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Learners vs. Learned by Bill Attardi

Learners possess certain attributes that distinguish them from the learned. They anticipate rather than react to change.  Some call that vision. They become essential facilitators of change within their altered environment. They can skillfully communicate the new and technically esoteric with a clarity that leads to understanding and advocacy. Organizations

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LEARNING NEWS

US Jobless Claims Inch Up, Labor Market Remains Stable

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, signaling a labor market that remains steady despite ongoing economic uncertainty. New data from the U.S. Department of Labor for the week ending March 21 shows initial jobless claims increased by 5,000 to 210,000. The four-week moving average was

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Trump Administration Unveils National AI Legislative Framework

The Trump Administration is committed to winning the AI race. It is demonstrating that leadership by issuing a comprehensive national legislative framework that addresses the most pressing policy topics that AI presents. This framework addresses six key objectives: Protecting Children and Empowering Parents: Safeguarding and Strengthening American Communities: Respecting Intellectual

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Bill Gates Says Only These 3 Jobs Are Safe from AI Takeover

Gates has described this shift as the arrival of “free intelligence,” a phrase that captures both the promise and the uncertainty of what’s ahead. What that means in practice is a world where AI doesn’t just assist with tasks but becomes deeply embedded in how problems are solved, decisions are

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Nvidia, Emerald AI Partner with Power Companies on New AI Factories

Nvidia and Emerald AI said they would work with several power producers to develop a new class of AI factories, designed to connect to energy grids faster and support power systems as surging demand for artificial intelligence strains electricity infrastructure. The facilities will operate as what the companies on Monday

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Report Shows TSMC Hitting Demand Maximum

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is reportedly reaching its limit for supply chain demand, creating bottlenecks for the first time in the company’s history. As demand if AI chips grows, the company that once thought it would never hit capacity is now falling behind. In a report in Reuters, the

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How the Red-Hot AI Data Center Boom Is Igniting Demand for a New, Lucrative Career Path: Trade Workers

Demand for new AI data centers is surging, but they can’t build themselves. Big Tech is funneling billions into building out these specialized facilities, with the four hyperscalers, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, committing nearly $700 billion in combined capex spending this year to fund these developments. While anxiety around AI replacing white-collar jobs has reached

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FEATURED PRODUCT

LED Beam Selectable Linear Highbay by SATCO/NUVO

The SATCO|NUVO LED Beam Selectable Linear Highbays deliver powerful, configurable illumination for high-ceiling commercial and industrial environments. Each fixture features selectable beam distributions of 45°x100°, 65°x95°, or 90°x90°, providing precise control for aisle, general, or wide-area lighting layouts. All models offer 3CCT selectability (3000K/4000K/5000K), multiple wattage options across four lumen

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New Technologies

New Vapor Tight Extruded Luminaires from LEDvance

These CCT and wattage selectable luminaires are tough enough for almost any wet or dusty location. Featuring a one-piece body, end-to-end wiring, and 0-10V dimming down to 10% for extra energy savings, they install in minutes. LEDVANCE Dual Selectable Extruded Vapor Tight combines modern scale design with ease of installation

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Sollum Technologies Launches SF-INFINITE the Most Advanced Dynamic LED Fixture for Commercial Greenhouses

Sollum Technologies announced the launch of the SF-INFINITE™️ fixture, strengthening its leadership in lighting technology for commercial greenhouses. The SF-INFINITE is the most advanced dynamic LED lighting fixture. It consolidates Sollum’s roadmap in Greenhouse lighting represents one of the most capital-intensive infrastructure decisions that growers must make. Traditional systems often restrict operations

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Kenall’s SimpleSeal CSSETO Delivers High Color Rendering in Cleanroom Spaces

Kenall Lighting introduces the SimpleSeal CSSETO, a troffer series for cleanrooms with walkable plenum spaces and composite modular ceilings. It features a true flat, flush top surface that supports safe, efficient top-side maintenance without disrupting processes below. Dual-side serviceability gives the CSSETO the flexibility that cleanroom spaces need; maintenance can

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Luminis Expands Clermont Luminaire Family

Luminis has expanded its Clermont family of interior and exterior luminaires with a new 12-inch size, which is also offered in a 39-inch-high bollard mount to illuminate environments at the pedestrian level. Both the 12-inch and original 18-inch size feature a refined profile and versatile design that works with multiple

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WAC Group Launches WAC Architectural Brand to Empower Lighting Designers with Advanced, Technology-Driven Solutions

WAC Group has launched WAC Architectural, a commercial specification lighting brand that expands the WAC legacy with a portfolio of precision-engineered luminaires designed for project-driven applications. Its offering includes advanced track systems, high-performance linear solutions, and robust exterior fixtures, each engineered for optical excellence, sophisticated beam control, architectural coherence, and a

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E-Learning Showcase

Case Study: Montgomery Ward, Innovation-Centric

The plan for 2026 is to post a business case study every month for your pleasure and learning experience. I promise you that the analysis of these case studies is the best you will ever find. You will learn from decisions made by the most successful businesses we all know

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Just Three Things to Remember for a Dynamic Presentation

1. Creative Opening – your first impression 2. Meaningful Content – sharing what you know 3. Compelling Close – your lasting impression You owe your audience a good performance and it’s directly related to your preparation. If you give a dynamic performance, you have nothing to worry about but if

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Guerrilla Marketing When You Want High Impact at Low Cost

How creative are you? Well, Marketing NOW demands it when you communicate with your customers.  They do not have time for gibberish.  One of the most creative is Guerrilla Marketing, an unconventional, low-cost communications strategy that relies on creativity, surprise, and high-impact interactions with your target customers. Connecting with your

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Publications of Learning

The Distributor Is the Heartbeat of Construction Sales by Jim Nowakowski

Manufacturers know what they produce. Engineers know what they specify. Contractors know what they install. But distributors sit at the intersection of all three. The distributors see which products move through their warehouses. They hear the questions contractors ask at the counter. They learn which installations go smoothly and which

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White Paper by Intertek: A Comprehensive Guide to AI Quality Assurance

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming products, processes, and decision-making across industries, bringing enormous opportunity alongside a new category of risks around safety, bias, drift, data governance, and regulatory compliance. Rapidly evolving regulations like the EU AI Act all present challenges that traditional quality systems weren’t designed to handle. Download our

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Seeking Standardization: Open Systems Are Becoming More Relevant by Craig DiLouie

As lighting systems evolve from simple illumination devices into connected infrastructure, the industry is placing more emphasis on open, interoperable standards. While many control platforms still rely on proprietary hardware and software, open standards are becoming increasingly relevant. A significant player in standards is Zhaga-D4i (zD4i). It combines a standardized plug-in interface

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EDUCATION RESOURCES

Climate Intuition: Demand Is Here, Time to Build the Grid of Tomorrow

Electric grids worldwide are undergoing a transformation as surging electricity demand from data centers and electrification collides with aging, risk-prone infrastructure. This creates both national security imperatives and investment opportunities for grid resilience. Activities that harden, expand and modernize the grid are becoming increasingly attractive investment opportunities and policy priorities

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EV Charger Rebate Trends for 2026 by BriteSwitch

2025 was a complicated year for the EV industry. EV sales fell sharply in Q4, and for those in the charging business, the headlines may have felt unsettling. But vehicle sales and the charging business are telling two very different stories. The US added 17% more charging ports, and utilization

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The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.