Remembering

There are so many new things to discover here in North Carolina and time just doesn’t seem to allow us to get around to as many as we’d like.  My wife Terri and I did, along with my daughter and her husband, get to visit a remarkable piece of history that all should find time to explore.

I’m talking about the battleship USS North Carolina.  This fantastic ship was christened in 1939 and immediately saw action in the early months of the second world war.  We’ve all seen the old movies of guns blazing, planes swooping and bombs falling.  And best of all the good guys winning and living happily ever after.  I urge all to spend an afternoon on this relic of battles fought in order to understand the real story of what our soldiers did to make this country free.  The USS North Carolina is berthed in Wilmington, North Carolina and is a permanent reminder of the heroics of the men and women who fought in World War Two.

The self guided tour starts as you climb down the narrowest and steepest stairways you could imagine into the belly of the ship.  The ships mess hall is one of the first areas to explore, to think that seamen would work in the cramped kitchens in 120 degree temperatures truly is amazing.  Travelling even deeper into the ship you can see where men slept on bunks stacked five high with barely 18 inches between them.  Going deeper still there were the machine shop, infirmary, officers quarters, ship’s stores where a candy bar or shaving kit could be bought. The engine rooms have to be seen to be understood.  I envisioned the men as they worked on these behemoths, crawling through the entanglements of piping and wiring as the ship fought its way through the Pacific doing there all to keep her under way.

The small office where a sailor worked to relay information from the bridge to the fire control was no more than two foot square, talk about claustrophobia! These men did this job while deep in the belly of that ship while guns were blazing, planes were trying to bomb them, submarines were firing torpedoes at them, temps approached 120 degrees…. give me a bad day at the office anytime!

Most amazing were the guns and the gun turrets.  The size of the 15″ guns is truly awe inspiring and the areas the men in charge had to work in were simply unimaginable.  These guns had 6 bags of gunpowder, each weighing 80 pounds, set behind the projectiles that weighed up to 2700 pounds each!  The men loading and firing these behemoths were

The guns of the USS North Carolina

within inches of those guns as they were fired.  I can only imagine the heat and noise that they must have endured.

To think that these men, most of them still in their teens and early twenties, rose to these challenges is simply humbling to someone who never had to go through it and I urge all to take a moment on this anniversary of D-Day to remember that our sons and daughters took up our flag and walked with it into a hell and came out the other side.  Truly the greatest generation.

 

 

About these ads

What could they possibly be thinking?

I haven’t written anything in a while but there are a couple things that I need to just rant about a bit, please forgive my ranting.

About the Detroit Lions and the 2011 draft picks.  Okay, so you’re still a kid of 21 years and you have more money than most people could ever hope to see in their whole lifetime, but that is hardly an excuse for acting like a thug and treating your fans like they don’t matter.  And believe me, smoking marijuana and being drunk and disorderly is absolutely disrespecting your fans.  It’s illegal, it’s stupid, and I just don’t get it.  I only hope the youngsters who look up to their sports heroes have someone to explain that these are not heroes.

I’ve been hoping for a winning football team in Detroit for 40 years and I know I’m just one of thousands and find it hard to believe that these thugs (that’s what they are) are the best that can be found?

Another matter,

I read recently that the leaders in Pakistan are so upset at the United States that they think the only way to ease their suffering will be if our leaders agree to pay $5,000.00 for every truck that they allow to pass from Pakistan into Afghanistan and back again.  With the thousands of trucks expected to make that journey as our armed forces draw down, one can only imagine the dollars that will find their way into the pockets of these so called allies.  These are our dollars that Americans have worked hard for, that our government is bribing these thugs with.

Is this the best our nation’s leaders can do?  Buy off these thugs in order to call them an ally?

I wish I had answers to these dilemmas but alas I do not.  I can voice an opinion with my pocketbook in regards to sports but there is little one person can do in regards our government other than learn about the people being voted for and tell them how I feel about their decisions.

Thanks, I feel a little better now.

Boy are times ever tough

Sell more, make more, save more, produce faster, innovate quicker, man it’s tough to try and earn a living these days! It seems like there is just no end to the problems and frustration that permeates our lives these days. And then perspective comes along.

Some recent stories and news clips have caused me to remember that as bad as it may seem, some of our most cherished have to face their days with the knowledge that there may not be many more.  I’m especially in awe of the kids and nurses who made this video that follows.  If you find yourself feeling down in the dumps, take a minute and watch what truly reflects my favorite word….. Perseverance.

This is the video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGCj5mfCk8&feature=player_embedded

UnAmerican or UnGodly
Voters in North Carolina recently voted to add an amendment to our state constitution that defines marriage as only being between a man and women. Much has been written about the new law and what its eventual outcome will be, I’m not a legal expert and won’t dare offer my views on the possible repercussions other than to say there will be repercussions.

Those who supported this amendment were very quick to quote various passages from the Bible and those against were equally adept at finding Bible verses to support their position. My concern is this: why are the laws of this land being written because the Bible says so?  What happened to separation between church and state?

I’m not going to try and figure out what is right and what’s wrong but I will say this; I don’t have nearly enough friends and odds are someone who I want a friendship with or be related to that identifies with the gay community. I hope that I’ll have the ability to look them in the eye and say thanks for being in my life. For those that voted to enact the amendment in North Carolina, I wonder if you’ll be able to love your family member or friend when they open their hearts to you with the news you find so ungodly.

I think for me it comes down to a basic rule for living, treat others as you would have them treat you. Telling someone they are unAmerican because of a lifestyle preference is pretty ungodly to me.

Is it smart to buy used equipment

I’m hearing from more and more customers that they are interested in purchasing a used piece of equipment. The idea is to, of course, get the ability to do some task without having to spend a fortune just to get started. So I’ve done some brainstorming on the idea and my best to remember some of the purchases I’ve made in the past and these are my thoughts:

1, A used piece of equipment will absolutely, positively require someone on hand every day to troubleshoot. If you don’t have that person who is a trained operator, mechanic or machinist opt for new. The best case here would be if the used equipment was similar to something else that you have that is being run or cared for by current employees. For example, if you find a well cared for piece that is a duplicate of something you already have that means you most likely have the personnel to put it into service and keep it there.

2, Installation, the cost is completely borne by you the buyer. You’ll end up having to buy any damaged or non working parts and if it’s a complicated piece, the manufacturer of the equipment is going to charge their top price to send in a technician for something they didn’t sell. Think hundreds per hour, oh yea, travel time, hotels, food, plane tickets…….

3, Check with the manufacturer to see if they still have repair parts. Take note of the company that supplied the controls and contact them about repair parts. This can be a nightmare, especially in the case of computer controlled machines. Many of the early CNC machines were based on older operating systems and there simply are no longer any parts available. Try to find someone who can help with Windows 95 and you’ll know what I mean. Replacing a controller can also mean replacing servo motors, ball screws, cabling, power supplies etc. etc.. I’m speaking from experience, if the machine is any where near ten years old you could easily spend close to what the machine cost new.

4, The time required to get a piece of equipment up and running can also be a major concern. New equipment can take months if not longer to have delivered and a machine that can be had in a matter of weeks can look like an easy decision. Just be sure it can be installed and any needed replacement parts can be had just as quickly. Having a machine taking up floor space while you’re waiting to have an obsolete circuit board re-engineered can be terribly frustrating and costly.

Machinery historically was something that, if taken care of, would last generations. A milling machine or lathe could be run for years and then dismantled, bearings replaced, ways scraped and be as good as new. I remember rebuilding six spindle screw machines that were built in the 40′s and 50′s that are most likely still cranking out parts today. The situation has changed dramatically with the advent of computers. The bearings can still be replaced and a little paint splashed around but if you can’t find a certain circuit board or servo drive you can easily be stuck with a shiny new boat anchor.

The bottom line in my book is that used machinery can sometimes be a great idea, just make absolutely certain that you know what you are getting into and plan on spending for more than just the purchase price.

Persistance

It’s always been one of my favorite words.  It has been the reason for some of my most celebrated successes but it has also been the reason I’ve had some pretty dismal failures.  

In the past when faced with something I’m not sure how to accomplish (writing this blog for example) I find it best to just start.  Start doing some action that may or may not work but just do something to get the ball rolling.  If it’s a new design I’m working on I’ll just start making or drawing some part of it and get a feel for that part, does it lead me to another part or does it call for a restart. I figure anything worth doing will certainly require a few restarts, but by being persistent, sooner or later I’ll be led to the next feature or component and continue on.  

And now I find myself in an incredibly exciting position of promoting glass fabricating equipment and thinking about my persistence again.  I’ve wondering if my inclination to be persistent is wearing thin on prospective customers.   My question to you is this: How many times does a vendor have to attempt to contact you before you think he’s a pest?

 A few rambling thoughts;

The people that don’t think I’m a persistent pest all seem to in a bit better mood these days.  Perhaps it’s because there is some pent up demand in the construction and glazing industry that is finally starting to show itself.  I hope so.

Seven more months of idiotic campaign nonsense.  I’m beginning to think that the plain old everyday American doesn’t really care anymore if it’s a red or blue White House.  They just want to be able to find a job, and pay for the gas to get there.  And I think they are beginning to wonder why billions are spent trying to win an election when so many live with so little.

Finally, the next couple of weeks are for me, the best in sports.  March Madness and the Spartans are making another run at the championship followed by The Masters, for a golfer the best weekend of the year.  Maybe if I’m persistent I’ll get to go in person one day! 

 

My time to whine

I’ve been meaning to whine about a couple of things the past few months, agree or disagree but this is my time to whine.First,
What happened to the ability of people to write legibly?  Is this part of the dumbing down of America?  I’m wondering how much time gets wasted because directions or instructions were incorrectly read.  My guess is a lot.  I’m not talking about uneducated folks either, I keep running into those who are very well educated and should know better, ever try to read the prescription or the instructions written by a doctor?

Second,
I’m also getting pretty tired of reading a popular discussion board and seeing nothing but complaints concerning how unfair a certain global windshield replacement company is.  Amazingly, most of the writers of these complaints also have a pretty hard time with the written word.  Does this mean the auto glass replacement field is full of those that haven’t gotten past the fifth grade?  I was never a great student when it came to English but what passes for writing in these groups is pretty sad.

How would these people feel if they were the owners of a mom and pop grocery that had to compete with Walmart or the local hardware store that found itself competing with Lowes or Home Depot?  These large companies have weaknesses, you just have to work at exploiting those weaknesses.  There’s a local hardware in our town that does a great job of providing locally made products and showing unique items that you’ll never see on a shelf at Lowes.  I for one, get that glazed over look in my eyes every time I walk into a Walmart and will go out of my way to find a local smaller store that I don’t get lost in.

It’s pretty easy to sign on to a network and wait for the work to show up, it’s another entirely to get active in your community and promote your business to the people around you.  Check out the local Chamber of Commerce, become active in local charities, educate your community about yourself and your company.  I’m pretty sure you won’t find the regional manager of that global outfit at the next chamber breakfast.

Perhaps there are products or services that you can provide to customers in your community that the big guys don’t or can’t.  These big box boys are not usually very good at providing customized products or handling special circumstances, exploit that!

I was also going to whine about the fact that as soon as I left Michigan the Lions started to win, the Tigers are once again contenders and the Red Wings are at their usual spot atop the standings but I walked outside on the first day of February and the sun is shining and it’s 70 degrees………….no whining about that.

Knowing your competition

Do you maintain a relationship with your competitors?

I’m reminded of a line in the Godfather movie where Michael Corleone tells one of his henchmen about the importance of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer.

I remember when there was always a monthly dinner meeting of the Detroit Glass Dealers Association.  They were actually a pretty big deal and you could rub elbows with some of the icons of the early days.  I remember most of all that there was always some type of friendly interaction with the people you competed against.  Mostly they seemed to be more than just business meetings, the people there were enjoying the event and the interaction with their competitors.

I’m not sure the reason these dinner meetings disappeared but I do think it’s sad they did.  I’ve always believed that for any organization to succeed there needs to be some type of fun activity paired with it, ever notice how well attended golf outings are compared to seminars on insurance.  I’m sure that I’m as guilty as they come in that regard.I’ve never been a member of the Rotarians but have attended some lunches and am always amazed at their way of opening the lunch meeting with a group song, perhaps they understand the need to bring some levity to the group.

So how else can you maintain a relationship with a competitor?

Trade shows are probably a good opportunity to chat in the aisle or even go for a cocktail after the show.  There certainly is always something to talk about after spending a day walking the trade show floor and there is certainly no shortage of national trade shows.  How many of them a shop owner can afford to go to is another question.

Chatting up a salesperson from common vendors may be a good source of gossip about the guy down the street, but then that’s just what it is… gossip.

I’ve done some searches for local glass associations and surprisingly have found very little in the way of active groups.  There is surely the NGA, GANA, IGMA and a couple of other national associations but very few local groups.  A couple of the local groups do have an active roster but even those don’t have any regular events where members can socialize.

So it may seem a simple question but just how do you get to know your competition?