Hearing the news of Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the U.S. debt was unsettling but not a bit surprising. It had been threatened for weeks and, to tell the truth, after the recent machinations between the legislative and executive branches of the government I would say we are lucky the other ratings agencies have not followed suit (yet).

  Recently former U.S. President Bill Clinton penned a list of “Fourteen Ways to Put America Back to Work” for Newsweek. Check it out here: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/06/19/it-s-still-the-economy-stupid.print.html.   No. 8 on

I was blessed this past week to travel around the Southeast. In spite of the fact that my business requires that I hit the road regularly and that a lot of the travel is routine and pedestrian, this week’s trips are worthy of note.

GAF is celebrating 125 years in business and cites “innovation” as the hallmark of their success. I must agree. GAF boasts a long list of innovations that have continuously moved their position in the roofing industry forward.

I was accused of being a “gadget guy” this week. Not the first time I ever heard that one since I have had a history of leaping on new technologies soon as they emerge - often before I should and very often in ways that I should not.

I was running a branch of the roofing-oriented distribution firm, JGA Corp., in my hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., when the first generation of popular “algae and fungus resistant” shingles hit the market.

Yeah, that’s right. Our son, Jordan, was awarded the Hope Scholarship that paid for a good chunk of his college education.

The tornados that ripped through the nation’s south and mid-section in April and May were not only record-setting in scale and scope, but in terms of loss of life, and, I suspect, loss of innocence.

The short answer to this question is “dialog.” Cannot recall exactly when or how the idea emerged to invite Dr. David Michaels, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, to speak at September’s Best of Success (BOS) conference in Clearwater, Fla.

Just back from a fantastic five days off with the fabulous Kay and other friends and family and glad to have a couple more days to unwind from all the relaxation.