When you're stuck in a terminal...
May 25, 2007

1. The only thing we have to fear…Among the things I did while spending eight hours at Logan Airport in Boston Wednesday was browse magazines. A lot. Get past Brangelina and Britney and you’d find the May 19 issue of The Economist, with one of the most interesting cover images I’ve seen in a while with the headline, “America’s Fear of China.” It is a provocative article (but one you need to register for) and makes much more sense than the simplistic kind of talk about China you could get from other sources.

2. And speaking of simplistic: The other thing to do at Logan is watch CNN, which means you stay up to date on news. Eventually, however, you get subjected to Lou Dobbs. The poor man doesn’t get it. Demagogues on cable television are a dime a dozen, and in Lou’s case, they’re still overpaying. There is reasonable compromise on the immigration problem, and yet Lou still wants to hunt ‘em down and ship ‘em out. Reasonable people know that’s not possible or practical. Everyone else gets a cable TV show.

3. A Website with a point of view: CompressedSchedule.com has launched a Podcast series to discuss the issue of labor shortages. The site is sponsored by Victaulic and is designed to provide knowledge on key topics in manufacturing and maintenance. You’ll get links to Plant Engineering stories on the topic (we’ve had quite a few) and other information. One of the things I like about the site is that its main topic will rotate every few weeks. Right now it’s worker shortages. Scheduling, green buildings and safety are slated for later in the year. It’s worth checking out.

4. And speaking of green: Sustainability in manufacturing is going to be a major topic in this space and others. ASHRAE announced this week it is close to a standard to create minimum standards for green building practices. Standard 189, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is being developed by the ASHRAE, in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the U.S. Green Building Council. This is the first such green building standard in the United States. “The real impact of Standard 189P is that ASHRAE, along with IESNA and USGBC, are taking advanced energy conservation guidance mainstream for the general public's benefit,” said committee chair said committee chair John Hogan. Comments on the proposed standard will be accepted through July 9, 2007. You need to get informed on this issue.

5. Hillary on manufacturing: One thing AAM is getting right in its infancy is the need to make sure the campaign – this LOOOOOOOOONG campaign – for the 2008 presidency discusses manufacturing. It’s a little early yet to delve deep into the campaign, but here’s Sen. Hillary Clinton’s take on the subject. We’d welcome more video clips such as this, but I can’t find many…

Posted by Wolseley on May 25, 2007 | Comments (2)