ONLINE-NETWORK-2026-1

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 / VOL 34 / ISSUE 1

$10.00

Since

1992

FACTOIDS SAFEST CITIES IN AMERICA (2025) US MOBILITY REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE THE Wonders OF THE WORLD A PLAYBOOK FOR LAUNCHING AR ART IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES BLANK WALLS, BIG RETURNS WHEN WILL TOO MUCH BE ENOUGH? TR E DAT HOW RENTERSHIP HAS TRANSFORMED AMERICAN HOUSING SINCE 2000 WHAT CAN I SCREW WITH TODAY? ESSENTIAL INSURANCE POLICIES FOR PROPERTY MANAGERS DRASTIC CUTS IN HOUSING GRANTS ANTICIPATED ARTCH TECTURE C NTEST: ON AVERAGE THE WARRIOR DIVIDEND: GRATITUDE, POWER, AND THE PRICE OF LOYALTY THE GROWING AMERICAN HOUSING CRISIS BEST PLACES TO RETIRE THE HUMOR OF BOB HOPE | THE WISDOM OF JOHN ADAMS WORLD URBANIZATION PROSPECTS 2025

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

Aa

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Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books A Million

Bookshop.org

Crest Bookshelf

from the pages of

The Best Diversions Give yourself the gift of smiles. J A handsome, artbook-style volume with the best Diversions to appear in over the last decade. A compendium you will treasure for years to come.

"This collection is laugh-out-loud funny!"

Kirkland Review of Books "Prescription: Read 3-4 pages a day for a month.

It’ll brighten your day! And make it last a month."

Susan Carnegie, The Montreal Voice

From Where I Sit

Vertical Lines I, II, III, IV and V

The Editor’s Page in is almost totally devoted to humor and wisdom and this is a collection of some of the best of them.

Compilations of Sarcasm, Word Play, and Witticisms from the pages of .

"This is simply genius. I kept on laughing the whole day when I read it."

Maria Tariq "...absolutely hilarious! I laughed so hard that it brought tears to my eyes."

Randal Maynard

also from The CREST Publications Group

My Hand Book "Incisive yet expansive - as if the psychology of R.D. Laing encountered the selfexploration of Hugh Prather to help readers delve into their own thought, experiences and behaviours."

The Rockford Tribune

"Curiously intense and ironic. This is a work that will make you think and feel and you will revisit it over and over.

Marion Danziger, The Toronto Town Crier

S.H.I.T. from the Internet “An often off-color (but always entertaining and almost always hilarious) collection of jokes that you will read, enjoy – and probably tell – over and over.”

NE

Leading With My Heart "It matters not who we have been, or why, with whom, or how.

What matters is that we have met and who we are from now."

Original reflections on new love, its flame, intensity, and all-consuming spirit. Short, poetic expressions of heartfelt longing, passion, and desire. Intimate expressions of tenderness and adoration, accompanied by romantic pictures.

A wonderful gift for someone you love.

“So simple. So eloquent and beautiful. Absolutely wonderful!”

Allison Templeton

A Book

Joey Cousins, The Greenwich Times

NE

W!

"A perfect companion to Vertical Lines humor in bite-sized pieces.”

Farrago

Short, light-hearted, satirical, unrelated vignettes.

Episodic. Descriptive. Cryptic. Quixotic. Wry. Sardonic. Sarcastic. Ironical. Unrealistic. Whimsical.

And probably a whole lot of other things. But most of all, fun and funny.

“Reading this collection is like attending a dinner party where every guest is both hilariously confused and somehow correct.”

Marigold Splint, Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Unnecessary Brilliance

Ellen Campbell, Sinclair Book Reviews unite!

"Dyslexics of the world, untie!” this!

Punsters of the world, read shit!"

L. Bartow. The Network Bookshelf

Available at your favorite online bookstores – click on the links at the top of the page.

W!

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58 THE

06 MASTHEAD

BEST PLACES TO RETIRE

07 Editor’s note

08 CONTRIBUTING

WRITERS

09 INB X | ON THE

COVER

12 FACTOIDS

‘6-7’, EGOT, CHIMERA, ACCORDING TO YOU.COM, ALTERNATIVE FACTS, HAIR GROWTH, ZEITGEIST, YO-YO, QUIT COLD TURKEY, WHY ARE BARNS RED?, ANHEDONIA, LATIN PHRASES, WHAT GASLIGHTING LOOKS LIKE, ANAGRAMS

17 TR E DAT

GENERAL SHERMAN TREE, SNEEZING WHILE ALEEP?, BREATHING WHILE SWALLOWING?, THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER, HUMMINGBIRDS, STRAWBERRIES, BLOODWORK, GORILLAS, DOLBEAR’S LAW, GROWING WHILE SLEEPING, CAESAR SALAD

19

PICTORIAL HUMOR

32 ARTCH TECTURE

45 GROK VS. CHATGPT:

NAVIGATING THE AI LANDSCAPE IN 2025

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ROXANA TOFAN COMPARES TWO MAJOR AI COMPANIES HEAD-TO-HEAD

48 THE

ANNIE OAKLEY

PAGE

50 TRENDI G – THE SAFEST CITIES IN AMERICA

A WALLETHUB REPORT BY ADAM MCCANN

56 THE

PAGE – WHAT CAN I SCREW WITH TODAY?

OUR EDITOR EXAMINES THE PSYCHOPATHY OF DONALD TRUMP

ELENA BOND –‘NEW IMPRESSIONISM’

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR T.J. EDWARDS OPINES ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S “WARRIOR DIVIDEND” OF $1,776 FOR 1.45 MILLION MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY

47 THE

GE GRAPHY PAGE WORLD URBANIZATION PROSPECTS -2025

58 THE BEST PLACES TO RETIRE

A STORAGECAFE STUDY BY ANCA LENTA

59 SATIRE: NEW

AMERICAN FLAG AND NEW STATES ARE ANNOUNCED

60 THE LINK

MARKETPLACE, BIDDER’S LIST & DIRECTORY

62 BACKPAGE

OUR ADVERTISERS, WINNERS FROM LAST ISSUE’S CONTEST

63 C NTEST: ON

AVERAGE

43 THINKING OUT LOUD –

THE WARRIOR DIVIDEND: GRATITUDE, POWER, AND THE PRICE OF LOYALTY

A STORAGECAFE STUDY BY ANCA LENTA

DIVERSI NS

21

OF MILITARY ORIGIN

54 OPINION: DONALD

61

TOO MUCH BE ENOUGH?

PIECE OF MIND COME ON THE BUS? ULTIMATUM HOW I BEGAN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY WALKIE-TALKIE SPOILED CHILDREN SHIRT

56 THE WISDOM OF

62

TRUMP AND THE ANTITHESIS OF NOBLESSE OBLIGE

54 OPINION: WHEN WILL

JOHN ADAMS

57 THE HUMOR OF BOB HOPE

POEMS THE 7 DWARVES OF MENOPAUSE JUST MARRED THE DEAD HORSE THEORY

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THE BLUEPRINT 21 SCOTLAND’S BEST

NEW BUILDING

THE ROYAL INCORPORATION OF ARCHITECTS IN SCOTLAND NAMES UNION TERRACE GARDENS IN ABERDEEN

24 THE Wonders OF THE WORLD OUR NINTH INSTALLMENT –THE SEVEN WONDERS OF OTHER ASIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE

27 EGRESS MARKING WITH SINGLE SOURCE CONVENIENCE

TIM BRENNAN OF WOOSTER PRODUCTS EXAMINES HOW TO KEEP YOUR BUILDING SAFE…AND CODE COMPLIANT

28 MOBILITY RATES

REACHED RECORD LOW IN 2024

ANDRA HOPULELE OF POINT2 HOMES ANALYZES THE U.S. CENSUS DATA

29 TRENDI G – DRASTIC CUTS IN HOUSING GRANTS ANTICIPATED

38 THE METAVERSE IS

LOCAL: WEAVING DIGITAL ART INTO THE FABRIC OF COMMERCIAL SPACES

INFO-LINKS’ JON FITZGERALD PRESENTS THE FOURTH INSTALLMENT IN A SERIES: THE BARE WALLS PROJECT -AN INNOVATIVE IDEA TO SUPPORT ARTISTS WHILE ELEVATING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

40 HOW RENTERSHIP

HAS TRANSFORMED AMERICAN HOUSING SINCE 2000

ALEXANDRA CIUNTU GUIDES US THROUGH A POINT2HOMES STUDY

36 A PLAYBOOK FOR

30

LAUNCHING AR ART IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES

REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE

ETHAR’S TONY HODGSON PRESENTS THE FIFTH OF A MULTI-PART SERIES: A NEW FRONTIER FOR AUGMENTED REALITY

22

ESSENTIAL INSURANCE POLICIES FOR PROPERTY MANAGERS

GABI STINSON STREET PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE NECESSARY PORTFOLIO

DUBAI'S MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE

46

– FROM THE ASHES OF WAR TO THE BRIDGES OF TOMORROWTHE ENDURING MISSION OF UNESCO

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ROXANA TOFAN LOOKS AT THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW OF THE AGENCY THAT ESTABLISHED THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST

THE

20

FACTOR

FIFTYTWODEGREES HAUS ZUM FALKEN

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 / VOL 34 / ISSUE 1

ABOUT US

A publication of The CREST Publications Group 4240 Hazelwood Avenue, Frisco, TX 75034 Tel: 214-755-2277 Fax: 817-924-7116 www.crestpublicationsgroup.com FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Now in our 34th year, reaches millions of architects, engineers, developers, brokers, construction managers, property and facility managers, bankers, lawyers, appraisers, investors, service providers, and many more throughout the U.S. via subscription and social media! We proudly serve and service any and all real estate associations bimonthly. If your group would like to be included, please let us know.

Email: aafelder@thenetworkmagazine.org or call the number above.

theNetworkMagazine CREST Publications Group EXECUTIVE STAFF ANDREW A. FELDER: Publisher/Managing Editor. aafelder@thenetworkmagazine.org XENIA MONTERO: Associate Editor, Art Director and Social Media Manager. hello@agosto.studio MARK ANGLE: National Sales Manager. mark@thenetworkmagazine.org MARIA TARIQ: Technical Director, Book Division. mariatariq237@gmail.com MUKUL TRIPATHI (SAM): Website Manager. sam@cypher-squad.com SOPHIA LEO: Designer, Book Division. sophialeo629@gmail.com Andrew A. Felder

Xenia Montero

Maria Tariq

Mukul Tripathi (Sam)

WHAT OUR READERS ARE saying

Mark Angle

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

ANTHONY BARBIERI: Legal.

ROXANA TOFAN: 6Q –Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. T. J. EDWARDS : Thinking Out Loud.

Anthony Barbieri

Roxana Tofan

T. J. Edwards

ADVISORY BOARD

LINDSEY KOREN, Director of Communications, American Society of Interior Designers.

JONATHAN KRAATZ, Executive Director, USGBC Texas.

Rick Lackey, CEO, REAL Professionals Network.

AIMÉE LEE, National Accounts Director, Recycle Across America.

LESLIE ROBINETT, Marketing and Communications Manager, International Facility Management Association.

LAURA MACDONALD STEWART, RID, FASID, IIDA, LEED AP, Editor of Plinth & Chintz.

JESSICA WARRIOR, Director of Property Management, Granite Properties.

Copyright ©2026 The CREST Publications Group, 4240 Hazelwood Avenue, Frisco, TX 75034. All rights reserved. All information contained herein (including, but not limited to, articles, opinions, reviews, text, photographs, images, illustrations, trademarks, service marks and the like (collectively the “Content”) is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. The Content is the property of The CREST Publications Group and/ or third party licensors. You may not modify, publish, transmit, transfer, sell, reproduce, create derivative work from, distribute, republish, display, or in any way commercially exploit any of the Content or infringe upon magazine contains facts, views, opinions, statements and recommendations of third party trademarks or service marks contained in such Content. GENERAL DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: individuals and organizations. The publisher does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information displayed and any reliance upon same shall be at the viewer’s sole risk. The publisher makes no guarantees or representations as to, and shall have no liability for, any content delivered by any third party, including, without limitation, the accuracy, subject matter, quality or timeliness of any Content. Change of address: Mail to address above or email editor@crestnetwork.com.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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Editor’s note

structions on how to take care of the cat, when to feed it, how to change its litter box, and so on.

Still, when it was time to leave, he felt sad — not because he was saying goodbye to his brother and mother, but because he was leaving his Fluffy.

Some people didn’t just fall from The Stupid Tree; they were dragged through the entire Dumbass Forest.

THE CAT’S ON THE ROOF

Walter Smith was a wealthy and successful businessman in Chicago. A confirmed bachelor, he lived with his mother, his younger brother Edward, and his cat, Fluffy, to whom he was very attached.

Fluffy was almost always with him, as Walter rarely left the house for more than a few hours.

One day, he had to go on a business trip that would keep him away for two nights. He gave his brother in-

That night, he called home from his hotel room, and his brother answered the phone. The first thing he asked was, “How’s Fluffy?”

Edward, who never really cared for the cat, said, “Oh, the cat died.”

Stunned, Walter hung up the phone, sat on the edge of the bed, buried his face in his hands, and cried. Two hours later, he called home again, and once more, Edward answered the phone.

“You know,” he said, “that was very cruel of you.”

“I'm sorry. I certainly didn't mean to be cruel," said Edward. “The cat

died. What should I have said?”

“Well,” Walter started, “you could have said Fluffy got out and ran onto the roof. Then, when I called back later, you could have said she fell off the roof, and we rushed her to the vet. And then, when I called again, you could have told me that the vet said there wasn't anything he could do, and that she passed away.”

“I'm sorry,” Edward said. “I really didn't mean to be insensitive. I know how much you loved Fluffy.”

“Well, I guess I'll have to accept that. It makes me really sad.”

"I understand,” said Edward.

"Well, moving on... How’s mother?” asked Walter.

There was a long pause, then Edward responded, “Well... mother's on the roof...”

FACE DOESN’T RING A BELL

A man with no arms visited a monastery to apply for a bell ringer position. The monk looked at him and asked, “But sir, you have no arms. How will you ring the bell?” The man said, "Just take me to the bell, and I will show you." The monk led him up the long winding stairwell to the belfry, and the man walked over to the bell to examine it closely. Then he moved twelve steps back, ran as fast as he could toward the bell, and rammed his face into it.

The bell didn’t move and didn’t make a sound. The monk gasped as the man stumbled, spun around, and staggered aimlessly toward the edge of the room. Then he fell, plummeting 65 feet to the cobblestone ground.

The monk hurried down the stairs to find the man’s crushed and twisted body. Clearly, he was dead.

He knelt and said a prayer. When the police arrived an hour later, they asked the monk if he knew the man. He simply said, "No. His face doesn't ring a bell."

The next day, another man with no arms showed up at the monastery and said he wanted to apply for the job as a bell ringer. The monk asked, “Just yesterday, a man, like you, with no arms, came here to apply for that job. I imagine you’ve heard what happened?" “Yes,” said the man. "He was my twin brother. He knew I was going to apply for the job, and he raced over here to beat me to it. If you’d allow me to try, I’d very much appreciate it."

The monk couldn't refuse and slowly led the man up the long stairwell.

Once at the belfry, the man walked over to the bell and kissed the spot where he imagined his brother's face had hit the bell just the day before.

Then he walked back to the edge of the furthest wall. The monk watched in horror as once again a man hurled himself face-first at the bell, but at the last second, he stopped, tucked his chin, and slammed his head into the side of the bell. The bell rang with a loud and melodious clang.

The man cried out in pain, staggered, stumbled, and, like his brother, fell to his death below.

It was the loudest clang the countryside had heard in years. Once again, the police showed up and asked the monk if he knew the man's name, to which the monk replied, "No… but he's a dead ringer for his brother."

BY ANDREW FELDER Managing Editor & Publisher aafelder@thenetworkmagazine.org I didn't want to die.

I had so much to live for, So much left yet to do, It seemed almost impossible, That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays, The good ones and the bad, I thought of all the love we shared, And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday, Just even for a while, I'd say goodbye and kiss you And maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized, That this could never be, For emptiness and memories Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things, I might miss come tomorrow, I thought of you, and when I did, My heart was filled with sorrow.

IF TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME…

When tomorrow starts without me, And I'm not there to see, If the sun should rise and find your eyes All filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you wouldn't cry The way you did today, While thinking of the many things, We didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me, As much as I love you, And each time that you think of me, I know you'll miss me, too.

But when tomorrow starts without me, Please try to understand, That an angel came and called my name, And took me by the hand.

And said my place was ready, In heaven far above, And that I'd have to leave behind All those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away, A tear fell from my eye, For all my life, I'd always thought,

But when I walked through heaven's gates, I felt so much at home, When God looked down and smiled at me, From His great golden throne.

He said, "This is eternity, And all I've promised you.

Today your life on earth is past, But here life starts anew, I promise no tomorrow, But today will always last.

And since each day's the same way, There's no longing for the past.

You have been so faithful, So trusting and so true, Though there were times You did some things you knew you shouldn't do.

But you have been forgiven, And now at last you're free, So won't you come and take my hand, And share my life with me?”

So when tomorrow starts without me, Don't think we're far apart, For every time you think of me, I'm right here, in your heart. n

ALL PICTURES ON THIS PAGE ©️ 2025 CREST PUBLICATIONS GROUP

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Contributing

ALEXANDRA CIUNTU (P. 40) is a Senior Real Estate Writer for Point2Homes. She holds a BA in Language and an MA in Journalism and Cultural Studies.

With over five years of experience covering and interpreting housing market trends, she has written extensively on topics such as renter demographic shifts, residential development, rental dynamics, market reports, and industry news. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg, Barron’s, Inman, Forbes, Architectural Digest, and MarketWatch, and she has earned bylines in other industry publications.

  »

BRIGADIER GENERAL THOMAS J. EDWARDS (P. 43) retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of distinguished service, earning accolades such as the Distinguished Service Medal, five Legion of Merit awards, and the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in combat. He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, the Military Officer’s Association of America, and the 82nd Airborne Division Association. T.J. holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and Master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma, the Naval War College, and the Army War College. In May 2022, he relocated to San Antonio, Texas, earned his Texas Real Estate license, and joined Clear Integrity Group (CIG) as a partner, where he applies his leadership expertise to optimize the company's commercial real estate portfolios and operations.

Writers

JON FITZGERALD (P. 38) is an entrepreneur specializing in wireless communications with over 30 years of experience, including service in the Army Signal Corps. Since 2013, he has successfully led the team at InfoLink through hundreds of successful projects, combining technical expertise with strategic management to drive business success. InfoLink focuses on innovative wireless solutions that cater to the ever-evolving needs of enterprises, governments, and industries.

Collaborating with the exceptional team at InfoLink, Jon is dedicated to driving innovation for impact in the fast-paced wireless sector.

TONY HODGSON (P. 36) is the founder and CEO of Ethar, Inc., an engineering and scientific firm developing best-in-class spatial computing solutions. Since starting his career supporting NASA and commercial aerospace programs, Tony has started and grown several software companies, led one of the largest technology incubators in the US, started the AR/Wearables group for Verizon’s marketing organization, and chaired global standards initiatives developing open and interoperable AR/VR solutions. He holds multiple industry certifications, and engineering degrees from Texas A&M and the University of Texas-Arlington.

ANDRA HOPULELE (P. 28 ) is a Senior Real Estate Writer at Point2Homes. She has a BAs in Language and in Psychology and an MA in Cultural Studies.

With over seven years of experience in the field and a passion for all things real estate, Andra covers the impact of housing issues on our everyday lives, including the latest news on residential development, the dynamics of house rentals, advice for first-time renters and rental market news. She also writes about the financial implications of the new generations entering the housing market, with a focus on renters' perspectives and challenges. Her studies and articles have appeared in publications like The New York Times, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, MSN, The Real Deal, and the Huffington Post.

»»

ANCA LENTA (P. 58) is a real estate writer and editor at StorageCafe, holding a degree in Communication and Public Relations. With over six years of marketing experience, she now focuses on real estate trends.

Outside the office, she's either leveling up in the latest game or enjoying her favorite novels. m

ADAM MCCANN (P. 51) is a personal finance writer for WalletHub who also helps produce WalletHub's weekly 'Best and Worst' studies. At Hopkins he took a wide variety of classes in writing, English, economics, political science, history, and language. While pursuing his education, Adam worked part-time in the Special Collections department of JHU's Milton S. Eisenhower library, where he helped out with the university's collection of rare books and manuscripts.

GABRIELA STINSON STREET (P. 22) is co-owner of Street Insurance Agency, where she oversees the firm's commercial insurance portfolio. She partners closely with business owners to build coverage strategies that protect assets, support day-to-day operations, and enable long-term growth.

With experience in commercial property, general liability, workers' compensation, and specialty programs for emerging industries, she brings a practical, forward-thinking perspective to every client relationship. She breaks down complex insurance concepts into clear, actionable guidance and stands by her clients throughout the policy and claims process. Outside the office, Gabi stays active in the community, invests in ongoing professional development, and enjoys collaborating with fellow entrepreneurs across Texas.

ROXANA TOFAN (P. 44 AND 45) is the founder and principal broker of Clear Integrity Group, specializing in commercial real estate across Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee. With a focus on multifamily and commercial properties, she excels in acquisitions, dispositions, and property management, particularly in transforming underperforming assets through strategic operations and team building. Roxana is a dedicated community advocate and enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and supporting charitable causes. She has also served as a contributing editor for for over 15 years, covering topics including commercial real estate, business ownership, sports, and travel.

I was out of sick days, so I called in dead.

TIM BRENNAN (P. 27) is the Sales Manager for Wooster Products. He works with architects and specifiers nationwide to ensure that stairways in the buildings, arenas, and other structures they design meet egress and stairway safety codes. Wooster Products is the industry leader in antislip stair treads and walkway products. For over 100 years, it has manufactured anti-slip products for new construction, renovation, marine, and OEM applications from its Wooster, OH facility. It pioneered NITEGLOW photoluminescent stair treads and nosing and continues to lead the industry in glow-in-the-dark stair tread technology.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

INB X

I’m writing to express my appreciation Magazine. Each issue for is a pleasure to read—its thoughtful content, clear organization, and striking visual design make it stand out in a crowded field. The balance of depth and accessibility keeps me engaged from cover to cover, and the clean layout makes even complex topics inviting.

Sadly, the days of people using proper English are went.

Thank you for producing a publication that consistently informs, inspires, and looks fantastic while doing it. I look forward to every new edition.

Jason Cavinder, Oak Park, IL The magazine looks fantastic! The layout and visuals are beautifully done... such an engaging publication.

Michelle Aura, Santa Barbara, CA I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my admiration Magazine and the for exceptional quality it consistently delivers in both its humor and news content.

The magazine's diverse array of humor appeals to a wide audience, providing laughter and a light-hearted perspective that complements the more serious news articles. I appreciate how each section is clearly labeled, allowing readers to distinguish between news, opinion, and entertainment effortlessly. This thoughtful organization enhances the reading experience and allows for a deeper engagement with the content.

It's refreshing to find a publication that balances humor with critical insights, making complex issues more accessible and engaging.

Hunter Tillottson, Estes Park, CO

CORRECTIONS & AMPLIFICATIONS Did we make a mistake? Or does something we wrote about need further clarification? Let us know. editor@thenetworkmagazine.org

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ON THE COVER

‘CAPITAL SALUTE’ by ELENA BOND When I first finished this painting, I felt something I didn’t expect—a sense of finally arriving at a place I had imagined for so many years. My eyes go first to the Capitol in the distance. I had studied its shape and significance over and over while preparing for my citizenship test.

But here, glowing softly through the winter haze, it feels different. It no longer seems far away. It feels inviting, almost as if this country I once saw only from the outside is quietly saying, “Come in.

You belong here now.”

The flags lining the street strike me even more deeply. For so long they represented a destination, a hope. Now they are my flags. I never thought simply seeing them ripple in the cold air would fill me with such pride. It’s strange—and beautiful—to feel so connected to something that once seemed impossibly distant.

Then there’s the everyday life unfolding below: cars rushing toward the Capitol, headlights glimmering on wet pavement, people moving through their routines.

Nothing dramatic, nothing ceremonial.

And yet, that ordinariness is exactly what makes it meaningful. This is the America I’ve stepped into—not the postcard version, but the living, breathing, everyday reality. The place where I work, make decisions, pay taxes, meet neighbors, and build dreams. I’m part of that flow now, part of this daily rhythm.

Even the loose brushstrokes bring me comfort. Their soft blur reminds me that my own life here is still taking shape. My place in this country isn’t fully defined yet—but that’s all right. America itself is always unfinished, always evolving.

And now, I get to add a few strokes of my own.

RECYCLING IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE CONFUSING. THE SOLUTION: The standardized labels on recycling bins make it easy for people to recycle right!

It’s that simple.

LET’S RECYCLE RIGHT! To choose the standardized labels that work for your recycling program visit: www.RecycleAcrossAmerica.org

The nonprofit organization, Recycle Across America created the first and only standardized labels for recycling bins. This simple solution is referred to as “one of the most important environmental fixes taking root today” by the New York Times.

ANGIE HARMON

Actress and volunteer advocate for Recycle Across America

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It’s easy as ABC

Accounts Receivable Tracking them is good. Collecting them is better!

Business-to-business debts require special, focused expertise and finesse... and the selection of your commercial collection service is an important decision.

It revolves around Service, Trust and Recovery. Rates are important, and recovery is the objective (the bottom line)... but there is more to it.

The company you choose will be handling your money, talking to your customers, and representing you in the marketplace. You want your money as soon as possible – but you don’t want to lose clients.

At Arsenal Business Collections (ABC), you’re never out-of-pocket for our services. We collect (at prearranged terms) and when – and only when – we succeed (i.e., once we collect money owed to you), do we get paid.

There is no fee UNLESS and UNTIL we collect!

Our payment is contingent upon your recovery – so our success is integrally tied to yours.

As a privately-owned company, we make decisions based on what is best for clients, not shareholders or outside investors. Our focus is exclusively on improving your bottom line, and we have the knowledge and experience to deliver exceptional results.

Arsenal Business Collections 4240 Hazelwood Avenue Frisco, TX 75034 Tel: 214-755-2277 Fax: 817.924.7116 www.thearsenalcompanies.com

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

FACTOIDS Betcha didn’t know...

EGOT

"6-7"

Dictionary.com has announced its 2025 Word of the Year on Oct. 29th: "6-7" (also "six-seven" and "67"), a slang phrase popular among Gen Alpha.

While some interpret the phrase to mean "so-so" or "maybe this, maybe that," it is also used as an exclamation, according to Dictionary.com. The phrase and accompanying hand movement [moving the hands up and down, palms up, like weighing two objects] started with the song "Doot Doot," by rapper Skrilla. In the song, Skrilla sings, "The way that switch, I know he dyin'. 6-7.

I just bipped right on the highway."

Cambridge Dictionary chose the word parasocial as the 2025 Word of the Year. The dictionary defines parasocial as "involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know".

EGOT, an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, is the designation given to people who have won all four of the major performing art awards in the United States. Respectively, they honor outstanding achievements in television, audio recording/music, film, and theatre. Achieving the EGOT has been referred to as the "grand slam" of American show business. Including those with honorary or special awards, 27 people have achieved this status.[ Only one person, Robert Lopez, has won all four awards twice. [Lopez, a songwriter, became the youngest EGOT achiever at age 39 after winning an Oscar for best original song in 2014 for "Let It Go" from the movie "Frozen." He later won a second Oscar for the song "Remember Me" from "Coco" in 2017.]

Chimera

Chimera was a monstrous, fire-breathing hybrid creature from Asia Minor, made up of different animal parts. It is usually shown as a lion with a goat's head on its back and a tail ending with a snake's head. Some versions also depict it with dragon's wings. It was

a child of Typhon and Echidna, and a sibling to monsters like Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra. The term "chimera" now refers to any mythical or fictional creature with parts from different animals, or to anything made of mismatched parts, or to anything seen as wildly imaginative, unlikely, or dazzling. [In other words, a chimera can be any hybrid creature. In a figurative sense, based on its mythological meaning, "chimera" refers to an unrealistic or unattainable, wild, foolish, or vain dream, idea, or goal.

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Sex is like a gas station. Sometimes you get full service, sometimes you gotta ask for service and sometimes you have to be happy with self service.

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According to You.com…

Which Adjectives Come First When Describing Someone? (Height, Race, Weight, Hair, etc.)

When describing a person, adjectives for height and weight (such as "tall," "short," "slim," "heavy") typically come first, followed by adjectives for race or skin color (like "Black," "Asian"), then hair (such as "blonde," "curly-haired"), and finally other features. For example, "a tall Black man" or "a short blonde woman" is the natural order in English.

The term "alternative facts" was used

by Kellyanne Conway, an advisor to President Donald Trump, during a Meet the Press interview on January 22, 2017. Conway was defending White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's false statement about the attendance numbers of Trump's inauguration as President of the United States. When pressed during the interview with Chuck Todd to explain why Spicer would "utter a provable falsehood," Conway said that Spicer was giving "alternative facts." Todd replied, "Look, alternative facts are not facts. They're falsehoods."

The term "alternative facts" faced widespread criticism for justifying false

Why does hair on your head continue to grow, but over the rest of your body it doesn’t?

What makes you think scalp hair grows forever? Remember the title song from Hair (“Don’t never have to cut it ‘cuz it stops by itself”)? Each scalp and beard hair grows for two to six years before stopping, reaching a typical maximum length of 2 to 3 feet. Then it becomes dormant for about three months, after which a new hair begins to grow and pushes the old one out of the follicle from behind. That’s why even someone who isn’t balding loses 70 to 100 hairs a day. In comparison, the growth cycle for other body hair lasts only a few weeks.

Adjective Type

Typical Position

Example Phrase

Height/Weight

1st

tall, short, heavy

Age/Gender

2nd

young, old, male

Race/Skin Color

3rd

Black, Asian, white, fair-skinned

Hair (Color/Style)

4th

blonde, curly-haired

Eyes/Facial Features

5th

blue-eyed, round-faced

Distinctive Marks

Last

tattooed, scarred

In English, adjectives for height and weight (size/build) almost always come first, followed by race/skin color, then hair, and then other features. This order is consistent across linguistic rules, psychological research, and real-world language use. or misleading statements. It was also viewed as an attempt to diminish the significance of objective truth. Since then, it has been used to describe other instances of false or misleading claims, including those made by politicians, pundits, and social media users.

Additionally, it has been used to spread misinformation and disinformation.

Using "alternative facts" can lead to many negative effects. It can cause confusion and uncertainty, making people unsure about what to believe.

It can also damage trust in institutions, as people lose faith in their ability to provide truthful information. Additionally, using "alternative facts" can help spread misinformation and disinformation, which can harm society.

Kellyanne Elizabeth Conway is an American political consultant and pollster who served as Senior Counselor to the President during Donald Trump's first term from 2017 to 2020. She was previously Trump's campaign manager, having been appointed in August 2016; she is the first woman to have run a successful U.S. presidential campaign.

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Nine months before I was born, I went to a party with my Dad and left with my Mom.

Alternative Facts

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Yo-Yo

The yo-yo is one of the oldest toys in human history, a simple yet captivating invention that has entertained people for centuries. The earliest evidence of the yo-yo dates to ancient Greece around 500 BCE. Archaeologists have discovered ceramic disks resembling yo-yos, often adorned with intricate designs. These early versions were believed to be ceremonial objects, possibly offered to the gods when a child reached adulthood.

Some sources also suggest that similar toys may have existed in ancient China and India, underscoring the yo-yo’s cross-cultural appeal.

The modern yo-yo’s lineage is often traced to the Philippines, where it served a practical purpose. In the 16th century, Filipino hunters and warriors reportedly used a yo-yo as a weapon.

These early yo-yos were larger and heavier, designed to be thrown at prey or enemies and then retrieved by the string. The term “yo-yo” itself comes from the Ilocano language, meaning “come back.”

The yo-yo arrived in Europe in the 18th century, where it became a popular

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

pastime among the aristocracy. Known as ‘bandalore’ and ‘quiz,’ the toy was favored by French nobility, including Napoleon Bonaparte. By the 19th century, yo-yos had gained popularity in England and across Europe, solidifying their status as a universal toy.

In the early 20th century, the yo-yo underwent a transformation when Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant, began manufacturing yo-yos in California. In 1928, Flores opened the first yo-yo factory, introducing the toy to the American market. Shortly after, entrepreneur Donald F. Duncan Sr. purchased the rights to the toy and founded the Duncan Toy Company, popularizing the yo-yo on a massive scale. Duncan’s marketing strategies, including demonstrations and competitions, turned the yo-yo into a cultural phenomenon.

Over the decades, the yo-yo has continued to evolve. From the introduction of the string-loop design to the advent of ball-bearing axles, technological innovations have broadened the toy’s possibilities. Today, the yo-yo is more than a toy—it’s a sport, an art form, and a source of nostalgia for millions.

Quit Cold Turkey

The dictionary defines the adverb as “all at once; abruptly.” When you quit cold turkey, you abruptly stop doing something (or at least try to stop).

Often, the phrase is tied to bad habits or anything you think you’re doing too much of and want to stop.

The most likely origin of cold turkey is the expression talk turkey, first recorded in 1824. The phrase means “tell someone something straight” or “be completely honest.” In a case where a figurative expression spawns another figurative expression, the phrase led to talk of "cold turkey."

While talk turkey originally referred to pleasant discourse, the variation talk cold turkey meant engaging in straightup, unfettered discourse. Doing anything cold turkey meant doing it with no holds barred and no beating around the bush. An often-repeated origin story for cold turkey suggests that the withdrawal symptoms experienced by addicts who stop using drugs—goosebumps, chills, and pallid skin—called to mind a cold, uncooked bird and gave rise to the phrase.

refers to a pattern of fashions or fads that define what is considered acceptable or tasteful for an era—for example, in fields like architecture, psychotherapy, journalism, or popular culture. The term is widely used, often without translation, in many languages to denote the "spirit" or dominant climate of a particular era. n

Zeitgeist

In 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy, a Zeitgeist means 'spirit of the age'. In German, it is a term used

to describe the intellectual, cultural, ethical, and political climate of a specific period in history. In modern usage, the term sometimes, more colloquially,

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This getting old is a terrible thing. I blacked out for twenty minutes this morning- then I realized that I'd put my hoodie on backwards.

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Wrinkles are just proof of a life well-smiled.

Anhedonia

Anhedonia is not a diagnosis but a common symptom of mental illness. It is a quiet symptom, not a blaring sign that something is wrong. For some people, that can mean it goes undetected. It is one of the core markers of major depressive disorder and is also tied to other illnesses, such as schizophrenia, substance use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It has long been defined as a reduced ability to experience pleasure, but in recent years, mental health clinicians also associate it with a lack of motivation to seek joy. The foods that once tasted great may now seem boring. The museum that once elicited feelings of awe no longer holds any appeal.

Even getting out of bed may feel like a chore for someone with anhedonia — and they may start to withdraw from important people in their lives.

Anhedonia can vary from person to person. Some may feel less joy than usual, while others feel no joy at all. If it’s not addressed, the ripple effects are many: it can affect mood, sleep, and nutrition. It has also been associated with difficulty managing one’s life and relationships, a poorer response to mental health treatments, and an increased risk of suicide.

A brief spell of anhedonia can be normal, but if it lasts for days or weeks, it could be a sign of something more serious.

There is no medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat anhedonia specifically. However, if you have an underlying disorder, such as depression, treating it may help improve anhedonia symptoms. Getting enough sleep and regular exercise is also important.

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TR E DAT You cannot sneeze while you are asleep.

EVERY DAY IS ABOUT 55 BILLIONTHS OF A SECOND LONGER THAN THE DAY BEFORE IT.

The General Sherman Tree is a massive sequoia located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, California. It is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth by volume. The tree was named after the American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman by naturalist James Wolverton, who had served as a lieutenant in the 9th Indiana Cavalry under Sherman.

Cricket chirps can be used to estimate temperature. This is known as Dolbear’s Law. The chirp rate of a particular cricket species increases as the temperature rises.

[Counting the number of chirps in 15 seconds and adding 40 gives a close estimate of the temperature in Fahrenheit.]

During deep sleep (especially REM and NREM stages), the brain greatly reduces the activity of the sensory nerves that cause the sneeze reflex.

(Essentially, the reflex is “switched off”.) However, if something irritates your nose strongly enough, it will usually wake you up, and then you may sneeze immediately after waking.

Gorillas make a soft, rumbling burp-like sound—called a “belch vocalization”— when they’re content, relaxed, or enjoying a meal. It’s one of their friendly social signals.

When you wake up in the morning, you are about one centimeter taller than you are when you go to bed at night. That’s because, at night, when you’re lying down, your spine stretches and decompresses. But during the day, the soft cartilage between your bones gets squeezed and compressed.

A snail would take abou

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.

You can’t breathe and swallow at the same time.

When you swallow, a flap of tissue called the epiglottis closes over your airway to prevent food or liquid from entering your lungs. This action temporarily stops you from breathing. Swallowing and breathing use overlapping muscles and pathways, so the body prevents them from happening simultaneously.

t 220 hours to crawl one mile.

An average adult has about 5 liters of blood, and the heart pumps around 5 liters per minute at rest (known as cardiac output). Therefore, roughly once per minute, your entire blood volume circulates through your heart. [It’s not exact for everyone or every moment (since heart rate, activity level, and blood volume can change), but it’s generally true.]

Pound for pound, strawberries have more vitamin C than oranges.

The Caesar salad was actually created in Tijuana, Mexico,

by Italian immigrant and restaurateur Caesar Cardini.

On the evening of July 4, 1924, Cardini, who owned Caesar’s Place, was pressured to serve a surge of Californians looking to escape Prohibition.

He quickly made a salad using romaine lettuce and whatever ingredients he had on hand, including garlic-flavored oil, eggs, Parmesan cheese, lemons, and Worcestershire sauce.

Word spread fast, and the Caesar salad became a sensation across the country.

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Humour

A farrago is a jumble of odds and ends—a random collection of items, a disorganized mix of things that don't fit together. Farrago sounds more formal than hodgepodge or mishmash, but it means about the same thing. We hope you enjoy this new feature of

Here comes the sheriff with his possum.

ALL PICTURES ON THIS PAGE ©️ 2025 CREST PUBLICATIONS GROUP.

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THE

FACTOR

FIFTYTWODEGREES

Nexperia B.V. is a semiconductor manufacturer based in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It is a subsidiary of Wingtech Technology, a Shanghai-listed company partially owned by the Chinese government. The iconic FiftyTwoDegrees building, which serves as its new headquarters, is a 282-foottall high-rise. The lower floors are

An eight-story angular stone and glass office building has been completed on a narrow, triangular plot at the eastern end of the Stadelhofen railway station in Zurich. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava, who previously updated and expanded the building 26 years ago. He designed the building (which includes a multi-level bicycle parking facility) with a "meandering composition"— cladding its steel-and-stone structure

The building was designed by the Dutch firm Mecanoo, which won the competition in 2002. It was completed in 2010. The name of the complex references the site's 52nd degree of latitude, symbolizing the global reach and ambitions of its creators. This multimedia complex covers 70,000 square meters and houses offices, conference halls, a theater (with 2400 seats), catering facilities, apartments, retail shops, and sports amenities. The structure is built on a slope, with parking for 600 cars, various commercial spaces, and a covered plaza featuring shops and restaurants beneath the grassed roof. The lower eight floors of the 17-story tower

HAUS ZUM FALKEN with glass panels that emphasize the folds in its facade. "Architecture here is more than functional – it is an artistic event in the city," said the architect.

Flanked by a public square, the building's entrance is shielded by its upper floors and features a glass front framed by smooth-edged stone columns.

"Subtle stone details extend toward the lower edges of the glass facade,

are tilted approximately ten degrees, creating an inviting gesture toward the city. Its curved form is achieved through a hybrid concrete-and-steel construction, with the facade shifting relative to the concrete cores at each intermediate floor. establishing a dialogue between the grounded plinth and the glass body above," Calatrava said. n

I tried calling the tinnitus helpline. No answer. It just kept ringing and ringing.

designed as an inclined tower, while the upper sections follow a conventional design. It was completed in 2007.

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SCOTLAND'S BEST NEW BUILDING

My friend was trying to explain electricity to me, and I was like, “Watt?”

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland has named Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen—a public park renovated by studios Stallan-Brand and LDA Design—the winner of the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland award for 2025. The project was praised for transforming the neglected Victorian garden into a "safe, people-centered and accessible public realm" for the city. Other additions to Union Terrace Gardens by the studios include a flexible event space, play areas, three pavilions, a cafe, a restaurant, and a wine bar. Existing features, including historic statues, railings, and Victorian toilets, were restored.

The RIAS Award was established in 2002 by architect Andrew Doolan. It honors the best new building in Scotland, as chosen by a panel of judges.

The award is worth £25,000, making it the largest architecture prize in the UK. n

DIVERSI NS: OF MILITARY ORIGIN Skedaddle means to run away from a situation in a hurry. The expression rose to prominence during the American Civil War. While the exact origins of this word are unclear, it was first printed and popularized in 1861 by Northern newspapers, referring to the advance and retreat of opposing troops.

Ginormous comes from the British army.

It was a slang term that originated with British soldiers during WW2, used to describe something huge (a combination of the words ‘gigantic’ and ‘enormous’).

Picket is most often associated with protesting—the act of protesting, a group of protesters, or something raised as a sign of protest. However, its original definition dates back to the 17th century.

‘Picket’ described a post or fence with a sharp point, used as a defense against cavalry; the word comes from the French term piquet, which literally means ‘pointed stake.’

Jamoke was originally a slang term for coffee. It wasn’t until WW1 that soldiers began using it as a derogatory term, implying someone was as boring and plain as a cup of coffee.

Raunchy might be used to describe both a joke in bad taste and a messy, filthy place: it’s basically used to describe something dirty or in bad shape. It’s a common slang term in the U.S. Air Corps, and some believe it comes from cadets comparing an unkept place with a filthy "ranch".

Skosh is used to describe a small amount or a pinch of something. It was brought back to the United States by American soldiers deployed during the Korean War and comes from the Japanese word sukoshi, meaning ‘a little.’

Clobber means to hit someone or something particularly hard. Etymologists believe the word's origins are in the

British Air Force, since "clobbering" was once used as a synonym for bombing.

Hotshot is usually used to describe someone of great importance or outstanding success in a particular field.

However, there’s also a derogatory side to this word—someone who recklessly jumps into action. Historians believe the word dates back to the days of old naval battles, when sailors who loaded heated cannonballs (the titular "hot shots") were often regarded as skilled in battle.

Fireworks date back to the Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279. The bright lights of fireworks were derived from early military rockets and explosive missiles that used the same kind of gunpowder.

Know the ropes comes from the world of sailing, where sailors had to be extremely familiar with the ropes of their ships: Any sailor worth his salt knew which rope raised which sail and how to tie them properly.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BY GABRIELA STINSON STREET Managing a commercial office building involves more than just routine maintenance and tenant interactions. A manager must also carefully manage risk. Commercial properties are significant investments, and even a single uninsured loss—whether from a fire, lawsuit, or natural disaster—can threaten not only the property but also the financial stability of owners and tenants. Insurance, therefore, is not only a legal requirement but also a key part of resilience planning and a vital tool in a building manager’s kit.

Buying insurance is about transferring risk—this is the sixth step after the property manager (preferably with a risk management professional) has completed the steps in the chart here.

ESSENTIAL INSURANCE POLICIES FOR COMMERCIAL OFFICE BUILDING MANAGERS and built-in cabinets. Sometimes, the contents of the building can also be covered.

don't ruin the building’s finances.

TYPICAL LIMITS: Many commercial landlords carry at least $1 million in liability coverage per occurrence, but higher limits might be recommended for large or high-traffic properties.

COMMERCIAL UMBRELLA (EXCESS LIABILITY) INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: Umbrella insurance WHY IT MATTERS: A fire in a single

office suite can cause smoke and water damage throughout the building. Without property insurance, the cost of rebuilding or repairs could devastate the building’s operating budget.

offers an extra layer of liability protection beyond standard coverage for general liability, auto liability, and employers' liability.

WHY IT MATTERS: It provides a cost-effective way to obtain high-limit protection against catastrophic risks.

Building managers of large properties or those in dense urban areas should strongly consider this safeguard.

BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE

The optimal insurance coverage portfolio depends on the building’s size, location, tenant mix, and operational structure. Managers should work closely with commercial real estate insurance brokers to ensure all exposures are identified and addressed. The following provides an overview of the main types of insurance policies every commercial office building manager should have in place.

PROPERTY INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: Property insurance

usually covers damage from fire, smoke, theft, vandalism, burst pipes, and some natural disasters (depending on the policy). It includes not only the physical building but also permanent fixtures like elevators, HVAC systems,

ENHANCEMENTS: Managers might consider adding equipment breakdown insurance to cover mechanical or electrical systems, as standard property insurance policies may exclude this.

GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: Third-party claims— including those of tenants, visitors, and vendors. Slip-and-fall accidents, falling debris, or a tenant’s client injured in the lobby can all result in liability claims.

This insurance covers medical expenses, legal defense, and settlements or judgments.

WHY IT MATTERS: Even if the manager isn't personally at fault, the building’s owner could face lawsuits. Liability insurance makes sure that such claims

WHAT IT COVERS: Also called loss of income insurance. If the building becomes unusable due to a covered event (such as a fire or major storm), this coverage helps pay for lost rental income and ongoing expenses like loan payments, payroll, and taxes while the property is being repaired.

WHY IT MATTERS: Even if tenants have their own insurance, the building owner depends on steady rent payments.

Extended downtime can cause financial hardship. Business interruption coverage helps maintain consistent revenue.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: Medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages due to an employee’s injury or illness caused by their job.

WHY IT MATTERS: Building staff face risks like slips, falls, electrical accidents, or chemical exposure. Without coverage, both the injured worker and

If money doesn’t grow on trees, why do banks have branches?

Feature

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the building management could experience serious financial hardship.

COMMERCIAL AUTO INSURANCE

If a cow doesn’t produce milk, is it a milk dud or an udder failure?

If the building management involves vehicles like vans for maintenance crews or trucks for hauling equipment, then commercial auto insurance is essential.

WHAT IT COVERS: Liability for bodily injury or property damage caused by company-owned vehicles, as well as damage to the vehicle itself from accidents, theft, or vandalism.

WHY IT MATTERS: Personal auto policies seldom cover vehicles used mainly for business. A single accident involving a company vehicle can lead to both liability and property damage claims.

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS (D&O) LIABILITY INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: Claims against direc-

tors, officers, or management companies for wrongful acts in running the business, such as mismanaging funds, breaching fiduciary duties, or failing to follow laws and regulations.

WHY IT MATTERS: Even if allegations are unfounded, legal defense costs can be significant. D&O coverage helps attract qualified professionals to management roles by reducing personal financial exposure.

ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: An older building might contain asbestos, underground fuel tanks, or mold issues that can lead to expensive cleanup and lawsuits. The costs for cleanup, third-party bodily

injury claims, and property damage related to pollution incidents can be very high.

WHY IT MATTERS: Standard property and liability policies often exclude pollution-related claims. For older buildings or those in environmentally sensitive areas, this coverage can be critical.

CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: Buildings increasingly depend on digital systems to manage security, HVAC, and tenant access controls. Property managers also gather and store sensitive tenant information, such as financial records or lease details. This includes costs associated with data breaches, hacking, identity theft, and business

disruption caused by cyberattacks. It encompasses notification expenses, legal defenses, and sometimes ransom payments.

WHY IT MATTERS: Cyberattacks on property management companies are becoming more frequent. A single breach can damage reputation, disrupt operations, and lead to legal liability.

TENANT IMPROVEMENTS AND BETTERMENTS COVERAGE

WHAT IT COVERS: Built-in furniture,

specialized lighting, partitions, or flooring installed by tenants but owned by the landlord.

WHY IT MATTERS: When damage occurs, disputes can arise over responsibility for repairs. Having coverage prevents conflicts and guarantees quick restoration.

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FLOOD AND EARTHQUAKE INSURANCE

WHAT IT COVERS: Structural damage,

debris removal, and in some cases, loss of rental income caused by specific perils such as floods and earthquakes, which are often excluded by standard property insurance policies.

WHY IT MATTERS: In high-risk areas, this coverage can make the difference between recovery and financial ruin.

Even in low-risk zones, a localized event like a burst riverbank can trigger unexpected flooding.

CRIME INSURANCE (FIDELITY BONDS)

WHAT IT COVERS: Losses caused by

employee theft, embezzlement, forgery, or fraud. It can also include third-party crimes like burglary and robbery.

WHY IT MATTERS: Even trusted staff can give in to temptation when managing rent checks, deposits, or vendor payments. Crime insurance safeguards against these human weaknesses.

In addition to the core policies, building managers should be aware of a wide range of specialized coverages that may be appropriate depending on the property’s unique risks. For example, glass insurance can cover the oftencostly replacement of large plate-glass windows or lobby entrances, which are especially vulnerable to accidental damage or vandalism. Other options include boiler and machinery coverage for older systems, terrorism insurance for buildings in high-profile areas, ordinance or law insurance to cover the expense of bringing a damaged building up to current code during repairs, and valuable papers coverage for important records stored onsite. Even niche products like signage insurance for exterior signs or leasehold interest coverage to protect tenants’ financial stakes in long-term leases can be worth considering. Because every property is different, managers should review these supplemental policies with a qualified insurance professional to tailor coverage to their building’s specific exposures and ensure there are no gaps in protection. n Gabriela Stinson Street is co-owner of Street Insurance Agency. gabi.nstreet@farmersagency.com

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

Seven Wonders of other Asian Architecture

é As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mogao Caves offer a unique glimpse into the religious, cultural, and intellectual exchanges that took place along the ancient Silk Road.

This is part 9 of our series – 200 Wonders!

XIQUINHOSILVA, CC BY 2.0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The

According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Cūḷavaṃsa, this area was once a large forest. After storms and landslides, it became a hill, and King Kashyapa (CE 477–495) chose it as his new capital. He built his palace on top of the rock and decorated its sides with colorful frescoes. About halfway up the side of the rock, on a small plateau, he constructed a gateway in the shape of an enormous lion. The name of this place comes from this structure: Sinhagiri, the Lion Rock.

The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It served as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Sigiriya today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is one of the best-preserved examples of ancient urban planning.

é Monks following Pradakshina at Borobudur. Pradaksina is usually done by walking around Borobudur Temple 3 times.

Borobudur, Indonesia

Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple located in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and is considered one of the great archaeological sites of Southeast Asia, alongside Bagan in Myanmar and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

I’m sure whatever you have to say can wait until you’re smarter.

The Citadel of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress in Sri Lanka. It is a site of historical and archaeological importance, dominated by a massive granite column approximately 590 ft high. It is probable that the area around Sigiriya has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Clear evidence shows that many rock shelters and caves nearby were occupied by Buddhist monks and ascetics from as early as the 3rd century BCE. The earliest sign of human habitation at Sigiriya is the Aligala rock shelter to the east of Sigiriya rock, indicating the area was occupied around 3000 BCE during the Mesolithic Period.

An important cache of documents was discovered in 1900 in the so-called "Library Cave," which had been sealed in the 11th century. The library's contents were later dispersed worldwide, with the largest collections now located in Beijing, London, Paris, and Berlin. The International Dunhuang Project was established to coordinate and gather scholarly work on the Dunhuang manuscripts and other materials. While the caves today are a popular tourist destination, the number of visitors has been limited to help preserve the caves.

HERI NUGROHO, CC BY-SA 4.0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

é Aerial view of Sigiriya Rock.

BINUKA POOJAN, CC BY-SA 4.0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, China

The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 500 temples in Gansu province, China. The caves showcase some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a millennium. The first caves were dug in 366 CE as places for Buddhist meditation and worship; later, they became sites of pilgrimage, and construction continued until the 14th century. The Mogao Caves are the most famous of China's Buddhist grottoes and, along with the Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are among the three most renowned ancient Buddhist sculptural sites in China.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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YOUR COMMERCIAL FLOORING SPECIALIST CARPET · TILE · CONCRETE · WOOD

Built during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple's design reflects Javanese Buddhist architecture, which combines the indigenous Indonesian tradition of ancestor worship with the Buddhist pursuit of nirvāṇa. Evidence indicates that Borobudur was constructed in the 8th century and was abandoned after the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese shift to Islam.

Its existence gained worldwide recognition in 1814 when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, was informed of its location by local Indonesians. Since then, Borobudur has undergone several restorations. The largest restoration was completed in 1983 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, after which the monument was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT!

é The south-eastern side of Shwedagon Pagoda.

BJØRN CHRISTIAN TØRRISSEN, CC BY-SA 4.0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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Constructed from gray andesite-like stone, the temple consists of nine stacked platforms—six square and three circular— topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally had 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.

(In Buddhism, a stupa is a domed hemispherical structure containing various sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and śarīra—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It serves as a place of pilgrimage and meditation.) The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and balustrades. Borobudur has one of the world's most extensive collections of Buddhist reliefs.

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When it is truly clean, your flooring promotes your health and that of your staff and clients.

The Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon, Myanmar

The Shwedagon Pagoda, officially named Shwedagon Zedi Daw (literally 'Golden Dagon Pagoda'), is a gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar because it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the current kalpa. (A kalpa is a unit of time equal to 4.32 billion years, which corresponds to one day in the life of Brahma, the creator god). These relics include the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a piece of Kassapa’s robe, and eight strands of hair from Gautama's head.

Built on the 167 ft Singuttara Hill, the 367 ft tall pagoda stands 560 ft above sea level and dominates the Yangon skyline. Yangon's zoning regulations, which cap the maximum building height at 127,417 feet above sea level (75% of the pagoda's sea level height), ensure the Shwedagon's prominence in the city's skyline.

The Shwedagon Pagoda Festival, the largest pagoda festival in the country, begins during the new moon of Tabaung in the traditional Burmese calendar and lasts until the full moon.[10] The pagoda is listed on the Yangon City Heritage List.

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

Kinkaku-Ji, the Golden Pavilion of Kyoto, Japan

Inkaku-ji (literally 'Temple of the Golden Pavilion') is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, and a popular tourist attraction. It is listed as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple is nicknamed

The site of Kinkaku-ji was originally a villa owned by a powerful statesman; its history dates back to 1397, when the villa was bought by shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and turned into the Kinkaku-ji complex. When Yoshimitsu died, the building was converted into a Zen temple by his son, following his wishes.

The original Golden Pavilion is believed to have been built in 1399. Gold was an important feature of the pavilion because of its symbolic meaning. The gold used was meant to reduce and purify any pollution or negative thoughts and feelings about death. Aside from the symbolic significance of the gold leaf, the Muromachi period heavily favored visual extravagance.

With the focus on the Golden Pavilion, the way the structure is mostly covered in gold creates an impression that stands out, as the sunlight reflects off the gold and creates a striking effect on the pond.

The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, which is considered in Buddhist tradition as the mythical home of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. (In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (meaning "the Lord who looks down") is a Bodhisattva associated with Great Compassion. A bodhisattva is a person who has attained or is striving toward bodhi ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood.

é Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.

The Potala Palace of Lhasa, Tibet

Potala Palace is a museum complex in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was once the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, built in the dzong style on Marpo Ri (Red Mountain). From 1649 to 1959, it served as the Dalai Lamas' home, and after Tibet was annexed by the People's Republic of China, it primarily became a museum.

Construction of the current structure began in 1645 under the order of the 5th Dalai Lama. It was built on the site of an earlier palace attributed to Songtsen Gampo, traditionally dated to 637. Located at about 12,000 feet elevation on Marpo Ri in the center of the Lhasa Valley, the palace measures 1310 feet east–west and 1,150 feet north–south. Rising 13 stories, the complex contains more than 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines, and approximately 200,000 statues, reaching a height of 390 feet above the mountain and over 980 feet above the valley floor.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha of Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Phra Kaew, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex consists of a number of buildings within the precincts of the Grand Palace in the historical center of Bangkok. It houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha, which is venerated as the country's palladium.

(A palladium is an image or other object of great antiquity on which the safety of a city or nation is said to depend.)

é Thailand's primary Buddhist temple. Located within the grounds of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew is technically a royal chapel, because, unlike regular temples, it does not include living quarters for Buddhist monks.

Construction of the temple began in 1783 under the orders of Rama I, the first king of the Chakri dynasty.

Since then, each successive king has been personally

involved in adding, restoring and embellishing the temple during their reigns as a way of making religious merit and glorifying the dynasty.

Many important state and

royal ceremonies are held within the temple each year, presided over by the king in person and attended by government officials.

This makes the temple the nation's preeminent place of worship and a national shrine for the monarchy and the state. Throughout the years, each king has donated sacred and valuable objects to the temple, making it a treasury as well.

The temple complex comprises various buildings for specific religious purposes built in a variety of Thai architectural styles, while still adhering to the traditional principles of Thai religious architecture. n

I finally got my head together, and now my body’s falling apart.

é Kinkaku-ji / Golden Temple in Kyoto.

JAYCANGEL, CC BY-SA 3.0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

after its relic, the Golden Pavilion. (A relic is a sacred object.)

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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SPOTL GHT

EGRESS MARKING WITH SINGLE SOURCE CONVENIENCE Some people are living proof that total brain failure does not always lead to physical death.

It has been nearly two decades since the implementation of New York City Local Law 26, which mandates Photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) non-slip stair treads or nosings on buildings taller than 8 stories. Shortly afterward, the 2015 IBC and 2015 IFC were adopted.

These updates have significantly improved stairwell safety nationwide.

Wooster Products not only manufactures its industry-leading NITEGLOW® photoluminescent stair treads and nosings but also offers egress marking tapes for handrails, door frames, and obstructions, providing convenient, single-source compliance.

contrast, others simply add a photoluminescent strip in front of the non-slip tread. When photoluminescent epoxy filler is combined with nearly diamondhard aluminum oxide crystals, the result is a product with a consistent Coefficient of Friction (COF) across the entire surface, unlike a glow-in-the-dark strip that has a significantly lower COF. The higher COF directly improves footing stability, even when the steps or shoes are wet. Figure 2 demonstrates the allin-one design of NITEGLOW®, which contains both a diamond-hard abrasive and the glow-in-the-dark material, and compares it with the glow-in-the-dark strip approach. The product also features an initial embed with a wood insert that is sacrificed during construction. The final NITEGLOW® insert is then installed to ensure a clean, polished finish for final inspection.

é Egress Stair conditions with lights on and in an emergency situation. é Wooster Products WP-RN3SG NITEGLOW® nosing.

Non-slip nosings on stairways have been mandated by building codes for decades to protect pedestrians by reducing trips, slips, and falls. The glow-in-the-dark component was added to the codes to enhance egress safety, based on lessons learned after the World Trade Center attacks. The International Building Code (IBC) requires photoluminescent egress pathway markings in high-rise buildings and those with certain occupancies, including A, B, E, I, M, and R-1. Current standards specify that the products meet ASTM E 2072 or UL 1994.

Wooster Products is unique because it incorporates photoluminescent epoxy filler with aluminum oxide crystals to provide anti-slip capabilities. In

Why is this important? Imagine a dark environment where multiple people are descending the stairs, possibly feeling anxious. Where are they most likely to step? In a stairwell lit only by the photoluminescent properties of a safety nosing, a person is more likely to place their foot on the illuminated section— that is, the part they can see. The same applies to handrails; they will grab the portion they can see, which contains the photoluminescent tape.

The addition of water, possibly from an engaged sprinkler system, further decreases traction in these systems and increases the stress level of those rushing down the stairs. A single person stumbling or slipping during evacuation will slow down those behind, potentially leading to disastrous outcomes.

These are just a few reasons why the

BY TIM BRENNAN

non-slip properties of nosings should be carefully considered when choosing options for emergency egress stairs in new buildings and retrofitting existing structures.

Wooster Products is a pioneer in photoluminescent technology for stair treads and nosings, developing the first of its kind in 2000. They continue to lead the industry with glow-in-the-dark stair treads and nosings that feature the highest and most consistent coefficient of friction. Additionally, they offer photoluminescent tape to properly mark egress stairwells. Installing egress markings from a single source saves time and ensures compliance with all relevant codes and standards. That’s why architects nationwide specify Wooster Products for their egress pathway marking. n

Wooster Products is a leading provider of anti-slip stair treads and walkway products in the industry. Since 1921, they have been manufacturing anti-slip solutions for new construction, renovation, marine, and OEM applications from their facility in Wooster, Ohio.

Renowned for quality and innovation, their offerings include cast aluminum (Alumogrit®), extruded aluminum (Spectra, Supergrit®, Stairmaster®, and Flexmaster®), pressure-sensitive adhesive tape and deck coverings (Flex-Tred®), coatings (WP-70, WalkA-Sured®, and Safe-Stride®), along with photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) nosings and treads (NITEGLOW®).

For more information, visit www.WoosterProducts.com, email sales@wooster-products.com, call (800) 321-4936, or write to: Wooster Products at 1000 Spruce Street, PO Box 6005, Wooster, OH 44691.

Tim Brennan is the Sales Manager for Wooster Products. tim@wooster-products.com

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

TRENDI G BY ANDRA HOPULELE

Big Moves: States that Attracted Most (& Least) New Residents in 2024

Mobility Rates Reach Record Low in 2024 The United States, once characterized by its restless and mobile spirit, is hitting pause. A new Point2Homes analysis of U.S. Census data shows that only 11% of Americans changed addresses in 2024, the lowest mobility rate on record.

When people tell me that I’ll regret something in the morning, I sleep until noon. I’m a problem solver.

Studies and Reports

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In the 1900s, nearly one in three Americans moved each year. By the 1960s, that number dropped to one in five. In 2024, it was only one in nine. Just in the past decade, the proportion of movers has decreased from 14.3% to 11%.

Rising housing costs, economic uncertainty, and the growth of remote work have made relocation less attractive for many. With the national homeownership rate around 65%, more people are settled, and fewer are moving for jobs or shorter commutes.

Although overall mobility remains low, some locations continue to attract new residents: Florida and Texas recorded the highest total numbers of newcomers, each welcoming more than half a million new residents in 2024.

Wyoming and New Hampshire attracted the largest shares of out-of-state movers, with over 35% coming from outside their borders.

Meanwhile, California and Texas had high overall mover counts, but fewer arrivals from other states—just 10.9% and 14%, respectively.

Alaska, Oklahoma, and Colorado experienced the highest overall mobility rates (13%–14%), while New Jersey and New York had the lowest, with fewer than 9% of residents changing addresses last year.

At the city level, the story is equally diverse: Las Vegas leads large cities for out-of-state arrivals (33% of movers); New York City has the highest total number of movers (702,239), though only 20% came from other states; Cape Coral, FL (41.4%) and Chesapeake, VA (40.5%) rank highest among mid-sized cities for new arrivals from outside their state. In smaller cities, places like Union City, NJ (63.6%) and The Villages, FL (61.7%) had the highest shares of new arrivals from outside the state.

Explore the full study and interactive visuals here: www.point2homes.com/news/research/usmobility-rates-reach-historical-low.html. n

Andra Hopulele us a Senior Research Write at Point2, a division of Yardi Systems Inc. andra.hopulele@yardi.com

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TRENDI G Drastic Cuts in Housing Grants Anticipated

Nothing messes up your Friday like realizing it’s only Tuesday.

The Trump administration has devised plans for a major overhaul of homelessness policy that would cut support for long-term housing programs, according to a confidential grant-making plan. Critics warn it could quickly put as many as 170,000 formerly homeless people at risk of returning to the streets. Moving away from housing aid, the administration’s strategy would redirect billions to short-term programs that impose work requirements, assist police in dismantling encampments, and demand that the homeless accept treatment for mental health issues or addiction.

The anticipated change, which could be the most significant in a generation, is outlined in a 100-page notice from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that would oversee more than $3.5 billion in Continuum of Care funds, the primary source of federal money for homelessness.

According to The New York Times, while President Trump has long promised to enforce stricter homelessness policies, such as camping bans and treatment mandates, these changes are occurring much faster and more thoroughly than expected. (In 2023, Trump criticized “dangerously deranged” and homeless people destroying urban life, and vowed to relocate them from city centers into treatment camps.)

Reducing aid for permanent housing by twothirds next year risks abruptly cutting off support for most of the people the Continuum places in such housing nationwide, starting as soon as January. All are disabled — a condition of the aid — and many are over 50. The

document does not even suggest how they will find housing.

With homelessness at a high and many people uneasy about public encampments, the funding shift represents the latest move by President Trump to take control of an issue he often uses to portray his Democratic opponents as weak and permissive. In an executive order issued in July, he called for stricter camping bans and criticized programs that prioritize housing over sobriety mandates or involuntary mental health treatment. The grant notice will implement that vision by directing federal funds toward the president’s demands. It prioritizes programs that require services like substance abuse treatment, implement work requirements, and “cooperate and assist” in enforcing camping bans. It also allocates funding to areas that pass and enforce those bans.

By limiting spending on long-term housing to just 30 percent of the $3.5 billion in aid (down from about 90 percent this year), the Trump plan would severely weaken a movement called Housing First, which once had bipartisan backing and has guided federal grant-making since 2009. Housing First programs offer subsidized apartments without preconditions to homeless individuals with disabilities — providing, but not requiring, treatment for mental health or addiction.

Supporters argue that these programs save lives by removing troubled individuals from the streets, and that housing stability helps them address other challenges. However, because housing is costly and difficult to construct due to local opposition, many people remain homeless. Critics contend that free housing encourages irresponsible behavior.

The treatment-first approach, embodied by Mr. Trump’s plan, promises quicker action to tackle what it calls the “root causes” of homeless-

ness, such as drug abuse and mental illness.

However, it risks pushing those who cannot or will not comply into greater destitution and danger. It also fails to address another fundamental cause of homelessness: skyrocketing housing costs.

é A homeless encampment in Portland.

By reducing funds for permanent housing by about two-thirds, the administration would redirect the remaining money to programs that, under federal law, can serve individuals for no more than two years. Hidden within the technical language are other requirements that shift thze balance of power between the federal government and roughly 400 local grant-making groups, known as Continuums of Care, which distribute the funds to approximately 8,000 projects.

In the past, each local grant-making group was almost certain to keep about 90 percent of its previous year’s funding to maintain local stability. Most of that money was used to renew existing programs, usually for permanent housing. The new rules would cut that protected amount, called Tier 1 funding, down to 30 percent of the previous year’s grant.

This change would transfer large amounts of homelessness aid into a nationally competitive pool, over which the administration would have more influence. If it wants to move money, for example, from a blue state like California to a red state like Utah, the new rules would make that easier.

Furthermore, the rules authorize HUD to reject applicants who, “previously or currently," have supported policies that “facilitate racial preferences” or have engaged in “activities that violate the sex binary in humans." Such behaviors might include efforts to racially diversify staff or to serve transgender clients.

Since previous rounds of grant making required both diversity efforts and gender equity, the rules in theory could allow the administration to disqualify almost any local services group it dislikes.

é A homeless encampment in Houston.

The grant-making criteria will officially be announced when posted on grants.gov, a Federal website. n

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE

The Museum of the Future in Dubai is a shining example of exceptional, boundary-pushing architecture in the UAE. The building is an architectural and engineering marvel that confidently straddles the past and the future, applying advanced technology to traditional art forms and opening a new path away from the high-rise towers that dominate skylines everywhere. It was designed by Killa Design architects and engineered by Buro Happold.

Its facade is made of stainless steel and consists of 1,024 pieces manufactured by a specialized robot-assisted process, covering a total surface area of 189,000 square feet. The Museum of the Future is 225 feet tall and occupies a total area of 328,800 square feet.

The building ‘speaks Arabic,’ in that its facade is a canvas for quotes from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, rendered in the calligraphy of Mattar bin Lahej. Its form

is symbolic—the circular shape represents humanity; the green mound on which it sits represents the earth; the void represents the unknown future.

The Museum builds on the visionary culture that has transformed the UAE

The best time to buy anything is last year.

DUBAI'S MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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into one of the world’s most advanced nations in less than 50 years. It showcases the spirit of courage, optimism, and innovation that propels Dubai forward and is a place of tolerance, inviting diverse cultural, philosophical, social, and spiritual outlooks.

Do I have a girlfriend? Well, I know a girl who would be really mad if I said I didn’t.

The Museum is a home for inspiration, open to all, embodying the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and showing what is possible through conviction, commitment, and togetherness. Its goal is to provide light in dark times. In an age of anxiety and cynicism about the future, it demonstrates that progress is both possible and necessary.

This is no ordinary museum with ancient relics behind velvet ropes. It is a gateway to a future world, crafted by visionary designers, artists, and filmmakers. The Museum combines elements of exhibition, immersive theater, and themed attractions. Each floor is like a film set from a future you can inhabit, explore, and interact with.

é The Museum when under construction.

The settings and scenes are immersive and expansive, designed to expand what the audience believes possible for the world, the future, and themselves.

This content has been crafted by a team of the world’s leading product, media, exhibition, and experience designers. n

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

ARTCH TECTURE

ELENA BOND

‘NEW IMPRESSIONISM’ 01

“I love the ability to create the kind of world that I want and like on the surface of a canvas. Impressionism lets me combine texture, color, and my own thoughts and fantasies in my work. While the subject of my art is often based on the real world, I like that in this genre, you can make the world around you more like the one I see in my head.

Every piece of art I make is like a little piece of my soul. It’s a part of me. And even when it sells, it’s still something that I created from start to finish. I want people to feel like what they have in their home is soulful and filled with love.

I want it to fill their rooms with joy and light.”

In the city of Samara, Russia, the air was thick with the traditions of classical painting, featuring meticulous brushstrokes and solemn subjects of the masters. It was here, in 1965, that Elena Bond was born into a family of artists. Her early life involved a rigorous education in the established world

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

of Russian fine art, culminating in a master’s degree from the Academy of Art. She refined her craft as a restorer at the State Museum of Art and as a scenic designer for stages as grand as the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Her work was precise, rooted in historical methods, and flawlessly executed.

But inside Elena, a different spirit was awakening—one that longed for immediacy, light, and pure joy, often suppressed by the traditional academic style. Her life took a dramatic, almost cinematic turn when her family won a Green Card lottery. This was not just a change of scenery; it was a move toward artistic freedom. The family settled in the lively, sunlit chaos of Miami, Florida.

02

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THE PALETTE KNIFE REVOLUTION

06

Her technique is her signature. Elena Bond almost completely moved away from the traditional paintbrush, instead choosing the metallic edge of the palette knife. This simple tool became her wand, enabling her to sculpt paint onto the canvas with an energetic, almost sculptural texture. This defines her place in art history: she is a modern Impressionist, taking the core principles of the original movement—capturing fleeting moments, the effect of light, and atmosphere—and infusing them with a bold, contemporary energy.

Where Monet and Renoir used dabs and feathery strokes of a brush to create an illusion of light, Bond uses a knife to build the physical presence of light. The result is a vibrant texture that makes her paintings seem to pulse with life.

04

The move served as a catalyst. The gray skies of Russia were replaced by the blinding light and vivid colors of the Atlantic coast. Elena’s artistry began to evolve, shedding the rigid boundaries of academic training for something uniquely her own: a style known as "New Impressionism.”

03

05

ART THAT DANCES

Elena’s subjects are as diverse as the world around her, but they share a common thread: movement. The ocean scenes are not tranquil depictions of water. They are a rush of blues and whites; the canvas itself seemingly misted with the salty air of the beach.

Her figurative works capture candid moments—a sunbather caught in the warm glow of afternoon light, a traveler navigating a busy street, or the lithe form of a dancer mid-leap, a nod to her roots in scenic design. She continues to design for the Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida, bringing her dynamic sense of composition to the stage.

Her cityscapes are especially captivating. They are not detailed drawings but explorations of urban energy. Streaks of color depict the chaos of traffic, the glow of neon signs on wet streets, and the faceless figures moving through the city. This is where her work excels, capturing the rhythm of the modern metropolis with the perspective of a painter from a distant, more peaceful land.

07

01. The Way. / 02. Beneath The Surface. / 03. Cherry Blossom Stroll. / 04.

Crosswalk Rain Book. / 05. Crosswalk Europe. / 06. Spring Recital. / 07. Nighttime port. / 08. Poetry in Motion. / 09. Blue Dream. / 10. Forever New York. / 11. Dancer in Moonlit Waters. / 12. Towards Home. / 13. Sand And Surf. / 14. Red Passion.

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10

Elena Bond's studio by a sunlit beach in South Florida is a place of organized chaos, where bold colors spill across canvases, and the tangible freedom she long sought is finally realized. Her art is not just a picture of a place or a person; it is an experience—a joyful, textured celebration of life, light, and the bold, free stroke of a palette knife against a canvas. She has taken the Impressionists' quiet revolution and given it a loud, vibrant, Miami-flavored encore. n

08

See/learn more about Elena Bond’s work:

Website: www.macfineart.com Instagram: mac_fineart Facebook: MACArtGalleries 09

11

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12

13

“I met Elena in the early 2000s, shortly after she arrived in the US. She was a classically trained artist who accepted an artisan’s position within our company.

After about a year, it became clear that Elena was a highly talented painter committed to becoming a celebrated artist.

She was eager to develop her talent and pursue her ‘American Dream.’

Moving to the United States from Russia with her young family in 1999 after winning a Green Card Lottery was a very tough and overwhelming experience for her, especially since she didn’t know the language or culture in America. She and her husband had to start from scratch and worked tirelessly to build their new lives in America. You can’t imagine how proud and excited they were to receive their citizenship papers in 2006. Less than a few years later, her art career really took off, and she painted ‘Capitol Salute’ (our cover work) after attending her first major solo exhibition in Washington, DC. Everything happened so quickly in the first 10 years after she came to the United States, driven by hope to continue her artistic journey, raise successful daughters, and create a better life for herself and her Ukrainian husband, Igor.

Today, she lives and works near the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Her artwork, media range, and list of achievements and exhibitions have grown rapidly, making her one of the most successful and well-collected artists in the US. Yet, she remains unsatisfied and constantly experiments and reinvents her artistic style to stay in tune with a changing world.” (Mary Ann Cohen, Elena’s agent)

14

WHY ARTCH TECTURE? Great art is among the most sublime, meaningful, and redeeming creations of all civilization. Few endeavors can equal the power of great artwork to capture aesthetic beauty, to move and inspire, to change perceptions, and to communicate the nature of human experience.

Great art is also complex, mysterious, and challenging. Filled with symbolism, cultural and historical references, and often visionary imagery, great artworks oblige us to reckon with their many meanings.

Architects and designers (many of our readers) have a lot of influence on the way we perceive the world. A structure often plays a significant part in how we experience a place. (Think of a restaurant, a museum, an arena, a stadium... even an office building - virtually anywhere!) The interior design impacts our sensory perception, our comfort, and our physical connection and there is also artistry in the exterior design. (That’s why we call it artchitecture.)

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BY TONY HODGSON

This article focuses on how to launch an AR art program quickly, effectively, and in a way that your property management and marketing teams can easily sustain. To better understand the business model and stakeholder economics behind AR Art initiatives for real estate owners and managers, see the companion article by InfoLink, “Blank Walls, Big Returns,” on page 38.

better differentiation in a competitive submarket.

Augmented reality art is digital content that appears to live in a real place when viewed through a smartphone. The visitor does not need to imagine it. They see the graphics and information displayed in context, anchored in the space where they stand. As a first step, organizations often launch a simple pilot project that aligns the roles of all stakeholders, captures quick-win value, and validates ROI before scaling.

“A pilot succeeds when everyone agrees what success looks like.”

A PLAYBOOK FOR HOW IT WORKS, LAUNCHING AR ART SIMPLY EXPLAINED IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THE PRESSURE IS ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES

Commercial properties are under pressure to do more than provide square footage. Common areas must earn their keep as amenities, identity anchors, leasing accelerators, and community touchpoints.

Augmented Reality (AR) is an extraordinary new technology that turns three-dimensional space into a communication tool by projecting digital information and graphics into the real world, where anyone can view it through their smartphone camera. Imagine holding up your phone to reveal rich layers of digital content blanketing your surroundings and opening up new ways to connect with people, places, and things. ∙ Placing a rotating digital image gallery in a lobby or amenity lounge, where visitors see full-scale artwork “installed” on blank walls. ∙ Projecting location-anchored murals and sculptures along a retail promenade, transforming corridors and plazas into art walks to increase foot traffic and dwell time. ∙ Present interactive, story-driven pieces into vacant storefronts or underutilized corners during events, converting dead space into a shareable destination.

AR art can transform lobbies, corridors, plazas, and streetscapes into a premium arrival experience that measurably strengthens a property’s brand, supports leasing tours without physical construction, and drives new sponsorship inventory and patron visits.

“AR art works best when treated like a property program, not a tech experiment.”

é Visitors scan a discreet marker and see a full-scale digital exhibit in the lobby.

Most initial AR projects use simple visual image “anchors” to make discovery reliable.

Indoors, that is often a QR code or a graphic marker integrated into tasteful signage. Outdoors, experiences can be anchored to specific geozones so they appear in consistent locations across a promenade or plaza. Either way, the property management controls where experiences live, what visitors see, and how content is refreshed.

“Think of AR art as amenity programming that does not require construction.”

TIME AND COST RANGE

1–2 weeks, low cost, mostly staff time.

PITFALLS AND MITIGATIONS

The most common mistake is trying to serve every audience at once. Pick one primary audience for the pilot and one secondary audience. Another common mistake is setting success criteria that cannot be managed, such as “go viral.” Instead, choose a few measurable outcomes you can influence and report on.

STEP 2: CURATE CONTENT AND SECURE RIGHTS

A content plan, an approval workflow, and rights documentation that protects the property and respects the artists are created. AR art is an operating program, which means you need governance from day one.

Define content standards that are easy to enforce: allowable formats, basic quality requirements, safety and brand suitability, and a clear takedown process. Use straightforward artist agreements that clarify display rights, duration, attribution, placement boundaries, and what happens if content must be removed.

TIME AND COST RANGE

2–4 weeks for the first exhibition set, low to medium cost depending on whether curation is in-house.

PITFALLS AND MITIGATIONS

Rights handled casually create risk later. Keep the agreements simple, consistent, and signed before publication. Quality inconsistency is another issue. Solve it with a submission checklist and an approval queue.

“Governance is what makes AR art scalable in real properties.”

STEP 3: SELECT PLACEMENT STRATEGY AND ANCHOR METHOD é AR art overlays transform common areas into curated, rotating exhibits.

THE 5-STEP LAUNCH PLAN

This five-step launch plan shows how to scope, govern, deploy, and operate AR art as a repeatable property program rather than a one-off tech experiment.

STEP 1: A PILOT BRIEF DEFINES THE OUTCOME AND AUDIENCE

A one-page pilot brief that states what the property is trying to accomplish and who the experience is for. This is the decision filter for content, placement, and measurement. Outcomes that map cleanly to CRE operations include stronger leasing tours, higher perceived amenity value, increased event participation, improved tenant engagement, and

A placement plan that aligns with how people already move through the property, plus an anchor method that makes experiences easy to find.

Start with 3–8 locations that matter to your property goals: ∙ Lobby arrival moments, seating zones and elevator vestibules ∙ Leasing tour path highlights ∙ Retail promenade nodes near food and beverage ∙ Exterior plazas used for events and gathering Then pick an anchor approach: ∙ Marker-based anchors (QR or images): the most reliable for indoor pilots. ∙ Location-based anchors: strong for plazas and streetscapes when you want a more “placeaware” experience.

Honesty’s the best policy, which suggests that dishonesty is the second-best policy.

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TIME AND COST RANGE

TIME AND COST RANGE

PITFALLS AND MITIGATIONS

“Measurement is how AR art becomes a property strategy”

1–3 weeks, low to medium cost (signage and site coordination).

Poor placement kills engagement. Do not put experiences where people cannot stop safely. Avoid congested choke points. Favor clear sightlines, comfortable dwell zones, and moments that naturally invite curiosity.

Ongoing, low cost, typically 1–2 hours per week early on.

“Fewer placements with better moments will outperform a crowded map.”

9. 3–8 pilot locations selected and approved.

10. Anchor method chosen (marker-based, location-based, or hybrid).

11. Signage designed to be clear in 10 seconds and brand-aligned.

12. Staff script and escalation contact distributed.

13. Support channel for issues and feedback 14. A planned content refresh during the pilot.

15. Baseline metrics captured and KPIs defined before launch.

é Anonymous metrics and operational issue tracking for pilot governance.

DO YOU NEED NFTS? Some people are like clouds. When they disappear, it’s a beautiful day.

é A property tour path enhanced with AR exhibit moments and simple signage cues.

STEP 4: LAUNCH AND OPERATE

Orchestrate a controlled rollout with staff readiness, visitor onboarding, and a refresh cadence. This is where many pilots stumble.

The content may be strong, but the operations are unclear.

A clean launch includes: ∙ Signage that explains the experience in 10 seconds ∙ A simple “start here” hub that lists exhibit locations ∙ A one-page staff script for concierge, security, and leasing ∙ A support channel for broken signage, content questions, or complaints ∙ A scheduled refresh during the pilot to prove the program can be sustained

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are unique digital identifiers recorded on a blockchain that serves as a public certificate of authenticity and proof of ownership for a specific digital or physical asset. This is a topic for a future article, however, NFTs can potentially be useful when provenance, limited digital editions, or automated royalty splits are central to the program. NFTs are not required, but if the art exhibit concept includes collectible releases or a strong need for standardized ownership and transfer, NFTs can support that structure.

“If the system adds operational burden, it is not ready for your property.”

1–2 weeks once content is ready, low to medium cost.

If no one on-site can explain it, adoption suffers.

Train staff with a short script and a single escalation contact. If signage looks temporary or confusing, participation drops. Treat signage as a premium amenity cue, not a technical label.

“A great program is one your staff can support confidently.”

STEP 5: MEASURE AND ITERATE WHAT IT IS

A practical measurement rhythm that produces decisions, not dashboards. Capture a simple baseline, track a small set of KPIs, and run a monthly review that results in an action list.

Use the pilot to answer three questions: ∙ Did people engage, and did engagement repeat? ∙ Did the experience strengthen leasing, events, or tenant participation? ∙ Was the program operationally manageable?

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

A successful AR art pilot is not about proving the technology. It is about proving a repeatable property program: curated, governed, easy to operate, and measurable in terms the asset team recognizes. Start with a small set of locations, a clear theme, and a disciplined refresh schedule. If the pilot strengthens tours, increases engagement, and runs smoothly, you have a scalable template for the entire campus.

Contact a reputable AR service firm to discuss a practical 90-day art project and turn your underutilized walls and spaces into sponsor-ready tenant experiences that strengthen leasing and elevate your property’s brand. n

TIME AND COST RANGE

PITFALLS AND MITIGATIONS

é Pilot Readiness in Action: Checklist Review and “Start Here” Discovery Hub

é Rights tracking approaches can include token-based provenance.

AR ART PILOT READINESS CHECKLIST (15 ITEMS)

1. A written pilot objective tied to leasing, tenant experience, or activation.

2. A defined primary audience and secondary audience.

3. Documented “green zones” and “no-go zones” for placement.

4. A named curator or content owner with approval authority.

5. Content standards for format, quality, and suitability.

6. Artist agreement template ready (rights, duration, attribution, takedown).

7. Brand safety rules and moderation workflow.

8. Takedown process with response expectations.

About Ethar, Inc.

Ethar, Inc. is a Huntsville, Alabamabased technology company pioneering the future of spatial computing. Our platform empowers organizations to create, share, and monetize augmented reality experiences with ease. From property development and manufacturing to tourism and education, Ethar helps clients blend the physical and digital worlds in meaningful ways. We offer advanced tools for AR content creation, geospatial anchoring, and intelligent context-aware delivery—accessible on mobile devices and wearables. Learn more at ethar.com.

Tony Hodgson, CEO, Ethar, Inc. thodgson@ethar.com

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BY JON FITZGERALD

THE METAVERSE IS LOCAL: WEAVING DIGITAL ART INTO THE FABRIC OF COMMERCIAL SPACES

The commercial real estate market is undergoing fundamental change, requiring new strategies to maintain competitiveness and enhance asset performance. To attract and retain tenants— and achieve market differentiation—focus must shift toward creating dynamic, engaging environments. This requires prioritizing placemaking, implementing experiential leasing strategies, and reimagining underutilized spaces.

THE BARE WALLS PROJECT AN INNOVATIVE IDEA TO SUPPORT ARTISTS WHILE ELEVATING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

é www.barewallslafayette.com

The BARE Walls Project by Basin Arts in Lafayette, Louisiana, exemplifies this modern approach. Founded in 2016 by Clare Cook as a nonprofit arts incubator, Basin Arts launched BARE Walls to transform vacant walls into revenue-generating art installations and cultural assets.

HOW THE PROJECT WORKS

As an art subscription service, the BARE Walls Project connects local businesses and artists. Businesses pay a monthly fee (starting around $200) to rent original artwork that rotates every three months. This creates a dynamic gallery environment while providing artists with exposure, income, and new sales opportunities.

installation, and businesses enjoy professionally managed, ever-changing displays.

BARE Walls offers a transparent, cost-effective way to acquire art, shifting costs from capital expenditures to predictable operating expenses. The approach benefits artists, property managers, and tenants without the burden of permanent purchases.

More than decoration, the BARE Walls Project is a strategic tool for enhancing CRE. It increases tenant and visitor engagement, boosts property appeal, and builds community. The platform is simple for property managers and ensures fair compensation and rights protection for artists.

BEYOND THE FRAME: ACTIVATING LOBBIES AND PLAZAS WITH AUGMENTED REALITY ART

What if we applied the BARE Walls model to augmented reality (AR) installations, transforming physical spaces into activation points for immersive digital art? Visitors could interact with digital murals, é Immersive art sculpture animations, and 3D sculptures installation. using smartphones or tablets, layering creative content onto existing walls without altering the physical environment. Augmented static murals can transform into engaging moments, generating organic marketing for the property.

At its core, the BARE Walls Project connects local artists and businesses, enabling rotating displays of original artwork for a modest monthly fee. This sustains the local creative economy and forges lasting relationships between artists and the business community. Expanding to AR installations takes the concept further and plants a local flag in a new and evolving medium.

BUSINESS MODEL AND REVENUE STREAMS

é www.barewallslafayette.com

SUPPORTING ARTISTS WHILE ENHANCING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACES.

The subscription model keeps spaces engaging, provides artists with income and visibility, and strengthens Lafayette’s creative economy. Artists submit works, curators manage selection and

The AR art concept can offer a variety of flexible monetization options. ∙ Subscription Models: Offer ongoing, rotating access to the AR art gallery via monthly or annual subscriptions, encouraging repeat property engagement. ∙ Sponsorships/Underwriting: Allow corporate partners to fund the installations in exchange for non-intrusive brand exposure, thereby enhancing the property's environment. ∙ Tenant Commissions: Provide premium, custom-designed AR art pieces for businesses, offering a unique and powerful branding opportunity for the commissioning tenant.

The long-term success of an AR art program depends heavily on professional curatorial oversight. This oversight is essen-

I finally realized that people are prisoners of their phones; that’s why it’s called a ‘cell’ phone.

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tial for maintaining high digital quality and artistic relevance, which, in turn, helps align the art with the property's brand and strategic goals. By focusing on quality and relevance, the program can effectively elevate a property's perceived value.

é AR Art Installation, Pavi ARt show @Festhouse 2025.

Doing nothing is hard; you never know when you’re done.

EQUITABLE ECOSYSTEM FOR CREATORS

An AR art distribution model can be designed to create an equitable ecosystem for creators and consumers by prioritizing artists’ rights and compensation. This can be achieved through mechanisms such as direct payment for licensed pieces, ensuring immediate compensation for their work. Alternatively, artists can receive royalties, which can be percentage-based on factors like duration or views, offering the potential for sustainable, longterm income.

AUGMENTED REALITY (AR)-ENABLED ART OFFERS MULTIPLE MONETIZATION PATHWAYS IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE (CRE), BENEFITING VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS: Payer

Recipient(s)

CRE Benefit

Property Owners

Artists, Platform/ Activates spaces, attracts Curator tenants, provides property differentiation.

Tenants/ Retailers

Artists, Platform/ Enhances customer experience, Curator enables co-branding opportunities, supports placemaking efforts.

Sponsors/ Advertisers

Artists, Property Owners

Delivers targeted engagement, supports local culture, drives event traffic.

Visitors (via merchandising, social media exposure, or gratuity)

Artists, Property Owners

Directly supports creators, fosters community connection.

A transparent licensing model could help artists maintain ownership while granting display rights. Payments can be streamlined through contracts, escrow, or even blockchain-based tokens for automated splits and provenance. Visitors could even tip artists directly, strengthening community ties and funding cultural development with direct individual action. Risk could be managed through content review, brand safety protocols, and clear takedown processes.

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MEASURE AND ADAPT

Augmented reality (AR) offers virtually unlimited customization, enabling artists, curators, and building management to tailor experiences to the occasion and audience. Effective program management requires visibility into tenant and visitor engagement, finan- é Golden City, Artist Francis cial results (subscriptions, Pavi 2001. sponsorships, commissions, and artist earnings), and market impact, including asset value and community feedback. Program success can be measured by tracking visitor activations, feedback, social media reach, sponsor and tenant inquiries, and operational efficiency. Clear, usable metrics enable informed refinement and sustained program viability.

IMO

These initiatives can help foster ecosystems that support local arts and culture, serving as another tool for cultural preservation.

While our mobile devices often distract us from our immediate surroundings and the company we keep, our “commons” are an evolving digital medium with the capacity to refocus us on the here and now. I vote that our "Metaverse" be woven from local fabric.

TLDR

∙ In the competitive CRE market, landlords and property managers must transform vacant walls into high-value, ROIdriven amenities to meet tenant demand for interactive environments and attract and retain tenants. ∙ The BARE Walls Project, a Basin Arts program based in Lafayette, Louisiana, connects local artists with commercial spaces, transforming empty walls into rotating art displays that enhance community engagement and support creative talent. ∙ By adapting the BARE Walls model to AR-enabled installations, commercial real estate stakeholders can convert underutilized spaces into vibrant, engaging commons that benefit artists and communities alike. ∙ With artist-first economics, transparent governance, and clear metrics for success, this approach can deliver value across a local ecosystem for placemaking and asset activation. n

For 27 years, InfoLink USA has specialized in enabling productivity at the network edges. Their seasoned team of engineers and technicians, in the bustling hub city of Lafayette, Louisiana, have partnered with the healthcare, real estate, government, manufacturing, and energy sectors to make wireless work!

Questions or Comments? Please reach out at info@infoLink-USA.com

Jon Fitzgerald, Team Leader.

InfoLink-USA.com

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BY ALEXANDRA CIUNTU

HOW RENTERSHIP HAS TRANSFORMED AMERICAN HOUSING SINCE 2000

Point2Homes examined 25 years of U.S. Census data across all states and more than 650 cities, tracking how economic shocks, rising prices, and changing lifestyles have reshaped the landscape of American housing. With over 10 million new renter households added since 2000 and more cities becoming renter-majority, the traditional path to homeownership is being redefined.

Texas, California, and Florida accounted for more than one-third of this growth, adding about 3.8 million renter households. Utah led all states in renter household growth with an 80.4% increase, followed by Nevada (+68.1%) and Idaho (+64%). The number of renter-majority cities rose from 144 in 2000 to 169 in 2024. Major hubs like Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, and San Francisco have remained mostly renter-dominated over the decades, but it’s the smaller cities like Union City (82%) and Newark (76.5%) that now top the list for rentership rates, driven by housing scarcity and proximity to NYC. In the early years of this century, owning a home wasn’t just part of the American Dream — it was the American Dream.

Historical Census data shows that in 1900, fewer than half of U.S. households owned their homes; by 2000, over 66% of Americans were homeowners — part of a growth trend that peaked in 2006, when the national homeownership rate reached 67.3%.

When the housing bubble burst in 2007, millions of Americans lost their homes to foreclosure. The aftermath reshaped the housing landscape as the national homeownership rate plummeted and continued to decline, reaching a 50-year low. To put things into perspective, Investopedia notes: “In 2023, the number of foreclosure filings in the United States was 357,062. In 2009 and 2010, during the housing bubble, foreclosures totaled over 2.8 million for each year.”

Many former homeowners re-entered the rental market as lending standards tightened and getting mortgages became more difficult. Meanwhile, demand for rental housing grew rapidly, turning renting from a temporary backup into a mainstream and increasingly common lifestyle across the country.

Top 10 States by Share of Renters [2024]

Top 10 Large U.S. Cities Where Renters Surpass Homeowners

As the housing market recovered after the crash, homeownership started to increase, but it hasn’t reached the peak levels of the early 2000s. By 2015, more Americans

were renting than in decades, indicating a shift in the country's housing patterns.

In 2019, the homeownership rate had risen again to about 64%, but renting remained

Life is like a jar of jalapeños. What you do today might burn your butt tomorrow.

Studies and Reports

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common. By this point, demographic changes had begun to boost the growing popularity of renting.

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Top 15 Mid-Sized U.S. Cities Where Renters Surpass Homeowners

PANDEMIC SHOCK & A NEW HOUSING MARKET: 2020’S AFTERMATH

I'd have better people skills if I worked with better people.

Initially, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the housing market into overdrive. Ultralow mortgage rates, government stimulus, and the rise of remote work fueled a surge in homebuying as people looked for space and stability during lockdowns. For a short time, homeownership increased, and demand for houses soared, creating a highly competitive buying environment.

However, by 2022, the trend reversed.

Mortgage rates rose above 7%, inventory remained limited, and prices stayed high, sidelining many potential buyers. As a result, renting became a fundamental part of the modern housing landscape.

WHAT DOES RENTING LOOK LIKE TODAY?

Homeownership is now significantly lower than its 2006 peak, but it still accounts for about 65.5% of housing today. Meanwhile, the rental market has continued to expand.

(Chart 1) According to the latest 2024 U.S. Census data, the number of renter households has grown by nearly 10.5 million since 2000. The proportion of the housing market made up of renters has increased, rising from 33.8% in 2000 to just under 35% in 2024.

Top 15 Small U.S. Cities Where Renters Surpass Homeowners

That’s over 35.6 million renter-occupied households, rising to more than 46.1 million today. While the increase in renters might seem small at first, it accounts for millions of households choosing to rent or being pushed into it, often due to rising home prices, high mortgage rates, and limited housing supply.

And, although homeownership has been gaining ground—rising from 69.8 million to 86.6 million over the same 25 years— renter households grew faster, increasing by 29.3% compared to a 24% rise among owners. In fact, renting is becoming the more common housing option in some markets—especially where affordability and flexibility are more important than ownership, from renter-dominated suburbs to long-established urban renter hubs.

The full report and the study's methodology can be found here: www.point2homes.com/news/research/aquarter-of-a-century-in-renting.html. n

A Generation of Change in U.S. Rentership: 2000 vs. 2024

Alexandra Ciuntu is a Senior Real Estate Writer for Point2Homes. alexandra.ciuntu@yardi.com

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The Shortage of New Construction Is Fueling Instability

Across the United States, a shortage of newly built homes has worsened into a full-blown housing crisis. For decades, housing construction has failed to keep up with population growth, changing household formations, and economic expansion. The result has been a market characterized by soaring prices, limited availability, and increasing inequality.

What was once a localized problem in a few expensive cities has now spread nationwide, impacting renters, first-time buyers, long-term homeowners, and communities struggling to attract workers. About a third of American households now spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. In 2014, the median age of a first-time home buyer was 31.

By 2025, it had increased to 40, the highest ever recorded.

A Decades-Long Construction Gap

Following the 2008 financial crisis, homebuilding collapsed—and it never fully recovered.

Builders, scarred by the housing market crash, pulled back significantly. Meanwhile, population growth and new household formation quietly continued. For over a decade, the U.S. has added millions more households than homes, creating a structural shortage that grows each year. Estimates suggest that America needs 2-5 million more homes per year than are now being built.

Even as demand has surged, new construction has been hindered by labor shortages in trades such as carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work; higher material costs, especially for lumber, steel, and concrete; zoning restrictions that limit density or ban multi-family housing; rising land prices in both urban and suburban areas; and lengthy approval processes that delay or derail new projects. These barriers prevent builders from constructing homes at the pace and scale required to meet demand.

The most noticeable sign of the shortage is rapidly rising home prices. For many Americans, buying a home—the traditional foundation of middle-class life—has become out of reach. Even modest houses face bidding wars, often selling well above their asking price.

Inventory is also at historic lows. In many markets, the number of available homes can only meet demand for a few weeks, not the

TRENDI G balanced six-month supply that economists see as healthy. With so few options, buyers either overpay or stay stuck in rentals that are also rapidly getting more expensive.

The Rental Market Is Under Pressure

When potential buyers can't access the market, they remain in rental housing longer, putting additional pressure on the rental supply. This drives rents up everywhere—from major cities to rural areas. High rents set off a chain reaction: Families find it harder to save for a down payment; lower-income households face increasing rates of homelessness and eviction; and workers are forced to move farther from their jobs, leading to worse commutes and more congestion. This strain worsens inequality, hitting young adults, single parents, seniors, and those living paycheck to paycheck the hardest.

Economic and Social Consequences

The housing shortage isn’t just a personal financial issue—it’s a nationwide economic problem. Industries like education, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing report struggles in hiring because potential employees can’t find affordable housing nearby. Americans are moving less because relocating often means dealing with a more expensive housing market. Less mobility slows economic growth and causes regional disparities. Homeownership has long been the main way American families build wealth. When housing is hard to access, wealth gaps between generations

grow wider, and inequality gets worse. Additionally, longer commutes and forced moves to distant suburbs lead to more traffic, pollution, and higher infrastructure costs for local governments.

The Path Forward

Addressing the crisis requires a multi-layered strategy: • Reforming zoning laws to permit denser and more diverse housing options • Investing in affordable housing and providing incentives for builders • Expanding the construction workforce through training and trade programs • Streamlining the permitting process to accelerate development • Supporting innovations such as modular homes, 3D-printed structures, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings These measures won’t immediately fix the shortage, but they can start restoring balance to a strained market.

The lack of new housing development is not just a market fluctuation—it’s a fundamental failure with serious consequences. Without meaningful action, the crisis will worsen, pushing more families out of affordable housing, limiting economic growth, and negatively transforming American communities.

Tackling the housing shortfall is among the most urgent issues facing the country, and its solutions will shape the nation’s social and economic future for generations. n

NOTE: For 2024 specifically, total housing starts were about 1.367 million units [singlefamily ~1.01 million units; the rest multi-family and smaller multi-unit starts] — still below the mid-2000s boom peak. The split between single-family and multi-family includes various building types (detached homes, small multi-unit buildings, large apartment complexes), so it doesn’t reflect quality, size, region, or affordability. Additionally, due to seasonal and economic fluctuations (interest rates, material costs, labor market changes), one or two years of data do not necessarily indicate a long-term trend — it’s important to analyze multi-year patterns, which the chart helps highlight.

I don't understand your specific kind of crazy, but I do admire your total commitment to it.

The Growing American Housing Crisis

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THINKING OUT LOUD

GRATITUDE, POWER, AND THE PRICE OF LOYALTY

tration officials later clarified that the funds came from $2.9 billion Congress had already appropriated earlier in 2025 through the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” That money was designated for military quality-of-life improvements, particularly housing allowances. In other words, this was neither new revenue nor a discretionary presidential gift. It was a congressional decision, repackaged in a nationally televised announcement. That distinction matters—especially when the beneficiary is the U.S. military.

In a prime-time address on December 17, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a one-time “Warrior Dividend” of $1,776 for roughly 1.45 million active-duty and eligible reserve service members.

The amount was deliberately symbolic, invoking the year of America’s founding, and the tone was unmistakably patriotic.

Framing the payment as a holiday bonus for the nation’s “warriors,” the president credited tariff revenues and his administration’s fiscal discipline, promising that the tax-free checks would arrive before Christmas. “Nobody deserves it more than our military,” he said.

At face value, the announcement was generous—and effective. America’s service members are often underpaid relative to their civilian counterparts while enduring hardships most Americans never face: repeated deployments, long separations from family, constant relocations, and constant readiness for danger. A $1,776 payment, part of a $2.6 billion disbursement structured through military housing allowances, will provide meaningful relief for many families. For junior enlisted troops living paycheck to paycheck, the money can ease holiday expenses, reduce debt, or offer a rare sense of financial stability. Gratitude from service members and their families is both understandable and deserved.

But patriotism and good policy are not the same. Beneath the symbolism and timing of the “Warrior Dividend” lie deeper questions—about political messaging, civil-military norms, and the long-term health of American democracy.

Despite the president’s claim that tariff revenues funded the dividend, adminis-

BY BRIGADIER GENERAL (RET) T.J. EDWARDS who was dismissed in February 2025.

Early in the administration, the top uniformed lawyers (Judge Advocates) in the Army, Navy, and Air Force were also dismissed without public explanation.

Supporters describe these actions as necessary reforms. Critics, including retired generals and constitutional scholars, argue that they reflect an effort to prioritize personal loyalty over professional independence. Against this backdrop, a highly publicized cash payment, framed as a presidential gift, takes on a different meaning.

This administration, perhaps more openly than any in recent memory, treats the military and veteran communities as a political constituency. The message— sometimes subtle, sometimes blunt—is that loyalty is noticed and rewarded. Not loyalty to the Constitution, which service members swear to uphold, but loyalty to a person, a party, or a movement.

By presenting the payment as a personal act of generosity, the president blurred the line between institutional governance and individual benefaction.

This approach echoes past behavior.

During his first term, President Trump insisted that his name appear on COVIDera stimulus checks, reinforcing the perception that public funds were a personal offering rather than a product of the democratic process. Applied to the military, however, such personalization carries greater risk.

The Warrior Dividend fits within a broader and increasingly concerning pattern.

Since taking office, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has overseen the removal of more than two dozen senior military leaders, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.,

The symbolism of $1,776 reinforces that message. It invokes the nation’s founding, sacrifice, and revolutionary identity. The implication is clear: this administration stands with the military—and this check proves it. That is a dangerous line to walk.

American history offers cautionary examples. President Richard Nixon, during the Vietnam era, increasingly relied on military strength and displays of loyalty to bolster political authority, while privately distrusting senior officers. His use of the military amid domestic unrest strained civil-military norms and fueled public mistrust.

More recently, President Trump’s first term featured repeated efforts to draw the military into political theater—deploying troops to the southern border during election cycles, encouraging uniformed presence at partisan events, and threatening to use active-duty forces against domestic protesters in 2020. Each episode raised alarms because the military is not meant to serve as a political prop.

International experience is even clearer.

Opinion

Marriage is like a deck of cards. In the beginning, all you need is two hearts and a diamond. By the end, you wish you had a club and a spade.

THE WARRIOR DIVIDEND:

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In countries where leaders tie military pay, promotions, or prestige to political loyalty—Russia, Turkey, and several Latin American states, among others—democratic institutions erode quickly. Armed forces become instruments of political enforcement rather than neutral defenders of the state. The United States has long avoided this fate by insisting on a professional, apolitical military loyal to the Constitution, not to individual leaders.

Supporters of the Warrior Dividend cite improved recruiting numbers as evidence of renewed patriotism under the current administration. Recruiting has indeed rebounded. But recruiting trends do not exist in a vacuum. Economic pressures—rising housing costs, inflation, healthcare expenses, and job insecurity—make military service more attractive to young Americans seeking stability. Many of the reforms credited with improving recruitment, including expanded preparatory programs and adjusted entry standards, were implemented years earlier. Attributing recruitment success solely to political leadership oversimplifies a complex reality.

Product Comparison

None of this is an argument against paying service members more. In fact, the opposite is true. Military compensation should be higher, fairer, and more

reflective of the sacrifices required of those who serve. But pay increases should be delivered through transparent, institutional processes—through Congress and long-term budgeting— rather than through discretionary bonuses tied to political narratives. Compensation must never feel contingent on political alignment.

The military oath itself reinforces this principle. Service members do not swear loyalty to a president or a party. They swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath is the foundation of American civil-military relations. It ensures that the armed forces serve the rule of law and the rights of the American people, regardless of who holds power.

Federal law and military regulations further require active-duty service members, especially commissioned officers, to remain politically neutral. They are prohibited from publicly endorsing political candidates or parties because the military's legitimacy depends on public trust. Once the armed forces are perceived as partisan, they no longer

belong to the nation as a whole—they become instruments of political power.

History shows that when militaries abandon constitutional loyalty and political neutrality, democracies weaken and, at times, collapse. America’s strength has always rested on a simple yet profound principle: the armed forces protect the Constitution, not political fortunes.

If you feel pride when you see service members receive the Warrior Dividend, that reaction is both understandable and admirable. Gratitude for those who serve is profoundly American. But patriotism also demands vigilance.

The Warrior Dividend is about more than money. It is about power, perception, and the fragile balance between civilian leadership and military independence. We can applaud fair compensation for service members while rejecting any attempt to turn the armed forces into a partisan instrument. A strong military depends not on gifts but on trust—and trust endures only when loyalty remains where it belongs: with the Constitution and the Republic it protects. n

T. J. Edwards retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service. He is a Contributing Editor of tjedwardsjr23@gmail.com

.

GROK VS. CHATGPT: BY ROXANA TOFAN To save one of our team members time, I taught her how to use AI to draft letters to residents and improve email responses. At first, it seemed like a great idea. But soon I noticed that whenever I assigned her a project or asked a detailed question, she would send me a copy-and-pasted version of ChatGPT’s output. Often, it didn’t match the facts, and she rarely bothered to remove the obvious bold text or other formatting left by the AI. That’s when it hit me: the real benefit of AI isn’t just to give you text you could write yourself. It’s to analyze the situation, apply the details, and generate insights specific to your needs.

This lesson applies broadly when comparing AI tools today. Some, like ChatGPT, excel at writing,

NAVIGATING THE AI LANDSCAPE IN 2025 structured communication, and creative output.

Others, like Grok from xAI, stand out for realtime analysis, trend identification, and insights drawn from social signals. Both are powerful, but understanding how and when to use them makes all the difference.

ORIGINS AND PHILOSOPHY

Let’s start with a little background. ChatGPT was introduced by OpenAI in November 2022, initially powered by GPT-3.5, and has since evolved through GPT-4, GPT-4o, and advanced reasoning models. OpenAI’s mission is to build artificial general intelligence that is safe, aligned, and broadly beneficial. ChatGPT focuses on being helpful, structured, and reliable, making it a trusted assistant for students, professionals, and anyone who needs polished communication. Its responses are designed to be polite, accurate, and carefully framed, making it a dependable partner for complex tasks.

Grok, on the other hand, is the new kid on the block. Created by xAI, Elon Musk’s company, in 2023, it has the mission of “understanding the universe.” Inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and JARVIS from Iron Man, Grok is all about bold exploration and seeking the truth—even when it’s a little edgy. It uses humor, sarcasm, and direct answers that other AIs might avoid. Its real-time connection to X (formerly Twitter) gives it a unique edge in staying current on news, trends, and social insights.

Philosophically, you could say ChatGPT is the careful teacher, while Grok is the rebellious conversationalist who’s not afraid to speak its mind.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Both ChatGPT and Grok are powered by advanced large language models, but they shine in different ways. ChatGPT’s GPT-4o is a powerhouse for reasoning, structured writing, coding, creative work, and multimodal tasks

Telling a woman to calm down works about as well as baptizing a cat.

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 (text, images, voice). It integrates with tools such as DALL-E for image creation, custom GPTs, plugins, and enterprise APIs. Its strength lies in detailed, step-by-step explanations and handling multi-step tasks. It’s perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who needs well-structured, high-quality output.

Grok comes in two versions: Grok 3, which is free but limited, and Grok 4, the premium version.

Grok’s live data integration makes it more accurate for timely facts, while ChatGPT excels at complex, structured reasoning tasks.

Lord... give me patience... Because if you give me strength, I'm going to need bail money to go with it.

USER EXPERIENCE AND PERSONALITY

Where ChatGPT and Grok really differ is in their communication. ChatGPT offers a polished, professional interface across web, mobile apps, and integrations like Microsoft Copilot. Its tone is neutral and structured, making it great for clarity and reliability. Grok feels more human.

Its responses are witty, sarcastic, playful, and sometimes even a little rebellious. It’s willing to tackle questions ChatGPT might deflect, using current events and social trends in its answers.

For example, if you ask for a joke about AI, ChatGPT might give you a safe, family-friendly quip. Grok, however, might respond with a clever, self-aware punchline that’s both funny and insightful. It’s lively, engaging, and sometimes unpredictable—exactly the kind of personality that keeps conversations interesting.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

ChatGPT’s main strengths are reliability, consistency, and versatility and its safety and moderation features help minimize errors and inappropriate content. Grok excels at real-time insights and personality. It can surface social trends, provide quick sentiment analysis, and answer controversial questions with humor and wit. It’s strong in coding and reasoning, and interactions feel lively and engaging.

REAL-WORLD USE CASES

ChatGPT and Grok complement each other in distinct ways. For writing tasks, ChatGPT is ideal for essays, letters, poems, and reports. It produces structured, polished content, making it perfect for professional and educational work.

In coding, ChatGPT excels at clear, step-bystep explanations that help users understand complex programming logic.

Grok, on the other hand, adds a layer of creativity and engagement. It can make writing more playful and humorous. ChatGPT excels at synthesizing complex documents, generating comprehensive reports, and providing historical context. In daily use, ChatGPT is ideal for tutoring, planning, and structured workflows.

Grok is better suited to debates, staying in-

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formed about fast-moving events, and exploring emerging trends.

PERFORMANCE SNAPSHOT.

From my experience, ChatGPT has been far superior when I need polished emails or narrative reports and updates. Our kids and grandkids might never write a letter on their own, but ChatGPT helps produce beautifully structured drafts. On the other hand, Grok is my go-to for analyzing complex documents.

I’ve uploaded 20-page contracts and asked Grok to summarize key points without needing an attorney. I’ve also uploaded medical test results and asked what they mean. Grok can quickly provide actionable insights and context, showing that AI’s real power lies in analysis and understanding, not just generating text.

In terms of humor and personality, Grok is playful and witty, while ChatGPT maintains a professional, neutral tone. Safety and moderation favor ChatGPT, whereas Grok’s openness carries some risk. Ecosystem and integrations are also a strong point for ChatGPT, which supports plugins, APIs, and enterprise tools.

Grok’s integrations are limited but excel in social and trend monitoring.

ETHICS AND MODERATION

Ethics are a major differentiator between these AIs. ChatGPT uses strict moderation to minimize misinformation and harmful content, making it safe for educational and professional use.

However, some critics argue that it can feel overly cautious or biased, with answers that are sometimes formulaic.

Grok prioritizes openness and free expression.

It offers more unfiltered access to information and a broader range of viewpoints, making it engaging and lively. The trade-off? A higher risk of inaccurate or controversial content.

Because Grok draws on live social data, it may reflect trending opinions or unverified claims. xAI embraces this approach as part of its philosophy of maximum truth-seeking, while OpenAI continues to face scrutiny over balancing safety, alignment, and bias. Choosing between them often comes down to whether you value freedom and exploration (Grok) or safety and reliability (ChatGPT).

Both ChatGPT and Grok excel at reasoning, delivering very high accuracy. Grok has an edge in real-time awareness, thanks to its X integration, which keeps it up to date with breaking news, trends, and social sentiment. ChatGPT shines in structured reasoning and complex problemsolving.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

xAI is aiming to dominate social and real-time AI applications rapidly. OpenAI continues to refine reasoning, multimodal capabilities, and enterprise solutions, maintaining ChatGPT’s position across education, business, and productivity. Key trends to watch include advances in multimodal AI, content moderation, API expansion, pricing, and real-world benchmarks. Both platforms are evolving quickly, improving performance, safety, and user experience with each iteration.

CHOOSING YOUR AI COMPANION

Returning to my office example, asking AI a question and receiving either a precise explanation or a witty, bold answer highlights the difference between these tools. ChatGPT offers depth, reliability, and professional polish.

Grok delivers spontaneity, humor, and real-time insights.

ChatGPT offers a free tier for casual users, students, and anyone exploring AI. The Plus plan, at around $20/month, unlocks access to GPT-4o, faster responses, and higher usage limits. For businesses and enterprises, OpenAI provides APIs, custom integrations, and large-scale support. ChatGPT is standalone and accessible via web, apps, and integrations such as Microsoft Copilot, making it easy to use anywhere.

In 2025, there’s no one-size-fits-all winner. If you value safe, versatile productivity, ChatGPT is the clear choice. If you want trend awareness, bold answers, and engaging conversation, Grok is more exciting. The best approach may be to use both: ChatGPT for structured tasks and professional work, and Grok for entertainment, real-time updates, and thought-provoking insights. As my experience shows, AI’s true value lies in analyzing the situation and applying insights tailored to your needs, not just producing generic outputs. Together, these two AI titans show us a future where knowledge, personality, and humor coexist, and where AI doesn’t just write for us but helps us understand, analyze, and make smarter decisions every day. n

Grok’s free version is limited to X, while premium subscriptions like SuperGrok or X Premium+ unlock advanced features. Choosing between them often comes down to whether you prioritize standalone versatility (ChatGPT) or realtime social insights (Grok).

Roxana Tofan is a commercial real estate and business broker and the founder and owner of Clear Integrity Group in San Antonio. She is also a Contributing Editor of roxana@clearintegritygroup.com

PRICING AND ACCESSIBILITY

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

– WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? AND HOW?

FROM THE ASHES OF WAR TO THE BRIDGES OF TOMORROW

THE ENDURING MISSION OF UNESCO

Editor’s Note: A popular feature in every issue of the network from 2022-2024, we offer this broad overview to our new readers and encourage you to visit our archives (<HERE>) to see these magnificent pictorials.

Just before dawn, the first rays of sunlight strike the ancient stones of Machu Picchu. Fog slowly lifts from the Andes, revealing terraces carved by the Inca more than 500 years ago. Across the globe, the same morning light illuminates the pyramids of Giza, glimmers off the canals of Venice, and dances over Australia's coral reefs. Oceans, cultures, and centuries separate these places—yet they share something powerful. UNESCO has recognized each as a treasure of humanity, worthy of protection for generations yet to come.

WHEN

WHO UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Founded in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II, UNESCO was created on a bold and enduring belief: that lasting peace could be achieved not only through political and economic agreements but also through education, science, culture, and shared understanding among nations. Today, UNESCO is comprised of 194 member countries, all working collaboratively to preserve what unites humanity rather than what divides it.

WHERE UNESCO World Heritage Sites span every continent and nearly every country, ranging from world-famous landmarks to lesser-known yet equally significant places of cultural and natural importance. Iconic examples include the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Historic Center of Rome in Italy, a living museum of Western civilization. The list also includes natural and cultural marvels such as Machu Picchu in Peru, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

WHY UNESCO’s work is critical because many of the world’s most important places are increasingly at risk. Climate change threatens coastal cities and coral reefs, armed conflict damages historic sites, and pollution, mass tourism, and unchecked development place immense pressure on fragile environments and ancient structures. When a site is designated a World Heritage Site, it gains international recognition, expert guidance, and greater accountability. In urgent cases, endangered sites may be placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger List, mobilizing global awareness and action to prevent irreversible loss.

é UNESCO Headquarters in Île de France, France.

The modern World Heritage movement began in the 1950s, when Egypt’s plan to build the Aswan High Dam threatened to flood ancient temples along the Nile. In response, an unprecedented international effort relocated monuments such as Abu Simbel, stone by stone.

This landmark achievement demonstrated the power of global cooperation and directly inspired the creation of the World Heritage Convention, formally adopted in 1972. Since then, more than 1,100 sites worldwide have been added to the World Heritage List.

UNESCO’s most visible role is identifying and protecting World Heritage Sites—places of outstanding cultural or natural importance to humanity. These sites include ancient monuments, historic cities, archaeological ruins, forests, deserts, coral reefs, and mountain ranges. Beyond heritage preservation, UNESCO supports global education initiatives, scientific cooperation, press freedom, and sustainable development.

At its core, UNESCO’s mission is to safeguard knowledge, history, culture, and the environment for present and future generations.

WHAT

The process for becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site is rigorous and demanding. A country must first place a site on its Tentative List, then submit a detailed nomination explaining the site’s significance, authenticity, integrity, and long-term preservation plan. Independent experts evaluate each nomination, and the World Heritage Committee, made up of representatives from member countries, votes on whether to grant designation.

HOW

Central to this evaluation is whether a site demonstrates Outstanding Universal Value, meaning it holds significance for all humanity, not just one nation or region. Sites must meet at least one of UNESCO’s ten official criteria, which cover cultural achievement, historical importance, natural beauty, geological processes, ecosystems, or biodiversity. Equally important are long-term protection, sustainability, and responsible management, including community involvement and effective conservation policies. UNESCO does not own World Heritage Sites; instead, it holds countries accountable for protecting them on behalf of the world—reflecting a shared global commitment to preserving humanity’s cultural and natural legacy.

UNESCO is more than a list of famous destinations. It is a shared promise—a recognition that humanity’s greatest achievements and natural wonders belong to no single nation or generation.

Each protected site is a bridge between past and future, reminding us that history, culture, and nature are fragile, valuable, and deeply interconnected.

As the sun sets over ancient ruins, rainforests, and historic cities, UNESCO’s mission quietly endures: to ensure that when future generations stand where we do today, they too can feel wonder, connection, and responsibility. In protecting the past, UNESCO helps shape a more thoughtful and united future.

Roxana Tofan is a commercial real estate and business broker and the founder and owner of Clear Integrity Group in San Antonio. She is also a Contributing Editor of roxana@clearintegritygroup.com

If stupid could fly, you'd be a jet.

BY ROXANA TOFAN

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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It's funny how drinking 8 cups of water a day seems like it's impossible, but 8 beers and 6 shots in three hours go down like a fat kid on a seesaw.

WORLD’S URBANIZATION PROSPECTS 2025 “At its core, urbanization refers to the increasing concentration of people in settlements that exhibit urban characteristics, such as places with higher population density, greater connectivity and more developed infrastructure, as commonly found in cities and towns. Traditionally, this process has been described as the movement of people from “rural” to “urban” areas, but such a dichotomy oversimplifies the reality of human settlement patterns. In practice, urbanization occurs along a continuum. At one end are rural areas, which are sparsely populated and geographically distant from major population centers. Moving along the spectrum, towns represent intermediate settlements, which are more densely populated and connected than rural areas but smaller and less complex than cities.

At the other end are cities, which vary significantly in size and density, from small urban centers to megacities with tens of millions of inhabitants. Larger and denser

cities can be considered “more urban” than smaller and less densely populated ones.”

Indonesia's capital, Jakarta (pictured at right), is now the world’s most populous city, according to a new United Nations report (quoted above). It surpassed Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, and Japan's Tokyo to earn this new title. With an estimated population of nearly 42 million, Jakarta rose from 33rd place in the 2018 rankings (when Tokyo was the top) to become the most populous city in 2025.

Jakarta is followed by Dhaka, with 36 million, which the report says is expected to become “the world's largest city by mid-century.”

The new ranking highlights the rapid changes happening worldwide, including the growth of densely populated megacities and Asia's increasing dominance.

Almost half of the world's 8.2 billion people now live in cities, according to the “World Urbanization Prospects 2025” report, representing a doubling of urban residents over the past 75 years. Nine of the ten most populous cities are in Asia. The only exception is Cairo, Egypt's capital, which ranks seventh with 25 million people—more than twice as many as New York City.

The other cities in the top ten were New Delhi (30.2 million), Shanghai (20.6

million), Guangzhou (27.6 million), Manila (24.7 million), Kolkata (22.5 million), and Seoul (22.5 million).

“Urbanization is a defining force of our time. When managed inclusively and strategically, it can unlock transformative pathways for climate action, economic growth, and social equity,” said Li Junhia, United Nations under secretary-general for economic and social affairs.

In 1975, there were just eight megacities—defined as those with a population of at least 10 million. By 2025, that number has increased to 33, with 19 located in Asia. Los Angeles and New York City are the only two megacities in the United States, the report said. “To achieve balanced territorial development, countries must adopt integrated national policies that align housing, land use, mobility, and public services across urban and rural areas,” Lee stated.

By 2050, there could be over 50,000 cities worldwide, most with populations under 250,000. The UN projections indicated that Dhaka will likely be the world's most populous city with 52.1 million residents by 2050, while Tokyo's population is expected to decrease by 2.7 million due to Japan's aging population.

Jakarta, prone to earthquakes and flooding, is overcrowded, polluted, and sinking quickly. In August 2019, then-Indonesian president Joko Widodo announced that the country's capital would relocate to Nusantara, located 1200 miles away in Borneo, which boasts some of the world's highest biodiversity levels. The plan has faced several setbacks, including construction delays, a lack of foreign investment, and land and management issues.

See a detailed summary of the United Nations report <HERE>. n

Studies and Reports

THE GE GRAPHY PAGES

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THE

PAGES

ANNIE OAKLEY Born on August 13, 1860, as Phoebe Ann Moses—her family sometimes spelled the surname Mozee, Mosey, or Mauzy—Annie Oakley was original-ly from Darke County, Ohio. After her father passed away when she was just five years old, Annie stepped up to help feed her family by setting traps in the dense Ohio woods and learning to use her father’s rifle. She often spoke of the thrill and nervous excitement she felt during her first hunt, recalling how she slowed her breath, focused her aim, and was overcome with pride when she brought down her first animal with a single, well-placed shot.

Tragedy struck Annie Oakley’s life once more in 1870, when her stepfather passed away, leaving her family in even deeper hardship. At just ten years old, Annie was forced to confront the pain of separation as her mother, overwhelmed by grief and financial strain, sent several of her children to live with neighbors for survival. Annie herself was sent to stay with a local farmer, who promised her mother that Annie would be able to attend school and hunt—a prospect that must have carried a glimmer of hope for the young girl.

However, the reality was far different.

Annie found herself plunged into isolation and uncertainty, her days consumed by grueling chores and little kindness. The farmer’s home became, in effect, a place of indentured servitude, where Annie’s longing for family and the freedom of the woods were replaced by fear and loneliness. She endured these harsh conditions for nearly two years, her spirit tested by the daily struggle and the broken promise of education and independence. Each night, she dreamed of escape, her determination quietly building as she resolved to reclaim her life.

During the competition, both Oakley and Butler hit every pigeon released from the trap, but Butler’s final shot fell just beyond the boundary line, giving Oakley the victory—a win that astonished many onlookers given Butler's reputation. Butler was reportedly both surprised and delighted by Oakley’s remarkable skill, and their shared passion for shooting quickly sparked a close bond. Soon after, the two were married and began performing together, blending their talents into a partnership that would become legendary in the world of sharpshooting.

é Annie Oakley (in the 1880s)

Finally, as a teenager, Annie summoned her courage and managed to break free from the farmer’s household, returning home to her mother. The reunion, though bittersweet, marked a turning point. Around age 14, Annie began to channel her resilience and ingenuity into supporting her family. She skillfully hunted game in the Ohio woods, using patience and precision to bring down animals that she would sell to the local grocer and nearby hotels.

Annie kept meticulous records of her earnings and sought out new buyers, sometimes bartering for supplies her family needed. Her resolve was unwavering—through her resourcefulness and tireless work, she eventually earned enough money to pay off the mortgage on her mother’s house, proving her ability to overcome even the most daunting obstacles.

Her mastery of shooting became her career and even led her to meet her husband, fellow sharpshooter Frank E. Butler, in 1875. By that time, Oakley had already gained local recognition for her exceptional marksmanship, often impressing crowds with her unmatched accuracy and steady nerves. When she visited her sister in Cincinnati, she was invited to a shooting match with Butler, who was a renowned professional shooter.

Annie Oakley, renowned for her sharpshooting skills, and her husband Frank Butler were celebrated performers who captivated audiences across America. In 1885, Oakley and Butler joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, which would launch her to international fame. She started using the stage name "Annie Oakley" around that time, solidifying her legacy as a legendary markswoman. Oakley earned her spot in the company by hitting every clay pigeon Butler had launched in the air during a shooting practice.

The couple traveled all over the U.S. with the Wild West Show company.

The show, created in 1883 by Buffalo

é Oakley shoots a rifle over her shoulder using a hand mirror in a photo taken circa 1885.

You know you're old when you enter your birth date online and have to spin that thing like you're on Wheel of Fortune.

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Bill (William F. Cody), was an outdoor extravaganza showcasing a fictionalized version of the American frontier.

It featured dramatized reenactments, which often relied on stereotypes and fictionalized depictions of Native Americans and frontier life, as well as shooting exhibitions and skits demonstrating roping and horse riding.

One day you're young and the next you have a favorite pharmacy.

Oakley quickly became the show’s main attraction, astonishing audiences with her sharpshooting skills and petite frame. In 1887, she gained international renown when the company performed at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in London, a prestigious event attended by royalty and dignitaries from around the world. After spending 17 years with the Western show, Oakley and her husband decided to leave following her injury in a 1901 train accident. Nevertheless, she continued to appear at exhibitions until officially retiring at age 53.

As Annie Oakley entered the later years of her extraordinary life, she found herself at a crossroads, her heart brimming with new ambitions even as her body began to show signs of strain. After captivating audiences across two continents and redefining what was possible for women in marksmanship and the performing arts, Annie dreamed of sharing her story with even broader audiences. The idea of starring in movies or penning her memoir was not just a natural progression but a way for her to inspire and empower others, especially young women who looked up to her as a trailblazer. Oakley’s career had already made her a household name; she’d performed before royalty, shattered records, and turned her relentless determination into a beacon of hope for those who doubted their own potential.

However, in 1922, fate dealt her a cruel blow. A devastating car accident left Annie with a permanent leg injury, abruptly curtailing her physical independence. The pain and the sudden limitations weighed heavily on her, filling her with frustration and sadness.

For someone who had always relied on her agility and precision, the loss of mobility was a profound challenge— one that tested her spirit in ways even the hardest winters and longest tours

never could. Yet, Annie’s resilience shone through. She refused to let her circumstances define her, channeling the same focus and determination that had made her a legend into her recovery and continued advocacy.

Through it all, her husband, Frank Butler, remained by her side—a constant comfort and partner in both triumph and adversity. Their bond, forged in the shared joys of competition and performance, now deepened as they faced hardship together. When Annie was diagnosed with a severe blood disorder in 1926, the couple confronted the painful reality with mutual support and quiet courage, drawing strength from decades of partnership.

Annie’s dreams of new creative ventures lingered in her thoughts, a bittersweet reminder of the possibilities that still called to her.

In November 1926, Annie Oakley passed away at the age of 66 in Greenville, Ohio, her legacy already secure in the annals of American history. Frank, unable to bear the loss of his beloved companion, died just eighteen days later—a poignant testament to the love and devotion that had sustained them both through a lifetime of challenges and triumphs. Their story remains one of resilience, shared dreams, and an unyielding spirit that continues to inspire generations.

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Annie Oakley was a sharpshooter and star Wild West performer. She was later depicted in the 1946 Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun, which fictionalized her story by showing her intentionally losing to Buffalo Bill Cody’s best marksman to protect his ego, even though in reality she had defeated him in a shootoff.

She was also known for her volunteer and philanthropic work. She donated time and money to tuberculosis patients, orphans, and young women seeking higher education, and she regularly visited hospitals to offer support to tuberculosis patients and personally funded scholarships for young women who wanted to pursue higher education. She was also passionate about teaching women how to shoot for sport and protection. Over the years, she is thought to have taught more than 15,000 women through free classes.

Her tenacity and determination have become an inspiration for many. “Aim for the high mark and you will hit it,” she’s reported to have said. “No, not the first time, not the second time, and maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect. Finally, you'll hit the bullseye of success.” n

é For years, Oakley (pictured circa 1918) spent two hours each morning teaching free shooting classes to women, and she repeatedly urged U.S. military authorities to create all-women fighting units.

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TRENDI G BY ADAM MCCANN

Safest Cities in America (2025) Threats to safety in the U.S. come in many forms, from public health crises and natural disasters to mass shootings and traffic accidents. People can also feel unsafe in other ways.

Besides hazards that can cause physical injury or harm, taking out an unaffordable second mortgage, skipping health insurance, or visiting unsecured websites are other risks people face.

Currently, one main concern for many is inflation, which threatens Americans’ financial security.

No one can avoid all danger, but we accept a certain level of risk depending on where we choose to live.

Some cities are better at protecting their residents from harm. To fivnd out where Americans can feel safest — in more than one way — WalletHub compared over 180 cities using 41 key safety indicators. Their data includes metrics like traffic fatalities per capita, assaults per capita, the unemployment rate, and the percentage of the population that is uninsured.

Overall City Rank*

1

Warwick, RI

2

Overland Park, KS

3

Burlington, VT

4

Juneau, AK

5

Yonkers, NY

6

Casper, WY

7

South Burlington, VT

8

Columbia, MD

9

Lewiston, ME

10

Salem, OR

11

Nashua, NH

12

Boise, ID

13

Laredo, TX

14

Santa Rosa, CA

15

Virginia Beach, VA

16

Nampa, ID

17

Irvine, CA

18

Chesapeake, VA

19

Cedar Rapids, IA

20

Bismarck, ND

21

Honolulu, HI

22

Portland, ME

23

Chula Vista, CA

24

Vancouver, WA

25

Madison, WI

26

Lincoln, NE

27

Fremont, CA

28

Pearl City, HI

29

Gilbert, AZ

30

Port St. Lucie, FL

31

Boston, MA

32

Omaha, NE

33

Aurora, IL

34

Missoula, MT

35

Fargo, ND

36

Glendale, CA

37

West Valley City, UT

38

Sioux Falls, SD

39

San Diego, CA

40

Chandler, AZ

41

Scottsdale, AZ

42

Huntington Beach, CA

43

Worcester, MA

44

Santa Clarita, CA

45

Huntsville, AL

46

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

47

St. Paul, MN

48

Moreno Valley, CA

49

Oceanside, CA

50

Garden Grove, CA

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Total Score

71,21

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indicates that residents are financially stable and less likely to struggle with bills, lose their property, or become homeless. Additionally, Overland Park boasts the fourth-highest employer-based retirement plan access rate and the sixth-highest participation rate. Overall, these factors make Overland Park one of the strongest cities in the country for financial security and retirement readiness.

Natural- Financial Home & Community Disaster Safety Rank Risk Safety Rank Rank

8

9

44

70,04

4

118

16

68,79

33

6

9

68,74

86

1

57

68,65

3

29

118

68,42

51

5

7

68,35

46

6

3

68,02

2

11

51

67,77

63

4

2

66,93

52

13

31

66,72

13

111

8

66,65

41

46

6

66,43

26

25

81

66,43

32

20

93

66,37

27

53

43

66,35

43

16

46

66,05

6

127

116

66,03

24

42

61 74

66

23

43

65,95

42

65

4

65,82

31

57

27

65,75

58

23

1

65,52

21

39

113

65,45

80

2

70

65,25

30

88

21

65,23

35

115

14

64,98

20

137

65

64,91

1

57

13

64,83

9

155

36

64,78

10

56

167

64,59

50

31

26

64,52

40

96

35

64,5

17

62

126

64,3

88

8

19

64,1

54

74

20

64,02

7

150

146

63,76

45

82

37

63,75

57

86

12

63,68

38

39

90

63,49

19

155

30

63,49

22

155

24

63,44

25

127

106

63,37

37

80

40

63,3

5

150

175

63,28

44

63

42

63,21

18

166

97

63,16

74

44

23

63,12

16

68

153

63

36

39

103

62,72

29

127

120

In-Depth Look at the Safest Cities

Warwick, RI, is the safest city, ranking third for the fewest aggravated assaults per capita and 32nd for the fewest murders among the 182 cities in the study. It also has the seventh-lowest number of thefts per capita, so residents can worry less about both violent and non-violent crimes. Regarding natural disasters, Warwick ranks seventh for the lowest risk of hail, 10th for wildfires, 23rd for tornadoes, and 29th for earthquakes. Lastly, Warwick offers good conditions for financial security, with the fourth-lowest percentage of residents without health insurance and living in poverty. The city also has the 37th-fewest fraud complaints per capita.

Overland Park, KS, is the second-safest city in 2025, partly because of its safe roads. It has the fifth-lowest pedestrian fatality rate nationwide, along with the 21st-lowest percentage of uninsured motorists. While accidents do occur, the city is fortunate to have the 15th-lowest traffic fatality rate among the cities analyzed. One area where Overland Park truly excels— something many might not consider—is financial security. It ranks 14th nationwide with an unemployment rate of 3.3%, has the fifth-highest median credit score, the lowest percentage of residents living in poverty, and the fourth-lowest share of owner-occupied housing units with a mortgage that spend 35% or more of their income on housing. This

Burlington, VT, ranks as the third-safest city, partly because it has the 26thlowest murder rate and the 17th-highest share of sheltered homeless population.

It also has the 25th-lowest number of rape offenses, and there have been no terrorist attacks or related incidents recorded in the city over the past decade.

Additionally, Burlington residents have a relatively low risk for several types of natural disasters or severe weather. The city has the 14th-lowest risk of flooding, the 21st-lowest risk of tornadoes, and the 31st-lowest risk of wildfires. Burlington residents are also quite safe from fraudsters – the city has the fourth-fewest identity theft complaints and the 22nd-fewest fraud complaints per capita. Furthermore, Burlington has the seventh-lowest percentage of uninsured residents, which helps prevent people from racking up hefty expenses after an accident.

To view the whole report and the other 132 cities on the list, to understand the methodology, and to read expert commentary, click <HERE>. n Adam McCann is a personal finance writer for WalletHub.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BY ANDREW FELDER

What Can I Screw With Today?

The day after the ‘No Kings’ protest (October 18th), Trump posted an AI-generated video of himself (on Truth Social) as a fighter pilot wearing a crown, dropping piles of manure on demonstrators with “Danger Zone” (the iconic “Top Gun” theme song) playing in the background. (See 3 pictures on bottom of page.)

There is a particular kind of power that doesn't simply seek to govern but to interfere. Not to steward but to disrupt.

Not to build but to poke, prod, reverse, dismantle, rename, revoke, withdraw, cancel, and destabilize. It is the power that awakens not asking what needs fixing, who needs help, or how the machinery of government might serve the public good—but instead asks, with idle cruelty and mischievous delight: What can I screw with today?

During the Trump era, governance often seems less like deliberate policy and more like disjointed impulsive acts.

It feels less like strategic planning and more like immediate reactions.

It appears less like true leadership and more like spectacle. The presidency, which was once at least officially guided by protocol, institutional norms, and public purpose, is now regarded as a personal control device—one that can be suddenly,

erratically yanked without consideration for who or what might be affected across the landscape.

Harm often doesn't come with dramatic scenes like tanks or coups. Instead, it arrives through memos, defundings, cancellations, firings, silences, reversals, threats, and withdrawals. It sneaks in as the slow choking off of data, the quiet bureaucratic asphyxiation of programs that keep people fed, housed, alive, and informed. It also happens through the casual subordination of public institutions to personal grievances, political revenge, or transactional loyalty.

When environmental data collection is limited or stopped, the damage is real.

It means communities breathe dirtier air without even the dignity of measurement. When nutrition assistance and elderly support programs are cut or repeatedly threatened, the cruelty

is not hypothetical. It affects the diets of the poor and the lives of the elderly.

When foreign aid is frozen or dismantled not as part of a clear strategy but as a form of punishment, leverage, or neglect, the impacts lead to famine, instability, and death far beyond American borders. And all of this is communicated not with care or necessity, but with contempt. The tone always reveals the true message.

Government is seen as a hostile force to be defeated rather than a shared institution to be managed. Public servants are labeled as “deep state enemies.”

Inspectors general are called “rats.”

Scientists are labeled “alarmists.”

Judges are referred to as “so-called.”

Journalists are branded “the enemy of the people.” Even allies are praised only when they humble themselves. Loyalty is valued more than competence.

Submission is favored over expertise.

Applause is preferred over truth.

I've come to realize that diarrhea of the mouth is a side effect of shit for brains. This is a serious medical condition.

Opinion

- 52 -

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

The result is a constant feeling that no domain is off limits—whether it's science, education, diplomacy, emergency response, or even memory itself.

Museums face pressure. Historical displays are challenged. Language is controlled. Symbols are reconfigured.

Reality itself becomes negotiable, edited as aggressively as any executive order. It’s a form of the politics of vandalism, carried out with a Sharpie. And the vandalism feels deeply personal.

How is your summer body coming along? Mine is looking like I have a great personality.

The thin layer of grievance becomes national policy. A small offense turns into a purge. A criticism results in a funding cut. A headline becomes a personal vendetta. A late-night joke spirals into a month-long rage. The state is not just governed—it is emotionally hijacked. The machinery of democracy is forced to move in sync with one man’s moods.

This isn't conservatism in any traditional sense. It's not even populism in any significant way. It's more like something feudal: a court system based on favoritism, a punishment regime driven by whim, and a public sphere treated as the sovereign’s personal stage. And like all such systems, it's terribly inefficient at producing anything except fear, loyalty performances, and chaos.

The most damaging element, however, is not the outward chaos—it is its acceptance. The continual conditioning of the public to expect daily shocks, the adaptation of institutions to handle unpredictable swings, and the quiet resignation upon realizing that tomorrow’s policy may exist solely to erase what came before. Governance is no longer predictable; it is merely reactive.

The question “What can I screw with today?” becomes less of a joke and more of a guiding principle.

What alliance can be shaken? What regulation can be dismantled? What watchdog can be silenced? What safety net can be torn? What truth can be obscured? What norm can be ridiculed? What boundary can be crossed just because it exists? In this worldview, boundaries are not guardrails—they are invitations.

And always... ALWAYS... the justification remains the same: strength. Disruption is labeled as boldness. Recklessness as courage. Cruelty as authenticity. Incompetence as insurgent genius. Every demolition is presented as “draining the swamp,” even when the destruction clearly impacts ordinary people who have never attended a lobbyist dinner or stepped into a marble hallway. The language of victimhood is used by the most powerful office in the world. The wealthiest person in every room is portrayed as the most wronged. The presidency becomes a grievance amplifier with a nuclear megaphone.

And beneath it all lies the core inversion: the idea that government exists not to defend the vulnerable from the powerful, but to protect the powerful from the vulnerable. That law is not a shield but a weapon. That institutions are not stabilizers but enemies. That democracy is valuable only when it affirms preexisting authority.

This is why expertise becomes suspect, data becomes optional, planning becomes seen as weakness, and consistency appears foolish. The goal isn’t outcomes—it's dominance. It’s not about solutions—it’s about submission.

It’s not about trust—it’s about control.

Even time itself becomes something to manipulate. History must be rewritten.

Memory reordered. Monuments reassessed not through the democratic process but through executive desire.

The past must be made to flatter the present. The present must be made to flatter the leader.

And when the damage becomes too obvious to deny, the script changes: it was sabotage, it was betrayal, it was the fault of bureaucrats, immigrants, foreign powers, the press, judges, Democrats, or any number of interchangeable villains. Accountability, like so many other things, is just another institution to be dismantled.

- 53 -

Meanwhile, the people who suffer most from this style of rule rarely appear on cable news panels. They are the grandmother waiting on a meal delivery that never arrives, the family drinking from a water supply no longer carefully monitored, the farmer locked out of export markets by sudden tariffs, the aid worker who can no longer deliver medicine, the scientist whose data vanishes into political silence, the civil servant who learns that integrity now comes with a termination letter. To them, “What can I screw with today?” is not rhetorical, it is measurable.

The deeper danger isn't just what gets destroyed but what gets taught. A generation is being shown—by example— that power isn't something to wield carefully but something to constantly flaunt, that disruption is naturally good, that expertise is optional, that loyalty is the top civic virtue, that compromise equals betrayal, and that cruelty can be funny. And once that lesson takes hold, it doesn't just disappear with one administration.

It echoes, it changes, and it spreads.

Democracies don’t usually fall from a single dramatic blow.

Instead, they wear down gradually— from daily contempt, repeated lawlessness, the slow shift from principle to performance, and the replacement of governance with grievance. You can almost hear the morning ritual now— not as confession, but as commandment. Not whispered, but smirked.

What can I screw with today? A program? A treaty? A law? A tradition?

A safeguard? A life?

Once that question becomes routine, the real danger is not any single answer; it is the habit of asking it at all.

Because at that point, the presidency is no longer an office of responsibility.

It is an instrument of impulse. And the country becomes its test subject. n Managing Editor & Publisher aafelder@thenetworkmagazine.org

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BY ANDREW FELDER will publish letters, articles, and/ or comic panels from any and all perspectives (provided that the author is identified). Please send to: editor@thenetworkmagazine.org.

Noblesse oblige—the idea that privilege carries with it a moral responsibility to act with honor, generosity, and concern for the less fortunate—has long been a cornerstone of traditional leadership ethics. It suggests that power should serve society, not merely dominate it.

By this standard, Donald Trump stands as a striking antithesis of the principle.

Born into wealth and elevated by celebrity, Trump inherited advantages that would traditionally imply a duty to model restraint, civic virtue, and public-minded leadership. Instead, his political and public life has been character-

DONALD TRUMP AND THE ANTITHESIS OF NOBLESSE OBLIGE ized by self-promotion over service, grievance over generosity, and personal loyalty over institutional responsibility. Where noblesse oblige emphasizes humility, Trump’s rhetoric centers on dominance. Where it calls for stewardship, his brand favors spectacle and conflict.

His approach to leadership has consistently framed power as a weapon rather than a trust.

Political opponents are ridiculed rather than respected, public institutions are treated as obstacles rather than safeguards, and civic norms are dismissed as weaknesses rather than foundations. Even charitable acts—once quietly associated with elite duty—are often reframed as transactional or self-congratulatory.

Most fundamentally, noblesse oblige assumes that the powerful owe something to the powerless. Trump’s worldview, by contrast, often treats vulnerability as failure and compassion as liability. In doing so, he reverses the moral equation: power exists not to uplift, but to prevail.

In this way, Donald Trump does more than reject noblesse oblige—he inverts it. His public career reflects a model of leadership in which privilege demands not responsibility, but loyalty; not service, but submission. And that inversion, more than any single policy, defines the ethical rupture he represents. n

WHEN WILL TOO MUCH BE ENOUGH? THE MILE-HIGH EGO NOTHING IS OFF LIMITS UNHINGED The blistering pace at which the current administration has issued executive orders affecting American lives and democratic principles, the complete disdain for people and precedent it has demonstrated over and over again, and the chaos, dislocation, and disruption it has caused make it hard to keep up with — but we must keep it in our sights, because when it recedes into the rearview mirror, it will be too late.

Recently, Donald Trump called one reporter “piggy,” another “stupid,” and still another “obnoxious.” He has threatened to revoke ABC’s broadcasting license, to put a half-dozen members of Congress to death for accurately stating the laws of war, labeled all Somali immigrants “garbage,” declared that daring to question his physical energy level at age 79 was “seditious, perhaps even treasonous,” and cavalierly attacked Hollywood icon Rob Reiner just hours after his body was found in a grisly murder scene, lambasting “his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

He has even added a series of plaques beneath portraits of past presidents on the Colonnade

Wall at the White House, brazenly denigrating some of his predecessors.

This is a presidency that celebrates nastiness and spite, not empathy or grace. It is not enough to deport immigrants who are in the country illegally; Trump and his administration make a point of releasing demeaning videos and photographs of their arrests or imprisonment.

Without offering any proof, he boasts of the lethal bombing of Venezuelan boats accused of trafficking narcotics (and of killing over 100 people!) and of seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker.

He has spread AI-generated images of former President Barack Obama being arrested and of himself as a military pilot bombing anti-Trump protesters with excrement. (See previous page.)

Lately, Trump has been on a naming kick. He renamed the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts the Trump-Kennedy Center (even though only Congress can make that change). He renamed the Institute of Peace the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. He announced that his birthday (June 14th—the same day as Flag Day) would be a free-admission holiday at national parks next year, while ending free admission for Martin Luther King

Jr. Day. Park annual passes in 2026 will feature Mr. Trump’s image alongside George Washington’s. So will the commemorative Trump coins the Treasury Department is planning for next year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

New federal child investment accounts created this year were designated “Trump accounts.”

He announced a new government website, TrumpRx, to help Americans get lowerpriced prescription drugs. He will likely name the massive new White House ballroom he is building after himself. He has even suggested that the Washington Commanders name their new stadium after him.

If this weren’t all true, it would be an opinion piece.

WHEN WILL TOO MUCH BE ENOUGH? n Managing Editor & Publisher aafelder@thenetworkmagazine.org

Ignoranus: Someone who is both stupid and an asshole.

Opinion

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

- 55 -

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Satire

Office of the President of the United States of America President Trump Issues Historic Executive Order to Redesign American Flag with Rust, White, and Blue; Announces Five New Stars for "Future States.”

According to my height-to-weight ratio, I should be 9 feet 3 inches tall. So my weight is OK; it's my height that's the problem.

Washington, D.C. — It’s official! In a move that will undoubtedly influence the course of American history (both literally and figuratively), and that is sure to make waves in history, President Donald J. Trump announced, via executive order, a monumental redesign of the American flag.

It’s all part of the plan to dismantle the United States as we know it and then, through the same chaotic autocratic tactics that have already become standard, bring the states back together as the Re-United States of Trump - RUST. The new patriotic colors will be rust, white, and blue.

TBD TBD

The flag, which has represented the nation for over two centuries, will now display new colors and five additional stars, reinforcing the President's visionary approach to "Making America Great Again." The bold Venezuela color scheme of rust, white, and blue was chosen specifically for its special connection to the President’s Canada personal brand and taste. Rust—a rich, earthy tone—is the ideal color to represent the 'new America' he envisions. Rust, he explained, is the perfect blend of orange (the shade of his favorite 'self-tanner') and Greenland gold, the hue that adorns everything from his office walls to his golf course bunkers. "This isn’t just a color," Trump told reporters, his hand lightly resting on his carefully styled hair. "Rust says ‘strength,’ ‘patriotism,’ and let’s face it, it’s the color of wealth. My wealth. You can’t argue with that."

“The old flag was simply... boring," said President Trump. "It didn’t reflect the greatness of America or my incredible sense of style. Rust is a color that screams strength, power, and luxury. It’s the perfect shade. Believe me, folks, you’re going to love it. I know color, OK? Just look at my hair.”

The new flag will also feature five additional stars—one for each new "state" the President plans to annex as a bold display of sovereignty that he claims will enhance America’s greatness. These new states, already identified by the President’s unmatched geopolitical instincts, are as follows: 1. Greenland – "It’s big, it’s cold, and honestly, it’s practically a Trump property already, folks. You can’t blame me for trying to buy it.

Honestly, they should just give it to us. Greenland? More like Trumpland. I own it already in spirit.”

2. Canada – "It’s just the logical next step," Trump stated with his signature confidence. "We already share a border, why not share a flag? Plus, they’ve got all that maple syrup, and I love maple syrup."

3. Venezuela – "Huge oil reserves, people. They need us more than we need them. They’ll be begging to join us, you’ll see. It’s going to be great for business. I know business better than anyone. Simple economics," Trump said, shrugging off the complexities of inter national diplomacy.

4. Two Unnamed Countries – "Don’t worry about it, okay? These countries will come crawling to us. You’ll love them. They’ll be fantastic—probably somewhere with lots of natural resources. Maybe diamonds. Maybe oil. "I haven’t picked them yet, but trust me, they’ll be great places. They’ll want to join us. We’ll decide later. The important thing is that they’re great, and I’m going to make them great again. They’ll be so happy when they’re part of America. We’ll decide later. It’ll be huge.

The redesign of the flag follows a series of other “presidential innovations,” including plans for a new national anthem with a rap verse by Kanye West and the construction of a luxury golf course on the moon.

The new flag has already faced criticism from various groups, with critics pointing out that rust is not only unattractive but also linked to decay and neglect. In response, the White House released a statement saying that rust, in this context, is "a bold reminder of how far America has come from its humble beginnings," which, according to the President, includes multiple bankruptcies, a few failed casino ventures, and a very questionable presidency.

Trump has dismissed critics of the plan as “fake news” and “nonsense.” When asked about the geopolitical consequences of annexing territories with little consultation from the international community, the President replied, “I don’t need to consult anyone. Look at me—I’m the authority on everything. I mean, have you seen the way I handle real estate deals? It's a masterclass.”

As part of the redesign, the President also ordered that all 330 million Americans must replace their current flags with the new rust-colored masterpiece by Flag Day, or face penalties for “un-American” behavior. "You don’t get to disrespect the flag, folks," Trump said with the same passion he reserves for his rallies. "This is a new America. It’s going to be bigger, better, and more flag-waving than ever before."

"It’s going to be beautiful, folks. You’re going to love it. Trust me."

The new design goes into effect on April 1, 2026.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further inquiries: - - - - - - - - - - - - - Media Contact:

White House Press Office

|

press@whitehouse.gov

|

(202) 456-1111

About President Trump: Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States, is known for his unparalleled ability to make bold decisions, break international norms, and reshape America in his image. His hobbies include playing golf, making deals, and demanding that the world acknowledge his brilliance.

- 56 -

Bob Hope

Lester Townes "Bob" Hope (1903–2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer, and producer with a career that lasted nearly 80 years and included achievements in vaudeville,

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 network radio, television, and USO Tours. (He was born in southeast London, and his family moved to the U.S. when he was four.) He appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, starring in 54, including a series of seven Road to... musical comedy films with Bing Crosby as his partner.

He hosted the Academy Awards ceremony a record 19 times. He also appeared in many stage productions and television roles, and

ONE PARTY CAN FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME; THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TWO PARTIES

I love flying. I've been to almost as many places as my luggage.

I don't know what people have against government; they haven't done anything.

I like a President who tells jokes instead of appointing them.

Failure is the only thing I've ever been a success at.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.

It's so cold here in Washington, D.C., that politicians have their hands in their own pockets.

You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.

You know you've reached middle age when your weightlifting consists merely of standing up.

I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.

I don't do a lot of political jokes. Too many are getting elected.

My next door neighbor just had a pacemaker installed. They're still working the bugs out, though. Every time he makes love, my garage door opens.

Middle age is when you still believe you'll feel better in the morning.

wrote 14 books. The song "Thanks for the Memory" was his signature tune. He was praised for his comedic timing, specializing in one-liners and rapid-fire joke delivery that was often self-deprecating. Between 1941 and 1991, he completed 57 tours for the United Service Organizations (USO), entertaining military personnel worldwide. In 1997, Congress passed a bill naming him an honorary veteran of the Armed Forces.

I GREW UP WITH SIX BROTHERS. THAT'S HOW I LEARNED TO DANCE - WAITING FOR THE BATHROOM.

With today's movies, if we took out all the bad language, we'd go back to silent films.

A BANK IS A PLACE THAT WILL LEND YOU MONEY IF YOU CAN PROVE THAT YOU DON'T NEED IT. When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things - not the great occasions - that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.

I went to play golf and tried to shoot my age, but I shot my weight instead.

The audience was swell. They were so polite they covered their mouths when they yawned.

Golf is a hard game to figure. One day you will go out and slice it and shank it, hit into all the traps and miss every green. The next day you go out and, for no reason at all, you really stink.

I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it.

The good news is that Jesus is coming back. The bad news is that he's really pissed off.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

JohnAdams

John Adams (1735-1826) was a leader of the American Revolution and served as the second U.S. president from 1797 to 1801. Born in Massachusetts to descendants of the Mayflower

Pilgrims and Harvard-educated, he started his career as a lawyer. Intelligent, patriotic, opinionated, and blunt, Adams became a critic of Great Britain’s authority in colonial America and saw the British imposition of high taxes and tariffs as a form of oppression.

During the 1770s, he served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In the 1780s, he worked as a diplomat in Europe and helped

- 57 negotiate the Treaty of Paris (1783), which officially ended the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). From 1789 to 1797, he was America’s first vice president. Afterward, he served one term as the nation’s second president. He was defeated for a second term by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). His letters to his wife, Abigail Adams, offer a vivid portrait of his time among the Founding Fathers.

One useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three is a Congress.

Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.

It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

We have no Constitution which functions in the absence of a moral people.

Always stand on principle even if you stand alone.

There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.

There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

Power must never be trusted without a check.

Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.

BUT A CONSTITUTION OF GOVERNMENT ONCE CHANGED FROM FREEDOM, CAN NEVER BE RESTORED. LIBERTY, ONCE LOST, IS LOST FOREVER.

When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny.

THOSE WHO TRADE LIBERTY FOR SECURITY HAVE NEITHER.

Every problem is an opportunity in disguise.

Liberty can no more exist without virtue and independence than the body can live and move without a soul.

Ideology is the science of idiots.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BY ANCA LENTA

America is at its 'Peak 65’ moment. With over 4 million Americans turning 65 in 2026, the concept of retirement has changed — it's no longer about escapism; it's about longevity and sustainability, focusing on places that truly offer longer, healthier years.

StorageCafe analyzed the 108 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas across 15 key metrics, including Healthcare Access, Life Expectancy, Community Vibrancy, Safety, and Retirement Housing Options, to identify the cities best prepared for this evolving cohort. It ranked the metro areas that provide retirees with what they need to thrive: a strong foundation for living longer, living better, and fully enjoying their golden years.

• Three Northern metros challenge the Sun Belt stereotype by ranking in the Top 10. Their success is driven not by warm weather, but by higher life expectancy, excellent healthcare access, and strong aging infrastructure, demonstrating that the North offers some of the most sustainable options for longevity.

• Florida remains the top retirement destination, with four metros in the Top 10. Cape Coral–Fort Myers leads the

BEST PLACES TO RETIRE

TOP U.S. METROPOLITAN AREAS FOR GOLDEN-YEAR QUALITY OF LIFE nation, driven by above-average retirement income, unmatched outdoor activities, and strong social ties. Despite increasing costs, Florida’s retirement scene continues to be a benchmark that few regions can match.

• Though frequently romanticized as a retirement ideal, the West offers

only one metro in the Top 10 — Boise, ID. Scenic views alone weren’t enough to meet the standard. Boise stands out as the safest metro in the country, successfully combining mountain access with affordability and strong community ties—a rare, winning recipe for retirement readiness.

Rank

Metro

Per Capita Life Expectancy Retirement Income

1

Cape-Coral-Fort Myers, FL

80,6

US$42.094

2

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

80,3

US$37.544

3

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL

84

US$59.122

4

Nort Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

80,1

US$42.160

5

Port St. Lucie, FL

78,9

US$35.693

6

Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY

79

US$38.147

7

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

79,6

US$36.920

8

VirginiaBeach-Norfalk-Newpoert News, VA

78,9

US$36.774

9

Madison, WI

80,5

US$36.455

10

Boise City, ID

78,8

US$31.781

The 3 symptoms of laziness: 1)

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

• At the other end of the spectrum, lower life expectancy, limited access to healthcare, less safety, and weaker community infrastructure place cities like Stockton, Bakersfield, and

Memphis near the bottom. In these metros, even reasonable living costs can't make up for gaps in the fundamentals that support aging well.

- 59 -

You can explore the full ranking, complete methodology, and detailed results here: www.storagecafe.com/ blog/best-places-to-retire-in-2026/ n

I have a fear of over-engineered buildings. It’s a complex complex complex.

Anca Lenta is a real estate writer and editor for StorageCafe. anca.lenta@yardi.com

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

- 61 -

PAVING

REACH YOUR

FOR LESS

DIVERSI NS EMLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY?

HOW I BEGAN

WEB DEVELOPMENT

COME ON THE BUS? ULTIMATUM

SPOILED CHILDREN

PIECE OF MIND

Bob forgot his wedding anniversary.

WALKIE TALKIE His wife was mad. She told him "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that foes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds.

AND IT BETTER BE THERE!!!"

The next morning she saw a big gift wrapped box in their driveway. She rushed out, opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale...

Bob has been missing since Friday!

ENGLISH IS WEIRD

If the person who came up with the name for Walkie Talkies named other things…

Stamps would be licky stickies.

A defibrillator would be a hearty starty.

A bumblebee would be a fuzzy buzzy.

A pregnancy test would be a maybe baby.

A fork would be a stabby grabby.

A pair of socks would be feety heaties.

A hippo would be a floatie boatie.

A nightmare would be a screamy dreamy.

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/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

THE BACK PAGE ANSWERS FROM THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER CONTEST: FILL IN THE LYRICS 1. hand / 2. natural / 3. believin’ / 4. time / 5. take / 6. child / 7. ladies / 8. rock / 9. night / 10. sugar / 11. deep / 12. you / 13. teen / 14. California / 15. life / 16. Jack / 17. champions / 18. virgin / 19. be / 20. off / 21. Heaven / 22. people / 23. Barbie / 24. fun / 25. it / 26. religion / 27. U.S.A. / 28. you / 29. U / 30. dust / 31. Jude / 32. queen / 33. Firework / 34. Me / 35. groove / 36. happy / 37. funk / 38. cry / 39. for / 40. way / 41. tiger / 42. love / 43. Mirror / 44. Dreamin’ / 45. breaking / 46. sexy / 47. run / 48. love / 49. Hell / 50. prayer.

INDEX TO OUR ADVERTISERS Agosto Creative Studio..................... 18 www.agosto.studio Anderson Paving .......................... 15, 60 www.andersonpaving.com Arsenal Business Collections........... 11 www.thearsenalcompanies.com Arsenal Companies, The ...Back Cover www.thearsenalcompanies.com Crest Publications Group .................. 3 www.thenetworkmagazine.org Clear Integrity Group ........................ 60 www.clearintegritygroup.com

DIVERSI NS JUST MARRED

Cypher Squad ...................................... 61 www.cypher-squad.com Farmer’s Insurance ............................ 60 agents.farmers.com/tx/plano/nesta-street Image Building Maintenance ...... 9, 60 www.imagebuildingmaintenance.com

POEMS

Kessler Collins .................................... 60 www.kesslercollins.com Next Level Surface Care ...................25 www.nextlevelsurfacecare.com Master Construction & Engineering .......................................... 61 www.masterconstruction.com Recycle Across America ................... 10 www.recycleacrossamerica.org

THE DEAD HORSE THEORY

Reliable Paving ............................... 2, 60 www.reliablepaving.com Wooster Products ........................ 16, 60 www.woosterproducts.com

THE 7 DWARVES OF MENOPAUSE

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR CONTEST WINNERS! Belinda Ferragamo, Pittsburgh, PA Jeffrey Zelton, Windsor, Ontario, CA Danielle Kaplan. Brooklyn, NY Liz Clement, Scottsdale, AZ Jason Guerrero, Valdosta, GA

All will receive a copy of the book Farrago.

/ THE NETWORK / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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C NTEST: ON AVERAGE Being average is generally not ideal for a person. However, “average" can be useful as a realistic benchmark—helping to set expectations, ease anxieties, or show that being perfectly typical is perfectly acceptable. It allows us to recognize patterns, plan budgets wisely, compare performance fairly, and steer clear of extremes. Ultimately, “average” is a tool, not an absolute truth: it aids

when it sheds light, but can mislead when it oversimplifies. These averages don’t provide insights—just a bit of fun for a few minutes.

Scan or copy this page and send your entry to editor@thenetworkmagazine.org or fax it to 817.924.7116 on or before February 2, 2026 for a chance to win a valuable prize.

1. How many baseballs are used in an MLB game?

A) 30 B) 60 C) 90–120 D) 200

19. How long does a marriage last in the U.S.?

A) 4 years B) 6 years C) 8 years D) 12 years

2. How many cups of coffee do Americans drink per day?

A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 5

20. How many pillows does a hotel lose per year due to guests taking them?

A) 50 B) 100 C) 300 D) 1,000

3. How many steps does an adult walk per day in the U.S.?

A) 1,000 B) 3,000–4,000 C) 8,000 D) 12,000

21. How many times does someone check the fridge in a day without taking anything out?

A) 1 B) 2 C) 3–5 D) 10

4. How many hours of sleep do adults get per night?

A) 5 B) 6.5–7 C) 8–9 D) 10 5. How many songs are streamed on Spotify per day globally?

A) 10M B) 100M C) 500M+ D) 2B 6. How many hours of TV do Americans watch per day? A) 1 hour B) 2.5–3 hours C) 5 hours D) 7 hours 7. How many seconds does it take to make a first impression?

A) 1 sec B) 3 sec C) 7 sec D) 30 sec 8. How many times does a person blink per day?

A) 5,000-9000 B) 10,000-14,000 C) 15,000–20,000 D) Over 25,000 9. How many text messages does a person send per day?

A) 10 B) 20 C) 40 D) 80 10. How many hairs do humans lose per day?

A) 5–10 B) 50–100 C) 200–300 D) 1,000 11. How many hours does someone spend on a smartphone daily?

A) 1-2 hours B) 2-3 hours C) 4–5 hours D) 6+ hours

22. How many chickens are eaten worldwide per minute?

A) 30,000 B) 100,000 C) 300,000 D) 1M 23. How many pasta noodles are in a spaghetti box?

A) 100 B) 200 C) 400 D) 800 24. How many grapes go into making a bottle of wine?

A) 100-250 B) 300-500 C) 600–800 D) Over 1000 25. How many bees contribute to one honey jar?

A) 100 B) 300 C) 800 D) 2,000 26 How many ants per human are there on Earth?

A) 200,000 B) 1 million C) 2.5 million D) 50 million 27. How much time does a person in the U.S. spend waiting in line per day?

A) 2 minutes B) 5 minutes C) 10 minutes D) 30 minutes 28. How many times does a human fart in a day?

A) 4 B) 10 C) 14 D) 30 29. What is the lifespan of a dollar bill?

A) 2 years B) 4 years C) 6 years D) 10 years

12. How many times does a person laugh per day?

A) 2-4 B) 5-8 C) 10–15 D) Over 25

30. How many words can a cat ‘understand’?

A) 5 B) 15 C) 25–30 D) 100+ but ignores all

13. How many pounds of pizza does an American eat per year?

A) 5 lbs. B) 12 lbs. C) 23 lbs. D) 30 lbs.

31. How many lies does a person tell per day?

A) 0 B) 1–2 C) 5-10 D) More than 10

14. How many words does a person speak per day?

A) 2,000-4,000 B) 7,000–15,000 C) 20,000-25,000 D) Over 30,000

32. How many insects are eaten by one spider in one year?

A) 50 B) 200 C) 1,000 D) 2,000

15. How many years does a dog live?

A) 5–7 yrs B) 8–10 yrs C) 10–13 yrs D) 15–20 yrs 16. How many pounds of trash does a person produce per day in the U.S.?

A) 1-2 lbs. B) 3-4 lbs.

C) 4–5 lbs. D) Over 6 lbs.

17. How many calories does a human burn per day?

A) 1,200 B) 1,800 C) 2,000 D) 3,000 18. How many times does a person check their phone per day? A) 10-25 B) 50-75 C) 100–150 D) Over 200

33. How many times does a person cry in their lifetime?

A) 200 B) 800 C) 2,000 D) 10,000 34. How many pairs of socks does the average person own?

A) 4–6 pairs B) 10–12 pairs C) 17–20 pairs D) 50 pairs 35. How many miles does a person walk in a lifetime?

A) 10,000 B) 25,000 C) 50,000 D) 75,000

ARSENAL BUSINESS COLLECTIONS

...BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S WHAT YOU KNOW

We Speak Real Estate The Arsenal Companies are a diversified consulting, educational and publishing group, dedicated to service in the real estate industry. With national reach, regional strength and local sensibilities, we serve and service large and small companies as well as governmental entities in acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, licensing, contracting, procurement, insurance certificate tracking, educational program development, mediation services and collections.

Our Contracts and Procurement Services Division provides solutions and services that help real estate owners and companies effectively manage their contractual needs and commitments. We provide industry knowledge and we practice deal facilitation rather than obstruction. Whether you are a property, facility or asset manager, your functions are integrally related to real estate contracts. Quality management is all about contracts.

Leases are highly specialized documents.

A few words can make a world of difference.

Anyone with experience.

Highly focused.

Highly specialized.

Highly respected.

Procurement Supply Chain Management Procurement Administration

Vendor/Supplier Resourcing

Vendor Reduction Programs Supplier Recognition Programs Customized Purchase Orders RFI, RFP, RFQ Administration

Are the contracts for services and supplies which your organization uses prepared for your organization –or are they the vendor’s or contractor’s agreement forms? Wouldn’t you be better off if those agreements and purchase orders were revisited from your perspective? Isn’t it time you fortified your real estate related contracts?

Contract Negotiation and Drafting Services

Acquisitions, dispositions, renewals, surrenders, amendments, abstracting, administration, interpretation–our professionals are experienced in residential, commercial, industrial, professional and retail leasing issues of all kinds.

Do you have contract issues that call out for review, interpretation and the advice of a specialist? Do you have a service contract which is about to expire and will need to be renewed or replaced? Do you have oversight of a real estate or facilities function which has been given savings targets? Have you considered ‘outsourcing’ this part of your real estate function but fear a loss of control?

Don’t assume that problems won’t occur. Plan what you can do to avoid them. A small reduction in costs can be the equivalent of a substantial increase in value. We suggest ‘refinements’ to improve language and reduce direct and indirect costs. Our attorneys have successfully resolved leasing issues for both small and Fortune 100 corporations–effectuating $millions in savings.

We analyze the details of your proposed service contracts before they begin - while you still have leverage. Or, we can review your existing service contracts, help reveal cost efficiencies and/or savings opportunities. We look for pragmatic solutions that are sensitive to your business interests, anticipating issues that may arise, and we assist in minimizing those risks that cannot be avoided.

Leasing

Arsenal Business Collections 4240 Hazelwood Avenue Frisco, TX 75034 Tel: 214-755-2277 Fax: 817.924.7116 www.thearsenalcompanies.com