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ABC: Nonresidential Construction Adds Solid 27,900 Jobs in January

William Attardi on February 12, 2026

The construction industry added 33,000 jobs on net in January, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has grown by 44,000 jobs, an increase of 0.5%. Nonresidential construction employment expanded by 27,900 positions, with gains in 2 of the 3 subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added 25,100 jobs, while nonresidential building added 3,600 new positions. Heavy and civil engineering lost 800 jobs in January. The construction unemployment rate was 6.9% in January. Unemployment across all industries decreased to 4.3% and is 0.3 percentage points higher than one year ago. ABC: Nonresidential Construction Adds Solid 27,900 Jobs in January

LEDucation Trade Show and Conference | April 14–15, 2026 New York City

William Attardi on February 12, 2026

LEDucation is the industry’s leading marketplace and educational platform dedicated to advancing architectural lighting innovation. The event features 400+ exhibitors across four halls showcasing the latest lighting products and technologies from leading manufacturers. Thirty-nine presentations explore key issues shaping today’s lighting industry and its path to a brighter, more efficient future. LEDucation – Presented by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York

Dallas Market Center Announces Major Expansion

William Attardi on February 12, 2026

Dallas Market Center announced a dramatic expansion of the number of Design showrooms located inside its Interior Home + Design Center (IHDC). More than 100 brands, represented inside multiple showrooms, will move into custom spaces on the first and second floors of the building in the first half of 2026. This is the largest project for the development of new showrooms inside Dallas Market Center in more than a decade. Upcoming trade events at Dallas Market Center include Design Days, April 14-15; Total Home & Gift Market, June 24-30; Lightovation, June 24-27; and Design + Build Day at Lightovation, June 23. Dallas Market Center Announces Major Expansion – tEDmag

Space-Based Solar Power Promises Constant Energy Delivery

William Attardi on February 12, 2026

Space-based solar power is transitioning from concept to reality, with recent advancements demonstrating the feasibility of transmitting solar energy from orbit to Earth. This technology, which could provide continuous, reliable electricity that isn’t interrupted by weather or geography, is being developed through initiatives such as Japan’s OHISAMA project and Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project. However, the implementation of space-based solar power will require international coordination on orbits, frequencies and safety protocols. The Washington Post

Seahawks 29 – Patriots 13

William Attardi on February 9, 2026

Congratulations to the Seahawks who won the second Super Bowl championship in franchise history, and followed the same formula as the first title under the “Legion of Boom” with a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.

Guess How Much Big Tech Will Spend on AI This Year

William Attardi on February 7, 2026

Four of the largest tech companies in the world project that they’ll spend roughly $650 billion combined on AI infrastructure in 2026, representing a historic ball-out for corporate capital expenditures, Bloomberg reported Here’s who’s spending what:

  • Taking the cake, Amazon announced Thursday that it’s planning to drop $200 billion on AI, chips, robotics, and satellites.
  • A day earlier, Alphabet said its capital expenditures could reach $185 billion, blowing past estimates.
  • Last week, Meta pegged its capex as high as $135 billion—an 87% jump from the year prior—driven by the company’s goal of achieving AI superintelligence.
  • Microsoft is expected to spend nearly $105 billion during its fiscal year ending in June.

Big Tech to spend $650 billion on AI in 2026, per Bloomberg

Super Bowl Monday Could Sideline 26M Workers, Cost Billions in Lost Productivity

William Attardi on February 5, 2026

When the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots face off this Sunday for Super Bowl LXat Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, both teams will be hoping to break some football records. But another type of record could be set in the wake of the big game: Super Bowl Monday could set a record for the second straight year for U.S. employees who plan to miss work, according to UKG’s annual Super Bowl Fever Absenteeism Survey. An estimated 26.2 million employed Americans say they will miss work the day after the big game, surpassing 2025’s record-setting 22.6 million employees and potentially costing upwards of $5.2 billion in lost work and productivity. Super Bowl Monday Could Sideline 26M Workers – Facility Executive Magazine

AD Member Sales Reach a Record $100 Billion in 2025

William Attardi on February 5, 2026

AD member sales increased 20% to a record $100 billion across the group’s divisions and countries, +6% on a same store basis. Same-store sales by country, in local currency, increased 6% in the U.S., 5% in Canada, and 1% in Mexico. The bulk of AD’s nonorganic growth was the result of its successful merger with IMARK Electrical. Additionally, AD members acquired 62 companies outside of the group, and 27 members within the group. AD Member Sales Reach a Record $100 Billion in 2025

Telling Time – 12-hour time is a very ancient system that traces back to the Mesopotamian empires. They had a cultural fixation with the number 12, used a base-12 numerical system, and divided up most things into 12ths whenever possible – including day and night. The 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night system spread throughout Europe and the Middle East and has defied multiple attempts to change it over the centuries. Also, for anyone curious as to why there was such a love of the number 12, it was because that was how they counted on their hand. Look at your hand. Notice how each of your fingers minus your thumb has three easily identifiable parts to it. They used to count by using their thumb to count each part of the finger, much in the same way we count to 10 using our fingers today. So, 12 was the max you could count on one hand.