Good Readin!!

Folks, the latest issue of USGlass is simply incredible. If you have not gotten it yet, wait til you dig in. The centerpiece is another tremendous interview by Deb Levy. In Deb’s past she’s interviewed all of the big hitters and this issue she added another one to her list in Oldcastle head Ted Hathaway. It was an interesting interview and while I am sure many of you expect me to take shots, I am not. Afterall the guy pretty much has the same “love” of China that I do. In addition his comments about “knowing your costs” were spot on. Strong piece- and a note that the on line edition (here) actually has the “un cut” interview and is worth the read.

Oh and someday I fully expect a Deb Levy special edition of great interviews… like the ones she has done with Bill Davidson, Roger O’Shaughnessy, Leon Silverstein and so on.

Elsewhere…

-- In that same magazine was a guest piece by my pals from the NFRC that was simply mind blowing. First off, there’s a new drinking game in the industry- everytime the NFRC states they are a 501c3, you must drink. Believe me it’s their badge of honor and they use that line more than you can believe. Anyway… the highlite of the piece, which was the typical non speak that they put out, was this line.

NFRC operates as a consensus-based organization and all decisions are discussed as they move through the committees that drive the program.

OK… yep… this was after they noted that they are not like an AAMA or GANA- which are member driven orgs. But yet they want you to believe that they are “listening” to the consensuses- all the while making sure the board has the final decision to do whatever they want. You can’t have it both ways. And believe me this group has had MASSIVE consensus driven votes that were overturned at the board level… hmmm… consensus? Really? If they are a consensus based org, then call me Denzel Washington. What a freakin joke. By the way, the reason they try and promote the whole “consensus” thing is because they know that’s a hole in their MO. They have to appear to at least “appease” the masses, when in reality they’ve ignored the masses from day 1.

-- One more note, that was sent into me by a loyal reader of this Blog…

Max

I just noticed something new on the NFRC website (home page) and thought I would pass it along to you...

What Does the NFRC Label Mean?

Energy Ratings You NEED and Can TRUST

I wonder if their marketing guru's believe if you capitalize a whole word it will make the reader BELIEVE what they are reading!?!

I love it- other people see the stuff I see now. And yep this is what 300K a year to a PR agency gets you. So I think I should try their approach… The NFRC, where hard earned MONEY comes to US, for services that no one NEEDS, and no one ASKED for, and in the end NO ONE will USE!

-- Been getting a bunch of e mails asking me about rumors and details on AGC and their future. All I can say, is it’s been pretty quiet out there. I’ve had fun though reading and researching some of the rumors people are sending in- so keep em coming- you never know when one will stick… after all it was in that style that we broke the EFCO-Pella deal.

-- This month on HBO Real Sports they did a piece on China exploiting athletes. Great TV and reminded me on how China exploits our industry. And a side note, the Olympics in China should be very interesting- they are already having a ton of issues out there and the pressure will be huge with the “world watching”

VIDEO RENTAL OF THE WEEK….

“Maxed Out”… great name but not the reason its here… it was a documentary about our dependence on credit cards and how the credit card companies take big time advantage. Interesting on several levels and worth the watch.

FROM THE LINKS….

-- Super article here talking about the demise of the great state of Ohio. I wonder… Ohio suffers around the same time as Jack Deyo retiring… hmmm… Coincidence????

-- Get ready for a new way to get your milk! Brand new funky containers that can keep costs down. The best part of this article is how people are furious because they can’t figure out how to pour from the new containers!

-- Something makes me think that the NFRC will pay 300K next year for this advice that’s listed here for free in the New York Times…. Its how you can get your products noticed by the use of words (and probably CAPITAL LETTERS!)

VERY COOL WEBSITE TO CHECKOUT…

From loyal blog reader Dave… a cool site.. it’s the Birthday Clock… and it’s one of the neater things to try out. Amaze the family with it… enter your birthday and watch all of the relevant and irrelevant stuff come up… Click HERE

VIDEO OF THE WEEK…

Thanks to Pete for this one… its now been proven to be a fake… (Though Pete has a world class softball player for a daughter- so I could see her pulling this off) but still very cool stuff…

A happy and healthy holiday weekend to everyone… celebrate and do it safe of course… and thanks to everyone who sent the above links in- it is appreciated!!

One Sided

If no one cares about a fight… is it really a fight? If one guy is boxing and the other is staring listlessly into space, is it a match? Don’t you need two to tango? So with that in mind we have the ever continuing adventures of the NFRC. See last week the NFRC presented at conference in Minnesota. According to press reports, a lot of the same stuff we’ve heard over the years came out… but one relatively new angle was admitted. The glazier will indeed be the “responsible” party for the implementation of this program. And so that brings us to the comments I made at the top. 97% of all glaziers know nothing of the NFRC and quite frankly don’t care. I travel the country and I ask everywhere I go… and I get the same reaction…. blank stares. (I also ask architects and they care even LESS if thats possible) So this will be interesting when the money makers at the NFRC try and stuff this Titanic down our throats and a glazier in Tulsa has no clue what this is even about. Then when they see the costs and the work added… complaining about things like the surcharge will be long from their minds. Eventually when your punched enough, you will fight… but until that sinks in… this is truly a one sided issue with one party not caring a bit…. Yet.

Then again if NFRC throws a party and no one comes.... that I can see happening... abandon ship! Woooooooomp!

Elsewhere…

-- Credit to Katy Devlin and her blog post (Click here) great stuff and yes even got me hooked in to comment. Sorry folks I can not resist. Someone once asked me why I get so pissy on the NFRC stuff… and it’s simple… because it’s wrong! They are ramming a program that has no true value down our throats… for the main reason of “because we can” Oh and the money too… believe me, if there wasn’t a ton of money involved this issue it would not still be perking along 5 or 6 years after it started.

-- Oh and I love the “protecting the public” argument… yep protecting the public from what? Keeping their hard earned money? Remember NFRC cut their teeth protecting homeowners which actually needed it... professional architects and GC's don't.

-- THANK YOU to everyone who has been reading and also commenting via e-mail or phone. Traffic has been tremendous and I am honored and thrilled. Especially since our industry is in the most boring stretch it’s ever been in news wise.

Book of the week:

The Last Great Fight by Joe Layden… keeping with the boxing theme above… but seriously… a GREAT book here focusing on the Buster Douglas-Mike Tyson fight in 1990 and what happened to each afterwards. A tremendous read if you are into boxing even in the least. And really since the fall of Tyson, boxing is no longer the same and the fall started that night.

An EARLY TRIP TO THE LINKS!!

Yep I know I usually write more.. but we have more links this week and 2 videos!

-- Folks in the Netherlands think the world will end in 2012. I guess they could care less about NFRC eh?

-- A great breakdown here on gas, the effects from China and Russia and the Big 3. A worthwhile blogpost from the Detroit News.

-- A good feature here on what is BIM… and yes people are still asking even though its been the “hot” topic lately.

-- According to this.. the credit crisis is only ½ way done. And the offshoot of that is commercial buildings will continue to feel that backlash.

-- The Surcharge is EVERYWHERE… alert the lawyers! Even speeding tickets now feature them…

Videos of the Week

Fun one first… sent in by a loyal reader of the blog… great comedy with cats… is it me or how come you can get funnier videos with cats?

2^nd one an interesting video from the floor of congress that was sent to me by Larry… AKA "the king of Fantasy Baseball"…. Those new light bulbs come with some serious instructions huh? 5 minutes long but pretty interesting.

Taking a bite out of the Apple Pie

How much of Americana would be gone if Anheuser Busch does get taken over by overseas interest? On that note, what will happen when PPG finally sells its auto glass division (again) as reported last week? If they sell that portion of the business or any of their other segments to foreign interests, how will that affect us in the long run? I think short term it will be OK, but the long term effect will be tremendous. It’s amazing that the proud American company is no longer “King of the Hill” but really with so much focus on businesses trying to pander to markets like China, it was probably a matter of time. Were we arrogant? Were we sleeping at the wheel? How can we be so vulnerable? Today it’s AB, tomorrow it could be Johnson and Johnson… then on and on and on. Very scary no matter how you slice it.

Elsewhere….

-- As I told a few people who commented on my bad mood blog of last week… you know how you’re not supposed to go to the market on an empty stomach? Well in the new age of technology; don’t do a blog post in a bad mood because you’ll get that slice of bitterness you got last week. But the nice thing was how many people commented to me in passing, hoping I was cheering up. Thanks again to all of you.

-- Great comments too on the Vinyl lobby and its strength or lack thereof… Would love to see more of the people who see it for what it is, be more vocal going forward that is for sure. Bottom line is we have a heavy dependence on oil, why aren’t we looking to wean off of products that use it? Especially when there’s very good options….

-- This just in… Tiger Woods is insanely good. That Saturday night of golf was unreal. I had a buddy who was there on the 13^th hole when Tiger made his first Eagle and he said it was the most amazing thing he’s ever been a part of. And this coming from a guy who’s been to 10 Masters, Super Bowls, Stanley Cups and so on. And I’d have to say, even watching on TV it was awesome.

-- More on the PPG stuff up top… interesting interview with the CEO Charles Bunch (here if you missed it) I think once again the fascinating angle will be.. once the auto glass business gets sold, what happens to the flat glass side? Do they focus energy and resources on the flat side knowing that the albatross of auto is gone or do they look to become more of a chemical company (where you make real money) and put flat up for sale? Should be very interesting.

To the LINKS we go…

-- Gas prices got your frustrated? This piece by USA Today really breaks it down in detail.

-- According to the founder of the Weather Channel, it’s all Al Gore’s fault. Here’s a speech dedicated to it. And it’s a pretty interesting read… not the populist view, that’s for sure!

-- E-mail issues happen all the time- a great tech piece on what’s happening in that world.

Video of the Week:

Thanks to Brigid for finding this and sending it… its only 16 seconds long but I found hilarious given all we seemingly ever talk about…. And by the way as someone who lives for Peanut M&M’s… if they ever got in trouble, then I’d have to step up!

Bitter is the theme

OK, be prepared… its nasty and cynical down below. For some reason I am in a bad mood today, and sadly most of my posts reflect that. One frustration is on how for some reason glass gets less “love” from the green community than a product like vinyl. Isn’t vinyl made from Oil? Isn’t glass a recycled product, with technology pushing performances upward daily? I thought so… but ask someone in the green lobby and they scoff at the recycled nature of glass- even pushing parts of LEED away from glass. But oooooh Vinyl is great to them. So damn frustrating it’s not even funny. Seriously isn’t Oil a major part of vinyl? Why isn’t that a big issue? Aren’t we trying to wean ourselves from oil? They’ll be more on this in the weeks and months to come, but its just another area where the NFRC style of people who are out there making the most illogical assumptions ever.

Elsewhere…

-- You know I guess the economy is not so bad. Everyone I talk to is still going on vacation and in fact, when I went to go make dinner reservations for my trip to Disney next month, all the places we wanted were booked. So is this the mainstream media making much ado about nothing? At least in my mood right now it sure as heck seems like it.

-- That said I found it hilarious that the Energy Department announced that consumers can expect gas to stay at the $4 range for the next year. Considering its going up a few cents daily and up a buck from a year ago, how can they say that? Heck just last week analysts predicted $5 per gallon gas by the 4^th of July. The story today said they expect gas prices to peak at 4.15. I’ll believe it when I see it.

-- Saw USGNN’s report on the CSI show in Vegas and I must say I am pretty surprised. It’s amazing that the writer failed to mention in the glowing report that this show was seriously un-supported by major portions of our industry. If you did not know any better you may have thought this was a good show- (for our industry) which it wasn’t. Now I rarely, if ever, take USGNN on. I think the folks there are top notch- but on this one, I was bothered by the reporting. Bottom line to me is that review should’ve noted that once again the show did not feature about 85% of the industries best, and given some reasons why.

-- Yikes, If I get on the wrong side of USGNN, I'll running out of people that are on the right side.

-- I did get a kick out of the Freedonia study on Solar Control glass and its possible growth. I think about the folks at DOE who still believe no one uses Low E because “its too hard” and that’s why we need an NFRC type of group to push us. Simply comical this world we live in.

-- And bad news from the glazing world, as the owner of Lorain Glass Jack Kosman passed away last week. Lorain Glass is one of the best glazing operations in Ohio and I had the honor of working with Jack over the years. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. We have lost yet another good glass guy.

Picture of the week:

-- This greeted me in my driveway after the Wings won the cup… congrats to Detroit- Great effort and a great series.

Note the 4 plastic forks at the bottom- love the attention to detail!

Off to the LINKS:

-- Actress Susan Sarandon says she’ll leave the US if John McCain wins… you know nothing I hate more than actors who do stuff like this… they make a ton of money to do the simplest of jobs… and think that the world really cares about their opinion…. Its comments like hers that make people want to vote the for the opposite candidate!

-- And add John Cusack to that list… my gosh, the guy from the classic “Better Off Dead” is shilling for a candidate. (AND yes I would feel this way no matter which candidate was supported- I just can’t stand Hollywood’s arrogance)

-- Ah let the attack begin on bottled water! Oh and some of these bottles are made from Oil.. same as vinyl….

-- As someone who flies every week, this was an interesting look at some of the things the airlines are doing to become more efficient…

On a non bitter closing note… its Father’s Day weekend and if you saw the bottom of the Weds USGNN, they are looking for comments and stories on how special your father is. By all means you should do it, as time flies. If your father is alive, cherish it and don’t take it for granted. And if he works in the industry with you- that’s even better. It’s been 7 years since our dad passed away and not a day goes by where I (along with my brother, sister and mom) do not think of him. I am sure if he was around now he would just read my stuff and shake his head at my antics and comments and wonder where I came from. Anyway, just noting for the record, we miss you big guy, now and forever. And to those you Dad’s out there- have a great day this Sunday!

The race is on

Well the Presidential race is set… Its Obama and McCain and it really should be a very interesting next few months. Where do these guys stand on the issues that we(I) care about? Will they talk tough on China but then turtle away when the time comes? What about the economy as a whole? Will this election get caught up in a racial overtone and will the issues be ignored? How big will the blog be during this since the “main stream media” has been under fire for being one sided (depending on who you watch). Also what are their stances on Energy? Who will be the better "Green" candidate? Just because Obama is a Dem doesn't mean he's more "green" right? Should be wild… and the first biggie is who will be the running mates… will Obama pick old and experienced? Will McCain go for a younger middle of the road VEEP choice? Of all I will be curious on China because Clinton was very vocal with her frustrations as was some of the GOP candidates that lost. These guys need to step up and even the playing field there and not let that monster grow… Man, so many questions… lets just hope whomever gets in, does this country right and protects our interests… should be a very interesting run.

Elsewhere…

-- Recently a news story came out trumpeting a prediction that 8 hurricanes will hit this season… This coming off of last years very light season which also saw dire predictions. The experts though said they have changed their terminology and studies and really believe that they’ll be right this year... I think its going to be a light year again, despite the predictions… I just think you can study the science forever, but at the end of the day, the number of hurricanes and force are seriously un-predictable….

-- Speaking of unpredictable weather- as noted here a few weeks back on the awful Tornado’s… this year is one of the worst on record… ever. Nothing could’ve predicted that- or the amount of deaths from the Tornado activity. Still it gets very little play… entire towns have been destroyed… where is the coverage?

-- It’s been slow on the Glass and Metal industry lately… no great scuttlebutt- a few straggler rumors and really no big stories, outside of the price increase of course, to talk about. I think a part of that is its summer… schools are almost out and we’re in classic vacation taking time. Soon though I think things will heat up… but we’re surely lacking the buzz this year, especially in comparison to last year.

-- And yes I did see the blurb on USGNN about the NFRC issue and I am pretty thrilled. The more people that can be made aware and educated the better. Just today I had 2 co workers ask me for a run-down on the whole NFRC event… and I made it through the first few minutes without going into my normal hysterics. I was so proud. But seriously, the more you know… the better we’ll all be!

Off to the LINKS!!!!

-- SWEET JUSTICE… one of the lawyer leaders of some really frivolous lawsuits gets caught with kickbacks and gets 30 months in jail… Shame it wasn’t one of the ambulance chasers involved in our industry.

-- There’s someone actually named… In God We Trust… this article is interesting on how people can change their name to anything…. My new name I think will be “Give You Order” so when people call they’d said “Give you Order” please….

-- Yep, don’t fear China… Trust them… like US Commerce Sec Carlos Guiterrez… who left his laptop UNATTENDED and the communist Chinese hacked it! Stupidity abounds…

-- and last, most jewish folk are not known as world class athletes… (And sorry PC Police I can say it because I'm one of em) but this year in major league baseball there’s 2 jewish guys tearing it up and could be on their way to being the MVP in their respective leagues… great story here… see Mom, a couple more years of baseball and this could a been me!

Picture of the week:

This was bound to happen....

Video of the week

I am posting this before Weds Game 6 with the Red Wings and Pens. After game 4, my next door neighbor – a big Wings fan, gave me a handful of plastic forks… to drive home the fact the Pens were done.. “Stick a fork in em!” Well the Penguins battled and won an incredible 3 overtime thriller on Monday night… and while I still think now that the Wings will win- it sure was a great event late Monday/Early Tuesday and a memorable birthday shoutout for my sister as well!

And that really should be the last of the Penguin videos for a while… unless they win it all of course!

I think in this space people come to expect certain things from me… and lately it’s been the doomsday attitude that I have been showing. Well the reason I have it is I read too much and this article is another example of why it’s a scary world out there. Basically this is an expert saying gas could cost 12 to 15 dollars per gallon. That thought alone is nightmarish and if we get to that point, the piddly stuff I rant about will mean nothing. Gas is already out of control… from Saturday to Monday, the prices went up 12 cents per gallon by my house… man no one should EVER complain about glass prices ever again!

Elsewhere…

-- Coming next week is the CSI show and once again virtually most of our industry is ignoring it. Do you wonder if the specifiers ever walk the floor and say: “Hmm... isn’t there a Division 8?” And yes I know the world does not revolve around our industry, but I think it’s pretty amazing that the management of CSI has no care for why its members aren’t getting the full magillah.

-- And speaking of shows… I mentioned this last week… I think spending will be less going forward… though there will always be the ego driven folks that will “show to show” but that’s their prerogative.

-- I wrote a while back in USGlass about these scams where people call you and tell you they’ll do an article about your company… and all you have to do is give them your suppliers/customers names. Then they’ll call those folks and ask them to buy ads to celebrate your inclusion in the magazine. Gang… THIS IS A SCAM. Please if you have never heard of the magazine, and they want to shake down your supply and customers, its not real! A real magazine has ads or subscriptions to pay for it. Once a week I get a call from one of these shysters trying to spin why I should place an ad to “celebrate so and so’s 900^th anniversary” Its unreal.

-- And yes so far I have used the words Shyster, Prerogative and Magillah in the blog… that’s a first.

-- Lots of discussion about the price increase laid out last week. The next few weeks look to be very interesting as everyone gets up to speed on what’s happening.

-- Not touching the Stanley Cup… guess I shoulda stayed a closet Pens fan eh?

-- This was in an article linked by USGNN on Tuesday- its about Green and companies that are in business to make you more “Green” like Seagate and their CEO Bill Watkins.
"I get on a private jet and fly to New York, so it's kind of hard for me to talk about separating my cans from plastic," he said. "They actually wanted me to convert to a full electric car," he said. "I drive a Bentley. This is the car of my life ... I'll be honest, I couldn't do it."
Yep, so his company promotes itself as green, but no way will he even try to come close to living that way… and instead will arrogantly mock it. Amazing… personally I think the NFRC should go after this guy…..

To the LINKS we go….

-- Top 100 cities to live in? Charlotte is number 1… other notables Greenville, SC (Awesome city- would live there in a second) and Tulsa at #5.

-- Apple is looking at a Solar powered IPhone… wow my luck my batteries would run out because we only get sun 3 months a year in Michigan

-- Great Blog post from Deb Levy… and by the way its one thing I beg the gang at USGlass to do… a look back in the past… man that would be a cool regular feature!

Video of the Week:

How not to handle a hockey trophy… something tells me the Wings won’t let anything happen to their Cup.

Everything Costs More....

Probably the big news for the week was not the AIA show (and the reax on that below) but the announcement of a major price increase in the glass industry. A double digit increase... the biggest that I can remember and another sign of how everything in our lives is costing more. The reaction to the price increase covered all angles. Immediately some folks went into the “How can you raise prices in a dead economy mode” while others praised the increase as much needed thanks to the spiraling costs all around. The bottom line is this price increase and others that could follow will be debated all over and it will be interesting to watch how it’s accepted. To this date, companies everyday absorb charges themselves instead of passing on to their customers because their place in the market is so weak, they feel they can’t afford to. I guess we’ll see if said companies can still play that role or if they have to give in. In this era, where everything costs more, absorbing increases makes no sense and is truly a recipe for disaster.

Elsewhere….

-- The AIA show… I heard varied opinions… a few folks thought the show was great, a few thought it sucked and there were some right in the middle. I am probably in the minority here but I think the days of spending huge money on these shows is over. The halls and show management bleed you for cash and nothing comes cheap and easy… and the bottom line is you can whine and dine all you want in Boston (or wherever said show is) but if you don’t follow through like a beast afterwards you just threw a ton of cash away.

-- I was actually in Vegas at the HD Show and was shocked that the possible economic woes have not touched that industry yet. Still more gadgets and expensive stuff than ever on display… It basically seems that the hospitality industry is still full steam ahead. By the way- hot item there was these back lit gigantic planters. Amazing. I believe my pal Bob Larson bought 2 of them for his home….

-- How about the heat that BIM is getting? I know I mentioned the covers of the magazines but it seems like in the last week or so, its exploded all over the place. The question that keeps coming up is will BIM actually take over and that will be the way to go. I think in due time it will… I think it will take time- hell we just finally got people used to using a fax machine in this industry… the tech savvy designers will snap this up and if they are able to show major efficiency gains, this way will spread like wildfire.

-- Did YKK hire a new marketing guy? I think they’ve had a release in every edition of USGNN for the last week. Damn this guy is making us other marketing folks look bad… Get ready folks as I think the rest of us are going to start digging deep for special announcements!

-- Jim Benney, NFRC Honcho spoke at AIA. Wish I was there. Wonder if he mentioned the word “cost” or any other word associated with money while there. I am sure he just told the architects how great this program will be without letting them know how it will affect the project financially. Best line was when he said this about why manufacturers need to be rated:

"They need to be able to compete on a fair basis."

HILLARIOUS!!!! Let’s see… NFRC has a virtual and seriously unfair monopoly… but yet WE the idiot manufacturers we need to be able to compete on a fair basis? Wow. I think NFRC should compete with AAMA or someone else to make it fair right? You know that just slays me. I am just tickled that the NFRC is looking out for fairness. What he meant was that some suppliers may cheat and this way it keeps those evil cheaters at bay. Why do I know that? Because in 2003 he said this in an article in US Glass:

“It is this reliance on manufacturer specifications that must be challenged”

You know because we are bad… bad people. All of those published numbers are wrong and despite having a true legal remedy to handle fraudulent claims, don’t you worry, the NFRC is on the case! Again for billionth time… it’s not the program (whole system calcs are good) but it’s the way it’s being implemented, the unnecessary costs, the desire to push down the throats of an industry, and the lack of choice that is the reason so many people (more and more everyday actually) are so negative towards the NFRC effort.

From the LINKS….

-- Gas prices are going so high that the pumps can’t count that high…. And by the way, how sickening is it to fill the tank these days?

-- Surprise Surprise… the Presidential Candidates are talking tough (Finally) on communist China… now will they follow through?

Uh Oh… when I say prices for everything is going up… I mean it… yes even BEER is being hit by an increase… more than a buck per 6 pack!

Video of the Week…

Well it is time for the Stanley Cup and amazingly my two favorite teams have made the finals… I can’t lose really… except I do have to pick a team to root for… I grew up in Pittsburgh as a huge Pens fan… but have lived in Michigan for 11 years and like the Wings too and was fortunate to go to many of their Cup games in the past… plus my wife and daughter like the Wings… (My son right now only likes wrestling… professional wrestling… yeesh) so all said and done.. I still am a Pens fan at heart… the Pens in 7 in an epic and incredible Stanley Cup… and the video of the week, the best moment I have ever had at a sporting event… Mario Lemieux scores late and the Pens win Game 1 of the 1992 Cup and the Civic Arena goes crazy… (Pens were down 4-1 and that goal made it 5-4)

The other side of green

Normally I start with an observation of the week and then break into shorter thoughts and then the “Links”- however nothing has caught my fancy as much as a commentary from the Detroit News. The columnist, Nolan Finley takes on the world of “green” and how our efforts to turn that way are in his opinion affecting so many other items that you just may not realize. The commentary can be found HERE and it’s a quick and worthwhile read. I know that several people from the “Eco-Lobby” side of the world read this blog and it will be very interesting to see what they say. Ironically this whole thing also makes me think about NFRC (my gosh, I think everything anymore makes me think about that stuff… I am pathetic) because its along the same path… in our efforts to try and be more energy efficient we can’t be comfortable with programs that work and that are inexpensive… no we need Titanic like layer and fee driven adventures… and costs will rise because of it….

Elsewhere…

-- If you are not checking out Megan Headley’s blog (Here) or Ellen Rogers (Here) please do… some good stuff there on both. On Ellen’s last post she talked about the dreaded surcharge and the effect on everyday life… E I think you should pass it on… your Mom got off easy… but seriously good stuff and usually a lot lighter than my foot stomping whine-fests you are used too…

-- And speaking of Blogs- Paul Bieber’s update this week was solid too- if you have a glass shop- you're getting some very good free advice.

-- USGNN also ran a piece last week on a tempered table tops blowing up…and now a lawsuit has been filed… and I think you all know what is next… the glass most likely came from China… what a shock… Yet its comical, you see this story all over the place.. it just ran in DC last year and you know its happening like crazy… yet the sheep still bring in the material from China with no fear or conscience. Simply amazing.

-- Great Tech follow ups in the most recent GANA Glass Reflections… once again Greg Carney handles the whole NFRC debacle with such care and class. And he brings up a big point that flies under the radar since there’s so many other warts on this toad… and that’s price… the total pricing has not really been established and I wonder where the NFRC is on the whole “outside” funding thing. Personally I think that the city of Seattle and the State of California should pony up all the cash for this bad boy… they want it.. they’ve helped propagate it… let them PAY for it.

-- Just asking… why do Hurricane’s get more coverage than Tornado’s? Is it because we have weeks to wait for the hurricane to hit or not hit? It is because we name them? Is it because with a hurricane you can show people evacuating? Maybe it’s me, but this has been a terrible run on Tornado’s lately and yet I think it only gets a portion of the coverage of a hurricane. My heart goes out to all who have been affected and I know a few people personally who have lost either portions of their homes or the entire home due to these storms… just horribly depressing anyway you slice it.

To the LINKS we go…

-- NASA is paying for people to stay in bed… yes this may be my next gig! If I can get an internet hi speed connection I am there…

-- You many have seen this today… Man suing Jet Blue for being forced to sit in the bathroom…. I don’t know with how cramped the flight is… is this a bad thing? Especially if it does not smell, you at least would have more room…

-- For you “Family Guy” folks…(an awesome show if you have not watched- go rent the DVD’s) this blog is trying to say that new Miami QB Chad Henne looks like a character on the show… Uh I say no…

Video of the week…

Speaking of Family Guy.. this is a clip from the special DVD “Blue Harvest” which is a rip roaring take off of Star Wars… Great stuff…

Ready to feel the mood

Next week the annual national AIA show takes place in Boston and it should be interesting to hear how everyone feels up there. Will it be like the Builders Show with the feeling of dread or will it be more upbeat? The ABI has been trending down, but projects are still rolling, including some major monumental work, so who knows. No doubt this event and the feeling on the floor should tell us a lot about where we are all going.

Elsewhere….

-- BIM has become so hot that we had a Time & Newsweek moment in our industry. BIM is on the cover of USGlass and Glass Magazine… so I would say this is pretty darn hot eh?

-- Some NFRC notes… feel free to skip down if you could care less… they announced that they will select a “NFRC Member of the Year” Seriously…. That’s pure unintentional comedy right there… but you know that for sure the winner will be a manufacturer, probably one that does some commercial, so they can show how “they work with everyone” even though that’s a bunch of hooey. My bet is on TRACO which for some reason has unbelievably supported/pushed for these programs… for the life of me I’ll never understand why. Especially since they have some very good people- I just don’t get their logic. I wonder how they’ll spin it if the program takes off (which is still doubtful really) and their customers have to pay through their ears and go through numerous nightmare steps to get things done. I sure as heck wouldn’t want to be known as one of the people who actually “wanted” this.

-- Also in the latest NFRC propaganda newsletter, a long editorial from current chair Joe Hayden on why “No” is sometimes the answer. He basically says that even though the entire organization can vote against something… keep voting against it at every stop… see votes that are like 48 to 6… that “no” sometimes is the answer. So that’s all good except that the NFRC also wants to try and play that it works with the consensus. You can’t have it both ways. And believe me NFRC is the furthest thing from a consensus organization out there. But somewhere out there NFRC is trying to convince people it does actually listen....

-- Last, in this latest little newsletter I think they mentioned that they were a 501c3 about 100 times… we get it guys… seriously we do... amazing how that designation means you can basically try and run roughshod over an industry… I think with how many times they note it, maybe the NFRC is trying to win the IRS Member of the Year award...

Sorry too much NFRC for me too… but it is.. what it is….

From the LINKS this week…

-- Oh and one more thing… check out this article on conflict of interest at NASA… does it sound like anyone we know? Hmmmmmm Thanks to Mike for the link. Gee wish the Inspector General would come visit me someday.

-- Fun article on celebrities who talk green but do not follow through with it in life…

-- Another story… on the weakening of Vegas and their economy… what’s comical is no one has told Vegas… Even with all the evidence presented in this article, there’s no way these people would be building like crazy if the outlook was dire…

Plain, Simple and Direct

Wow. When I read Margaret Webb’s incredible commentary on the NFRC, (Tuesday’s USGNN) I was really left in awe. She was able in 4 paragraphs to breakdown the on-going adventures better than I have in years of ranting and raving. The question is… will it matter? Sadly, it won’t. The NFRC and the people, who blindly support it, will ignore or avoid the incredibly persuasive and intelligent arguments and points that Marg brings forth. The thing that will make the difference is the basic possibility/probability that the program as it heads down the path right now will fail in spectacular fashion. The angst comes from the fact that the NFRC will steam ahead and the rest of us will have to deal with an epic mess… one that many people did all they could to avoid… but were ignored….

And one more note… until someone can explain to me how the NFRC adding an IG Certification program and having a major player and board member of NFRC to benefit greatly from such an un-necessary program is not the least bit squirrelly, then I won’t shut up… I mean.. c’mon…. As a co-worker always says about NFRC… “follow the money….”

Elsewhere….

-- A shorter than normal post this week… I actually have to attend to the day job… and yes I still have one…

-- The most recent GANA Event in Las Vegas- combined Glass Fab and Glazing Contractor Education Conference went off well… once again you get reminded of the talent in the room… for me this trip it was the folks on the spacer side… Warm Edge spacer is the revolution and people from that side of the business were out in full force. Folks like Tracy Rogers from Edgetech, Mike Gainey from Azon and fresh back in North America, Milind Jhaveri of Technoform were front and center. There is no doubt in this age of energy efficiency and need, that the spacer specs will be going more and more warm edge… gee its amazing, we as industry are improving products all the time without prompting… but don’t worry “public” the NFRC will make sure your protected…

-- Speaking of that conference… a thumbs up to Beth Hockett from Trainor Glass in Denver for a tremendous presentation on Green and LEED. Many of us commented afterwards that it was the first presentation on that subject that gave real glazing examples and details… and not info on waterless urinals and bike racks… Between Beth and Henry Taylor of Kawneer, we had some serious “green” brains in that room.

-- Did you read the latest USGlass on BIM? Great stuff. Let’s see… value to architect and public… BIM… a ton…. NFRC…. Yeah won’t go there… BIM is still very new overall and has its detractors but it’s still a real valuable tool…

-- Man I gotta cut back on the caffeine and M&M’s… I get too NFRC crazy.

To the LINKS we go…

-- Oil Prices to double by 2012? Article is here for your depression… meanwhile did you see the profits the Oil companies are reporting? Gas going up everyday… $4 nationally this summer and some reports about $10 gas… Uh isn’t that craziness? Seriously is every ambulance chaser in the US working on the Glass industry and none are available to take these folks on? Nice to see every politician is in the pocket of big oil. Good work guys.

-- If you have an extra 5 minutes… check out this incredible news video story from Utah on professional panhandlers… the girl they followed was making $50 per HOUR! Its unreal… now this is an area where NFRC could protect the public.. start certifying these people!

-- An NYT article on the recession diet… unless of course you’re a panhandler…

I am skipping the video of the week, but if you haven’t seen the videos on USGNN, check em out. It’s a great addition to the site and it really does add another great dimension.

Shoes-a-droppin

No doubt the big news of the past week was the announcement that AGC.. formerly known as AFG, was re-structuring… plants will be closed and sold, and the industry will go through a major change. Sarcastically my reaction was… I guess the “snazzy” logo and name change did not cure all ills eh? But seriously this announcement brought a lot of thoughts to the forefront. First up… I guess this is even MORE proof that the frivolous copy cat lawsuits that are out there are baseless. Something tells me if AGC was “raking in the cash” domestically this would not be happening. Also I wonder what former AFG chief John Litzinger is thinking these days. He had a lot of ideas and moves he reportedly wanted to implement and never got the chance… maybe… just maybe… if he had the right backing, this does not happen. In addition… maybe if AFG/AGC would’ve attended the industries best conference (BEC) the last 2 years, they would’ve understood the industry better. Yes I know that last comment was a low blow… but it’s the truth… every major player in our industry was there…. And they weren’t… maybe that shows they were out of touch… and I know it has nothing to do with the current situation…. Just could not resist. All in all I feel bad about the employees who will lose their jobs and those around the country who now wait to see what or if any new owner jumps for their various branch. Not a good time right now for sure.

Bottom line… this is probably the first of many shoes to drop in our industry… like I said before… hold on.. its gonna be a bumpy ride….

Elsewhere….

-- Very sad news for the industry this weekend as well as George Sutorka passed away. George was a laminated guy through and through and a true pleasure to work with. He had a gruff persona but had a huge heart. The guy was a champ. Plus you could always get on his good side talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers… In any case, George will be missed.

-- Hey Tuesday was “Earth Day!” Go Earth! Beat Jupiter. Or Saturn… or that nasty squad from Mars. Amazing how Earth Day has become so commercial… I have a feeling the gang who created this in 1970 did not see it turning into a marketing opportunity that’s for sure. By the way… From The Fabricator is the Official Glass Industry Blog of Earth Day.

-- Speaking of Earth… Time Magazine had a special “Green” issue this past week… and they talked about how they too will try and adhere to more “green” practices… I guess one of those practices WON’T be the stuffing of every magazine with several postcards begging you to subscribe.. since my issue had a boatload of them… Yep LOVE the hypocrisy there… ((Do people actually fill those out still? Seriously?))

-- Got a few questions on Zeledyne and whether or not they’ll change the products names too… my gosh lets hope not! Bad enough that when the company was Visteon they jettisoned the BEST PRODUCT name in the history of the industry… JADE ICE…. For guys in this industry they could use the name JADE ICE and their wives would not know if it was a stripper in Dallas or a glass product…. They could call from the bar and say with a straight face “I’m in the middle of dealing some Jade Ice issues” and not be lying.

To the LINKS we go….

-- Get ready for All Green TV… oh joy… I live the stuff daily… why do I have to have a channel for it? The only thing I’d watch is a green version of “24” where Jack tracks down people who lie on their LEED submittals….

-- Last week I noted the Northwest-Delta merger…. Today this article where Delta said they’ll have to raise rates 15-20% just to break even this summer…. Yep and people complain about our industry….

-- Click here as CNN’s Jack Cafferty is in the middle of a firestorm with communist China… I actually am not a fan of Cafferty normally but on this subject… he is very, very right.

Video of the week… in honor of George Sutorka… a look at the Steel Curtain.. and the best Pittsburgh Steelers ever…

The Great FTF Quiz Question

OK we like to have fun here at the FTF Blog and today I start with a quiz… get the right answer and win a great prize of knowledge…. Just one question… What is (a) Zeledyne?

Is it:

A: The hottest new cholesterol drug on the market today

B: The name of the new bad guy in the next James Bond Movie

C: A great Soccer player from France who just retired

D: A part deep within a tempering oven that can only be found in Jeff Wareham’s basement.

E: None of the Above

Ok… what do you think…. I mean I think A makes sense… it just sounds pharmaceutical… B could work, even if you don’t care for a blonde James Bond… C… didn’t he head-butt that Stafileno guy from Team Italy in the last World Cup? D… I am afraid what may be stocked in that basement… so we’ll go with…E…

Yes.. as you know since you probably read USGNN the last few days, Zeledyne is the new name for the newly formed company that has taken over the previous Ford Glass/Visteon/ACH group. While the name baffles me, I am thrilled for all of the great people at the new Zeledyne who have left the limbo world and jumped into what looks like a solid operation. The old company was known for its colors and excellent customer service and attitude and I would expect that to stay the same as it did through every name and owner they had. Here’s wishing them great success….

Elsewhere…

-- The great “CrystalGrey” debate is finally over and can you believe the effect it had on Apogee stock? The stock went up like $4 per share based solely on this blog!! Man Jim Cramer and the street love me! And don’t even try and bring that whole “earnings” argument to me… people in the mix know that a mention on here is MUCH more important than some earnings announcement….

-- Got a heads up this week that the city of Dallas is going “green”… that’s not a huge surprise… Texas is a huge “green” area overall (and don’t you find that odd that a very conservative state like Texas is so on the bandwagon of an environmental issue… I mean I’m just saying.. isn’t green associated with the flower children and so on? ) and this just goes with that flow. It again though raises the question of going green for “green sake” or are we truly putting in the right products to meet the energy needs of this country?

-- Northwest and Delta are merging which is miserable news for me being a Northwest flier… but the reason I write is that it is a major consolidation and its something that could never happen in our industry. It would be like Kawneer buying YKK… that humongous. That said, even with the down economy, I am still hearing about a lot of negotiations out there.. though many are running into hang ups thanks to skittish bankers and investors. Still that said, I expect a few deals to finally hit by summer time… will we have a blockbuster like the 2 we had last summer… my bet is yes… but it won’t be as big as the Northwest/Delta deal that’s for sure.

-- 21 the movie was solid… but sadly did not stay close enough to the book for my liking. I guess they had to make it “Hollywood friendly”…. Still the movie was worth seeing. I just don’t get creative license… when someone does a book about my life, I get this feeling they’ll do something really crazy like make me a supporter of NFRC just because it “would make a good plot”

Off to the LINKS for the week…

-- Will the scientists be right this time? They are calling for another BUSY hurricane season…. Click here for the story… keep your fingers crossed if you need the business…

-- Will the Democratic convention get ugly? Here’s quick interesting story about when it once did….

-- Scary story about the popular drug Heparin and the fact its made in China and being recalled… yep that will be my luck.. that’s how I would go… with tainted communist Chinese drugs….

Last… its not so much Video of the week but great audio… the best hockey play by play guy… EVER… is Mike Lange of the Pittsburgh Penguins… below is one of his calls from their playoff series vs Ottawa… The guy is tremendous…. Anyway it reminds me I did not pick my hockey champs… so even though I am a bit late… here it is… I like Washington in the East because Ovechkin is insanely good…. And out West, I liked the Ducks but after watching them get rolled by the Stars… no way I can go there… I think the Sharks recover vs Calgary and win the West with the Sharks taking it all…. And now you can guarantee the Sharks and Caps will both lose in the first round….

The Great CrystalGrey Debate

As seen on USGNN Monday… The Star Tribune of Minneapolis ran a piece that was picked up on USGNN and Google Alerted all over the world about Viracon’s new product… CrystalGrey. Except they left out a huge part of the story… Viracon does not manufacture CrystalGrey, Guardian Industries does. The story was a baffling and misleading one to people who know our industry, as according to the article, somehow Viracon used 24 engineers to design a product that Guardian actually designed and created…. Hmm… 24 engineers? It also took those 24 engineers, according to the article, 5 years to produce this product for Viracon that was actually created and manufactured by Guardian… Man if I have stock in Apogee I am not happy that 24 engineers worked on a product that wasn’t even produced by their own company. Is that really efficient? OK, yes I am being sarcastic and catty, but my goodness this article was horrid. Whether it was a clueless writer or someone leading her astray, it was still very un-kosher. Viracon has a ton to be proud of… unlike some companies who bang their chest and place a press release every time they complete a job with less than a 6 figure back charge, Viracon actually can place a release everyday on something new, different and amazing. (Not to mention their cool new Google Map feature) I’ve even complimented them here many times and will continue to do so when applicable, but there was no way I could let this one pass- a story this misleading… no way. Funny thing is… pre-USGNN… no one outside the Twin Cities sees this… now the world does… meaning you have to keep that in mind… always.

By the way, I thought Guardian did a nice job and took the high road by issuing a basic and informative press release the next day on CrystalGrey. They could’ve noted what I did above about the misleading nature of the article but they did not. And granted they worked/consulted with Viracon to create this product and I am sure Viracon is a good customer for them, but no one woulda blamed them if they would’ve slapped back.

By the way I am going to call that writer from the Star Tribune and tell her I am aglow over my new invention…. The Blog. Yep, it’s like an on line diary that will change everything you do. I am really excited about it. I’ve had 30 software guys working round the clock to create this whole Blog thingee. It’s awesome.

Elsewhere…

-- So how many of you thought I’d be among the protesters who were trying (and sometimes succeeding) to put out the Olympic torch? Yes because of the policies of the oppressive Communist Chinese government, many more people are now more engaged in the ever growing problem with that country. And yes I know the Olympics are about the games and sportsmanship, but it’s pretty pathetic that people are trying to paint a cheery picture in the name of sport. Here’s hoping that the protests continue and maybe some meaningful action will take place.

-- Great news from the NFRC front… a note on their website states that John Hogan is no longer the Chair of the Certification Policy Committee.. meaning he is gone from the Board Ex Officio’s as well. Replacing him is Roland Temple of AZS Consulting. Hogan is a guy that always treated the commercial industry with disdain, believes that vinyl can be used in skyscrapers and somehow parlayed a gig for the City of Seattle into taking trips all over the world to promote stuff like NFRC… that last part still baffles me… In any case his departure is a good thing, add it with the voting out of Alecia Ward in the last election and two very anti-commercial glass industry people are gone. In Roland I think we will have someone who will at least listen and be fair. After all he works with Arlene Stewart and she is one of the few who disagree with people like me, but have at least taken the time to learn about what we do and keep lines of communication open to reach workable, logical conclusions. So maybe, this is another good step. Then again, it’s still the NFRC… and the CMA still looks everyday like the Titanic… so his addition may be too late to stop the ship before it hits the iceberg.

-- Going to see “21” this week… according to my mom, who sees every movie that comes out… it’s outstanding… BUT… she did not read the book and the big key is how true to the book it stays because “Bringing Down the House” is easily one of my Top 5 books of all time.

-- Sorry E on UNC…. Great title game though… Congrats to Kansas… I know Carol Land of GANA was pretty pleased, her e-mail now has a very happy Jayhawk logo adorned to it!

From the LINKS this week

-- Had this discussion at lunch… if the Democrats go to convention still in “toss up” mode, will their be a surprise in having Al Gore get the nom… well this link looks at the possibility… one I think could really happen

-- Speaking of Mr. Gore… is Global Warming on hold? See this article… and again this is similar to a link I had awhile back about Global Cooling…

Last- in case you did not stay up to watch “One Shining Moment” after the game Monday… here it is… well worth the watch if you are a hoop fan… and anytime you can get Bill Raftery saying “Onions!” in a video… its damn well worth it!

My 3 "favorite" things

I hate being a one trick pony… so I went from just blogging on NFRC to railing on China. Now to make it a hat trick on subjects I obsess about, I add the whole lawsuit stuff that’s going on with the primary manufacturers. Its funny I have heard from folks who have been approached to file a suit or join in or so on. The whole thing is shady. Its so blatant its disgusting really. But the kicker is this… say that the primaries fight this to the end and win, and they will if it goes that far, then who do they go back on? Who can they go after to re-coup their legal costs? No one. Oh wait… no… yeah, see after they fight this absolutely insane and unnecessary fight (again with no evidence in North America mind you) then it’s a lock that our prices will go up to help defray the damage. So basically, lawyers will make lots of money and we’ll be left holding a higher price as a thank you.

And by the way, the lawyers on this will make the money- not the “stand in” people they got to place the suits- if you think that the folks that these lawyers found to be the trigger are gonna make money, then I have some great oceanfront property in Kansas to sell you. Believe me, no matter how this process goes, the lawyers are the ones walking away with big checks… and so even if you despise everything about our industry and you think these suits are justified, at the end of the day you’ll gain nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that several lawyers can now buy that 2^nd home in Vail.

Elsewhere…

-- Hmmm let’s see if a communist Chinese lawyer who loves the NFRC ever sees me in person I am guessing I am in big trouble. Oh well…

-- Again I wonder… if there are lawyers that can sue about the above, why aren’t there lawyers suing over the insane gas prices? Seriously… I mean Exxon and BP and so on make tons and tons of money… and yet they get away with this stuff. At least congress is trying to get on them… but like in the past, they’ll rebuff it. Hell as a business man gas prices makes me madder then most things these days…

-- When I read on USGNN about the falling glass in NY, I thought for sure it would another heat soak/communist China issue.. but it looked to be a rough install… regardless the stories of cheap glass from China causing problems continue to be out there… the only thing that keeps them for really hitting mainstream is the fact people are so embarrassed they move heaven and earth to not admit anything… and that includes the architects who knowingly sign off on communist products but then run as fast as they can when the trouble hits…

Now to lighten the mood.. let’s go to the LINKS

-- Click here to read about a very dumb guy. If you don’t want to click… its about a guy who buys a $12,000 engagement ring and then comes up with probably the dumbest way to try and incorporate it into his proposal. Amazing.

-- Interesting one here.. the top 10 jobs that are “going away”…. And no, “marketing guy who annoys with a mediocre blog” is not on the list… but radio/TV announcer is actually…

-- This one is about a guy who gets robbed, but is able to get his stuff back by doing some serious cyber sleuthing… and he also gets help from people all over the world thanks to the power of the web.

Last… I hold to my North Carolina pick to win it all… sorry E… and now that baseball has started, time for my fearless predictions… in the NL… I like the Mets, Cubs, Dodgers and D backs… with the Dodgers winning… while in the AL… the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians (oww even typing that hurt my fingers) and Angels with the Yanks going… setting up a Joe Torre vs his old team in the World Series and the Yankees taking it… closing old Yankee Stadium with a flourish…

Video of the week.. this tennis player… about 30 seconds in takes his frustrations out.. on himself!!!

Snow Filled and Bumpy

Winter is “officially” over according the calendar but I am pretty sure we still have a few more storms left… after all 2007-08 brought us the 6^th worst winter… EVER…. Now combine that with a slowing economy and you have many people wringing their hands hoping for dry springs, and a boost of the economy… unfortunately… its not looking like that will happen. Gas prices keep going up (yep but let’s sue the primary manufacturers… where’s the ambulance chasers on the gas issue?) and most of the economic indicators are still not comforting. Worst is yet to come? The AIA Billings Index came in with its worst total since October of 2001…. And we all remember how depressing it was then. Guess we need to strap in, cause its going to be a bumpy ride.

Elsewhere….

-- The CRL-Somaca deal is done… now you wonder if the CRL people will go take a class in marketing 101. The way they handled the whole thing- including this bizarre statement (right here for your comic relief) still stuns me. I know they were probably mad that the deal was blown up, the day before it was announced, but c’mon guys.. get a grip.

-- Saw that Keystone Certifications is expanding their business… they announced a new Insulated Glass certification program. Yep, what a shock that is eh? Let’s see they worked with/for IGMA then broke off on their own. And they did it at virtually the same time NFRC began talk of having a need for IG cert…hmmmmm… and then you know all of the connections between the two… and yet no one ever sees anything wrong with this stuff? So it’s just a matter of time before the folks at NFRC try and minimize the incredible efforts of a legitimate group like IGMA so they can further the agenda of one of their own. And by the way, always remember that an NFRC board member must put the NFRC’s needs ahead of their own… so that works REALLY well when those needs intersect nicely. And by the way, why does this matter? Because the more NFRC controls without true independence (and choice- since NFRC loves the monopoly!) the more we all will pay… and yet no ambulance chasers are willing to take this one on…. I guess they have to wait for another suit to copycat after.

-- I wonder- anything new with the good ole Des Moines Library? Other than bringing the term “heat soak” back into vogue of course?

From the Links this week…

-- Yes even our passports are getting “outsourced” and this is a very disturbing article about it…

-- A 16 year old dies in Florida after breast augmentation surgery. The story is here.. the question is WHY? How in the world can it even get to the point where teenagers are having un-needed surgeries like that?

-- Would you pay money for the dirt from the Yankee Stadium infield? Evidently people actually will.... again.. I am in the wrong business.... I just hope they get that dirt certified by a group like the NFRC... (immediately the folks at Keystone are looking at this) seriously its an interesting article because I never understood the whole souvenir angle...

Last, I am thrilled that Duke is now done- yes I know I picked them, but again method to madness was simple- they go out I am happy… they win it all… I am happy. So now with the Sweet 16 left…. Did UCLA dodge the bullet and now they’ll run the table? Kansas looks good too… plus you have to like Texas playing in their home state the rest of the way…. But all that said- I am going with North Carolina… and that yell you just heard was from USGlass’ own Ellen Giard Rogers because the Tar Heels are her team and I just pretty much jinxed em… sorry E…