From the fabricator: Fun and interesting feedback

I have been writing this blog for a long time. Since 2005, I have been posting my thoughts, opinions, theories and awful sporting predictions (although this year, I did call the Super Bowl; thank you very much). I have enjoyed it a great deal, but I must say the last several weeks have been the most fun I have had writing this blog in a very long time. You, the readership, have been incredibly engaged. The amount of feedback I have received has made writing this blog a blast. It is awesome to see that people are interested in the subjects I hit here: education, technology, talent, and heck, even Taylor Swift. While I created this forum to release my feelings, it is also an outlet for your feelings and issues. And I am thrilled it continues to fill that role!

Elsewhere…

• Speaking of education, several weeks ago I mentioned SAPA’s Commercial B&C Academy as a great learning opportunity. It was held a week or so ago, and I heard it was great. People from all over North America attended, and there was some serious learning going on. Congrats to the gang there for their efforts. I will surely do all I can to attend the next one in person!
• A quick “get well soon” wish to good friend Steve O’Hollaren of ICD. Can’t wait to see you back out on the road and at the shows!
• Enjoyed the Glass Magazine “G3” piece this month that asked the “expectations for 2013” question. Mike Turner of YKK, Sue Moore of Moore Glass and Scott Thomsen of Guardian Industries did a great job of hitting the important points for the year ahead. By the way, I really like this feature; it is a quick and interesting way to get insight and opinions from some very fascinating people.
• As a marketing guy, I will be very interested to see if Carnival Cruise lines does anything to change the current perception in the marketplace. Last week’s debacle with the ship broken down at sea drew so much negative attention to the line, I have to wonder how they will bounce back. Heck, the whole industry suffered mightily. Even though these ships are “floating cities,” when things go wrong, you are  really in an ugly place. For the record, I haven’t had the desire to take a cruise. After this event, even the slim desire is gone. I’ll stick to land.
• Last week, the Grammy Awards took place, and my comments are simple. Taylor Swift did not sing the song I liked, and the show lacked that awesome performance they had in years past (like Bruno Mars in 2012). Too bad.
• Last this week: a meteor hit Russia. How is this not bigger news? If one hit the U.S., it would easily be the second biggest story of the day behind Marco Rubio drinking water or someone learning the Harlem Shake dance. Seriously though, the meteor hit was an insane event, and a scary one. And from a glass standpoint, one story noted that more than a million square feet of glass broke after impact. It's a really big story that somehow, at least in my viewing, did not get the attention it deserves.

Read on for links and video of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him at MaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.