Last year when our website designers began to pitch me the idea of starting a “blog” I was skeptical, and uneasy. I doubted many people cared what I was thinking about in the weeks between issues of FM&T, or what I was reading, or what I thought other people should look into, “webwise.” But, at that time, “social networking” and Web 2.0 theories were all the rage, and the designers were certain that “personalizing” our site would improve our readership.

Is it successful? We’ll never know, definitively. That’s one of the frustrations of web-traffic studies. But, imitation remains the sincerest form of flattery, so I’m glad to note that now there are two more blogs following the world of metalcasting. Our estimable competitors at Modern Casting have started a blog — apparently a joint effort, but authored mostly by the well-known “admin.”

The Folk Group — which is a merger/acquisition/divestiture consultancy for metalcasting companies — has started a blog, too. Folk’s annual newsletter is always an interesting read, so I expect the blog will offer some useful insights, too.

I hope you’ll visit both of those often – more information and conversation is a sign of vitality in this industry.

•  This Wall Street Journal interview of BHP Billiton CEP Marius Kloppers offers a thorough and helpful recap of his company’s attempted takeover of rival Rio Tinto Ltd. His argument for the takeover gets prominent coverage, but it gives helpful background details on the global economic trends affecting basic manufacturing and its raw materials.

•  Relatedly, I found this news fascinating: the frantic efforts to locate new iron ore reserves is one factor in Australia’s ongoing economic surge, and the vast undeveloped west and south of that continent/nation have prospectors scrambling for new places to dig. In their searching, they found something fascinating.

•  I assume many readers are looking forward to attending the 2008 CastExpo in May, in Atlanta, but if your conscience demands that you repent of your carbon-fueled ways, take heart. A Web-based travel agency called RezHub.com offers “Green Score” ratings and information with its hotel-search function, so “travelers now have a quick and easy way to learn about environmentally friendly lodging options, without having to spend extra time researching and reserving their trips at multiple websites.” Apparently, a lot of people take this stuff that seriously.

•  A conference of software engineers, COFES, in Scottsdale, April 10-13, has enlisted a service called TerraPass, by which attendees’ travel to and from the event is being “balanced” by funding “verified clean energy and greenhouse-gas reduction projects throughout the U.S., including wind farms and biomass energy.” A service called TerraPass has been enlisted to execute the balancing.

Fine. They're welcome to their pseudo-scientific/business theories, and I am perfectly happy to have them investing in new energy programs (especially wind farms, which require a lot of metalcastings.) But, is it too much to ask them to complete their good deeds before congratulating themselves?