Quiet on all fronts...

Was it me or was this a really quiet week? No major rumblings or goings on in the industry, all very mellow with Glassweek and BEC a few weeks away, so it really does seem to be the calm before the storm. Also the brutal winter weather has continued to wreak havoc on so much of this country and our industry that I think everyone is just battening down the hatches and holding on for dear life. In any case with all that said we’re going with a shorter than usual blog this week…

Elsewhere…

-- Gotta love it when the glass industry has a hero… major props to Robin DeHaven of Binswanger in Austin, Texas. He’s the fella that helped save several people when a plane crashed into a building in Texas last week. Now that’s a guy who should get an award from NGA or GANA for his efforts and portraying our industry in a good light. An American hero no doubt!

-- If you want a very even handed read on the NFRC CMA issue, giving both sides, then go check out the Division 8 report (Click Here). In 2 posts just added this week, JC does a great job with the pros and cons and he does it without the conspiracy theory stuff you get from me. I know I have been pimping that blog quite a bit but it really is solid and a breath of fresh air.

-- By the way, check out the next US Hockey game in the Olympics if you can... these guys are playing their hearts out. Plus let's root for the Canadians in their quest to get a rematch with the American's in the Gold Medal game... a rematch for the Gold would be simply awesome.

-- Last week I wrote about the Stimulus and for some reason there was a problem with the comment fields and so this comment, which I found very interesting was sent to me direct… check it out:
Max,
I read an interesting article that gauged what economists thought of how the stimulus was doing. Apparently at three of them thought that a) it did stop the panic (which was no small task around that elusive animal that is consumer confidence) so even though all the money isn't out there, it did it's first job and b) they were really afraid that there was so much worry over all the debt, that with the change in congress that some of it would be repealed before it could accomplish the overall goal.
What I particularly remember is that they felt that was what kept Japan in a decade long downturn. That when Japan initial hit the skids, a stimulus package was passed but then repealed about 2 years in. That sent the entire economy in to a deeper spiral that they are still not out of. I really wish I had kept that link - I know you would be interested
The other thing, to play devil's advocate (which you know I love to do with you) is to note that while it may be taking so much time to get out, it's the very fact that we are democratic country that is hindering implementation. If the government wanted to get stuff out the door, they would just pick people. Can you imagine the onslaught of calls to representatives if people didn't have the chance to bid on these projects? That open process takes time in the best of time - now, all of the bureaucratic workers that I talk to are so incredibly buried and overburdened - they want it off their desk but there is too much to move. And you can't hire someone new to deal with the overflow because it's all temporary.
Such is the nature of our country.

Off to the LINKS!

Well first off CONGRATS to the awesome Link Chick who just added to her family… very lucky kid to get a mom so cool (not to mention a great Dad and Brother!) And so to prepare for her time off thanks to the family leave act.. (and I don’t have to pay her for 12 weeks…lol) she loaded me down with some very cool linkage and here goes..

-- Remember the world’s tallest building in Dubai? We covered it here and even had a video suggested by Brian Pitman of GANA. Well it’s having some issues and it got shut down last week… yikes…

-- I don’t think the Link Chick had to have her baby in these conditions but this Pennsylvania couple braved a middle of the night blizzard to get to the hospital to give birth… wild!

-- On somewhat of the same level of greatness as Mr DeHaven above is this guy who found $72,000 and returned it all to its rightful owner. Fantastic.

Video of the Week…

March Madness right around the corner and this should get you fired up… Murray State Freshman Isaiah Canaan hits a beauty of a buzzer beater!!