They need no help...

I had to laugh when I saw the story yesterday on the Vinyl Institute asking for the industry for help in opposing some of the goings on at USGBC/LEED. The Vinyl lobby has been very powerful and for those of us who deal in aluminum know they are not exactly our friends. While I feel their pain in trying to protect their interests, I wouldn’t consider them a helpless little waif in this battle. They are strong and I am sure they will get their points across and most likely win. What’s sad is I wish that folks in our industry would’ve taken the same approach when it came to NFRC. People who find out about it now ask why “nothing” was done, but we tried- unfortunately we didn’t have the bullhorn the size of the Vinyl guys.

Elsewhere…

-- So the President announces the “Cash for Caulkers” program and helps the residential remodel business. So yet another program goes to the residential side, while the commercial side gets to deal with a nightmarish seemingly never ending credit crunch and predictions of terrible markets through 2011. Wonderful….

-- On the flip side of the sarcastic “wonderful” above, something that truly was great was the Gold Medal hockey this past Sunday. Congrats to my many friends in Canada who I know are STILL on cloud 9. For me it was very conflicting… obviously I wanted the US to win, but the fact that my favorite player- Sid Crosby scored to win it, lessened the blow. End of the day the hockey was tremendous.

-- Saw 2/3rds of the residents of Canada watched that game… that is incredible. The other 1/3 were obviously here on my blog catching up on back issues.

-- I’ve written here many times for my admiration of many of the folks that work at Solutia- seriously good people. Now a prop for the entire company as Solutia made a tremendous move in the solar world by grabbing Etimex. There’s no doubt that the folks at Solutia really have it all together- congrats!

-- And while we are handing out props, congrats to Deron Patterson of PPG on his latest accomplishment- becoming a LEED Associate-Accredited. I met Deron a few years ago at an open house in Houston, TX and the guy epitomized class. We’ve exchanged a couple e-mails over the years and it’s usually something that Deron points out to me to think on a little harder. I am thrilled he’s getting good pub for a very big accomplishment.

-- Is Winter over? It was almost 40 degrees and sunny today in Detroit and I was ready to find a swimming pool…. I am sure the folks in the east are surely ready for spring to sprung.

-- BEC and Glassweek… don’t forget… if you haven’t signed up, I am sure you still can….

-- Last, from the “I can’t believe I admit this” file… I actually watch the TV show "The Bachelor" with my wife. (24 has been so awful- why not) Anyway this year’s guy went in playing the “I’m always the nice guy and girls don’t want the nice guy” role. So after going through 25 women did he pick the nice girl (so nice that people on the show said she dreams in Disney characters) or the divorced Hooters Waitress? Yep… Hooters girl… reality TV at its finest….

From the Links…

An update, Link Chick is home, and from all accounts doing great… so is Baby Link Chick… here’s this week’s offerings…

Wrapping up the Olympics…

-- Good piece here on the “winners” and “losers” of the games…

-- Neat story here on the greatest Olympian you probably have never heard of…

-- And last heads are rolling in Russia after a substandard games for them… you just have to wonder if those heads are rolling literally or figuratively.

Video of the Week:

I have 2 great dogs at home and if they could do this, it would be a riot… Dogs that snowboard… classic stuff here… getting in shape for some sort of Doggie Olympics I guess… If that happens my dogs will be shoe-ins to win any sort of sleeping on the couch contest…