Let's hope this is not true...

The relative positivity of last week’s Greenbuild show went away pretty quick when I picked up a story that said some analysts see the commercial glass industry struggling until… get this… 2013! Seriously that was a prediction and the first I have seen that has not shown the uptick coming by the end of 2010. Just typing this boggles my mind, but we’ve had such a solid run for a long time, you just can’t fathom that some of the tough times could continue that long. But when you read stats like Atlanta having enough empty commercial buildings to last 14 years, it may actually come true. For the good of our industry and our personal health, let’s hope this call is wrong.

Elsewhere…

-- Ironically, the ABI (Architectural Billings Index) did well last month scoring best since the credit crunch hit. It’s a bumpy road folks no doubt, let’s keep hoping for the best.

-- Greenbuild did end pretty well and looks like they’ll have everyone back in Chicago next year exhibiting again. I picked our booth out and in the ginormous McCormick Center, you’ll be able to find me somewhere near Milwaukee. Instead of spokesmodels I may hire Sherpas to lead people to the booth.

-- In the November issue of USGlass (the one with incredible Art Gallery of Ontario on the cover) the letters to the editor has a great one from Terry Newcomb of Thermal Windows. Terry hammers home the point about all of the obnoxious spam we get from Chinese companies looking to steal our businesses. Thank you Terry for stepping up and having your voice heard, you are yet another person who “gets it” when it comes to the threat the Chinese are to our way of life.

-- I hate flying as it is, but this week’s flight was even more galling. Sitting in the 2nd row behind the bulkhead. Person in front of me already has great leg room thanks to the bulkhead, and plus it’s a lady who is probably 5 feet tall, 90 pounds soaking wet. So we take off and what does she do? Leans that chair ALL THE WAY back into my ever expanding waistline, crushing my knees to the floor. I look up and over at her (because I can see since she’s leaned so far back on me) and her feet are a good 2 feet away from the bulkhead wall! Simply unreal. I just wish airlines would take away all reclining- it’s never doled out right and it’s already so freakin tight.

-- Wednesday night I spoke at the Top of the Rockies event for the Colorado Glazing Contractors Association. What a tremendous event, honoring the jobs that the glaziers in this territory did throughout the year. The CGCA is a great organization, led by Rebecca Kaspari, that it really should be copied nationwide. As for the awards, Metropolitan Glass represented by Marty Richardson was the night’s big winner. (Kinda like the way Slumdog Millionaire won all the Oscars last year) Good stuff and I was honored to be involved.

-- NFRC is meeting this week and I’ve laid off of it. I’ve gotten some comical notes though on some of the goings on (though nothing as good as people falling asleep in the meetings dang it) and will have more on this next post.

-- Speaking of next post- we’ll have a small post up here next Tuesday the 24th- since my normal Thursday spot is covered by Thanksgiving. (Which in my humble opinion is the best holiday of them all… I love the combo of Food, Family and Football! You simply can’t beat it) So in advance of that, hope everyone enjoys the upcoming holiday and you can eat and be merry with the ones you love and give Thanks for the good things we have in life!

Off to the links…

The “Link Chick” underestimates her value here- last week I met someone who reads the blog and when I thanked them for reading they said “Oh I just read it for the links…” Yep… and this is not the first time that’s been said either… so without further adieu here’s this week’s submissions…

-- Dude makes 85k per year selling shirts off his back… what is wrong with our world?

-- This link is worth it for the pictures… an “open range” zoo in Australia that has come up with a way to get the animals VERY close to you. Wild, wild stuff.

-- Crazy story in Wisconsin about muggers who are so patriotic that if they mug you and find you are a soldier or reservist, they’ll return your stuff.

Video of the Week

Chris McMahon (Phoenix TV star) sent me this one… it’s the epic failure of understanding the automatic sliding glass door. My question is… is this real? Wild to watch no matter what.