And commercial is still better than residential...

A quiet week on the commercial front… while the residential guys deal with the illogical (and quite frankly shameful) 30/30 provision that was sneakily slipped into the stimulus, the commercial side just continues to truck along working against the waves of an economy that gets tougher every day. A lot of people have the money that was in stimulus for construction spent, but I think anyone who has worked in this industry knows that there is no such thing as “shovel ready”… so even with some green lights and with projects moving forward it is still going to be a rocky road. Amazing even more if you consider we went from a glass shortage last summer and fall to a slower go now.

Elsewhere….

-- The NFRC meetings are still going on and that whole sponsorship thing won’t die. I heard from so many people who saw it to be so wrong for the NFRC to accept sponsorship from a group in the position to gain from an NFRC board decision. Just shows that no matter how much people like Joe Hayden try to play off how much integrity they have, this shows they have none. And quite frankly I say that about every board member now- just another filthy move but expected really because this is classic NFRC.

-- Yes I am mad because the awning people outsmarted me. If only we offered to sponsor meetings in the past the CMA would look so different!! Heck it may have even had a chance to work! Bottom line isn’t this payola?

-- And please check the comment on the post below this… looks like the LABS strike again beating now on the residential guys. Out of control. And believe me the residential guys not only have a miserable economy to deal with but they also have to deal with the BS like 30/30.

-- Last note on this, according the NFRC blog, Rich Karney of DOE talked about how the bogus (my term, not his) 30/30 provision will “influence” Energy Star… hmm so that means all the work, all the resources that went into Energy Star will be wasted because of this illogical rule? You know how we have the same climate in Maine that we have in Miami…. (sarcasm alert!) Well if the 30/30 stands that statement will somehow be true… only at the DOE and NFRC… amazing.

-- Technoform and Raj Goyal. Wow tremendous pairing. Good company and a great guy.

-- Still feel awful for the folks at former Echo Window. While the Republic Window folks have “cult figure” status thanks to their sit in, the poor folks in Red Oak, Iowa have really gotten the ziggy. Sold by TRACO to “Echo” and then bam plant closed and jobs lost. It really sucks and I hope all of those folks can bounce back, they were truly pawns in a bigger game.

-- Did anyone watch 24 this week? Gosh I hope the real FBI and the real White House are not as pathetic as they are shown on TV. Up and down episode that is for sure, but Jack Bauer rules no matter what happens.

-- Is Winter over yet? Tuesday morning, 7 degrees outside my house and hearing about snow in the Carolinas and frost in Georgia… not to mention the massive snow in the Northeast. This has simply been a BRUTAL winter.

BOOK OF THE WEEK!
The GANA Sealant Manual…. And no I am not on the GANA Board anymore, but I am still a huge fan and this is an incredible publication. In this day and age you want to have as much knowledge as you can, and this manual brings it. Many people volunteered and worked their tails off to produce a top notch manual, so go to the GANA website- click here – and order up. You won’t be sorry.

Off to the LINK… yes LINK
Only one link this week because quite frankly there is nothing to top this…. A lady called 911… three times… because…. Her local McDonald’s was out of Chicken McNuggets. You can’t make this stuff up. Now I love food… love it a lot… but this is epic.

VIDEO of the WEEK!

Another favorite of mine is Family Guy and they just announced they’ll be doing a sequel to the Star Wars Blue Harvest piece… Return of the Jedi is coming and will be awesome I am sure. To get you fired up for it- a clip from Stewie in Blue Harvest…