March-April 2021

THE COLLEGE MINDSET LIST AMAZ NG BU LDINGS A PROFILE OF CALLISONRTKL

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KN W THE BUILDINGS OF PHILADELPHIA

BANISHED WORDS ARTCH TECTURE THE WORLD’S LARGEST CITIES TR E DAT

EGAL VIEW THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC AMAZON HQ2 PROFILES OF SURV VAL

THE LAKE SUPERIOR WORD WARRIORS THE ARCHITECTURE OF ISLAMABAD

The VOICE OF REAL ESTATE IN TEXAS

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

"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

"Incisive yet expansive - as if the psychology of R.D. Laing encountered the self-exploration 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

Additional recommended reading

All available at Amazon, BarnesAndNoble and in the Apple Book Store (search by title).

A Compilation of Sarcasm, Word Play, and Witticisms from the pages of .

THE BLUEPRINT

20

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE UNIVERSITY’S BANISHED WORDS

Our 5th installment of this 46-year-old tradition nominating words to be banished from the language because of misuse, overuse or general uselessness.

21

WAYNE STATE WORD WARRIORS

Our 5th installment of this 12-year-old tradition to retrieve words from the linguistic closet.

REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE Chaoyang Park Plaza designed by MAD Architects.

24

MARIST MINDSET LIST

Our 10th installment of this 23-year tradition of looking at the perspectives of today’s college freshmen.

28

THE BUILDINGS OF PHILADELPHIA

A pictorial look at the architectural diversity of the ‘City of Brotherly Love’.

20

CALLISON RTKL

A profile of the highly respected global architecture, planning and design firm.

AMAZ NG BU LDINGS –THE US OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC MUSEUM

Contributing Editor Angela O’Byrne looks at the stunning Colorado Springs structureone of the most accessible museums in the world.

37

PROFILES OF SURV VAL

Contributing Editor Roxana Tofan’s series of success stories in the time of coronavirus –this time Spechts Store (a restaurant) in San Antonio.

38

BY TH3 NUMB3RS

U.S. News and World Report draws on thousands of data points to determine the best states in a wide variety of categories.

40

THE WORLD’S LARGEST CITIES BY POPULATION SIZE

With special thanks to Visual Capitalist, a beautifully graphic way of looking at the largest 20 cities in the world - another list to fascinate (and help make collectible - J).

42

THE WORLD’S BEST CITIES –2021

A pictorial of the top 10 as determined by Resonance Consultancy, a Canadian based international research organization.

47

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO… Donna Rice, Gary Hart, Elke Sommer, Jerry Mathers and Lance Armstrong.

48

Contributing Editor Rose-Mary Rumbley looks at three unique Texas theaters.

49

THE PAGE Harriet Tubman – a look at the remarkable woman who will soon grace the front of the $20 bill.

50

EGAL VIEW –CO-EMPLOYMENT

34 36

THE ARCHITECTURE OF ISLAMABAD

A pictorial look at the capital and largest city of Pakistan.

THE GLOBALIZATION AND WORLD CITIES RESEARCH NETWORK

Since 1998, this think tank has categorized and ranked the cities of the world.

Attorney and Contributing Editor Anthony Barbieri looks at the legal responsibilities of those who share employees.

52

ARTCH TECTURE

Anka Zhuravleva is a photographer who creates magical illusions.

CHECK

ABOUT US

Now in our 29th year, reaches over 50,000 Texas real estate professionals bimonthly, and an additional 50,000 throughout the U.S. via social media! We proudly serve and service any and all real estate associations in the state of Texas - including (but not limited to) the ones you see here. If your group isn’t shown and you’d like for us to include pictures, information and event-coverage, please let us know. Email: editor@crestnetwork.com or call the number above.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

ANDREW A. FELDER: Publisher/Managing Editor. aafelder@crestpublicationsgroup.com

XENIA MONTERO: Graphic Designer. xeniam.design@gmail.com

ANNETTE LAWLESS: Social Media Manager. annettelawless@hotmail.com

MARK ANGLE: Director of Business Development. mark@crestnetwork.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

ANGELA O’BYRNE, AIA: Amazing Buildings.

ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY: Herstory.

ANTHONY BARBIERI: Legal.

JULIE BRAND LYNCH: Professionals on the Move.

ROXANA TOFAN: Profiles of Survival.

ADVISORY BOARD

ANDY GABEHART: President & CEO of Office Interiors Group, 247Workspace.com, United Electronics Recycling.

KIM GHEZ: Director of Marketing, Presidio Title.

KRISTIN HIETT, CAE: Executive Director/CEO – IREM Dallas Chapter.

KIM HOPKINS: Executive Director, CREW Dallas.

JONATHAN KRAATZ: Executive Director, USGBC Texas Chapter.

MYCHELE LORD: CEO, Lord Green Strategies.

DOUG MCMURRY: Executive Vice President, San Antonio AGC.

LAURA MCDONALD STEWART, RID, FASID, ILDA LEED AP: Editor of PLINTH and CHINTZ, an interior design blog.

JESSICA WARRIOR: Director of Property Management, Granite Properties.

STAFF, EDITORS & ADVISORY BOARD

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Our Digital Edition is an exact replica of the printed magazine, only better! Browse, save articles, or even check the archives for something you want to read again!

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

ANTHONY BARBIERI (P. 50) is a shareholder at Kessler Collins, where he enjoys a broad legal practice. He has been a speaker for ICSC, IREM, and BOMA, has taught continuing legal education seminars, and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star for many years, as well as being a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He and his wife, Cathy, enjoy traveling and spending time with their extended families, getting involved in their church and supporting the community through various programs – including raising awareness of muscular dystrophy, education and exercise to fight heart disease, providing care and treatment for autism, and counseling domestic-violence victims. He is also a Contributing Editor of and his Legal View appears in every issue.

ANGELA O’BYRNE (P. 32) is the president of national architecture, design-build, and real estate development firm Perez, APC. She champions the principles of smart growth in her home community of New Orleans and in her frequent travels across the country and abroad. Born in Cali, Colombia, Angela is a licensed architect in over a dozen states, a licensed general contractor in Louisiana, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a member of the National CREW Network (Commercial Real Estate Women) Board of Directors. A singer, golfer, music-lover, and globetrotter, she relishes spending free time with her three grown children and large extended family. She is a Contributing Editor of and her Amazing Buildings feature appears in every issue.

CALEB RISINGER (P. 46) is a Land Professional with National Land Realty based in Jacksonville, FL. He joined National Land Realty in 2019. Before that, he served as a United States Naval Officer from 1999-2019, having earned his master’s degree from the Naval War College and his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina - Aiken. He shows great dedication to his clients and attention to detail with respect to marketing a property. In his spare time, Caleb enjoys hunting with his English Pointer and Setter, fishing, and coaching/playing soccer. He is also passionate about his Christian faith. Caleb and his wife, Kristina, have five children.

ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY (P. 48) holds a Ph.D. in communications from the University of North Texas. She is a well-known speaker in Texas and enjoys researching each and every topic. She is a Contributing Editor of and Herstory appears in every issue.

ROXANA TOFAN (P. 40) is the owner of Clear Integrity Group in San Antonio, Texas and the company’s principal broker in Texas, Ohio and South Carolina. Her main focus is multifamily commercial brokerage in San Antonio area and property management. She enjoys taking over nonperforming properties and turning them around. She is also a Contributing Editor of and her Profiles of Survivors will appear in every issue. In addition to her company, her passion is giving back to the community as she volunteers for various support organizations such as Boy Scouts of America, Special Olympics, Alzheimer’s Association and supporting the military. She loves to travel with her teenage children and supporting their extra-curricular activities.

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW Editor’s note

ANDREW FELDER aafelder@crestpublicationsgroup.com Managing Editor & Publisher

pouring the sand into the jar and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”

HEAVEN OR HELL?

BIG ROCKS

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, he used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered over achievers, he said, “OK, time for a quiz.”

He pulled out a one gallon wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he carefully placed about a dozen fist-sized rocks, one by one, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”

Then he asked, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He poured some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, “Is this jar full?”

By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered “

“Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand and began

“No!” the class shouted. He nodded his approval and took out a pitcher of water and poured it until the jar was filled to the brim. Then the expert in time management looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you really try hard you can always fit some more things into it.”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all. What are the big rocks in your life? Your children? Your spouse? Your loved ones? Your friendships? Your education? Your dreams? A worthy cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Doing things that you love? Time for yourself? Your health? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff -like the gravel or the sand - you'll fill your life with little things, and you will never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). So, tonight, or in the morning, when you're reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this one question: What are the big rocks in my life? Then put those in your jar first.”

One day, while walking down the street, a highly successful executive woman was tragically hit by a bus and she died. Her soul arrived up in heaven where she was met at the pearly gates by St. Peter. “Welcome to heaven,” he said. “Before you get settled in though, it seems we have a problem. You see, strangely enough, we've never once had an executive make it this far, and we're not really sure what to do with you.”

“No problem. Just let me in,” said the woman.

“Well, I'd like to, but I have higher orders. What we're going to do is let you have a day in hell and a day in heaven, and then you can choose whichever place you want to spend eternity in.”

golf and, at night, they went to the country club, where she enjoyed an excellent steak and lobster dinner.

She met the Devil, who was actually a really nice guy, and she had a great time telling jokes and dancing. She was having such a good time that before she knew it, it was time to leave. Everyone hugged her and waved goodbye as she got to the elevator. The elevator went back up to the pearly gates and there was St. Peter. “Now it's time to spend the day in heaven,” he said. So, she spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and playing the harp and singing. She had a great time and before she knew it, her 24 hours were up. St. Peter came to get her. “So, you spent a day in hell and you spent a day in heaven. Now you must choose your eternity,” he said.

The woman paused for a second and then replied, “Well, I never thought I'd say this, I mean, heaven has been really great and all, but I think I had a better time in hell.”

“Actually, I think I've made up my mind. I prefer to stay in heaven,” said the woman.

“Sorry, we have rules...” and with that St. Peter put the executive in an elevator which went down to hell. The doors opened and she found herself stepping out onto a putting green of a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club and standing in front of her were all of her deceased friends, and they were all dressed in fine eveningwear and cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks and they talked about old times. They played an excellent round of

So Saint Peter escorted her to the elevator and again she went down to hell. When the doors of the elevator opened, she found herself standing in a desolate wasteland covered in garbage and filth. She saw that her friends were dressed in rags and were picking up the garbage and putting it in sacks. The Devil came up to her and put his arm around her. “I don't understand,” stammered the woman. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a country club, and we ate lobster and we danced, and we had a great time. Now all there is is a wasteland of garbage and all of my friends look miserable.”

The Devil looked at her and smiled. “Yesterday we were recruiting you. Today you’re staff.” n

Loved reading through all the info that was provided. Learned my neighboring city, McKinney TX, was actually 9th mid-size city for college students. Great read.

Rima Khosla, Plano, TX

We had fun in our office with this (the Miss America Then and Now contest).

Erin Sloan, Wooster, OH Ed. By now you’ve received your prize, because you were (and are) a winner!

Always a great blend of I things I would never otherwise know about. I love the Vertical Lines and just ordered the book on Amazon.

Caroline Avraamides, New York, NY

The World’s Smallest Countries, The Most Popular Attractions (State by State), The Five Tallest Buildings on Every Continent, The Most Valuable Real Estate in America – all bite-sized pieces of fascinating information. Great stuff!

Harold Rosengarten, Houston TX

Two of my favorite features are Real Estate of the Future and You Need (or Might Want) to Know. And I was particularly interested to learn about the National Medal of Honor Museum being built in Arlington.

Derek DeAlba, Austin, TX

'PIERROT'

BY ANKA ZHURAVLEVA

Pierrot was one of my first conscious photo experiments. I arranged everything from the model to the dress and makeup. It was medium format film - one of the first rolls I ever made. The curious thing about this photo is that the model was the same age as me, and for both of us, it was an exciting experience. It overcame a lot of my fears about photography and using models. Obviously, I added some post-production touches, so it's a mixture of analogue and digital.

IREM Houston’s leadership team of Executive Council, Committee Chairs and Staff met at a beautiful JLL Houston space in January to strategize 2021 chapter plans for members and Industry Partners.

DIVERSI

NS THE DOCTOR IS IN... OR OUT

Discharge status: alive but without permission.

Healthy appearing decrepit 69-yearold male, mentally alert but forgetful.

The patient refused autopsy.

The patient has no previous history of suicides.

ACTUAL SENTENCES FOUND IN PATIENTS’ CHARTS

Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.

She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.

The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.

The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.

Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.

Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40-pound weight gain in the past three days.

Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.

Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.

Since she can't get pregnant with her husband, I thought you might like to work her up.

She is numb from her toes down. While in the ER, she was examined, X rated and sent home.

The skin was moist and dry. Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.

Patient was alert and unresponsive. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.

She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.

I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.

Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.

Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.

The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.

The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead.

Skin: somewhat pale but present.

The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.

Patient was seen in consultation by doctor Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen, and I agree.

Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.

Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.

John Baen, Ph.D. presentation on Impact of COVID ton real estate at the chapter’s January meeting.

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KN W

PALINDROME DATES

FOr 10 cOnsecutive days earlier this year (from 1/20/21 to 1/29/21), the dates were mirrored, meaning they read the same forwards and backwards. According to the Farmers' Almanac, this was the first palindrome-number Inauguration Day (January 20th); the next one won’t occur until January 20, 3021. (We hope you can wait!) Later this year, we'll have even more palindrome dates -- beginning with 12/1/21 and going until 12/9/21.

For those that use the DD/MM/YY format -- like in the UK -- there won't be any such palindrome fun. But in 100 years, we'll have another date that will be a palindrome date in all formats: 12/12/2121.

HIGHBALL

A screwdriver is a popular alcoholic highball drink made with orange juice and vodka. While the basic drink is simply the two ingredients, there are many variations, and many of the variations have different names in different parts of the world. (A highball is a mixed alcoholic drink composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer.) The name dates back to the mid-1940s, but little else is known about its derivation.

Just some of its variations:

A screwdriver with two parts of Sloe gin, and filled with orange juice is a "Slow (Sloe) Screw". A screwdriver with two parts of Sloe gin, one part of Southern Comfort and filled with orange juice is a "Slow Comfortable Screw". A screwdriver with one part of Sloe gin, one part of Southern Comfort, one part Galliano and filled with orange juice is a "Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against the Wall". A screwdriver with one part of Sloe gin, one part of Southern Comfort, one part Galliano, one part tequila and filled with orange juice is a "Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against The Wall Mexican Style". A screwdriver with one part of Sloe gin, one part of Southern Comfort, one part Galliano, one part peach schnapps, and filled with orange juice is a "Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Fuzzy Wall". A screwdriver with one part of Sloe gin, one part of Southern Comfort, one part Galliano, one part peach schnapps, one part sparkling rosé, and filled with orange juice is a "Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Fuzzy Pink Wall".

A screwdriver with two parts vodka, four parts orange juice, and one part Galliano is a Harvey Wallbanger. A shot of vodka with a slice of orange is a "Cordless Screwdriver". A screwdriver with half orange juice and half 7-Up is a "Screwup".

SCREW WHO?

The earliest documented screwdrivers were used in the late Middle Ages. (They were probably invented in the late 15th century, either in Germany or France.) The tool's original names in German and French were Schraubendreher (screwturner) and tournevis (turnscrew).

Screws were very hard to produce before the First Industrial Revolution, The brothers Job and William Wyatt produced a screw which led to a vast increase in the tool's popularity and hence its refinement and wider use. Refinement of the precision of screws also significantly contributed to the boom in production, mostly by increasing its efficiency and standardizing sizes, important precursors to industrial manufacture.

Canadian P.L. Robertson was the first to successfully commercialize socket-head screws, starting in 1908. They rapidly grew in popularity, and are still used for their resistance to wear and tear, compatibility with hex keys, and their ability to stop a power tool when set. Though immensely popular, Robertson had trouble marketing his invention to the newly booming auto industry, because he was unwilling to relinquish his patents.

In 1932, John P. Thompson invented and patented a recessed cruciform screw and in 1933, a screwdriver for it. The importance of the crosshead screw design is in its self-centering property, useful on automated production lines that use powered screwdrivers. After failing to interest manufacturers, Thompson sold his self-centering design to Henry Frank Phillips (1889 – 1958), a businessman from Portland, Oregon. Phillips patented an improved version of a deep socket with a cruciform slot, and the Phillips-head ("crosshead") screw and screwdriver are named after him.

Phillips had formed the Phillips Screw Company, and his major contribution was in driving the crosshead concept forward to the point where it was adopted by screw makers and automobile companies. One of the first customers was General Motors which used the innovative design in 1936 on its Cadillac assembly-lines. By 1940, 85% of U.S. screw manufacturers had a license for the design. With the Industrial Revival at the end of the Great Depression and the upheaval of World War II, the Phillips screw quickly became, and remains, the most popular screw in the world.

Phillips retired in 1945 and died in 1958.

What did Snow White say when she came out of the photo booth? ("Someday my prints will come.")

Pic by: Cburnett - Own work. Canon Digital Rebel with a 100mm macro lens. CC BY-SA 3.0

met herbivore.

WHAT CAUSES THE SEASONS?

The seasons have nothing to do with how far the Earth is from the Sun. If that were the case, it would be hotter in the northern hemisphere during January as opposed to July. Instead, the seasons are caused by the Earth being tilted on its axis by an average of 23.5 degrees (The tilt actually varies from near 22 degrees to 24.5 degrees).

days. The northern hemisphere is tipped away from the Sun, producing short days and a low sun angle.

A girl said she recognized me from her vegetarian club but I’d never

The Earth has an elliptical orbit around the Sun. It is at its closest point to the Sun in January and the furthest in July, but this distance change is not great enough to cause any substantial difference in our climate. This is why the Earth's 23.5-degree tilt is all important in changing our seasons. Near June 21st (the summer solstice) the Earth is tilted such that the Sun is positioned directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees north latitude, putting the northern hemisphere in a more direct path of the Sun's energy. (This means less sunlight gets scattered before reaching the ground because it has less distance to travel through the atmosphere.) In addition, the high sun angle produces long days. The opposite is true in the southern hemisphere, where the low sun angle produces short days. Furthermore, a large amount of the Sun's energy is scattered before reaching the ground because the energy has to travel through more of the atmosphere. So,near June 21st, the southern hemisphere is having its winter solstice because it "leans" away from the Sun.

Advancing 90 days, the Earth is at the autumnal equinox on or about September 21st. As the Earth revolves around the Sun, it gets positioned such that the Sun is directly over the equator. Basically, the Sun's energy is in balance between the northern and southern hemispheres. The same holds true on the spring equinox near March 21st, as the Sun is once again directly over the equator.

Lastly, on the winter solstice near December 21st, the Sun is positioned directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees south latitude. The southern hemisphere is therefore receiving the direct sunlight, with little scattering of the sun's rays and a high sun angle producing long

What kind of effect does the earth's tilt and subsequent seasons have on our length of daylight (defined as sunrise to sunset). Over the equator, the answer is 'not much'. If you live on or very close to the equator, your daylight would be basically within a few minutes of 12 hours the year around. Using the northern hemisphere as a reference, the daylight would lengthen/shorten during the summer/winter moving northward from the equator. The daylight difference is subtle in the tropics but becomes extremely large in the northern latitudes. Where we live in the mid latitudes, daylight ranges from about 15 hours around the summer solstice to near nine hours close to the winter solstice. Moving to the arctic circle at 66.5 degrees north latitude, the Sun never sets from early June to early July. But around the winter solstice, the daylight only lasts slightly more than two hours. n

Synthesizing ideas and industries for a

new world of work

The workplace is changing dramatically. In the future-offacilities conversation, FM is the central character; but in a post-COVID world, every built environment industry has a part to play. Let’s talk about each performer’s role and how FM can lead this important cast in reimagining work and the workplace.

facilityfusion.ifma.org

You’re Dead to Me!

History is rife with well-documented cases of premature burial, in which unlucky patients would be pronounced dead, only to be discovered still alive in their confined, dark resting place. Only a few were lucky and saved. Most were sentenced to a gruesome ‘second’ death that is frightening and difficult to imagine.

Horror Made Real

Accounts of premature burial always shook society during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the more popular instances served to pave the way for the emerging of safety coffins.

One such account relates to a famous, prominent woman from Virginia – Anne Hill Carter Lee.

Born into one of America’s wealthiest families, Anne Lee was an exemplary woman, but her poor health led to an occurrence that causes skepticism and debate among historians to this day. After a period of failing, fragile health, she was pronounced dead after the doctor repeatedly failed to detect a heartbeat or any sign of life. Soon after the funeral, a sexton (an officer of a church, congregation, or synagogue charged with the maintenance of its buildings and/or the surrounding graveyard) visited the vault and, to his utter shock, heard muffled screams. Further inspection revealed that Anne Hill Carter Lee was far from dead. She was exhumed in perfect health. Thirteen months after her untimely funeral, she gave birth to a son – a son who would grow up into one of history’s well known figures – Robert E. Lee.

Taphophobia: The Prelude to Safety Coffins

“What if in the tomb I awake!” - Says Juliet in Shakespeare’s most popular play, and perfectly reflects a very real fear of being buried alive – a fear that ran rampant in the era before modern medicine. Its scientific name is taphophobia – and it signifies a fear of being placed in a grave while still alive.

Waking Up Below

Saved by The Bell

There's no evidence to show that anyone was ever saved by these coffins or even that they were ever put to use, and there's a similar lack of evidence of the phrase 'saved by the bell' ever being used in that sense prior to it having been used in other contexts. In fact, the expression is boxing slang and it came into being in the latter half of the 19th century. A boxer who is in danger of losing a bout can be 'saved' from defeat by the respite signaled by the bell that marks the end of a round.

One of the first well documented safety coffins was created on orders of Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg, shortly before he died in 1792. It was full of innovative solutions , including a small window, an air tube, and a special lock in the coffin itself, which could be unlocked by a key in the entombed person’s pocket.

In the years to follow, new features followed. One of the basic features that almost all designs shared was the bell. By installing a bell above ground, connecting it with a rope down to the coffin, designers hoped to give the entombed a chance to raise the alarm, letting the night watchmen know that the dead were not so dead after all.

Intrigued by Interment

Several designers stood out during the 19th century, seemingly vying for the title of the wackiest funerary solution. In 1822, a German doctor, Adolf Gutsmuth, went one step further and demonstrated the efficiency of his invention by getting buried alive in his creation. He spent several hours in his underground confine and even enjoyed a rich meal. This was delivered by a feeding tube which was a part of the design and it also included air ways, as well as signaling and viewing methods. He emerged unscathed and his fear of immurement was completely conquered.

A Funeral Extraordinaire

Perhaps the most notorious unsuccessful invention belongs the one-time chamberlain of the Russian Tsar (Count Michel de Karnice-Karnicki) in 1899. The centerpiece of the device was an elaborate flag-and-bell mechanism, intended to signify life in the grave. For a demonstration, a young assistant was buried alive in the famous safety coffin, but the signaling systems failed and the young assistant barely escaped death.

Over the following decades, safety coffins never ceased to exist, with patents popping up from time to time. Furthermore, the concept survived well into the modern times, with patents from the 1990’s that included intercom systems, alarms, heart monitors, and breathing assistance.

A Dead Ringer

‘Dead Ringer’ is used to signify anything that is ‘an exact duplicate’. The term does not come from the rise of safety coffins and their bell mechanisms. Rather, its origin is from 19th century horse racing. ‘Ringer’ was a late nineteenth-century term for a duplicate, usually with implications of dishonesty. The horse ringers obviously were not dead (or they wouldn’t be able to race). In this case, the word “dead” was used to mean “exact or precise,” (as in ‘dead center’). To defraud the bookies, the dead ringer was a horse presented under a false name and pedigree.

DIVERSI NS 16 THINGS NOT TO SAY TO A COP

4. Hey, you must've been doing about 125 mph to keep up with me! Good job!!

5. I thought you had to be in relatively good physical condition to be a police officer.

6. I was going to be a cop, but I decided to finish high school instead.

10. I pay your salary!

11. Do you know why you pulled me over? Okay, just so one of us knows.

12. I was trying to keep up with traffic. Yes, I know there is no other car around, that's how far ahead of me they are.

13. What do you mean, ‘have I been drinking?’ You’re the trained specialist.

1. I can’t reach my license unless you hold my beer.

2. Sorry, Officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in.

3. Aren't you the guy from the Village People?

7. You're not gonna check the trunk, are you?

8. Didn't I see you get your butt kicked on ‘Cops’?

9. Wow, you look just like the guy in the picture on my girlfriend's nightstand.

14. When I reached down to pick up my bag of crack, my gun fell off my lap and got lodged between the brake pedal and the gas pedal, forcing me to speed out of control.

15. Hey, is that a 9 mm? That's nothing compared this .44 magnum.

16. Can you give me another one of those full cavity searches?

The Austin chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management announced the winners of its 2020 awards recognizing excellence in property management by outstanding professionals. Award recipients are selected by the current IREM Austin President, who, for 2020, was Amanda Cox Sneed, CAM, CPM, ARM, the Regional Operations Director for Wehner Multifamily LLC.

The 2020 award recipients were: CPM® of the Year – Melissa Kreutner, CPM®, General Manager, Endeavor Real Estate Group (This is awarded to a certified property manager who has demonstrated commitment and leadership in advancing the real estate management industry and proven standards of integrity and ethics for the industry.)

Member of the Year – Andrea Sanchez, Vice President and Head of Real Estate and Facilities, Dimensional Fund Advisors (This is awarded to a chapter member who displayed exemplary dedication and commitment to the organization and the real estate management industry.)

Future Leader of the Year – Ashley Rodriguez, Assistant Property Manager, Endeavor Real Estate Group (This is awarded to an up-and-coming organization leader and chapter member for outstanding enthusiasm and devotion towards professional advancement in the real estate management industry.)

The Chapter also announced its 2021 Executive Council. Leading the Executive Council is President, Adam Benoit, CPM©, RPA, LEED AP O+M, Associate Director of Asset Services for Cushman & Wakefield’s Austin/San Antonio market. He is joined by fellow officers Sam Shannon, CPM© (President-Elect) and Kathleen Goddard, CPM© (Secretary/Treasurer.) Benoit is directly responsible for the operations and property management of Las Cimas II and III, a Class A suburban office project in Southwest Austin, and also provides guidance to five additional property management teams that represent 3.8 million square feet of office, retail and industrial property. Shannon is JLL’s Property Management Market Lead for Austin and San Antonio and oversees a property management portfolio of approximately 3.7 million SF of office, medical office, and industrial product types. Goddard is a General Manager with HPI Real Estate Management, Inc., and manages The Summit at Lantana, an institutionally owned, 818,000 square foot world-class office campus.

Others joining the Executive Council are Board Members: Amanda Cox Sneed, CPM©, ARM©, CAM© (Immediate Past President) –Regional Director of Operations, Wehner Multipfamily LLC ; Scott Aarvig, CPM© – Property Manager, Endeavor Real Estate Group; Melissa Kruetner, CPM© – General Manager, Endeavor Real Estate Group; Andrea Sanchez – Vice President and Head of Real Estate and Facilities, Dimensional Fund Advisors; and Evan Williams, CPM© - Commercial Property Supervisor, Austin, Granite Properties of Texas. n

Dad, are we pyromaniacs?

Yes, we arson.

é Adam Benoit é Sam Shannon é Kathleen Goddard

let your worries get the best of you.  Remember: Moses started out as a basket case.

THE FACTOR

AMAZON’S HQ2 - THE HELIX

in Our september OF 2018 issue, we (and you) looked at Amazon’s World Headquarters’ Biospheres in Seattle. Well, not to be outdone by anyone other than themselves, Amazon has unveiled its plans for its new Arlington, Virginia headquarters. Phase 2 of the development involves plans

for three 22-story office buildings and smaller retail buildings, woodlands, an outdoor amphitheater, a dog run and parking for 950 bicycles – all around a centerpiece 350 ft tall structure called the Helix. The Helix will have two spiraling walkways from bottom to top with trees and plants from all over Virginia. The plan also encompasses two and a half acres of public open space.

The full block development will be on an 11-acre site in Pentagon City just north of the development’s first phase which is already under construction (and which, in and of itself, will consist of 2.1 million square feet of office space).

The Helix “will be an opportunity for people to literally go on a hike in the city,” said Dale Alberda of the architectural design firm NBBJ, which is responsible for the development just across the river from the nation’s capital. Amazon assures that the buildings will be built in an energy-efficient way, and it plans to get all of their electrical needs from a solar farm in Virginia. n

DIVERSI NS THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC – PART 8

some reason, though, she calls it a restraining order.

Due to the pandemic, I had to drop out of my marksmanship class. I'm going to miss everyone.

guidance to the faithful during this pandemic.” And he jumps out.

John Travolta tested negative for coronavirus last weekend. Turns out it was just Saturday Night Fever.

My girlfriend and I have been practicing social distancing since the start of the pandemic. For

Having some areas in pandemic lock down and others not in lock down is like... trying to organize the peeing section in a swimming pool.

I completely support people's choice to not wear masks and gather in large groups during a pandemic. So would Darwin.

Villagers in Punjab, Pakistan are wondering who the hell is Soshal Disdan Singh.

Five people are on a plane that is going to crash - Oprah, the Pope, Greta Thunberg, Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Only four parachutes though.

Fauci takes one and says, "I’ve got to live so I can find a cure for this pandemic.” And he jumps out of the plane.

The Pope takes one and says, "I have to be there to provide spiritual

DIVERSI NS THE PARROT

Mary received a parrot for her birthday. The parrot was fully grown, with a very bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive; those that weren't expletives were, to say the least, rude. Mary tried to change the bird's attitude by constantly saying polite words, playing soft music... anything she could think of, but nothing worked.

She yelled at the bird, and the bird got worse. She shook the bird, and the bird got madder and more rude. Finally, in a moment of desperation, Mary put the parrot in the freezer to get a minute of peace. For a few moments she heard the bird swearing,

squawking, kicking and screaming and then, suddenly, there was absolute quiet. Mary was frightened that she might actually have hurt the bird, and quickly opened the freezer door. The parrot calmly stepped out onto Mary’s extended arm and said, "I'm very sorry that I offended you with my language and my actions, and I ask your forgiveness. I will endeavor to correct my behavior and I am sure it will never happen again."

Mary was astounded at the changes in the bird's attitude and was about to ask what had changed him, when the parrot continued, "May I ask what the chicken did?"

Trump takes one and says, "I have to live. I’m the smartest person in the world." And he jumps out.

Oprah says to Greta, "You take the last one. I’ve lived a good life and yours is just beginning. You may save the world from climate change."

Greta says, "No worries. There is still one for each of us. The smartest man in the world just jumped out of the plane with my backpack."

this is Our FiFth year presenting the two lists you see on this page and the next. Now a New Year’s Eve tradition, Lake Superior State University (Michigan’s smallest public university) released its annual “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness” on December 31st. The tradition was started by the late W. T. Rabe, a public relations director at Lake Superior State University, on December 31, 1975. Though he and his friends created the first list from their own pet peeves about language, Rabe knew from the volume of mail he received in the following weeks that the group would have no shortage of words and phrases from which to choose for 1977. Since then, the list has consisted entirely of nominations received from around the world throughout the year; it has been so popular among language purists that the university has kept it going. Here is their 2021 list of words that have been over- used in 2020 along with the reasons for their ‘banishment’.

People across the U.S. and around the world let Lake Superior State University know that they’re tired not only of the coronavirus pandemic but also of hearing, reading, and talking about it—especially when the communication is bad or excessive. COVID-19 terminology monopolized this year. Out of 1,450-plus nominations, upwards of 250 of the words and terms suggested for banishment for overuse, misuse, or uselessness relate to the coronavirus. In fact, seven of the 10 words and terms that LSSU is banishing for 2021 are about it.

1. COVID-19 (COVID, coronavirus, Rona): A large number of nominators are clearly resentful of the virus and how it has overtaken our vocabulary. No matter how necessary or socially and medically useful these words are, the committee wished it could banish them along with the virus itself.

2. Social distancing: This phrase is useful, as wearing a mask and keeping your distance have a

2021 BANISHED WORDS LIST

massive effect on preventing the spread of infection. But we’d be lying if we said we weren’t ready for this phrase to become “useless.” With north of 50 nominations, many others clearly feel the same, and the tone of their reasoning ranged from impatient to heartfelt.

3. We’re all in this together: This phrase was likely intended as a way to keep everyone feeling safe and calm at the start of the pandemic. However, as the virus made its way across the globe and nation, it became clear that we are all dealing with COVID-19 in different ways and that we confront some vastly different challenges in coping with it. As with many words that show up on the list, its usefulness has faded.

4. In an abundance of caution (various phrasings): Yes, humanity needs to follow safeguards during COVID-19. The statistics are sobering. More than 342,000 deaths and more than 19 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and more than 1.8 million deaths and more than 82 million confirmed cases worldwide. But the phrasing about how to take preventative steps is vague. What is the standard measurement for caution, metric or U.S. standard? (Remember – these statistics are as of the end of 2020.)

5. In these uncertain times (various phrasings): The committee agrees that COVID-19 has upended everyday life and wishes this weren’t so. But putting things into imprecise context doesn’t help matters. The blur dilutes reality and, to some, sounds like the beginning of a movie trailer. Keep as wide a berth of trite parlance as those who don’t wear masks in public. What exactly does it mean for times to be uncertain? Look at a clock!

6. Pivot: Reporters, commentators, talking heads, and others from the media reference how everyone must adapt to the coronavirus through contactless delivery, virtual learning, curbside pickup, video conferencing, remote working, and other urgent readjustments. That’s all true and vital. But basketball players pivot; let’s keep it that way.

7. Unprecedented: It’s unheard of that a word would be repeated on the Banished Words List. Actually, it’s not. In the early years, words wound up repeated, although we try to avoid repetition nowadays. Despite the fact that “unprecedented” was banished in 2002, given that it was

nominated many times this year for misuse in describing events that do have precedent, inclusion again seems warranted.

2021 BANISHED WORDS AND TERMS NOT ABOUT COVID-19:

8. Karen: What began as an antiracist critique of the behavior of white women in response to Black and Brown people has become a misogynist umbrella term for critiquing the perceived overemotional behavior of women. As one nominator said about reasons for its banishment, “I would tell you why, but I’d sound like a Karen.” Another critic observed, “Offensive to all normal people named Karen.”

9. Sus: It’s a shortened version for “suspicious” in the video game Among Us. No committee members play, but our children who do explained that this multiplayer online social game is designed around identifying “sus” imposters so they can be “thrown into the lava.” Complainers a) ask: How much effort does it take to say the entire word; and b) request: If that can’t happen, confine the syllable to the gaming world.

10. I know, right?: An amusing phrase flooding social media, “I know, right?” is a relatively new construction to convey empathy with those who have expressed agreement. But as one wordsmith put it, if you know, why do you need to ask if it’s correct or seek further approval? Another grammarian suggested that the desire for confirmation connotes insecurity. In other words, it’s reiterating something already seconded.

“Real-world concerns preoccupied word watchdogs this year, first and foremost COVID-19, and that makes sense,” said LSSU President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley. “In a small way, maybe this list will help ‘flatten the curve,’ which also was under consideration for banishment. We trust that your ‘new normal’—another contender among nominations— for next year won’t have to include that anymore.”

To see the archived lists from 1979-2020, go to: lssu.edu/traditions/banishedwords/archive n

I saw an ad for burial plots and thought to myself:  that's the last thing I need.

WAYNE STATE WORD WARRIORS

nOw entering their 12th year, Wayne State University's Word Warriors are showing no signs of anagapesis toward the English language. (This is ’s 5th installment.)

Rather than footle about in a year that found many of them at home, the Word Warriors continued to be engaged and passionate about resurrecting long-forgotten words. From residents of Detroit to coast-dwelling paralians, participants from around the globe submitted words throughout the year. Far from a group of ultracrepidarians, the Word Warriors once again proved themselves knowledgeable about the language.

Wayne State's Word Warriors series promotes words especially worthy of retrieval from the linguistic cellar. Its extensive list is composed of submissions from both administrators of the website as well as the public; participants worldwide have seen their favorite words brought back from the brink of obsolescence at wordwarriors.wayne.edu. New entries are posted there — as well as on Facebook — weekly.

"Each year, I'm surprised by the variety of the submissions we receive from around the world," said Chris Williams, assistant director of editorial services for Wayne State Marketing and Communications, and head of the Word Warriors program. "Our Word Warriors once again provided a batch of words that make our language richer. The English language is so versatile and unique, and we've ended up with another list of 10 great words."

And now, the Word Warriors' 2021 list of eminently useful words that should be brought back to enrich our language:

ANAGAPESIS

Loss of feelings for someone who was formerly loved. They sat in silence in their usual coffee shop, the anagapesis growing as their drinks cooled.

BRONTIDE

A low, muffled sound like distant thunder heard in certain seismic regions, especially along seacoasts and over lakes and thought to be caused by feeble earth tremors.

He sat watching the water, his dread enhanced by drone of the brontide.

DYSANIA

The state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning.

On Mondays, my dysania can cause me to reach for the snooze alarm upward of five times.

FOOTLE

Engage in fruitless activity; mess about. He footled around the house aimlessly, ignoring the checklist of chores his wife had left on the fridge.

MALEOLENT

Foul-smelling, odorous.

The restaurant was set at the end of the street, likely to shield the community from the maleolent fog that wafted from its kitchen.

SNOLLYGOSTER

A shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician.

The tone of national politics changed when humble public servants were replaced by power-hungry snollygosters.

SOPHRONIZE

To imbue with moral principles or self-control. Parents have an obligation to sophronize their children.

ULTRACREPIDARIAN

Expressing opinions on matters outside the scope of one's knowledge or expertise.

Many who haven't had kids are too eager to give ultracrepidarian advice to parents.

See the complete archive (from 2010 to 2020) here: wordwarriors.wayne.edu/archive n

BLATTEROON

A senseless babbler or boaster.

The bartender groaned at the string of nonsense coming from the blatteroon in the corner; he could cut off his drinks, but the man was stone-cold sober.

PARALIAN

Someone who lives by the sea. He escaped the noise of the city, bought a beach house on the Pacific coast and became a paralian.

REAL ESTATE F THE FU URE

CHAOYANG PARK PLAZA

chaOyang park is a mixed-use development in the central business district of Beijing, China (a city of 21.5 million people). The nearly 466-foot-high plaza is composed of 1.29 million square feet of commercial, office and residential space. Designed by MAD Architects, and based upon MAD founder Ma Yansong’s Shan Shui City concept (which translates into ‘the city of mountains and water’), it is located on a 331,000 square-foot site next to one of the city’s largest parks; it was completed in 2017.

The two residential towers have a façade resembling the country’s ridges and valleys. And the ridges of the towers feature an energy-efficient ventilation and filtration system that draws a natural breeze indoors. A 56-foot courtyard lobby (which features

sounds similar to that of flowing water to recreate the sensation of being in a mountain valley) connects the two towers.

Multi-level terraces are on top of the towers and provide views of the entire city. Four office buildings are located towards the southern end of the site. Arranged around each other, the buildings are uniquely shaped to resemble a river stone that has eroded over time. Two additional multilevel residential structures are located in the southwest corner of the site. All buildings in the site are arranged in a way that their spatial organization renders the feeling of moving through a mountain forest.

The two main towers of the plaza feature a core-tube framing system made from steel-

reinforced concrete. The materials were selected because they provide lateral stiffness and fire resistance and are low-priced. The exterior glass façade of the buildings is made from tinted glass to replicate inkbased shan shui paintings. The remaining low-rise buildings on the site are made from reinforced concrete and also enclosed in tinted glass.

Chaoyang Park Plaza project has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certificate from the US Green Building Council. It made optimal use of natural lighting and includes an intelligent building and air purification system, which reduces energy consumption. n

My luck is like a bald guy who just won a comb.

é The complex incorporates two multi-level residential buildings which include curving terraces and balconies.

è Four smaller office buildings have been arranged to form part of the holistic development.

Shan-Shui City combines the urban construction and the natural environment which is mainly composed of the mountains (Shan) and the water (Shui). The tight integration of architecture-landscape-city is the core of the traditional Chinese city design theory and methodology.

THE MARIST MINDSET LIST FOR THE CLASS OF 2024

the mindset List was created at Beloit College in 1998 to reflect the world view of entering first year college students. Developed by Ron Nief, Director Emeritus of Public Affairs at Beloit College, and Beloit Professor Tom McBride, who later collaborated with Beloit Professor of Sociology Charles Westerberg, the list has garnered national and international media attention. In 2019, the list moved to Marist and became the Marist Mindset List.

The list went through a transitional phase last year with the founding team from Beloit leading the effort on development with the support of Marist staff and faculty. This year, under the direction of Marist Associate Professor of English and Beloit alumnus Tommy Zurhellen, the list was a collaborative effort with Marist faculty from different disciplines with diverse backgrounds focusing on 10 major areas: arts, commerce, education, ethics, fashion, history and politics, language and literacy, science, sports communication, and technology. It has been pared down to 10 items which each include additional reading in the form of links to sources and, in some cases, living examples of items. All supporting materials are available at Marist Mindset List website .

This is ’s 10th installment of the list- a glimpse of the cultural milestones which mold the lives of those who entered college in the fall of last year – the class of

2024, most of whom were born after 9/11 and all of whom have had their freshman year amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

• Emerging artists and designers in the class of 2024 will explore race relations beyond Black Lives Matter into a deeper understanding of how Whiteness has shaped bias and influence in contemporary American culture.

• Incoming students will rely on smart devices for shopping, interactive wellness-centered consumer experiences, and engaging in the social good.

but the Harry Potter series has been banned somewhere in America for their entire lifetimes, and To Kill a Mockingbird has appeared on the American Library Association (ALA) list of frequently challenged books eight times since 2004, due to perceived concerns over offensive language as well as racial and sexual themes.

• Incoming students are willing to pay for their privacy. Privacy is now a commodity, and they value privacy for their real relationships.

• The class of 2024 may view the idea of “banned books” as an artifact from the past,

• The necessity of personal protection equipment (PPE) will drive fashion trends for the next couple of seasons as young design-

ers in the class of 2024 adapt face masks and other PPE into functional objects of personal expression.

• Incoming students are keenly aware of the major threats to the health of our society created by both an international pandemic and the global climate crisis, while at the same time, the value of science in our national dialogue is increasingly questioned.

• For incoming students, the world political stage has always been post-9/11; Vladimir Putin has always been the leader of Russia, Tayyip Erdogan has always been leader of Turkey, and the United States military has always been involved in Afghanistan.

• Social distancing provided a captive audience for the ESPN documentary “The Last Dance.” This phenomenon allowed the Class of 2024 to see for themselves the evolution of the NBA game in the last twenty years, sparking new debate over how past heroes such as Michael Jordan compare to their favorite players of today like LeBron and Giannis as G.O.A.T.

• The class of 2024 (and, often, their teachers) expect and embrace a richer diversity of voices in the books they read, and their enthusiasm for young adult (YA) literature has led to the emergence of vibrant new voices such as Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Marie Lu (Legend), and Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood and Bone). In addition, these students are shaping American literary culture like never before, by contributing commentary and adaptations in online forums such as GoodReads, Reddit, Twitter, and fanfic sites.

• Incoming students have never been more ready to embrace social distance by using technology to fill the distance gap. They are always looking for the newest upgrade. n

TITLEAFFILI TE NEWS

é Category: Suburban Office Park Mid-Rise

Building: Greenhill Towers

Managed by Crescent Real Estate LLC

Property Manager: Jonathan “JJ” Jones

the tOby award is more than the result of a one- year competition. It is the reward of many years of dedication and attention and of relentless passion for excellence. It is truly evidence of the character of all of those who contribute to making it happen. A reputation is the opinion of others and all of the nominees have earned an outstanding reputation.

Since 1985, The Outstanding Building of the Year Award has been recognizing excellence in building management, operating efficiency, tenant retention, emergency planning and community impact. It is among the most prestigious and comprehensive programs of its kind. Every building in the competition (as well as each individual who leads a management or service team that supports these buildings) is a winner!

Featured on this page are the winners of the local competition selected by the Greater Dallas Chapter. The other BOMA chapters

é Category: 100,000 – 249,999 Square Fee

Building: 511 East John Carpenter Freeway

Managed by Crescent Real Estate LLC

Property Manager: Jonathan “JJ” Jones

é Category: 250,000 – 499,999 Square Feet

Building: Mandalay Towers II

Managed by Parmenter Realty Partners.

Property Managers: Kelly Smith and Beth Parkhurst

è Category: 500,000 – 1 Million Square Feet

Building: McKinney & Olive Managed by Crescent Real Estate LLC

Property Manager: Angelique Wade

in the region either did not have entries this year or did not submit in time for this publication.

The judges scrutinize many aspects of a building’s management over the course of a year. Photographs, building standards, floor plans and the owner’s goals are all part of the appearance portion of the judging. That’s the part we get to see, but collectively these elements constitute only 5% of the score a building receives. 95% is based upon tenant relations, community impact, emergency and security standards, environmental and regulatory policies, energy management systems, and personnel training and qualifications

These winners will now compete in the regional round at BOMA’s virtual Southwest Conference on April 8th. Look for those winners in the next issue of . n

If you’re sitting in public and a stranger sits down next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, “Did you bring the money?”

When one door closes and another one opens, you are probably in prison.

THE FACTOR

MUSEO GUGGENHEIM BILBAO

the guggenheim museum biLbaO is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Spain. It was officially opened in 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art. Built alongside the Nervión River, it is one of several museums belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and one of the largest museums in Spain. The Guggenheim Foundation selected Gehry and he was, encouraged to design something daring and innovative. He said, that "the randomness of the curves are designed to catch the light." The interior "is designed around a large, light-filled atrium with views of Bilbao's estuary and the surrounding hills of the Basque country.” The museum is seamlessly integrated into the urban context, unfolding its interconnecting shapes of stone, glass and titanium on a 350,000 sq ft site.

The structure has been hailed as a "signal moment in the architectural culture", because it represents "one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something", according to architectural critic Paul Goldberger. The museum was the building most frequently named as one of the most important works completed since 1980 in the 2010 World Architecture Survey among architecture experts. With a total 260,000 sq ft, of which 120,000 sq ft are dedicated to exhibition space, it had more exhibition space than the three Guggenheim collections in New York and Venice combined at that time.n

DIVERSI NS EGGCORNS

An eggcorn is a word or phrase that is mistakenly used for another word or phrase because it sounds similar and seems logical or plausible. Take the things that fall from oak trees in the fall. They're acorns, but they sometimes get called eggcorns. The term was coined by linguist Geoffrey Pullum on the Language Log blog in 2003, and it's been increasingly used in the years since.

Some common ones include:

"all intensive purposes" when you mean "all intents and purposes"

“flustrated’ instead of “frustrated”

“Duck Tape” instead of “duct tape”

“buck naked” instead of “butt naked”

“biting my time” instead of “biding”

“mute point” instead of “moot point”

“pass mustard’ instead of “pass muster”

“rebel rouser” instead of “rabble rouser”

“towing the line” instead of “toeing the line’

“Valentime’s Day” instead of “Valenti“windshield factor” instead of “wind-

“sick sense” instead of “sixth sense”

“old wise tale” instead of ”old wives’

“nip it in the butt” instead of “nip it in

“happy as a clown” instead of happy as a clam”

“tenderhooks” instead of “tenterhooks’

“social leopard” instead of “social leper”

“cold slaw” instead of “coleslaw”

“old timers’ disease” instead of “Alzheimer’s disease”

“I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less”

“You’ve got another thing coming” instead of “You’ve got another think coming”

“Each one worse than the next” instead of “Each one worse than the last”

“extract revenge” instead of “exact revenge”

“expresso” instead of “espresso”

“momento” instead of “memento”

“hone in” instead of “home in”

“irregardless” instead of “regardless

THE BUILDINGS OF PHILADELPHIA

the architecture OF phiLadeLphia is a mix of historic and modern styles that reflect the city's history. The first European settlements appeared within its present-day borders in the 17th century with most structures being built from logs. By the 18th century brick structures had become common. Georgian and later Federal style buildings dominated much of the cityscape. In the first half of the 19th century, Greek revival appeared and flourished with architects such as William Strickland, John Haviland, and Thomas U. Walter. In the second half of the 19th century, Victorian architecture became popular with the city's most notable Victorian architect being Frank Furness.

Steel and concrete skyscrapers appeared in early 20th century and glass and granite skyscrapers towards the end. Construction continued into the 21st century with the city’s second tallest building, the /2/ Comcast Center in 2001. The tallest building is the 60-story /3/ Comcast Technology Center, which topped out at 1,121 feet and was completed in 2018. (It is the tallest building in the United States outside of Manhattan and Chicago, and is currently ranked as the tenth-tallest building in the United States.)

/4/ The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the 17th century, the United States' /5/ first International style skyscraper was built in here in 1932, as was /6/ Guild House, one of the most important examples of Postmodern architecture.

Many steel and concrete skyscrapers were constructed in the first two decades of the 20th century. In the 1920s construction continued with skyscrapers such as the 33-story Art Deco /7/ Lewis Tower (now known as the Aria), the /8/ Drake Hotel, and /9/ The Franklin Residences (originally a hotel in 1925). In the early 1930s, the /10/ 30th Street Station, and the /11/ Franklin Institute were constructed.

In 1987, /12/ One Liberty Place, the first of a series of buildings was completed.

The design of /13/ Liberty Place was influenced by the art deco Chrysler Building in New York City. According to the curse of Billy Penn, which appeared sometime after Liberty Place was constructed, no Philadelphia sports team would win a championship as long as there was a building taller than the statue of William Penn on top of City Hall.

No trip to Philadelphia would be completed with a visit to the /14/ Liberty Bell. Previously called the Old State House Bell, it is an iconic symbol of American independence. Once placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence Hall), it is now located across the street in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. n

The skyline of Pennsylvania's largest city.

é Delancey Street in Society Hill.

é The first major work by Robert Venturi is one of the earliest expressions of Postmodern architecture, and helped establish him as one of the leading architects of the 20th century.

é The 631,006 sf. tower was designed by George Howe and William Lescaze in 1932.

é Illuminated in honor of the 2016 Democratic convention.

é Prior to the construction of Liberty Place, there was a gentlemen's agreement not to build any structure in Center City higher than the statue of William Penn on top of Philadelphia City Hall. One Liberty Place became the city's first skyscraper.

é Built in 1928-29 , the Drake Hotel, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

CALLISONRTKL (CRTKL)

caLLisOnrtkL (crtkL), a gLObaL architecture, planning, and design practice, began over seven decades ago and has evolved into a cultural agency to advance positive outcomes in our communities. A team of 1200+ addresses the imperatives of resiliency, well-being, and technology and their influence in the built environment through a human-centric design approach.

CRTKL develops experiences that reflect the firm’s diverse expression of thought. The Dallas practice’s portfolio exemplifies design thinking that is bespoke and engaging, rather than designed from one hand or voice. CRTKL’s work today features a tapestry of projects not only in greater Dallas/Fort Worth, but throughout the U.S. and across the globe. The firm recently earned the JUST Label, a designation demonstrating its commitment to social justice, diversity and inclusion. CallisonRTKL will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year.

è The International Tennis Complex and Rafael Nadal Academy

The Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex and Rafael Nadal Academy opened in February 2020—landing Kuwait on the international tennis map. The project punctuates the end of a new addition to the 360 Mall complex that CRTKL has been working on for more than seven years and will attract upwards to 11 million visitors a year. The 1,600-seat

center court supports an even larger 5,000seat multi-purpose arena encompassed by a new Grand Hyatt hotel and an extended shopping and entertainment district.

Giant Slurpee straws, painted to mimic the actual Slurpee straw colors, were designed to hang from the ceiling in a rhythmic wave to pay tribute to the jazz roots of the historic neighborhood. The team designed this environmental graphic display with seven layers of straws, a subtle nod to the company’s name.

é 7-Eleven

Over the past year, CallisonRTKL’s Retail and Environments Studios worked with 7-Eleven to design new flagship stores that reflect an innovative and bold version of legacy and sense of place. The most recent store in Dallas’s Deep Ellum neighborhood features a unique installation as part of the entry to welcome customers.

é Fetch House

For the Bark + Build Competition that supports the SPCA of Texas, CRTKL’s concept was to start simple, asking the question: What happens when you

Apparently, I snore so loudly that it scares everyone in the car I'm driving.

combine a tennis ball, the quintessential form of a dog’s happiness, and 3D printing? The answer: a continuous façade comprised of over 1000+ standard size tennis balls, interconnected by a modular support structure which is 3D printed using lightweight plastic. The balls, held in place by compression, can be pulled out so you can play fetch with your dog. As a modular system, the doghouse can grow along with your dog’s needs by simply adding more modules to expand the size. Ultimately, the design incorporates advanced technologies and unconventional materials to serve as a model of how to eliminate waste and optimize efficiency in the building process.

interventions are proposed that include improving accessibility, integrating green infrastructure technologies, expanding the biodiversity and native planting palette, and creating equality in experience for all visitors.

boast 12 examination rooms and ample support and workspace. When multiple pods are linked, the support spaces can be easily shared—allowing each site to adapt to the needs of the community it serves. Warren Clinic was awarded an AIA 2020 Healthcare Design Award, presented by the Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH).

é Nokia Headquarters

Through the unification of their 2,100person base in DFW, Nokia wanted to create a connected and collaborative workplace. By providing a variety of different spaces, the CallisonRTKL-designed office allows employees to bring their unique knowledge and value to the company. With a “free address” approach, the Nokia headquarters offers spaces that respond to the way people work today. The office is an open plan, with a variety of multi-purpose areas for small huddles to larger town halls. Employees can interact more often and easier with each other and creatively solve problems and craft new ideas.

è Thanks-Giving Square

The main challenge of the redesign of Thanks-Giving Square in downtown Dallas was understanding how to express outward gratitude through physical design moves. CallisonRTKL’s plan includes a series of bold streetscape enhancements. The removal of traffic lanes prioritizes the pedestrian space while paving and landscaping stitch the adjacent properties together, transforming the street character. Inside the walls of the space, design

é UT Southwestern Medical Center

In 2007, CRTKL master planned and designed the William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The design of the freestanding, 13-story hospital includes 464 beds, 24 operating rooms, a 40-bed emergency department, a helicopter pad, and 12 cath/interventional labs. Building on the success of phase one, phase two of the expansion seamlessly adds a new 715,000 square foot podium to the already impressive 1.3 million square foot facility, with a focus on neurology, brain, and spine services. CRTKL’s innovative master plan and execution of the design for the Tower III expansion has provided Dallas with a stateof-the-art medical facility that will continue to support and grow with the community for years to come.

è Warren Clinic

The CRTKL-designed Warren Clinic is one of a trio of clinics serving the Tulsa, Oklahoma region. Functionally, the clinics offer primary and urgent care as well as imaging services for the Saint Francis Health System, but their clinical prototype upends the traditional model and allows for seemingly endless configurations. The pods

é Xi’an Maike Center

Xi’an Maike Center is a vibrant, mixeduse destination featuring anchor retail, an office tower and the five-star Grand Hyatt Xi’an hotel. The CallisonRTKL design team instilled a sense of timeless elegance— establishing the building as a gateway and celebratory landmark of the city of Xi’an, China. The scale and unique geometry of the ribbon strip and the bridge between the dual towers create an impressive silhouette that can be seen from many vantage points within the district. The destination is a visual embodiment of the Maike brand combined with a sense of local authenticity inspired by Xi’an’s cultural context. The Grand Hyatt and Maike Center in Xi’an won an Award of Excellence from the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). n

AMAZ NG BU LDINGS

ANGELA O’BYRNE aobyrne@e-perez.com

GOLD MEDAL IN ACCESSIBILITY: THE UNITED STATES OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC MUSEUM

FOr decades, cOLOradO springs has been a city defined by its prominent institutions. Home to the United States Air Force Academy, the city has seen the proliferation and gradual downsizing of massive industries, including dozens of prominent defense contractors and some of the country’s largest high-tech manufacturers. But the city also has another identity altogether.

With a mild climate, mountainous terrain, and high altitude, Colorado Springs prides itself as an ideal training ground. Home to the Pikes Peak Marathon, a grueling trail run with nearly 8,000 feet of vertical climb, Colorado Springs is a place that rewards the hardy and the tough—which is perhaps why it’s become a headquarters to those seeking Olympic glory.

Known as Olympic City, USA, Colorado Springs is home to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and 24 national federations for individual Olympic sports. The result is a city flourishing with sports therapists, fitness companies, and athletic administrators. And each year, approximately 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls will make the pilgrimage to Colorado to condition, hone their skills, and grow stronger.

For tourists drawn to Colorado Springs for its world-class hiking and natural beauty, an Olympic attraction is an easy sell. More than 140,000 visitors already flock to the Olympic Training Center each year, touring the extensive complex that can host up to 500 top-tier athletes and coaches at any given time.

And so, Colorado Springs was also the natural fit to host a dedicated attraction that honors the efforts and accomplishments of Team USA: the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum (USOPM).

Opened in July 2020, the complex was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, who also helmed the extensive, $450 million renovation of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (and who will be featured in the May-June issue of ). Compared to MoMA, USOPM is a far humbler affair at $91 million and 60,000 square feet. However, its influence could be just as monumental.

Indecision is the key to flexibility.

Angela O’Byrne, FAIA, is President of Perez, APC, a 70+ year-old architecture, planning, interior design, and construction firm. She is also a Contributing Editor of

Four fonts walk into a bar. The bartender says, ‘Hey! We don’t want your type in here!’

Made up of two structures and an adjoining amphitheater-like plaza, the USOPM complex sits on the edge of Colorado Springs, ready to attract Olympic enthusiasts and architectural tourists alike.

The main building’s elegant, origami-like shape is intended to evoke both nearby Pikes Peak and an athlete in motion. Clad in 9,000 entirely unique reflective aluminum panels, the building feels simultaneously rounded and angular, the taut drape of the facade forming a kind of architectural spandex over four petal-like volumes. The building stretches upward like a runner in starting position, an abstract but recognizably athletic form. From above, the structure is modeled after a spinning discus-thrower.

However, the most remarkable thing about the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum is its pioneering devotion to universal accessibility. Every effort has been made to accommodate visitors of all capabilities, ensuring total ADA compliance and developing the museum’s content in ways that reach all visitors.

Exhibit cases take multiple viewing heights into account, ensuring those in wheelchairs get full benefit of the displays. And guests are issued RFID-embedded lanyards that enable tailored engagement with interactive exhibits, prompting captions, descriptive audio, or translation where preferred.

Crucially, though, the museum’s visitors take its journey together—no matter their abilities. Whereas many museums push accessibility features to the margins with afterthought ramps or hidden elevators, the USOPM has planned a common path open to all. Visitors share an elevator ride to the top floor and then descend continuously along a gradual, gentle ramp over its three stories and twelve galleries.

Due to the pandemic, the immediate future of the Olympics is uncertain, with the planned 2020 Tokyo Games pushed to 2021. Questions surround travel, attendance, and how the games themselves can adjust and accommodate the challenges we currently face.

Until we’re able to gather en masse again, the spirit of the Games, along with its icons: torches, medals, and uniforms, are on full display in Colorado Springs, where masked visitors can make their socially distanced way through the museum. In a perhaps-fitting twist, visitors’ RFID lanyards also make things safer in the time of Coronavirus. They enable the museum to monitor guest movement and prevent over-crowding—proof that thoughtful design isn’t merely a matter of altruism or generosity. It’s also our best way forward. n

isLamabad is the capitaL and ninth largest city in Pakistan. Its metropolitan area is the fourth largest with a population of about 3.1 million. Built as a planned city in the 1960s to replace Karachi as the nation's capital, Islamabad is noted for its high standards of living, safety, and abundant greenery.

The area is considered one of the earliest sites of human settlement

THE ARCHITECTURE OF ISLAMABAD

in Asia. Some of the earliest Stone Age artifacts in the world (dating from 100,000 to 500,000 years ago) have been found there. Rudimentary stones recovered from the terraces of the Soan River testify to the endeavors of early man in the inter-glacial period, and items of pottery and utensils dating back to prehistory have been found. (The caves at /1/ Shah Allah Ditta, on Islamabad's outskirts, were part of an

ancient Buddhist monastic community.)

Islamabad's architecture is a combination of modernity and old Islamic and regional traditions. /2/ The Saudi-Pak Tower is an example of the integration of modern architecture with traditional styles. The beige-colored 20-story edifice is trimmed with blue tile works in Islamic tradition and is one

of Islamabad's tallest buildings. Other examples of intertwined Islamic and modern architecture include /3/ Pakistan Monument and /4/ Faisal Mosque.

The Shah Faisal Mosque is the largest mosque in South Asia. It is a fusion of contemporary architecture with a more traditional large triangular prayer hall and four minarets, designed by Vedat Dalokay, a Turkish architect and built with the help of funding provided by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. The architecture of Faisal Mosque, unusual in that it lacks a dome structure, is a combination of Arabic, Turkish, and Mughal architectural traditions.

Other notable structures are the /5/ Prime Minister's Secretariat Complex (designed by Gio Ponti) based on architectural styles of the Mughals in the 16th through 18th centuries) and the /6/ National Assembly by Edward Durell Stone.

I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.

By Kamranmangrio. Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

é Photo credit: Muhammad Bin Naveed - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Relationships are a lot like algebra. Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?

The murals on the inside of the large petals of Pakistan Monument are based on Islamic architecture. /7/ The Centaurus is a modern architecture mixed use real estate development including a 36-floor hotel, three 23-floor residential and office towers and a five-story shopping mall. The seven-star hotel was designed by WS Atkins PLC.

The newly built /8/ Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers is another example of modern architecture in the city. And the /9/ Blue Area, the commercial

hub of the city, features many of its tallest buildings. It will also soon feature /10/ The Magnus Mall, a huge, lavish and aesthetically pleasing and sensibly designed blend of modern and contemporary style.

Islamabad is a Gamma + city as rated by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. (See article on page 36 of this issue.) The city has the highest cost of living in Pakistan, and its population is dominated by middle and upper middle class citizens. n

é Photo Credit: Maqsoodgujjer - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

é ê Islamabad's urban form was designed to be radically different from typical South Asian cities and features spacious avenues in a forest-like setting. /11/ The Faisal Mosque is at the foothills of the Margalla Hills, part of the Himalayan foothills. /12/ Constitution Avenue viewed from those foothills.

THE GLOBALIZATION AND WORLD CITIES RESEARCH NETWORK

the gLObaLizatiOn and wOrLd cities Research Network (GaWC) is a think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. Founded in 1998, it is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in the UK, and undertakes a bi-biennial categorization of world cities into "Alpha", "Beta" and "Gamma" tiers, based upon their international connectedness. The last such study was in 2020.

The GaWC examines cities worldwide to narrow them down to a roster of world cities. Then it ranks them based on their connectivity through four "advanced producer services": accountancy, advertising, banking/finance, and law. The GaWC inventory ranks city economics more heavily than political or cultural factors. Beyond the categories of "Alpha" world cities (with four sub-categories), "Beta" world cities (with three sub-categories), and "Gamma" world cities (with three sub-categories), the GaWC cities include additional cities at "High Sufficiency" and "Sufficiency" levels.

Alpha level cities are linked to major economic states and regions and into the world economy and are classified into four sections, Alpha ++, Alpha+, Alpha, and Alpha− cities. Alpha ++ cities are cities most integrated with the global economy (e.g., New York, London). Alpha + cities are highly integrated cities, filling advanced service needs (e.g., Beijing, Paris, Tokyo).

Other cities in the other two Alpha categories include Chicago, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Vienna.

Beta level cities are cities that link moderate economic regions to the world economy and are classified into three sections, Beta+, Beta, and Beta− cities. Gamma level cities are cities that link smaller economic regions into the world economy and are classified into three sections, Gamma+, Gamma, and Gamma− cities. High Sufficiency and Sufficiency level cities are cities that have a sufficient degree of services so as not to be overly dependent on world cities. See the rankings here

GLOBAL CITIES

A global city, also called a power city, world city, alpha city or world center, is a city which is a primary node in the global economic network. The concept comes from geography and urban studies, and the idea that globalization is created and furthered in strategic geographic locales according to a hierarchy of importance to the operation of the global system of finance and trade.

The most complex node is the "global city", with links binding it to other cities having a direct and tangible effect on global socio-economic affairs. The term "megacity" entered common use in the late 19th or early 20th centuries; one of the earliest documented uses of the term was by the University of Texas in 1904. The term "global city", rather than "megacity", was popularized by sociologist Saskia Sassen in her 1991 work, The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo. Recently, the term “world city” has focused on a city's financial power and high technology infrastructure, with other factors becoming less relevant.

Although criteria are variable and fluid, typical characteristics of world cities are:

• A variety of international financial services (finance, insurance, real estate, banking, accountancy, and marketing).

• Headquarters of several multinational corporations.

• The existence of financial headquarters, a stock exchange, and major financial institutions.

• Centers of new ideas and innovation in business, economics, culture, and politics.

• Centers of media and communications for global networks.

• High-quality educational institutions, including, international student attendance, and research facilities.

• Multi-functional infrastructure offering some of the best legal, medical, and entertainment facilities in the country.

• High diversity in language, culture, religion, and ideologies.

In 2008, the American journal Foreign Policy published a ranking of global cities, In 2012, the Economist Intelligence Unit (The Economist Group) ranked the competitiveness of global cities according to their demonstrated ability to attract capital, businesses, talent, and visitors. In 2015, the second Global Economic Power Index was published by The Atlantic. A study by Brookings Institution conducted in 2016 introduced its own typology, sorting global cities into seven categories: Global Giants, Asian Anchors, Emerging Gateways, Factory China, Knowledge Capitals, American Middleweights, and International Middleweights. And the Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation, in Tokyo, issued a comprehensive study of global cities in 2019. These and other reports can be accessed here. n

A courtroom artist was arrested today for an unknown reason. Details are sketchy.

é New York City.

é London.

The distribution of GaWC-ranked world cities in 2010

TITLEPROFILES OF SURV VAL

ROXANA TOFAN roxana@clearintegritygroup.com

IN THE WORLD OF COVID-19

can yOu beLieve it has already been a year of this pandemic? When was the last time you went out for lunch or dinner with a bunch of your friends? Are you cooking more at home or ordering takeout? Restaurants have served communities as a source of entertainment, recreation, and dining for a long time and were some of the first businesses severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some restaurant operators closed their doors, others have pivoted from a focus on onsite dining to a takeout and delivery model. And there is lingering uncertainty of whether and when consumers will start revisiting their local restaurants and which ones will survive this crisis.

Joseph Sutton is the General Manager of Spechts, twenty miles north of downtown San Antonio, Spechts Texas was founded in 1890 and it is my favorite place to enjoy good times, great food and live music.

Roxana: Tell me about your how and when you came to this job.

Joseph: I have been in the restaurant industry my entire life. The last place I worked –where I had been for only 3 months - closed all its restaurants because COVID was coming hard. I had worked here at Spects 20 years ago with my best friend when I was in high school for a couple summers. Luckily, at that time, Spechts was looking for a General Manager and I interviewed with them and the owners loved my history and experience. I ended up being the new General Manager chosen out of 200 applicants, which is pretty cool given my history with the place from 20 years ago. It’s good to be back home even though our home lives have been turned upside down with this pandemic.

Roxana: What is Spechts?

Joseph: Spechts Country Store is the best place for scratch cooking, live music and great drinks. It is one of those hidden gems, off the beaten pad, on the north side of San

Antonio. We have both indoor and outdoor seating with a stage for music outside. We’re open Thursday through Sunday and have been around for 100 years. Spechts Store was built by Fridolin Hanz in 1887 and was used as a vaudeville house in the 1890s. A saloon and dancehall were added in 1908 when William Specht bought the property and renamed it. The micro-ballroom has since been restored and now hosts events and is called The Gin. Today, Spechts is owned by Scott and Maria Gruendler who recently registered Spechts Texas as a national historic site.

Roxana: How has the restaurant adapted and survived during COVID?

Joseph: Spechts has the product, the great food and the right atmosphere. I was able to take it on during the pandemic and overcome these tough times for the business. Morale was so very important for our team members. Our jobs became hardest with having to disinfect and sanitize, unbolt tables for six feet social distancing and get employees’ temperature tested when they come in. All of our touch points are disinfected every two hours. Our staff wear masks at all times. Besides all that, how we stayed going strong is having a genuine welcoming demeanor from our staff and we guide our guests through a good experience. I challenge our people to make sure that if they are not helping our guests, they are helping someone that is helping them. They are the tour guides for our customers. Our outdoor seating is a plus for us for the social distancing.

Roxana: How has the volume of orders been doing COVID?

Joseph: Our customers have been good to us. We have opened up takeout, Uber Eats, Grub Hub and Toast Tab which has helped with getting orders to customer’s homes but also being visible to other customers that maybe otherwise have not tried us before. Take-out has been doing much better since we opened

online orders. Truth is though, when the weather is nice and there is live music playing people want to be back outside, so we have live music Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and sometimes karaoke on Thursdays. We try to stay as creative and safe as possible. We want to keep our employees safe and working and our customers safe and happy.

Roxana: Have your guests complied with COVID regulations?

Joseph: Any issues we’ve had have been minimum. We make sure our staff wear a mask and the customers know as soon as they walk into the door that they have to put the mask on. We have our signs posted everywhere. The best thing we can do is make sure the mandates are posted and we are visible and available to help them. We remind them the rules are important to keep everyone safe and to stay open.

Roxana: What challenges do you see ahead?

Joseph: We are getting staffed up for catering events and more business for the spring and summer. There are some people that will not take a job because they will lose their government benefits. We need people who are flexible being part time since we are only open four days a week.

Spechts is one of those places that makes you feel more relaxed just by walking through the doors. It’s got a rich history, a great story, and a dedicated team focused to keep customers happy. The building alone makes this place a destination worth seeking out, even without the cold beer and live music.

I challenge you to find ways during this pandemic to support the local businesses in whatever way you can. It is during these times we will continue to give and find the best in people. n

don’t mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember things and I get really excited.

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

BY TH3 NUMB3RS:

sOme states shine in health care. Some soar in education. Some excel in both – or in much more. The Best States ranking of U.S. states (researched, compiled and presented by U.S. News & World Reports) draws on thousands of data points to measure how well states are performing for their citizens. In addition to health care and education, the metrics take into account a state’s economy, its roads, bridges, internet and other infrastructure, its public safety, the fiscal stability of state government, and the opportunity it affords its residents.

CRIMES & CORRECTIONS

The states’ public safety and corrections

#1 New Hampshire

#2 Vermont

#3 Maine

ECONOMY

The states’ economic stability and potential

#1 Colorado

#2 Utah

#3 Washington

EDUCATION

How well states are educating their students

#1 Massachusetts

#2 South Dakota

#3 Florida

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

The quality of the states’ natural amenities

# Rhode Island

#2 South Dakota

#3 Minnesota

FISCAL STABILITY

The states’ short- and long-term health

#1 Tennessee

#2 Florida

#3 South Dakota

More weight was accorded to some state measures than others, based on a survey of what matters most to people. Health care and education were weighted most heavily. Then came state economies, infrastructure, and the opportunity states offer their citizens. Fiscal stability followed closely in weighting, followed by measures of crime & corrections and a state's natural environment.

HEALTH CARE

How well the states are meeting citizens health care needs

#1 Hawaii

#2 Massachusetts

#3 Connecticut

INFRASTRUCTURE

States’ energy, transportation and internet

#1 Oregon

#2 Washington

#3 Utah

OPPORTUNITY

How states are providing citizens the tools to succeed

#1 New Hampshire

#2 Iowa

#3 Minnesota

At a time when the federal government is attempting to hand more responsibility for spending and policymaking to the states, these rankings offer the first comprehensive view, state by state, of how some states already are performing best. This highly interactive platform enables users to explore thousands of important benchmarks and easily draw state-to-state comparisons. Build a chart, share it, and ultimately learn what all the states can learn from one another.

The site (accessible below) also delivers a freshly updated menu of reporting and analysis on state trends and developments, making it a must-read source for anyone interested in what’s happening nationally. The data driving these rankings were drawn from extensive and reliable governmental and private sources as well as proprietary data including a national survey of what matters

I told my suitcases there will be no holiday this year. Now I'm dealing

with the emotional baggage.

most to citizens around the country. Among the eight main categories measured in the Best States rankings, more than five dozen subcategories of metrics are taken into account.

On a disappointing note, Texas came in 38th overall. On a positive note, you can see the methodology used, see what states

came in where in the various categories you see on these pages, and see beautiful pictures from all 50 states (each of which excels at something) all right here This site is a treasure trove of information. n

DIVERSI NS CARDS YOU’RE NOT LIKELY TO SEE

"Congratulations on your promotion. Before you go, would like to take this knife out of my back. You'll probably need it again."

"Someday I hope to get married, but not to you."

"Congratulations on your wedding day! Too bad no one likes your wife."

"How could two people as beautiful you have such an ugly baby?"

"I've always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love. After having met you, I've changed my mind."

"I must admit, you brought religion in my life. I never believed in hell ‘til I met you.”

"Looking back over the years that we've been together, I can't help but wonder ‘What the heck was I thinking?’"

"As the days go by, I think of how lucky I am that you're not here to ruin it for me."

"If I get only one thing for Christmas, I hope it's your sister."

"As you grow older, Mum, I think of all the gifts you've given me - like the need for therapy."

"Thanks for being a part of my life! I never knew what evil was before this!"

"Sorry things didn't work out, but I can’t handle guys with boobs that are bigger than mine."

"Happy Birthday! You look great for your age... almost lifelike!

"When we were together, you always said you'd die for me. Now that we've broke up, I think it's time you kept your promise."

"I knew the day would come when you would leave me for my best friend. So, here's his leash, water bowl and chew toys."

"We have been friends for a very long time. What say we call it quits?"

"I'm so miserable without you; it's almost like you're here.”

"Congratulations on your new bundle of joy. Did you ever find out who the father was?"

"You are such a good friend that if we were on a sinking ship and there was only one lifejacket.... I'd miss you heaps and think of you often."

"Your friends and I wanted to do something special for your birthday —so we're having you put to sleep."

THE WORLD'S LARGEST CITIES

It’s the start of a brand-new day, and I’m off like a herd of turtles.

Don’t bother walking a mile in my shoes; that would be boring. Instead, spend 30 seconds in my head. That’ll freak you right out!

in the January-February issue, we showed you the smallest countries in the world by area. Here we feature the largest cities by population.

More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities—and as time goes on, it’s clear that more urban dwellers will find themselves living in megacities Megacities are defined as urban areas with a population of more than 10 million people. This means that the world’s top 20 most populous cities are all megacities.

See the 2021 largest U.S. cities by population and the 2021 largest world cities (and their populations here: Macrotrends

RAPID URBANIZATION

Today, more than 80% of people in higher income countries find themselves living in urban areas, and in upper-middle income countries the number lies between 50-80%. Rural-to-urban migration is an increasingly relevant trend in the 21st century. Prospects of better job opportunities and higher wages, along with shifts from agrarian to

industrial and service-based economies, are causing mass movement to cities.

While Tokyo only gained 559,000 people between 2010 and 2020, Delhi gained over 8 million people in the same time frame. Shanghai grew by over 7 million people. Meanwhile, São Paulo grew by more than 2 million, and Mexico City gained just over 1.6 million people. Mexico City placed third on the top largest cities list in 2010 but has since experienced slower growth compared to Shanghai and São Paulo. While Tokyo is the world’s most populous city with 37,393,000 people, this number is leveling out due to declining birth rates and an aging population. Indian and Chinese cities, on the other hand, will continue to grow rapidly in the coming years. Based on current trends, Delhi’s population could surpass Tokyo’s by 2028.

By 2035, two new cities are expected to crack the top 20 list. Specifically, it’s projected that Bangalore (India) and Lahore (Pakistan) will boot out Tianjin and Buenos Aires. In addition, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chennai are all

expected to meet the megacity definition by that year.

Urban growth will continue mainly in Asia and Africa, as some cities in regions such as Europe actually begin to shrink in population due to aging citizens and declining birth rates. Since 2012, deaths in the EU have actually been outpacing births—and in 2019, there were 4.7 million deaths compared to 4.2 million births, though net migration kept population numbers from falling.

While there are certainly downsides to mass urbanization, like pollution and overcrowding, the upsides clearly outweigh the negatives for most people. Convenience, better jobs, easier access to social services, and higher wages are among the many reasons people are likely to continue to move to cities, even in the post-COVID era.

With the emergence of smart and green cities, the quality of life for many urban dwellers will likely continue to improve, and more large urban areas will morph into megacities. n

HOW MUCH HAVE THE WORLD’S FIVE MOST POPULOUS CITIES GROWN IN JUST THE LAST DECADE?

THE WORLD'S BEST CITIES – 2021

in Our nOvember-december issue, we introduced you to Resonance Consultancy, a British Columbia, Canada-based international research and consultancy group in real estate, tourism and economic development. Here we offer a synopsis of one of their newest studies (as well as link to the entire report. Resonance ranked the world’s principal cities (metropolitan areas with populations of more than one million) by using a combination of statistical performance and qualitative evaluations by locals and visitors in 25 areas grouped into six core categories – Place, Product, People, Prosperity, Programming and Promotion.) Principal cities are defined as the largest city in each metropolitan statistical area. The top 20 are below. Houston came in at 38 and Dallas was 50. (See profiles of the whole list (of 100), the methodology used, and the balance of the list below: HERE.

From the Contents Page “Global cities are the engines of the world and the badges of human ingenuity. Yes, they’ve stalled, exposing long-ignored foundational and institutional problems manifesting on their streets and in their hospitals and senior homes. But they’re also leading – like they always have -the recovery and future-defining next stage of human innovation. Their citizens will gather again, colliding and creating the global culture, wealth and energy that defines the path forward for our planet.” n

Sometimes someone unexpected comes into your life, makes your heart race and changes you forever. We call those people ‘the police’.

é London

é New York

é Moscow

é Paris

é Tokyo

é Los Angeles

é Barcelona

é Dubai

é Singapore

é Madrid

THE FACTOR 新葡京

grand LisbOa is a 47-floor, 856 ft tall hotel in Macau, China. It is owned by Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau and was designed by Hong Kong architects Dennis Lau and Ng Chun Man. The casino and restaurants opened in 2007, and the hotel was opened in December 2008. The casino has 800 gaming tables and 1,000 slot machines. The hotel has 430 rooms and suites. It is the tallest building in Macau and the most distinctive part of its skyline.

The casino is the first in Macau to offer Texas Hold’em poker games, and also the first to offer craps (though several other casinos in Macau now offer the game).

See a video here. n

GUANGZHOU CIRCLE

A landmark building located in Guangzhou, China, the Guangzhou Circle. is the home of Guangdong Plastic Exchange, the world's largest trading center for raw plastic material.

Designed by Italian architect Joseph di Pasquale, the building is 453 ft tall and has 33 stories. It consists of 915,000 sf and is the world's tallest circular building and with the unique feature of its 164-foot-wide empty hole in the center.

The building is called an "urban ideogram" because of its design, which is based on Oriental psychology and perception. In 2014, CNN listed the building as one of the 10 most interesting buildings worldwide. n

“The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 9 out of 10 doctors agree that 1 out of 10 doctors is an idiot.” (Jay Leno)

It’s hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs. They’re always taking things… literally.

AFFILI TE NEWS

SYNTHESIZING IDEAS AND INDUSTRIES FOR A NEW WORLD OF WORK

IFMA’s Facility Fusion is about exploring what’s possible – for the industry, for facilities and for careers. It’s about questioning what we thought was out of the question and fusing ideas from both within and outside of FM to find answers. In a post-COVID world, anything is possible; but with the right tools, tactics and teamwork, we can anticipate change, navigate challenges, and adapt our roles and strategies for the reinvented workplace. The annual event will be virtual this year. Click here to learn more and register.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) announced that Sonia Huntley was appointed as the Institute’s senior vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Formerly ULI’s vice president for Global Customer Service, she will report directly to ULI Americas president Gwyneth Jones Coté, and be responsible for significantly increasing the representation of under-represented groups within the organization’s membership, staff and leadership. She will also expand ULI’s content and learning opportunities to help tackle structural systemic racism within the real estate industry.

The calls for racial justice throughout the summer of 2020 accelerated ULI’s resolve to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a fundamental force for creating thriving communities worldwide, and the Institute has taken a number of steps to increase awareness of and dismantle systemic biases in the real estate industry. The Institute partnered with Project REAP to conduct its first ever Fall Academy, with the goal of increasing the number of real estate professionals of color in the commercial real estate industry. The Institute has also published a staff and demographics report, which will track performance in increasing diversity within ULI itself. Along with this, ULI has mandated unconscious bias training and diversity training within its own staff. Additionally, the Institute has conducted several Advisory Services panels in the last year looking how to increase equity in communities, including Kansas City and Austin. n

DIVERSI NS THE VACCINE

Each year, the Texas Society of Architects 25-Year Award recognizes one building completed 25 to 50 years earlier that has stood the test of time by retaining its central form, character, and overall architectural integrity. This award is an important public outreach program that focuses much-deserved attention on distinguished Texas architecture of enduring significance and exemplifies the Society’s intrinsic message that “Good Design Matters.” The 2020 recipient was the Dallas Museum of Art

The Dallas Museum of Art, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, was built in three phases. The first phase was finished in 1983, with Pratt, Box & Henderson serving as associate architect. The second phase, known as the Reves Wing Addition, was completed in 1985, also with PBH. The third phase, the Hamon Wing Addition, was completed in 1993 with associate architect Thomas & Booziotis. The DMA was the first component of the Dallas Arts District to be constructed. Upon its opening, the project was featured in many regional and national publications, including Progressive Architecture, Architecture magazine, Texas Architect, and The New York Times. It went on to serve as the catalyst for numerous public and private facilities in the area, setting a quality standard for the entire district.

[The Texas Society of Architects is a regional component of the AIA. It is based in Austin.]

CALEB RISINGER

crisinger@nationallandrealty.com

HABITAT IMPROVEMENT AND INCREASING WILDLIFE ADD QUANTIFIABLE VALUE TO RURAL PROPERTIES

property features consisted of weedy areas, grasslands, old fields or pastures, shrub thickets, and young forests (25 percent).

increased. In other words, this suggests that demand for well-managed properties that support wildlife for recreational use will only increase with time.

Land investOrs great and small know well the importance of location when choosing a property. What is less well known is the degree to which wildlife can add to the value of a property.

Wildlife is so much more than an add-on to land that makes for beautiful photo opportunities. It adds tangible, monetary value to an investment. Working to increase the wildlife on a property through habitat improvement can translate into increased yearly income and an increase in the sales price.

WILDLIFE IMPACT ON RURAL LAND

Researchers at Mississippi State University conducted a survey from 2003 to 2008 to find the wildlife-related impacts on rural land values in Mississippi.

The researchers set out to find the type of parcels purchased during the 5 year period. They found that the majority of properties were forested (45 percent), followed by agricultural lands (26 percent). Other

Next, the researchers asked purchasers of private rural land—acquired during the time period for recreational uses—how they were using the land. Almost all of the land (99 percent) was used for hunting. Motorized vehicle use came in second (65 percent), and fishing came in third (12 percent). Other uses were horseback riding (10 percent), wildlife watching (5 percent), and nature-based activities such as camping and hiking (1 percent).

Once property type and land use were identified, researchers asked reputable institutions and professionals—banks, real estate firms, lenders, and appraisers—to estimate the value of each tract of land sold, without considering wildlife-related recreation as a sale component. Combined, they estimated that these properties would have sold for an average of $3,065/ha each. However, in reality, the properties examined sold for an average of $4,631/ha each. Stated otherwise, the wildlife-related recreational value accounted for an estimated $1,566/ ha extra per property at the time of sale. This translates into an added 34 percent more value at the time of sale.

The researchers found that during the period examined, the prices paid for the recreational function of the land had

BOTTOM LINE

Wildlife recreation is a boon for families who want to spend more time in the great outdoors. They enjoy the opportunity to be active together as a family and indulge in all the health benefits that nature offers. Additionally, they can enjoy the potential of multiple income streams from their land and accrue considerable gains whenever they decide to sell.

Besides the monetary implications, the intrinsic value of managing a property for wildlife can be measured by the years of personal memories made outdoors. It also brings with it a certain pride in having cared for something larger than oneself that can be enjoyed by generations to come. n

DIVERSI NS HE SAID, SHE SAID (PART II)

He said: Want a quickie?

She said: As opposed to what?

He said: I don't know why you wear a bra. You've got nothing to put in it.

She said: You wear briefs, don't you?

He said: Do you love me just because my father left me a fortune?

She said: Not at all, honey. I would love you no matter who left you the money.

He said: This coffee isn't fit for a pig!

She said: No problem. I'll get you some that is.

He said: What do you mean by coming home half drunk?

She said: it's not my fault. I ran out of money.

He said: Since I first laid eyes on you, I wanted to make love to you in the worst way. She said: Well, you succeeded.

He said: You’ve got a flat chest and you need to shave your legs. Have you ever been mistaken for a man?

She said: No, have you?

He said: What have you been doing with all the grocery money I gave you?

She said: Turn sideways and look in the mirror.

He said: Let's go out and have some fun tonight. She said: Okay, but if you get home before I do, leave the hallway light on.

He said: Why don't you ever tell me when you orgasm?

She said: I would, but you're never there.

Is your ass jealous of the amount of shit that just came out of your mouth?

Caleb Risinger is a Land Professional with the National Land Realty in Florida.

Ed. We thought of calling this new feature ‘I’ll Never Forget Old What’s His Name’ or ‘Where Are They Now?’ but this seemed to say it best. In words and pictures, we’ll look back at people (performers, athletes, politicians) you’ll remember (by name or appearance) but whom you haven’t heard about in a long time. If there’s someone you’re curious about seeing on this page in the future, just let us know.

I can’t believe I got fired from the calendar factory. All I did was take a day off.

é Gary Hart was a U.S. Senator from Colorado and the front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination until he dropped out amid revelations of an extramarital affair with Donna Rice. The photo derailed his candidacy. He returned to the practice of law and served in a variety of public roles. He co-chaired the Hart-Rudman Task Force on Homeland Security, served on the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and was the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland from 2014 until the inauguration of President Trump on January 20, 2017. Now 81 years old, he has written several books, including a biography of President James Monroe and has been married to Lee (Ludwig) since 1958 and has two children.

é Donna Rice was Miss South Carolina in 1980 and became a model and an actress after that. From 1994 to 1999, she served as the communications director and vice president for 'Enough Is Enough', a secular non-profit organization that focuses on making the internet safer for families and children. She became its president and CEO in 2003. Her outstanding contributions to protect children and the young generation from the hazards of cyberbullying and other evils on the internet have earned her many awards and honors, and she has remained politically active and involved. In 2013, she was honored with the 'Women in Technology Leadership Award for Social Impact,' and in 2016 she actively supported Donald Trump during his presidential campaign.

çBorn in Plano, TX, Lance Edward Armstrong is an former professional road racing cyclist who was known for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times (from 1999 to 2005), the most in the event's history, after recovering from testicular cancer. Armstrong's reputation was tarnished by a doping scandal and he was stripped of all of his achievements from August 1998 onward, including his Tour de France titles. Since then, he has been actively involved in many charities. He owns a coffee shop in downtown Austin called "Juan Pelota Cafe". (The name is a joking reference to his testicular cancer, with the name "Juan" being considered by some a homophone for "one" and "Pelota" being the Spanish word for "ball." In the same building, he owns and operates a bike shop named ‘Mellow Johnny's’. In 2017, Armstrong started a podcast named "The Move", which provided daily coverage of the Tour de France in 2018 and 2019. He also appeared—without compensation—on NBC Sports Network's live Tour de France television broadcasts.

é Elke Sommer was one of the top film actresses of the 1960s. She made 99 film and television appearances between 1959 and 2005, including A Shot in the Dark (1964) with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. In 1964, she won a Golden Globe award as Most Promising Newcomer Actress for The Prize, a film in which she co-starred with Paul Newman and Edward G. Robinson. After the 1979 comedy The Prisoner of Zenda, which reunited her with Sellers, she did virtually no more acting in Hollywood films, concentrating more on painting. She also performed as a singer and recorded and released several albums. Her artwork shows an exceptionally strong influence by Marc Chagall and she, at one point, hosted a mid-1980s PBS series ("Painting with Elke"), that centered on her artwork, which has now exhibited and sold for more than 40 years. Now 80 years old, on occasion, she tackles an acting role, often in her native Germany.

é Jerry Mathers is best known for his role in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver (1957 – 1963) in which he played Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, the younger son of the suburban couple June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont) and the brother of Wally Cleaver (Tony Dow). He retired from acting to concentrate on high school, after which he joined the Air Force Reserve. graduated college with a BA in philosophy, and then worked as a commercial loan officer at a bank and in in real estate development. In 1978, he reentered the entertainment industry. Mathers reprised his role in the television reunion film Still the Beaver and The New Leave It to Beaver. In 2018 and 2019, Mathers was seen promoting the Leave It To Beaver television series and other classic television series on the MeTV television network. n

ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY rosetalksdallas@aol.com

Rose-Mary Rumbley has written three books about her native city – Dallas. She has also written “WHAT! NO CHILI!” and a book about the 300th anniversary of the invention of the piano. She has appeared on the stage at the

Dallas Summer Musicals and at Casa Mañana and was head of the drama department at Dallas Baptist University for 12 years. Today she is on the speaking circuit and teaches drama classes at Providence Christian School. Her loving views of Texas history appear in every issue of

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

the pandemic brOught death to live theatre. Personally, I wonder if Broadway and the great plays and musicals will ever return and be as strong as they were in the lives of American theatre goers. I wonder what those students majoring in theatre are thinking today. It's a risky major in the first place. I should know. Theatre was my major and I taught theatre for years.

The fathers of some of my students would come to me after seeing my plays and ask, "What is my son going to do with what you just taught him?" Actually, most of my students did well. They didn't go to Broadway, but they succeeded in many fields - in public relations and sales, in law, in teaching, and of course, in the ministry. Drama in the pulpit is always good! There's not a lot of dozing in church when the preacher is dramatic!

Now, I have some Texas theatre stories that I know you will enjoy for the humor and the history.

wall" Jackson, and James Longstreet, to name only a few. This "Army of Observation" moved into Camp Corpus Christi in 1846 for final training before they went to battle in Monterrey. Captain John Magruder was told to keep the men content. But what was there to entertain this bunch of red-blooded Americans?

There was nothing but some bars and brothels, both of which were off limits to the US Army Soldiers. So, Magruder, of all things, built a theatre. Let's give a play! Let's do Shakespeare's Othello. He held auditions - and vying for the part of the female lead, (Desdemona) were none other than Ulysses Grant and James Longstreet. They were the best of friends, but finally Longstreet gave up the role to Grant, because Grant was "prettier" than Longstreet.

Ohio (thus the name). The little city claims to be on every trail created in Texas. Some of Stephen Austin's original 300 probably traveled through where the town stands today. Sam Houston surely must have come that way. And yes, the Old Spanish Trail came through that area. The town, established in 1837, is known today as "The City of Live Oaks and Live people."

In the late 1800s, Columbus, Texas, really got a big boost - Robert Stafford arrived! He was a cattleman and made a lot of money which he invested in the town. He built the bank and his fabulous home, with an opera house next door. But, what’s so unique about this scene is that Stafford instructed the architect of the opera house to build it so that he (Stafford) could sit in a chair in his upstairs bedroom and view the stage of the opera house. He could see the show from his bedroom window! What else would anyone want?

involved with Robert Potter, known as the "bad boy" of Texas. They lived together long enough for the union to become a common-law marriage, but Robert didn’t take care of her. No. He was serving in the Texas Senate from 1840-41, while she and the children were starving. When he was killed, she tried to prove that the land she is living on belongs to her, since she and Robert were married. Meanwhile, a county is named for Potter, and he was buried with honor in our state cemetery in Austin.

Corpus Christi has many tourist sights and stories, but the story that’s considered to be the most memorable episode in the history of Shakespeare in America took place there. And it started with the annexation of Texas as a state in 1846. Mexico was infuriated, because it always claimed Texas as part of its country. NO! YOU HAVE JUST ANNEXED PART OF OUR COUNTRY!

So, Mexico declared war on the US. The US army at that time consisted of young West Point grads U. S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, Thomas "Stone-

The officer playing the part of Othello could never keep a straight face while wooing Grant as Desdemona. He would break into laughter, so Magruder set out to find a professional actress to take the part. In 1846, in Texas, there were no actresses. All the women were working hard on the farms and bearing and caring for children. The closest place where an actress might be was New Orleans. An actress did come from "The Crescent City" and the show was presented to a cheering audience. Can you imagine a more "memorable episode?"

Jefferson is one of the oldest cities in Texas, and a city that always offered a special surprise - a performance by Marcia Thomas in her unique theatre.

The story began in New York in 1810, with the birth of Harriet Ann Moore. She married Solomon Page, who brought her to Texas - the Caddo Lake area, where he left her and their two children while he went off to fight in the War of Texas Independence. She is left to struggle in what was called "The Runaway Scrape."

The word came that the Alamo had fallen, Sam Houston was retreating, and Santa Ana was on his march eastward. Therefore, the settlers between the Colorado and the Brazos Rivers were unprotected. They all ran toward the Sabine River and Louisiana. Houston defeated Santa Ana, so the people returned to their homes, only to find them having been looted by the Indians. Times were hard in Texas.

After many years of hardship, Harriet married Charles Ames, a county judge. She died in 1902 at 92 years of age. At the age of 83 years, Harriet Moore Page Potter Ames wrote her memoir. Now, it's from her story that Elithe Hamilton Kirkland wrote the prize-winning novel Love is a Wild Assault, which tells of Harriet's hunger and sufferings. It's a gripping, page-turner of a novel. Author, Elithe Hamilton Kirkland was a graduate of UNT and was named a Distinguished Alum in 1985.

Ever been to Columbus, Texas? It's 74 miles west of Houston and was founded by people from Columbus,

Solomon Page did not return to Harriet, and by then she was already

Meanwhile, back in Jefferson, Marcia Thomas, a Jefferson native, actress, director of the theatre there, wrote a one-woman play about Harriet. The memoir and the novel provided her with sufficient material to do it. Marcia lived in a building in downtown Jefferson and created a theatre on the bottom floor. Actually, it served as her living room, but she could rearrange a few chairs, and, voilà, she had a theatre. When she wanted to portray Harriet, Marcia stepped outside of her home, placed a wooden sign on the sidewalk --SHOW THIS AFTERNOON - and then await her audience. What a deal for an actress!!! Wake up in the morning and decide whether you’re going to be in a show that day? Only in Jefferson - and in Texas in the theatre! n

Money talks. All mine ever says is ‘goodbye’.

é Before the 1846-1848 Mexican American War.

çInfantryman Ulysses S. Grant.

éThe Stafford Bank and Opera House

I went to see the doctor about my short-term memory problems. The first thing he did was make me pay in advance.

HARRIET TUBMAN

Ed. A brief portrait of the very remarkable woman who will soon replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill.

Because the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 had made the northern United States a more dangerous place for escaped slaves to remain, she helped guide fugitives farther north into southern Ontario, and helped newly freed people find work. Tubman met John Brown in 1858, and helped him plan and recruit supporters for his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry.

harriet tubman was bOrn Araminta Ross, enslaved in Dorchester County, Maryland in approximately 1822. As a child, she was beaten and whipped by her various masters and early in life, she suffered a traumatic head wound when an irate overseer threw a heavy metal weight intending to hit another enslaved person but hit her instead. The injury caused dizziness, pain, and spells of hypersomnia, which occurred throughout her life. After her injury, she began experiencing strange visions and vivid dreams, which she ascribed to premonitions from God. These experiences, combined with her Methodist upbringing, led her to become devoutly religious.

Around 1844, she married a free Black man named John Tubman. Although little is known about him or their time together, the union was complicated because of her slave status. The mother's status dictated that of children, and any children born to Harriet and John would be enslaved. Such blended marriages –free people of color marrying enslaved people – were not uncommon on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where by this time, half the Black population was free. Many African American families had both free and enslaved members.

Tubman changed her name from Araminta to Harriet soon after her marriage, possibly part of her plan to escape from slavery. She adopted her mother's name, possibly as part of a religious conversion,

In 1849, Tubman and her brothers, Ben and Henry, escaped to Philadelphia only to return to Maryland to rescue the rest of her family. Soon afterward,

she escaped again, this time without her brothers, traveling by night and in extreme secrecy (to avoid slave catchers eager to collect rewards for fugitive slaves) and making use of the network known as the Underground Railroad. This informal but well-organized system was composed of free and enslaved Blacks, white abolitionists, and other activists.

Slowly, one group at a time, "Moses" (as she was called) brought relatives with her out of the state, and eventually guided dozens of other enslaved people to freedom. Traveling by night and in extreme secrecy, she claimed that she “never lost a passenger.”

When the Civil War began in 1861, Tubman saw a Union victory as a key step toward the abolition of slavery. She worked for the Union Army, first as a cook and nurse, and then as an armed scout and spy. The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the raid at Combahee Ferry, which liberated more than 750 enslaved people.

After the war, she retired to the family home on property she had purchased in 1859 in Auburn, New York, where she cared for her aging parents. She was active in the women's suffrage movement until illness overtook her, and she had to be admitted to a home for elderly African Americans that she had helped to establish years earlier. After her death in 1913, she became an icon of courage and freedom.

Tubman spent her remaining years in Auburn, tending to her family and other people in need. She worked various jobs to support her elderly parents and took in boarders to help pay the bills. Her friends and supporters from the days of abolition raised funds to support her. One admirer, Sarah Hopkins Bradford, wrote an authorized biography entitled Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman, in which she is hailed as a latter-day Joan of Arc.

This wave of activism kindled a new wave of admiration for Tubman among the press in the United States. An 1897 suffragist newspaper reported a series of receptions in Boston honoring Tubman and her lifetime of service to the nation. However, her endless contributions to others had left her in poverty, and she had to sell a cow to buy a train ticket to these celebrations.

At the turn of the 20th century, she became heavily involved with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Auburn. In 1903, she donated a parcel of real estate she owned to the church, for "aged and indigent colored people" The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged celebrated its opening on June 23, 1908. By 1911, Tubman's body was so frail that she was admitted into the rest home named in her honor. Surrounded by friends and family members, she died of pneumonia in 1913 and was buried with semi-military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. n

Tubman helped John Brown plan and recruit for the raid at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The raid failed, and Brown was convicted of treason, murder, and inciting a slave rebellion, and he was hanged. His actions were seen by many abolitionists as a symbol of proud resistance, carried out by a noble martyr. Tubman herself was effusive with praise. She later told a friend: "[H]e done more in dying, than 100 men would in living."

In her later years, Tubman worked to promote the cause of women's suffrage, working alongside women such as Susan B. Anthony and traveling to New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. to give speeches.

When the National Federation of AfroAmerican Women was founded in 1896, Tubman was the keynote speaker at its first meeting.

Frederick Douglass, who worked for the abolition of slavery alongside Tubman, praised her in print. They greatly admired each other.

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW EGAL VIEW

ANTHONY J. BARBIERI ajb@kesslercollins.com

Anthony J. Barbieri is a shareholder of Kessler Collins, PC in Dallas, Texas. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a member of the State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is also a Contributing Editor of

CO-EMPLOYMENT

these days, empLOyers are constantly looking for ways to maximize efficiency and the almighty dollar. This mindset has created a “new normal” world where more and more traditional employees are being replaced by so-called “non employees”: independent contractors, temporary employees, and contract workers. These new employment arrangements give employers a competitive advantage by allowing them to quickly respond to changing business needs in an ever-changing economy. Over the years, courts have been eyeballing these arrangements to look for potential abuse by the employers, and our government is clamoring to capture tax dollars connected to independent contractor and temporary worker relationships. So now we have another issue to deal with: co-employment. Generally speaking, “co-employment” is an arrangement where two or more employers share employees, and each has certain legal responsibilities to the shared employees Co-employment arrangements are becoming more popular in the commercial-real estate world, especially with landlords (or their property managers) and certain vendors. While beneficial, this arrangement can pose legal consequences.

Co-employment issues can arise when an employee has two or more employers who exercise real or potential control over their duties and activates. This often comes up when utilizing temporary employees or staffing-type agencies. In most co-employment scenarios, employees technically “work” for two separate entities: the business owner, or client employer, who controls their daily duties and job functions; and the “professional employer organizations” (PEO) or staffing company, or co-employer, who handles HR-type duties and functions. Staffing agencies, “temp” agencies, and PEOs are all very similar, however, staffing and temp agencies typically just provide workers on a part-time or temporary basis, but a PEO provides services and benefits to a client employer and its existing workforce.

PEOs

In a typical PEO-customer arrangement, the client/employer maintains control of all business decisions and operations. For example, suppose you own multiple office buildings and apartments across Texas and you employ various building engineers, janitorial staff and maintenance personnel to keep the assets in tip-top shape. Overall, your staff is excellent, but you have grown weary of all the personnel-type obligations that go along with keeping a good staff. However, if you had a

co-employment arrangement with a PEO, then you would pay the PEO to handle all of the personnel duties and responsibilities so you can get rid of that headache and focus on delving quality engineering, janitorial and maintenance work for your buildings and their tenants.

As the co-employer, the PEO takes on certain, specific employer obligations, which are agreed upon by the client and the PEO. This agreement is extremely important, and should be in writing, with the duties and obligations of the PEO and the client clearly spelled out. This arrangement allows the PEO to handle functions such as recruiting, new-hire onboarding, payroll, benefits, tax payments, worker’s compensation coverage and administration, immigration paperwork, and other similar functions. Since the PEO acts as an employer for these purposes, the PEO takes on a lot more responsibility than a typical payroll company. Most PEOs also serve as a “one-stop shop” so the client doesn’t have to outsource various HR duties to multiple vendors. Keep in mind that even though the PEO performs these tasks, the customer will still be responsible for providing the proper criteria and standards for the PEO to follow. For example, if the contract with your PEO states that the PEO is responsible for recruiting new employees, the customer must communicate its desired hiring criteria to the PEO. But note that all hiring must be done in a legally compliant manner to avoid possible claims and liability, such as discrimination complaints and lawsuits.

In addition to a solid contract with your staffing company or PEO, it’s a good idea to have all contract workers sign a (legally compliant) document stating that they are employees of the staffing firm or PEO and that they waive

any claim to compensation or benefits from the client

The customer-PEO arrangement can allow the customer to mitigate certain employment-related legal risks, such as I-9 requirements, EEO reporting, payroll deductions, reporting, collecting and remitting taxes with the applicable state and federal taxing agencies. However, in the customer-PEO agreement, the PEO will likely try to get the customer to indemnify (protect) the PEO from these liabilities. This will require you to carefully review, negotiate and draft your contracts. It is also recommended that before you engage a PEO, you carefully study their staff to make sure they have competent, experienced human-resources staff members who can properly and legally handle your company’s personnel needs. Therefore, you should conduct a thorough investigation and proper due diligence before you engage a PEO, which is similar to diligence you conduct on your own employees before hiring them. For example, carefully review the biographies or curriculum vitaes for the PEO’s staff to make sure they have the proper qualifications, ask for references, and conduct background checks. This should be completed before you sign the services contract with your PEO.

CPEOs

On December 9, 2014, President Obama signed the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, which required the IRS to established a voluntary certification program for PEOs. Per the IRS requirements, a qualified PEO may be eligible for this certification. PEOs must apply for the certification with the IRS and comply with the IRS’ requirements to maintain eligibility. PEOs that have this certification are referred to as “certified professional employer organizations” or “CPEO”. Unlike PEOs that are not IRS certified, a CPEO assumes the sole responsibility for federal employment taxes for wages it pays to worksite employees. In addition, the law governing the CPEO relationship allows customers to maintain specified tax credits for which they would otherwise be eligible. It also extinguishes “wage base restarts” for new and terminating customers throughout the entire year. This could significantly reduce tax expenses and make using a CPEO a more attractive option. For example, federal unemployment taxes (FUTA) have to be paid by employers for all their employees. The FUTA tax rate is 6.0% (without state unemployment credits)

There are two parts of my brain –left and right. In the left side, there’s nothing right. And in the right side, there’s nothing left.

and only applies to the first $7,000 paid to an employee annually. Once an employer pays that amount, they are no longer obligated to pay the FUTA tax for that year. However, if an employee is paid by a new employer in the same calendar year, then the $7,000 resets and the employer has to pay the taxes off again.

communication and training are key to ensuring that managers know what their contractors’ scope of services is and can make sure they don’t start “blending in” with the workforce too much.

3. Legal classifications. The IRS, the Department of Labor, the EEOC, state unemployment agencies, and other agencies, all have different classifications for what distinguishes an employee from a contractor. For example, there are three main groups of factors that the IRS uses to determine an independent contractor: behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship of the parties. You must have someone familiar with these entire requirements serve as the company watchdog to ensure that there are no violations. Keep in mind that the biggest factor is the “control” test – it is acceptable for an employer to have complete control over its employees, but not its contractors.

LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO CO-EMPLOYMENT AND “NON-EMPLOYEES”

Way back in 2000, a well-publicized lawsuit brought co-employment issues to the forefront of business-owners’ minds. That lawsuit involved Microsoft Corporation, who wound up paying almost $100 million to settle a federal lawsuit from employees who claimed the software giant classified them as "temporary" workers for years to deny them standard benefits such as health insurance and the lucrative employee stock-purchase plan, thereby saving the company millions. As the legal battle raged on, Microsoft changed its policies for using temporary workers. First, it developed guidelines to help managers figure out when a job shouldn't be given to a temporary employee. Then, Microsoft set up policies favoring temp agencies that offer better benefits to the temporary workers.

So how can you mitigate risks in your workplace if you use temporary employees, contractors, staffing agencies or PEOs? Below is a summary of things to watch out for and avoid:

Independent contracts should be, well, independent. They are responsible for performing a specific service for the company, the terms of which should be in a written, carefully drafted contract. The contract states what the contractor needs to accomplish, but the contractor has to decide how, when and by what means the service is provided. That seems obvious, but often the managers and supervisors who utilize contractors don’t often understand the distinction between contractors and employees. When contractors work side-byside with the rest of the workforce, they appear to function just as a “normal” employee would. As the work load increases, the contractors can unintentionally take on new duties and start acting more and more like an employee. There are a few ways to try and avoid this problem:

1. Have a specific agreement with the contractor. The supervisor plays an integral part of this process, because she is the one that really knows what the contractor’s scope of services should be. Also, the contractors should not do the same job as other employees. Try to create different and specific jobs for your contractors.

2. Ensure that the supervisors are properly trained. Like most workplace problems, good

4. Single point of contact. Have one person who is in charge of making sure the relationships are being managed, and no one is violation. This avoids issues slipping through the cracks.

5. Handling a misclassification. If you discover that a contractor is being treated as an employee, you must have a process in place to handle the “no what do we do” question. This process is often tricky because you have legal and “human” interest issues that you must address, not to mention the potential financial ramifications.

6. Internal Audits. In addition to training, periodic internal audits are a good tool to assess where you are on the spectrum of compliance.

You must also be mindful of various myths and misinformation about co-employment rules. For example, some companies limit the length of service of a contract worker to under 1,500 hours over 52 weeks, based on the belief that such workers are automatically eligible for company benefits. Not only is this incorrect, but certain assignment limits may constitute an ERISA violation if they are construed as an unlawful effort to prevent workers from reaching the hours needed for plan participation. By contrast, the IRS allows companies to exclude certain people in their benefit plans as long as it is non-discriminatory. Therefore, companies can explicitly exclude certain temporary staff and independent contractors in their benefits wording. Alternatively, companies can have components of their benefits plans, such as SPPs, that are nonqualified.

Unfortunately, there is no “set-it-and-forget-it approach when it comes to co-employment and independent contractor risks. It is an ongoing process that starts with implementing solid policies and processes, is enforced by training and communication, and constant vigilance for changes in legal applications and market trends. But when done properly, it can be a win-win scenario for your company. n

Ed. Note: This piece originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of . Tony Barbieri’s article on tortious interference with contracts will appear in the next issue.

“Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.”

– Drew Carey

ARTCH TECTURE

ANKA ZHURAVLEVA IMAGINARIUM

What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?  (short)

“To a photographer, cameras and lenses are like what paints, pencils and canvas are for a painter. You can create a masterpiece with a camera, but sometimes – to achieve a particular goal or effect – you need to choose your equipment carefully and customize the image.”

anka zhuravLeva is a self-educated professional photographic artist and instructor. Beginning with digital photographs, she compiles, manipulates and creates magical illusions and thought-provoking imagery – a distortion of gravity, if you will. She also does analogue film and hand silver printing. She attended Moscow Architectural University, and for the last eight years, she and her husband (a professional musician) have called Porto, Portugal their home. She has always been an artist, drawing from that structure and adding a phenomenal imagination to create (most recently) inspiring and uplifting digital artistry – almost the antithesis of structure. What you see is not what you expect. And what you get is a thoughtful experience of transcendental wonder. Not quite surrealism,

but almost a category of its own. It is difficult to look at one of these works and not keep looking – around, in and through it. There must be a reason, you think. A feeling of missing something but getting something at the same time. You almost want to move the elements of it to restore order, to give it structure.

But each work has its own kind of structure, of order, and those elements belong where they are... every bit as much as they don’t. Totally quixotic. Impractical and unrealistic, yet idealistic and provocative. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a thousand words cannot describe a picture. Don’t hang one of Ms. Zito’s works anywhere in your home that you don’t want someone to stop, stare and marvel. n

Anka Zhuravleva

If you're not supposed to eat at night, why is there a light bulb in the refrigerator?

See more of Anka’s work and order prints at: anka-zhuravleva.com

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 RES URCE PAGE

é House prices have risen by 48.55% in the last ten years and if they continue to grow at this rate, the average US home could be worth $382,000 by 2030, new research by Renofi reveals.

The research looked at the average house prices across the USA in September 2010 vs September 2020 to calculate the rate of change in house prices and predict the value of homes in the US in 2030.

The state where house prices are predicted to be the highest by 2030 is California, where the average home could top $1 million if prices continue to grow at their current rate.

Other states expected to see their average house price rise above the $750k mark include Hawaii, Washington and Colorado. On the other side of the scale with the lowest projected value is West Virginia, where house prices are expected to average at $128,415 in 2030.

You can view the full research here

é Michael Dimock and John Gramlich of Pew Research Center published a report at the end of January entitled How America Changed During Donald Trump’s Presidency. Donald Trump stunned the political world in 2016 when he became the first person without government or military experience ever to be elected president of the United States. His four-year tenure in the White House revealed extraordinary fissures in American society but left little doubt that he is a figure unlike any other in the nation’s history. Trump, the New York businessman and former reality TV show star, won the 2016 election after a campaign that defied norms and commanded public attention from the moment it began. His approach to governing was equally unconventional. Read the report here.

ç One of the ambitious plans of now President Biden is to move the U.S. to 100% carbon-free energy by 2035 and net-zero energy by 2050. Of course, this includes investments in solar and wind, but not just that. There’s also carbon capture and sequestration, grid-scale storage, and improved grid transmission technology. Specifically, Biden has promised to upgrade 4 million buildings to make them more energy efficient. And he plans to propose legislation requiring that all new commercial buildings be net-zero energy by 2030. Read the plan here

DIVERSI NS

é Millions of Americans made a move this year. That in and of itself is not uncommon — more than 30 million people pick up and move on an annual basis. What is unusual about this year is the increased flexibility millions of professionals have realized because of a changing economy and a months-long pandemic. Remote work is no longer an exception to the rule — it has become a new norm for people around the country. Companies from Twitter to Nielsen to Facebook to Nationwide Insurance have announced indefinite plans for remote work. Countless others are giving employees months to continue to work remotely.

This has provided people who have been thinking about moving from major metropolitan areas the opportunity of a lifetime — they can pack up and move elsewhere and, in many cases, keep their current position. Whether it’s more affordable housing, easy access to outdoor activities, attractive amenities or just for a change of pace, some people with the ability to do so are picking up and moving from primary markets. They are not moving to a place specifically because a job is bringing them to that region. Rather, they are making conscious decisions about where they want to live — and their work follows.

Commercial real estate firm Graceada Partners identifies this trend, defines it, and explains the sweeping impact it will have on real estate, employers and cities in its new “Rise of the Outpost Economy” report, available for download now here n

THE TOP 10 SIGNS YOU NEED A NEW HMO

10. Your annual breast exam is conducted at Hooters.

9. Directions to your doctor's office include, 'Take a left when you enter the trailer park."

8. Tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicle.

7. The only proctologist in the plan is ‘Gus’ from Roto-Rooter.

6. The only item listed under Preventive Care feature of coverage is ‘an apple a day.’

5. Your ‘primary care physician’ is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.

4. ‘Patient responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges’ is not a typo.

3. The only expense covered 100% is embalming.

2. With your last HMO, your Viagra pills didn't come in different colors with little ‘M’s on them.

1. You ask for Viagra. You get a popsicle stick and duct tape.

I say, ‘The other day,’ I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 years ago.

If you lose a sock in the dryer, it comes back as a Tupperware lid that doesn’t fit any of your containers.

SH UT-OUTS IN THE N WS

with 17 state capitaLs being the most populated cities in their states, the personal-finance website WalletHub released a report on 2021's Best State Capitals for Safety & More, as well as accompanying videos. They compared all 50 state capitals across 44 key metrics, ranging from the cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to COVID-19 cases. Kudos to Austin on coming in at #1 overall. For the full report, visit: wallethub.com/edu/best-statecapitals/19030

Congratulations to the Simon Property Group which achieved the WELL HealthSafety Rating for Facility Operations and Management for over 200 properties in the company’s portfolio. Simon is a real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company. Created by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types that focuses on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address public health concerns now and help organizations be better prepared for future crises. As a leader in the retail sector in achieving the rating, the strategies Simon has employed in reaching this milestone can advance health and safety by addressing the challenges presented by COVID-19 while creating enhanced customer experiences. n

the news is that Dallas is not #1. (It’s #2 behind Pittsburgh and just ahead of Boston at #3.) Just prior to the Super Bowl, the personal-finance website WalletHub released a report on the best and worst cities for football fans. It found that The New Orleans Saints’ and Kansas City Chiefs’ performance level of 79.17% is 3.2 times better than the performance level of the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars, each at 25%. Buffalo had the lowest average ticket price for an NFL game ($74.95) - two times less expensive than Las Vegas, the city with the highest ($153.47). Green Bay had the highest engagement of fans for an NFL team, 71.97, which is 69.9 times higher than in New York, the city with the lowest at 1.03. See the whole report here: 2021’s Best & Worst Cities for Football Fans n

DIVERSI NS

IRONIC THE TWO FROGS

Joe Smith started the day early, having set his alarm clock (made in Japan) for 6:00 AM. While his coffee pot (made in China) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (made in Hong Kong). He put on a dress shirt (made in Sri Lanka), designer jeans (made in Singapore), and tennis shoes (made in Korea).

After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (made in India), he sat down with his calculator (made in Mexico) to see how much he could spend today.

After setting his watch (made in Taiwan) to the radio (made in India), he got in his car (made in Germany) and continued his search for a good-paying American job. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (made in Brazil), poured himself a glass of wine (made in France), and turned on his TV (made in Indonesia), and wondered why he can't find a good-paying job in America.

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl... One was an optimistic soul, But the other took the gloomy view. "We shall drown!" he cried, without more ado.

So, with the last despairing cry, He flung up his legs and said, "Goodbye!" Said the other frog with a merry grin, "I can't get out, but I won't give in!

''I'll just swim around 'til my strength is spent, And then when I die, I'll be more content." Bravely he swam until it seemed That the struggle had begun to stir the cream.

On top of the butter at last he stopped, And out of the bowl he gaily hopped. What is the moral? Tis easily found: If you can't hop out, keep swimming around!

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW PROFESSIONALS ON THE

JULIE BRAND LYNCH julie@LYNOUS.com

Julie Lynch is the principal of LYNOUS, a talent management firm that provides recruiting, interim staffing and training to the real estate industry. She is also a contributing editor of

1/ Kathy Donovan was promoted to Executive Vice President of the Residential Division at Title Partners in Dallas.

2/ Mark Bulmash was named President of Presidium Mixed-Use/ Master Plan Development.

3/ Rodman Schley, MAI, SRA, was elected National President of the Appraisal Institute.

4/ Lucian Bukowski was promoted to Vice Chairman of CBRE advisory and transaction services in Houston.

5/ Dennis Skelly joined Stream Realty Partners as Managing Director of Property Management in San Antonio.

6/ Adam Abushagur joined Marcus & Millichap’s Institutional Property Advisors Division in Dallas.

7/ Michael Ware joined Marcus & Millichap’s Institutional Property Advisors Division in Dallas as Vice President.

8/ Taylor Hill joined Marcus & Millichap’s Institutional Property Advisors Division in Dallas as Vice President.

9/ Jennifer Morales of the Shelter Corporation was named President of the San Antonio Apartment Association’s Board of Directors.

10/ John Boriack, CAM, IROP of Veritas Equity Management was named President of the Houston Apartment Association.

11/ Bo Blight joined Citadel Partners Office Group in Dallas as an Associate Advisor.

12/ Josh Zemon joined Creation Equity as Managing Principal.

13/ Kamecia Mason was appointed Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at McCarthy Holdings in Dallas.

14/ Ray Martin joined Sidecar CRE in DFW as an Advisor.

15/ Kelland Drumgoole joined Sidecar CRE in in the Mid-Cities area of DFW as an Advisor.

Esrp welcomed:

16/ Ron Spencer as Executive Vice President,

17/ Natalie Bode, CCIM as Vice President,

18/ Marin Kolb, RID as Project Manager,

19/ Kaleb Wilson in Tenant Advisory Services, and

20/ Jake McMillon as Transaction Specialist in its Frisco headquarters.

21/ Mark Edgren was promoted to Vice President of Huffines Communities in Dallas.

22/ Sue Blankenship was promoted to Senior Vice President of SingleFamily Development for Huffines Communities in Dallas.

23/ Robbie Baty was promoted to Executive Managing Director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Office Tenant Representation in Dallas.

24/ McCarthy Buildings Companies promoted William Naylor to Vice President of Regional Safety in Dallas.

25/ Wade Greene IV joined Colliers International in Houston as Principal and Director of Retail Services.

26/ Matthew Rosenfeld was promoted to Executive Vice President -Director of Brokerage at Weitzman in Dallas.

27/ Claudia Dela Rosa joined Bearden Management in Houston as Chief Accountant.

28/ Sanober Syed joined Landy Commercial Real Estate in Dallas as Managing Partner of its new healthcare division.

29/ Shannon Johnston joined the brokerage group at Landry Commercial Real Estate Services in Dallas.

30/ Bruce Walck was promoted to President at Houston-based Powers Brown Architecture.

31/ Doug Carignan joined CBRE in Dallas as an Executive Vice President.

32/ Jihane A. Boury joined CBRE in Dallas as a Senior Vice President.

33/ Nathan Lawrence was promoted to Vice Chairman at CBRE in Dallas.

34/ John Ellerman was promoted to Executive Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.

35/ Chelby Sanders was promoted to Executive Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.

36/ Brian Gilchrist was promoted to Senior Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.

37/ Harry Krieger was promoted to Senior Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.

38/ Wilson Brown was promoted to Senior Vice President at CBRE in Dallas.

39/ Ryan Buchanan was promoted to First Vice President at CBRE in Dallas. n

Random House: It started out in the 1920s offering inexpensive editions of classic books. Founder Bennett Cerf decided to expand the offerings by publishing luxury editions of books selection “at random.”

Ex-Lax : Short for Excellent Laxative.

TITLEWHAT'S IN A NAME ?

Kodak: No meaning. Founder George Eastman wanted a name that began and ended in the letter K.

Kent: Herbert A. Kent was an executive at Lorillard Tobacco Company. He was so popular in the company that in 1952 they named a cigarette after him.

Reebok: An African gazelle, “whose spirit, speed, and grace the (company) wanted to capture on their shoes.”

I finally got 8 hours of sleep. It took me three days, but …whatever.

Chanel No 5: The number five was Coco Chanel’s lucky number, and she introduced the perfume on the fifth day of the fifth month of 1921.

Toyota: Sakichi Toyoda made the first Japanese power loom. His son Kiichiro expanded into the automobile business.

Avon: Name for William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon.

Lucky Strike: Dr. R.A. Patterson of Virginia used the named to sell tobacco to miners during the California Gold Rush in 1856.

Xerox: The Haloid Company originally called its copiers “electro-photography” machines. In the 1940s, they hired a Greek scholar at Ohio State University to come up with a new name. He came up with xerography for the process (from the Greek words for ‘dry’ and ‘writing’) and called the copier itself a Xerox machine. n

Do you remember these television shows from the 1960s? (Answers on page 62).

You bring everyone a lot of joy…when you leave the room.

the trust FOr pubLic Land works to protect the places people care about and to create closeto-home parks — particularly in and near cities, where 80 percent of Americans live. Its goal is to ensure that every child has easy access to a safe place to play in nature. They also conserve working farms, ranches, and forests; lands of historical and cultural importance; rivers, streams, coasts, and watersheds; and other special places where people can experience nature close at hand.

Founded in 1972 with the goal of protecting land in and around cities and pioneering new

land conservation techniques, its work has expanded to include projects from the inner city to the wilderness. In cities, they’re turning vacant lots into community-designed parks and playgrounds. And we’re addressing the looming climate crisis with strategies to help reduce greenhouse gasses, promote climate adaptation, and create park-rich, climatesmart cities.

The Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore® index is the most comprehensive tool available for evaluating park access and quality in the 100 largest U.S. cities. With the per-

mission of and thanks to The Trust for Public Land, this is the eleventh of thirteen installments of the results of that study. For Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Garland, Houston, Irving, Laredo and Lubbock, please see our archived editions at www.crestnetwork.com. In the May-June issue, look for our final installment - San Antonio. If you can’t wait to see all of the results – or want to see where your or another city rates, go to: www.tpl.org/node/110916 n

I ask you for directions, please don’t use words like ‘east’.

YOU NEED (OR MIGHT WANT) TO KNOW LINK : MARKET PLACE AND DIRECTORY

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GOVERNMENT POLICY

DIVERSI NS

The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. In modern education and government, however, a whole range of far more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

1. Buying a stronger whip.

2. Changing riders.

3. Threatening the horse with termination.

4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.

5. Arranging to visit other countries to see how others ride dead horses.

6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.

7. Re-classifying the dead horse as ‘living impaired’.

8. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

9. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase the speed.

10. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's performance.

11. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.

12. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead, and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.

13. Re-writing the expected performance requirements for all horses.

14. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

“Make

THE BACK PAGE

ANSWERS FROM THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY CONTEST –MISS AMERICA THEN AND NOW

ANSWERS FROM PAGE 57: DO YOU REMEMBER?

1/ Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. He is featured in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a client being charged with murder. The character was adapted for motion pictures and a long-running radio series. These were followed by the well-known television series (1957–1966) starring Raymond Burr. [A second television series, The New Perry Mason starring Monte Markham, ran from 1973 to 1974; and 30 Perry Mason television films ran from 1985 to 1995, with Burr reprising the role of Mason in 26 of them prior to his death in 1993. A third television series, HBO's Perry Mason starring Matthew Rhys, started airing in 2020.]

2/ My Three Sons was a sitcom (1960 -1972) about the life of widower and aeronautical engineer Steven Douglas (Fred MacMurray) as he raises his three sons. The series originally featured William Frawley as the boys' live-in maternal grandfather and housekeeper, William Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey. William Demarest, playing Bub's brother, "Uncle Charley", replaced Frawley in 1965 because of Frawley's illness. In September 1965 (when the show moved from ABC to CBS and when it began being filmed in color), eldest son Mike (Tim Considine) married fiancée Sally Ann Morrison (Meredith MacRae), and his character was written out of the show. To keep the emphasis on "three sons", original youngest son Chip's (Stanley Livingston) friend Ernie (Barry Livingston) was adopted.

3/ The Beverly Hillbillies was a sitcom (1962 – 1971) with an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family from the hills of the Ozarks, who move to posh Beverly Hills, California after striking oil on their land. It had two spin offsPetticoat Junction and Green Acres, which reversed the rags-to-riches, country-to-city model of The Beverly Hillbillies. The Beverly Hillbillies ranked among the top 20 most-watched programs on television for eight of its nine seasons, twice ranking as the number-one series of the year, with 16 episodes that still remain among the 100 most-watched television episodes in American history.

4/ Bonanza was a TV Western series (1959 – 1973) that is the second-longest-running western series on U.S. network television (behind Gunsmoke). It is set in the 1860s and it centers on the wealthy Cartwright family who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. The series initially starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon. The show's theme song, also titled "Bonanza", became a hit on the pop charts.

5/ The Fugitive was a crime drama television (1963 to 1967) starring. David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, a physician who is wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder and sentenced to receive the death penalty. En route to death row, Kimble's train derails over a switch, allowing him to escape and begin a cross-country search for the real killer, a one-armed man, while he is hounded by the authorities, most notably by Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard (Barry Morse). The Fugitive aired for four seasons, and a total of 120 episodes, each 51 minutes, were produced. The first three seasons (90 hour-long episodes) were filmed in black and white, while the final season (30 hour-long episodes) was filmed in color. Harrison Ford, Sela Ward and Tommy Lee Jones starred in a 1993 movie by the same name.

BOLO (BE ON THE LOOK OUT) FOR WHAT'S

In Herstory, Contributing Editor Rose-Mary Rumbley looks back at when retail was king. (Remember when you used to shop in a store?)  Contributing Editor Angela O’Byrne’s Amazing Buildings will take a look at the newly completed Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in New York, which is returning that building to its some of its former majesty.  And Contributing Editor Tony Barbieri’s Legal View will examine legal issues involving tortious interference with contracts.

Contributing Editor Roxana Tofan’ Profiles of Survival, will offer a property manager’s survival guide during the pandemic. With permission from and thanks to The

a copy of 50 Ways to Get Your Way

a Coolibar gaiter

Checkers of Killeen, TX

a copy of Proptech 101

Guzman of New Braunfels, TX

a copy of The Encyclopedia of Real Estate Advice Daniella Kunitsky of Galveston, TX

a Kinivo ZX 100 mini speaker Tim Brennan of Wooster, OH won a copy of Mastering Objections

COMING NEXT

Trust for Public Land, we’ll present our final installment of their study on parks – this time for San Antonio. We’ll continue our look at the architectural treasures of American cities, this time of Boston, Massachusetts and we’ll do the same for one of its Sister CitiesMelbourne, Australia.

In You Need (or might want) to Know, we’ll take a look at what makes batteries do what they do and. And, you hear the word all the time, but what exactly is an algorhythm? And, in words and pictures, we’ll look at the architecture of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, an American interdisciplinary design studio that integrates architec-

ture, the visual arts, and the performing arts. For word lovers, Express Yourself is a fascinating sampling of words around the world that have no English equivalent. Specially contributed articles from various industry segments will continue to discuss issues presented by COVID-19 and, of course, we will have our affiliates’ awards and special events, The Wow Factor, Diversions, By the Numbers, True Dat, The History Page, Political Corner, Professionals on the Move The Resource Page, Shout- Outs, Real Estate of the Future, and much MUCH more. We get a lot into 64 pages!

C NTEST: UP, UP AND AWAY

Most of us are doing a lot less travel these days – particularly by air. But when we get back to it, it’ll be helpful to remember that every airport in the world has its own unique three-letter International Air Transport Association (IATA) code. You can find the 3-letter code on your e-ticket next to the full name of the airport, for example, Dallas is DFW, Houston is HOU, Austin is AUS, and San Antonio is SAT. You probably know JFK and LGA in New York City, too. But do you know (or can you

figure out) the airport code for these popular American and international destination cities?

Write the letter of the corresponding picture in the space provided. Then, scan or copy this page and send your entry to editor@crestnetwork.com or fax it to 817.924.7116 on or before March 26th for a chance to win a valuable prize. (The answers will appear in our May/June issue.)

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