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Inspired to transform the way people across the world interacted with tech accessories and audio , we set out to create innovative& exceptional products at accessible prices, giving millions of users the opportunity to express themselves through our products.
This is the very core of our product vision: creating valuable, practical tools that keep us powered on the go. We develop all of our product concepts from the ground up —promotes a deeper connection to creative, life and people while providing the freedom to transcend individuality and unify the tech experience.
Much more important than anything else, we make arkartech for you. In a world in which we are constantly being inundated with useless information, advertisement and products, we aim at keeping things simple. We commitment to adapt to the changing needs that technology requires us to meet in the most seamless way possible.
New Arrivals View all
Customer Reviews
I love these new headphones! I was looking at the new Samsung wireless headphones, but I'm glad I didn't get them, they are much more expensive, and I'm not sure I would notice the difference, other than the length of battery. These are getting about 3.5-4 hours before having to go back into the self charging case. I saw there was a version of the case that had 40 hours charge time, but I like the size of this case better, and 24 hours is plenty for me. You will not regret this purchase. Calls sound excellent on them as well, people can't even tell I'm not using my phone like normal.
I really like these arkar true wireless earbuds! They stay in my ears securely during my daily walk, and the music sounds great to my senior citizen ears! They come in an elegant case that is small and sturdy. It also serves as a charging station that recharges the earbuds every time they are returned to the case; I've never had a "Low Battery" signal. I charged the case when I first got the earbuds more than four weeks ago; I use the earbuds almost every day and I haven't had to recharge the case yet!
This set fit me perfectly right out of the box (although there are other size ear-tips included). These completely wireless Bluetooth earbuds are better in several ways compared to the previous wired Bluetooth set that I had; that set was good but didn't have the advantages my current set does.
Nicely packaged, and comfortable to wear. My only gripes really are lack of low frequency response and a flat soundstage. Slightly annoying voice in each ear bud everytime you turn them on telling you left ear connected, right ear connected, both connected.Overall quality is decent for the price though, if you are after some decent in ear wireless ear buds and can't stretch to the more premium options, these are a good choice
Pros: Very nice fitting to ears, good for athletes, came with nice pouch to protect the case/charger, easy/fast connection, adequate range, nice volume range, bass=ok, general sound quality=ok
Cons: The button is a just a little bit too hard to press, ending pressing your ear even more. It's not that bad, but could be a good update in the next generation, no ability for "ambient noise", no volume control, no software.
Overall: Know what you are buying. For it's price, this is an amazing product, if not the best. The quality of the product and the charger is beyond expectation. If you are a sound(bass) maniac or someone obsessed with the quality of music, you should not be checking this price range to begin with. I am happy with this purchase and recommend it to the average user who wants to get rid of the cables and have adequate music quality. I would totally recommend it if you need a wireless set for working out without fear of it braking-getting wet-droping off my ears.
For the price I was not expecting much and it is indeed not top quality but decent.
Plus: have not dropped out of ears (i have small ears) although they move a bit and need readjusting while workout
Plus: price obviously
Plus: connections bluetooth pretty seamless when starting
Minus: bass only comes in when deep in ear. Which is not always the case or for both
Minus: i have had more comfortable ones. This is subjective and probably most down to ear shape. For me these are not great
Customer Reviews
I love using them, they are great :) just a few issues i had: my ears are small so maybe if there could be different sizes? it doesnt fit all that well in the ear. also. if there could be a little plastic case or something on top of the botton. i cannot sleep with the earbuds in or just rest, because when i put my head on the pillow it can press the button and cause them to shut off. would be a nice feature to think of, just for that. other than that great sound quality, and beautiful design. Tyvm!
After using these for 6 weeks I would like to leave a very positive review. I've tried many wireless earbuds before price ranging from $30 to $120. I can say these are mid range, but overall I am really impressed and would rate this towards the high end.
Pairing is very quick and it auto pairs both earbuds itself. I use these in the gym and I keep my phone in my gym bag which is around 3 to 8metres away and have never cut off connection. Battery life is good, ive been able to use these for a whole week with no problems, but then it charges itself in its case. Ive charged the case so far 3 times, but it has never completely ran out of battery.
Overall these are very comfortable, if anything negative I would just say they are slightly big, but this doesn;t put me off them as sound quality is very good.
Great. The sound is great, the connection with the tel is fast. They are small, discreet but super efficient!
5 sizes of different bits provided with, charging box and usb cable
I do like these, they sound really good and are easy on the ears in that there's no harshness at all.
They look and feel quality. The charger/case is well designed and when the lid closes it claps shut like one of those old Motorola Razr flip-phones (an old favourite of mine) that were prevalent before smartphones took over the world. Ah I do miss that snap shut at the end of a call...but I digress.
I use them at the gym and they stay put. I'd love to give them 5/5 but they're just not loud enough for me. So I keep them as backup for when my Treblab X2 earphones run out of juice.
Given the relatively modest cost of these wireless earbuds, I was not sure what to expect. I have had them in all day, listening to Audible and Tidal on my iPhone.
Connectivity is very strong and sound quality is good considering the price. Sound insulation is also good. To get the best sound make sure you are using the correct size of earpiece. If the earpiece is too small the sound quality deteriorates badly.
Customer Reviews
I have small ears and the rubber pieces really help them stay in my ears. I can still hear through them and they don't get really loud to allow me to get into the music. But I love that they are Bluetooth and i can use them for phone calls.
Really pretty, earphones work fine, wear very comfortable. The earphones are small, easy to carry, do not hurt the ears, the sound is particularly clear, full and round, treble clear, mid-range full, thick bass, and the price is very cheap. Sure enough, It did not live up to my trust. With three pairs of earplugs, you can choose to wear them according to your own ear, and you won't lose it when you run. I bought it for running, I don't want to be bound by the headphone cable, and the customer service is very enthusiastic. In short, I am very satisfied.
The sound quality is very good and no noise, easy to use, the battery is very durable, used for one day, the battery is still more than half, recommend everyone to buy it!
Sticks nicely to ear and doesn't fall out during the run. High-grade materials used to produce a quality headset. Excellent sports headset with good sound quality that can be enjoyed during exercise. Controls are easy to operate and a bargain buys for the price.
Love these earbuds. Very easy to use and I love that they can click together so they don't slide off your neck!
Customer Reviews
By comparison to other very bright head phones, these head phones have a slightly warm tone to them. Otherwise, I find the sound reproduction to be very neutral.
I was referred to purchase this headset because the microphone quality was excellent and in my experience, it has been excellent. It is especially impressive on a "budget" set of headphones.
The headphones have a very strong construction. The only drawback being that the clamping force is slightly too strong. Otherwise, I am very satisfied with the purchased.
I've had it for a week and been using it 6-8 hours a day. Very impressed. Only thing I can say bad is that there's way too much extra wire if you're looking to connect your headset to your controller. Looks like it's designed to go from headset to console. I have mine going from headset to controller headset adapter. Sound great, surround works well. For the price I'm very pleased.
The audio quality is great, but the microphone is this devices downfall. I have to have the dB boost on 20+ to really utilize it, and even then I get some background 'buzz'. It does it in any device I use it on too. Not bad enough that I won't use it, but sometimes people say it's buzzing and I have to mute/un-mute to make it stop. I think it might just be a ground issue at the connector. Either way, it fits the budget and works.
I've been gaming all my life, and yet here I am as some twenty something and I have yet to purchase gaming headsets for a surround sound advantage to help immerse myself in games. So, looking at all the options I thought I had to purchase a $100+ headset just to get the effect I was looking for.
However, when I stumbled on this product I was taken back by how too good it sounds. For the price it was offering it seemed too good to be true, but even with my doubts I went ahead and ordered. And thank god I did, because this was probably one of the best gaming purchases I've ever made.
The surround sound effect is great, and really adds a new level of immersion I never experienced in games. It fits nicely on my head, and I never experienced any cramps or tight fits with this thing. Honestly I'm shocked by how good this thing is, and I'm glad I purchased it.
These headphones are pretty awesome. The ear pieces are really soft and comfortable which is important if wearing them for long periods of time while gaming. They are adjustable so you can fit them to your head and there is another comfort piece on the top so it doesn't dig into the top of your head. They are a Christmas gift for my son so I haven't tried them out on a video game yet but I did plug them into my phone to test the sound quality and it seems good to me. The only downside is the box cane damaged but I wouldn't mind that if it wasn't a gift. The product was still in great condition. I would highly recommend.


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On 11 February the Romanian minister of education, research, youth and sport, Daniel Petru Funeriu, and CERN's director-general, Rolf Heuer, signed an agreement that formally recognizes Romania as a candidate for accession to membership of CERN.
Romania's pre-membership will cover a five-year period during which the country's contributions will increase to normal member-state levels, in parallel with Romania's participation in CERN projects. At the end of this five-year period CERN Council will decide on Romania's application for full membership, as the organization's 21st member state.
Romania entered into direct collaboration with CERN in the early 1990s. In recent years the country has constantly increased its expenditure on R&D, in particular since the country's accession to the EU in January 2007. Romania is involved in three LHC experiments: ATLAS, ALICE and LHCb. It also contributes to the DIRAC and ISOLDE programmes and to Grid computing.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sponsor Spotlights
Sponsor Spotlight: CHIPS Computer Services
Tony Chiappetta discovered a natural understanding of technology systems and processes as he grew up. Although he started his career in restaurant management, an entrepreneurial desire in him prompted Tony to start CHIPS Computer Services in 2001. "I feel like God lined up all the experiences in my past," Tony said. "I found a passion…Read More
Sponsor Spotlight: Achieve Clean
Achieve Clean laundry detergent makes a difference in the lives of developmentally disabled adults. All revenue from Achieve Clean product sales supports Achieve Services, Inc., a non-profit organization in Blaine, MN. Achieve Services helps disabled adults to learn new skills and find meaningful work. They have in-house jobs and partner with businesses in the community to…Read More


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Students and community members speak out against Smarter System
October 3, 2013
Chants rang through the halls of the Tower as members of Save Our Community Coalition went to deliver a letter to President William Powers Jr. Wednesday, expressing their concern with an outsourcing plan Powers' Committee on Business Productivity released last year.
The committee, composed of business leaders outside the UT community, wrote the plan titled "Smarter Systems for a Greater UT" to identify untapped revenue sources and methods the University might use to increase efficiency. One recommendation the report made was a potential increase in parking, food and housing prices.
The group began its protest with a street performance providing background on the Smarter Systems plan. After the performance, the coalition walked into the Tower to
request a meeting with Powers about the group's unhappiness with the plan.
The coalition began last semester in response to the Smarter Systems plan, and is composed of student organizations, faith leaders, local nonprofit organizations and the Texas State Employees Union, which protests the outsourcing and privatization of on-campus job and services. The coalition was formed by the United Students Against Sweatshops, a group which aims to protect the rights of student workers on and off campus.
"Taking outsourcing off the table is a basic, minimal request from the community because this plan is wide reaching and we already know that outsourcing and privatization has a devastating effects on local economies and our community as a whole," Plan II junior Bianca Hinz-Foley said.
The president's office was locked when the group marched up the narrow staircases of the building.
According to coalition member Sophie Poitier, a philosophy and rhetoric senior, the group plans to send an email since they were unable to deliver the letter directly. Poitier said the coalition will keep running the campaign until they get an acceptable response.
"We don't think it's right for a university to cut costs when humans are involved," Poitier said. "There are other ways costs could be cut than a person's livelihood."
Alonzo Mendoza, a 2012 UT alumnus who graduated with a masters in special education, has been involved with the United Students Against Sweatshops for several years. Mendoza has been in the coalition since it was founded in January.
"[The protest] is important to me because even though I'm not being directly affected by this, the reputation of UT is at stake," Mendoza said. "As an [alumnus], I want to be proud of my university."


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Collection: Essie Summer 2014
I have lots of Essie love at the moment!
I recently picked up the Roarrrrange and Strut Your Stuff minis for CA$2.49 each. I bought the full-sized Ruffles & Feathers sometime last year.
Roarrrrange is a punchy tangerine orange cream. Application was great: two thin coats provided lovely, even coverage.
Ruffles & Feathers is a vibrant teal green cream. Application was great, as with Roarrrrange.
It is pretty close to Nails Inc. Queen Victoria Street:
Strut Your Stuff is a vibrant midtone sky blue cream that leans a little bit to the turquoise side. It is nearly, but not quite, a one coat wonder! Two coats was perfect.
Essie Nail Polish retails for US$8.50 / CA$9.99–$10.99 and is 0.46 US fl oz / 13.5 mL. I purchased my mini (0.16 US fl oz / 5 mL) for CA$2.49. The polish is free of toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). It is made in the USA.
Essie Cosmetics, founded in 1981, is based in Westfield NJ, USA. In 2010, Essie was acquired by the L'Oréal Group.


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A 25-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning after police tried to break up a fight in Nicosia.
Shortly after 1am, a police patrol found a group fighting and approached them to break it up.
While most of those involved ran off, one of them remained and started shouting at the police and pushed an officer in the chest. He appeared drunk, police said.
The 25-year-old man was arrested. Charges of resisting arrest and attacking a police officer are being investigated against him.


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Before the secession, this was the first Confederate flag
Image by Flickr user jimmywayne Image by 20090818-flag.jpg
Before there was war, and before South Carolina had seceded, Captain Edward Mills had raised this flag. It would soon be the flag of the Palmetto Guard and then fly above the Confederate-occupied Fort Sumter.
Today the flag lives on as the foreruner the modern South Carolina flag -- before the Civil War the South Carolina flag had only a crescent.
You can learn more about the history of the Palmetto Guard flag in this New York Times clipping from 1875.
Thanks to The Navy Yard at Noisette blog for digging this one up.


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The third of the Virtues is rationality, a crucially important but often overlooked element of the virtuous life. I do not mean to say that being a good person requires being an atheist or a skeptic – for obviously, someone can believe in all manner of pseudoscience and superstition and still be a generous, benevolent and loving person. As always, how one treats one's fellow human beings is the only true marker of morality. Nevertheless, I believe that all else being equal, the rational person is more virtuous than the irrational one. In this post, I will explain why that is.
Being rational means wanting to know what is true and taking steps to find that out for oneself. The intellectually lazy complacency that is all too common among humanity, in which we are content to accept the received wisdom without examining it too closely, is at best a path to stagnation, at worst a short road to self-delusion. Instead, we should live our lives in a fearless and honest quest for knowledge, absorbing and building on the expert work of others, but never accepting another's word as the final authority without question or dissent. A life of learning and tireless seeking after truth, where we perceive the vast weave of history that lies behind every event and the subtle connections that tie everything together, brings far more opportunity and far more potential for true happiness than the unvarying obedience to small and inadequate dogma.
Being rational means being skeptical of every radical new claim. The all-too-common desire to have something for nothing, when paired with rejection of the tenets of evidence-based thinking, leaves us open to deception by all manner of frauds and charlatans. Not only does falling victim to these impostures harm us and those who depend on us, it also rewards and enriches the snake oil salesman and con artists who may use their ill-gotten gains to launch more malevolent plans. The public good, not just private good, compels us to make reasonable doubt a virtue.
Being rational means relying on evidence to guide one's decisions, and not guesses, faith or assumptions. When the choices we make have the potential to affect the lives of our fellow human beings, whether for the better or for the worse, it is even more important that those choices be the right ones. And the only way to make good choices, those which are based on and accurately reflect what exists in reality, is to examine the facts and let them guide us. Reality will not bow to our desires, and when decisions are based on faith, or tradition, or wishful thinking, or any other method that does not have a built-in ability to track the truth, they almost always end in disaster and cause harm to ourselves and those around us.
Being rational means respecting the right of others to disagree with you, and encouraging fair and open debate among informed equals in the assurance that the truth will prevail. Allowing only one side to have their say, no matter how much confidence we may vest in their opinions, will inevitably lead to degraded partisanship, hollow professions of loyalty made out of self-interest, and an institutional blindness and complacency that will lead us to overlook new and potentially important ideas just because they clash with conventional wisdom. The rational person trusts that, no matter how tenaciously any one side may cling to its favored opinions, from the cut and thrust of free debate the truth will inevitably emerge.
Being rational means measuring one's emotion to the occasion and keeping in mind a sense of proportion. When we react to every trifling difficulty or disappointment that life has in store with excessive anger or frustration, we end up wasting energy, losing our own peace of mind, and causing stress and unhappiness to those around us, all for no good reason. The rational person, therefore, works toward developing a sense of patience, both for their own failings and with others, and bears life's troubles with grace and good humor whenever possible.
Most of all, being rational means focusing one's time and effort on the real world, the only one that exists and therefore the only one that is truly important. As I wrote in the post "Why Do We Care?", in the end everything people care about that is not really true or that does not really matter takes away from the things that do. When we dedicate our lives to bowing to the altars of superstition or chasing after mirages of unreason, we divert energy and resources that could have been spent improving this world for ourselves and our fellow human beings. Such a waste, especially when engaged in by people of vast resources who otherwise could have made a great and meaningful difference, is lamentable and even potentially immoral. There is need here, now, in this world, and we should all be working to quell it rather than turning away from our fellow humans to live in an imaginary and ultimately pointless realm that bears no correspondence with reality.
Other posts in this series:


text: Subscribe to our newsletter By subscribing, you agree with Revue's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and understand that Design for Humans will receive your email address. Mar 31, 2017 Design for Humans : The Under-utilised Power of Email Newsletters Revue Hey there! The first quarter of 2017 comes to an end today. It's crazy how these three months just fl March 31 · Issue #10 · View online Hey there!The first quarter of 2017 comes to an end today. It's crazy how these three months just flew by. It also means Trump has been the POTUS for almost 5 months now, for real. Phew! Anyway, here's me again with some freshly baked stories hot off the press.Once a week, I bring you the best products, stories & tools related to product design & startups. This week we look at newsletters as a powerful medium of marketing & business communication. You'll read about how underrated the newsletters are and how can you best leverage this fact. Product Design Stories The Problem With Email Newsletters medium.com – Share It wasn't because readers weren't opening their emails. They were! It was because email opens are counted, at least for Mailchimp, when a tiny little invisible jpeg at the very, very bottom of the email is downloaded. However, when your email's too long or too packed with pictures or too bogged down with shiny things, Gmail and lots of other email providers start freaking out. Why aren't publishers paying more attention to email newsletters? medium.com – Share "It seems that news-seekers still value curated content that lasts longer than a feed and that they have chosen to opt into." — Nielsen Study 10 cold email tips I used to get 60,000 signups medium.com – Share I've worked at Toggl since 2015 and in the two years, I've driven over 150,000 visits to Toggl (*that can be directly accounted for) thanks to, almost exclusively, cold emails. My focus has been on… Cool tools The 100% correct way to validate email addresses hackernoon.com – Share TBH it's not really a tool, but a super-obvious hack to ensure you're sending your newsletters to real, engaged readers. Product of the week Revue - Get your thoughts into people's inboxes www.getrevue.co – Share We believe everybody should send a newsletter. We are here to make it extremely simple to send yours today and start a conversation with your followers. Disclaimer: Revue is what powers the Designs for Humans newsletter. If you guys need help starting up with Revue, just reply & I'd love to help. That's all this week I hope you enjoyed this issue of Design for Humans.Would you like your article/product featured in the next issue? Got any feedback/opinion on this issue? As usual, just reply to let me know. I read EVERY email.🖐 High five from Mumbai,Arun Did you enjoy this issue? In order to unsubscribe, click here. If you were forwarded this newsletter and you like it, you can subscribe here. Powered by Revue Mumbai, India Share Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Subscribe to our newsletter By subscribing, you agree with Revue's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and understand that Design for Humans will receive your email address.


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I tend not to bother talking about pen boxes when I write a review, unless it's exceptional in one way or another.
After all, you're interested in the pen, not the box it comes in. The box is just to get the pen safely to you, right? Not quite.
When you buy a pen, its packaging can actually have a big effect on your first impressions, whether you want it to or not.
We're primed as consumers to look for indicators of value. We expect that impressive box equals impressive pen (or any other product), but that's not all we take away from our perceptions.
We sense that a solid box shows the manufacturer felt their product worthy of good protection — in other words, we are encouraged to see it as precious, or maybe that the pen itself is solid.
A beautiful box suggests that the manufacturer really cares about the appearance and design of all aspects of the customer experience.
A simple box keys us to expect a budget pen.
And when any of these expectations aren't met — for example, a super limited edition turns up in a simple paper box — it causes confusion, anxiety. We may suspect a counterfeit, even.
Yet for all the obviousness of these associations, it's amazing just how varied packaging can be.
Some, like Desiderata, wrap your £300 pen in a bit of bubble wrap or newspaper and call it a day. (I confess to feeling a bit underwhelmed by that).
Others use a generic clamshell or sliding paperboard box, often unbranded and empty but for the pen (this mistake befalls many small makers, but also expensive and established brands like Oldwin; both ST Dupont and Pelikan also use super-simple boxes that feel too basic for the price of the pen). Pilot and Sailor and Platinum happily pack £300-£700 pens, like the Capless LS or Cross Concord, in horrid creaky plastic boxes, the same as their most budget pens.
At the other end of the spectrum, some brands try to make the box as big and multilayered as possible to make the pen seem expensive, like Aurora. Montblanc is guilty of this too: buy a Geometry or Martele and the box is three times the size of the usual Montblanc 146 box. There's nothing extra in the box, just a bigger expanse of foam cushion. But clearly the expectation is that if you spend three times as much on the pen, you get a box three times the size too.
Some pens are so packed with extras they feel like a Christmas present: Onoto's beautiful branded box with a wooden chest inside, filled with cloths and certificates and historical souvenirs.
Some show off their heritage, like the Paulownia wood boxes used by Nakaya and Namiki, with the pen kimonos inside. Others show off their modernity and innovation, like the metal cylinders and trays that Karas uses, or the clever sliding cardboard with the Otto Hutt design07.
Some boxes are designed to show the product off at its best, like the windowed, colour-coded boxes used by Visconti.
And still others design with daily life and reuse in mind, like the flip-top wooden boxes from Graf that are meant to hold three pens, or Franklin-Christoph and its little zip pouches, or Scribo's two-pen pen rolls.
I have dozens of pen boxes stored in my loft, and I've developed some pretty clear views on what I like to see during an unboxing. To me, good packaging is:
At least, as compact as possible. A bigger box costs more to ship (including when I sell it), takes up more space, and is wasteful of materials. A pen is a small object; large packaging just looks like vanity. Aurora's boxes are particularly bad here. (But horology lovers will know that no pen box is as ridiculous as the Moonwatch box from Omega). TWSBI's little Eco case is the perfect example of good practice. So is Kaweco's tins for the Sport.
If your pen is a C/C filler, include both a cartridge and converter. If it's metal or polished, include a cloth. Give me at least a leaflet and warranty card. If it's a pricey piston filler, a small bottle of ink never hurts. Include a writing test card to show the nib works. If the pen is designed to be serviced, include the tool.
Useful and reusable
A boatload of cardboard and faux-velvet does nothing for me apart from get in the way. Give me a pen sleeve, roll or display box and there's a chance I'll use it beyond unboxing day. As well as those I mentioned above, John Garnham includes tweed slips with his pens. Shawn Newton includes branded fabric sleeves too. These guys have the right idea.
Sturdy and protective
It's amazing how many shoebox-sized boxes I've opened only to find the £500 pen rattling around inside, because for all that volume, only a single elastic loop was holding the pen in place. Above all else, a pen box should protect against bumps and scrapes. And it should be designed to last itself for the lifetime of the pen… ten, twenty years, without falling apart even in sub-optimal conditions.
Distinctively designed
I'm afraid I do judge manufacturers that stick their pens in generic boxes. The box is part of the experience, and it should say something about the vision for the brand and the pen model. Is it historic, modern, minimal, luxurious? A good example of this (in fact, of all my requirements) is Conid's ammo box designs, which are clearly custom-fitted and speak to the brand's ruthless pursuit of engineering efficiency. Esterbrook's simple fold-out box in bright red fabric isn't expensive, but it's so distinctive.
If you're not going to give me something durable and reusable, at least make it easy to recycle, and ideally use recycled or sustainable materials in its construction. I am under no illusion that I'm saving the planet with my pen and ink addiction, but I still want to minimise my impact on the world.
Overall, I think there's plenty of room for improvement in our industry for smarter packaging that's premium, protective, but also sustainable, compact and reusable.
Which brands' packaging do you think does a good job? Did I miss anything?


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It's pretty much illegal anywhere you go to hold onto your phone while you drive, so your best bet is to get a great car mount. But specific mounts can be pretty tedious, and a great magnetic mount makes life so much easier when you're getting in and out of the car. These are the best magnetic car mounts for your phone!
Important note: If your phone supports wireless charging, you'll have to be careful where you place the metal disc so as not to interfere with the coils. Figure out where the charging coils are and stick the metal where they're not. Or better yet, put the metal between your phone and a case. Then you can take it out whenever you want to charge up wirelessly.
Minimal design
Obaska Magnetic Phone Car Mount
Staff favorite
Featuring a sturdy and rugged magnet for a secure hold, the Obaska mount works with all current iPhone models going back to the iPhone 6. With no clamps or cradles, this is a simple mount to install; it's also our favorite because of that simplicity.
$13 at Amazon
Minimalist option
Nite Ize Steelie
If you're looking for a magnetic mount with a small footprint, then the Steelie is the best. There are several configurations, but the basic one is a small magnetic ball and a little magnetic circle that adheres to your iPhone case. The magnet is powerful, and you can orient your iPhone in any way you like.
$19 at Amazon
Rugged design
FITFORT Magnetic phone mount
FITFORT's mount adheres to your dash on a flat surface and features a fully adjustable, 360-degree pad, making it great for awkward mounting spots. Its round magnetic pad is easy to slap your phone onto, and it doesn't take up nearly as much space as mounts with brackets and arms.
$11 at Amazon
Cheap and reliable
WizGear universal air vent mount
Relatively compact, this mount fits into an air vent for a no-fuss installation. The magnetic mount has a smooth surface that is perfectly suitable for mounting and holding any smartphone in place. Did we mention its low price?
$8 at Amazon
Two for one
Maxboost 2-pack
Maxboost's mounts attach to your air vent and have a sizable magnetic pad, making it super easy to find in the dark. If there's two of you in the car, why should one of you still have to hold onto your phone? This two-pack solves that problem. Maxboost's mounts come with a circular metal plate and rectangular plate each.
$8 at Amazon
Super adjustable
Mpow suction pad mount
Grab the Mpow suction mount and stick it on your windshield (if that's legal where you are). I know, on the windshield is precarious, but Mpow's mount has a tiny footprint, and its arm is adjustable, so you can move it around to where it's not blocking your field of view. Mpow's mount comes with smaller and larger metal plates and is easily detachable from your windscreen, thanks to the suction switch.
$11 at Amazon
Look at that rotation
TORRAS Magnetic Car Mount
Offering support for various smartphones even with multiple phone cases, the Torras car mount uses neodymium magnets and provides a solid alloy body and liquid silicone interface. Featuring 360-degree rotation, the device includes a solid metal ball joint in the middle of the car phone holder.
From $16 at Amazon
Strong magnet
VAVA Magnetic Phone Holder
Able to support devices weighing up to 6.6 pounds, the VAVA Magnetic Phone Holder includes a 90-degree vertical and 360-degree horizontal rotation. Includes a 3M adhesive.
$19 at Amazon
Beautiful look
Bestrix Magnetic Dashboard
The Bestrix Magnetic Car Mount offers a luxurious look and fits on all dashboards with smooth surfaces, excluding leather/faux leather dashboards. It will work with phones up to 6.4-inches only, which excludes the iPhone XS Max. The Bestrix features ABS plastic and a strong gel base.
$25 at Amazon
Important to note…
There are countless phone mounts available through Amazon and other websites. When making a decision, don't just buy the cheapest one on the market. Look at the price of our favorite, the Obaska Magnetic Phone Car Mount, as proof!
After all, you're relying on this mount to hold your expensive iPhone safely. In addition to price, look at customer reviews before making your decision. And keep in mind, even the best mounts aren't all that expensive.
Besides the Obaska, we are also in love with the FITFORT Magnetic phone mount because of its sleek and simple design. Plus, it has effortless mounting capabilities, regardless of the size of your iPhone. The WizGear universal air vent mount is a good choice as well with its minimalist look, less bulky feel, and incredibly affordable price-tag. Although they are all recommended, it all comes down to how you prefer to mount and secure your iPhone in your car.
Original source: https://www.imore.com/best-magnetic-car-mounts


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Quiet, main achievement was folding laundry that had been sitting for a few days. Brief, quiet shift at work, main excitement was person who came in at 10 minutes to closing wanting some books but did not have his library card nor any ID we could use as proxy - in fact he hadn't been in so long his membership was no longer in the system; not about to let him use the account of the person he said was his son's either and potentially run up fines in someone else's name. Violated policy by putting the books aside for him to register and borrow tomorrow (today), so as to close up in time rather than push an argument for unknown duration.
Got home, found out my grandmother's life expectancy is estimated at 3 months. Don't know how to process this, never had to lose someone so close previously. Spent so much time grieving for her future loss when I was a child and she was healthy; Should I start grieving more early in preparation? Is there anything I want to do or say? Probably should do some research on how to approach or support someone terminally ill. If she knows - for at least the past year she's been inconsistently able to recognise her own immediate family or where she is.
Although so far she's always seemed able to recognise me. In a way I hate that; all branches of my family seem to have given me always so much more attention and value and support than my sisters, whether because I was firstborn or they thought me a boy or what. It's unfair to my sisters and not a social expectation I'm equipped to live up to.
Watched the second half of the writer & directors commentary on The Fellowship of the Ring with Ami. Finished reading The Player of Games for the discussion group. Still like that book, still find it lacking in parts.
Followed up on some correspondence I've been delaying on. Mostly university stuff and pre-planning for move to USA. Paid for the coming semester of school, updated my calendar with assignments and medical appointments. Updated work on when I'm available for shifts over the next roster period. Did some revised cost estimates on shipping stuff, got rather upset at the thought I may have to reconsider bringing my books. Made some new plans.
Failed to have the nerve to call and book an inspection for the car today. Used web form instead to book one for next week. Hope that won't prove too late. Checked grades for my summer class, looks like I failed it. Disappointed especially because I put a lot of effort into the most major assignment and thought I might have done well in that.
Going to try working on some personal projects and try not to think about food.


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
"It is the mission of the Twin Falls Fire Prevention and Inspection Division to improve the quality of life and prevent and/or reduce the incidence of fire for the Twin Falls community through risk assessment, code enforcement, fire investigation, and public education."
Tim LaudaFire Marshal345 Second Avenue EastTwin Falls, Idaho 83301Office Phone: (208) 735-7232Fax: (208) firstname.lastname@example.com
The Twin Falls Fire Department reminds you to buy, install and regularly change your batteries in smoke detectors throughout your home. Learn more on how to make smoke detectors work for your safety


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Tuesday 12, May 2015
WADA To Appeal Against AFL Tribunal Decision
WADA To Appeal Against AFL Tribunal Decision
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced it will appeal against decision of the Australian Football League to clear 34 current and former top players of taking banned supplements.
In March, the AFL anti-doping tribunal unanimously decided that it was not "comfortably satisfied" that players from the Essendon club had violated the anti-doping rules during the 2012 season. Last year, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) referred the case to the Australian Football League. Surprisingly, ASADA decided not to appeal the findings when the AFL Tribunal when it cleared all 34 Essendon players.
WADA announced that it would soon take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. WADA director general David Howman said we have now completed our independent review of the full case file on the AFL Anti-Doping Appeals Tribunal decision regarding 34 current and former Essendon players. Howman added WADA, after a thorough examination of the evidence contained within the file, has decided to lodge its independent right of appeal to the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A WADA statement reads as with all pending cases, and adhering to the proper and normal respect for the integrity of the legal process, WADA will refrain from commenting further on the subject until a decision has been made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Essendon chairman Paul Little expressed surprise at decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Meanwhile, ASADA welcomed the announcement and offered to provide its full support. Little added now it looks like we have to jump back on the horse and sort of get into the process again of defending our boys and our club. ASADA chief executive Ben McDevitt said the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority has handed over a comprehensive brief of evidence to assist WADA in its preparation for the CAS hearing.
Essendon coach James Hird remarked that Essendon players will "prove their innocence again.†Hird remarked there is no doubt it will cause stress again but we're prepared to go through it and went on to add that we believe in the players' innocence, they've been proven innocent once and they will be proven innocent again. Hird also remarked that we are extremely disappointed for the players who have had to endure over two years of uncertainty and will now have to endure further stress and the inevitable disruption to their playing careers. The coach of Essendon club also commented that we will be in a position to comment on this matter further once we have consulted with the players' legal team and the players involved.
Peter Jess, a player agent to two of the 34 Essendon players, remarked that this whole process has been incredibly demanding on the playing group and added it drags them back into the vortex of a demoralizing and energy sapping investigation, which no player should rightfully have to go through.
Tim Watson, the father of Essendon captain Jobe Watson, remarked the players got to a point where they were able to compartmentalize the whole thing, and they all breathed that sigh of relief when they heard the tribunal's closure and now it's going to be reopened.
Download in PDF: WADA To Appeal Against AFL Tribunal Decision
Tags: AFL, ASADA, Essendon players, james hird, supplements
Posted in Celebrities and Steroids, Performance Enhancing Drug Abuse, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Sports


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Subject Area Coordinator
Prof. Andrea Corradini
Dipartimento di Informatica
Largo B. Pontecorvo 3
56126 Pisa
Tel.: +39 050 2212786
Fax.: +39 050 2212726
The subject Area
In 1955, the University of Pisa with the financial support of the local public administrations of Pisa, Livorno and Lucca founded the "Centro Studi Calcolatrici Elettroniche" (Center for the Studies on Electronic Computing Machines - CSCE). The CSCE brought together a group of mathematicians, physicists and engineers with the aim of designing and constructing what would be the first Italian scientific computer. The project was successful and the computer was actually constructed and employed in scientific computations.
In 1969, a number of researchers of CSCE joined the University of Pisa and the "Istituto di Scienze dell'Informazione" was established. With the new institute within the University, the first undergraduate study programme in Computer Science in Italy (Laurea in Scienze dell'Informazione) was started. In 1982, the institute was transformed into the present "Dipartimento di Informatica".
In 1986, an undergraduate school offering a two year undergraduate study program in Computer Science and a postgraduate school in Computer Science were launched.
In 1993 the undergraduate study programme has been completely rearranged, with the introduction of two levels of undergraduate curricula.
Pisa is still among the few Universities in Italy offering three levels of study in Computer Science, i.e. the First Level Degree study programme (three years), the Second Level Degree study programmes (two years after the First Level Degree) and the Ph.D. programme.
At the University of Pisa the Computer Science Subject Area is part of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences.
Most of the Professors teaching in the Subject Area Courses of Study belong to the Department of Computer Science, some to the Department of Mathematics and a few to the Department of Physics.
The basic purpose of the Courses of Study included in the Computer Science Subject Area is to educate professionals in Information Technology, as well as specialists in the various research areas at University level. "Laureati" in Computer science are also employed in schools and in local and national government agencies.
Especially relevant to Computer Science students are the following:
- Dipartimento di Informatica, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3.
This is the location of the Computer Science Department:
tel. +39 050 2212700, fax. +39 050 2212726.
- Didactic Area "Fibonacci", Via F. Buonarroti 4.
This is the location of most classrooms and of students computing facilities:
tel +39 050 599585.
- Student's Secretary, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3.
All are in the heart of the town, at easy walking distance from the main libraries.
Academic Year
The Academic Year for the Computer Science Subject Area begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th. Lectures are organised in two semesters: the first semester (approximately 12 weeks) runs from September to December; the second semester (approximately 13 weeks) runs from the third week of February to the end of May (see the Academic Calendar).
Examinations take place in three sessions: a Winter Session at the end of the first semester (January-February), a Summer Session at the end of the second semester (June-July), and a continuation of the Summer Session in September(see the Academic Calendar).
There are many libraries and research facilities in Pisa. Especially relevant to Erasmus students of the Computer Science Subject Area are the following:
- The Library of the Computer Science Department, located in Via Buonarroti 2, features a large collection of books, journal and proceedings in the area of Computer Science.
- The Library of the Mathematics Department , located in Via Buonarroti 2, features a large collection of books, journal and proceedings in the area of Mathematics.
- Biblioteca universitaria, (600.000 vols.). Opening hours: winter: 8:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.; summer: 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Closed: the week preceding Easter; one week during August. Address: via Curtatone e Montanara, 15. Tel +39 050 42064/24506.
- Biblioteca della Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS) (350.000 vols. spec. in Ancient and Modern Literature, Arts, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics). Open only to Professors and students of the SNS itself and to the Faculties of Letters and Philosophy, and Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences. Opening hours: winter: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m; summer: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed: 22 December to 2 January and 10 August to 20 August. Address: Piazza dei Cavalieri. Tel.: +39 50 509111.
- Biblioteca della Domus Galileiana (10.000 vols. spec. in History of Science). Opening hours: 9 a.m. - 12 noon. Closed: 14 August to 16 August. Address: via S. Maria, 26. Tel.: +39 050 23726.
- Istituto di Elaborazione dell'Informazione (IEI). A research centre of the National Research Council (CNR). covering different areas of Computer Science. IEI also has a large library in Computer Science, with free access to students in Computer Science. Address: Via Moruzzi, 1. Tel.: +39 050 3152876, fax: +39 050 3152810
- Istituto CNUCE. A research centre of the National Research Council (CNR), covering different areas of Computer Science. Address: Via Moruzzi, 1. Tel.: +39 050 3152876, fax: +39 050 3152810
- Istituto di Linguistica C omputazionale.A research centre of the National Research Council (CNR), specialising in natural language processing and linguistics. Address: via della Faggiola 32, Tel.: +39 050 560481, fax: 589055.
- Advanced Robotics and Technology Systems Laboratory. Scuola Superiore S. Anna. A research centre of the specialising in robotics, vision and virtual reality. Address: Via Carducci, 40, Tel.: +39 050 883111
- Centro di Ricerche Informatiche per i Beni Culturali. A research centre of the Scuola Normale Superiore, specialising in application of Computer science to the management and preservation of the cultural patrimony. Address: Via della Faggiola 19, Tel.: +39.50.555484.
- Museo degli Strumenti per il calcolo Address: Via Nicola Pisano 25 (Area dei Vecchi Macelli).
For ERASMUS Computer Science Students, Prof. Corradini is assisted by:
Teaching Methods
Italian examinations, ECTS credits
In the official credit system of the Faculty of Sciences 1 CFU (credits of the course) corresponds to 1 ECTS credit. As far as incoming ECTS and other ERASMUS students are concerned, the completion of a work-load consisting of 40-50 CFU in an academic year seems to be a reasonable expectation. Hence, as 60 credits constitute an academic year, each examination successfully taken will be credited 6 or 12 ECTS points according to its load in CFU.
The work-load for writing a Tesi is the equivalent of 18 CFU, i.e. 18 ECTS points. In general it is assumed that the Tesi should constitute an original contribution to knowledge or a significant implementation project. Hence students normally devote to it most of their last year of study.
In practice, statistics show that in the past the average students completed 40 CFU per year and thus most students required more than the nominal duration of the Subject Area Courses of Study to pass the examinations and to complete their final dissertation. Actions have being taken recently to correct this anomaly and we are currently monitoring the effectiveness of these actions.
Description of the courses
Most courses are concentrated within one semester. A few introductory courses are distributed over one year. Most courses are worth 6 CFU, with the exception of a few introductory courses which are worth 12 CFU. The teaching language for all the courses is Italian.
Teaching Methods
Professors give lectures 2-4 hours a week for twelve weeks each semester. In addition, courses include 2-3 hours a week of exercise classes. Laboratory courses in some cases are not credited separately but are a prerequisite for a main course.
Examinations: form of assessment
Final tests are usually in the form of written and oral examinations: the assimilation and critical understanding of lectures and assigned bibliography are assessed. When relevant for the course the results of practical work are also assessed.
Examinations: grading system
The Italian grading system is based on 30 possible points. 30 is the highest grade. 30 is sometimes given with lode, with honours, when the performance is considered exceptional. 18 is the lowest passing grade.
The approximation of Italian grades to an A-B-C-D-E-F scheme for the subject area is assessed periodically by the Council of the Course of Study; the current is as follows:
A, Excellent: outstanding performance fully meeting requirements: 30, 30 e lode;
B, Very good: a very good performance with only minor shortcomings: 27-29;
C, Good: a good performance with a few notable shortcomings: 24-26;
D, Satisfactory: fair with significant shortcomings: 20-23;
E, Sufficient: performance only meeting the minimum requirements: 18-19;
F, Fail: preparation totally inadequate: 17 and below.


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IKBKAP(redirected from IKAP)
Also found in: Acronyms.
IKBKAPA gene on chromosome 9q31 that encodes a putative scaffold protein which may assemble active IKK-MAP3K14 complexes and act as subunit of the RNA polymerase II elongator complex, a histone acetyltransferase component of the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) holoenzyme involved in transcriptional elongation. The elongator complex may play a role in chromatin remodelling; it may be involved in acetylation of histone H3 and possibly also H4.
Molecular pathology
Defects in IKBKAP cause familial dysautonomia, also known as hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 3, or Riley-Day syndrome.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.


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This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below
A large orange LED display and three chromium knobs dominate the front panel. The large center knob adjusts volume via 32 stepped relays in 1dB increments over a total range of 75dB. Unlike conventional volume pots, the music signal does not pass through the step relay control. ASR claims its volume control has no sonic impact upon the amp's performance regardless of setting. Channel-to-channel deviation is less than 0.1dB at all settings.
To the right of the volume control is the source selector knob. On the far left sits the power on/off knob, which has no less than four settings. There's
to keep the input stage warmed up and
. Position 1 fires up the amp and puts it into energy-saving mode which allows a volume range from 0-61dB and runs the output devices at half power. Turning it up past 35 on the display disables energy saving and puts the amp in full-power mode. Position 2 automatically switches the output devices to full-power mode and allows a volume range of 0-71dB. There was a minor yet audible improvement in full-power mode. Since the remote can only switch from standby to position 1, I lowered the threshold of full-power mode in Position 1 from 35 to 05. Thereafter I could switch from standby to energy saving to full power without leaving my chair. I could also keep the amp fully warmed up and ready for action without my hydro meter spinning like a busy fan at the height of summer. When I wanted tunes, I just turned up the volume. As soon as I hit 05, full power mode kicked in for optimum sonics. Confused? It certainly reads that way but is a snap once you get used to it. I quickly forgot about it.
There is one caveat for obsessive compulsives. Because none of the three rotary controls is motorized, the indents on the knobs will obviously not move when adjusting volume, source or power status. However, the main display and a series of LEDs surrounding each knob will indicate proper status.


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You can move your sketches by selecting them and using the arrows to reposition them.
Although you can select each line or arc of a sketch, you can do one of the following:
- Double-tap with your Apple Pencil or double-click with your mouse or trackpad a part of your sketch to select the entire complex sketch
- Long-tap with your Apple Pencil or long-click with your mouse or trackpad
Optionally, you can select from the Items manager.
Then, you can use the arrows to move the sketch anywhere on the grid.
You can even copy and move the sketch.


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Previous: Google Adwords Process or Google Display Ads Process
- Do you have an existing Google Ads account?
- Would you like us to run your ads on our Ads account or create an account for you?
- What is your ideal client profile?
- What areas have you have the most success in?
- Are there any new markets that you would like to target?
- What is your monthly budget?
- (If Google Display Ads) Are there any mottos or phrases you would like to have on your banner ads?
- (If Google Display Ads) Do you have a vectorized or high resolution logo that we could use?


text:
Workers' Compensation Attorney Timothy M. Schafer
Tim is the founding partner of Schafer Law, having opened the practice in 2008. Prior to his admission to practice law he worked as a mediator in criminal matters in the Bridgeport, Norwalk and Waterbury Superior Courts. Upon admission to the Connecticut Bar he worked for a small firm in Norwalk where he established himself in the workers' compensation field.
Don't hesitate to get legal representation after suffering an injury at work. Timothy Schafer and the other experienced attorneys at Schafer Law can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact our firm today!
From here he opened The Law Offices of Timothy M. Schafer and continued to pursue workers' compensation and personal injury matters. As of 2012, the firm has grown yet again and become Schafer Law, with the addition of Attorney Marisa F. Schafer to the firm.
Tim is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut and State of New York. He is also certified in alternative dispute resolution. The attorney has previously served as a juvenile law panel attorney for the juvenile court program in Danbury, Connecticut, which also serves Stamford.
In fact, his work and the work of Attorney Marisa F. Schafer in Connecticut's juvenile court system led to members of the bar and the bench recommending The Law Offices of Schafer Law to Child Advocates of Connecticut for pro bono work. The organization, which has contacted the firm for assistance, helps abused and neglected children get placed in safe homes.
In 1998 Tim earned an Associates in Applied Science through the United States Air Force. He graduated with a B.A. from the University at Albany, State University of New York in 2001 as a dual major in English and Medieval and Renaissance Studies. In 2005 he graduated cum laude from Quinnipiac University, School of Law and served as an Associate Editor of the Probate Law Journal and a judge on the school's Judicial Board.
He served as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force on active duty from 1994 until 1998 and as a reservist from 2001 until 2004. He has been decorated on several occasions to include two Air Force Achievement Medals, two National Defense Service Medals and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor.


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Hello Everyone!
Mable: Please spell definiendum.
Hope: I think it starts with a "D",
Mabel: You are correct,
Hope: "e", "f", "i", "n", "i" "e". Oh my! Can I have a sip of water?
Mabel: Really, Hope. Okay here's your sip of water.
Hope: Ready! "n", "d", "u", "m". Whew!!!!
Mabel: Now that you spelled the word, please pronounce and define the word.
Hope: Really? I spelled it correctly, why do I have to say it, plus give a definition?
Definiendum – in my own words; all of a sudden you decide to create a word. Your next step would be to define your fabulous new word.
I hope I got it straight!!!!
Have a great day! Hope
Definiendum word & definition from Dictionary.com
Additional definition assistance from Merriam-Webster.com & The Free Dictionary.com
Clip Art from Bing.com
Photo to left from Pinterest.com


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Vyla One Shoulder Twist Dress
$179.99Find my nearest storeShop the collection on Zalora
Stock availability may vary from store to store.
In a vibrant cobalt blue, this lustrous one shoulder twist dress is the perfect addition to your special occasion edit. Complement yours with pointed heels and a clutch in hand.
Product features
- Length: 122cm (Size AU 8)
- Fitted one shoulder bodice
- Twist front maxi skirt
- Lustrous woven fabrication
- Side zip fastening
- Fully lined
- Made in China
- Outer: 100% Polyester. Lining: 95% Polyester, 5% Elastane
Product #DR10589


text:
by Carl A. Merry
© Copyright 1996 The University of Iowa. All rights reserved.
The historic period began in Iowa with the European exploration of the midcontinent, as evidenced by their written records and artifacts. Many Indians possessed and traded European manufactured goods long before they ever set eyes on a French explorer, and the historic period for them began before actual contact. The presence of western Siouan and Algonquian Indians and fur-bearing animals, lead, and other natural resources was reported for the Upper Mississippi Valley as early as 1634 by Jean Nicolet, and confirmed by other western Great Lakes explorers in the decades that followed. The first recorded Europeans to venture into Iowa were Louis Joliet, Father Jacques Marquette, and the voyageurs who exited the Wisconsin River and paddled down the great Mississippi River in June of 1673. They traveled for eight days camping along the Iowa shoreline before visiting the Illiniwek (Illinois) Indians at the Illiniwek Village State Historic Site near the mouth of the Des Moines River, on the Missouri side. Jolliet-Marquette expedition journals indicated this summer village had nearly 300 lodges, laid out with streets. Archaeologists have recently begun excavations at this important early historic site.
Prior to 1700 the Ioway and Oto, and possibly the Omaha and Ponca, occupied a large village at Blood Run National Historic Landmark in northwest Iowa along the Big Sioux River. Blue glass beads, iron knives, and brass kettles have been found in excavations there. A small Ioway village as it might have looked around 1700 can be visited at Iowa Living History Farms in Des Moines. Other Ioway villages and cemeteries from the earliest period of French contact have been excavated along the Upper Iowa River in northeast Iowa and in the lakes region of Northwest Iowa. Jesuit rings, gun parts, and glass beads show European influence while evidence of bison hunting, pottery-making, and pipestone working attest to the retention of traditional lifeways.
Mining of lead for utilitarian and ornamental objects in northeast Iowa began in prehistoric times, and continued well into the 19th century. Due to its prominent visibility along the Mississippi River bluffs and ease of transport by boat or raft, Dubuque-area lead was mined and smelted by Indians and French fur traders. In the early 1690s, Pierre Le Sueur reported lead mining in the Dubuque area, and Nicholas Perrot excavated in mines south of the Wisconsin River. The lead region became recognized by other explorers as well, resulting in increasing visibility through depictions on dozens of maps through the 1700s.
The Sauk, Meskwaki, and Winnebago Indians mined lead in the 18th century. Mine pits and caves, with ore smelted by log furnaces, were worked by the Indians as a summer revenue source by those who could not participate in the summer hunt. In some cases with men doing the mining and women doing the smelting, the Meskwakis earned large revenues that were used to purchase European and American trade goods. Throughout the 18th century, lead mining and smelting was integrated into the French, and later British and American, fur trade economy in the Upper Mississippi Valley frontier. Continuing production on an industrial scale ensured that some of the lead shot flying in the American Civil War derived from the Upper Mississippi lead region.
Julien Dubuque, a French-Canadian entrepreneur from Fort Michilimackinac (Michigan), received the gift of the use of a profitable lead mine from the Meskwakis in 1788. Eight years later, he applied for a 9 by 21 mile Spanish land grant, which was awarded by the Spanish Governor of Louisiana in New Orleans in 1796. Despite the region being widely known as "the Lead Mines'' or "Indian Diggings'' for generations, Julien Dubuque invented a new title in his application for the tract, calling it "Mines of Spain,'' now a state recreation area of the same name. The new title was part of a successful attempt to consolidate Spanish colonial protections, and to retain a monopoly against the developing British and American interests in the Upper Mississippi Valley. Two additional Spanish land grants were awarded in Iowa, Basil Giards's tract in northeast Iowa, and Louis Tesson's in the southeast, but none of the Spanish claims were ever recognized by the United States.
Dubuque made a great deal of money during his 22-year monopoly in the mining and trading business, shipping furs north to Michilimackinac and lead south to St. Louis, but he also saw periods of recurring debt. By 1810 the enterprise consisted of a multi-ethnic community of several dozen French and Indian miners from Prairie du Chien, hundreds of Meskwaki Indians, and a widely dispersed site complex that included cultivated fields, livestock, a wharf, boats, blacksmith shop and forge, a mill, a smelting furnace, mining equipment, fur trade essentials, and several dwellings. Dubuque regularly made 300-mile float trips to St. Louis to sell raw materials including thousands of pounds of lead, at 3 to 5 cents a pound; to participate in fashionable French Colonial society; and return to the frontier with large quantities of goods for sale, and trade, and consumption. It has been estimated that Dubuque's income from lead mining was over $5,000 a year, a fabulous sum in the context of the barter economy of the Upper Mississippi valley at that time. Julien Dubuque died in 1810 after a long illness, whether from lead poisoning or not is unknown, and creditors and land speculators from St. Louis rushed in to try to claim the mines. But the Meskwakis stood firm and minimized the risk of further white encroachment by burning all of Dubuque's standing buildings. Dubuque himself was buried in a wooden tomb with viewing windows on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, which served for decades as a prominent landmark and curiosity along the river. An 1897 Gothic Revival monument stands on the hilltop today.
The period from the 1760s through 1830s was a turbulent time that saw an antagonistic British and American presence challenging established French and Indian alliances in the Upper Mississippi and Missouri valleys. Regional conflicts stemming out of the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812 led to the breakdown of the French fur trade and barter economy and increased pressure from American encroachment. The Ioway Indians maintained a village in the 1750s and 60s in the Des Moines River valley near Iowaville, controlling a large horse and fur trading network. The Ioways traded with other Indians and Europeans over a large region. Numerous British gunflints and glass and ceramic artifacts have been recovered from Iowaville.
Fort Madison, constructed in 1809, was the first U.S. Army outpost in the Upper Mississippi Valley. It was garrisoned by 50-60 troops. A succession of British-allied Sauk and Winnebago Indian attacks during the War of 1812 forced its abandonment in 1813. Archaeologists have recovered bronze buttons with First Infantry insignia, trade beads, and solid puddles of lead created when the fort was burned, and helped uncover the barracks and blockhouses. A reconstructed fort is built near the site in the city of Fort Madison.
It was not until June 1, 1833, under the terms of the Treaty known as the Black Hawk Purchase, that legal non-Indian settlement in the Iowa Territory began in earnest. This opened a new chapter in Iowa history, an American land rush following a series of treaties pushing Indians westward beyond the Missouri River. By 1851 all Indian lands in Iowa had been ceded to the U.S. government. General Land Office surveys quickly divided up public lands for sale, and the eastern cities of Burlington, Davenport, Dubuque, and others rapidly grew. In Iowa Territory's first census of 1836, population swelled to 23,000. A new territorial capitol was established in Iowa City in 1839, and when statehood was announced in 1846 it became the first state capitol; ``Old Capitol'' is now a National Historic Landmark. Archaeological excavations at Plum Grove in Iowa City, the 1844 home of the first Governor of the Territory of Iowa, Robert Lucas, have aided the restoration of that Greek Revival building.
The capitol was moved to the city of Des Moines in 1857 in order to be located in the center of the state, between the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. Des Moines quickly became a center for the insurance industry. With the completion of the railroads after the Civil War, western Iowa cities such as Council Bluffs, Fort Dodge, and Sioux City began to prosper. The mid-19th century saw the expansion of natural resource industries such as lumbering, milling, coal mining, and stone quarrying. Archaeological studies of mills, milling towns, brick kilns, and other industrial sites have helped illuminate this aspect of Iowa history. In 1845 the Meskwaki Indians were officially moved to Kansas, but in 1856 a band returned to purchase land and their descendants reside today on the Meskwaki Settlement near the city of Tama, holding annual summer ``pow-wows'' open to the public.
Future president Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch in 1874. West Branch features his birthplace cottage, a presidential library-museum, and gravesite. During the 19th century, a number of communal societies flourished for a time: Amana Colonies (Iowa County, founded 1855, now a National Historic Landmark); Communia (Clayton County, 1847-1856); Icaria (Adams County, 1860-1895); Phalanx (Mahaska County, 1843-1845); and Salubria (Van Buren County, 1839-1844).
On April 1, 1865, the steamboat Bertrand navigating up the Missouri River struck a snag and sunk at De Soto Bend. It was loaded with supplies headed for the gold fields of Montana Territory when it went down with its cargo. Archaeologists excavated the site in 1969, and the well preserved cargo of tools, foodstuffs, mining equipment, and household goods is exhibited at the Bertrand Museum at the De Soto Bend National Wildlife Refuge north of Council Bluff.
Following a rapid pioneer phase, a pattern of American midwestern agriculture became established after the Civil War that remains essentially in place today. Iowa farms initially produced wheat but later developed into major producers of corn, soybeans, cattle, and hogs. Rural agricultural communities, increasingly connected by rail, enjoyed the prosperity and suffered the recessions of boom-bust national economic cycles. Urban centers became increasingly interconnected with the national and international political economy via developing road, steamboat, rail, and air transportation networks, social and business ties, and involvement with the arts, religion, communications, education, and government.
Historic archaeological evidence from Iowa demonstrates that the area has participated in the capitalist global economy for over 300 years. Artifacts from sites across the state include glass beads and gunflints on 1600s-era Indian archaeological sites; 1700s-era beaver tokens melted down from French or Spanish coin silver; smelting furnace remains of the 1800s Welsh and Cornish miners who brought advanced mining techniques to the lead region; and remains of farmsteads, townsites, and mills abandoned over the 19th and 20th centuries. Archaeology in Iowa holds tremendous potential to tell us much about historic agricultural, commercial, and industrial development of the Upper Mississippi and Missouri valleys.
Iowa celebrates 150 years of statehood in 1996. For further information on Iowa's Sesquicentennial, please examine its home page at: Iowa Sesquicentinnial. Additionally, Iowa's Sesquicentennial will be featured in Washington, D.C., at the American Folklife Festival at the Smithsonian Museum and Capitol Mall over the summer of 1996. Please visit it in the nation's capitol this summer.
Suggested Reading
Vogel, Virgil J.
1983 Iowa Place Names of Indian Origin. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City.
Shank, Wesley I.
1979 The Iowa Catalog: Historic American Buildings Survey. University of Iowa
Press, Iowa City.
Folmar, J. K. (editor)
1986 "This State of Wonders'': The Letters of an Iowa Frontier Family, 1858-1861.
University of Iowa Press, Iowa City.
Andreas, A. T.
1875 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa. Andreas Atlas Company,
Chicago, Illinois.
Dawson, P., and D. Hudson (compilers)
1989 Iowa History and Culture: A Bibliography of Materials Published Between 1952
and 1986. Iowa State University Press, Ames.
Foley, D. E.
1995 The Heartland Chronicles. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.
Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society.
Published since 1951. Office of the State Archaeologist, Iowa City.


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I'm not sure I'm reading this exactly right. The Transformer cord lets you back up your computer's files to an iPod, and also lets you pull your photos and music off the iPod. I'm guessing what it boils down to is something like Yamipod or Senuti, built into the cord. Sounds good to me; carry it around and you can always donate a few tracks to a friend when they hear something they like. Whether it works with actual iTunes tracks isn't spelled out, but I'd guess no.
The weird thing is this. I'm not sure if I'm reading it right, so let me quote:
Simply connect your iPhone or iPod to the Clickfree Transformer, then connect it to your computer and backup will automatically begin. There is no software to install or setup and no manual to read.
Uhh, don't we get to choose what we want to back up? I've got a couple terabytes scattered around and I don't want it just picking willy nilly. A small front-end would be wise. Maybe they just left it out of the press release.
The plain white version will set you back $50, which I think is pretty expensive for something that can be done with software. The black "SE" version will work with regular USB drives as well as iPods, and costs $90. Either I'm missing something here, or these things are charging a lot of money for almost nothing.


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My family loves these simple cookies. They are chocolatey, but not too sweet. You need to plan them a little in advance, since the dough has to harden in a fridge for at least few hours.
Approximately 30 cookies • Preparation time: about 30 minutes • Cooling time: at least 2 hours, could be overnight • Baking time: 12 minutes
If you can prepare the dough the day before, do. It can be chilled in a fridge overnight, no problem. If the dough is not cold enough, icing sugar will melt into the cookie and you will lose the nice crackle effect.
If cannot chill them for more than 2 hours, do not worry. It should be enough, just split the dough in few pieces, this way it will chill more quickly.
✽ 225 g baking chocolate
✽ 110 g butter
✽ 1⅔ cups flour
✽ ⅔ cup sugar
✽ 3 eggs
✽ 2 teaspoons vanilla
✽ ½ teaspoon baking powder
✽ pinch of salt
✽ powdered sugar for rolling
Melt the butter and chocolate in a small pot. Use my tip to melt them easily and safely. Leave the pot to cool in a fridge.
Take the eggs and separate whites and yolks. First beat the whites until perfectly stiff and then add sugar (in 4 parts with few seconds of blending in between adding each part), and then yolks (one by one) and vanilla.
Now mix both the beaten eggs and the chocolate. You can keep gently blending, or you can do it by hand. If you prefer to mix by hand, make sure you are using a wide, wooden spoon and fold the chocolate in with the eggs.
Mix flour with salt and baking powder thoroughly, then mix them in with the wet ingredients. Form a ball from the dough, wrap to prevent from drying (I use beeswax covers, not to use plastic cling film) and chill until cold and hard.
After few hours (or a night), prepare the oven to baking (165ºC, line the tray with baking paper) and use a tablespoon to portion the dough. I use a measuring tablespoon, it has sharper edges and makes the process easier. From each portion make a small ball, roll it in icing sugar evenly and place on the tray to bake. No need to keep spaces too big, the cookies will get larger, but will keep their shape.
Bake for about 12 minutes (I love watching them crack) and cool.


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Truckers Tribute Edition .22 S/L/LR
Honoring Those Who Move America
They are the road warriors of highways, truck stops, and loading docks. Blue-jeaned executives whose office is their cab. Guardian angels in 18-wheelers, often the first to stop at an accident to make sure us four wheelers are safe too. But most of all truckers are men and women who sacrifice sleeping in their own beds and kissing their kids goodnight so we have fresh milk in our fridge and gas in our cars. In recognition of their dedication to keep America moving, Henry Repeating Arms is honored to present the Henry Golden Boy Trucker's Tribute Edition.
A trucker is the real deal just like a Henry Repeating Rifle, living life based on the same values of reliability and accuracy. He knows a loaded truck, much like a loaded gun, is something to respect and that safety is key on the road. What is more appropriate for the trucker moving across America then a true piece of Americana — the Henry Rifle, authentically produced, assembled and engraved in the USA by American craftsmen.
A symbol of American Pride, this unique Henry Trucker's Tribute Edition is a testament to our country's appreciation of truckers, their spouses and families and the many miles they log on our behalf. Because if we've got it, there's an American trucker somewhere who made it possible and we salute them.
Golden Boy Trucker's Tribute Edition
Features a traditional 20″ octagonal barrel outfitted with classic fully adjustable buckhorn sights. Work the silky action and you'll instantly feel the craftsmanship that sets an authentic Golden Boy apart from other lever action repeaters.
Ask a Henry Dealer to Quote
You should expect to receive some discount from our M.S.R. Price
Find a Henry Dealer »
On the right side of the rifle is an image of an eastbound 18-wheeler moving commodities coast to coast across the wide expanse of the United States. It has been expertly cut by hand engraver Heidi Roos of Baron Engraving and plated in 24K gold with a banner that reads TRUCKERS MOVE AMERICA. Framing the image and impressed directly onto the receiver cover is classic truck pin striping that any trucker can identify with
The left side of the receiver cover features an engraved image of a convoy of trucks heading west on a ribbon of tree-lined highway. This image is also plated in 24K gold and sports the rightful banner BOUND FOR GLORY. The classic truck pin striping detail continues with bright cuts highlighting the artwork.
The right side of the American Walnut buttstock has a laser etched and hand painted replica of a Truck Stop sign in multiple colors. This welcoming trucker icon is a nod to the rest, good food and shared camaraderie that truckers embrace on their journeys until they are able to flip flop.


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I traveled to Onderon to meet with the Queen of Onderon Valara Drayen-Kira and discuss the recent happenings regarding Death Watch, the destruction of some shield generators, and more importantly how the Death Watch is holding the heir to the throne, Princess Passion Kira hostage.
The Queen reported that Death Watch, using terrorist tactics, destroyed the two shield generators that protected Onderon, one on the planet's surface, which needs to be completely rebuilt, and the one in orbit, which needs extensive repairs. The one in orbit will be repaired sooner, but only protects the capitol city of Iziz. The one on the surface, which protects the planet, will take months to rebuild. Continue reading
With their home world, The forest of Endor being taken over by ISM, we find GARE on New Alderaan. There GNW was able to speak with Arbitras Rexsus II who had this to say…… Continue reading


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Our Sugar Bites campaign is back. And this time we're taking a bite out of sugary juice drinks:
Why sugary juice drinks?
Most parents already know that soda isn't good for young children, but deceptive marketing tactics trick them into believing juice drinks are a healthy alternative. They're not. Most popular children's juice drinks contain little fruit, unnecessary calories, and loads of sugar. Eight ounces of soda and eight ounces of apple juice both have 27 or more grams of sugar (that's over 6 teaspoons!).
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children between age one and six consume no more than four to six ounces of 100% fruit juice daily, if at all. The reality is preschoolers drink twice that every day, and even more if they live in low-income households.
"There is no benefit to consuming juice over whole fruit. Drinking a large amount of sugar without the fiber in fruit that makes you full is not good for anyone, especially young children," said retired cardiologist and former Richmond City Council member Dr. Jeff Ritterman. "Even diluted juice drinks can give kids cavities and increase diabetes in the future. My advice to parents is to serve children water or milk."
According to researchers, sugary drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the diets of children and contribute to tooth decay and childhood obesity. Already half of California children experience tooth decay before kindergarten.
While new data shows a promising decline in childhood obesity rates among preschoolers, significant disparities remain. African American and Latino preschoolers are three to five times more likely to be overweight or obese compared to white children.
Health advocates say one in three U.S. children born after the year 2000 – and nearly half of Latino and African American children – will develop type II diabetes in their lifetimes unless trends change.
Establishing healthy habits at an early age is critical.
New evidence shows that children who are overweight or obese by kindergarten are five times more likely to remain obese as an adult. Sweet beverages like juice drinks can lead to bad eating habits by training kids to prefer and demand something sweet.
One remedy is simple: serve water instead of sugary drinks.
About the campaign:
Look for English and Spanish ads on BART platforms, transit shelters, billboards, and convenience store windows in Bay Point, Concord, Pittsburg, and Richmond.
New bilingual Sugar Bites juice brochures, posters, and magnets will be distributed in health centers, nonprofit organizations, and child care programs. To order these materials, please contact Tracy Irwin: email@example.com.
Sugar Bites is a project of First 5 Contra Costa, Healthy and Active Before 5, and Kaiser Permanente.
For more information, visit www.cutsugarydrinks.org.


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Offices and Class A Buildings
Your office says a lot about your company, so don't trust your office cleaning to just anyone. Sayyah's Cleaning has over 30 years of janitorial and office cleaning experience. We not only know how to make you look good, but keep you looking good all of the time. From staff to cleaning products to equipment, we go the extra mile making sure to take care of you.
We will customize our cleaning specifications to meet your facility requirements.
Sayyah's Office Cleaning Advantage
Sayyah's Cleaning continually trains its staff in the latest equipment, methods, and technology. Our staff is always prepared to handle whatever may arise.
We only use the latest equipment ensuring the best level of cleanliness everywhere we clean. With an in-house equipment technician, equipment failure never slows us down.
Cleaning Products
We consistently test new products in our own office to be sure that what we use in your office does the best possible job. We also use Green Cleaning products upon request.
Account Managers
When you choose Sayyah's Cleaning, you get your own Account Manager, who is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take care of anything you may require. Is something not done the way you'd like? Would you like to add additional service? Do you need an emergency cleaning? With ONE CALL to your Account Manager, you can relax with the knowledge and assurance that your need is taken care of. Plus, your Account Manager will visit you, in person, regularly, to make sure everything is going the way you'd like.
Experienced Supervisors
It is our policy that an experienced Supervisor is on the premises while we are working in your facility so you can have peace of mind that your facility is left in good hands.


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When the Building Trades can apply these bullet points listed below to their market chart (example below is a real building trades union market dealt with in class, 1016 total contractors in the jurisdiction) then and only then can we raise our numbers!
1. Create separation of recognitional intent & understand credibility at the NLRB with the majority of contractors. Why broad based letters and contact does not work for the union – but heavily against the Building Trades union. Value on Display has a limited use and is a tool not a strategy
2. Run Health & Welfare contributions for past 5 years on union contractors
3. Develop SIC Code from industry list "cast a wide net"
4. Start due diligence on the 4 parts of technology/Contractor Marking Campaign
5. Plot by revenue all your non/anti-union & union contractors on Revenue Chart
6. Build industry chart to see your overall market share & density of your work
7. Use multi-color data points which denote all contractors areas of work
8. Develop your unions Compression Zone(s) – drill down to sectors
9. Prioritize which specific sectors of the Compression Zones need market development and/or organizing and specifically what tactics will be used and why – specific contractors names
10. Make determinations about non vs anti-union sentiments within Compression Zones – put marks around plot points to denote sentiments.
11. Watch for exceptions, which may be outside of your Compression Zones, such as specialty contractors & whales that exist in legacy markets. Enter opposition research of contractors
12. Start to find members/ex-members with companies at residential & service markets, to populate that tier –using the pit-bull, puppy strategy coupled with technology
13. Move to develop the technology that your union can to again become relevant in the market and also advance our contractors using that as a strategy
14. Pull flash credit reports on companies in Compression Zones that are non-union
15. Pull developed/full credit reports on anti-union
16. Tee up the anti-union contractors within the Compression Zone(s). There are several tactics which are deployed – just some are mention here
• Top-down & market heavily to end-users, CM, GC & others that influences' decision adjacent to the Compression Zones
• Cyber bottom-up organizing – a new way to use traditional bottom-up
• Roll in member non-union contractors & any high value non-union contractors with CMP for service & residential markets in this time frame
• Hard professional line in the sand with anti-union contractors end-users, CM & GC that are in the Compression Zone
• Attack hiring with a vengeance with mass apps if available & hard signals that attack and control hiring by the non-anti/union
17. Full on use of social signals for both internal, political and advancing our union contractors – turn on the social signals from the members to dominate the service & residential markets, plus more
18. Switch to Defense Fund use to heavily influence non/anti-union markets – literally
19. ………………………………………
Danny L Caliendo
Labor Rising Group


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The following was written some time ago, but unfortunately, I live in a world full of germs and I caught Influenza A and subsequently forgot that I had written this blog, let alone that I needed to post it. It seems a shame to waste my ramblings; so close your eyes (then open them again so you can read) and take yourself all the way back to December 2016:
You may think that Christmas was so last year, but as today is the 10th Day of Christmas, I think I can just about sneak a blog post about Christmas under the radar. Plus, ordinarily I love Christmas, so it would be remiss of me after a year of blogging very little, to not recognise Christmas as it is a pivotal part of my annual calendar.
This year, things were different. I found it incredibly diffficult to get into the Christmas spirit. The Christmas spirit usually comes so easy to me. The drugs seemed to have sucked all the energy out of me, preventing me from participating in some of my favourite Christmas activities. Thus, going through December, I was not seeing combinations of red and gold and getting goosebumps, I wasn't singing O Come All Ye Faithful in the shower. I felt nothing. I know what the main cause for my humbug was, and it opens one up to saying a crude but well timed joke about George Michael; was this, 2016, going to be my last Christmas? I'm not plucking this negativity from the air by the way, there's a genuine (outside) chance that it was. With that seed planted, what Hope was there to have an innocent, Myeloma free Christmas?
So, when it came to making my beloved Christmas cards, cards that I had designed and invested time and money into, and had been thinking about since September: I just couldn't do it. For at least three days, I slept next to all of my craft paraphernalia convinced it would help me complete them. It's a similar strategy I employed at university walking round with the biography of Menachem Begin for six weeks, hoping that it would go in via osmosis. It didn't work then either. Comparing the feeling I had to university stress is apt. The enjoyment I was gained from this activity, had passed. All I felt was undue stress.
I argued with myself for three weeks. You enjoy it, Emma! Pull your finger out, Emma ! Everybody is expecting them! You are a failure! That was one side, the other side just rolled over and fell asleep. It seems like such a mundane thing to get so upset over, but upset I was. Every year since I was diagnosed, I have made my own Christmas cards. Last year, I made and sent over 50. Was the fact I could not do them a sign that medically, I am detiorating or had the Grinch simply stolen my Christmas?
I cannot answer those questions, but on top of not making and sending Christmas cards, I also failed to do any Christmas themed baking or make the additional decorations for my tree I had been planning for months. The weight of each of incomplete activity, was unfathomable. Is it really possible for me to have an enjoyable Christmas without all the planned activities I once deemed to be fun?
I refused to give in. I sought any excuse for my humbug that did not involve Myeloma and the makings of a bad TV movie. It must have been somewhere. The search felt endless. Could my lack of festive feeling be due to my age? That's never been an issue before, so Veto.
Due to financial restraints brought on by not working and being on benefits , I was unable to buy many Christmas presents. Thinking about what gifts I can buy my loved ones and wrapping them up in a style to suit the recipients personality, has always been a Christmas highlight. But alas, that was no longer open to me. I found that I did not even have the energy to think about presents.
What about work? I thought. My experience of working in an office is that during the month of December (and the back end of November) there would be at least one discussion a day about Christmas. Work drinks, family drinks, Christmas presents, wrapping; the talk was endless. Despite forcing myself to watch endless Christmas movies, perhaps my failure to socialise with colleagues, buoying each other's festive spirits up day in day and day out was the cause of my sadness. 2016 also marked the first Christmas I had not been invited to a work Christmas Do since I was 14.
Could that really be it? Had being forgotten by my work colleagues ruined Christmas? In short, no. Veto. I was invited to the Christmas party last year and chose not to go because I could not afford it, and I did not feel any the worse off. Like last year, my free time has to be used and planned carefully. I do not have seven days and seven nights to play with anymore.
It would also be wrong not to mention the level of pain I was in during December. I was in a lot of increasing pain, which on many a day, prevented me from moving. I don't know how responsible it is, but my chronic pain was definitely guilty of ruining some of December. Upon return to my mother's I discovered that I could no longer climb stairs without using both banisters. Yet another sign of deterioration perhaps?
Somewhere around the middle of December, coincidently, the day Rogue One was released, something strange happened. I uttered the words out loud that I was not going to be able to complete the cards, Mamma Jones told me it did not matter, and I began to relax. I really relaxed. My dear sweet Mamma lifted the weight off my shoulders at a most crucial time. Socialising time.
The 16 December launched four days of back to back socialising, which believe me, is now something very hard for me to do. I was suddenly busy and somewhere in that busy-ness, and laughs with my friends, I stopped dwelling. I stopped yearning for what once was and I began to enjoy myself. I smelt satsumas, mince pies and sang along to the Muppets. Finding my way out my slump gave me goosebumps.
And then, there was home. Home. Aware, at least I think they were aware, that I had been on a long Myeloma Downer, my family pulled out all the stops (at least I think that it was intentional). Christmas itself was marvellous. For the nine days I was home, Big Sister and her offspring were around for eight of them. I felt loved. The time went so quickly, that when it came to New Year's Eve, I did not want to leave my family. For leaving meant that Christmas would be over and we might not know another one like it.
Before I move on, anybody advising positivity, believe me when I say that I do not want my fears to become a self fulfilling prophecy. My fears are real and I cope with them by voicing them, much to the chagrin of my loved ones. I see things more clearly this way.
I did not intend to enjoy Christmas. I had been so worried that it was going to be my Last Christmas, that I was convinced I would find every tradition, every action, melancholy. Melancholy doesn't cover it, I thought that every tradition, every action would rip my heart out through my throat and lay it bare for all the world to see. Thankfully, that did not happen.
This photo clearly shows me unwillingly embarking on my journey back to London Town.
For me, our Jones Family Christmas worked so well because everybody, well all eight of us, was home. At no point was I stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Between Mamma Jones, Big Sister and my neices, I had plenty to do. We did things together as a family and had family fun; I wanted to bottle the feeling up and savour it.
I do wonder, with the benefit of a few days of hindsight, if it is possible to have a Christmas without the feeling that it will be my Last. Should I have just saved this blog for next Christmas? It's the unknown. Everything from here is unknown. I do know that things are changing, I can feel it in my aching bones. I was aware as of the 22 December that my treatment is going to change at some point in the near future, meaning my current treatment is failing. We are running out of options. Another daily thought that added weight to this theory of doom.
I spent my New Year's Eve with some friends, doing things that adults do like watching Jools Holland, eating nibbles off paper plates and playing board games. Somehow, I managed to stay out until 4am. I don't think I did that for all of 2016. To fast forward, I did not have a hangover on New Year's Day. A success by no stretch of the imagination.
For the evening in question, I had managed to surround myself with good people and there were a few times during the evening that I could feel that hand approaching my heart again, ready to detach it from my body. I really am full of emotions these days. I don't want to repeat earlier paragraphs, but essentially high from my visit home, now surrounded by friends I love, I wished that this was not my last New Year's Eve.
Despite being asked the question, I did not make any resolutions for 2017. I do not see the point, not for me anyway. Every time I was asked about resolutions or plans for 2017, my answer was the same. I do not want to make noticeable changes. I want to keep on living. I want to be able to do what I am doing, maintain my freedom. I want to enjoy my friends and my family. Most of all, I want to be able to make the most of my good days and get through the bad.
Perhaps these are resolutions after all.
And this is where the writing stopped and the flu took over. It took over for a whole fortnight, marking a great start to 2017. I know what caused the flu (New Year's Eve) and who the culprit was (Nameless). I still would not trade NYE's, despite the vomit and general foulness of the flu. I was 'living', right?
EJB x