December 2025 REVEAL Connecticut Magazine

Simplifying The Holidays

Happy Holidays from all of us at

Milbury and Company extends its congratulations to the buyers and sellers of these and many other fine properties, as well as the customers and clients that we have been so fortunate to work with during another extraordinarily successful year.

THANK YOU for making MILBURY AND COMPANY the South Coast’s number ONE brokerage of distinctive properties!

William J. Milbury, Broker, Owner

Grace Rowe . Roberta Burke . Nina Weeks . Sarah Meehan

Alice Petersen . Kevin Quinn . Bethany Mello . Sarah Korolnek

Patricia Hottel . Gillian Barnard . Tom Chace .

Roswell Underwood . Lisa Jedrey . Linda Hopps . Liza Danforth

Heidi Lehner Donna Horrocks

MATTAPOISETT $1,325,000

Located in the Bay Club, a gated golf and country club community, this three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom Executive Ranch home is only two years young and boasts many upgrades. Contact Sarah Korolnek 774.644.9156 or Gillian Barnard 617.799.3917.

SEASIDE EAST $2,495,000

Rarely available! Direct waterfront, threebedroom, two-bath home with private pathway to white, sandy beach Contact Will Milbury 508 525 5200 or Sarah Meehan 508 685 8926

CATAUMET $2,945,000

Set on high, overlooking Red Brook Harbor, Bassetts Island and Scraggy Neck, this contemporary home, understated upon approach, offers three bedrooms, four baths, stunning views from most every room and striking sunsets from the wrap-around deck Contact Will Milbury 508 525 5200

FAIRHAVEN $849,000

Set along the shores of Buzzard's Bay, this charming coastal cottage offers dramatic water views from ‘most every room. Minutes from Fort Phoenix, bike path, beaches and shopping. Contact Will Milbury at 508.525.5200.

Have you noticed that the air feels thick with tension? If you haven’t, consider yourself fortunate. For the rest of us, it’s a barometer to measure our collective stress, usually reserved for the holidays, though this year it seems to have arrived early.

It’s anyone’s guess why tempers are short and attitudes sour. Yet, some of it can be attributed to an unusually high level of dissatisfaction, worry, isolation, and the loss of control stemming from Congress’s inability to resolve ongoing funding issues. None of this is new—we’ve seen the power struggles and posturing before, during each budget cycle— but this time feels different. Perhaps it’s the unrelenting barrage of lawsuits, tariff disputes, immigration fights, assaults on authority, and the general erosion of civility that have corroded our sense of peace and normalcy.

We each face daily disruptions to our internal calm. It’s no longer a question of if we’ll be attacked—verbally or otherwise—but when, and how prepared we’ll be to respond. Living in a constant state of surveillance has become an unfortunate survival mechanism amid the anger, hostility, and violence that now surrounds us. As a result, many of us have grown hesitant to express our opinions or engage socially, retreating instead to safe spaces and familiar circles where confrontation and rude behavior are less likely to occur.

These observations are not directed at anyone in particular. Short tempers and bad attitudes, after all, are personal problems. Only a fool lashes out at another for their own shortcomings or unwillingness to abide by social standards of behavior. What’s most concerning, however, is the deepening divide between political parties—and the growing fascination with socialism as a cure-all for missed opportunities. Increasingly, we hear the argument that wealth should be redistributed and that everyone deserves the lifestyle of their choosing. The truth is that equality exists only in principle. In

The future, at present, doesn’t look bright. But rather than painting a false picture pretending all is well, we issue a challenge to those who thrive on seeing their glass as half full: try fighting to fill it to the brim so that you’ll experience and enjoy the elation success delivers.

reality, humanity is represented by a bell-shaped curve, with data points revealing our differences. On the left are the poorest of the poor; on the right, the richest of the rich. In the middle lies the vast majority of Americans, spread across a range of social and economic classes. Yet some believe they can distort this natural distribution to gain control by instilling fear and propaganda. Good luck with that transparent effort.

It’s time for the citizens of America to level up—take personal responsibility and build their own destinies. Believing that someone else will do it for you, or that you can take it from another, is a grave mistake. Every achiever eventually transitions from striving to attain what they desire into a focused and fiercely protective force that will fight for what they’ve earned; don’t ever believe those infamous words “You didn’t build that…” which explains a self-absorbed theoretical position that you work for the government, they don’t work for you.

At this juncture, our national fabric is wearing thin— frayed at the edges. Civil unrest is rampant, and disrespect for authority, not just among the young but adults as well, has become a societal norm. Each attempt to restore order is met with hostility and defiance, as if improvement itself were an act of oppression.

Naturally, our perspective will draw reactions from both ends of the curve. Yet our purpose isn’t to chase ‘likes’ or ideological approval. It’s to record what’s happening— for those who will one day look back and question how we lived, worked, and loved with the amount of interference, resentment, and blaming of others for their personal failures. We are on the clock. The future, at present, doesn’t look bright. But rather than painting a false picture pretending all is well, we issue a challenge to those who thrive on seeing their glass as half full: try fighting to fill it to the brim so that you’ll experience and enjoy the elation success delivers.

We wish you and your family a meaningful and peaceful holiday season, and we hope that all your endeavors will be achieved in 2026. H

5

THOUGHTS FROM THE C-SUITE

How do you view your glass? Whether it’s half-empty or half-filled, maybe we should ask why it’s not to the brim. Many are tired of excuses, drama, and turmoil, which are projected at them for trying to live their best lives. It’s time for change and to call out the problems affecting the majority of us; we can do better, and we will.

14 IMPRESSIONS

A personal search for memories. Unfortunately, nothing remains the same, and the holidays serve as a reminder that change is inevitable. Whether we accept that time shapes our present is a matter of how we view and perceive the past. Lessons learned from reflection.

18 CAPITAL

Take-off! It’s in your future; you’ll either be lifted off the ground and transported to your desired destination or your portfolio will possibly rise to unimaginable heights. Either way, eVTOLs are in everyone’s sights.

24 ECONOMICS

“Tax The Rich” and “Pay Your Fair Share.” Tiring words from the jealous and out-of-touch; a battle cry from those picking your pockets for more of your money. And regardless of your station in life, their words spark emotion but little in the way of reality. It’s time to expose the falsehoods surrounding these and other statements that have a damaging impact on the economy.

28

HEALTH

Fuming over climate change? Then this article is for you! It’s time to pinpoint— once again—the truth of how practically everyone is filling the air with CO2, but only a select few get the blame. It’s time we all substitute convenience with responsibility and leave the drive-thru lane empty.

32

LIVING WELL

Call it a public health emergency. No, not the battle over healthcare reform or expense, but rather the lack of quality patients receive if and when they can get an appointment. Substituting R.N.s for Doctors, tightly knit appointment windows, and six-month to a year waiting lines have reduced the efficacy we once knew to a staggering level of inefficiency and disregard for patient respect never considered.

42

CULTURE

Put your phones away. We don’t need Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, to tell us that using phones in meetings, or for that matter, in most social settings, is “disrespectful and a distraction that inhibits focus and productivity.” We knew this, but now we have the evidence to share why we need to cut the power and give it back to employers. It won’t be long before the worst offenders whine when their screens go dark.

38

INTIMACY

Is your mate not computing your needs and desires? Not to worry, we have information that will either thrill you or cause you to go celibate. Everyone knew what was coming, just uncertain of when it would arrive. There are already ‘romantic bots’ being secretly used by the lonely, and, according to predictions, many more human-robotic relationships are on the horizon. You need to read how these creations will change the dating culture and say, “I do.”

44

NEW

Mocktails. Are they really a thing? Well, according to self-proclaimed “Boozefree Badass and Chief Mingle Officer” of Mingle Mocktails, Laura Taylor, her company is focused on the crest instead of the ‘line,’ which propels those with focus and ambition to continue their adventure without a break in the momentum by substituting alcohol with a socially acceptable drink filled with innovation and passion. Bottoms up!

50 IN THE NEWS

Good Business. It means being present, available, and proactive in helping those who help others. BayCoast Bank steps forward and brings joy to our proud Veterans this holiday season.

46 ART

Time is running short. The most admired and anticipated Providencebased Foundry Art Show & Sale is here for its 2025 Holiday reveal. It’s time to get notable works from juried artists, available only once a year, in the evening.

Hey Sydney, You’re Not The Only One With Good Jeans!

We can’t imagine who has the time to debate genes—unless, of course, you’re in publishing.

In our world, genes tell a complete story. From striking covers to thought-provoking articles that capture today’s culture and anticipate tomorrow’s challenges, it’s clear which publications possess the traits necessary to undertake such an ambitious journey.

Our family of magazines takes pride in a tradition of transparency and trust—qualities our readers expect and rely on month after month. For more than two decades, our editorial DNA has been on full display: designed for enjoyment, crafted to intrigue, and committed to sharing insights that engage an informed and astute audience.

At the same time, we are curators of entertainment. As publishers of ideas and opinions, we reflect the pulse of today’s culture while tracing the shifting contours of society over time. Our perspectives are delivered with clarity—never obscured by coded language or clever distractions. What you see and read is a carefully woven double helix of truth and relevance.

And best of all, you’ll never find yourself bored reading our pages.

Beyond looking polished, one thing is sure, we’re comfortable in our jeans.

For exclusive advertising opportunities, contact us today at nemedia@earthlink.net or give us a call at 508-971-1969

The Holidays

A U THE N T I C, UNI Q UE , & UNUSU AL DÉC O R

Fine art, furnishings, collectibles, and accessories for interior design projects, home-sale staging, studio photography, and theatre events— for purchase or lease. Flexible terms available.

Marble House

The Breakers

OH LITTLE TOWN

BY PEET NOURJIAN

I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THOSE BREADCRUMBS THE ONES WE DROPPED ALONG THE WAY THE TRAIL OF CROUTONS LEFT BEHIND A PATH BACK HOME FOR XMAS DAY

LET’S FIND THE TREE WHERE HEARTS WERE CARVED IMMORTALIZING YOUNG ROMANCE NOW A FOREST WHERE THAT TREE STOOD JACK KNIFE VOWS NEVER STOOD A CHANCE

THE VILLAGE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN NOT THE SAME AS I REMEMBER OUR STENCILED WINDOWS, FRONT DOOR WREATH CUPS OF EGGNOG IN DECEMBER

WHERE ARE THOSE FAMILIAR VOICES SINGING CAROLS AROUND THE TREE

WE WERE SMALL SOPRANOS BACK THEN HOARSE BARITONES NOW SING OFF KEY

THE SEARCH FOR YESTERDAY IS DONE THOSE BREADCRUMBS I WAS LOOKING FOR ARE FROZEN IN NEW FALLEN SNOW OUTSIDE A GOURMET BAKER’S DOOR. H

MARION $3,900,000

Experience coastal living at its finest in this stunning 5-bedroom contemporary home, with over 4,000 sq. ft. of living space, scenic views of Planting Island Cove and access to shared boathouse and dock

BOSTON $8,995,000

Rowes Wharf penthouse is the product of a years-long design and renovation and features sweeping city and harbor views.

CHATHAM $2,995,000

Luxurious family compound near Cockle Cove Beach features 3BR main house and newly renovated cottage.

OSTERVILLE $7,750,000

Privately sited within the prestigious Oyster Harbors, this extraordinary estate is a masterclass in resort-style living.

PROVINCETOWN $2,500,000

A rare offering with two condo units sold together, along with a separate parking parcel that fits up to three vehicles.

DUXBURY $3,950,000

Exceptional 5,073-square-foot estate on 1.6+ acres pairs architectural elegance with resort-style amenities.

MATTAPOISETT $2,250,000

Magnificent coastal retreat in the village offers deeded beach rights and sweeping views of the harbor and Molly’s Cove.

EXCLUSIVELY LISTED AT $4,950,000

MARION, MASSACHUSETTS

Welcome to Marion, the hidden gem of the Southcoast! This large and incredibly private East Marion property could be the site of your dream home(s)! With 17+ acres, the opportunities are endless. This property is located outside of the flood zone and has access to town water and sewer at the buyer’s expense. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity!

Welcome to Marion’s Converse Point, an exclusive waterfront enclave on Buzzards Bay. Set on 2.76 acres, this 5,030 sq. ft. residence offers breathtaking views of Buzzards Bay and effortless coastal living. Built in 2012, this home features 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, an elevator, and multiple decks showcasing the sweeping views. The chef’s kitchen features premium appliances and custom cabinetry, flowing to sunlit living spaces ideal for entertaining. Enjoy a heated swimming pool, hot tub, and pool cabana.

EXCLUSIVELY LISTED AT $399,000

EXCLUSIVELY LISTED AT $4,500,000

Step inside this classic 1961 Royal Barry Wills-designed Cape Cod-style home located in the heart of Marion Village! Set on a private .52 acre lot, this 2,400 +/- sq. ft. home offers 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths, a formal living room with Rumford fireplace and built-ins, dining area, cozy den, and a kitchen with updated appliances. Walk to the town center, Silvershell Beach, and schools in just minutes from this central location.

Custom-designed and built estate set on a 10+ acre estate in the secluded Hammett’s Cove neighborhood in East Marion. This property offers an unparalleled blend of elegance, privacy, and coastal charm. Complete with a 4,000 +/- sq. ft. main home, 3-car garage, gunite pool, pool house, putting green, and access to the association beach and dock, offering easy access to Sippican Harbor!

SOLD FOR $1,275,000

Meet the Family of Financial Services

LOOK UP AT THE

FUTURE

PORTFOLIO

DIVERSITY:

COMING FROM A NEED TO GET FROM HERE TO THERE, QUICKLY & EFFICIENTLY

BY STEVEN CHAN

While some investors and the public are focused on the ‘hyperscalers,’ companies and start-ups entrenched in AI infrastruction, i.e., data centers, ‘chips,’ power equipment, along with cloud storage, and quantum computing, if they take a moment to look up, they might see what we have been watching for the last couple of years: the rise of air-commuting eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicles capable of advanced air mobility. In simple terms: Electric Helicopters or Air-Taxis.

The purpose of this article is to introduce what might be the most incredible advancement in how air travel will revolutionize our daily commutes, and explain how the public will avoid choking traffic when getting to an airport or taking a vacation. With predictable relevance, the gridlock isn’t going to diminish; it will worsen over time and force us to get moving, whether we want to or not. It’s because of this projection that many investors are getting ahead of the curve and buying into this new opportunity, which may prove to be richer than anyone anticipates.

DIALING INTO A ‘NEW COMMUTE’

In major cities around the globe, societies face the ills and aggravation caused by traffic congestion, road-construction delays, and a loss of premium placed upon personal time.

Historically, air travel has been the realm of long-haul, airport-to-airport journeys, and for a few, short jaunts by helicopter (an inherently dangerous and expensive alternative) have provided the only viable option. But what if the skies above us became commute lanes, carrying vertical take-off aircraft capable of hopping from suburb to downtown, from one airport to another, or a flight only taking minutes from the mainland to the islands of your choice?

Sounds remarkable. It’s not far off; testing is actively underway, and certification is right behind the eVTOLs taking to the skies.

In the United States, the ‘air taxi’ industry, more formally known as the urban and regional air mobility (UAM) space, is projected to experience significant growth. According to a report titled United States Air Taxi Market Analysis Report 2025-2033 by Propulsion Type, Aircraft Type, Passenger Capacity, States and Competitive Landscape (Research and Markets), the U.S. air taxi market is expected to reach roughly $1.97 billion by 2033, up from approximately $0.4 billion in 2024, corresponding with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 19.4 percent from 2025 to 2033.1

Globally, the broader advanced air mobility market, encompassing air taxis, passenger and cargo drones, and other lowaltitude aircraft solutions, is projected to grow at a rate of approximately 20 percent annually. According to one estimate, growth

is expected to trend from $9.66 billion in 2024 to $24.56 billion by 2029.1,7

What does this mean for the future? Those who consider time to be an irreplaceable commodity will gravitate towards vertical commuting because of its quiet, quick, and renewable power. Naturally, it will launch as a novelty with social media abuzz, only to quickly develop into a lifestyle option over the next decade. For the investor with horizon discipline, the infrastructure, certification, fleet rollout, and network build-out phases that lie ahead may present once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

THE CONVERGENCE OF TECHNOLOGY, REGULATION & URBAN PAIN

As we all know, timing matters, and here, three strands are converging.

➤ Urban Congestion & Loss Of Time: Cities such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas–Fort Worth, Miami, and others are increasingly gridlocked. The value of alternative mobility modes is obvious. Currently, California, Texas, New York, and Florida are “ leading states in adopting these solutions due to urbanization and traffic challenges.”1

➤ Maturing Technology: The eVTOL concept now benefits from battery-energy advances; lightweight materials, electric propulsion, autonomous flight controls, and quieter rotors are hard to ignore.

Naturally, it will launch as a novelty with social media abuzz, only to quickly develop into a lifestyle option over the next decade. For the investor with horizon discipline, the infrastructure, certification, fleet rollout, and network build-out phases that lie ahead may present once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

In a recent article, it was noted that eVTOLs, “typically powered by batteries rather than internal combustion engines [are attractive because they] don’t burn fossil fuels, reduce emissions, lower noise pollution, and are highly efficient.” 5

➤ Furthermore, the future is not far off; one of the marquee companies in the space is currently in the final stages of certification, signaling that this is not a concept for 2035- or later.3 It should be noted that some of these companies are being financially backed with significant resources, even though they have considerable cash burn.

➤ Regulatory & Infrastructure Evolution: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other national authorities are implementing pilot programs and regulatory frameworks to allow commercial operations of eVTOLs

and advanced air mobility services.

For instance, one such effort began in September 2025, aiming to accelerate the deployment of eVTOLs.7

Further evidence of the seriousness behind the growth of eVTOLs is the development of infrastructure called ‘vertiports’ for vertical take-offs and landings, charging or batteryswapping systems, air traffic management for low-altitude urban corridors, and maintenance hubs. All eyes are on underutilized airports, which are strategically placed near tourist destinations or major cities. What immediately comes to mind is the underutilized New Bedford Airport in Massachusetts. For years, the area, known as the ‘SouthCoast,’ has boasted its location and access, having all that is needed to become a viable transportation hub. However, while the area is ideal for those with vision and this type of development, it’s doubtful that local officials will comprehend, let alone act

upon, initiating discussions with companies behind what will become the preferred mode of commuting over vehicles, trains, ferries, or traditional aircraft.

THE PLAYERS MAKING A MOVE

Several companies are leading the pack in the new vertical-mobility frontier; here are a few you may have recently heard about.

Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) based in California, it focuses on manufacturing an eVTOL aircraft and operating an air-taxi network. According to reports, Joby has begun power-on testing of its first FAAconforming aircraft, entering the final stage of type certification.3 As of November 2025, Joby has stated that it expects flight testing by the FAA in the near term and commercial operations to follow.2,7 Further, Joby is participating in the U.S. government’s integration pilot program (eIPP) for eVTOLs, signaling institutional alignment.3, 6

Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) Archer is positioning itself as both a manufacturer of eVTOL aircraft, in its ‘Midnight’ model, and a network operator. The firm is participating in the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program and is actively setting up infrastructure deals.6 There is a report that Archer aims to provide its own air-taxi service (rather than purely selling equipment), giving it a vertically integrated business model.4, 5

OTHER FIRMS & ECOSYSTEM PARTICIPANTS

Beyond Joby and Archer, the field features legacy aerospace players, including Honeywell International Inc., as well as automotive groups that are investing in eVTOL infrastructure and manufacturing, and emerging start-ups worldwide. Globally, there were “over 340 aviation start-ups active by 2025 … focusing on air mobility, digital flight services and sustainable aviation technologies.” 7 Still, one of the most interesting possible partners is Uber (NYSE: UBER) which dominates the on-the-ground and on-call transportation system that could easily fold into a flight reservation service provider.

THE COMMUTER EXPERIENCE

With minimal ground hovering, predictable links to airports, or rapid regional access points servicing businesses and resorts, the service will quickly scale due to activity. As usual, the cost will decrease soon due to increased public usage.

To bring this into tangible terms, imagine a suburb with a designated vertiport or repurposed heliport (as previously discussed), where commuting or the traveling public books via app (similar to ride-share) a fiveseat eVTOL for a 15-20 minute flight to Nantucket, Montauk, or Boston, bypassing ground traffic, ferries, parking issues, and other logistic nightmares. Think about the satisfaction of landing at or near a downtown rooftop or adjacent to a major airport. The ride is heavenly, to think that an air vehicle can be quiet, environmentally conscious, and scheduled on demand, so it fits your schedule, not theirs, is like a dream come true.

From a lifestyle perspective, this premium service pays dividends in time saved, delivering the pleasure of flying and offering extraordinary appeal as a transportation hybrid that combines all the benefits and

prestige of a private car and jet into one entity—at your fingertips.

HOW TIME-SAVINGS TRANSLATE INTO VALUE

For affluent commuters, the value derived from reducing ground-travel unpredictability and delays is very real. When a flight reduces commute time from 60-120 minutes (via congested roads) to 20 minutes (vertiport to vertiport), that’s between 40-100 minutes saved each way, five days a week—equaling approximately 14-36 hours saved, offering improved productivity, less stress, an improved lifestyle and earlier arrival at the ski/sunny-resort you’re dying to enjoy.

From an investment perspective, the implications are many, offering value.

➤ The aircraft manufacturer sells eVTOLs and components (batteries, motors, avionics)

➤ The network operator owns and operates the air taxi service, managing scheduling, maintenance, and vertiport operations

➤ The infrastructure develops vertiports, charging/energy systems, and air-traffic management for low-altitude corridors

➤ The ecosystem of ancillary services will provide insurance, piloting/remote operation, as well as urban mobility integration (e.g., linking with ride-sharing and ground transportation, airport transfers)

If the technology, regulation, and infrastructure align, the value creation could shift from pure vehicle manufacturing to mobility service platforms, similar to ground ride-share services like Uber and Lyft.

RISKS & HEADWINDS— DON’T IGNORE THEM

As with any frontier investment theme, there are significant risks and uncertainties; the best investors do their own research and assess their risk tolerance.

Certification & Regulation:

eVTOLs must undergo rigorous type certification by aviation authorities. For example, Joby’s aircraft is in the U.S. FAA’s final stage (Type Inspection Authorization) as of November 2025.2 Delays or unanticipated technical issues could postpone commercial launches. Infrastructure Build-Out: The number of vertiports, charging/logistics systems, and traffic management systems is currently small.

Scaling a network to a national or global level will require capital, coordination, and time.

Public Approval & Urban Integration: While eVTOLs are quieter than helicopters, issues of noise, visual intrusion, urban planning, and safety perceptions remain. A successful rollout will depend on community acceptance and the availability of suitable infrastructure.

Business Model Uncertainties: Pricing must attract commuters who might otherwise drive or use ground transportation. As one article noted, the eVTOL model is often likened to ride-share but in the air— untested on a mass-market commuter basis.1 Still, in thriving economies, convenience is a determining factor in household spending.

Competition & Market Fragmentation: Many companies are vying for leadership in this space (Joby, Archer, Lilium, Vertical Aerospace, etc.). Competitive dynamics, patent races, and global regulatory divergence (for example, China’s pursuit of its own pathway) may impact value.5

Capital Intensity & Timing: Developing aircraft, certifying them, building network infrastructure, and scaling operations all require substantial capital. The timeline to profitability may be extended, and patience with investments will be required. Not all entries will meet fruition.

TIMING IS VITAL TO SUCCESS

Despite the risks, there are adequate

reasons why this theme warrants attention now rather than later.

➤ Early-mover advantage: Firms that secure certification, vertiport networks, and operator status early, may capture premium value.

➤ Infrastructure momentum: With regulatory pilot programs now active (such as the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program) and manufacturing fidelity increasing, the ‘technology risk’ is shrinking. For example, Joby’s entry into the final certification stage is a strong signal of further advancement.1

➤ Tightening urban mobility demand: Urban congestion and commuter time costs continue to rise, making alternative modes more compelling.

➤ Brand and lifestyle premium: High-networth commuters can reduce travel time, increase control over their schedules, and access premium destinations (e.g., airport ➞ private terminal, resort shuttle), implying a lifestyle upgrade.

➤ Multi-layered value pools: Unlike a single-vehicle company, this space provides multiple adjacent investment opportunities (manufacturing, infrastructure, operations), affording diversified exposure to upside.

➤ Relative undervaluation of the theme: Compared to ground mobility

electrification or AI/quantum, the air mobility space remains under-the-radar for many investors, potentially allowing for asymmetry.

SPOTLIGHT: SCENARIO— THE 2028 COMMUTE

Let us paint the picture. In 2028, a city like Houston or Dallas has rolled out three vertiport hubs: one in the inner city, one in a premium north suburb, and one adjacent to the primary international airport. A commuter living 25 miles north of town books a five-seat eVTOL flight departing from a suburban heli/vertiport at 7:30 a.m., arriving at the downtown vertiport at 7:50 a.m. Instead of a 50-60 minute ride through rush-hour traffic, the door-todoor time is 35 minutes, including ground transfer, security/boarding, and touchdown. On the return leg, the commuter boards at downtown, arrives at the suburban vertiport at 6:35 p.m., and is home by 6:45 p.m. The time saved yields approximately four hours per week, or roughly 16-18 hours per month; over a year, that’s more than 200 hours recovered. For an executive client, this is compelling. The very fastest segment may pay a premium fare—but over time, economies of scale, frequent commuter passes, and corporate programs could bring pricing into reach of upper-tier commuters or corporate mobility budgets.7

For the investor, such a scenario implies that the key technologies, the network, and the demand will be in place. The ‘precommercial’ phase (2025-2027) is when deals get struck, infrastructure gets locked in, and valuations may still reflect optionality rather than execution.

INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS: HOW TO APPROACH THE BUY— WITH CAUTION

If one were to explore this theme, here are some structured considerations:

➤ Identify who owns what: Are you investing (directly or indirectly) in the aircraft-builder (Joby, Archer), the vertiport operator (airport real-estate firms, infrastructure funds), the networkoperator (mobility companies pivoting to air taxi services), or components (battery/ propulsion suppliers)? Each has a different risk and reward profile.

➤ Certification and timing milestones: Track firms based on regulatory milestones, including eVTOL type certification, vertiport licensing, and public-road (air-road) route approvals. The nearer a company is to commercial operations, the lower the technology/ approval risk.

➤ Infrastructure readiness: Without charging/battery-swap networks, vertiports, and urban routing, the aircraft business hits a bottleneck. Infrastructure and service network should be part of the story.

➤ Cost curve and business model: What will the fares look like? Can operations scale to cost parity with premium ground travel? Will corporate fleet sales (such as airport transfers and resort shuttles) dominate early, before mass-market commuting?

➤ Competitive and regulatory dynamics: Different regulatory regimes (U.S., E.U., Asia) may yield winners in local markets. Patent battles or manufacturing scale (such as China and Europe) may shift the advantage.

➤ Valuation discipline: Many eVTOL and UAM firms have yet to generate

recurring revenue. The valuation must reflect optionality and execution risk. Early movers may have more premium valuations.

➤ Exit scenarios: For infrastructure plays, an exit might involve a long-term contract with an operator or a public-private partnership. For vehicle builders, the exit might be through large-scale fleet contracts or an acquisition by a major aerospace/automotive company.

THE LAST WORD:

A HORIZON WORTH WATCHING

In summary, the convergence of technology, regulatory momentum, urban mobility pain points, and consumer willingness creates a compelling case for the evolution of short-haul air travel—not as science fiction, but as a near-term lifestyle and commuting option. For luxury mobilityoriented individuals and investors with a multi-year horizon, the ‘sky-commute’ theme may offer meaningful exposure.

That said, timing matters, execution is critical, and capital discipline remains key. Many of the firms in the space are still preprofit, and the infrastructure and regulatory

frameworks are still under construction. But those who look ‘up’ and ahead may score early visibility into a new mobility class. In a world where time is the last elegance, being airborne might be the ultimate horsepower upgrade. H

1. “United States Air Taxi Market Analysis Report 20252033 by Propulsion Type, Aircraft Type, Passenger Capacity, States and Competitive Landscape,” Research and Markets, Nov. 10, 2025. Yahoo Finance.

2. “Joby Begins Power-On Testing of First Conforming Aircraft, Enters Final Stage of Type Certification Process.” Joby Aviation Press Release, Nov. 5, 2025. Joby Aviation, Inc.

3. “Where Will Archer Aviation Be in 1 Year?” The Motley Fool, Nov. 11, 2025. The Motley Fool

4. “Flying Taxis Edge Closer to Reality.” OilPrice.com, Nov. 8, 2025. OilPrice.com

5. “Archer Advances Plans For Air Taxi Trial Participation Under White House eVTOL Pilot Program.” ASD News, Sept. 12, 2025. ASD News

6. “United States eVTOL Aircraft Market 2025 | Growth Drivers, Key.” OpenPR, Aug./Sept. 2025. OpenPR.com

7. “Advanced Air Mobility Market Report 2025 and Forecast to 2034.” The Business Research Company. The Business Research Company

(The information contained in this feature is strictly educational and for entertainment purposes. Under no circumstances should it be construed or used as investment advice.)

THE INVERTED RESULTS CALLING FOR:

“TAX THE RICH”AND “PAY YOUR $HARE”

THOSE WHO PROTEST INNOVATION, INVESTMENT, & PHILANTHROPY ARE THE VERY BENEFICIARIES OF OTHERS’ EFFORTS

BY SUSAN FLETCHER

This feature explores that uncomfortable truth, blending data, policy research, and a rhetorical tool that is often absent in today’s political theater. It asks whether fairness can quietly give way to fury, and whether a policy built on righteous indignation can unknowingly harm the very workers and communities it claims to defend. Is it opinion—yes! Is it justified, given that most media influence audiences by presenting news with subjectivity and bias? We believe our premise to be factual.

According to usafacts.org, most of the government’s federal income tax revenue comes from the nation’s top income earners. In 2022, the top 5 percent of earners/workers, individuals with incomes of $261,591 and above, collectively paid over $1.3 trillion in income taxes, accounting for approximately 61 percent of the national total. If you include the top 10 percent—everyone who made at least $178,611—that figure rises to $1.5 trillion, or 72 percent of the total. Most startling is that the top 50 percent of earners contribute 97 percent of federal income tax revenue.

It seems that many are paying their fair share, perhaps a bit extra. If you agree with the data, then why is a ‘millionaire tax’ necessary? Don’t ask Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders this question; they have been hell-bent on justifying and legislating for a national ‘wealth-tax’ on what they refer to as the ‘super wealthy,’ you know, the billionaires that have helped build America by influencing and serving our culture through advancement in a social context, advances in education, and explosive consumerism. Not to be left out, another notable contribution is the opportunity for the public to fund their children’s education and retirement by investing in companies such as Meta, Google, and Amazon. Yes, ‘the evil doers,’ if you didn’t know any better.

There is a moment, during every few election cycles, when American political discourse reaches for something primal. Something emotional. Something that feels less like policy and more like punishment. And in that moment, the rallying cry that echoes with near-religious fervor is simple enough for bumper stickers yet explosive enough to shape legislation: “Tax The Rich” and “Pay Your Fair Share.” Tongue-in-cheek, I have one to add to the back of cars: “Hug A Millionaire.”

According to a 2021 report published by the advocacy organization Fight Inequality, supporters frame wealth taxation as a moral necessity because, they argue, the wealthy have “benefited most from the economic system and therefore owe more to society.” That claim, repeated frequently across political messaging, has become the emotional spine of the modern tax-the-rich agenda.

From the stump speeches promoting the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act (first introduced in 2021) previously mentioned, to the signage held aloft at rallies from Boston to Berkeley, fairness is the chosen weapon. And fairness is a powerful word. It stirs resentment in some, righteousness in others, and, crucially, offers a simple solution to a complex world: take from the few to give to the many. Ah, idealistic Socialism.

But slogans are not a strategy. And the economics of taxing the rich are far more fragile than its champions care to admit.

Beneath the surface of all this moral grandstanding lies a truth that refuses to disappear: Those who are being most aggressively targeted are often the same individuals who support, employ, sponsor, and economically uplift an enormous share of society.

Here are some truths:

The wealthy are not merely taxpayers—they are economic engines.

When you tax an engine too aggressively, it does not explode dramatically; it sputters, slows, and then moves somewhere else.

THE POLITICS OF PUNISHMENT MASQUERADING AS FAIRNESS

Let us start with the emotional appeal behind the movement. It is not difficult to see why over-taxing the rich has captured the public imagination. Income inequality is apparent, sometimes painfully so. The wealthy enjoy lifestyles that many Americans view from a distance, through glossy images, curated social media, or the polished glow of luxury storefronts. Other extensions of their personas include yachts, automobiles, and clothing, which become calling cards to their social status.

In this environment, demanding the rich ‘give back more’ feels cathartic to some. According to a 2024 analysis published by Inequality.org, raising taxes on top earners is not only justifiable but also “creates long-term social stability” by redistributing wealth more fairly across society.

It is a comforting story, one that blends emotional charge with the allure of simple arithmetic: the wealthy have more, therefore society should take more. But this narrative is incomplete to the point of being misleading. Because money, especially at the top, is not static, and the economic roles performed by high earners extend far beyond the number printed on their tax returns.

When legislators treat wealth as a passive pile of dollars to be skimmed, they ignore the very thing that makes wealth economically valuable: its ability to move, create, employ, invest, and sustain. An assault on innovation, creativity, and effort would halt the evolution that has made America great and a leader in the industrial world.

Using fairness as a weapon thrown into the political fray blinds policymakers to the consequences of punishing hard work and investment. Without incentive, no one is going to invent, develop, or work to improve their lives or those of others.

THE WEALTHY ARE NOT IDLE—THEY ARE ACTIVE FORCES IN THE ECONOMIC ECOSYSTEM

One of the least appreciated facts in modern politics is that wealthy individuals are not simply sitting on vast amounts of cash. According to a 2023 economic assessment published by the Hoover Institution, America’s top earners contribute a disproportionate share of the nation’s investment capital, small-business formation, and philanthropic giving. The report cautioned that aggressive wealth taxes risk ‘killing the goose that lays the golden egg’ by reducing capital available for hiring, expansion, and donation.

The wealthy employ chefs in new restaurants, software engineers in start-ups, marketing teams in boutique firms, contractors renovating buildings, and curators in museums. They underwrite university labs, fund medical research, sponsor youth programs, and contribute to community foundations.

When a billionaire donates $10 million to a children’s hospital, they support not only medical innovation but also the salaries of nurses, researchers, technicians, and support staff. When a wealthy couple funds a wing of a museum, they create jobs for docents, archivists, set designers, event planners, and security teams.

Such actions are not charity, as vapid virtue signaling would suggest—they are the building of an economic infrastructure for the collective community’s benefit.

A 2022 philanthropic analysis, once again cited by the Hoover Institution, quantified the effect, discovering and reporting that America’s top 10 percent of earners provide nearly 70 percent of all charitable donations, while the top 1 percent alone supply around 40 percent. Removing or discouraging donations through punitive taxation doesn’t result in cultural institutions shrinking—they collapse.

Yet the “Tax The Rich” movement portrays the wealthy as hoarders, resembling Scrooge, one of the main characters in the tale A Christmas Carol. The false illusion overlooks the people who depend on generosity, not just once a year, but all year long. As for “Pay Your Fair Share,” sorry, it’s a moot point—they already do.

A MICROCOSM OF MISGUIDED POLICY: THE MASSACHUSETTS LUXURY CLOTHING TAX

Policies built on resentment often reveal their flaws in subtle, symbolic ways long before they become apparent in national statistics. Massachusetts offers a vivid example.

According to the 2024 Massachusetts Sales and Use Tax Guide, clothing priced at or below $175 is exempt from the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax. But any amount above $175 becomes taxable. A fiscal document released by the Massachusetts Budget Office for FY2025 clarifies that ‘special clothing,’ including protective or athletic gear, may be fully taxable regardless of price. (Take note that it’s not just millionaires buying protective and athletic clothing. Could it be an oversight, or is the State of Massachusetts also secretly punishing everyday citizens, too?)

The intent is theatrical rather than economic: referring to some clothing as luxury items is a clear and concise means to signal moral clarity by punishing what is mistakenly viewed as high-end consumption, even when it targets all three subsets of the middle class due to an uncontrollable thirst for revenue.

However, the wealthy do not respond to this posturing; instead, they are attracted to incentives. They let their feet and purchasing power do the talking. Here is a list of how they avoid punishment and the result of being forced not to spend their money within the state.

They cross the border and shop in New Hampshire, where clothing is tax-free (and so is everything else)

Buy online where they won’t be taxed on clothing and many other items

Make purchases when traveling and have them shipped home

Meanwhile, the consequences felt in Massachusetts are as follows: Both luxury boutiques and stores selling American-made quality lose foot traffic and sales

The tailor’s appointment book remains empty, so their hours are reduced

Sales associate loses commissions, and often their jobs

New hires don’t get hired, creating resentment pointed at those not responsible for a lack of business

The uptick of ‘lookers’ versus ‘shoppers’ is evident in many designer showrooms. Boston’s most exclusive shopping streets, such as Newbury, suffer not because the wealthy are being greedy; instead, poor economic policies, such as taxing and spending beyond reason, treat them as revenue sources rather than valued participants.

It’s conceivable that a seemingly small law turns into a boisterous message: “Your success is something we intend to tax, not respect.”

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN WEALTHY PEOPLE FEEL TARGETED?

Contrary to the rhetoric, the wealthy do not march in protest, plead, or negotiate; they move where they feel welcomed and not financially abused. A 2023 investigation by the Financial Times reported a rapid uptick in relocation consultations among affluent households in New York and California once wealth-tax proposals began circulating in state legislatures. Not laws—proposals. The mere whisper of punitive taxation was enough to trigger a movement.

This migration is not anecdotal; it is measurable. IRS data from 2020–2023 captured dramatic shifts in taxpayer income migration:

New York lost $8.8 billion in net adjusted gross income. (And will soon lose more if the new Mayor enacts his pre-election policies)

California lost $29 billion

Florida gained $39 billion

Texas gained $12.3 billion

These are not retirees seeking sunshine, but rather high-income professionals, investors, business owners, and philanthropists. Their uprooting is both silent and devastating, and is starting to show in the Commonwealth. Wealthy residents don’t merely take their money and run—that’s easy. The fiscal burden stems from their extraction of annual spending, investment capital, foundations, family offices, business headquarters, and philanthropic networks. It is a form of economic exodus that no slogan can fix.

THE INVESTMENT COLLAPSE: WHAT WEALTH TAXES REALLY DO

While advocates of wealth taxation promote their ideas as painless revenue enhancers, economic modeling paints a sobering picture. According to a 2023 series of policy simulations conducted at Stanford University, wealth taxes above 1 percent annually reduce private investment by 6-13 percent, depending on structure and enforcement. It’s not marginal, but it is catastrophic. Investment is the heartbeat of job creation; when it slows, employment suffers, wages stagnate, and less taxable income is generated, alerting the political class to demand greater taxation on the rich. It’s a never-ending cycle that feeds the beast.

For this very reason, high-tax nations across Europe spent the last two decades abolishing their wealth taxes. France, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, and Finland all scrapped them after realizing they were losing high-net-worth residents faster than they were collecting revenue. Yet, American politicians barely noticed; they were too busy inciting vitriol— citizen against citizen.

THE UNSEEN VICTIMS OF PUNITIVE TAXATION

Let us dispense with one illusion: punitive taxation doesn’t hurt the wealthy, but it pisses them off to no end, leaving many in need behind. When the so-called rich family moves to Florida, it does not matter to them what they leave in their wake by way of relocating their assets to a new community. Their view is about fairness, not spreading the wealth.

WHY FAIRNESS MUST BE BALANCED WITH INTELLIGENCE

To tax wisely is not to tax angrily; taxes are not all bad, they are productive in the sense that they supply the necessary services communities need to grow and prosper. However, punishing it is counterproductive. Naturally, the wealthy should pay taxes, and they do, in overwhelming proportion. But treating them as enemies or exploiters is both intellectually lazy and economically dangerous.

There is a moment, during every few election cycles, when American political discourse reaches for something primal. Something emotional. Something that feels less like policy and more like punishment. And in that moment, the rallying cry that echoes with nearreligious fervor is simple enough for bumper stickers yet explosive enough to shape legislation: “Tax The Rich” and “Pay Your Fair Share.” Tongue-in-cheek, I have one to add to the back of cars: “Hug A Millionaire.”

A sophisticated society understands that prosperity requires collaboration among businesses, government, and individuals who have achieved success.

Taxation should be designed with incentives in mind, encouraging charitable giving, rewarding investment, attracting business formation, and supporting local job growth. It should be common sense, yet it’s not practiced.

The modern tax-the-rich/pay-your-share proposals are designed with emotional clarity; they encourage applause, reward resentment, and support short-term political gains by appealing to special interests. This form of governance, driven by catharsis rather than competence, is destined for failure, creating mobility within those who can readily leave.

WEALTH IS NOT THE VILLAIN—RESENTMENT IS

The wealthy are not flawless, but they are deeply woven into the success of American life. They are the risk-takers, the supporters who are delighted to share their good fortune. They are referred to as the pillars of prosperity, leaving the unanswered question: Why are they frequently targeted?

Fairness matters, so do consequences. We have, albeit changing on a national level, an extravagant tax code at the state level, devised by envy and built on a foundation of erosion. Slowly and silently, without a whimper, those who are targeted are the same who are behind the digital wire transfers, quietly moving their wealth. Having done their best to participate, only to be vilified for supporting those who needed them the most, has made living in the state untenable.

Given the data and the shadowy fiscal outlook, consider the next time you hear someone project false accusations about a group they know nothing about. It is time to tune them into reality or turn them off entirely, because it will take a majority of voters to fix a system that is in chaos, and instead of putting out the fire, they are fanning the flames. H

“I’ll have some fumes with my burger, please.”

THERE IS NO TURNING BACK THE DAMAGE BEING DONE BY THE DRIVE-THRU CULTURE

BY STEVEN CHAN

However, in reality, personal vehicles are one of the largest sources of U.S. greenhouse emissions, largely contributed by our drive-thru culture.

For countless years, we’ve been told that greenhouse gases have wreaked havoc with the quality and quantity of the air we breathe; the news preaches about the pains children suffer from a lack of oxygen to fill their small lungs, hampered by CO₂ exposure, and how a plane filled with passengers is a violation of Mother Earth’s atmosphere. But rock stars, politicians, and celebrities are given a pass for their use of private jets (traveling with minimal passengers) zig-zagging around the globe; they are responsible for tons of pollutants entering our breathing space without admitting the harm they cause.

However, in reality, personal vehicles are one of the largest sources of U.S. greenhouse emissions, largely contributed by our drive-thru culture. Once a rarity, these establishments are now on nearly every block, often accompanied by up to four fast food restaurants, coffee shops, pharmacies, banks, and even a Justice of the Peace performing weddings in Las Vegas. Such low-brow cultural advancement has normalized a daily collection of millions of idling cars waiting in line to be served by people who seem to lack a genuine commitment to reversing climate change. Obviously, there is a glaring gap between the rhetoric and behavior of this blind spot in the climate conversation. What needs to be decided is whether this problem is to be addressed and resolved, or we should close our hands and admit that we have chosen convenience over health. If laziness is the preferred choice, then save us from the preaching and drop the mic; it’s time to stop the echoing of a zero-sum game.

The tonnage of harmful chemicals we ingest is the result of the public’s unwillingness to take a few steps inside businesses, leading to a country where generations are becoming increasingly heavier than previous ones. To combat this public health concern, the drivethrus weren’t targeted for closure; instead, drug manufacturers stepped in with injections, soon to be in pill form, to reduce personal weight chemically rather than through physical exercise, such as walking from parking lots to the business’s entrance.

The facts remain that cars sitting and idling have the most significant impact on the climate; it’s not smokestacks, which were the problem, but have been reduced over the last century. When looking back at the multi-billion dollar industry that has made many very wealth, driven by the use of questionable claims and scare tactics, there are indications that those who speak the loudest selectively pick and choose a specific objective, then purposely fit it with an offender that removes the climate crime from the individual to the collective or group thereby absolving personal responsibility from the conversation. It then turns into “It’s all of our problem,” rather than asking “Why are you contributing to the destruction of our atmosphere?”

Here are the facts as presented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data:

Transportation is the largest U.S. emissions sector

All vehicles accounted for about 28-29 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, the most significant slice of the national pie

Light-duty vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickups) account for roughly 57-59 percent of transportation emissions

Car dependency is near universal in the U.S.

Approximately 92 percent of U.S. households own at least one vehicle, and the average household has about 1.8 automobiles

These facts allow for a better understanding: we are a primary contributor to poor air quality due to our everyday driving behavior—it’s not only power plants and heavy industry that’s caused a national emissions emergency.

THE DRIVE-THRU NATION

Taking available data from multiple sources indicates there’s no turning this problem around; the fact that 60-75 percent of fastfood restaurant sales come from the windows of idling cars means they will never be closed, but instead, ramped up for greater effectiveness. A report by Quantum Real Estate Advisors estimates that over 6 billion drive-thru visits are made annually across more than 200,000 drive-thru locations.

Evidence that Americans strongly prefer not to get out of the car is found in a 2023 survey by The Food Institute, which found that “47 percent of consumers would avoid a store that doesn’t have a drive-thru, and twice as many people prefer the drive-thru to going inside (28 versus 14 percent).”

Multiple agencies and businesses have studied typical drive-thru wait times, finding that at typical fast-food locations, the average customer spends about four to six minutes in the drive-thru lane, from entry to exit. What does this mean in simple terms? Here are the facts.

Idling vs. restarting the engine:

The U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Labs learned that idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions than shutting off and restarting the engine

Fuel and CO₂ per unit of idling:

EPA-linked sources noted that a typical light-duty gasoline car idling for five minutes emits ~0.115 kg of CO₂ (about a quarter of a pound)

Each gallon of gasoline burned emits about 20 pounds of CO₂

One estimate found that an hour of idling burns ~0.2 gallons and emits ~four pounds of CO₂ for a passenger car

The bottom line gathered from this information indicates that for every five minutes you sit with your engine running, you are effectively releasing ounces of invisible carbon into the air, allowing you to avoid walking an estimated 50 feet to the door, which provides a health benefit every time.

Scaling these findings leads us to the truth of how harmful drive-thrus can be:

The data show that consumers make approximately six billion visits from their cars, with an average idling time of roughly five minutes and emitting 0.115 kg CO₂

Taking the 6,000,000,000 visits × 0.115 kg CO₂ results in a discharge of 690,000,000 kg CO₂ yearly: this equates to 690,000 metric tons of CO₂ (0.69 million tons) just from drive-thru idling.

The data leaves little doubt that ‘we’ are the culprits and our car culture is the tool doing the damage. However, worse is our pretending to be concerned while indulging the need for convenience, often driven by laziness.

Change is in the air:

The data leaves little doubt that ‘we’ are the culprits and our car culture is the tool doing the damage. However, worse is our pretending to be concerned while indulging the need for convenience, often driven by laziness. For those who wish to exercise better judgment, here are some tips for cutting down your Carbon Footprint:

Cease using the car for short trips; combine them and follow the most effective route with the least number of miles between stops, and prevent crossing over routes

Get out of the car and stretch your legs. You’ll add only a few steps, but if you take the further parking space from the door, it can increase your daily total

Don’t allow your car to idle if you’ll be running for more than 10 seconds

Be the example to your kids and neighbors, share your effort to cut down on contamination to the atmosphere

If you read last month’s issue about saving money and passing on the take-out coffees, you’ll see that making it at home pays you to skip the line—it adds up quickly

We have all drifted into the belief that quick and easy is better; however, truthfully, such a tactic is harmful to you, your health, the family you cherish, and the world that is showing signs of illness caused by its inhabitants.

Get outside and breathe some air—you’ll feel better physically and emotionally. H

Behind every statistic is a human being with a unique story.

BY ROB SAINT LAURENT, M.ED.

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen describes the story of Amber, a multiple sclerosis patient in California. She’s used to having her insurance coverage continually withdrawn because of her chronic condition. After losing her employer-provided insurance, she’s been forced to pay criminally high out-of-pocket expenses, putting her house in jeopardy and exacerbating her illness.1

Healthcare advocate Rebecca Wood needed an emergency dental procedure, but her child’s health bill came first. When the infection spread throughout her mouth and jaw, she was forced to have her teeth pulled under just local anesthesia, unable to afford the exorbitant cost of general anesthesia. She can’t decide which is worse: the daily excruciating pain, anxiety over drooling while smiling, the challenge of eating, or losing her ability to play the trumpet.1

A Michigan couple was subjected to unjust treatment when the wife was forced to witness her husband’s kidney function deteriorate until he was finally deemed a candidate for organ replacement by his insurers. Having worked all his life for the federal government wasn’t a guarantee of quality healthcare.1

These anecdotes were from 2019. Since then, people’s suffering has only increased in one of the wealthiest nations in world history. It’s not unheard of for couples to divorce so a spouse can obtain treatment or qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Meanwhile, caring parents like Rebecca Wood forego their own well-being to ensure that of their children.

COMMON COMPLAINTS

Recent surveys reveal that between 60 and 70 percent of Americans have had a negative healthcare experience.

A 2023 Harris Poll commissioned by the American Academy of Physician Associates, for example, found over 70 percent of American adults felt the healthcare system wasn’t meeting at least one of their needs. Over half of 2,519 respondents graded U.S. healthcare with a ‘C’ or less. The most common

needed care was cost, followed by a system overly focused on profit, inaccessible insurance coverage, and confusion over coverage.2, 3

In their own personal experience, just 27 percent said the U.S. healthcare system fulfills their needs. The remainder responded with a variety of complaints (outlined below).

These frustrations have consequences.

More than four in 10 adults either put off or skipped needed care altogether in the past two years—mainly because of cost, and especially among those aged 65 and younger.

A majority of these respondents said their health deteriorated and they lost faith in the healthcare system.

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen describes the story of Amber, a multiple sclerosis patient in California. She’s used to having her insurance coverage continually withdrawn because of her chronic condition. After losing her employer-provided insurance, she’s been forced to pay criminally high out-of-pocket expenses, putting her house in jeopardy and exacerbating her illness.1

BROKEN SYSTEM

It’s not as if more money isn’t being invested in healthcare.

Adjusted for inflation, the U.S. spent roughly $1.7 trillion in total healthcare expenditures in 1993; in 2023, that figure rose to nearly $5 trillion. These estimates encompass both public and private funds. Meanwhile, inflation-adjusted healthcare spending per person more than doubled during that period, going from $6,461 to $14,570.4

Yet, the U.S. still lags in life expectancy, chronic disease prevention, preventable hospitalization and death, and other health indicators despite spending more on healthcare per capita than any other nation.

Our healthcare system is fraught with malignancies: cost barriers, insurance complications, systemic inequality, which can all lead to life-changing, even fatal outcomes. As Public Citizen notes, healthcare coverage is often considered a privilege rather than a human right. Numerous criteria that are frequently out of one’s control must be satisfied in order to receive coverage, as was the case with the couple in Michigan.

The system has shifted from healthcare to sick care, designed to reward intervention and not prevention. Self-neglect can lead to disease and avoidable death. Medicare only pays for wellness checks, which are non-comprehensive checks of vital signs, including a conversation, and minimal bloodwork. The dearth of primary care doctors results in significantly higher caseloads per physician, with minimal (if any) face time per patient. Then there are errors and omissions, poorly trained staff, and, all too often, minimal monitoring of policies and procedures being followed. Patient care frequently seems to be dependent on the bottom line. With this, we see physicians playing musical chairs, moving from one hospital to another.

Some would say these are mechanisms for culling the herd. At the very least, experts point out that in reality, the system is broken and in crisis.

“The system is costly, confusing, and it takes too long to receive the necessary care. The result is that people want to engage with it less, which can lead to even more health problems–both physical and mental.”2

“During my 44 years of active surgical practice, I have witnessed numerous, significant, and onerous progressive changes that threaten the quality, safety, accessibility, and affordability of medical care in this country.”5

James K. Elsey, M.D., a fellow of the American College of Surgeons

‘GOD OF PROFIT’

James K. Elsey, M.D., a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, can attest to the decay of U.S. healthcare over his decades of practice. “During my 44 years of active surgical practice, I have witnessed numerous, significant, and onerous progressive changes that threaten the quality, safety, accessibility, and affordability of medical care in this country.”5

In an editorial for ACS, Elsey writes that U.S. healthcare has become “highly corporatized,” a “medical industrial complex” lorded over “by a decreasing number of increasingly powerful conglomerates where profit is often the main metric of performance and success.” It’s become “a system that places the ‘god of profit’ over the general welfare of our citizens.” 5

When suggesting a surgery, he says it used to be that most patients would ask about pain, danger, and the prospect of death—what would be expected. Now, they more commonly ask how they’ll pay for it and wonder whether it’ll bankrupt them and jeopardize their family. Some are forced to sacrifice needed procedures and take their chances. He notes that healthcare is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy for Americans, accounting for more than two-thirds of all individual monetary defaults.

It’s not surprising that Americans line up for humanitarian healthcare events, much like those in third-world nations; they’re being forced to use the emergency room for primary care, and they’re resorting to online fundraising to pay medical bills like never before, spawning a new cottage industry.

Elsey says most experts believe our current healthcare system is doomed to implode at some point, with devastating effects to the nation’s economy and health.

CANARY IN THE COAL MINE

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is now the fastest-growing chronic disease in the world and the costliest to U.S. healthcare. Over 37 million Americans live with the disease, some 20 percent not even aware they have it.

In the journal Diabetes Care, public health experts argue that the

need for multifaceted care in diabetes, combined with poor care quality and outcomes in the U.S., is an indicator of the overall decline in our healthcare system. The fundamental problem, they say, is that we don’t prioritize everyone’s long-term health. Instead, value is placed on shortterm financial gain for care systems and their investors.6

Our healthcare, they say, imposes ‘perverse’ incentives to avoid caring for the neediest among us, where even less reimbursement is provided for Medicaid expenses (designed for the marginalized) than for Medicare, along with an overwhelming administrative burden.6

It also doesn’t address what are called social determinants of health, such as access to nutritious food and stable housing, which

have long been shown to exert a more significant impact on health outcomes than the healthcare system.

PATH FORWARD

Of the survey findings, Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema said, “What struck me from the research we conducted on behalf of AAPA is how clearly the findings demonstrate how the system itself is getting in the way of people being able to take care of themselves as well as the ones they love.

“The system is costly, confusing, and it takes too long to receive the necessary care. The result is that people want to engage with it less, which can lead to even more health problems–both physical and mental.”2

But the survey also showed cause for optimism.

Though Americans are frustrated with the state of healthcare, a majority of respondents did say they felt listened to by their providers, for the most part, especially those over age 50. Over 70 percent of respondents desired stronger relationships with their providers, while roughly two-thirds believed their health would improve by working with a trusted provider.2, 3

In Elsey’s view, U.S. healthcare needs complete restructuring. The new system shouldn’t be profit-driven, where access is “rationed, excluded, or penalized,” leaving only a privileged few to receive treatment. This will require intellect, the courage of conviction, and sacrifice, all aimed at the greater good.5

Policy experts advise redesigning and strongly governing health insurance to ensure the physical, mental, social, and behavioral needs of all communities, including people most marginalized, are properly met. With equitable access, care resources would be distributed according to need and not financial status.6

It’s a tall order, but, as Elsey writes, “The U.S. healthcare system can and must be reformed.”5 H

1. Farooq, T., Geonzon, J., & Walker, C. (2019, August 28). Members Respond: Stories of a Broken Healthcare System. Public Citizen.

2. AAPA. (2023). The Patient Experience – Perspectives on Today’s Healthcare.

3. Ducharme, J. (2023, May 16). Exclusive: More Than 70% of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System. Time.

4. McGough, M., Wager, E., Winger, A., Panchal, N. & Cotter, L. (2024, December 20). How has U.S. spending on healthcare changed over time? Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.

5. Elsey, J. K. (2025, February 5). U.S. Healthcare System Is in Crisis. American College of Surgeons.

6. Chin, M. H., Bruch, J. D., Grogan, C. M., et al. (2025, June 21). How to Fix a Broken Health Care System: Pathways to Maximize Health and Well-being for All. Diabetes Care.

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REPLACEMENT THERAPY IS COMING HOME

BY STEVEN CHAN

It begins, as many modern love stories do, in a room lit by screens. A woman in her late thirties— marketing director, yoga enthusiast, twice divorced—leans on her kitchen counter at midnight. She’s talking softly, laughing even, though no one else is there. On the counter beside her, a voice from a silver-white cylinder answers in a tone calibrated for warmth. She isn’t speaking to a friend or a therapist or a lover, but to an algorithm that knows her favorite wine, her moods, and her pet’s name.

Across America—and increasingly, across the world— such scenes are becoming less novel and more normal. The companionship market has crossed an invisible threshold: artificial intelligence and robotics are no longer curiosities on the periphery of romance but candidates for emotional partnership. As dating culture collapses under the weight of endless choice and dwindling trust, the notion that a machine might someday replace a human mate no longer feels absurd. It feels, unsettlingly, plausible.

THE AGE OF DISENCHANTMENT

The dating landscape of the past decade has been shaped by two contradictory forces: abundance and fatigue. Apps have placed millions of potential partners at our fingertips, but the outcome has been paradoxical—more options, less satisfaction. Ghosting, disposable matches, and the gamification of courtship have turned romance into a low-stakes marketplace. Sociologists describe it as ‘relationship inflation.’

Expectations for a partner’s beauty, education, empathy, ambition, and financial stability have all risen, yet our tolerance for imperfection has fallen. Many educated singles now delay or reject marriage entirely.

She isn’t speaking to a friend or a therapist or a lover, but to an algorithm that knows her favorite wine, her moods, and her pet’s name.

While those figures suggest marital stability, they mask another truth: fewer people are taking vows at all. Pew Research reports that 42 percent of U.S. adults were unpartnered in 2023, only a modest decline from 44 percent in 2019. Among the under-35s, solo living has become aspirational, not tragic.

Within those numbers lies a quiet transformation. Many of the same individuals abandoning dating apps aren’t swearing off companionship; they’re redefining it. Loneliness, long viewed as a symptom, is being treated as a market opportunity.

ENTER THE PERFECT PARTNER

The new face of companionship is smooth-skinned, fluent, and tireless. Whether rendered as a hologram, a silicone humanoid, or a voice within an app, today’s artificial companions are engineered to be flawless.

They are designed with features that human partners can rarely maintain: unflagging patience, total recall, and an instinct for emotional mirroring. AI systems built on top of large language models are already capable of intimate, adaptive dialogue. They remember what you like to talk about, when you wake, and how you prefer to be comforted. The next generation—embodied in robots with lifelike faces—adds touch and gesture to the mix.

“Perfection used to be a fantasy,” says one robotics researcher. “Now it’s a design brief.”

According to a poll, Who’s Thriving, conducted by Gallup in 2023, married Americans report higher satisfaction and feelings of well-being, yet fewer are seeking marriage:

n MARRIED ADULTS SELF-REPORT THEY ARE ‘THRIVING’: 61%

n THOSE ADULTS WHO CLAIM NEVER-MARRIED INDICATE ‘THRIVING’: 45%

n GAP: 16 POINTS, CONSISTENT ACROSS THE PAST DECADE

Gallup (2023)

That well-being gap is telling. Marriage still correlates with happiness—but correlation no longer guarantees causation. As more people experience emotional burnout from failed relationships, the promise of a controllable, affirming companion begins to appeal.

THE PROMISE AND THE PERIL

Advocates of companion robotics argue that these technologies offer an antidote to the epidemic of loneliness. In Japan, where declining birth rates and isolation among older adults have reached crisis levels, humanoid assistants already serve as daily company for tens of thousands. In the U.S., hospitals and eldercare facilities are testing similar models to reduce depression and anxiety.

As for singles, the marketing is more seductive. AI companies advertise ‘partners who truly listen.’ Some apps generate flirtatious avatars trained on user preferences, creating the illusion of a romantic connection. Unlike human partners, these entities don’t argue, forget anniversaries, or fall asleep during small talk.

“Perfection used to be a fantasy,” says one robotics researcher. “Now it’s a design brief.”

INTERACTION WITH AN AI COMPANION

Roughly one in five adults—and one in four under 30— have already tried an AI companion.

n ALL ADULTS: 16%

n UNDER 30: 25%

AI Companionship Among Adults (AP-NORC 2025)

Yet, critics warn that replacing reciprocity with simulation comes at a cost. “Real relationships require friction,” says Dr. Melissa Han, a social psychologist at Columbia. “They force us to adapt, to empathize, to confront ourselves. If machines absorb that labor, we may become emotionally atrophied.”

GENERATION SYNTHETIC

Among teenagers, the shift is already underway. According to a 2025 Common Sense Media survey, 72 percent of U.S. teens have interacted with an AI companion, and over half use one regularly. These digital friends range from innocuous study buddies to sexually suggestive chatbots that blur ethical lines.

AI COMPANIONSHIP AMONG TEENS (COMMON SENSE MEDIA 2025)

The next generation is already normalizing machine relationships

n TEENS WHO’VE USED AI COMPANIONS: 72%

n REGULAR USERS: 52%

Educators worry about what this means for development. If adolescence is in ‘life’s laboratory’ where empathy and conflict resolution are learned, delegating affection to algorithms could stunt those skills. “They’re practicing intimacy in a sandbox that never says no,” warns one counselor. Still, the appeal is obvious; AI companions never ghost, gossip, or judge. For a generation raised in the glare of social media, safety may often take precedence over authenticity.

WHEN PERFECTION BECOMES COMPETITION

For now, the market remains small—tens of millions globally—but analysts project rapid growth as hardware prices fall and AI realism improves. The first wave of affluent adopters views the technology less as a replacement therapy than as a way to optimize relationships: a means to smooth the rough edges of love.

In luxury circles, bespoke robotics studios already offer personalization options that read like couture catalogues: skin tone, accent, humor style, even political alignment. One London firm allows clients to upload playlists and photo archives, enabling the bot to ‘share your aesthetic memory.’

These innovations ignite an awkward question: What happens when synthetic partners become more emotionally efficient than humans?

Philosophers call it the intimacy paradox. Humans crave connection yet recoil from vulnerability. The machine offers connection without risk—companionship without consequence. “We may discover,” says Han, “that what people wanted wasn’t love, but relief.”

THE CASE FOR CAUTION

Beneath the fascination lies a quieter fear: these tools could erode the very skills that make relationships meaningful. The convenience of an ever-agreeable partner risks dulling our tolerance for difference.

A 2024 University of Toronto study found that relationship satisfaction among couples depends equally on both partners’ perceptions—not the old ‘happy wife, happy life’ adage but genuine reciprocity. Remove one side of the equation, and the emotional math collapses.

Researchers fear that replacing mutuality with mirroring will make genuine empathy rarer—and thus, more valuable.

The ethical concerns stretch further. Data privacy, emotional manipulation, and consent all become murky when the ‘partner’ is owned by a corporation. Should a bot be allowed to mimic a deceased spouse? Should it collect biometric data during intimacy? Regulators have no consensus.

BETWEEN RELIEF AND REGRESSION

Supporters counter that machines may simply fill the gaps human society has left unaddressed. “People are lonely,” says tech ethicist Rafael Ortiz. “They’re overworked, urban, and disconnected. AI companions don’t create loneliness; they respond to it.”

He may be right; going back to the Gallup’s 2023 well-being survey above, shows that married Americans are still more likely to describe themselves as ‘thriving,’ yet that advantage has barely changed in a decade. In other words, the institution isn’t collapsing—it’s static.

If companion technology offers solace without the legal or emotional overhead of marriage, many will take it. The shift won’t look like a revolution so much as a slow demographic slide: fewer weddings, more robots quietly sharing morning coffee.

THE CULTURAL CROSSROADS

What’s next seems to be an emergence of a new taxonomy of intimacy:

n HUMAN-HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS— PRIZED FOR DEPTH BUT COSTLY IN COMPROMISE

n HUMAN-MACHINE RELATIONSHIPS— EFFICIENT, CUSTOMIZABLE, BUT SHALLOW

n HYBRID LIFESTYLES— WHERE PEOPLE TOGGLE BETWEEN BOTH

For affluent consumers accustomed to on-demand service, the hybrid model may prove irresistible. Imagine a companion that manages calendars, provides conversation, travels discreetly, and never intrudes beyond consent. The product pitch writes itself. But culture rarely remains even keeled; history suggests that technologies first introduced as helpers often become habits, then necessities. The smartphone was a convenience before it became an appendage. Companionship may follow the same path—from novelty to expectation.

THE MARKET HORIZON

From elder care to emotional commerce, companion robotics is the next growth frontier.

GLOBAL SOCIAL-ROBOTICS MARKET: PROJECTED MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR GROWTH THROUGH THE 2030 s

PRIMARY DRIVERS: AGING POPULATIONS, AI AFFORDABILITY, POST-PANDEMIC ISOLATION

EMERGING SECTORS: LUXURY DOMESTIC COMPANIONS, ELDER-ASSISTIVE BOTS, THERAPEUTIC AVATARS

Analysts predict the first mass-market domestic companion robots will retail between $8,000 and $20,000—roughly the cost of a mid-range car. For upper-income households, that positions companionship as another premium appliance.

WHAT COMES AFTER THE HUMAN? MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

As these machines move from novelty to normalcy, the philosophical stakes sharpen. What happens when authenticity itself becomes optional? If a bot can mimic affection so convincingly that the user feels loved, does the difference matter? Some argue it doesn’t. “Love is a perception,” says Ortiz. “If you experience comfort, the source is secondary.” Others bristle at the idea. “Love without reciprocity is theater,” counters Han. “And theater isn’t therapy.”

PERHAPS BOTH ARE TRUE

What’s certain is that technology will not wait for consensus. Within five years, generative AI avatars are expected to integrate into augmented-reality glasses, meaning companions could accompany users everywhere—visible only to them. The intimacy once confined to bedrooms and chat windows will spill onto streets, offices, and commutes.

When it does happen, the line between private solace and public behavior will become entirely blurred. Will people introduce their bots at dinner parties? Reserve a couple’s suites at resorts? Or will the phenomenon remain discreet, a quiet indulgence of the lonely and the over-scheduled?

The companionship market has crossed an invisible threshold: artificial intelligence and robotics are no longer curiosities on the periphery of romance but candidates for emotional partnership.

HOMECOMING

The phrase Replacement Therapy was coined half-jokingly by tech bloggers to describe AI chatbots that simulate affection. But it fits. Humanity has spent centuries outsourcing labor; now it is outsourcing empathy.

And yet, the impulse is not new. We have always built mirrors—paintings, diaries, social media—to see ourselves reflected in our direction. The companion bot is the most sophisticated mirror as of date, programmed to smile when we do and instill instinctual pleasure.

For all the alarm, there may be grace in acknowledging the desire that drives it: to be known, consistently and without judgment. Whether that’s salvation or surrender depends on what we choose to replace—and what we fight to preserve.

Upon reflection, in truth, therapy isn’t the machine; it’s the mirror held up to us. H

GET TO WORK!

BY JAMES HOLDEN

It’s no longer fashionable to complain about the workforce. Every week, a new think-piece praises flexibility, self-care, and ‘quiet quitting’ as though disengagement were an art form. But somewhere between the wellness seminars and the four-day workweek trial balloons, a simple truth got lost: work is supposed to involve, well, work.

So let’s talk about the modern employee’s most sacred object: the smartphone. It hums, it flashes, it vibrates, it ‘pings,’ and it quietly drains entire workdays into the digital ether. We’ve built an economy that depends on people showing up but allows them to vanish into their screens mentally.

THE CASE FOR TAKING THE TOYS AWAY

Before you accuse me of sounding like a crank, consider the math. A 2024 Harvard Business Review survey found that the average U.S. employee checks their phone 58 times a day, with roughly half of those checks happening during working hours. Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Distraction Index estimates that mobile interruptions consume about two and a half hours of productivity daily, or approximately 30 percent of a full workday. Multiply that by the 168 million people in the U.S. labor force, and you get a silent trillion-dollar sinkhole.

Even more sobering: Screen Education’s 2024 Workplace Distraction Study reported that 83 percent of employees admit their

phones reduce their focus, and 62 percent acknowledge missing essential details because of them; 89 percent say they’d actually welcome limits—if management enforced them fairly. The desire for discipline, apparently, still exists; we’ve just forgotten how to exercise it.

A MORNING AT THE JOB SITE

Take a small example from real life. One summer morning, a local landscaping crew arrived to do weekly maintenance. One of the employees was operating a lawnmower, while two others pulled out their phones. They stood there scrolling, thumbs flicking in hypnotic synchrony, while grass clippings piled up around their boots. Fifteen minutes later, still scrolling. The cutter stopped, and the music from someone’s video clip started.

We timed them and concluded that they had been paid not to work for a joint total of 30 minutes, and that is only once we noticed it in an 8-hour day. At the firm’s rate of $250,000 a year in contracted services, that half-hour translates to many thousands of dollars of lost labor when multiplied across crews, companies, and industries; the cost of the ‘quick check’ is a national epidemic of idleness.

Our observations are not about demonizing workers; it’s about recognizing that technology has outpaced our ability to self-govern or apply self-imposed discipline. The phone began as an emergency line and

evolved into a pocket carnival. Employers allowed them for convenience; employees turned them into lifelines of dopamine.

THE PRODUCTIVITY MIRAGE

Defenders of constant connectivity argue that smartphones enable multi-taskers to respond faster and stay more organized. The data suggests otherwise. Research from the University of Texas found that simply having a phone visible—face down, on the desk—reduces cognitive capacity by up to 20 percent. Your brain burns energy resisting the urge to check it, leaving less bandwidth for actual thinking.

Another meta-study, published in Human Performance (2023), showed that workers who receive smartphone notifications, even silently, experience a significant drop in accuracy and recall for up to 10 minutes after each notification. That’s not efficiency; that’s engineered amnesia.

Imagine an assembly line where a siren blares every two minutes and management calls it ‘enhanced communication.’

That’s essentially what the modern office, restaurant, or most every other work environment has become.

PHONES AS EMOTIONAL COMFORT FOOD

Of course, phones aren’t just tools— they’re companions. They offer escape from boredom, conflict, and accountability. Checking a notification feels productive,

even when it’s meaningless. It’s the adult equivalent of shaking the vending machine to make sure it’s still stocked.

Psychologists refer to this as ‘intermittent reinforcement.’ Each time we glance at the screen, we might find a message, a like, or a soothing hit of chemically induced pleasure. Most of the time, we don’t. But the possibility keeps us tethered. It’s clearly a means of validation of one’s significance.

Humor helps soften the blow: One HR director recently joked, “We have two categories of staff—those on paid time and those on screen time.” However, the laughter died quickly when she announced a new policy: phones must be turned off and stored during shifts. Within a week, output increased by 12 percent and errors decreased by 9 percent. It turns out that irritation is an underrated management strategy.

WHAT COMPANIES ARE TRYING

Some firms are pushing back. BMW’s German plants now require employees to deposit their phones in lockers during assembly hours; the company reports a 26 percent productivity gain since implementing this change. In Japan, a 2024 pilot program by electronics manufacturer Omron reduced mobile device use during work hours, resulting in a 35 percent decrease in safety incidents.

In the U.S., law firms and healthcare facilities have followed suit for privacy reasons. Hospitals restrict phones to prevent patient-data leaks; attorneys ban them to protect confidentiality. Productivity is the bonus prize.

Yet, in many service industries—such as restaurants, retail, and construction— the idea of confiscating phones is often viewed as medieval. Managers fear revolt or lawsuits. Employees cite ‘emergency contact’ needs, as if national crises erupt hourly. But even the Federal Communications Commission notes that fewer than 2 percent of personal calls made during work hours are true emergencies. The rest are social pings, shopping alerts, or ‘just checking in.’

THE PRICE OF PERMISSION

Every employer who allows unrestricted phone use effectively subsidizes distraction. The average American worker now spends more than three hours a day on mobile

[The FCC] notes that fewer than 2 percent of personal calls made during work hours are true emergencies. The rest are social pings, shopping alerts, or ‘just checking in.’

devices unrelated to their job, according to Zippia’s 2025 Work Trends Survey. That’s 15 hours a week—nearly a second job’s worth of time, paid for by someone else’s payroll. In doing the math, we calculate that 15 hours x 50 weeks (minus 2 weeks for vacations) equals 750 hours of personal time. This calculation translates to approximately 18.75 weeks of personal indulgence that can be considered extra vacation time. Going further, we take the 50 weeks usually worked, less the 18.75 weeks of time off the job, and we find that the cell-addicted employee is only working diligently 31.25 weeks; remove the customary original 2-week period, and see the typical employee on the job for a mere 29.25 weeks, which is about half a year’s work for a whole year’s pay. Or, better yet, double their salary or wage for the time actually worked and come to the realization that the clerk handing you a coffee is raking in about $40 per hour, plus tips. Undoubtedly, outrage is how every employer will feel after learning of this calculation.

Meanwhile, U.S. productivity growth has

slowed to its weakest pace since the 1980s, and employee disengagement costs businesses an estimated $8.8 trillion globally (Gallup 2024). Smartphones aren’t the sole culprit, but they’re a conspicuous one.

When we allow phones to colonize the workday, we send a cultural message: attention is optional. The irony is that everyone—from executives to entry-level staff—claims to crave ‘focus time,’ yet no one wants to surrender the device that destroys it.

RECLAIMING ATTENTION— WITHOUT BECOMING THE VILLAIN

The solution doesn’t require draconian measures or Orwellian surveillance. It starts with boundaries: phones are off or stored during meetings, production hours, or customer interactions; breaks are scheduled for personal use; and leadership models the same restraint they demand.

Companies that implement such policies often find morale improves, not worsens. Workers rediscover the satisfaction of completing tasks without constant interruption. Teams talk again. A 2025 Stanford study found that after a two-week ‘digital fast,’ employees reported 23 percent higher job satisfaction and 17 percent better collaboration scores.

One logistics firm posted signs reading, “Your phone misses you too—see it at lunch,” compliance rates increased by 40 percent. Sometimes it accomplishes what memos cannot.

THE CULTURAL SHIFT WE NEED

What’s really at stake isn’t just efficiency; it’s respect—for work, for colleagues, for the time we sell and the promises we make. Carrying a phone on the clock isn’t a crime, but treating work as background noise for our scrolling habits erodes the social contract that makes employment possible.

Generations before us managed to build bridges, fly planes, and perform surgeries without checking notifications. We can surely manage a shift without TikTok.

Ultimately, confiscating phones at work isn’t about control; it’s about clarity. It’s a reminder that presence still matters—that showing up means more than swiping in.

If we can’t focus for eight hours without a screen to babysit us, maybe the robots deserve our jobs after all—get it? H

The name and face of Laura Taylor have made her the topic of conversations everywhere. As the founder, “Boozefree Badass, and Chief Mingle Officer” of Mingle Mocktails, she is riding atop a wave that demonstrates how limits are only imposed on those who focus on the crest instead of the ‘line,’ which propels those with ambition to continue their adventure without a break in the momentum.

Taylor has always embraced an active, multifaceted life. Growing up in San Diego, she earned an Engineering degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, yet she seamlessly blended her passion for innovation with a bustling social life. Now based in Philadelphia, she is a devoted mother of two, a loving wife of over 25 years, and an energetic business leader with vision.

In 2015, after deciding to give up alcohol, the soon-to-be entrepreneur discovered that her social experiences didn’t have to lose their spark. Despite attending business conferences, cocktail parties, and neighborhood gatherings, she was left with an uninspiring seltzer that didn’t match the excitement around her. Determined to feel included, she crafted her own cranberry cosmo for an upcoming girls’ weekend—a creation that reconnected her with the party spirit and laid the foundation for Mingle Mocktails.

Before venturing into the beverage industry, Taylor built a remarkable career in managing strategic alliance partnerships at leading tech firms like Tableau Software, IBM, and Accenture. Her diverse experience, spanning collaborations with food manufacturers and steel mills, enabled her to leverage her network and industry expertise. Balancing her full-time career with nights and weekends dedicated to launching Mingle, Taylor validated a proven concept: there was a significant demand for a sophisticated non-alcoholic beverage option.

Today, Mingle Mocktails’ portfolio features a range of vibrant, handcrafted drinks, including the Cranberry Cosmo, Blackberry Hibiscus Bellini, Cucumber Melon Mojito, Key Lime Margarita, Blood Orange Elderflower Mimosa, Sparkling Raspberry Rosé, and the newest addition, the Pineapple Paloma, an exclusive launch with Whole Foods Market.

For the health-conscious, these non-alcoholic cocktails check off perfectly with the brand’s offerings. Each mocktail boasts only 17 to 20 calories per 4-ounce serving and is made with clean ingredients—gluten-free, vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and Kosher Certified. Designed as a mocktail first, Mingle also invites social drinkers to mix with spirits, ensuring that everyone can feel part of the celebration.

Driven by her mission to bring an inclusive, festive beverage to every setting where alcohol is sold, Mingle Mocktails has found a home in over 7,000 retail locations nationwide, and is available online at MingleMocktails.com, Total Wine, Amazon, and retail stores. H

CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH ART

THE 2025 FOUNDRY ARTISTS HOLIDAY SHOW & SALE

Each year, as the holidays approach, Rhode Island bursts into color in a way that has nothing to do with twinkling lights or garlands. For two festive weekends only, the historic Pawtucket Armory becomes the state’s beating artistic heart, filled with the energy of more than 65 professional artists and the crowds who come to celebrate them.

This December, the Foundry Artists Association invites you to its 43rd Annual Holiday Show & Sale. This beloved New England tradition combines high-quality, juried artwork with the joy of community. It is free, open to the public, and unlike anything else in the region.

A TRADITION FOUR DECADES IN THE MAKING

The Foundry Artists Show began in 1982, when a collective of Rhode Island artists decided to open their I-95 Foundry Building studios during the holiday season. The idea was simple yet inspired: bring art directly to the public at a time of year when gifts are exchanged, homes are decorated, and creativity is celebrated.

When the original Foundry Building was converted to office space in the 1990s, the artists scattered to new studios across the region but refused to let the tradition fade. They found a new home in the Pawtucket Armory—a castle-like landmark built in 1894—and transformed its massive drill

hall into a dazzling holiday marketplace. Today, that same drill hall, restored and reimagined, continues to host what has become Rhode Island’s premier holiday art event.

For more than 40 years, families have marked their calendars for this annual show. Parents who once came as children now return with kids of their own, creating memories in a space that blends history, creativity, and community spirit.

AN OPENING NIGHT CELEBRATION

The excitement begins with the Opening Night Reception on Thursday, December 4, from 5-9 p.m. This evening sets the tone for the event: festive music, lively

conversation, and the thrill of meeting the artists behind the work. From glass blowers to jewelry makers, painters to woodworkers—you will have the rare chance to connect directly with creators while discovering one-of-a-kind pieces. The reception is a highlight not only because of the art, but because of the atmosphere. There is nothing quite like strolling beneath the Armory’s soaring ceilings and finding that perfect piece that speaks to you or a loved one. It’s shopping, yes—but elevated to an experience.

THE 2025 SCHEDULE

After opening night, the show continues across two weekends to explore, browse, shop, and savor:

Friday, December 5, 12-8 p.m.

Saturday, December 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday, December 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Friday, December 12, 12-8 p.m.

Saturday, December 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday, December 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

ART FOR EVERY TASTE

Part of the Foundry Show’s magic lies in its diversity. It’s not a flea market, nor is it an elite gallery closed off to the everyday shopper. Every participating artist has been juried in, ensuring that quality remains at the highest standard.

You’ll find:

n Fine art glass that glimmers with light

n Sculptures and paintings that can transform a living space

n Jewelry that sparkles with originality

n Fiber arts —wearable or decorative— bringing warmth and texture to the season

n Ceramics and woodwork that blend function with beauty

n Mixed media, photography, and artisan goods ranging from handmade books to beauty products

Each booth is a discovery, each table a conversation, each item a potential heirloom. Best of all, Rhode Island exempts fine art from sales tax, meaning your holiday shopping is not only meaningful but economical.

A COMMUNITY EFFORT

What makes the Foundry Artists Holiday Show & Sale especially rare is the way it is organized. The event is produced and managed by the artists themselves; they design the advertisements, hang the signage, manage the finances, operate the checkout desk, and even set up the electrical wiring.

This hands-on approach builds a sense of camaraderie that attendees can feel. When you walk into the Armory, you are entering not just a marketplace, but a family effort crafted with care. The passion of the artists radiates not only from their work, but from the environment they have created.

GIVING BACK

Art is at the center of this event, but so is generosity. The Foundry Artists Association has a long-standing commitment to giving back to the community. Each year, a silent auction showcases donated works by participating artists, with proceeds going to a local charity. Over the decades, funds have supported organizations ranging from animal shelters to child-welfare services.

Additionally, the show has embraced a tradition of collecting canned goods and donations for the Rhode Island Food Bank. Admission is free, but visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable items or small contributions to help neighbors in need. After the show, a van loaded with boxes from generous donors leaves the Armory.

MORE THAN SHOPPING

What sets this event apart is the way it transforms holiday shopping into an experience of connection. Each painting, bowl, necklace, or scarf carries not only the skill of its maker but also a personal story. You can look an artist in the eye, hear how they shaped their vision, and carry that story home with you.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Mark your calendars now for December 4-14, 2025. Whether you come for the opening reception, a quick lunchtime stroll, or a leisurely weekend browse, you’ll leave with more than just purchases—you’ll leave inspired.

The Pawtucket Armory is located at 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket, RI. The building is handicap accessible, with designated entrances and facilities. Major credit cards are accepted.

To learn more, visit foundryshow.com or follow along on Facebook at facebook.com/ foundryshow for updates, previews, and behind-the-scenes glimpses. H

MEDIA

SPONSOR:

As usual, we’re up north this winter and are planning to shoot a cover and story about a ‘Model-Day’ on the mountain.

No experience necessary, just a good look and a pleasant personality.

Whether you participate in winter sports or are coming up for a girls’ weekend, we want to talk to you.

To learn more about this exciting opportunity, send an email or text and introduce yourself and your friends; there is a good chance you’ll all be our Model(s) of the Month this winter.

BayCoast Bank Supports The Veterans Association

Of Bristol County

Timely Support Results In Meeting The Growing Need for Veterans’ Support Services

BayCoast Bank is more than just a financial institution; it is recognized for its dedicated staff, who genuinely care about helping the SouthCoast community thrive. As we approach the holiday season, the Bank’s efforts coincide with assisting local veterans who have selflessly served our country. Such a commitment is emboldened by the leadership, who fully support the Veterans Association of Bristol County (VABC).

Through this partnership, on October 30, VABC acquired the historic Tuscan Building, located at 145 Globe Street in Fall River, to significantly expand its ability to meet the increasing need for veterans’ services across Bristol County, Massachusetts.

“For years, demand for our programs has far outpaced the space we have to operate,” said Ken Levesque, Executive Director of VABC.

“This new facility is more than just a building—it’s a commitment to every veteran who walks through our doors. It’s a promise that we will continue to grow with them, adapt to their needs, and be a reliable source of support for decades to come.”

VABC has been a trusted resource for veterans, offering nutritious meals, clothing, health and wellness programs, and social engagement. As the number of veterans seeking support continues to grow, with nearly 4,900 veteran households served in 2024, VABC’s current facility at 755 Pine Street in Fall River is no longer adequate. When VABC identified the ideal property for a new veterans’ community service center and indicated that they needed to act quickly, given the competitiveness of the local real estate market, BayCoast Bank stepped up to the challenge. BayCoast Bank provided flexible financing to make the building’s $1.85 million purchase possible, then made a generous grant to help fund the down payment and building improvements necessary to accommodate VABC programs. The Bank has supported VABC for many years, with Greg Clarkin, Vice President of Business Development at BayCoast Bank, serving on the VABC board of directors. Additional support from the Robert F. Stoico FIRSTFED

Charitable Foundation, Ruby W. and LaVon P. Linn Foundation, and BankFive is also assisting with VABC’s advance on its Building A Healthy Veterans Community $3 million capital campaign goal. The seller, Tuscan Properties, LLC, also provided a generous charitable reduction on the purchase price in support of the VABC mission. Still, VABC must now raise $2 million to complete building improvements, including a new commercial kitchen and retire its mortgage. To fund such an ambitious effort, the organization is offering prominent naming opportunities within the building to donors.

Levesque added, “This purchase is a dream come true thanks to BayCoast Bank, with both financing and a charitable grant of $250,000, that sets the course for our capital campaign. This will be a community-wide fundraising effort to turn this building into a muchneeded veterans’ service center and regional hub of veteran support.”

“BayCoast Bank is truly honored to serve those who have bravely served us,” said John McMahon, Senior Vice President of Community Engagement for BayCoast Bank. “When the VABC needed our support, we didn’t hesitate. We are so pleased to be a part of this transformative project that will help ensure veterans have access to the comprehensive programs they need and deserve.”

The purchase of the Tuscan Building as a new base of operations marks a milestone for VABC, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2027. Most importantly, the move will improve its capacity to meet the growing needs of the veterans’ community with expanded services, increased accessibility, and a welcoming environment where veterans can find the resources, support, and camaraderie they deserve.

The new building will accommodate a larger community drop-in center, dedicated spaces for career development and housing support, an expanded food pantry, emergency food assistance areas, and multipurpose spaces for veteran-led events, workshops, education, and outreach activities. VABC will undertake building improvements to relocate its programs and then host an official dedication ceremony in the spring of 2026. H

L-R: Kimberly Grandfield, Carl Taber, Stephanie Melo Terra-BayCoast Bank, Tomas Santos, Ken Levesque-VABC, John McMahon-BayCoast Bank, John Torchio-VABC, and Michael J. O’Leary-BayCoast Bank

L-R: Greg Clarkin-BayCoast Bank & VABC, Ken Levesque-VABC

Tuscan Building, 145 Globe Street, Fall River, MA

DAY TRIPPING!

• Depart from New Bedford’s historic waterfront; a short walk to downtown New Bedford’s many restaurants, boutique shops, museums & galleries.

• Enjoy the gorgeous views of Buzzards Bay as you make your way to the laid back island of Cuttyhunk.

• Friday Night Sunset Cruises! Breathtaking scenery, comfortable accommodations, not to be missed excursion.

*WINTER: OCTOBER 14, 2025-APRIL 27, 2026

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To get a ticket you must have a reservation through our online reservation system. No charge for children 2 years and younger. The office must be notified at the time of ticket purchase about each child 2 years and under that will be traveling with you, in order to accurately count all persons on board the vessel. Dogs, on leash, are welcome at no charge. For non-web or special group payments and for check, cash or different form of payment, please email reservations@cuttyhunkferryco.com or call 508.992.0200 You can leave a message and your reservation will be held.