???
- June 19, 2010 at 8:13 PM
- Sue Sparks said...
I'm with you, I do not do well in heat! (That's why I love it here on the central coast!) Even Hawaii was not for me...TOO hot/humid and a bad hair day everyday!
Sloopy's new 'do looks quite spiffy!
- June 19, 2010 at 9:08 PM
- Kat said...
Hey, you should be where I live. I cannot believe the extreme high temps and humidity we are experiencing in June. I am like you; what the heck is July and August gonna be like. I am hoping we are getting the extreme heat over with so we can get back to normal. I hate summers here.
- June 20, 2010 at 9:47 AM
- Anne Marie said...
Come visit me in Texas for some extreme heat! I could not handle your winters. Cute pup.
- June 21, 2010 at 4:04 AM
- Maria said...
Love that photo!
- June 21, 2010 at 8:55 AM


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As Eagle hones in on its final numbers for the 2013 budget, Tuesday night a number of community representatives made appeals for town dollars.
Eagle is eying a $4.6 million operating budget next year - which is down approximately $200,000 from its 2012 spending plan. The biggest impact was the decision from the town of Gypsum to cease the Costco revenue sharing agreement in 2013. The agreement dates back six years and splits unencumbered sales tax revenues from the Costco retail block. In 2012, Eagle received approximately $385,000 from the Costco revenue sharing agreement.
With that revenue source now projected to be 0 for 2013, Eagle's operating fund revenues over expenses is projected to drop from $377,000 in 2012 to just $24,000 in 2013. However, Eagle Town Manager Willy Powell has noted that the town has built a healthy fund balance over the past few years, which will help Eagle absorb the revenue share loss. In 2011, the fund balance was $1 million. This year it is projected at $962,000 and in 2013, it is projected at $782,000.
As the town absorbs the revenue share loss, the 2013 budget anticipates no employee layoffs and no wage increases. But the 2013 spending plan also reflects a large capital project - the Eby Creek Road improvements. Eagle has been stockpiling money for this project for years and will contribute $3 million toward the $17 million roadway improvement plan that includes construction of four roundabouts, improvements to the existing roundabouts, a new pedestrian bridge over Interstate 70 and various landscaping and sidewalk improvements. Construction is slated to begin this summer and completion is scheduled for 2014.
With the big budget decisions finalized previously, Tuesday night was community request night and the public hearing for the overall budget. Four local representatives made appeals for town funding in 2012.
John Bronn of the Eagle County Historical Society requested $3,000 for a historic building identification program. Bronn said the local history group would like to place markers on Eagle buildings that would give a brief synopsis of their origins and uses over time. "We think the signs are attractive enough to be representative of our town," said Bronn. "We think it would serve as a tourist attraction."
Bronn is forming an advisory committee to identify buildings for the project and when completed, the inventory will include about 30 properties. After discussion the board agreed to fund the program.
Holli Snyder of NRC Broadcasting was also successful with her request for $2,500 for the Free Family Fun Fair at the Eagle River Center. Snyder noted the winter event has been presented since 2007 and brings in an estimated 25,000 people from all over the valley.
The Vail Valley Partnership and the Eagle Air Alliance each received $5,000 donations from the town - approximately half of what the VVP requested and $2,500 less than the EAA request.
Finally, the Walking Mountains Science Center received a $6,000 donation for programs it presents in Eagle schools.
No one offered comment during the public hearing for the 2013 budget and the town will formally adopt the spending plan at its Tuesday, Dec. 11, meeting.
Eagle Town Board member Scott Turnipseed made good on his promise to design a new ECO bus shelter at Eagle Town Park and presented his concept to fellow board members Tuesday night.
Turnipseed, a professional architect, said the plan reflects a 10-foot by 16-foot structure that would be located east of the Centennial Stage.
"What we tried to do is bring the elements of the band shell and the bathroom building into the bus shelter," he said. "The reason for the presentation tonight is to hear from the board members to learn if they are in favor of the bus shelter and the design."
In response, the board voiced support for both. But before construction can start, there are a number of issues yet to be resolved. The first is price.
Ideally the price for the shelter will not exceed $30,000. Also ideally, ECO Transit will be willing to partner with the town to share that cost.
Town Board member Joe Knabel, who works as a construction estimator, agreed to volunteer his services to determine if the shelter will fit the parameters. Knabel also serves as the town's representative to ECO Transit and he will present the initial design to the agency to gauge support for the plan.
Resident Donna Spinelli offered a presentation about the Colorado Main Street Program.
The program seeks "to revitalize traditional downtown districts within the context of historic preservation and uses an approach that advocates a return to community self reliance, local empowerment and the rebuilding of central business districts based on their traditional assets of unique architecture, personal service, local ownership and sense of community."
Currently there are 13 cities and towns participating in the program. Spinelli noted that she is not asking Eagle to commit to the program at this point but sought a general agreement from the board to explore the option. The town board agreed.
The town board unanimously approved the liquor license renewal for the Brush Creek Saloon Tuesday night.
Eagle Police officer Ryan Toy noted during 2012 there have been 21 incidents related to the bar operation, which is actually fewer than previous years.
"Things are looking better. They are still not what I would consider optimal. They are the highest call volume liquor license facility in town," said Toy.
Board members noted that the saloon is the only operation in town that remains open until 2 a.m., and because of that it is more likely to see additional police calls.
"The number of contacts is not necessarily a bad thing," said Eagle Town Attorney Ed Sands. "You want them to be calling the police before there is even a hint of trouble."


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Whoever thinks New Yorkers are unfriendly clearly hasn't ever done post-superstorm relief work in the Empire State.
When NV Energy lineman Chris Laux arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday, Nov. 5, he had no idea how long he'd be in New York or even where he'd be stationed. What the region looked like a few days after superstorm Sandy dissipated, leaving a wake of destruction throughout the East Coast, was another unknown.
Laux, a South Lake Tahoe resident who works for the Nevada-based energy company, had never seen so many linemen mobilized before. Linemen - powerline technicians who build and maintain electric power facilities - don't often get much recognition for their work, and when they do it's more likely to be negative. Yet it's a job essential to the nation's power grid.
"There's a running joke in the lineman trade - when people are out of power for two or three hours, they hate you. When they're out of power for two to three days, they love you," Laux said.
Sandy lumbered onshore Oct. 29, leaving millions of people without power for days or even weeks. So when Laux and the rest of the 18-person NV Energy crew got off the Air Force transport planes with their company line trucks on Nov. 5, they were treated like heroes.
"They were really blown away that we were from Nevada. It was like the movies. People were baking us pies, people were basically paying for our meals. I had so much food in my truck it was ridiculous. They were so grateful," Laux said.
His girlfriend, Jennifer Lenik, calls him a hero, but Laux said he was there just to do a job. After the group arrived Monday, they spent the next 11 days trying to heat up and plug in as many people as they could. With trees and debris cluttering the streets, it was an environment of "controlled chaos," Laux said.
To complicate matters, the NV Energy employees were driving their 4,700-pound, 28-foot long line trucks. Laux said the crew would creep under parkway bridges designed for cars and small trucks with only inches to spare.
Nevada has two area codes. Long Island City, New York has four. That kind of population density makes travel difficult even during normal times, and trying to navigate post-Sandy roads with West Coast-sized trucks was almost impossible, Laux said.
"The devastation, the outages were just insane. When there's a mass power outage like that, you heat up massive amounts of people. But when we got there, there were still 850,000 people out in that area," Laux said.
In order to deal with the large-scale blackouts, the Long Island Power Authority called upon other electric companies like NV Energy in the Edison Electric Institute to help. There's a community among the power utilities that doesn't exist between most other corporations, NV Energy spokesman Karl Walquist said. It's as if Shell or Exxon Mobile went to BP's aid after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Laux attributes the mutual assistance program to the birth of the lineman trade where the technicians - called boomers --traveled the country plugging people into the growing grid.
"It evolved through that - along the lines of the lineman. Whenever there's a problem, they go and fix it. And the utilities stepped up to that too. The dedication to the industry has been there since day one," he said.
About 62,000 employees - many of whom were lineman like Laux who worked a 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. shift for almost two weeks - flocked to the east to help with repairs, according to Walquist. It's physically and mentally draining, especially since many of the workers are repairing a foreign system, Laux said.
Hearing Laux talk about his work is like listening to a firefighter who just saved a burning neighborhood: his pride in his job and in the history of the trade is evident. Laux returned to the South Shore about a week ago, and he said he's still decompressing from his time in New York.
"I don't like being in the limelight. I do my job and that's what I do. At the end of the day we provide a service. It's not a glorified road. It's never sunny, it's always raining or snowing. Linemen as a whole are pretty humble people, but it's one of the most valuable services out there. The day-to-day stuff, it's just what we do. So to have all these people come up to you, it's like being a rock star," he said.


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Home > Catalog > General > DE0014
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There is no need to "Register" for this course. Simply login to the CDE and Click on the link to take the ONLINE COURSE in the Additional Info section on the Course Detail page to receive credit. Activity Overview: Domestic violence is a health care problem of epidemic proportions. Oral health providers are in a pivotal position for identifying head, face, and neck injuries typical of domestic violence or child abuse. To raise awareness about this public health issue, the IHS, Division of Oral Health worked with Barbara Gabbert, PhD at the University of California San Francisco, Dental School. Dr. Gabbert developed the AVDR [Ask, Validate, Document, and Refer] program, and IHS, Division of Oral Health incorporated the AVDR DVD into this course. Teaching Methods This course is delivered online and includes interactive activities, lecture, and video demonstrations.
At the end of this course you will be able to: • Define domestic violence • Describe the prevalence of domestic violence • Recognize common physical indicators of abuse • Apply 4 step intervention with dental patients who present with signs of domestic violence
It is the policy of the Indian Health Service, Division of Oral
Health, that faculty/planners disclose any financial or other relationships with commercial companies whose products may be discussed in the educational activity.
The Indian Health Service, Division of Oral Health, also requires that faculty disclose any unlabeled or investigative use of pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
Images that have been falsified or manipulated to misrepresent treatment outcomes are prohibited.
None of the faculty/planners for this activity has a conflict of interest, and there is no use of unlabeled or investigative pharmaceutical products or medical devices.
No images have been falsified or manipulated to misrepresent treatment outcomes.The educational objectives, content, and selection of educational methods and instructors are conducted
independent of any commercial entity.
Concerns or complaints about this course may be directed to Mary Beth Kinney or to ADA CERP (http://www.ada.org/goto/cerp).
Course developed January, 2007; reviewed December, 2010.
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Tuition must be paid in full 8 weeks prior to the start date of any course. Request for refunds must be received in writing at
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ACTON — Playing its second road game in as many nights — and third in a five-day span — the Immanuel Christian boys basketball team simply ran out of gas on Tuesday night. The Crusaders lost to Vasquez 64-47 for a second straight defeat.
"We were excited to play a much larger school — and opponent — to see how we measure up," Crusaders head coach Garry Noel said. "We showed a lot of hustle, fought until the buzzer and played aggressively."
ICS (2-2) raced out to a 7-0 lead against its Division 5-AA counterparts. The Crusaders only trailed 29-28 at halftime, but wore down in the second half against a Vasquez squad that went 10 players deep.
The Mustangs subbed two to three players at a time, and that rotation combined with their press eventually tired out ICS. The Crusaders had 33 turnovers in the loss, most of which came after halftime.
Forward Paul Henderson filled up the stat sheet in defeat — he scored 15 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked three shots. Guard Devin Thompson finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, and guard Michael Barker added 12 points.
As a team, the Crusaders pulled down 40 rebounds and shot 3-for-5 from three-point range. Noel said ICS matched up well with Vasquez's starting five.
On Monday night, ICS suffered its first defeat of the season in surprising fashion. The Crusaders fell 44-35 at Bethel Christian, a team they had beaten in a preseason scrimmage and again in the regular season.
"We came out flat and unresponsive, and never recovered," Noel said. "We really never got into a rhythm all night."
Henderson, Thompson and forward Quamonte Traylor each scored nine points in the loss. Traylor had a team-high 15 rebounds and Henderson pulled down 11.
Noel tried changing defenses between zone, press and man-to-man to change the flow of the game, but nothing could get ICS out of its funk. The Crusaders turned the ball over 40 times in their first loss of the year.
ICS returns to action next Tuesday at Lucerne Valley. The Crusaders' home game scheduled for tonight against Antelope Valley Christian has been cancelled.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Shillington Graduate Elisha Schnell
Category: Designers/Studios, Illustration,
Posted by: Maz
Posted: Apr 27th 2011
No. of comments: 0
Posted: Apr 27th 2011
No. of comments: 0
Elisha Schnell graduated from Shillington College in May 2010 with an outstandingly unique portfolio. She originally trained as an actress then through an interest in the web became a web master for a corporate and front end programmer later working for a major charity in Australia.
She has always had personal passion for illustration which played a significant role in her design solutions during college projects and in her recently commissioned work for Canada Bay Council, Sydney.
Here are some images of her illustrated street banners.


text:
I don't know how many more airport trips I can do -- the return ones I mean.
You know the one where the journey to JFK/Newark is quiet, very quiet. Awkward conversations take place in an effort to cover up the impending sadness that's about to take place at a bustling international airport.
The planes are (in my case) always departing back to Ireland. In my eight years in New York I've done many of these drop-off trips, more than I'd like to count, but it never gets easier, does it? I guess it's always harder when it's family though.
I see updates constantly on social networking site Facebook. Comments like "I hate goodbyes," "Their trip was too short," and "This never gets any easier."
Posts from Irish immigrants (mainly those who don't get to go home too often if ever at all) who have had a flying visit from their loved ones in Ireland. It's always sad to see, but it's part and parcel of life as an immigrant I guess.
Last week's car journey to Terminal Three at JFK Airport was pretty much the same as the one before. Conversations reminiscing on the week's vacation took place.
My mother, Liz, and her partner, Mike, came to visit our nine-month-old son, Colum, and us for seven days. Their time in New York was precious, just like every time.
But this journey was a little different. John (my husband) and I were away for three of those seven days at John's best friend's wedding, Damian Mescall, in Pennsylvania. So Nana Liz was the boss, which suited her down to the ground.
Within hours of our departure she had Colum on a strict schedule. They took several mini-walks around the neighborhood where we live in Yonkers.
Short trips to the local CVS pharmacy to visit some of the Halloween mannequins (yes, my mother has a strange sense of humor and by all accounts so does my son) and lots of playtime were had. Colum had a great time with his grandparents, but certainly not as good a time as his nana.
"Oh, how will I leave my little man this time?" asked Liz upon our return from Pennsylvania.
The last time she visited us in New York Colum was just four months old, and as any mom knows babies at that age are just about smiling, laughing and that's pretty much it.
It was a whole different experience this time around. Colum is now crawling, walking along furniture, copies everything we do, talks to us in his own language, is extremely energetic, loves the fun and knows very well how to work his parents and grandparents into getting his own way.
I was constantly getting text messages from Liz on Colum's every move. I could tell from the tone of the texts (and their frequency) that she was falling in love with my son all over again.
For John and I the visit really put into perspective our decision to move home next May.
Seeing Colum with family brought joy to our hearts. It's what we want for Colum and our second child. (We are expecting another baby in February).
He is too young at this age to even comprehend that Liz is his nana, but soon enough he will be clued in and I don't want to have to explain to him that ALL his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins live an ocean away.
I want him to take for granted that he can see all those people when he wants. It will make him and us happy (and nana Liz too).
As the time for booking flights back to Ireland quickly approaches it becomes crystal clear that Ireland is the place for us.
Yes, we're well aware that there is a looming recession with no end in sight, that jobs are few and far between and people don't have the same quality of life as they used to have.
"It's just like the eighties were," I hear over and over again.
If I'm being honest I can't remember the eighties being bad. Granted I was a child, but I was a very happy child who wanted for nothing even though we didn't have much money.
I don't want my children growing up in a world where everything is handed to them. I earned pocket money by vacuuming, washing dishes, cleaning the bathroom. It may have only been a pound a week, but it showed me the value of working for what you want.
My kids don't need Play Stations, iPads and designer jeans. They need love, love from family and friends.
People have "warned" us about our social lives when we return to Ireland.
"You won't be able to go out as much at home now April," they say.
I'm always quick to remind them that we're now parents, and going out to the bar is something we don't do anymore unless it's a special occasion (and can get a sitter).
We'll be perfectly happy having family and friends over to our home for dinner and chats (once I learn to cook properly).
And if we're all honest, the best nights out we have are when we are surrounded by friends nattering about life's trials and tribulations; it just doesn't have to be done on a bar stool.


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MillerCoors and the Brewers Tuesday announced that connection will continue with the renewal of an agreement that maintains Miller Lite as the team's exclusive beer sponsor. Financial terms and duration of the agreement were not disclosed.
The sponsorship includes in-stadium signage, advertising on TV and radio Brewer game broadcasts and exclusive consumer promotions, among other things.
The Miller Lite Party Deck also opens this season. It's a 1,400-square foot deck with 70 seats above the Miller Park right field Loge bleachers.
The Miller-baseball connection dates back to 1953 when Frederick Miller, the great grandson of the brewery's founder, helped bring the Braves to Milwaukee.


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Cops ring in the new year with a senseless killing
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Sage Francis
Self Fighteous
Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21790
Cops ring in the new year with a senseless killing
I know the news channel is trying to cover their asses, and I also know that they try to keep a friendly relationship with law enforcement, but let the video speak for itself.
At an East Bay BART train station on New Years. I'm really glad that civilians are using cameras to assist in criminal charges against cops.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:39 am
Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 4669
Location: jerk city
cover their asses? whats your problem with the reporting?
Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:48 am
Jared Paul
Joined: 15 Jul 2002
Posts: 3719
Location: www.PrayersForAtheists.org
What a casual display of murder. They didn't even flinch or get worked up. The cop just raised up and fired, like he was watering somebodies lawn. Absolutely vulgar.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:00 am
Sage Francis
Self Fighteous
Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21790
I think that the constant disclaimers and reminders about how we can't really jump to conclusions based on the video were ridiculous.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:20 am
Joined: 25 Aug 2002
Posts: 9309
holy shit. the victim with his hands up & complying ends up dying less than 20 seconds later. this is so fucked on so many levels.
wow. im absolutely apalled.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:36 am
Joined: 19 Oct 2006
Posts: 2392
You know in the movie Aliens how all of the space marines are prepared to die for their job and are calmed by that fact except Bill "We're all gonna die, MAN" Paxton"? There are thousands of Bill "We are all gonna die, MAN" Paxtons running around this country wearing badges. That soft piece of shit got scared and I will bet you one million dollars that his record will provide evidence of previous pants-shitting and irrational cop behavior. I'm not on-board for these blanket "fuck all cops" statements at all, but there is a large, LARGE percentage of fuckheads and lost souls who fell into this job by way of nepotism or general shittiness. They better give that guy the Tango and Cash prison treatment.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 3:22 am
Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 2536
Location: TKO from Tokyo
Oh my lord. Absolute murder. This man needs to be locked up for the rest of his life.
I agree with Sage on this. Fuck a disclaimer this is straight up murder.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:03 am
R. Kamidees
Joined: 15 Sep 2003
Posts: 4834
Location: where the wild things are
where is our riots?
Why won't anyone do anything?
Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:07 am
Joined: 30 Dec 2008
Posts: 117
i think one of the saddest parts of this video is that people did nothing.
It couples with the programming all our lives, through school and media, (at least on the east coast) making us fear guns, and to panic around them.
Made worse, im sure that the psycho serial-murderer/liberator cops and military coming back from Iraq are going to enjoy the vacuum of power very much.
Mmmmmmm, the taste of boot
Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:24 am
Mikal kHill
Joined: 29 Jun 2002
Posts: 6849
Location: http://mikalkhill.com
How can you be happy_ at a time like this?!
Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:56 am
Joined: 25 Aug 2002
Posts: 9309
happy_ wrote:
i think one of the saddest parts of this video is that people did nothing.
ummmm the cop just shot dude for little to no reason. do YOU want to test someone with a hair trigger in the heat of the moment?
i don't.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:40 pm
Dj Mayonnaise
Joined: 07 May 2004
Posts: 781
Location: Maine
Yeah, you FUCKING COWARDS
Seriously though, every BART cop I've seen was like 6'5" and girthtastic. Not to mention wearing a sidearm.
Dude must've left his taser in his other pants. Shit is insane. So sad.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:57 pm
box johnson
Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 1123
Location: Denver
Sensible killing just isn't as sexy.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:08 pm
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4783
Jesus fucking christ. I'd like to see everyone standing by rush those fuckers too, but realistically, that's not going to happen. The best we can hope for is that the fucker who pulled that trigger gets tried and found guilty. Actually, that's probably the second best that we can hope for, the best would be that a mob drags him out of his house and shoots him the the street and gets away with it.
The girl submitted that video and didn't keep it anonymous is pretty damn brave.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:15 pm
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Denver
Jesus fucking christ. No defense for that shit.
Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:51 pm
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Nucor (NYSE:NUE)
Q1 2011 Earnings Call
April 21, 2011 2:00 pm ET
John Ferriola - President, Chief Operating Officer and Director
R. Stratman - Executive Vice President of Beam & Plate Products
James Frias - Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Treasurer
Keith Grass - Executive Vice President, Chief Executive Officer of DJJ and President of DJJ
Daniel DiMicco - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Christopher Olin
Mark Parr - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
David Lipschitz - Credit Agricole Securities (NYSE:USA) Inc.
David Gagliano - Crédit Suisse AG
Brian Yu - Citigroup Inc
Sal Tharani - Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Good day, everyone, and welcome to the Nucor Corporation First Quarter 2011 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions]. Certain statements made during this conference call will be forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The words we expect, believe, anticipate and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify those forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations and information that is currently available. Although Nucor believes they are based on reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that future events will not affect their accuracy.
For more information about the risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements may be found in Nucor's latest 10-K and subsequently filed 10-Qs, which are available on the SEC's and Nucor's website. The forward-looking statements made in this conference call speak only as of this date, and Nucor does not assume any obligation to update them either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
And now for opening remarks and introductions, I would like to turn the call over to Mr. Dan DiMicco, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nucor Corporation. Please go ahead, sir.
Daniel DiMicco
Thank you, Robert. Good afternoon. This is Dan DiMicco, Nucor's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Thank you for joining us for our conference call today. As always, we value your interest in Nucor.
With me for today's call are the other members of Nucor's senior management team: Our President and Chief Operating Officer, John Ferriola; Chief Financial Officer, Jim Frias; and our Executive Vice Presidents, Jim Darsey, over our Bar Products group; Keith Grass over our Scrap Raw Materials Group; Ladd Hall over our Flat-Rolled Group; Ham Lott over our Downstream Fabricated Products; and Joe Stratman over Business Development and our Plate and Beam Operations.
First and most importantly, the senior management team wants to thank everyone on our team at Nucor and our Harris Steel and David J. Joseph operations for working safely and working together in an economic environment that, while improving, remains extremely challenging. And it remains our belief that the economic recovery is likely to continue on an uneven path.
But here's the really important point to understand and remember in analyzing Nucor. Our company is emerging from the Great Recession stronger than we entered into it. We have taken advantage of opportunities provided by the most recent economic downturn to grow our earnings power going forward. This growth in sustainable earnings is a direct result of the talent and dedications, the can-do attitude of the Nucor team and what it brings to work each and every day.
While we are encouraged by our first quarter performance and the second quarter outlook, the real returns still are ahead of us. When a robust, sustainable economic recovery inevitably returns, our teams' efforts will pay big dividends to all members of the Nucor family, particularly the people who own Nucor, our shareholders. As you have probably heard us discuss, our goal is to generate higher highs of each successive peak in the economic and steel market cycles and higher lows.
Again, thank you to all the 20,500 men and women of the Nucor team. And most importantly, continue to work safely.
I will now ask our Chief Financial Officer, Jim Frias, to discuss our first quarter results and financial position. Following Jim's comments, President and COO, John Ferriola, will report on our operations and computation of our growth initiatives. And then I'll wrap up our remarks before we take your questions. Jim?
James Frias
Thanks, Dan, and good afternoon. First quarter 2011 earnings of $0.50 per diluted share were substantial improvement over both fourth quarter 2010 loss of $0.04 per share and the year-ago first quarter earnings of $0.10 per share. Our results benefited from volume gains and expanding metal margins at our steel mills, as well as a solid contribution from our David J. Joseph Co.'s Raw Materials businesses.
On the negative side, our downstream fabricated construction products continue to face very challenging markets in the first quarter. The first quarter metal margin expansion at our steel mills demonstrated, again, the long established historical experience of arising scrap prices leading after a short lag to higher metal margins. Metal margins for the month of March 2011 was at the highest level attained since 2008. Steel mill shipments were 5.2 million tons, an increase of 14% from the fourth quarter.
All product groups realized volume growth, but the strongest gains occurring at our sheet and beam mills. Sheet mill shipments increased 23%, and beam shipments increased 21% over the fourth quarter. Nucor's first quarter steel mill utilization rate reached 79.6%. That was a significant improvement from our fourth quarter rate of 68.2%. It also compared favorably to the U.S. steel industry's first quarter utilization rate of 73.6%.
With Nucor's highly flexible production capability and unrivaled product diversity, our teams were well positioned to capitalize on improved demand in the first quarter. In the first quarter, Nucor recorded a LIFO inventory charge of $31 million. That was an increase from LIFO charges of $23 million in the fourth quarter and $24 million in the year-ago first quarter.
The first quarter effective tax rate measured as a percentage of earnings before income taxes and noncontrolling interests was 32%. However, after moving profits for noncontrolling interests, the effective tax rate increases to 34.8%. First quarter results included $28 million of pre-operating and startup of costs. Those costs declined for more than $50 million in the prior year first quarter and $39 million in the fourth quarter of 2010.
We are pleased to report that our Memphis SBQ mill and our Kingman, Arizona wire rod called rebar mill achieved profitability in the first quarter.
Nucor's financial strength allows us to invest in attractive growth opportunities through the economic cycle. We view pre-operating and startup costs as investments to grow our long-term earnings power. That has been our company's strategy over many previous cycles. For example, Nucor's most recent cyclical peak earnings of almost $6 per share in 2008 carried sizable contributions from the startup projects undertaken during the 2001 to 2003 downturn. We are now looking forward to growing profit contributions from our investments made just prior to and during the current downturn.
At the close of the first quarter, cash and short-term investments totaled $2.3 billion. In addition to that total, there is $577 million of restricted cash held on our balance sheet. We received this restricted cash from tax-exempt bonds issued last year to finance the significant portion of its $750 million DRI plant we are building in Louisiana. Further to Nucor's strong liquidity, our $1.3 billion unsecured revolving credit facility is undrawn and does not mature until November 2012.
We have no commercial paper outstanding. Long-term debt totaled $4.3 billion at the end of the first quarter. Moody's has reported that our debt-to-capital ratio will be viewed on a net debt basis for any cash balances over $1.2 billion. Using that methodology, our net debt-to-capital ratio is 30%. That calculation excludes the restricted cash.
Nucor's strong balance sheet and business model were recognized in a report Standard & Poor's issued on April 15. The report, entitled U.S. and Canadian Metals and Mining Companies, Strongness to Weakness, ranked Nucor #1 for credit rating and credit outlook among the universe of 61 companies. It is worth noting that Nucor was the only metals and mining company in the group that S&P awarded a strong business risk profile due to its assessment of our competitive position and financial performance relative to our peers.
In 2011, we will continue to allocate capital to investments that build our long-term earnings power and provide attractive returns to our shareholders. We project 2011 capital spending of approximately $500 million. Included in that total are about $70 million of spending for our Louisiana DRI plant and about $60 million for our natural gas working interest drilling program.
Examples of other growth projects underway are: A new quality assurance line at our Nebraska SBQ mill, that can be gassers at both our Arkansas sheet mill and our North Carolina plate mill; melt shop transform upgrades and related electoral system upgrades at our Utah Bar Mill; and non-ferrous rotation projects at David J. Joseph's recycling operations.
Our outlook for the second quarter is positive. We ended the quarter with strong momentum, as utilization rates, metal margins and profitability improved from the beginning to the end of the first quarter. Although there have been signs of weakness in some market segments, our belief remains that end market usage continues to experience gradual improvement and real demand. Markets for downstream fabricated construction products remain very challenging.
Overall, we expect second quarter results to be an improvement over the first quarter. However, we do caution against overly optimistic expectations for the second quarter. Nucor will again follow our practice of providing quantitative guidance around the middle and final month of the quarter. We remain very optimistic about Nucor's long-term prospects for continuing our improving earnings trend. Our business model is built around adaptability, allowing our company to leverage its position of strength throughout the economic and steel market cycles.
The Nucor team is working hard and working very effectively to build attractive and sustainable value for our shareholders. We are driven, and settle for nothing less.
Thank you for your interest in Nucor. Dan?
Daniel DiMicco
Thank you, Jim. I'll now ask John Ferriola to report on Nucor's operations. John?
John Ferriola
Thanks, Dan. Good afternoon. Let me begin by thanking all of our raw materials, steelmaking and steel product teammates for your outstanding commitment to working safely and taking care of Nucor's customers. We are extremely proud of the work that you are doing to take advantage of opportunities for profitable and sustainable growth for Nucor. Thank you, and please keep it going.
Turning to the first quarter. Our teammates made substantial progress in continuing to grow Nucor's earning power. Here are some current examples of where our teams are building for a stronger Nucor in today's slow growth and uncertain economy.
Our Hertford County, North Carolina plate mills new heat treat line completed trials and began accepting orders in February. It's going extremely well with both volume and rate development exceeding our plan. In fact, our Hertford County team is running the heat treat facility at full capacity, a production volume that we did not expect to achieve until the fourth quarter of this year. Most importantly, customer feedback on the quality and the performance of our heat-treated plate has been excellent and true to Nucor's focus on continual improvement. The team at Hertford County is continuing to develop new, higher value grades. Great job team Hertford County. Thank you.
This investment improves Nucor's profitability as it allows Hertford County to grow into higher margin products where higher strength, abrasion resistance and greater toughness are required. And it also allows us to shift and improve the product mix allocation between our 2 plate mills and 4 sheet mills to improve margins at those facilities.
For example, in the first quarter, our Tuscaloosa, Alabama plate mill began producing as rolled discrete carbon plate products. And volume out of Decatur, Alabama and Arkansas sheet mills benefited from Tuscaloosa shifting some of its hot rolled coil production to them.
The bottom line, our expanding Ohio margin plate product portfolio, while at the same time optimizing capacity utilization at our plate and sheet mills, results in higher earnings power from both our plate and our sheet mill groups. And further expansion plans are in the works for the Hertford County heat treat operations.
I also have good news to share from another major product -- project that started up during the current downturn: our special bar quality or SBQ mill in Memphis. Our Memphis team is rapidly completing the qualification process with many of our customers and, as a result, continues building volume. In March, they set another record for shipments of rolled finished goods. Even better, they delivered their first quarter of profits since start-up. Our Memphis team has turned a major corner and their future is very bright.
The Memphis mill more than doubles our capacity to serve the SBQ markets while also expanding our product range into the highly attractive 3-inch to 10-inch large diameter segment. Nucor will now be able to supply SBQ products from 7/32 of an inch to 10 inches in diameter, which allows us to offer our customers the most diverse SBQ product range in North America. Memphis is currently producing engineered steel bars for applications, such as camshafts, crankshafts, spindles and rain gears to use in the heavy truck and automotive markets. And other attractive markets currently being served include energy, heavy equipment and agriculture.
Reflecting the Nucor culture's drive for continual improvement and profitable growth, there is more to come in our SBQ business. Nucor Steel Nebraska is on schedule for the third quarter 2011 start-up of a new downstream processing line that provides attractive growth opportunities in even higher quality SBQ products than they currently offer.
Additionally, our Darlington, South Carolina bar mill is enjoying success with their implementation of fully submerged and shrouded casting practices. The resulting improvements in product quality are allowing our Darlington team to grow their margins as they expand their presence in higher quality SBQ applications.
I will close my report with our thoughts on current market conditions. The market environment for our Fabricated Construction Products businesses continues to be extremely challenged. And we expect it to remain so over the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, there is still good news to report. Our teammates in those businesses are doing an excellent job of working safely, gaining market share in many product lines, and staying focused on continuous improvement.
On the steelmaking side, the recovery continues to be slow and uneven between the industrial and energy sectors and the residential and nonresidential construction sectors. Steel buyers have shown more caution as market pricing escalated during the first quarter. At the same time, supply in the sheet market has increased with recent blast furnace restarts in addition to greater import offerings.
On the other hand, service center inventories through March remained at relatively low levels. And we continue to see evidence of improvement in real demand in several markets important to Nucor. These include energy, heavy equipment, agriculture, truck trailers and bridge building markets. While nonresidential construction activity remains weak, the bottom in that important market appears to be behind us.
Whatever direction the economy takes in coming months and quarters, the Nucor team will outperform in taking care of all of our customers. That includes our shareholders, our teammates, and the people who buy and use our products. And here are some of the reasons we will outperform: Nucor's low and highly flexible production costs; our great customer service; Nucor's diversified product portfolio; and most importantly, our people, driven by the can-do attitude and their high energy level.
Thank you for your interest in Nucor. Dan?
Daniel DiMicco
Thank you, John. Our message here is very clear. Nucor is extremely well positioned to deliver higher highs, cyclical earnings power, once a stable economic recovery arrives. That is exactly what we are talking about when we say growing stronger during the downturns.
And here are some of the investments made since the previous cyclical peak in 2008 that will help drive us to higher highs in earnings: An increase of more than 10% in our bar mill group's annual production capacity with the addition of the Memphis and Kingman mills; an increase of 33% in our sheet mill group's value-added coater steel annual capacity with the addition of the Decatur galvanizing facility; an increase of 30% in the David J. Joseph Co. scrap processing annual capacity in addition to the opportunity to realize earnings through our full up cycle on DJJ's original capacity of 3.5 million tons; an increase of more than 50% in Harris Steel's rebar fabrication annual capacity; in addition to the opportunity to realize earnings through a full up cycle, the Harris Steel's original capacity of 1 million tons; the opportunity to realize earnings to a full up cycle in our Extended Metals Building businesses, which more than tripled in size at 465,000 tons of annual capacity with the Magnatrax acquisition and the Utah greenfield plant; our 50% interest in southern Europe's largest beam producer, Duferdofin-Nucor, and its recently expanded beam and bar annual capacity that now totals approximately 1.8 million tons; our 50% interest in NuMit and our Steel Technology Sheet Steel Processing businesses with 24 processing facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico and more on the way; our North Carolina plate mill's heat treat facility; and Canada's other product line expansions at our bar, beam, sheet and plate mills; and our Nucor Steel Louisiana directly reduced higher facility's first module currently under construction that will more than double our DRI annual production capacity to 4.5 million tons. The plans are more to come at our 4,000-acre site on the Mississippi River.
From 2007 to our expected 2011 capital spending plans, we have invested more than $6 billion of capital, including both capital expenditures and acquisitions. That is a lot of capital that Nucor shareholders will get paid for through attractive returns in the next up cycle. Our confidence has never been greater, and Nucor's best is yet to come.
Our team thanks you very much for your interest in Nucor. We value your interest and support. And we would now be happy to take your questions.
Question-and-Answer Session
[Operator Instructions] We'll take our first question from Chris Olin of Cleveland Research.
Christopher Olin
Looking at the beam growth number as they were pretty impressive during the quarter, I was wondering if you had a feel for how much of the growth had been related to rebuilding versus consumption growth, rebuilding the inventory versus consumption growth. Do you get the sense that maybe we're in the initial stages of recovery driving that market?
Daniel DiMicco
In general, the increase in our shipments and production in the Beam business has to do with different product mixes that we were producing, which were in greater demand than previous quarters. John, do you want to add to that?
John Ferriola
Yes, Chris. I'd say it really kind of breaks down in terms of -- I'd say the majority of it probably comes from service center restocking. But as Dan said, our product diversity has helped us a great deal here. We saw some -- a lot of growth in some markets that we service out of our structural plants that aren't in the construction markets, such as the truck trailer markets, the container chassis markets, things like that. And the other thing I would add is, we did introduce 2 new piling sections out of Nucor-Yamato, a 16-inch piling and an 18-inch, which are the largest H pilings produced in North America. And the target there is to go after the concrete piling market, and we've seen some success in that area here starting up in the first quarter.
Christopher Olin
Okay. And then second question real quick. I'm not sure if you provided guidance earlier in your discussions, but can you give me a feel for what you're thinking on scrap costs going forward? And I guess I'm wondering, how much the impact or the issues in Japan will have in terms of the impact on the scrap market in North America?
Daniel DiMicco
Keith, why don't you give us your thoughts on that?
Keith Grass
Well, in terms of the impact of Japan, I would say that it probably impacted the market in greater ways but nothing significant enough to sort of move the needle in either the ferrous or the nonferrous types of markets. If the question is about related to the scrap market domestically over the next 30 to 45 days, we would see sort of a downward bias, or downward trend, and more impacting absolute scrap market than the prime scrap market as we head into a time of stronger seasonal scrap flows into the scrap processing yards.
Daniel DiMicco
And also, as those changes that Keith talked about going forward over the next 45 days, 60 days, we believe will be more moderate in nature than we saw on the way up in the latter part of last year.
We'll take our next question from Sal Tharani of Goldman Sachs.
Sal Tharani - Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Dan, how is the export market looking at -- I know the prices are higher over here than global prices. Have you had any opportunity to do some exports here in the first quarter?
Daniel DiMicco
John Ferriola
We continue to export quite a bit of our products. It has been impacted in the first quarter by the large difference between global pricing and products and in domestic pricing and products. That said, the location of our mills gives us a great freight advantage when selling in to our key international markets, which are the Americas. So we've seen a slight drop off. We finished last year with about 11% of our product being sold international, internationally. In the first quarter, about 9% of our product went to international markets.
Sal Tharani - Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Okay. And you mentioned that you were profitable at the Kingman rebar, which is I think remarkable because there has been a little bit of crowded market there with another rebar mill opening over there. What volume are you processing over there? What utilization rate are you running the Kingman bar mill at?
Daniel DiMicco
Sal, the key there is this is not conventional rebar that we are running there. We are running some wire rod products and coil product. John, do you want to add to that?
John Ferriola
I would also add to that, that the market in that particular region is well served by Nucor. And the mill there, we've done a great job of that mill. Remember that we were able to build that mill at a very, very economical price and started up very reasonably. So that aided also in the profitability of that mill.
Sal Tharani - Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
There's no melting fund, as you just rolling it over there. You're rolling billets, is that correct?
Daniel DiMicco
Yes. That's correct. The billets are coming in from our other operations, whether they'd be in Texas or Seattle and possibly Utah, depending on who is in the best position to do that on the freight rates.
Our next question comes from David Gagliano of Credit Suisse.
David Gagliano - Crédit Suisse AG
Thanks for taking the question. You mentioned, you touched on some signs of weakness lately. And I was wondering, what are the most significant changes that you're seeing lately? And to the extent that you can forecast these kind of things, do you think those weaknesses will persist into Q3? That's my first question.
Daniel DiMicco
Well, I'll let John address most of that question in a second, but there are a number of things we touched in our script about restarting capacity, particularly in the Flat-Rolled segment of the business, and new capacity that will be coming on stream in Alabama and in Mississippi. And there's also been an impact on the automotive sector, which has been gaining strength due to the problems in Japan with some critical part supply, particularly semiconductors, chips and other automotive parts. John, do you want to give a little more detail on that?
John Ferriola
Yes. I would say that starting with the positive, as we look at most of our product lines, plate, SBQ, we expect to remain strong through that period. We expect merchant product to be consistent, structural product to be consistent during that period. So the one market that we're going to keep a close eye on would be, as Dan addressed, our sheet businesses. And typically, as you come out of the second quarter and enter into the third quarter, you do see a seasonal slowdown that you usually generated as a result of the automotive shutdowns for retooling. Now this year, it's going to be much more difficult to predict the impact of that, that we feel the impact will be mitigated because of what's happening today, as Dan mentioned, with the supply of non-steel critical components into the automotive market from Japan. As a result, both the domestic and the new domestics production rates currently are down as they are waiting for those key raw materials. And when you look at, as we look at the fewer inventory days on hand, we see that they are dropping low, they're going down, and they're continuing to go down. When you look on the domestic side, on the domestic production side, you're looking at about 54 days, dealers days on hand, which is a low number. And with the new domestics, the number is even lower than that. So we see some pent-up demand in the automotive sector, which will release as these non-steel components become more available. And we believe that, that will mitigate the impact of the traditional seasonal slowdown that we see at the end of the second quarter and going into the third quarter.
Daniel DiMicco
The other issue we'll be keeping an eye on overall flat-roll imports in particular and taking swift and decisive action when they occur, if they occur at levels that could impact the market dynamics. So as usual, in this environment of recovery, and a regular recovery, there's ups and downs, positives and negatives. And we'll be working our way through them. But as we mentioned earlier, overall, we expect the second quarter to be stronger than the first quarter. And hopefully, with the part situation improving in 60 days or so that we'll see a stronger summer than we normally see in the automotive sector. John?
John Ferriola
And let me just add one comment to that. When we talk about demand, we look at demand that is tied to manufactured goods and the energy sector. The demand in those areas remain strong and, frankly, is getting stronger. And Nucor's product expansion into the higher valued manufactured product steel is really paying dividends as we go through this downturn. So we expect that, that diversity will also help us as we go down -- as we enter into the traditional slowdown period.
David Gagliano - Crédit Suisse AG
Okay, great. Thanks. That's very helpful. Just switching gears away from the current market and looking into the future, I've got a couple of questions related to the DRI project. First of all, now that you've broken ground, any changes to the project timeline? And then the second question, assuming scrap prices stay around $400 a ton, is there any way to gauge what the expected annual cost savings would be of, say, 5.5 million tons of DRI once it's up and running?
Daniel DiMicco
Well, the two major cost components are natural gas and iron ore. We have a very good handle on the natural gas side. On the iron ore side, it will depend on where prices are in the marketplace at the time that we are actually in production down in Louisiana. And of course, at that point in time, which is a couple of years down the road, where scrap prices are. At these prices, we expect to have a competitive product that will help our pricing competitiveness versus the prime grades of scrap and/or pig iron that are out there. John?
John Ferriola
I would just add, your first question was whether there'd be any impact in the timing. Given the timing, I think a few times, it has not changed. We're looking at somewhere in the second, the end of the second or beginning of the third quarter of 2013.
And we'll take our next question from Brian Yu of Citi.
Brian Yu - Citigroup Inc
Great. Thank you. With the import pressures that were mentioned previously, are you seeing a difference between, let's say, the sheet markets versus rebar? It seems like there might be a little bit more rebar, but I want to get your take on it.
Daniel DiMicco
Well, right now, the import pressures still remain to be seen as to what extent they'll occur to and whether it's in the rebar or the sheet market. We have seen some uptick and, but whether they get out of control or not is another matter. And that has not happened as of yet. Bob, do you have any thoughts?
R. Stratman
No, Dan, other than the fact that we are watching and then we are very cautious now that they are not in the high import levels that are coming in. So to Dan's point on rebar, we are beginning to get more concerned, and that's one of the things that could impact some of our second quarter volumes.
Brian Yu - Citigroup Inc
Okay. And then just on the sheet prices that were reported in Q1, it was $755, and I'm looking at second quarter last year when hot-roll was $700 and you reported $726. So given that hot-roll still remains above $800 per ton, is there anything you can draw our attention to for 2Q that would preclude you from posting a number that's above $800?
Daniel DiMicco
Well, listen, as John mentioned earlier, our customers are keeping their inventories very lean and for good reason. They were burned severely when this recession started, and they have decided to maintain a leaner inventory structure. The lead times of imports are an issue. The potential for movements in scrap prices over the next couple of months, our customers are very as much aware of that as we are. So there are things that will cause our customers to think about importing too much flat-rolled or what have you going forward. And so we think that between keeping our eye on things and half the mindset of our customer base, we should be able to see the results throughout the second quarter.
John Ferriola
Dan, the only point I would add is, when you look at our order entry rate and how our customers are ordering, frankly, customers today are buying just what they need and bringing it in just when they need it. And in that kind of a circumstance, imports are a challenge for our customers because, as you mentioned, the long lead times and the large volumes that are necessary in those offerings. So while we are aware of the potential and we are watching it carefully, we feel confident that we can react to any sharp increase in the imports.
Daniel DiMicco
On the rebar side, that's much more sensitive because of the low levels of demand in the marketplace, period, for construction overall. And so even one time of rebar coming in is one time too many, particularly with where flat-rolled raw material prices have gone over the last six months.
Brian Yu - Citigroup Inc
And how far out does your sheet order book go right now?
John Ferriola
Our lead times are out about six to eight weeks currently.
And we'll take our next question from Mark Parr of KeyBanc Capital Markets.
Mark Parr - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
Thanks very much. I had a question and I think you may have answered it in the release when you talked about each month getting stronger. But I was looking at you, when you came out with -- you quantified guidance for the first quarter and I don't think the street was too far off for where you ended up actually coming in. And I'm just curious as to, was there something that really changed in March? I mean, could you talk a little bit about how surprised were you with the March numbers? I'd just like to get some sense or some extra color on that.
Daniel DiMicco
Well, first off, I don't disagree with your comment about where the street was prior to our guidance. However, I think -- I don't think the reason is the street was where they're at , we're fundamentally sound. And I say that only because what we were giving is guidance.
Mark Parr - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
Oh, but we tried, Dan. We tried.
Daniel DiMicco
You don't need to get defensive now about the fact that you were there and you changed. Now we ended up a little bit above it. That's just the way it goes sometimes. Sometimes it goes the other way. I don't hear you complaining then.
Mark Parr - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
Right. I'm not really complaining because it was a good result. Come on now, I'm just trying to talk about it, that's all.
Daniel DiMicco
What good would it be, Mark, if we couldn't give each other a little s*** now and then, right?
Mark Parr - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
You made my day.
Daniel DiMicco
At the time that we gave our guidance, I think you can appreciate our caution. We had said all along that things were improving. As we were going through the first quarter we expected to be getting price realizations that had lagged, the raw material increases that we had seen and it went through our cost structure. The problem in being more accurate, if we want to call it that, forecast, was that, that is a moving target, exactly where the pricing ended up depended upon how strong the shipments were and how strongly our customers were taking those shipments. And in all honestly, that March was a rollout month. It was a very strong month, particularly in reference to the first 2 months of the quarter. So it was better for us to, under those circumstances, with so many things floating out there in terms of where pricing would end up and how strong shipments would be in the month of March, the stronger the shipments, the further you go into getting the higher price increases. And all of that turned out to be very favorable on all the products, not just flat-roll, but in every product line.
Mark Parr - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
Yes. It just seem really surprising to me -- not necessarily surprising, but certainly a good reflection of how little growth in service center inventories we've seen year-to-date. And it just -- it really does seem like the end demand environment has strengthened pretty meaningfully. I hope the momentum keeps up here in the second quarter. Congratulations, really, though, on the first quarter. And look forward to second quarter unfolding well for you guys.
Daniel DiMicco
Thank you, Mark. I just want to add one thing. It was the ability to get the pricing to overcome the raw material costs and to recoup the raw material costs sooner than expected that allowed us to have the strong quarter and the strong March. And that we fully anticipate that trend to continue as we go into and through the second quarter. The end of the second quarter is still a little bit mushy at this point, and we will give our quantitative guidance, as usual, in early June. And as we mentioned in our script, I think it would be wise based upon your question for the street not to get too far ahead of itself.
And our next question comes from David Lipschitz of CLSA.
David Lipschitz - Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.
A question, you talked about audit demand picking up, but are you worried with the new system facility in the Sever [Severstal] core facility that, that -- the capacity is just going to take up all that demand?
Daniel DiMicco
I don't know if worry is the right word, but realistic about the fact that we're still at best producing at 13 million units in the United States and we were over 17 million units at peak. And so any additional capacity coming into the marketplace at these levels is something that will have to be dealt with by the market, and the demand in the marketplace isn't to the point where it can absorb additional tons of that magnitude without there being some impact unless the market continues to strengthen. And I think the monkey wrench that got thrown into that in the short-term was what took place in Japan and the parts impact, parts supply impact on the auto production for both domestics and new domestics. Here again, we do believe that when that is resolved, that we may see a stronger third and fourth quarter in that sector because of the fact that there will be taking their shutdowns basically now while they're short on parts.
David Lipschitz - Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.
Just a follow-up on the non-reg sector. I mean, do you have expectations of it picking up in '12? Or when you talk to your clients and stuff like that, are they thinking things are going to be better later on in this year, early into next year, or nobody has any clue?
Daniel DiMicco
Really, saying nobody has any clue, is just probably a little strong.
David Lipschitz - Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.
But not much.
Daniel DiMicco
Maybe not much. You tell me what is going to happen in a number of different areas, including Washington, and we might have a better handle on that. But what I will say is reiterate what John said earlier, we've definitely hit the bottom and the direction from here on in will be up. But there will not be a rapid increase through the remainder of this year. It will probably grow in 2012 at a greater pace than 2011. But speculating as to the relative strengths is really not appropriate and reckless behavior.
And at this time, there are no further questions in the queue.
Daniel DiMicco
Okay. Well, then, I will say thank you, all, for the questions. Thank you for your interest in the company. Again, thank you to all of our fellow teammates throughout the corporation for working safely and helping us to have a much stronger quarter than anticipated. And look forward to being able to come back and talk about the second quarter results with an improvement over first quarter. Thank you all very much, and have a good weekend.
And this does conclude today's conference call. We thank you for your participation and have a wonderful day.
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