Ah, just when I thought I’d have nothing to lead my blog with, the NFRC sends out a bulletin FILLED with hilarious stuff to comment on. Even better, I had people contacting me with angles to take and things to look at within said piece. So, get ready, let’s take a look at what the NFRC is trying to spin on our industry now…
-- First off was the message from current NFRC head Joe Hayden of Pella. In one of the most arrogant statements ever uttered by NFRC (which is saying something) Joe paraphrased from one of the most legendary speeches that this country has seen when he wrote:
“Ask not what NFRC can do for you, ask what you can do for the NFRC”
I want to hurl. My goodness, now the NFRC is as crucial as JFK? Amazing. Isn’t that offensive? I mean what’s next “I have a dream… NFRC everywhere” paraphrasing MLK? But beyond that, the piece was on being a good volunteer- which was the theme throughout. Towards the bottom, Joe stated that the volunteers within NFRC need to step up or the work that needs to be done, won’t be. And thanks to a provision that passed the board a year ago, people from the “Affected” industry shall bear the work to be done on their specific programs. (Meaning commercial industry on CMA) Well as an industry vet noted to me in an e-mail:
If he says that is the case, then who’s doing the “work” on the CMA for our industry? Hmm good question… surely not our industry since everytime we bring something up, offer ideas or even get things to votes (that we win big) it gets shot down or overturned by the Board. I haven’t seen a lot of input from the affected (no glazier, no architects etc.) industry, so this work should not have been able to be done.
That also could be a shot at people who refused to speak last meeting because quite frankly their thoughts were being ignored, so why bother?
-- Next up, Jim Benney announced a code of ethics for its MEMBERS! Amazing coming from a group that takes pride in its secrecy, works deals for Board Members and for years has skirted simple things like “transparency” now they want the members to be “ethical”… and for what reason per se? Talking to a blogger? Plus he mentioned 501c3- take a drink.
-- Oh and speaking of Blogs.. they announced in this newsletter that the NFRC will blog from the meeting in Chicago. Classic! So now it will be great to see how this is spun. A year ago, Marcia Falke and others measured their words in the meetings stating “what you say here could be on the internet tonight” and now their own org is doing it! Hey it’s about time they did it and plus its more material for all of us to get humor out of. Especially when you know they’ll leave out big parts. How do I know this? Well a few years ago in Atlanta we had a meeting.. the esteemed Deb Levy was there for USGlass. She wrote a story on it and so did NFRC’s overpaid PR agency. Both were at the same meeting and yet the stories were as different as night and day. Believe me this should be fun. Something tells me when Greg Carney, or Marg Webb or even with the gang from NGA attending make a speech, motion or point- that won’t end up on the blog… but you’ll get tons of John Hogan and Jeff Baker.
Oh there’s more, but I don’t want to kill the entire post… so maybe I’ll go with another post later in the week. Plus I know I’ll have e-mails to react to as well.
I wish I knew why a program that is destined to fail miserably gets me so worked up. I really do wish I knew.
Elsewhere…
-- Thanks to everyone who e-mailed wishes of a fun and relaxed vacay- it surely was my best vacation ever. Despite the worries going in- it really turned out great.
Disney really has all the angles covered… my favorite is the fact they have sponsors for virtually EVERYTHING there. All of the major rides have “Sponsors” and even the paper towels in the bathrooms are sponsored. That to me is incredible.. and brilliant.
-- My brother asked me if Disney was slower because of the economy and it really was not… but the kicker was the majority of attendees… and I mean a significant majority… were foreigners. In fact I believe the entire country of Brazil was empty last week because they were all at Disney.. in line ahead of me. Seriously, I have been to Disney several times, but this time really was heavy on the foreign contingent and that means that while Disney is not suffering, it does show that from a US standpoint, things are off.
-- Got an e-mail on the mailbag and the comment on the being as fat and happy as a Buddha which raises a great question…
Aren't most buddhist monks practically skeletons? I mean, they live a very simple life and don't gorge on anything, much less food. (And I know the book Siddhartha was fictional, but wasn't it based on the life of Buddha? In which case, the man was rail thin once he got his life together. After the whole, live to excess thing.) We have this notion that Buddha was fat and happy, but I wonder where that image originated.
Anyone know? If the Glass Pundit still reads this blog, I have a feeling she would know how this all came up…
-- Has anyone seen the commercials from Oklahoma bajillionaire T Boone Pickens on his plans to wean us off our addiction to oil? According his testimony in front of congress his idea is the following along with Windfarms and solar…
He has been touring the country with a plan to cut oil imports by switching the use of domestic natural gas from firing power plants to powering cars. He hopes the federal government and private investors will build a massive wind farm system in the middle of the country from Mexico to Canada to replace the natural gas that would be used for transport.
There are some 8 million vehicles in the world that run on natural gas, but only about 140,000 of them in the United States, said Pickens, adding that he owns a Honda car that runs on natural gas he taps from his home line.
And this from a guy who made his money in oil! Whether you like him or not, the goal to go to alternative sources really needs to be a major priority.
Off to the links…
-- How about this as a sign that you can live your life as a blogger… this guy gave up his MEDICAL practice to do the blog thing full time…
-- But on the flip side, this Mayor had a blog, then he started to rip people left and right and had to close it up… entertaining read… no political correctness course taken in this guys city!
-- They had to adjust the design of the outside of the New York Times building because too many people were climbing it! Incredible- I am sure that is the last thing the designers ever thought would happen!
-- Hey the head of Bank of America see’s 2009 as a better economic year! Wait, how in the world could we take his word for it… isn’t it the banks that helped get us in these messes?
Video of the Week
A funny quick one that was sent in by Larry… this could’ve been me if anyone allowed me near a truck as I have no clue of space and heights like this… good stuff…
4 comments:
Ahh yes Grasshopper, the Glass Pundit does have an answer to your Dharma questions.
Actually, there was one guy named Siddhartha (first Buddha), who was a Buddha. But Buddha is a word that means "enlightened one", which makes sense when you are about to know that there are thousands of Buddha's. Zoinks!
I've walked the steps, in Hong Kong, to the temple of the 10,000 Buddhas and they come in all shapes and sizes.
You are correct in that a Buddhist Monk tends to be on the less beefy side, mostly due to taking a path of the Middle Way or a path of no extremes. In other words, everything in moderation. As well, Buddhist Monks, those who are at a Monastery, live by the grace of the local community and in many cultures collect food and money, each day, from the local people.
One final note, Buddhist Monks mostly only consume what is given to them.
But why the rolly polly buddha? It's artistic expression. Please don't scrunch your nose at this but the artistic style of the "rub the Buddha belly for luck" comes from the Chinese. Not sure on my dates of art history but this style is a very old artistic way of depicting the Buddha. He also smiles a ton in this style, hence the saying "fat and happy as Buddha". He was probably an actual Monk that an artist took inspiration from, pot belly and all.
Class over.....Ohhhmmmmmmm
Pundit
I KNEW YOU WOULD COME THROUGH! And even though there's a connection to China I can deal with that.... and with the size of my belly these days, there could be a lot of luck in there!
Thanks for jumping in- the Pundit rules!
Well done Kris. I always get strange looks when I tell people there is a lot more to Buddha that one Pleasantly plump guy.
There is a book called
"Happiness at work". The book is a series of conversations with his holliness the Dalai Lama. Great reading. so full of straight forward common sense you will be guaranteed to ask "why didn't I think of that?
Some enlightening info about Buddha(s) too.
Jim F
Thanks Jim, I'm all over that book, I mean I'm going to go get it. Kids and their lingo these days....sheesh. :)
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