Return of the Saturday Post

Way too much NFRC stuff not to do a weekend post....

Anyway the meetings wrapped up this week and I want to thank everyone who posted messages publicly and the raft of e-mails that I got with insight and info too. Thanks folks- it was like being there- with the exception of having the overpaid folks from Potomac trying to sneak looks over my shoulder.

Anyway, a few items to hit...

-- Did Jim Benney fall asleep? I had a few that said he did and then a few others that said it was others. People falling asleep was even noted on line- so evidently the subject matter must've really been good. Maybe with all the sleeping going on, that's why the discussion was started on going to 2 meetings from the current 3.

-- NFRC's own blog was not a flag waving as expected- but close. I give them this credit- at least they made the effort to inform the world of whats going on- now if they could find that same transparency everywhere else...

-- An addition to the NFRC drinking game... whenever an NFRC elite says the word "consensus" you must take 2 drinks.

-- No doubt that at a board meeting a long the way the subject was "how to convince the world that we're a "consensus"- at that point they probably decided if you say something enough times maybe people will believe you.

-- Gosh I hope that the folks at IECC are not that obtuse to believe the NFRC is a "consensus" organization. Man 2 seconds of research would show they are as much as a "consensus" as this blog is "pro-NFRC"

-- Jim Benney did a 2nd Q&A this week, this time on video with Ellen Rogers at USGNN. You can see it HERE. Good stuff... Of course I have to make some comments on it and here goes:

Ellen asked if Jim was surprised by the opposition of the CMA- and he said he was... of course that was after mentioning the whole bogus "consensus" (drink twice) deal.

Before I continue... Lunch on me to the first person who can tell me how NFRC can be a consensus when the groups and committees vote overwhelmingly in one direction but the board overturns it? How is that "consensus" based? Seriously?

Jim then noted he was surprised that the NFRC wasn't able to get the opposition into the fold easier.... well geez Jim... let's see, your group is imposing an extremely unnecessary program on this industry, all the while ignoring our views and rejecting our offers of education and direction.... I guess they figure that in the end they'll wear everyone out...

Ellen then asked a great question on the issue of the labs and NFRC elite benefiting from this program (or profiting madly as I would say) and Jim danced on it and basically said "well those are the people that come to the meetings!"

Incredible- but true. See just because the industry is too busy you know doing things like installing material and developing new products etc, we have to suffer because this is all people like Marles McDionald and Rich Biscoe have to do all day.

By the way, Marles and Rich are from labs that will surely do very well if the SS Titanic floats. So why shouldn't they come eh?

Then Jim decided to throw this gem out:
"We need manufacturers to step up and say 'this program is great- except for this- we need to change that..."
He went on but my head exploded.

Jim- manufacturers HAVE BEEN noting stuff for YEARS! But it is IGNORED. Greg Carney and Marg Webb represent hundred of Manufacturers and future affected parties and they speak for them each meeting... but yet their views get whacked.

My gosh... this stuff sadly works on the folks from the DOE who for some reason drink the NFRC Kool Aid straight... either that or there's pictures... hell who knows... but no one with a mini bit of logic can take that last sentence seriously.

"We need manufacturers to step up...."

That is classic... should go on to the NFRC website... hell that statement should win an award.

What many of you may not realize is how many people had been stepping up and slowly walked away because their efforts were ignored. Its just sickening that Jim could actually believe that last comment.

-- Last, Jim looked 5 years in the future with hopes that this program will be a great success and we'll all laugh about the hubbub... actually they'll be plenty of laughing... I'll be howling when the IA's can't handle a crush or the simulators have no clue what aluminum is... and then when someone sends in a trapezoid with a customization all over, the software starts smoking. And CMA will be as bad and unused as the current sitebuilt is.

Then you should thank the folks who decided to go after this, when there was NO CALL FOR IT- whatsoever- except for the revenue flow and the "good of the NFRC"

(Note there was no mandate, no codes, no call from California.. NOTHING. You must not forget that this program was born from a chance to make MONEY)

Its the Titanic.. and I hope all the board members are excited to be on the ship!

-- Oh and one last Q&A from Joe Hayden, the current Captain of the SS Titanic.

It was very generic (like it was written by the overpaid PR agency flacks) but he did mention the word "Consensus" so everyone drink! Twice!

OK so for the billionth time...

As a design tool- this program could work great. But as an un-needed full fledged waste of time, money, and overall resources certification program this is as wrong as can be.

But as many have noted, this thing is too far down the tracks.. so we all can just wait to see the implementation, watch the anarchy and the ignorance by the stakeholders, and enjoy the show!