OK so the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) now has had two good months in a row. What exactly does that mean? As those of you who follow this blog, I follow and comment on it monthly and quite frankly I find it vexing. When I finally see it stabilizing it drops. When I think we’re in the midst of a free fall it pulls itself up. Seasonal logic makes no sense either. Architects were busy in December? A short month, at the tail end of budget planning? Obviously I am missing something, but regardless I am pleased with the progress. Now we wait 30 days to see how January plays out. If the ABI is up, it can be called officially a “trend” (3 months of something puts it into “trend” category) and as the great philosopher Roger “28” Collette once opined “the trend is your friend” especially when its positive. If that does happen, the projections of a solid 2012 will be looking much more possible.
Elsewhere…
-- Another positive trend… housing report from December showed its 3rd straight month of sales increases and we now have the lowest amount of housing inventory since 2005. As you can see by this article we’re not out of the woods yet, but the hopeful signs are coming into play. Gotta stay positive.
-- Once again I got a tremendous nugget of info from the twitter feed of Heather West. This time it was a critical rating of the effectiveness of building codes on the east and Gulf coasts. It was very, very interesting and surprising read. Check out here… but one comment, I am blown away that the great state of Texas scored so low and that South Carolina scored so high. Those ratings were shockers. In my limited experience I would’ve thought those ratings to be flip flopped. Anyway thank you Heather for the feed.
-- Great news internet wise this past week when the highly controversial SOPA and PIPA bills were yanked from the floor of congress. These bills were to put in tough federal laws against online piracy and copying of online intellectual property. Normally I would be 1000% behind something like these efforts. But the bills, as with most of what DC does, were loaded down with seriously intrusive measures and were just out of control in the desire to control free speech. The electronic community led by groups like Google and Wikipedia came together to flex muscle that overwrought measures like this won’t be accepted and won. No matter what, I do believe eventually these bills will come back but congress will have to take a more even keeled and fair approach as otherwise it will never work.
-- It was a combination of two sets of some of my favorite people when the gang from RavenBrick spoke at the Colorado Glazing Contractor Association meeting last week. Heard it was a lively and informative and everyone had a great time. It’s always good when the good word about advanced technology is getting out into the marketplace. The CGCA led by Rebecca Kaspari and with awesome members like Marty Richardson of Metropolitan Glass and the model like Cameron Scripture of Viracon really has the template down pat for well-run regional associations.
-- Thanks to GH for the quality proof read of this blog by the way. Brain sometimes freezes!
-- Last this week… great creative marketing play by Terry Newcomb and the folks at Thermal Windows… they gave away 1300 pounds of Grapefruit last week as a “thank you” to their Tulsa customers for three decades of support. Just a well-done effort and gesture… Now if they were giving away 1300 pounds of M&M’s I would’ve made the trip to Tulsa for that…. I guess M&M’s don’t grow on trees though. In any case, very nice work folks.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Did you happen to see the controversy on the High School rejecting the nickname “Cougars”? Really amazing that word is now offensive…
-- There will be beer served at the World Cup in Brazil… interesting since laws will have to be changed. Ah the power of “football” in our world.
The Sketcher Shape Up shoes are getting sued… I never saw the fascination with them or the value… and now it looks like they’ll be doing some explaining in court…
VIDEO of the WEEK
My brother is back on the prowl supplying videos… this one a classic slip of the tongue… he meant to say Hoosiers… and unfortunately that is not what came out…
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