Sunday, June 18, 2023

In the Movies

I did not plan to start this week off with a rundown of the animated movie Elemental, but after seeing it and its connection to the glass industry I had no choice.  So this is a movie via Pixar and Disney and those of you who follow closely know my son Zach is heavily connected in that world with his Boardwalk Times website (the ultimate destination for the Disney fan) so I joined him in seeing this one when hit theaters this week.  I did not know what to expect and overall the movie was well done- really was a Hallmark level “Rom Com” so that worked but the use of glass was the kicker here. YEs our beloved product played a pretty major role.  The movie is about Fire and Water and those elements interacting and growing to get along.  Early on we see the Fire lead character break a glass display case and then with her fire hands create a brand-new piece of Bent Glass to replace it.  (Bent so good that I think my pal Tony Kasprzak sold it since he’s a big-time bent glass rep and also a Disney guy).  So at that point I’m thinking cool- neat to see.  Well as the movie continues, there’s a situation that the Fire character created a glass wall to save a community from flooding.  When it was done, one of the characters exclaimed “She did it.  It’s TEMPERED GLASS” and when that was said I yelped.  Loudly and embarrassingly.  I mean I don’t think I ever heard the words “Tempered Glass” and in a positive manner in a movie setting before, so I was out of my seat with it.  I’m thinking- this is what the NGA preaches- Glass REALLY can save the world.  (Which it can, and we all know that).  Anyway, the movie continued and SPOILER ALERT (skip to next paragraph if you plan on seeing it) the glass ended up breaking and it was not truly tempered.  While still happy we got a plug, I was bummed that the glass broke and know for sure the SGCC would not be happy with the mis-labeling.  LOL.  No doubt I’ll take the excitement of the glass coming through and hopefully someday Disney will ask me (or probably my son) what sort of glass would truly be best to stave a flood off.  (Surely 2022 Glass Magazine Award Winner FENEX would be raising their hands?  Right Juan Posada and Brian Johnson?)  Yep, so there ya go- and by the way I think I am banned from that theater too for being too excited.  

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  A special summer series of podcasts made their debut this week.  GlassCast from the NGA dropped episode one and it’s a perfect quick bite of insight and info.  The great duo of Katy Devlin and Sara Neiswanger hosted this episode that led into a monologue from Jeff Haber of W&W Glass via this past springs BEC.  The subject was ESOP’s and Jeff’s insight was spellbinding and this quick pod covered it nicely.  There are handful of episodes coming and I think it’s a nice series for the quiet summer news season.  Check it out and big kudos to Katy, Sara and Melissa Fischer the editing wizard at NGA for a job well done!

VIDEO

AUDIO   - and on Apple and Spotify- search GlassCast

 

--  Speaking of podcasts- the next From the Fabricator podcast drops next week and I am pumped.  Unless something crazy happens I have 2 awesome glaziers and an impressive Architect lined up.   Stat wise I continue to be amazed.  The video stats are meh- this is just not a format that lends to video, especially long form.  But audio, my numbers are mind blowing.  They keep growing each show and more and people are finding older episodes and listening.  It’s incredibly cool and I thank everyone who checks it out.  If you have not heard any, search “From the Fabricator” where you listen to your podcasts.  By the way, geographically the update is thanks to Eliot Benor of Building Envelope Testing, New York surged into the lead of the city that listens the most to the podcast.  And we’ve seen nice runs from Philly, Seattle, Atlanta, and Chicago joining Houston, San Antonio and LA as popular areas for listening.  Absolutely awesome.

 

--  Thank you to Scott Goodman, my good friend and superstar sales hustler from CRL for the heads up on the CRL releasing a new reference guide at AIA.  I missed this and it is super resource and good to have handy!

 

--  Kudos to Vitro Architectural Glass for their latest EPD effort.  Check out the story from Glass Magazine as it explains it very well, but this was an excellent step forward in an area that WILL continue to grow and be a very important part of the commercial glass project realm.  Get familiar with the EPD angle folks and good on Vitro for their latest breakthrough!

 

--  Last this week.  I’ll be watching this Wednesday for the newest Architectural Billings Index.  So much has eroded on the banking side and more and more investors have grown skittish that I am curious to see if that feel has hit this index harder.  Good news is when I feel negative the index usually goes the other way.  So we will see…

 

LINKS of the WEEK

A vulture makes its way into a house and kudos for the homeowners for battling to get it out!

 

When too much bling stops your car from starting

 

Possibly a case for the Door DOORK Benji Bolick?  I’m so far behind he’s probably had this one.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Back to the pacific Northwest (where the NGA Glass Conference will be soon- Tacoma- sign up today!) for this awesome one from Goldfinch Brothers. From their post on LinkedIn- this is the Costco HQ (wonder if the glaziers got any tasty food samples when done) and it is sharp one.  Unitized glazing with Schuco, glass from Vitro and congrats to MG2 Design for the awesome look. This one is fabulous!  Kudos to all!




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