Are you goin' to the show?

Next week is the annual national glass show (GlassBuild) held this year in Las Vegas. It should be very interesting to gauge the turnout and how much business is going on. Attendance still may be decent given the Vegas factor and shockingly cheap hotel rates. Yes for the first time for a long time, you can really get some good room deals in Sin City. That and the fact that some people probably made plans for this long in advance. Still the mood will be interesting and getting insight from those on the floor will really show what we may be up against in 2009 and beyond. I’ll have blog posts Monday and Tuesday from Vegas, with details.

Elsewhere…

-- Speaking of Vegas… do not forget as you are budgeting 2009 to make sure you are set to come to BEC 2009. This year’s edition is at the Palms Hotel and the event will be staged inside the Pearl Theater. (Damn couldn’t it be spelled “Peril”?) I can tell you after viewing this area that this event will top all others. Plus it’s my last one as host and MC… so for all of those who hate me, you only have one more show to suffer through…. Regardless, this event is not to be missed.

-- By the way, thankfully the show is next week as the week after the cab drivers in Vegas may go on strike. And if that happens… that would be wild.

-- The NFRC came out with their slate of candidates for their Board of Directors. Amazingly Tony Rygg, aka “The Admiral” is running again but this time as a “consultant” after for years having a seat in the state sponsored category. Last year, Rygg almost lost to the all famous “uncontested” when he ran to finish a term. Yep almost lost to no one.. hopefully the membership, given a choice this year will vote the other way. Also running again is Jim Larsen of that well known commercial powerhouse Cardinal. He is another long time NFRC guy set in his ways and completely negative to the commercial industry and our needs. Again hopefully membership will choose to get fresh blood on the board like they did last year when the stunningly sent Alecia Ward packing. The bottom line- hopefully fresh blood will take its place but sadly there’s still plenty of the jaded, set in the way people still involved and thus you can expect a continuation of the ignorance and arrogance that is the NFRC.

-- Congrats to PPG for the “Cradle to Cradle” certification. USGNN had the story earlier this week. It’s a good move by them and will help in the LEED process… especially since, as I have noted here before, glass is not the recycled product we all think it is.

-- The next issue of USGlass will feature the 50 most influential people in the industry. I can tell you that there are some folks on there who are finally getting the props they deserve. It’s a great issue too.

-- Does anyone see Bronze glass specified for anything anymore? Just curious… That color really has become the proverbial ugly stepchild.

To the LINKS!

-- What towns are hit hardest by this financial “crisis” we are in? here’s the list… note that Michigan is not on there because we’ve been in a financial muck for a few years now.

-- Is it the weather? Yet another teacher in Florida fired after some questionable behavior with students. This time it was massages…. Unreal. Heck growing up I woulda been scared to death to touch any of my teachers…

-- Also in Florida, a man tried to kill his roommate over Fantasy Football! Yep just a matter of time.. see I have some buddies that would probably try and kill too… actually for Fantasy Baseball and especially when you are in a league with a guy who only plays his relief pitchers….and he wins it all. (long and inside story there... but those involved know who they are!)

Video Rental of the Week


Saw Vantage Point with Dennis Quaid. 90 minutes fly by… while the plot is somewhat easy to figure, the presentation was pretty cool. A worthwhile rental. Here’s the trailer.