It's HERE!

Well it’s finally here… 2009 is upon us and we’ll finally see exactly how good, bad or ugly the year will be. So far it seems like everyone is holding their own but the million dollar question is will it last? Most experts are predicting "no". Worse yet I’ve heard some predictions putting our industry off as much as 30% from last year. The first signs will be if and when people go out of business. So far only rumors of people’s demise are out there, no fact. When it starts, and I believe it will no later than mid year, will it just be a trickle or a full scale stream? As I have said before, strap in, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

Elsewhere…

-- The push for GlassWeek and BEC is on… and I have to say, if you are examining your budget and trying to decide if you’ll attend any events, then this one needs to be at the top of the list. No offense to any of the other shows or events, but quite simply no event has the drawing power, the education, and the networking opportunities that this one does. And in what could be a “down” market, a great source of help can come from your friends and network. BEC offers the best angle for that. If you need more info, CLICK HERE and I hope to see you there…

-- Plus a new Top 10 list by yours truly will debut at BEC… so how can you miss that! LOL

-- Congrats to Ajay Glass and the Stathopoulos family for the fantastic article on them in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. I have known these guys for a few years (and they also are loyal attendees of BEC by the way) and I am glad they are getting positive pub. Good people who deserve it. The article by the way is located here.

-- In a USGNN piece last week I was quoted about trying to stay positive and not letting the stuff that gets me down, affect me. Immediately I heard from several people that thought it meant I’d be softer on some of my favorite subjects like NFRC and communist China. I’m here to tell you, my edge will still be there, but my resolution is to try and not let it consume me. So no one is getting off the hook but hopefully I can keep my focus, stay positive and proceed. I mean who knows maybe the Titanic won’t sink…. Or maybe the stuff from communist China won’t be terrible… nah not working…

-- One thing I don’t get is the people who go to Times Square for New Years… I am not sure what the attraction is by being a sardine while you freeze your tail off… then bam its over… I guess I am no fun, but I just don’t see the payoff there… I get enough of being crammed on every flight I take and living in Michigan I think I am frozen 9 months out of the year…

Let’s go to the LINKS!

-- Great article on Solar vs. Polar… what happens with Solar panels in the winter…

-- This house could cause some debate.. its called a “Passive House” and it doesn’t need a furnace… even though it’s in Germany…. Everything is great about the concept until you see the max size of the house…

-- Great site given to me by the “Link Chick” and its name says it all… People Who Deserve It… (meaning a punch to the face!)

-- Time Magazine paints a very bleak picture of Las Vegas… economic disaster alert!

-- And why not… a Russian Professor predicts the end of the US in 2010… one of his theories is California will become its own little country… oooooooh can the NFRC move their permanently then?


VIDEO of the WEEK!

My friend Dan sent me an amazingly timely video… It talks about Energy and our need to work to find other sources.. Yep.. Timely.. from the awesome Schoolhouse Rock series… in the 1970’s!!! Go to the 2:20 mark on this one when they talk Solar… amazing… and like Dan noted to me.. it’s shows it was a cycle.. hopefully this time the cycle ends and we stay focused on the prize…