Figuring out the future is an inexact art--or is it a science--at best. Much of what is commonplace in our daily lives today wasn''''''''t forseen a decade ago.

As the price of wood climbs and the quality of available lumber declines, more home builders are looking at steel as a framing alternative for new homes.

The Labor Department''s construction materials composite price index,/b> declined by 0.3% between April and May, erasing all of the gain recorded the month before.

May 2000 total housing starts were at a seasonally-adjusted annualized level of 1.592 million units, down 3.9% from the April total and 3.5% lower than during May of 1999.

Among 1999's top ten areas in terms of sheer volume of new residential construction, only three - Atlanta, Chicago, and the Washington, DC metropolitan area - were able to build upon their totals through the first five months of this year.

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) fell 4.1% in June from its record-high set the month before.

The total number of residential permits issued nationwide during the first five months of this year was 2.2% less than in January-May of 1999.

Talk about pride in the trades. Talk about quality workmanship. Talk about enthusiasm and the competitive spirit. These kids - working together as a team, against a deadline, in the hot Kansas City sun -- showed it all.