Before I go MIA on a lengthy business trip, I wanted to catch up on a few things that deserve mention:

• The industry is a bit poorer with the end of the Heavy Treadin’ blog from BuyBigTires.com. The “man behind the curtain,” Kurt Hartman, is leaving BBT for other things, and has run down the curtain on the popular blog. BBT may assign someone else to handle the regular writing duties, but I doubt it will be quite the same.

Kurt acquitted himself quite well as an industry observer. Hartman had the pulse of the OTR tire market, and wasn’t afraid to poke those who deserved a poke. Or swipe at those needing a smack in the head. His best blog posts were lengthy, well-researched rundowns on the condition of the mining industry, OTR tire issues, the tariff on Chinese-made OTR (and later passenger) tires, and, of course, our mutually favorite subject, the continuing saga of America/Colorado/Washington Tire Corp.

Wish you well in your future endeavors, Kurt!

• Kurt will miss out on all of the fun the U.S. Trade Representative is poised to launch on tire imports from Thailand. Rather, the duty-free tire imports from Thailand.

Bridgestone Americas, Falken Tire Corp. and Falken’s sister company Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co. all want the duty-free status to stick on consumer tires brought in from Thailand. They claim that the imports are no threat to U.S. makers, a claim not lost on the mighty USW, which single-handedly dismantled the market for imported China-made consumer tires and crushed U.S. importers and private branders.

Claiming the duty-free status undermined the effects of the 35% added tariff on China-made consumer tires, the USW told the USTR that the “petitioners should be ashamed to seek an increase in preferential tariff treatment for an industry that manifestly does not need any preferential treatment in order to compete in the U.S. market.”

The USTR is set to consider the tire companies’ petition on Feb. 11.

I have no real position on this. I mean, if it has been there all along, why is it an issue now? But I will remind that Bridgestone and Sumitomo were both quite quiet throughout the entire China consumer tire-USW episode. Goose? Gander?

• I do loves me some classic rock, so all of the Super Bowl halftime shows since the infamous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” have featured “safe” classic rockers like Prince, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. Not a bad ensemble, to be sure.

This year we get what’s left of The Who. (Side Note 1: As I will be away and will miss just my second Super Bowl ever [I was grounded in 1969 and missed the Jets stunning win over the Colts], I am DVRing the game, so no one tell me how it turns out!).

At the recent Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 launch in Steamboat Springs, Colo., we were talking Super Bowl halftime with Phil Pacsi, chief of Bridgestone Americas consumer tire marketing. Bridgestone, which writes a large check to serve as sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show, has no say on what acts will play (the NFL handles that). Thanks to the Jackson incident, the No Fun League has opted for family-friendly fare, though no one can compare an ex-Beatle and The Boss with Carol Channing and Up With People, family-friendly halftime acts from another era.

(Side Note 2: The gathered journalists at Steamboat Springs spent a good chunk of time speculating which Jurrasic Rock bands will be dusted off for future shows. My money is on Led Zeppelin.)

The sponsorship has paid sales and share dividends for Bridgestone, Pacsi said, and according to the New York Times, the tiremaker is busy working on a contract extension. The newspaper put Bridgestone’s sponsorship commitment at $10 million for three-years.

The Super Bowl opportunity has worked out well for the classic rockers, all of whom have seen a big bump in CD and concert ticket sales off their Big Game appearances. And, for rockers like The Who and even McCartney, the 12-minute appearance introduced them to new generations. Not a bad deal, all around.

• The new year means a collection of cool calendars from various companies. Coolest one I got this year came from Apollo Tyres. It’s a colorful 15-inch wide desk calendar (they must have really big desks in India) that offers neat little suggestions or each day of the year.

For instance, today I’m supposed to “Turn Off the Tap After Use.” On my birthday, it suggests I “Drink Herbal Green Tea.” Later in the month, I should “Get a Head Massage.”

Can’t wait until Oct. 13. That is “Don’t Take Work Home” day!