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The Edmonton Men's Health Collective Society (EMHC) is launching a new Community Response-Driven Accessibility Project focused on engaging diverse groups of the GBTQ2S+ community to explore what accessibility looks like to different segments of our community. It is EMHC's goal for GBTQ2S+ men and masculine identifying folks to feel they are able to engage with the EMHC's education, programming, and services in a safe, inclusive, and meaningful way regardless of the additional intersecting marginalizations they might experience.
Date of posting: Jan. 30
Interviews will begin: Feb 11
Anticipated start date: March 1
Project Title: Belonging: Community Driven Responses to Enhance Accessibility
Position Title: Accessibility Coordinator
Position Location: Edmonton & area
Compensation: $25/hr for a total of up to 50 hours
Term: March 2019 – September 2019
About the EMHC:
The EMHC is a grassroots health organization run by and for gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirit (GBTQ2S+) men and masculine identifying folk. The EMHC's vision is for all GBTQ2S+ men to have equitable opportunity to experience positive health and well-being. We achieve this through community education, capacity-building, and support; provider training; and community-based research.
About the project:
Since its inception, the EMHC has been engaged in ongoing, critical reflection regarding how it can be
more accessible to and representative of GBTQ2S+ individuals and communities who experience multiple intersecting identities This may create barriers for engagement with the EMHC's education, programming, and services due to the impact of intersecting forms of stigma and oppression, such as cis-sexism, heterosexism, racism (specifically anti-indigenous and anti-black racism), ableism, and xenophobia.
The EMHC will strive to achieve this through:
- Implementing a series of consultation groups to explore what accessibility looks like to different segments of our community;
- Define accessibility in a tangible way through the development of a robust accessibility policy and action plan;
- And implement accessibility enhancements which break down barriers, enhance overall accessibility to services and programs, and create a sense of belonging.
Some specific groups which have been identified through discussions at this time include GBTQ2S+ individuals who also identify as:
- indigenous and/or two spirit;
- people with disabilities;
- LGBTQ newcomers;
- people belonging to racialized communities;
- trans and non-binary
The Role of the Accessibility Coordinator:
The Accessibility Coordinator will also facilitate the creation and engagement of a GBTQ2S+ advisory group. This advisory group will be comprised of key people belonging to the initial consultations. The advisory group will help determine the direction of an accessibility policy and action plan through ongoing consultation.
Together, the EMHC, the Accessibility Coordinator, and the advisory team will review the input from consultation groups and collaboratively develop:
- An accessibility policy which will set out clear, actionable, and binding requirements for the EMHC's educational resources, programming, and services, to ensure that they are accessible for all members of the communities the EMHC serves;
- An accessibility action plan that includes tangible, time-bound actions the EMHC can take to enhance its accessibility for the communities it serves, thus enhancing their sense of belonging – as defined by members and leaders within those communities.
Key Responsibilities and Deliverables include:
- Attending and assisting in organizing community consultation meetings
- Note-taking and Summary Development from community consultation meetings
- Note-taking & Summary Development from advisory team meetings
- Developing the First Draft of the Accessibility Policy and Action Plan
- Development of Second Draft of Accessibility Policy and Action Plan
- Development of Final Draft of Accessibility Policy and Action Plan
- Attend a series of internal EMHC meetings as determined
The Accessibility Coordinator will report to the EMHC Project Manager and may be given the opportunity to present the above deliverables in Team or Board Meetings.
Some post-secondary level education in a related field required,
Training in research dissemination and / or policy writing is an asset.
Lived experience as a member of additional intersecting identities to GBTQ2S is welcomed.
*such as (but not limited to): GBTQ2S people who are indigenous, racialized, living with disabilities/disabled, trans, non-binary, gender diverse, or newcomers
Experience providing research and facilitation in qualitative methods (i.e. interviewing, focus groups, etc.) is considered an asset.
Paid, volunteer, or training experience in the fields of GBTQ2S+ men's health, accessibility and inclusion, intersectional advocacy, and anti-oppression is desired.
Desired Competencies:
Community Engagement: The Accessibility Coordinator will be required to engage meaningfully with a diverse range of community members. Demonstrated experience effectively engaging individuals in a variety of settings, with tangible results (responsibly representing different perspectives in the project deliverables) is an asset.
Network & Relationship Building: The successful candidate will be required to establish and maintain relationships with key partners. Previous experience developing and maintaining relationships with a diverse network of stakeholders will be an asset.
Time Management: The successful candidate will enjoy a flexible work schedule. However, they must be able to manage their time so that they are able to meet an ambitious schedule of deliverables. Demonstrated ability to execute responsibilities on a tight timeline in flexible work environments with minimal supervision is an asset.
Conflict Resolution: We are all human. And where there are humans, there will be conflict. At some point throughout the program, conflict will emerge. The successful candidate should identify opportunities for conflict and address them before they emerge. When conflict does emerge, the successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to address it in an effective and sensitive matter so that all parties feel supported and are able to move forward in relationship with one another.
Equity: Some sexual and gender minority individuals also experience additional intersecting identities which can result in increased experiences of stigma and discrimination. In turn, this can result in some individuals facing additional barriers to health and wellbeing, as well as barriers to participation in programs and services. The successful candidate should have a working knowledge of the concepts of equity, intersectionality, and anti-oppression and be able to apply them in a way that benefits the experience of all program participants. Demonstrated experience applying these principles will be an asset.
$25/hr for a total of up to 50 hours
March 2019 – September 2019
(Timeline may be subject to change as needed)
Anticipated start date: March 1
This project has a total amount of 50 hours. Hours are flexible as this project is more based on the deliverable. The Accessibility Coordinator and the EMHC will agree on a timeline upon hiring.
Hours are flexible; some evening and weekend work required
Some months will require more time than others. Largest concentration of hours will be dedicated to research summation and policy writing (between June and September).
How To Apply:
Thank you for your interest in working with us.
Applicants should send both a cover letter and resume to email@example.com. The cover letter should clearly articulate the applicant's suitability for/interest in the role, with specific attention to:
- How the candidate has demonstrated some of the desired competencies in their current or previous roles
- How the candidate's combination of work, education, volunteer history, and lived experience meet the qualifications as set out and
- Their relationship to/experience working with the priority population(s) (GBTQ2S+ individuals and other intersecting identities)
- Why they want to work for the EMHC/do this type of work
Applications can be addressed to the EMHC Hiring Committee. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning February 11 but will continue to be accepted until the successful candidate is found.
Interviews will begin the week of February 11, with an anticipated start date of March 1.


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Testicular Failure
Definition - What does Testicular Failure mean?
Testicular failure is when the male reproductive organs, the testicles, are unable to make sperm and testosterone (the male sex hormone). A man suffering from testicular failure has difficulty producing viable sperm and is infertile. This disorder can be the result of a genetic mutation (congenital) or due to damage sustained from injury, chemicals, drugs, or disease (acquired). Testicular failure is very uncommon, affecting only 1% of all men. Of men who seek medical help for fertility testing, 10% are infertile because of testicular failure.
FertilitySmarts explains Testicular Failure
There are two types of testicular failure: primary, which is caused by a problem in the testicles themselves, and secondary, a result of an issue with the hypothalamus or pituitary glands in the brain, ultimately causing the brain to stop signaling the testicles to produce testosterone.
Causes of testicular failure include the use of some types of medications, chromosomal abnormalities, diseases that affect the testes such as cancer or mumps, testicular torsion (twisted testes), varicose veins in the testes, inflamed testes, and injury. Certain lifestyle choices can also increase the chances of developing testicular failure, such as riding a motorcycle or bicycle, or frequent use of drugs such as marijuana.
Secondary testicular failure can be diagnosed early in life, after noticing certain signs and symptoms. These include delayed puberty, lack of puberty changes (voice does not deepen, no facial hair growth), small stature, and reduced sexual development. In this case, the brain is not producing the proper levels of hormones to cause puberty changes. Primary testicular failure symptoms can include a loss of muscle mass, loss of armpit and pubic hair, lack of sex drive, enlarged breast tissue, a decrease in height, a disappearance of facial hair (or slowing of facial hair growth). It can be difficult to diagnose testicular failure in older men, as their testosterone levels naturally decrease with age.
Testing for testicular failure usually involves blood testing to check the patient's testosterone and other hormone levels, which can be strong indicators of this condition. Doctors might also order a sperm count or genetic testing.
Hormone supplements can be used as a treatment, to get a patient back to normal levels of testosterone and other hormones and encourage the production of sperm. This is dependent on the cause of the testicular failure and does not always restore fertility. If testicular failure is caused by lifestyle choices such as drug use or hobbies such as motorcycle riding, avoiding these activities can allow the testicles to return to normal function. Testicular failure that is caused by genetic mutations cannot be treated this way.

subset: commoncrawl


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13th May 2019
11th January 2019
21st May 2018
10th January 2018
25th August 2017
Here's a list of the services we provide that you can use as part of your marketing activity.
Can I help you with any or all of these? Then call me on 01332 314101 or get in touch.


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The open carry law went into effect in Texas on January 1st, and contrary to what anti-protectionists thought, things have gone rather smoothly. Well, except for some businesses that have reserved their right to ban all guns from their property.
One Applebees in Copperas Cove decided to enact a policy that banned all open carry and concealed carry weapons from its restaurant.
And because a gun owner used his Facebook page to exclaim his resolve to find other places to eat the restaurant decided to change its policy
According to kwtx.com,
The Cove Applebee's at 2525 East U.S. 190 allowed neither concealed nor openly carried handguns until Copperas Cove Mayor Pro-Tem Kirby Lack's post about the policy on his personal Facebook page.
Lack said nearly 200 of his friends indicated they would consider taking their restaurant business elsewhere.
"My personal concern is when I read it in the newspaper that they had no concealed carry or open carry. That means I can't go there because I'm not going to go in there without one so I thought the best thing to do was go and talk to the manager," he said.
Lack said he visited the restaurant to show the manager the Facebook comments and ask why concealed-carry was not allowed.
He was told the concerns would be taken to "higher-ups," and apparently they were, because the Cove restaurant now allows concealed carry except in its bar section.
"I didn't do this is trying to start a revolt. I want Applebee's to survive, to do well, it's one of our premiere eating places," he said.
Lack is a survivor of the Oct. 16, 1991 shooting rampage at the Killeen Luby's restaurant that left 23 people and 20 others injured.
The massacre fueled efforts to pass the concealed carry law in Texas.
The state's open carry law went into effect on Jan. 1.
"Since the laws passed, I've really heard nobody grumbling. I've only heard maybe two or three people at the most. Everybody was saying, we're going to go see a bunch of cowboys walking around, I've seen nobody open carry," he said.
The people here in Texas, we've been carrying pistols since we were kids. The majority of us anyways. It's just normal people wanting to protect themselves."
Applebee's restaurants in Waco and Killeen said they allow neither open nor concealed carry.
The Temple location would not comment on its policy.


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Boswells Blog
- 3rd July 2015
Our visit to Headway Oxfordshire
In June myself and a colleague had a morning out to visit our 2015 charity Headway Oxfordshire. Although we had a lovely time the main reason was to find out for ourselves what Headway Oxfordshire do and meeet some of the staff and most importantly the users of their services. As a reminder Headway Oxfordshire specialises in providing support and rehabilitation services for those recovering from brain injury and to their helpers. You can read more about this previous blog.
When we arrived at Headway Oxfordshire's office we were slightly surprised because it is actually a Church part of the Diocese of Portsmouth. Turns out that they are in the process of buying the building from the Diocese with church services to continue as before. This initiative is just part of Headway Oxfordshire's expansion plans, more of which later. So after Victoria on the left of the picture greeted us we went straight into the building for a tour.
"My Favourite Day"
There were already service users inside havng a chat and a catch up in preparation for the first of the day's activities, a chair yoga session with a cooking session in the afternoon. Yesterday there had been a picnic at the Botanical Gardens and quizzes, games and trips to the cinema are also favourites. As we discovered when speaking to Sheila and her husband Harry who had a stroke 3 years ago, the interaction with other carers and those in recovery is absolutely vital to them. Harry said it was "my favourite day" and said that it until starting at Headway Oxfordshire 18 months ago he had "felt very isolated". He went on to say that "seeing the improvement of others was vital to me to understand was was possble and inspire me to continue my own hard work". Sheila who is caring for Harry spoke of the ability to have a little time off during the activities in a "perfectly safe" environment and how much that break is needed. Having been married for 31 years the devotion to each other was very clear, but they acknowledged the challenge of dealing with Harry's changed circumstances. His impressive wheelchair had to be privately bought and Headway Oxfordshire was their ONLY opportunity for support after leaving hospital.
Leaving the users to their yoga we chatted to some of the volunteers. Jill has been an unpaid volunteer from its beginnings in 1982. At the time her own son had suffered a traumatic brain injury falling down stairs at home when he was 16 and has needed 24 hours a day supervision ever since. That is a huge adjustment and although her son now lives in a community in Cornwall where he is looked after Jill spent the first 10 years completely on her own looking after her son without a break. So it's not a surprising that she is a warm and passionate advocate of the charity.
"Can Never Go Back To What They Were Before"
We were particularly taken by Jill's points that the impact of brain injury can be hidden by a superficial glance. Her own son being " a fine figure of a man in his forties and you don't know until you start speaking to him that this is someone who needs special help". Also that Jill has seen "more lives being saved by advances in surgery, resulting in people living for normal lifespans but no plan to help them do so". Which is of course where Headway Oxfordshire and their fund-raisers come in!
Patrick is a long term staff member who apart from arranging the extremely popular quizzes (Harry is a fan) visits a specific person twice a week. He noted that both volunteers and carers have to handle the frustration and even anger of people affected by brain injury who "can never go back to what they were before". There are sometimes actual changes of personality or missing memory as well as the understandable emotional rollercoaster of surviving, but being changed. Naturally this is nearly as traumatic for the carer often a partner or child who knew the person before. As a professional visitor this isn't an issue, but handling emotional outbursts is still very much part of the job. In the case of his client he can work with them on building skills that they just can't do unsupervised, but did every day for 40 years before their injury, helping their self-worth and confidence in the process.
Headway Oxfordshire are careful to involve carers as much in activities as they want to be involved. The carers weekends away are a blessing for many but a complicated arrangement for the charity as some wouldn't enjoy it without those they care for, whilst others really need a complete break. So the staff are always "trying to find a balance" and "get feedback each time and act on it". They've just had their annual weekend break away, this time in Winchester.
"Headway Oxfordshire Is A Small Charity That Always Needs More Funding"
We moved on to see some of the permanent facilities available to users including some quite sophisticated physiotherapy equipment in a divided area from the main room. This area is naturally always supervised, but is used particularly intensively on Wednesdays when the high dependancy users visit. Whilst we were there some users were making use of the co-ordination therapy items and having a chat at the same time.
The facility also has a quiet room for private conversations and some offices. In the first office we met Charlotte, Claire and Jamie the CEO of Headway Oxfordshire. So we were able to get a real look at the challenges facing them as well as the opportunities. Jamie noted that "Headway Oxfordshire is a small charity that always needs more funding" and also that "the longer term funding streams tend to come with very specific rules on how they can be spent. This makes the funding raised by companies like Boswells and individual contributions hughly valuable as the money can go as and where needed at that time. Which is why every donation is particularly appreciated."
A dependency on grants means that plans can only be made for the length of a grant and often there is a tendering process which can be time consuming. Jamie says "The increased tendering and subsequent monitoring processes have changed charities a lot in recent years. Now charities are more professional, with increased plan quality, but you have to ensure that you stick to the original ethos and provide the needed services rather than be all about meeting funding rules". That rang a bell with us as at Boswells we try to keep close to our customers and keep our identity whilst keeping pace with the modern world.
Part of the challenge to the original Headway Oxfordshire ethos is that although they provide their services for free the number of people who have a brain injury receiving funding has decreased a lot. This is because only those who undergo an assessment and are classified as having a critical or substantial need will now get funding. Many people don't even know about the assessment.
"More Lives Being Saved By Advances In Surgery, Resulting In People Living For Normal Lifespans But No Plan To Help Them Do So".
Another challenge is transport. Most users can't drive and require transport to Headway Oxfordshire. Thus their own ambulance, but this will soon need replacing. However the biggest need is drivers and co-ordinating the journeys across the whole of Oxfordshire to get to Kennington. If you are interested in helping, volunteering as a driver is definitely a good solution. They can even pay your transport costs if you are using your own car.
Another way they have reacted is to open satellite groups around Oxfordhire where users, volunteers and outreach workers can meet. Although the physiotherapy kit is missing at least that vital social interaction, confidence building and peer support can continue.
Even with the funding challenges this is an exciting time for Headway Oxfordshire. The aim of buying the building is the first stage to expand the building and its facilities, including a fully functioning kitchen. At the moment only cold preparation can be done and this isn't just about feeding users, but kitchen re-training for users to look after themselves. The outreach workers who currently share a portakabin may even get room to swing their arms when they walk around the office! The planning permission is already done.
My colleague and I were very moved by our visit and we are delighted that Boswells and its customers can help improve people's lives in this way. It is a sobering thought that accidents that result in brain injury as well as illness can strike anyone at any time. Although Headway Oxfordshire currently supports around 400 people there are actually over 3000 registered people suffering from traumatic brain injury in Oxfordshire. That is a lot of people potentially isolated and with overworked carers who more money can help reach.
If you are interested in helping Headway Oxfordshire then you can donate via Boswells in store or at http://www.headwayoxford.org.uk/ or by text HWOX01 plus your amount to 70070. Or contact Headway Oxfordshire to become a driver, volunteer for the centre, be a handyman or help with the admin. See what a difference you can make and you won't regret it.
- 23rd June 2015
How the right pillow can help you get a good night's sleep
Tunde from our linens department is an expert on pillows and an advocate of the right fit for you. We hope her advice will be useful here, but don't forget you can come and see our Linens team if you want some face to face advice.
Something to bear in mind is that we spend approximately one third of our lives in bed! So in life you deserve a good pair of shoes, a good mattress and an excellent pillow. A poor night's sleep can ruin your day. So let's avoid that and find the best pillow for a comfortable nights sleep.
You have plenty of options to choose from in our store. We also have plenty of samples for you to try from our range, so don't be shy and test some out.
We are all very different and so are pillows so which one is the best for you?
It depends on the following:
Your mattress hardness
If you are keen to spend a bit on a good mattress, it will only be worth it if you will buy the right pillow to match it. The mattress hardness has an effect on the pillow's thickness. If you have a softer mattress your shoulder may sink into it and therefor a thinner pillow may suffice. If you have a harder mattress the opposite is true.
How broad your shoulders are
A person with broad shoulders and a wide neck will probably need a firm pillow to get the right support.
Your sleeping position
What is the best sleeping posture? We don't think there is a definitive answer for that but flat on your back is a winner according to most experts. It reduces pressure on your muscles and joints and even prevents your face from wrinkling since it is not being pressed into the pillow. The only disadvantage is that a person sleeping on their back is more likely to snore!
The danger of sleeping on your side is that if your pillow is too far down, your head 'falls' causing your upper neck muscles to constantly stretch.
Either way, an important thing to remember is to keep your spine straight. An incorrect thickness or a poorly designed pillow will lead to a bad and restless night's sleep and over time can create problems for the spine and muscle tension. A small trick I've been using for many years is to place a small pillow between your knees, especially when you sleep on our side. It keeps your knees comfortable, your pelvis aligned and your spine supported. Try it out!
- A medium hard pillow is the best option when you sleep on your back or side. It has to be large enough to hold up the head and neck but not so large that the head is tilted too far forward.
- If you prefer to sleep on your front (you are a tummy sleeper) the best option is a soft, thin pillow (like a goose down one).
For more information on sleeping positions in regards to health and even what it says about you read more here.
Filling of the pillow
A pillows filling provides support and comfort for the user. It can be natural (feather and/or down – goose or duck – and wool) or synthetic (hollowfibre or microfiber made of polyester). The filling is extremely important to anyone with allergies as natural fillings are likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Non-allergenic – the material itself will not cause an allergic reaction but triggers such as dust mites can still be present over time. This is also what hypoallergenic means.
Anti-allergy – the material is not only non-allergenic, but is actively preventing or minimizing an allergic reaction.
For synthetics the base fibres don't not give off any dust unlike natural fibres and this in itself make it non-allergenic.
The one pillow to mention here comes from Dunlopillo – it has 100% breathable latex for extra comfort.
Natural fillings such as feather or down do give off dust particles and aren't recommended for those with allergies but are absolutely fine for those without.
The wool pillow is also non-allergenic - there is a rare allergy to lanolin a natural oil in wool, but when people think they have a wool allergy it is more commonly a sensitivity to to the texture rather than the lanolin allergy. If you think you may be allergic to wool it is worth getting this checked by your doctor. With a pillow case on top and a smooth finish to the pllow this sensitivity to texture can be non-existant. The main benefit to wool is that it has thermoregulation properties which means it keeps your face warm in winter and cool in summer. Pretty useful.
Memory Foam
If you like a firm pillow you may like the memory foam pillow (normal shape or V-Shaped). The memory foam keeps its shape through the night to ensure you get a good nights sleep and helps to provide a comfortable temperature during sleep.
A V-Shape is excellent for reading and listening to music. If you like reading in bed, the best support would be a memory foam pillow which you can put behind your back in bed.
Whatever the shape, when you buy the pillow in the box it will have been pressed so you should depress your pillow before you use it, by taking it out of the box and plumping it, then just leaving it. It takes 4-5 hours to reform properly. Psst - we have a half price deal on the Dreamtime Deluxe Memory Foam Sensation Pillow with Bamboo and Satin Cover right now!
We have pillows ranging from £9 up to around £65. Pillows have a minimum life expectancy of around 5 years. But I would suggest changing your pillow every year for hygiene reasons. If that seems a bit much at the higher priced end of the pillows, think of it as 15p a night for a goods night sleep as opposed to £2 a day for that coffee gone in 5 minutes.
While I was writing this article I had a chance to serve a customer from the US. He moved to Oxford 2 months ago and was looking for a good pillow. I let him try many different ones and was able to answer a lot of questions that he had. I come from Hungary and I'm aware that my English is not perfect. Fortunately, the pillows speak for themselves! He bought a wool pillow.
See all the pillows on our website herePermalink
- 16th June 2015
The Free Ruskin Theatre Platforms
Oxford is a busy place for literary and theatrical events. Many of us wish we took up more of these opportunities, so Rosie in our Pharmacy shows us a good way to start.
Hearing the sad news of Ron Moody's death reminded me of the time I met him, at the Oxford Literary Festival a few years ago. He was promoting his autobiography and interspersed his talk with snatches of songs from "Oliver". A rare treat and Oxford is one of the few cities outside of London that we get these opportunities more regularly than most.
Another famous writer I enjoyed meeting was Mark Haddon. This was at Ruskin Theatre Platforms last year. He talked about watching the play of his novel "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime" in Denmark. He knew what was happening but he didn't understand a word that was spoken as it was a translated version!
The Ruskin Theatre Platforms are exactly the sort of free opportunity that we can all take advantage of. They are run by Ruskin College's Writing For Performance (WFP) initiative in association with the Oxford Playhouse and incredibly John Retallack (a WFP Tutor), encourages all these talented people to donate their time for free! Thanks to that generosity the events themselves are also free to attend. The money raised from donations goes to support the events and the students.
The format is a rehearsed reading of a modern play followed by a chaired discussion with cast and director afterwards. I certainly enjoy the Ruskin Theatre Platforms and how they manage to get such a depth of feeling with only one day of rehearsal is amazing.
Previous speakers have included: David Edgar, the aforementioned Mark Haddon and the superb actress Maxine Peake who is also the Patron of WFT.
The remaining events this June are:
"Playhouse Creatures" (1997) by April De Angelis at Ruskin on Wednesday June 7th and at the Oxford Playhouse on Friday June 19th. Described as "1669 - a bawdy troublesome year. Theatres have just reopened after years of Puritan suppression, and for the first time, English actresses appear onstage...
"The Lover" (1962) and "Landscape" (1968) by Harold pinter on Wednesday 24th June at Ruskin. Described as "beautifully written...The Lover is the sexiest play I remember seeing on the television" by the Sunday Times and "landscapre is spellbinding" by the Daily Telegraph.
There is normally a second tranch of platforms in the Autumn so it is not over yet...
Everyone is welcome at these FREE events but booking is essential as space is limited. All money raised goes to support more events and students at this well known college. To book Contact firstname.lastname@example.com
The college is a short bus or cycle ride from Oxford City Centre. Further details can be found on: www.ruskin.ac.ukPermalink
- 14th June 2015
Make Dad A Hero This Father's Day
Jen in our Gift's department has observed a few years of Father's Days and is making a special plea this year on behalf of our family heros.
I think our Dad's are rather unsung heros. After many years of deserverdly raising the profile of Mothering Sunday we have rather reached the stage that it has swung the other way and poor old Dad normally get's forgotten. However if you are anything like me as an adult in particular it is Dad you turn to when you need help. As a teenager it was Dad sitting outside the night club at three in the morning waiting to take us home. Dad we call to stop the bath tap from dripping in our first home away from home. Or who thinks of providing a set of tools when we leave home with some advice too.
So the very least we can do is buy a Father's Day card, there are many different types to reflect what Dad means to you personally and writing a heartfelt personal message inside can make all the difference.
Or try a gift that reflect's Dad's interests. We have a fantastic range of models and modelling kits for those fascinated by the world of rail, aircraft, ships and cars. There's the traditional Airfix, Revell, Corgi route or try something unusual with our wooden or metal kits.
Many Dad's have developed a refined taste in drinking over the years (to which we may have contributed) so make it an elegant experience with our ranges of glasses, decanters or flasks for being out and about.
Finally Dad's are by definition men and often strangely fond of their shed's and manly gadgets we have many tongue in cheek, but also actually quite useful ways of showing them we understand the need for time communiing with the bits and bobs box.
So I wrote recently about standing up and buying "A Gift For You" so let's come together on June 21st and "Make Dad Our Hero"! See our Father's Day Gift Ideas here.
- 8th June 2015
When the journey gets rough this technology is tough
Boswells humble beginnings back in 1738 were selling luggage to Oxfordians. Mainly academics, but some of our luggage is rumoured to have been included on voyages with Captain Cook in the 18th century. We have always continued that tradition and we pride ourselves not just on good ranges of luggage, but great advice too.
So Peter from our luggage team being a long term admirer of Samsonite is happy to pass on some of his experience here.
"If it the going gets rough, no problem this technology is tough. In fact I liked it so much I bought 13 cases!"
These were for myself and other family and so far those cases have been to Japan 3 times, Germany twice, Centre Parcs and the less exotic, Malmaison Oxford. They have all returned unscathed and the 4 wheels make them dream to drive even over Oxford cobblestones.
Samsonite Curv technology is used on a variety of their cases including the Firelite, and the brand new Lite-Shock ranges that we keep in stock. The smart Racing Green Firelite is shown here.
The technological bit consists of the way the Polypropylene granules are melted together & then literally weaved like fabric to produce a lightweight case that can withstand even the roughest baggage handling at the airport or being dragged around the world's great sites and cities. This also makes them the lightest hardshell you can buy.
Samsonite have produced this 2 minute video which shows both the creation and testing processes which is as they say "quite interesting".
And if you fancy seing just how much punishment a Curv technology case can take then here you go:
Last but defnitely not least especially for those who travel to the USA is the fact that they all come with a T.S A (travel Sentry Approved) lock. This means you can travel with a locked case and all the security that provides whilst smoothly negotiating customs. The US customs staff have special keys that allow them to open T.S.A approved locks whilst leaving your number code alone. Without an approved lock they have been known to cut cases open or cut locks off!
OK, now the hard bit. These cases do cost that little bit extra and that may be over the top for a single weekend away to Brighton, but if you travel annually or more or for long distances then a 10 year warrenty and the peace of mind that these superb cases provide is well worth it.Permalink
- 4th June 2015
Dinosaurs are back in Oxford!
3.5 tons, around 10 metres long. Large, narrow head with a massive toothless beak. Could move on two or four legs, but was faster on two – up to 15 mph. This is Iguanodon, frequent inhabitant of what is now Oxfordshire, around 125 millions years ago. Thanks to the Oxford Univeristy Museum of Natural History you can admire the reconstruction of it's skull in our display window on Broad Street!
"If you ask most people to name a dinosaur, the chances are they would give a North American example such as Tyrannosaurus rex, but the term 'dinosaur' was actually invented by a British palaeontologist for fossils found in the UK. Oxford was at the very forefront of these early dinosaur discoveries, and exciting dinosaur research is still going on within the museum collections today." says Eliza Howlett, Earth Collections Manager of the Museum.
The Oxford University Museum of Natural History collections include over 1,200 dinosaur specimens. Many of them are of great scientific importance. Highlights include the world's first named dinosaur, Megalosaurus bucklandii, and the world's first sauropod dinosaur, Cetiosaurus oxoniensis. The collection also includes more recent acquisitions such as Juratyrant langhami, a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex from Dorset, which was purchased in 1992.
A very close relative of Iguanodon is Cumnoria, as both are from the same group of dinosaurs called ornithopods. The Oxford Univeristy Museum of Natural History has its almost complete skeleton, found in Chawley Brick Pits in Cumnor Hurst in 1879. Definitely worth seeing!
Dinosaurs in Oxford
During the Middle Jurassic period England was a very warm part of the world. Warmth and humidity created perfect conditions for vegetation, which was ideal for the existing species of dinosaurs. Oxfordshire was covered by shallow tidal sea with a vast network of small islands and lagoons, which definitely helped in preserving a large number of fossils.
In 19-th century a number of brick pits in and around the city in conjunction with growing scientific interests created a great opportunity for many discoveries to come to light, although many of them took place even earlier. The first known illustration of a dinosaur bone was published in Robert Plot's book The Natural History of Oxfordshire in 1677.
The bone was found in a limestne quarry near Chipping Norton, and was thought by Plot to be the bone of a giant. Sadly, the specimen itself has never been discovered in the Oxford University collections, but palaeontologists have been able to identify it from the original drawing as part of the thighbone of the carnivorous dinosaur Megalosaurus.
Megalosaurus is in fact the first dinosaur to be scientifically described. The bones were found over a number of years in underground mines at Stonesfield. The most famous specimen, part of a lower jaw, was in the collections of the Oxford Anatomy School at Christchurch in 1797, and was purchased for ten shillings and six pence. Click here to read more.
Also on display in the Museum of Natural History is the skeleton of Eustreptospondylus oxoniensis. The skeleton comes from a young animal, and is the most complete example of Middle Jurassic theropod (carnivorous dinosaur) from anywhere in Europe. The bones were found at Webb's Brick Pit in Summertown in 1870.
Dinosaurs at Boswells
If you are in the mood for more dinosaurs have a look at our great selection of dinosaur themed toys. Also, don't forget to have a look at our amazing display window with the Iguanadon head from the Natural History Museum. Why did the dinosaur cross the road? Why to get to Boswells of course!
Oxford University Museum of Natural History is open daily, 10am - 5 pm, and admission is free. This year, the Museum has been chosen as one of six finalists in the prestigious Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year 2015. The annual prize, which is widely regarded as the most prestigious award for UK museums, surveys galleries and museums across the UK and selects those which have demonstrated exceptional creativity and ambition over the past twelve months. The winning museum will be announced on 1 July. Good luck! Take a walk through Oxford University Museum of Natural History - watch the video:
main image © Julius Csotonyi
- 25th May 2015
Buy a gift for you!
I work in the Gifts Department here at Boswells and I hear the same thing said time and again. " I'm buying this for myself but I shouldn't really" or " I wish I could buy this for myself" when getting that birthday, anniversary, leaving present for someone else. So why is it we feel like that?
Most of us spend more time working than we do in our own homes. So I think it's only right that we use our hard earned money to treat ourselves!
Who says that a box of scrummy handmade chocolates has to be a gift for someone else and not just something to make us smile? Not saying that should be an everyday treat mind.
Treat yourself to a nice pen for letter writing to family and friends. Then it is a gift that encourages a very personal form of communication too.
Looking smart on a night out is also a real confidence boost so a gift to yourself of a nice pair of cufflinks for you men out there or for women earings or a brooch.
We find that homewares are already products that people generally feel more comfortable buying things for themselves because it is for "the home", but try buying something purely decorative that acts as a reminder that you deserve pretty or stylish things. Or if buying something practical like lanterns for the garden then choose something that shouts you!
Buying yourself a gift doesn't have to cost a lot of course. Sometimes just a decorative pack of tissues for your handbag rather than boring old white can be a nice reminder even when that's blowing your nose or wiping a child's face.
I think that anything that makes us smile, no matter what we have bought ourselves is money well spent. Yes it is a pleasure when others think of us on those special occasions or as a surprise but we can (and should) think of ourselves too. So come on Oxford. Stand up and be counted and "Buy a Gift For You"!
- 20th May 2015
Everyday Essentials For Every Young Lady
Whether you're a busy professional or studying, here's what we think you need.
You never know when your best idea is going to come to you, so it's always worth having a notepad with you and this Japanese Lacquer Box Shidare Ultra Notebook is a little bit special. Lacquered using the Maki-e tradition in tree sap, this is far more stylish than tapping notes on your phone.
Despite the fact summer isn't far away, living in the UK means that there is always the chance of rain so it's better to be safe rather than sorry. we've got a huge selection of different umbrellas, from compact to golf neon pink to black, we're sure that you will find an umbrella you love. One of our favourites is this Minilight 2 Poppy Bloom Umbrella from Fulton with its great pattern and the ability to easily fit in in a handbag.
Hand Cream
Sometimes we forget about caring for our hands, but considering how much we use them every day it's important to give them some love. This Dead Sea Magik hand cream will effectively soften and re-hydrate dry, sore or chapped hands.
Water Bottle
We've highlighted the importance of keeping in our Everyday Essentials for Young Men blog post and in our Winter Skin Care post, and we're going to tell you again here. Drinking water throughout the day has many benefits from keeping skin healthy to keeping your energy levels up. Your body is 70% water, so help it stay like that with the bobble bottles. With a built-in filter system these really are an everyday essential and they look great too.
The sun is shining, the weather is getting warm, and your summer wardrobe is sorted. All you need now is the perfect practical accessories, and this year we've got you covered with our great range of stylish sunglasses. Whether you have enjoy the look of the classic aviators, or you're a fan of the more modern syles like these wooden arm glasses, we've got you covered.
Now you've got your essentials you're going to need a way to carry them all in style and in comfort. You could go for a Healthy Bags which is designed to to help your spine by spreading the weight across your body. We also have a great range of fashionable handbags and bigger holdalls if you're going away for a few days.
Armed with your new bag full of Everyday Essentials, you're now ready to face the world. Don't forget to check out our Everyday Essentials for the Commuter blog post too.Permalink
- 27th April 2015
What's On Around Oxford This May Bank Holiday
Let's hope the marvellous April weather lasts through the May Bank Holiday weekend, but there's lots of fun to have indoors and out. Let us give you a guide. We just have to start the Bank Holiday a little early with...
The Famous May Day Morning
This is an experience every Oxfordian should have at least once even with bleary eyes. As the City Council states "May Morning in Oxford is a traditional celebration of the coming of Spring and brings together Oxford's communities to enjoy dancing, singing and revelry from around the city."
You could make a claim that the party starts the night before as some just don't go to bed, but the traditional start is the Magdalen College choir singing Hymnus Eucharisticus from the Great Tower at day break. This year that is a 6am. Then see a morris dance, hear a concert or have a fry up breakfast.
We recommend the following websites for up to date information and what to do where and when.
The official social media hashtag is #maymorning.
The Dorchester-on-Thames Festival
The biennial Dorchester-on-Thames Festival is one of Oxfordshire's leading Festivals based in the stunning location of Dorchester Abbey. Fun for all the family. It starts on on Friday 1st and ends on Sunday May 10th.
Find out more at http://dorchesterfestival.com/
The British Street Food Festival
From Friday 1st to Monday 4th the Oxford Castle quarter is hosting the British Street Food Awards Regional Final. That means food of the quality we are used to at the Bitten Oxford Events but for 4 days rather than just one PLUS music and all round fun. Performances are ticketed.
Find out more at http://britishstreetfood.co.uk/
Oxford Artweeks
Oxford Artweeks starts on Saturday! The opportunity for Oxford's artists to show off and hopefull get some sales. A great chance for us to meet the artist, get inspired or buy a piece of art we will always remember. Last but not least a good way to tour the county.
Artweeks 2015 runs for three weeks in May, each with a different regional focus: North Oxfordshire 2nd-10th May, Oxford City 9th-17th May, and South Oxfordshire 16th-25th May.
Find out more and including a handy interactive map at http://www.artweeks.org/festival
The Oxford May Music Festival
Music, Science and the Arts meet in creative harmony - April 29th to May 4th 2015. An extraordnary opportunity to delve into science with the experts and be transported by beautiful music at the same festival. Events are ticketed.
Find out more at http://www.oxfordmaymusic.co.uk/2015-festival-programme/
Love Oxford
This Sunday sees an outdoor Christian service on Broad St at 11am. Previous years have seen over 2000 people gather from over 30 churches. So if you are looking for a spiritual way to spend this Sunday this seems like a prime opportunity. After the service drop into Boswells and by showing your programme get a one off 20% discount in the store!
As the organisers at St Aldates church say "We will be coming together on Sunday 3rd May at 11am for an outdoor church service. This is an amazing opportunity for the churches of Oxford to come together and for their witness of worship and prayer to be seen in the very centre of Oxford. We are praying that this would be a valuable time of unity between Christians but more than this we pray that there will be fruit and 'great joy in the city' (Acts 8:8)."
Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/events/1545119742417049/ or watch a video at https://vimeo.com/121494063
Outdoors with the kids and nature
This isn't meant to be a complete list of everything around Oxford but the following are great activities for a good weather day if you are prepared to venture into the countryside and are looking for some creature interaction.
Millets Falconry Centre
Near Abingdon - Millets Farm Falconry Centre is home to over 80 birds of prey from tiny Owls to huge Eagles. It is the largest attraction of its kind in Oxfordshire. There is something for everyone, here you will not only be able to admire a wide and deserve range of birds of prey but also see what they are capable of and learn how they live in the wild.
This is a ticketed attraction. Find out more at http://milletsfarmfalconry.co.uk/
Crocodiles of The World
Near Witney - We've listed this before on guides, because, well its crocodiles silly! A conservation and education centre that can provide a safe sometimes even hands up experience with these ancient and remarkable creatures.
This is a ticketed attraction. Find out more at http://www.crocodilesoftheworld.co.uk/
Cogges Manor Farm
Near Witney - A working farm now run as a heritage centre there are pigs, goats, shetland ponies, chickens and smaller animals like rabbits & guinea pigs for supervised handling. Also has a popular cafe and child friendly climbing frames.
This is a ticketed attraction. Find out more at http://www.cogges.org.uk/
What's on at the Museums?
We have a great range of museums and exhibition spaces in Oxford nearly all free so we've gathered up what on this weekend in one place.
The Weston library (formally the New Bodleian)
This magnificent building on Broad St re-opened with a smashing exhibition called The Marks of Genius showcasing the treasures of the Bodleian Library. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see original works by famous writers such as Shakespeare alongside scientists such as Copernicus, music by Mendelssohn, massively important documents such as the Magna Carta and more. Certainly too many to list here. The exhibition last until September 20th this year, but why wait?
Find out more at http://genius.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/
The Museum of the History of Science
Staying on Broad St, as well as the normal exhibition on Alchemy and the Laboratory a collection of painting, prints and manuscripts illuminating the history of science in art there is a special event this weekend called My Memories of Science. Starts Saturday and finishes Sunday.
Come to the museum to learn about amateur science in the past, and to listen to fond memories of science in our everyday lives. Bring along your favourite scientific object, and share your memories with us as we attempt to give life to the long history of amateur science. Led by students from the University of Oxford's MSc in History of Science, Technology and Medicine.
Find out more at http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/events/
The Ashmolean Museum
Just north of Boswells on Beaumont St. Nothing special planned for the Bank Holiday weekend but we can highly recommend the regular Live Friday evening event. This is when the doors are opened between 7pm to 10.30pm for a after hours view of the exhibits with interactive events, workshops and talks. The dining room and cafe are also open.
Find out more at http://www.ashmolean.org/livefriday/
The current exhibition is Great British Drawings as the Ashmolan says "See the very best of British drawings and watercolours exhibited together for the first time. Great British Drawings showcases more than one hundred works by some of Britain's greatest artists." As the Times says "A treaure chest of gorgeous surprises".
This exhibition finishes on August 31st 2015 and is a ticketed exhibit, standard price £10. http://www.ashmolean.org/exhibitions/greatbritishdrawings/
Oxford University Museum of Natural History & The Pitt Rivers Museum
Also just round the corner from us on Parks Road are the double whammy of amazing and odd items at these complimentary museums. Both provide great entertainment for all ages. The Natural History Museum has a special event admittedly aimed at the adults called Leviathan and the Air-Pump: thirty years on on Friday May 1st 5pm, about the clash of two 17th century intellectual giants, Robert Boyle who was investigating the vacuum and Thomas Hobbes who had some concerns about the whole thing. The event consists of a lecture, discussion and drinks reception. The event is free but registration is recommended.
Find out more at http://torch.ox.ac.uk/airpump
Not technically on over the Bank Holiday, but of interest to young & old is the Lets' go fly a kite event on Thursday morning & afternoon. Make your own fish kite and test it out on the Museum lawn. No news about whether singing the song from Mary poppins is compulsory. For under 5s, drop-in.
Thursday 7 May, 10.30am-12.30pm and 2-4pm Find out more at http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/visiting/whatson.htm
Like the Ashmolean the Pitt Rivers does After Hours Tours on some Fridays, although these are ticketed standard ticket £10. The next tour is this Friday the 1st and the 22nd of May.
Find out more at http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/specialevents.html
Museum of Oxford
In the Town Hall building on St Aldates the museum is working with Artweeks to show with Poseytude Gallery an exhibition of emerging artists and finalists of "Change the World" art competition displaying original contemporary art. Original paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture and mixed media art will be available to view and buy.
Find out More at http://www.oxford.gov.uk/museumofoxford
The Story Museum
Part of the May Morning celebrations May Morning Munchies is a chance to sample celebrity chef Sophie Grigson's breakfast treats. This is a ticketed event. Standard Price £4.
Find out more at http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/may-morning-munchies/
Although the museum does have the Pheonix Children's Comic Festival 2015 on for the weekend General Entry Tickets are now sold out, just in case you were wondering. Standard exhibits are closed for the weekend too!Permalink
- 17th April 2015
Everyday Essentials for The Young Gent
Whether you're a young professional who's just started his first proper job or you're still living the student life at university, we think there are some essential every young gent needs. Check them out:
Shaving Cream and Brush
There's no denying that a good razor is key to a close shave, but a proper shaving brush and a high quality shaving cream are in a close second and third place. Using a shaving brush and cream gently exfoliates the skin while getting the cream underneath the hairs for the smoothest possible shave. Some of our favourite cream and brushes come from Kent and Truefitt & Hill, two brands that are very well known and respected in male skin care.
Once you've put the effort into looking good it's time to smell good. Aftershave is a very personal purchase - only you know which smells the best for you - so we've got a different ranges in store for you to try, from the fruity scent of the West Indian Limes to the more hearty scents of Sandalwood aftershave balm.
Tablet Case
You've finished all of your personal grooming so now it's time to pack your bags ready for a busy day.
Lots of people take a tablet wherever they go. If you're one of these people you'll know how important it is to protect it: a smashed screen can come with a hefty price tag. A case or sleeve will not only protect your tablet but make it a stylish accessory as well. One of our favourites is this Ted Baker Canoe sleeve because of its fashionable tartan design and superb protection.
Shirt Case
If you're heading away for a few days there's nothing worse than having to use a tiny hotel iron to get the creases out of your shirt. Skip the hassle and put up to three of your shirts in this stylish shirt case from Gentlemen's Hardware, the perfect way to transport shirts, crease free.
So you're ready to leave the house, but don't forget your wallet, - you probably won't get far without it! There are many things you need to consider when buying a wallet apart from style: how many card slots does it have? Has it got a change pocket? Is there space for anything else you may need? We think a good all-round wallet is this nice simple Samsonite Attack Billfold Wallet, or if you need lots of internal space the Secrid Twinwallet wallet has plenty of room but is half the size of a normal wallet on the outside.
Water Bottle
Our final item is one that is often forgotten but should never be over looked: the humble water bottle. For a busy young gent, keeping hydrated can help keep skin clear (we've talked about the importance of skin hydration in one of our previous blog posts) , can help you stay focused, and can allow you to exercise for longer. Far more environmentally friendly - and cheaper - than regularly buying bottled water, this Wild and Wolf water bottle should always be at your side.
You're now ready to face the world and you're looking dapper as you do it! If you want enjoyed this, be sure to check out our Everyday Essentials for the Commuter post, which will give you ideas for making your commute more comfortable.Permalink


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Milan's esteemed Salone del Mobile – or Milan Design Week as is it otherwise known – returned with plenty of gusto for its 58th edition this year. More than 300,000 furniture designers, architects, journalists and industry experts descend on the northern Italian city to discover new home, furniture and architecture trends set by the industry's powerhouses including B & B Italia, Kartell and Cassina.
Standout design pieces fell into some mighty categories from sustainable practice to retro modernism and plenty of earthy tones for a nod to what the future looks like. This is an era of outdoor living pieces that look more like an invitation to dine indoors, where home decorating serves a cross functional purpose of abode meets career plotting while geometric shapes and prints inform the design ethos for 2020 and beyond.
The Artichoke Lamp
To celebrate the 125th birthday of Poul Henningsen's artichoke lamp in 1958, Louis Poulsen brings the iconic lamp back with a copper rose version for a limited time. It comes with Henningsen's signature engraving on the third row of blades, and creates a musky ambience for a nod to a bygone era. Made up of 72 leaves over six layers, this timeless design is proof what is old can be new again.
Craft lovers need only to look to Missoni's Creative Director Angela Missoni for proof that home is where vibrant colour, Aztec influences and Impressionist painting is as relevant as ever for 2020.
Here, couches get a knitted makeover in earthy stripes. There's jacquard print chairs and pillows, striped curtains for a fringe blowout and ideogramma typography thrown in the cross-cultural mix too.
Bar by Pietro Russo
The Italian Baxter brand continues to lead in design elegance with a satin brass bar – a timely reminder to kick back and drink to that.
"The mini bar is an example of Baxter's understated power," says Melbourne and Sydney-based architect Rob Mills.
"The way it was placed in a lounge room setting at Salone was discreet and you found it on your travels within the space. They're creative, unique and recreate a retro elegance without getting stuck there."
Italian powerhouse Minotti, under the guidance of creative director Rodolfo Dordoni, emerged from Salone with a new vision for the year to tie in with its 70th anniversary – collaborating with artists including Japan's Nendo [who was recently part of the Escher exhibition at the NGV].
His Tape Cord outdoor furniture adds a geometric smile to Italian ideology where chaise lounges and two-seaters get a Zen makeover in a Milanese paradise.
Garden of Eden
Speaking of gardens, the emphasis on plant life was real at Salone with every furniture designer in the halls using plant form to parade their wares. It's a reminder that creating a Garden of Eden within your four walls is as relevant as ever in an overworked world where humans rarely switch off.
"All the top companies showing at Salone had a garden as a centrepiece," says Kendra Pinkus, interior designer at Rob Mills Architects. Whether it was orange trees looming over couches, palm streets leaning over bedheads or cactus at Baxter for a Palm Springs comes to Italia vibe, it's all about thinking about our environment and getting back to it on occasion.
Sustainable Practice
Finnish furniture brand Nikari channeled a calm Nordic energy with a cool collection of 12 Designs for Nature named after each month in the calendar year. The 100 per cent sustainable furniture is where soft curves inform its April tables that come with what appear paper-thin yet sturdy tabletops. The company uses ash, oak and birch wood to recreate the ultimate tree hug.
Paola Lenti Rugs
Nobody quite does colour like Paola Lenti who turns to embroidery and weaving using raw materials for her earth mission to land on your feet. The furniture designer who makes ottomans, couches and dining chairs using rope, turns to ancient and modern inspiration for these handicraft floor pieces – where colour and high tech yarns are designed to add depth to your standing space.
Studio Pepe by Baxter table
The design duo behind Studio Pepe create sculptural tables at Baxter this year – combining concrete with neon cues for a new voice in modernism within the home. The sculpture inspired round tables are informed by a study of shape and subtraction where mathematics and art find a totemic balance in their final vision of excellence. This is where raw and elegant works wonders.
Gucci Décor
Gucci Décor welcomes its first global pop-up store in Milan [which takes over the former Balenciaga building in Via San Spirito where home furnishings and accessories fill this Mad Hatter like Palazzo in the heart of luxury-centric Milan.
There's the controversial Lighten Up ashtrays for all things politically incorrect and kitsch while animal print, leopard, flannelette, silk and mohair blankets add to the lush offerings too. Gucci emblazoned vases (with handmade handles that take two days to perfect), a lounge with a price tag of approx $51,350 and incense burners to hide the sins of those '70s smoke rings.
The writer travelled to Milan as a guest of Rob Mills Architects.


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Product description
- Position: full sun
- Soil: well-drained, poor to moderately fertile
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: August and September
- Hardiness: fully hardy
With its aromatic leaves and upright spikes of violet-blue flowers, Russian sage makes a wonderful companion to all kinds of late-summer ornamental grasses and perennials. In August and September, tiny, violet-blue, tubular flowers appear on silver-grey spikes above the main framework of the plant, among deeply-cut and lobed, grey-green leaves. This deciduous sub-shrub makes a real impact planted en masse alongside a path, where the sage-like fragrance of its leaves can be appreciated, or try it alongside other silver-leaved plants, or in swathes in a sunny border. One of our recommended plants, it copes well with dry, chalky soil and salt-laden air.
- Garden care: As this shrub has a tendancy to flop a little, in March cut back to the permanent framework of the shrub to promote bushier growth. After pruning apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant.
"Incredibly attractive in a traditional or Mediterranean border; also ideal for naturalised gardens (insects love it) or coastal gardens"
Lucy Summers - Greenfingers Guides
"Spires of real blue in September, on a stiff brushwood frame, make this an essential - and the silver-grey skeleton is one of the best winter silhouettes of all"
Val Bourne - Garden Writer


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Saudi Arabia set to become world's biggest tech investor via new US$100bn SoftBank fund
Saudi Arabia is bidding to become the world's number one technology investor after joining forces with Japan's Softbank to create a giant US$100bn fund, which could become a dominant player in the industry.
The mega-fund will be based in London and invest US$20 billion per year – equivalent to one fifth of total global venture capital investment into technology.
The news was released via a statement by SoftBank announcing the formation of the new fund.
It read: "SoftBank Group Corp. (SBG) announces that it will form a private fund for making investments in the technology sector globally, which is tentatively to be named "Softbank Vision Fund."
Saudi Arabia's top sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), will be the lead investment partner with several other large, unnamed investors are in active talks on their participation and could bring the total size of the new fund up to US$100 billion, SoftBank said.
"Over the next decade, the SoftBank Vision Fund will be the biggest investor in the technology sector," SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia
SBG said that it expects to invest at least US$25bn (approximately JPY 2.6 trillion) over the next five years. I also said that it has concluded a "non-binding memorandum of understanding on 12 October with the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (PIF)", under which PIF will consider investing in the fund and becoming the lead investment partner, with the potential investment size of up to US$45 billion (approximately JPY 4.7 trillion) over the next five years.
"The overall potential size of the Fund can go up to US$100bn (approximately JPY 10 trillion)," the statement concluded.
The move is part of a series of dramatic business initiatives launched by Riyadh this year as Saudi Arabia, with its economy hit by low oil prices, now moving huge financial reserves in an effort to move into non-oil industries.
World's largest sovereign fund
As reported, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to expand the PIF, founded in 1971 to finance development projects in the kingdom, from US$160bn to about US$2 trillion, making it the world's largest sovereign fund.
In June, the PIF departed from Saudi Arabia's traditional strategy of low-risk investments and took a step into the tech world with the Uber investment.
That deal which illustrated how Riyadh now hopes to use its investments to develop the economy: Uber is a popular form of transport for Saudi women, who are banned from driving, and is creating badly needed non-oil jobs for Saudi citizens.


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No other sports event has been given such world attention comparable to the Olympic Games than the FIFA World Cup. Without a doubt, the world is in high spirits in anticipation for one of the largest and grandest sports events on the planet.
The gathering of over 32 best teams in the world, fighting for the prestigious World Cup Trophy has also made it one of the biggest betting events in history. People from all over the world are scrambling to put their wagers in free bets world cup that draws hundreds of thousands of active participants throughout the duration of the tournament.
Free bets for the world cup give punters a chance to beat the bookies. You are given the opportunity to play in the World Cup 2014 betting system and a chance to win thousands of pounds with a little risk to your own cash. Bookmakers are enticing new customers by offering free bets world cup when they sign up online. All you need to do is to simply choose any of the bookies and follow the instructions given on how to open an account. Once you have registered online, you can claim your free bet for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Selecting free bet world cup offer
You will encounter a number of headline-grabbing deals for the World Cup, but once the tournament has kicked-off, more generous offers will appear. More usual deals are those that match the money they want you to bet on starting from £5. Most companies are offering £20 and £30 deals, with more deals getting complicated when it involves a larger number of qualifying bet. If you are new to free bets world cup, using a free bet is a great way to start you off.
Your winning potential
You can easily make hundreds of pounds if you are a more dedicated punter next year. But the first thing you need to do is to open an online account with your chosen bookmaker and put in some money. You then have to play some of this money. Whether you won or lost on your bet, you will get the free bets world cup equivalent bet, which is usually up between £20-£200 in value.
Best Free Bets For The World Cup
Below, you will find our pick of bookies that are offering some fantastic free bets & sign up bonuses ahead of the big event. As the event draws closer, we will add all the special promotions & price boosts to the site as well.
[bonustable num=15 type='Sportsbook' orderby='_as_manualrank' sort='asc' ]


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Tami Champagne
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Ask Rococo: Broad Bean Planting
Posted on 30. Apr, 2013 by Philip in Environment & Nature, Featured
Cotswold TV write: "Paul Moir and Steve Quinton takes us on a Broad Bean Planting journey at the Rococo Garden in this episode of Ask Rococo". Use search box for more films from Rococo.
See more about Rococo at: http://www.rococogarden.org.uk/


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Rising growth in house prices
According to a latest mortgage tracker, there has been a sharp increase in the percentage of who are expecting an interest rate rise in the next 12 months. Average of 68% is expecting property prices to be higher in 12 months' time, with just 5% expecting them to be lower. But the fact is quite not surprising as the annual house price inflation is currently 9% (with average house price at £204,674), meanwhile the rise to base rate seem to have impact on house price optimism.
House prices are continuing to have risen and the primary pace of house price growth seem to be strong which helps to maintain the expectation that house prices will continue to rise with increase in the proportion of people expecting interest rate rises in 12 months. The factors that cause pressure on house price are the lack of second hand property sale in market and availability of low mortgage rates.


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Good Morning, ! Today is Sunday, December 11 At times like this I really regret, that I did not choose a career as a street sweeper. Aside from a steady income, I would have a lot of spare time for crafts and to create Christmas presents. Next life! Have FUN! DearWebby
If you can help with the cost of the
Humor Letter, please donate what you can!
When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. --- Eric Hoffer The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's just sort of a tired feeling. --- Paula Poundstone
Budget conscious parents will tell you that it is a traditional, nutritious, lovingly prepared hot cereal breakfast dish. Kids will tell you that the name is an amalgamation of the words "Putrid," "hORRId," and "sluDGE."
GuiltFREE! 50 EASY Recipes You Can Use To Whip-up All-natural, Gluten-free, Diabetic-safe, Mouthwatering Desserts, includes Gingerbread and the Famous Fat Burning Brownies! Includes TWO bonus books: Awesome Appetizers and Better Breads Enjoy a GuiltFREE! Christmas!
An artist asks the gallery owner if there has been any interest in his paintings that are on display. "I have good news and bad news," the owner replies. "The good news is that a gentleman inquired about your work and wondered if it would appreciate in value after your death. When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings." "That's wonderful," the artist exclaimed. "What's the bad news?" "The guy was your doctor."
Thanks to Guinn for his December orchid: Click through for the large version.If you like the Dear Webby Daily Humor Letter, please vote for it at the Ezine Finder: Thanks for your votes!
An INTERNATIONAL BONEHEAD AWARD to Nekiva Vonte Hardy, 30 in Montgomery, Alabama Burger King brawler lied to cops The Alabama woman who recently busted up a Florida Burger King gave cops a fake name, address, and date of birth following her arrest for the melee, a video of which became the latest fast food outburst to go viral via YouTube. The perp told Panama City Beach cops that her name was Kimesa Smith. She gave her age as 23 and said she lived at 2627 Westgate Street in Montgomery, Alabama. In fact, The Smoking Gun has discovered, the suspects actual name is Nekiva Vonte Hardy. She is 30 and lives with her children at 2627 Lark Drive in Montgomery. Her rap sheet includes arrests for cocaine possession, criminal mischief, and hindering prosecution. Hardy, pictured in the above mug shots, is seen at left in the photo taken after the Burger King collar, and at right in the shot snapped following her November 2006 cocaine bust. Hardy gave Florida cops the name of an acquaintance from Montgomery. In an interview, the real Kimesa Smith told TSG that she was shocked to see her name attached to the Burger King incident. Smith, 28, recently completed a two-year prison term (for burglary and theft of property), and is not allowed out of state without her probation officers permission. Smith--who said that she used to have her hair done by Hardy at the Lark Drive residence--could not explain why Hardy would have appropriated her name. Both women attended the same Montgomery high school Hardy also copped to lying to police (and TSG) when she claimed that she had traveled to Florida with three of her four children. If cops thought she had to care for her young children, Hardy surmised, they would be less likely to keep her in custody. On Friday, Florida prosecutors filed formal charges against Smith, who had jumped bail and returned to Alabama after the Burger king arrest, accusing her of felony criminal mischief, two counts of misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest (she initially was charged with only simple battery, a misdemeanor). Hardy will likely face an additional charge (or charges) for the Smith masquerade. Asked if she expected to travel to Florida and surrender on the five counts, Hardy replied, Fuck them, theyll have to come and get me. She added, however, Its gonna be hard to find me. The cops are not worried. She will undoubtedly run afoul of the law again.
Tech Support Pits: From: Ann Re: Making 12 labels per page on Open Office Dear Webby I have downloaded Open Office (again) but can't find a way to do what I need. I am trying to make one small 13 line label and then copy and paste it so I end up with 12 to a 8 x 11 page for easy cutting and using. For my purposes they have to be that small. I cannot for the life of me figure out a way to do it. Periodicaly I also have to change the first line to a different product but the body remains the same. Thanks again for any help you can give me..(again) Ann Dear Ann In Open Office WRITE click on FILE NEW Labels Select an Avery label number, like for example J8164 (3 x 4 labels per page) and hit New Document on that little window. It will generate a page template with 12 labels, three side by side, and 4 rows of them, just like you would print onto the J8164 Avery peel-and-stick label sheets. You can, of course, select any of the countless different label styles. Have FUN! DearWebbyAD #2
If you can help with the cost of the
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A man enters a barbershop for a shave. While the barber is foaming him up, he mentions the problems he has getting a close shave around the cheeks. "I have just the thing," says the barber taking a small wooden ball from a nearby drawer. "Just place this between your cheek and gum." The client places the ball in his mouth and the barber proceeds with the closest shave the man has ever experienced. After a few strokes, the client asks in garbled speech, "And what if I swallow it?" "No problem," says the barber. "Just bring it back tomorrow like everyone else does."
Daily tip from Thriftyfun.com Old Credit Cards for Cleaning I use an old credit card to clean the algae off of the front of the aquarium. I took a watercolor class where the instructor used an old credit card like a squeegee to move paint around. By wasshrunk from Redlands, CA http://www.thriftyfun.com/ Check out ThriftyFun's Blog at http://www.myfrugallife.com Thriftyfun.com also has a newsletter. If you want more than just one tip per day, or if you want to share your tips, then you can subscribe to it here:ThriftyFun Highly recommended! If you like the ThriftyFun.com list, you can vote for it here:
A young minister sitting down to dinner was about to say the blessing when he opened the casserole dish that his thrifty bride had prepared from countless refrigerator leftovers. "I don't know," he said dubiously. "It seems to me that I have asked for a blessing on all this stuff before."
According to statistics, last year over 22 million American families paid a lot of money for things that looked funny and didn't work. Seven million of these were antiques; the rest were their kids.
Ophelia Dingbatter's News
No sermon and not suitable for church, just jokes and fun for grownups. Read it on-line or subscribe. If you subscribe, look for the double-opt-in confirmation request.
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SocialRank Expands Twitter Analytics Service
The Next Web
SocialRank is expanding its Twitter analytics service to include geographic segmentation and keyword searches. Launched earlier this year, "the original version of the service helped brands … scan all of their followers on Twitter and locate those who are most influential, engaged and a combination of the two," The New Web reports. The startup currently counts about 5,000 brand customers.
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Google Adds Ratings To Product Listing Ads
The Wall Street Journal
Google is adding ratings to its "product listing" ads, which, as The Wall Street Journal reports, "are used by merchants to sell everything from juicers to microwaves to flat-screen TVs via Google search pages." The rating system is based on aggregated rating and review data from multiple sources, according to Google. WSJ sees the move as part of broad attack on ecommerce giant Amazon.
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EU Privacy Watchdogs Fire Back At Google
European Union watchdogs have few good words to say about the way Google handles "right to be forgotten" requests from European citizens. There are several concerns, but the one under the most scrutiny is Google's decision to only remove results from its European search engines, such as google.co.uk, and not those indexed in google.com. The company claims the "decision is restricted to localized versions of Google," per Reuters.
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Baidu's Plans For Self-Driving Bikes
Similar to Google's self-driving car, Baidu has been working to develop self-driving bikes. "The project isn't ready to be launched yet but Baidu confirmed it is exploring the idea," writes Aviva Rutkin. Company scientists have spent the past few years increasing their knowledge of artificial intelligence. Baidu hired computer scientist Andrew Ng last year to head a new AI lab in Silicon Valley. He's know for spearheading Google Brain, a research project that harnesses huge clusters of computers to do machine learning.
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ACSI Index: Search Engine Users Sometimes Find Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction with portals and search engines jumps 5.3% to a score of 80 -- largely on the strength of the world's most popular search engine, Google, which rose 8% to an ACSI score of 83. Other search engines and portals fell below Google for user satisfaction. The combined score for smaller, niche-like search engines is up 10% to a score of 77. Bing fell 4% to 73 and ties with MSN, which fell 1%.
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What Is Microsoft Delve?
Seeking Alpha
During the Q2 2014 earnings call, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke about Delve, an Office 365 cloud-based service. Microsoft calls it "a new breed of intelligent and social work experiences." Delve becomes available to some Office 365 customers by the end of 2014. Bing U.S. search query share surpassed 19% and revenue per search (RPS) grew by double digits again, per Microsoft during their Q2 earnings call.
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Can We Attribute 20% Rise In Ecommerce To Search?
New stats from eMarketer suggest business-to-consumer ecommerce sales worldwide will reach $1.471 trillion in 2014, up nearly 20% compared with the prior year. How much of the 20% increase in ecommerce sales can marketers attributed to any type of search? Not likely all of it, but marketers might know if they had a better handle on attribution modeling, suggests Forrester Research. Let us know when you know.
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Best Practices For 5 SEO Myths
Google is global, but not all global search belongs to Google. Google's search bots can now crawl and index JavaScript, but not all search professionals know this. Steve Beatty gives us five SEO myths and shares the best practices that go along with them. He also explains how pages have become the new keyword data.
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Google's Dreaded Spammy Site Notice
Rand Fishkin shows us a screenshot of a message someone received in their Google Webmaster Tools inbox about some links violating Google's Quality Guidelines. Although many site owners have received similar warnings, many of the sites and the links clearly do not violate the guidelines Google's published. It's a slippery slope keeping away from what Google considers "spammy" sites.
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Google Maps Nearby Enhancements Being Tested
Android Police
Google is testing a maps feature that allows users to discover interesting things about their surroundings. Android Police point to the updates for the feature "Explore Nearby." It aims to do a better job to help users search and find information in a specific category. Ryan Whitwarm explains how the updated gives the feature its own button on the bottom right of the map screen and how the categories in the menu are split into focused groups that include points of interest.
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By Shawn Thomas Odyssey
Oona Crate used to be born to be the Wizard's apprentice, yet she has one other future in mind.
Despite owning the infrequent present of usual magic, Oona desires to be a detective. longing for a case to end up herself, she desires to convey her uncle--the Wizard of darkish Street--that good judgment is as strong as magic. but if a person assaults the Wizard, Oona needs to delve even deeper into the realm of magic to find who sought after her uncle dead.
Full of magic, peculiar characters, evil henchmen, and a road the place not anything is common, The Wizard of darkish highway will have you ever guessing until eventually the very end.
"Delightful hide paintings will allure Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman readers, who will benefit from the quirky characters and offbeat humor. Upbeat in tone, this pride is a superb combination of delusion and secret with quite a few suspicious characters and sufficient purple herrings to maintain the reader guessing all of the strategy to the end..."
- Booklist
Read or Download The Wizard of Dark Street: An Oona Crate Mystery PDF
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Additional resources for The Wizard of Dark Street: An Oona Crate Mystery
He set me up completely. " "What will take place now? " Deacon requested. "Well, there'll be a tribulation, of course," the Wizard stated, "and leave out Sanora Crone should testify that crimson Martin blackmailed the witches into stealing the daggers from the museum. Trials are tough issues, and crimson Martin is obviously a smart guy. the way it will all prove is anyone's bet. " "What approximately pink Martin's confession that he had my father killed? " Oona requested. She felt a pointy twinge of anger on the reminiscence. "The witches have been all there. all of them heard him say it. " "Let's wish that all of them keep in mind as sincerely as you do," the Wizard stated. "As I acknowledged, crimson Martin is kind of a difficult guy. As you discovered for your self, Oona, he has the assets and information to slide during the Glass Gates to the Land of Faerie. not anyone else has ever controlled to do this. i've got a sense he'll be really a tricky guy to seize. " The wrinkles concerning the Wizard's eyes sagged, and his face drew out in an expression of deep remorse. "Had I recognized that i used to be borrowing funds from the very scoundrel at the back of my brother's loss of life, i might by no means have allowed myself to be confident to borrow the cash within the first position; regardless of how a lot I relied on Ravensmith. i am hoping you recognize that, Oona expensive. " Oona nodded. She couldn't blame her uncle for being duped. He was once a trusting kind of individual, and that used to be one of many issues approximately him she enjoyed. yet she couldn't aid herself from asserting: "Perhaps try to be extra cautious approximately what you signal, Uncle. " The Wizard gave her a figuring out grin. "Oh, i'll. i'm hoping you can be cautious in addition, Oona pricey. " Oona smiled again, remembering the rfile at the desk and the way her hand had tingled whilst she'd put the pen to the ground of the web page. Samuligan acknowledged: "But now that the Wizard has lower back, purple Martin definitely won't be capable to get his palms on Pendulum condominium. at the very least I won't be wanting to shine that scoundrel's boots. " "That is well a relief," Deacon stated particularly dryly. Samuligan gave him a depraved smile, and Deacon shivered on Oona's shoulder. The Wizard clapped his arms jointly. "What may you all say to becoming a member of the festivities on the park? it is just nighttime, and the masquerade is simply getting all started. i feel a bit frivolity is so as. " Oona's center fumbled on the point out of the park. She wasn't so convinced she used to be prepared for that. She used to be almost about to inform her uncle how she felt whilst a boy stepped into the sunshine of the close by streetlamp, elimination his masquerade masks as he did so. "I got here to work out if there's something i may do," acknowledged Adler Iree. wearing an exceptional, formal tuxedo, he stood beside the streetlamp, the multicolored tattoos on his face glinting within the mild. Oona smiled at him, her middle quickening in her chest. The boy wiped clean up properly, or even along with his insistence on donning that ratty outdated best hat, Oona felt certain that the distinction made him all of the extra good-looking. She thought of him for a second prior to asserting: "There is anything you are able to do, Mr. Iree. " Adler smiled, the tattoos crinkling above his cheeks.


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A few weeks ago we heard news that 21st Century Fox was hoping to sell of a bunch of its assets, having been involved with negotiations with Disney. Those negotiations supposedly broke down before the story broke, but rumour is that both parties are back at the negotiating table.
According to Deadline's Mike Flemming, Disney is "moving speedily" towards a deal that would see it acquire most of Fox's assets. Flemming claims that he's heard the same story we heard before, with the Murdoch family keeping control of Fox's news and sports channels and Disney taking over the rest of the film and TV side.
The decision not to sell the news and sports channels to Disney could be a case of the Murdoch's streamlining their media empire, but it also wouldn't be allowed under US competition rules - since corporations are only allowed to own one broadcast network. Since Disney already owns ABC, it can't purchase another one from Fox.
Flemming believes that if this deal is going to happen, we won't be hearing anything about it until an agreement is reached. Though that shouldn't be surprising, seeing as how businesses generally aren't big on talking about their dealings before there's something worth telling investors.
If true this doesn't necessarily mean that the deal is guaranteed. These things can change at a moment's notice, and seeing as how Sony Entertainment, Verizon, and Comcast (which owns NBCUniversal) have reportedly expressed interest in purchasing Fox. Disney has a lot to gain, though, including a string of rights to both Marvel characters and the first Star Wars film. [Deadline via CBR]