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Turbocharge Design Review Time-Savings with Studio Sessions

Looking for a more efficient way to manage the design review process? Look no further—Studio Sessions’ real-time collaboration will make the once-cumbersome workflow easier and better
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Illustration by Rae Scarfó

Design review is one of the most critical stages of a construction project. This is when all stakeholders of a project—owner, architect, mechanical, electrical and structural engineers, plumber, etc.—convene to look over all the plan documents to ensure that what’s included in the plans matches the requirements for the building. The workflow is also used to ensure that everything within the building’s plans is fully coordinated through all of the different stakeholder contributions to the project.

“A big part of the design review process is making sure that there aren’t any conflicts that would affect the entire design of the building,” said Jeanette Popiel, a product manager at Bluebeam and a former architect. “So, there’s an internal coordination that happens throughout the design review process, making sure that things like mechanical duct is not too low for the ceiling height that was intended for the space.”

In a bygone era, the design review workflow was a cumbersome, time-intensive endeavor. Since each stakeholder is often in a different office spread throughout the country, paper documents would be printed and sent to each different location for them to markup and comment on. Then, once all of the different stakeholder review documents returned to a central office, someone would be responsible for consolidating all of the distinct markups and comments so they can be incorporated in a final set of design documents.

“It’s a tedious process and oftentimes that paper set might float around your office too,” Popiel said. “So, you can only have one person working on it, because there’s one paper sheet. It really does limit who can work on it.”

Digital transformation to the rescue

In more recent years, the digital transformation in the construction industry has played a big role in making many common industry workflows easier and more efficient. Design review is one workflow that has benefited mightily from the evolution of the digital age in construction.

In particular, just as Bluebeam Revu has played a hugely valuable role in digitizing the process of viewing and marking up PDF documents, Studio in Revu—which allows any user to store and manage documents with Studio Projects as well as collaborate on documents with Studio Sessions—has completely transformed the way project teams are able to facilitate the design review process.

Studio Sessions, the collaboration vehicle in Revu, is especially instrumental for design review. Instead of printing off paper documents and sending them to dispersed stakeholders to review in varying locations, Sessions allows those same documents to be reviewed virtually by all stakeholders in the same place in real time.

An architect in New York, for instance, can be making markups and comments on the same set of documents just as an engineer in Los Angeles is making theirs and a plumber or other stakeholder is making their own in Chicago. What’s more, with Studio Sessions, each of the different markups and comments are designated so that each stakeholders’ markups are identifiable. There’s also a Markups List that instantly tracks everyone’s activity on the documents as they’re happening, in the event that someone wants to double check who made what change or comment when.

“Everyone is able to place their comments in real-time,” Popiel said, “and that’s the true benefit because you get to see all the comments as they’re being made; you don’t ship out a paper set and wonder when you are going to get all those comments.”

Suddenly, with Sessions, a design review workflow that might take weeks upon weeks to complete thanks to a cumbersome, paper-based process, is able to be completed in a fraction of the time with far more ease and clarity when it comes time to finalize the review process and move the documents onto the next phase of the project.

How to Design Review in Studio

Here’s how new or novice users can get started with design review using Studio, according to Popiel.

Gather digital drawings, set up a Studio ID

Users can set up a Studio ID account within Revu for free. All they need to do is choose an email and password to use as credentials and sign up. “And from there, all you do is upload your documents to Studio and invite whoever you need to look at your drawings,” Popiel said. “You can send it out to your general contractor, your subcontractors, your owner, etc., so they’re all in tune with all the comments that are happening throughout the design review process.”

Once you invite stakeholders to join a Session, they receive an email link to join and they’re in. “When you invite anyone to your Studio Session,” Popiel said, “if they have Bluebeam Revu, they can sign in and create a Studio account. And even if they don’t have Revu, they can still join your Studio Sessions free of charge.”

Know the right tools

Not every tool within Revu is needed to complete a design review in Studio Sessions. Most of what users will need are the basic markup tools like clouds and call-out text boxes. “Those are probably the most essential ones that you need to know,” Popiel said. “But one tip that I think is really important, especially if you have many reviewers that are inside that same Studio Session, is I would highly recommend becoming familiar with your Tool Chest and having a subject for your markups that are inside your Tool Chest.”

This allows users to sort and filter different tools. “For instance, if you have 10 reviewers in there and everybody is adding a comment that is used with a text box, you’re going to get a list in your Markups List that is just going to say, ‘text box, text box, text box’ under the subject,” Popiel said. “But if you have somebody who has designated a subject inside of their Tool Chest, and they’ve used a markup, and instead of saying ‘text box,’ the subject has been edited, so now it says mechanical. You’ll be able to sort and filter by the different disciplines … it makes it much easier to see all of that information.”

Set up a practice round; create best practices

If you’re a seasoned construction professional used to doing design review on paper but are curious about making the jump to Studio, don’t feel like you have to dive in headfirst right away on a real project.

Popiel recommends that first-time users set up a practice Session first just so everyone has an opportunity to get used to the tools and the new environment. “Everything is always a little difficult the first time,” Popiel said. “So, I would say do a practice session internally within your own company, get used to uploading your files and understanding what people can and can’t do inside of a Session and getting your files prepared for a Session.”

After you’ve had a practice round in Sessions, the next time will feel infinitely easier. “It will become a breeze,” Popiel said.

Lastly, Popiel said users who are newer to doing design reviews in Studio should consider creating a best practices list. “This way you know, ‘What do I need to do before I put my files into a Session? Do I want to make sure that I have my file name? What are the file names going to look like? What are my permissions I’m going to use in the document?’”

Part of a best practices list may be creating a cover page document to send out to everyone you invite to participate in a design review via a Studio Session.

“I’ve seen customers share Tool Sets inside that Studio Session; they’ll have a cover page in the Studio Session that says, ‘Hey, welcome to the Studio Session, click here to download a Tool Set,’” Popiel said.  “That way you’re providing all the collaborators all the markup tools that they’re going to need in that Session.”

“Things like that can really benefit you as the host,” Popiel added, “because now with those Tool Sets, that Markups List will be much better organized and it will be easier to find things because you provided them the markup tools directly within the Session. You’ve also given them directions on what’s expected inside that Session. Usually that results in better outcomes as well.”

Here are five ways to build powerful digital dashboards in Revu


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I'm not at the ACPT this year (sadly) but if you're there, let me know if you see any of these readers in action!

2 thoughts on “ACPT-wear

  1. I did! I did! I saw the glasses case sitting in front of a cute young woman at the tournament, and told her it was great. (Or maybe she wasn’t that young if she was using reading glasses.)

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Scottish Engineering Awards: A Winning Combination

Last Thursday was the Scottish Engineering Awards Dinner 2019, a night of celebrating all that is good in Engineering and Manufacturing in Scotland. Amongst the winners on the night was engineer, Angus Moodie of Aggreko UK in Dumbarton. Angus was awarded the Hammermen Award, a prestigious award presented to a young graduate engineer who has led a project that benefited their company and the industry in general.

Angus is actually the second Aggreko employee in recent years to win the award with Meryl Devlin winning in 2017 but that’s not all Angus and Meryl have in common. Both engineers were actually placed in Aggreko by Escape Recruitment’s Senior Engineering Consultant, Andrew Dow!

angus moodie and andrew dow at the scottish engineering awards 2019

Angus Moodie and Andrew Dow at the Scottish Engineering Awards 2019

Andrew was delighted to see another of his candidates go on to achieve such great recognition for their work saying:

“It was great to catch up with Angus on Thursday evening and to hear about some of the projects he has been involved in during his time with Aggreko. This is a fantastic achievement and I am absolutely delighted for him”.

Scottish Engineering Logo

As active members of Scottish Engineering and regular supporters and sponsors of the annual awards we were thrilled to see many of our customers receive awards and recognition on the night. Scottish Engineering do a fantastic job in highlighting the breadth, ingenuity and excellence in our nation’s Manufacturing and Engineering sectors and we are, as always, proud to be a part of this industry.

You can find out more about the awards and see the full list of winners here.

Escape Recruitment’s Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain team specialise in recruiting within:

Design and Development | Quality | Process | Maintenance | Management |
Projects |Scientific | Supply Chain, Procurement & Purchasing

Connect with Andrew Dow:
Linkedin | 0141 410 9113

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

It was on this day in 1901 that mining engineer Anthony Lucas was exploring for oil on a tract of land he leased in Beaumont TX and produced the world’s first gusher.  It was that gusher that is said to have signaled the advent of the American oil industry, an industry that is scoring well in Quant today.

If ETFs had been around back then, we may have seen Lucas’ company in the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Fund (XOP) which ranks in 2nd place today.  It has 72 constituents closely weighted with the top position comprising 1.62% of the fund.  No wildcatters and con men among them though, these companies have enough earnings and cash flow to garner a decent 73 Fundamental Score.  Poor trading yesterday dinged the fund’s Technical Score down to 56.6 from the low 60s in the prior few days but that has brought out the bears boosting the contrarian Sentiment Score all the way up to 90.9.

Quant’s 5th place Powershares Dynamic Energy Fund (PXI) has about a quarter of its assets in the E&P space with the rest of its 60 holdings closely weighted among downstream energy positions like services and marketing.  It’s focusing on those new American Jed Clampetts who instead of using their land for shooting food are finding bubbling crude buried deep in the shale formations.  It has an even better 87.2 Fundamental Score but these dynamic funds differ from typical ETFs in that the constituents periodically change; so that score could reflect the sponsor’s model skewing towards lower price issues as much or more than the issues within trading at historically attractive valuations.  That said, the dynamic funds that have scored well in Quant have not disappointed.  This one hasn't disappointed too many holders in recent days, it has been trading well enough to garner a high octane 68.7 Technical Score which has yet to pique the interest of the bears, its Sentiment Score is only 57.2.

Other energy funds are also appearing in the upper ranks recently as are many US basic materials issues.  Ironically, industrial and broad macro funds whose constituents rely on those basic materials are also scoring well.  Is it an inflation signal or an accelerating growth signal?  We report, you decide but Quant says to put some energy in your equity allocation tank.  Our tanks are running low as this first long week in a while winds down, thanks for reading and we’ll be back tomorrow to close it out.

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Python Mutable vs Immutable

Here is a basic introduction to immutable and immutable types in python.

In python there are two types of data… mutable and immutable. Numbers, strings, boolean, tuples, and other simple types are immutable. Dicts, lists, sets, objects, classes, and other complex types are mutable.

When you say:

a = [1,2,3]
b = a

You’ve created a single mutable list in memory, assigned a to point to it, and then assigned b to point to it. It’s the same thing in memory.

Therefore when you mutate it (modify it):

b[0] = 3

It is a modification (mutation) of the index [0] of the value which b points to at that same memory location.

However, when you replace it:

b = [0,0,0]

It is creating a new mutable list in memory and assigning b to point at it.

Check out the id() function. It will tell you the “address” of any variable. You can see which names are pointing to the same memory location with id(varname).

Bonus: Every value in python is passed by reference… meaning that when you assign it to a variable it simply causes that variable to point to that value where it was in memory. Having immutable types allows python to “reuse” the same memory location for common immutable types.

Consider some common values when the interpreter starts up.  You can see here there are a lot of variables pointing at the memory location held by abc.  cpython, at least, is smart enough to realize that the value `abc` is already stored in memory and because it is immutable, just returns that same memory address.

>>> import sys
>>> sys.getrefcount('abc')
>>> sys.getrefcount(100)
>>> sys.getrefcount(2)

However, a value that is definitely not present would return 2. This has to do with the fact that a couple of references to that value were in-use during the call to sys.getrefcount

>>> sys.getrefcount('nope not me.  I am definitely not here already.')

Notice that an empty tuple has a lot of references:

>>> sys.getrefcount(tuple())

But an empty list has no extra references:

>>> sys.getrefcount(list())

Why is this? Because tuple is immutable so it is fine to share that value across any number of variables. However, lists are mutable so they MUST NOT be shared across arbitrary variables or changes to one would affect the others.

Incidentally, this is also why you must NEVER use mutable types as default argument values to functions. Consider this innocent little function:

>>> def foo(value=[]):
...     value.append(1)
...     print(value)

When you call it you might expect to get [1] printed…

>>> foo()

However, when you call it again, you prob. won’t expect to get [1,1] out… ???

>>> foo()
[1, 1]

And on and on…

>>> foo()
[1, 1, 1]

>>> foo()
[1, 1, 1, 1]

WHY IS THIS? Because default arguments to functions are evaluated once during function definition, and not at function run time. That way if you use a mutable value as a default argument value, then you will be stuck with that one value, mutating in unexpected ways as the function is called multiple times.

The proper way to do it is this:

>>> def foo(value=None):
...     if value is None:
...         value = []
...     value.append(1)
...     print(value)
>>> foo()
>>> foo()
>>> foo()


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U.S. Pay-TV will Become a Luxury Consumer Item

According to the latest market study by The NPD Group, the average monthly pay-TV subscription fee for basic pay-TV service and premium-TV channels in the U.S. has reached $86 in 2011. As channel licensing fees continue to rise, pay-TV subscriber rates have grown an average of 6 percent per year -- while American consumer household income remained flat.

If nothing changes, NPD forecasts that the average pay-TV monthly payment will reach $123 by the year 2015 and $200 by 2020. I've previously reported about the U.S. sports networks, ESPN in particular, and how they're a significant part of the rising costs problem for all pay-TV service providers. The forced bundling of these high-cost channels merely aggravates the situation -- because a-la-carte channel selection is not an option.

According to the findings from NPD’s recent study, 16 percent of U.S. households do not subscribe to pay-TV services. Moreover, the recent U.S. economic troubles have resulted in five million fewer American households subscribing to pay-TV services -- which are already considered a luxury item by some people.

To date, the total pay-TV subscriptions in the U.S. have not declined much, due to bulk-service pay-TV contracts with apartment complexes and home owners associations that have allowed pay-TV operators to retain subscriptions in vacant homes.

"As pay-TV costs rise and consumer spending power stays flat, the traditional affiliate-fee business model for pay-TV companies appears to be unsustainable in the long term,” said Keith Nissen, research director for The NPD Group. “Much needed structural changes to the pay-TV industry will not happen quickly or easily; however, the emerging competition between S-VOD and premium-TV suppliers might be the spark that ignites the necessary business-model transformation of the pay-TV industry."

Based on other market studies by NPD, the growing phenomenon of pay-TV "cord cutters" who reported cancelling their subscriptions is primarily driven by economic considerations -- the perceived low-value for the subscription high-price. However, some consumers are still accessing TV content from free-to-air broadcasts, free streaming TV via the Internet, as well as via lower-priced subscription video-on-demand (S-VOD) services, such as Netflix.

"Despite the plethora of over-the-top (OTT) options for movies and TV, most consumers want their pay-TV providers to be central and relevant to the acquisition and viewing experience," said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis for The NPD Group.

In fact, 59 percent of pay-TV subscribers preferred having one single provider for their pay-TV services, compared to 21 percent who desired multiple providers, and 21 percent who expressed no preference.

Sixty-two percent of subscribers wanted premium TV either delivered by their pay-TV provider directly, or from a service affiliated with their pay-TV provider. Only 20 percent of pay-TV subscribers were likely to cancel their pay-TV service, if they could get their favorite shows online.

Of course, given the track record of perpetual subscription price increases, that scenario is subject to change -- everyone has their limit, where they will refuse to pay yet another increase.

"Pay-TV providers offer a convenient, one-stop shop for subscribers, and the majority of customers like it that way," said Crupnick. "There is an open window for the industry to meet consumer needs and become to television what iTunes is to music; however, there is also a definite risk if pay-TV providers don't capitalize on the opportunity -- and soon."

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Cloud-First Strategies are Driving Public Service Adoption

More enterprises are adopting a cloud-first strategy, taking advantage of the speed and agility of cloud computing for infrastructure, platforms and application services. Some nations now have a national movement. Case in point: many South Korean companies have a public cloud-first strategy, with 70 percent of IT organizations reporting an increase in cloud service investments through 2017.

As demand blossoms, the worldwide public cloud services market is projected to grow by 16.5 percent in 2016, reaching a total of $204 billion -- that's up from $175 billion in 2015, according to the latest global market study by Gartner.

According to the Gartner assessment, the highest increase in cloud adoption will come from Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), which is projected to grow by 38.4 percent in 2016.

Cloud advertising, the largest segment of the global cloud services market, is expected to grow 13.6 percent in 2016 to reach $90.3 billion (see Table 1, click to enlarge).

"The market for public cloud services is continuing to demonstrate high rates of growth across all markets and Gartner expects this to continue through 2017," said Sid Nag, research director at Gartner.

Gartner analysts believe that this strong growth continues reflect a shift away from legacy IT services to cloud-based services, due partly to the trend of more organizations pursuing a digital business transformation strategy.

Continued Public Cloud Market Development

Gartner predicts that the IaaS segment will remain the fastest-growing public cloud services sector in 2016, currently forecast to reach $22.4 billion.

"IaaS continues to be the strongest-growing segment as enterprises move away from data center build-outs and move their infrastructure needs to the public cloud," said Mr. Nag. "Certain market leaders have built a significant lead in this segment, so providers should focus on creating differentiation for success."

Cloud Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is forecast to grow 20.3 percent in 2016, to reach $37.7 billion. As more software vendors shift their business models from traditional on-premises licensed software to public cloud-based subscription offerings, this trend will likely continue to accelerate.

In addition, the entry of some major legacy software vendors into the public cloud market last year will fuel further growth of the SaaS market, in the coming years. Moreover, hybrid cloud services that are focused on specific vertical industry applications will continue to have a bright outlook.

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Across the globe, many forward-thinking CEOs and CFOs continue to fund business technology investments that enable meaningful and substantive digital transformations, ahead of their industry peer group. That's why CIOs and other IT leaders must now accelerate the quest for value creation and drive digital growth from those ongoing investments, according to the latest market study by Gartner. "The pressure on CIOs to deliver digital dividends is higher than ever," said Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP Analyst at Gartner . "CEOs and boards anticipated that investments in digital assets, channels, and digital business capabilities would accelerate growth beyond what was previously possible." Digital Business Market Development   CIOs expect IT budgets to increase 5.1 percent on average in 2023 -- that's lower than the projected 6.5 percent global economy inflation rate. A Gartner survey analysis revealed several ways in which CIOs can deliver "digital dividends&qu

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National border protection agencies are under pressure to provide the highest level of security in the face of growing threats, such as increasing illegal migration and international terrorism. Now, government agencies are embracing advanced border security technologies to aid in effectively and reliably securing national borders. These solutions look to detect and identify potential threats and prevent them from escalating to a point that may jeopardize security. Security Surveillance Market Development Traditional border security patrols and Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance systems aren't adequate protection, and agencies must increasingly deploy new solutions to stay ahead of criminals and other potential threats to ensure the safety of a country’s borders. According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, the value of the border security technology market will exceed $70 billion globally in 2027 -- that's rising from $48 billion in 2022. Growing by 47 p


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Carrier Wi-Fi Market is Forecast to Reach $1.5 Billion

The global telecom service provider Wi-Fi equipment market totaled $713 million in 2015. The market has grown consistently year-over-year since 2007, due to the ongoing deployment of Wi-Fi as a wireless internet access offering for public hotspots.

Now, Wi-Fi growth in the telecom carrier realm is increasingly being driven by a diverse customer base and emerging technologies -- including Hotspot 2.0, 802.11ac and network functions virtualization (NFV), according to the latest worldwide market study by IHS.

By 2020, the worldwide carrier Wi-Fi market is forecast to reach $1.5 billion, and have a cumulative size of over $6.8 billion from 2016 to 2020 based on two market segments: standalone Wi-Fi access points predominantly deployed by fixed-line operators, cable multiple system operators (MSOs) and wireless internet service providers (ISPs). Plus, dual-mode Wi-Fi and cellular access points deployed by mobile operators.

Technology innovations continue to deliver positive impacts on the carrier Wi-Fi market, driving current and next-generation service opportunities. Hotspot 2.0 enables operators to fully integrate Wi-Fi with their existing broadband networks and supports service functions such as Wi-Fi roaming.

Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard, based on 5GHz wireless spectrum, offers higher capacities and has rapidly become the dominant standard for telecom service provider Wi-Fi deployments. It's also driving upgrade purchasing from the earlier 802.11n standard deployments.

And the evolution of NFV, which has already been introduced into the carrier Wi-Fi market by Ruckus Wireless and Cisco, offers the opportunity for more cost-effective Wi-Fi service delivery by a range of service providers as well as enterprises and other organizations.

Other highlights from the market study include:

  • Globally, carrier Wi-Fi equipment revenue totaled $367 million in the second half of 2015 (H2 2015), that's up by 6 percent over the first half of 2015 (H1 2015).
  • Mobile service providers accounted for the majority of revenue, with large tier-1 multiple network operators (MNOs) such as China Mobile driving volume.
  • 802.11ac access points comprised 61 percent of H2 2015 carrier Wi-Fi access point revenue.
  • For the full-year 2015, Asia Pacific led the carrier Wi-Fi market in terms of geographical breakdown, ahead of EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), North America and Latin America.
  • The top three vendors for carrier Wi-Fi equipment revenue share in 2015 were, in alphabetical order, Cisco, Huawei and Ruckus Wireless.

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Once upon a time, in a land far, far, away, lived a chubby lil’ wizard called Bloo. He loved spending time in the great magical forest, talking with the animals, and chasing fireflies. But what he loved to do the most was to organizeBookly Readathonsfor his #BooklyReaders.

🤭🤭 All jokes aside, we want to welcome you to the Enchanted Bookly Readathon! 🏰📖

Dive into the wild, thrilling, and deeply magical realm of our charming Enchanted Bookly Readathon and get ready for reading shenanigans, whimsical prompts, and ethereal prizes.

During our last readathon, we went on a crazy frosty adventure with “extreme” challenges. However, this time around, we’re channeling all the fairytale vibes & typical fantasy tropes! Are you in? 💫

Are You Ready To Cast Your Spell? 🔮

Put on your wizard hat, call upon your kindred-spirited friends and compete in our reading challenge against fellow bookworms worldwide!

Grab your magic wand and mark your calendars! We’re counting on you to join us between April 28th and May 1st for the Enchanted Bookly Readathon!

Think You Can Handle Our Enchanted Challenges?

You do? Then grab your books (e-books and audiobooks, too ✌), recite your spell, and let the fairytale begin! 🌠

What Type Of Wizard Do You Want To Become?

🦑 Water Mage – read for up to 8 hours

🦉 Forest Druid – read for 8 hours or more & under 10 hours

🐉 Fire Sorcerer – read for 10 hours or more

Do you already have a list of the books you plan to read for the readathon? AWESOME! Even so, just in case, we’ve prepared a few prompts too:

Enchanted Bookly Readathon Prompts:

  • A Book With Green On The Cover
  • A Book Set In A Magical World
  • A Book With The Word “Forest” In The Title
  • A Mystery or Fantasy Book

When is the Readathon taking place?

From April 28th to May 1st

What do I need to do?

Read for more than 8 hours during the readathon.

You can do this!

Where can I sign up?

How to sign up for our #BooklyReadathon:

  1. If you’re an iOS user, you can sign up through the Readathon Tab we’re still testing on the Bookly App. Or, if you’re an Android user, please fill out this form as usual;
  2. (Optional) Give us a shoutout on your social media to help us spread the news! Share our readathon-related posts, and make sure to tag us 🤗.

Hurry up! The registrations for the Enchanted #BooklyReadathon are open only until April 27th, 11:59 PM EST.

What’s in it for me?

According to each level, we’re offering three Bookshop.org Vouchers* to three lucky winners that we’ll choose randomly after the readathon ends:

👉 Water Mage – 15$

👉 Forest Druid – 25$

👉 Fire Sorcerer – 50$

*As Bookshop.org Gift Cards are only available for shipping within the US, in the case of a non-US resident winner, we will turn to other bookstores available in your country.

How do I win?

It’s simple! First, use the Bookly App to track all your reading sessions.

If you’ve signed up through Bookly App, you can export your Custom Reading Report directly through the app at the end of our readathon.

If you’ve signed up through our form, on May 2nd, export your Custom Reading Report and submit it 👉 here.

Here’s a video on how you can export your Custom Reading Report:

Don’t forget to use the Enchanted #BooklyReadathon hashtag in your posts & stories! This way, we can follow along on your reading progress. Happy reading, and let the magical fairytale begin! 💙💙

Sign up for the #BooklyReadathon here

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#FantasticFibres: Seaweed Fibre Catches Carbon and Looks Great

Seaweed: you’ve seen it at the beach, but prepare to see it in stores. Already a common additive in beauty and health products and ready to make a splash in the world of ecofashion. There are currently 2 main producers of it, SeaCell and AlgiKnit, and they are out there winning awards and attracting big name brands like lululemon and Frank and Oak. So far, it’s mostly been used for knits, underwear, and athleticwear, but seaweed fibre’s carbon-capturing potential means it might explode in popularity very soon.

Kelp’s Environmental Benefits

So it turns out seaweed has been quite the climate-positive heavy hitter this entire time. Research is increasingly pointing out how coastal kelp forests growing worldwide are some of our best assets in the fight against climate change. Impressively, they can grow up to two feet per day, can sequester 20 times the carbon of terrestrial forest, and also work in tandem with mangroves in protecting coastline communities from storms. Once the plants die, some of them sink to the bottom of the ocean to decompose, hiding away that carbon instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. And since they are underwater, kelp forests avoid the pesky wildfire issues we have on land. Their presence on coastlines means that seaweed forests absorb a lot of sewer and agricultural run-off and use it to further growth. Kelp forests also provide shelter and habitats for a huge variety of marine species like fish and otters much like coral reefs do.

Many of these benefits are transferable to fashion. Seaweed grows everywhere at rapid rates, and eats carbon like little else. Realizing this, a couple of enterprising firms have decided to farm it to produce cloth. SeaCell is currently the biggest, using a species called Knotted Wrack found in Icelandic fjords and northern waters to create knits and athleticwear. SeaCell says they sustainably grow and harvest their kelp to encourage faster regrowth, contributing to that carbon-sucking kelpy goodness. They also use the same manufacturing process as lyocell to ensure a closed-loop process and no chemical waste or runoff. SeaCell is also OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, vegan, and biodegradable.

Seaweed in Practice

The trick with SeaCell is that the kelp is actually an additive blended with cellulose, which is wood-based. This makes it a versatile option, but also means that the true percentage of seaweed present in the fibre is unclear and possibly quite low. That said, this might make it an easier eco-fibre to add to a collection. Proof of this is visible in big brands like Frank and Oak and lululemon creating pieces with it.

AlgiKnit, on the other hand, is committed to engineering fully seaweed-based fibres. Their seaweed of choice is oarweed, famous for growing worldwide and at a rate 10x faster than bamboo. It is ultra-renewable, and farming it provides fast and easy income for various coastal communities. With oarweed, AlgiKnit uses a closed loop production cycle to create a ‘bio yarn’ polymer that they are testing for knits and sportswear. It’s supposed to be largely chemical free and fully biodegradable, but only when the wearer is ready. Then, back to AlgiKnit it goes to be broken down by specific microorganisms and used to feed the next round of kelp.

This cutting-edge idea has attracted some big supporters. AlgiKnit is a graduate of the 2018 RebelBio startup incubator, and has won grants from National Geographic, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, to name a few. And it’s showing promise – they have successfully created their yarn, and even designed an in-house performance shoe.

Where it Stands Now

By encouraging farming of kelp, these two firms are encouraging growth of one of our best all-natural carbon-sucking methods. Seaweed fibre is a versatile, biodegradable option that has the potential to do double-duty and help with our carbon problem. That said, like with all of our #FantasticFibres, concrete lifecycle analysis data is nonexistent. SeaCell is commercially available, but as a blend with cellulose, not entirely on its own, and AlgiKnit is still in experimentation stages. And the kicker is that despite kelp being one of our best defenses against the looming threat of climate change, increase in ocean temperatures is likely to wipe them out. This means supply might become harder in coming years.

All hope is not lost yet! If you are looking for an alternative to common, less sustainable knit fibres, seaweed is a promising option.

Get started today with Green Story


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2 min read

GW and sculptor Jacob chandler: making the impossible, possible

Featured Image

Grainger and Worrall have a reputation for making the impossible, possible. And we’ve been delighted to collaborate with sculptor Jacob Chandler to overcome a seemingly impossible engineering challenge once again.

One Giant Leap for Humankind, has been designed by Jacob Chandler, and manufactured in the West Midlands with the support of a number of companies, including Grainger and Worrall. The piece captures the fluidity of an athlete, as well as highlighting the blade of a para athlete- and it's believed to be the only piece of public art featuring disability currently on display in the UK. GW cast the blade, which was a particularly complex engineering challenge.

The final sculpture combines over 120 steel panels, merged with a cast leg and blade. The sculpture was unveiled in Birmingham on the 19th June, positioned outside Grand Central Station.

GW: Where casting expertise meets innovation

The process of casting the blade began with a 300 mm model. This was optically scanned at GW, and then reverse engineered using CAD to gather the data to create 129 individual panels. This was then enlarged to 2.5 metres tall to create the final sculpture.

The next step was to think about the leg's material and how this would merge effectively with the panels. From GW's iron foundry, stainless steel was chosen due to its material properties of strength and ductility, as well as its chemical comparability to sheet metal. This was then used to blend the interface between the casting and the produced panels.

Granger & Worral 2

Grainger and Worrall's Dave Sands, Virtual Product Manager  with the sculpture

Overcoming engineering challenges

One huge engineering challenge was to create a casting that would be robust enough to meet the position requirements of the sculpture, ensuring the dynamism of the athlete was still captured. To achieve this, the leg was designed with an interior lattice structure. A mould pack was used as the method for introducing 1750°F molten steel into the sand pack. The casting runner system design was confirmed using Magma metal simulation software, allowing the casting process to be theoretically proven before GW began manufacturing the printed sand moulds.

The sand core pack was created using GW's in-house 3D sand printers and rapid-prototyping capabilities, removing the need for foundry tooling. Once the sand mould was ready, the blade was ready to be cast at at 1750 degrees. The mould was allowed to cool for a day before being removed from the sand. The component was shot blasted and examined.

The 3D data for the CAD was put out flat and ready to be passed on to the next stage of the project, which was the steel panel manufacturing.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Dave Sands said 'Grainger and Worrall are proud to work with Jacob again and especially on this challenging project. We're all delighted with the final sculpture, highlighting the value of collaboration and capabilities of casting'.

To find out more about sand casting, download our free eBook The Basics of the Sand Casting Process on the link below.

Download the free ebook


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Working for Animal Welfare in North Carolina

By on February 23, 2012 with 0 Comments By Wayne Pacelle

I’m in North Carolina for the latter part of this week, speaking at public events for The Bond, touring the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, visiting animal shelters in the state, and meeting so many advocates deeply committed to animal protection. I was in Charlotte a couple of weeks back and paid a visit to the Humane Society of Charlotte and the Charlotte/Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control, and this week I’m in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill-Greensboro area on my tour and about to visit the Greensboro Animal Shelter. I head to the Orange County Animal Shelter in Chapel Hill tomorrow.

Wayne Pacelle at the SPCA of Wake County shelter in North Carolina
Visiting the SPCA of Wake County shelter.

North Carolina is a state at a crossroads with respect to animal welfare. It has a fast-growing animal advocacy contingent, with a burgeoning grassroots presence. There’s been a strong campaign against chaining of dogs here. The HSUS has worked with shelter and rescue partners on six puppy mill raids in the last eight months, with the help of so many veterinary school students and local organizations. I saw some of the dogs today from the latest raid in Stokes County at the beautiful SPCA of Wake County in Raleigh, and it was great to see the animals. That group adopts out about 3,200 animals a year and has done some tremendous marketing and outreach work to spread its message.

But this wonderful state is also home to a variety of cruelties that have no justification, such as puppy mills. Shockingly, the North Carolina Pork Producers and the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation have both lobbied against legislation that would impose humane breeding standards for dogs at large-scale facilities. The pork industry has no stake in dog breeding standards, but just has a knee-jerk opposition to any animal welfare policy. For its part, the American Kennel Club, based right here in Raleigh, is also opposed to legislation to crack down on puppy mills.

North Carolina is also one of just seven states with no rules restricting private ownership of dangerous exotic wildlife as pets. I’m headed to a big cat sanctuary tomorrow, a place that accepts and cares for the discards from this callous industry at a great daily expense to the organization. Even though a child was killed by a captive tiger kept as a pet, and several other people have been injured, lawmakers in the state haven’t taken action to deal with this problem.

This is also the number-two pork-producing state in our nation, sending 10 million pigs to slaughter each year.

Rescued dog at the SPCA of Wake County shelter in North Carolina
One of the rescued dogs at the SPCA of Wake County.

Although captive hunts of mammals and dogfighting are illegal, the state has about 150 fox and coyote pens, where trappers capture foxes and coyotes, place them in fenced pens, and then sic packs of dogs on them. The dogs often tear the wildlife apart. It’s a macabre blend of captive hunting and a staged game, but it’s not illegal. It should be.

Fortunately, the state does have some forward-thinking leaders in the agriculture community who are working to improve animal welfare. The North Carolina Egg Association has endorsed H.R. 3798, a federal bill in Congress to improve the treatment of egg-laying hens nationwide.

The HSUS has a wonderful state director, Kim Alboum, leading the charge and building bridges with so many advocates and organizations. But she’s going to need help from animal advocates, community leaders, and lawmakers to turn these problems around.

In talking to so many people here, I’m convinced the public is with us on these issues. But special interests are blocking reform. It’s a situation that we cannot tolerate any longer, and the only way it will change is if good people step up and demand change.

Animal Rescue and Care, Companion Animals, Farm Animals, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), Wildlife/Marine Mammals

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Mystery fruit- a cuke

Mystery fruit
Originally uploaded by In Shaw

Well I took it off the vine and ate it. It’s a weird looking but regular tasting cucumber.
I thought I planted a cucumber but the darned thing did not look like the cukes I grew last time. The last cukes had spikes on the fruit and well looked like a cucumber and not a green baseball.

2 thoughts on “Mystery fruit- a cuke”

  1. It’s round because it’s starving. It needs chicken poop for fertilizer. You need to work on that chicken coop on your rooftop.

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Archive for the 'Spring Break' Category

Spring Break-beach time!

The last day of our vacation we went to my grandpa’s house to swim for a bit before heading to Huntington Beach!  I love how we hit the snow earlier in the week and the beach later!  Gotta love southern CA!

First swim of the year!

I grew up swimming in this pool, so I love watching my kids swim in it! That diving platform felt SO HIGH to me when I was little!

It was cold water, but the kids didn’t care!

The kids LOVE the beach! We could spend all day here easily!

chasing the surf

a boy and his sand pile

Ella drawing in the sand

We had SUCH a great vacation, and can’t wait to go back to California!

Spring Break-tubing!

The next day after skiing we went tubing at a place called Alpine Slide.  We wanted to give the kids as much chance as possible to play in the snow since they don’t get to see a lot of it in Texas!

After tubing, we went to the Big Bear Discovery Center!

We went for a little hike!

Spring Break-Big Bear!

After Disneyland, we drove 2 hours to Big Bear to stay at my cousin’s cabin which has been in the family for almost 40 years!  My parents honeymooned there!  We stayed there 2 nights and spent time exploring, skiing  and tubing!  There was no snow around, but enough on the slopes to go skiing!  (Big Bear makes their own snow a lot of the time.)  Here are pictures from day 1 of exploring!

Asher climbing on the rocks around the cabin. I used to love playing on these rocks as a kid!

The kids were playing “Indian HGTV” and Rilyn was the realtor showing them around to different rock houses. This was Asher’s “house” and you can see he is sleeping in his bed. 🙂

Can you see Rilyn on top of the rock?

Peek a boo Ella!

We made s’mores that night in the fireplace! So fun!

Rodeo Austin 2014!

I grew up going to the fair every summer, and I just LOVE taking my kids to the fair every spring break when it comes to town!  Maybe next year, we will bring the kids to the rodeo too!  🙂  I love taking pictures at the carnvial, maybe it’s all the colors, or maybe it’s their faces when on the rides!  We had a great time at the fair this year, with nice weather and no crowds!  We went on almost all the rides!

Look at Asher running into the fairgrounds!

Ella learning how to milk a cow!  Not too invested though-lol

Asher and his cousin with their dream truck!

Rilyn at the petting zoo with baby goats!

This rodeo mascot loved to dance with the girls!

Pig races were a hit as usual!

Lunch break before we hit all the carnival rides!

Can you find Asher on the bridge?

Potato sack slide!

Asher wasn’t feeling well right after lunch so he didn’t enjoy it this time around!

Rilyn loves her spinning rides!

Did I mention she LOVES spinning rides? She went on this 3 times by herself!

Favorite part of the fun house? The end spinning wheel of course!

Asher’s favorite ride-Genesis!

James was cracking up here because Asher was telling him one of his body parts “feels funny” when the ride goes around and around! LOL

“it tickles me!” LOL

Ella taking flight

Had to have a cotton candy snack break!

sticky fingers…

Dragon Swing!

Time to go home! What a great day!

more carnival fun!

Time for bumper cars!  Rilyn seems like she might develop road rage when she becomes a driver!  Watch out!

look out!
oops!  You bumped me!

Rilyn started going on the rides all by herself because me and James had enough spinning. She loved the enclosed space ship where you spin around so fast that you stick to the wall!

Rilyn exits, very proud of “big-girlness”

Dragon swing time!

me and the kiddos

Ella wanted to barf the whole time, can you see her hand over her mouth?

Check out Ella’s eye…sheer terror…get me off!

Rilyn sat across from us, much higher up, so she could experience more of a thrill!

This was the one ride that Rilyn did not like afterward. Probably because her stomach was DONE being dropped and spun all day!

And to finish off our busy day…COTTON CANDY!!!

As our kids get older, it is so fun to watch them experience the fair! We almost hit up every ride too! Until next March, Austin Rodeo!!

Carnival fun!

My kids’ favorite thing at the carnival is the fun houses!  I grew up going to the Orange County fair, and I loved the fun houses too, so it brings a big smile to my face to see them enjoying the mirror houses and moving floors so much!
James made a really neat video of our day. You can see it here!

and they’re off running!
mirror maze!

Asher and Rilyn love fast rides! They would go on all of them together and it was really cute to watch. After each fast ride, Asher would get off and say, “I almost threw up!” and then laugh like it was the best feeling in the world! 🙂

I love his “Bluesteel” Zoolander face on this ride!

More rides with daddy! (Why do they have to airbrush seductive women on the rides?!)

More fun houses!

superman ride!
Love Asher’s face in this!
me and Rilyn!

After seeing this picture, I realize just how dangerous ferris wheels can be! Do you see Asher’s head hanging over the cart?!?

around and down!

After the pig races, we stopped at the kiddie ferris wheel and super slide!

Do you see Ella?

I love Ella’s face in this one!

Asher looks like he might lose his breakfast!

Next up-“tractor rides”!

All this fun, and we hadn’t even walked over to the carnival side of the rodeo! Carnival, here we come!!

petting zoo peril

We went to Rodeo Austin on Tuesday and like always, we start our day off at the Kidstown petting zoo!  Ella never has a problem with the animals.  Rilyn, because she is 8 1/2, tries to put on a brave face, but inside she is scared to death, and Asher still doesn’t care about showing the world how much he dislikes animals (of any kind.)

our traditional trash can picture (because I need to see the Rodeo logo!)

There was a kangaroo at the petting zoo this year with a baby in it’s pouch!

Cousin Caden and Asher planning out their day!

the map!

The dreaded petting zoo…

to be fair, that sheep is extremely large

Here is Rilyn’s experience…poor girl.

I am brave.  Deers are nice.

Attack of the deers!!

“Mom, they’re eating my clothes!!”

Unable to hide her disdain for the petting zoo.

I’m outta here!

Ella, our animal lover!

Next up, we walked over to the pig races!

They have different races, and one race all the pigs were dressed in college attire.

Of course, the A&M pig was winning, and Rilyn was a little excited! 🙂

Rodeo Austin aka “lots of fun houses!”

We ventured out to the Austin rodeo on Friday for our last official day of Spring Break!  I made Asher wear his sisters’ boots because they technically are “unisex”, and he can finally fit in them, (I bought them almost 4 years ago), and I thought it was cute that all of my kids have now worn the same article of clothing!  No matter that he only wore them for about 2 of the 5 hours we were there, I got a picture of him wearing them, and that is that. 🙂

I make this fence look good!  😉

We headed into the petting zoo first, and like I thought, my dear son who is deathly afraid of dogs, did NOT like the idea of going into a giant cage with gnawing goats and deer. (Even Rilyn is still unsure of how she feels, but hides it a lot better!)  Here is Asher hanging on daddy for dear life…

hold me daddy!

Ella-same old Ella, she tells the animals who she will feed, and who she will not feed!

“I will NOT give you any food, you are rude!”

Finally, we headed to the carnival side of the rodeo, which is really the only reason we go each year. I grew up going to the Orange County fair every summer and have fond memories of all the fun houses and crazy rides. It is neat to see it through my kid’s eyes now.

Fun House #1:

Fun House #2:

the floor was so hard to walk on throughout this one!
I love how James swooped Asher up before falling into my camera out of the spinning exit!

Fun House #3:

I loved the mirror maze when I was a kid!
I could audibly hear Ella’s head thumping against the mirrors as she smashed into them!
Can you see Asher sliding down the yellow slide?

Fun House #4:

Ella sliding down!

Ella was finally tall enough to ride the swings this year. I rode with them, and James used his iphone to take pictures from the ground. We cover all angles in this family! 😉

This is how I must always look everywhere I go with my kids…camera in front of my face! Can you see me between the girls?

We tried a “haunted house”! (It was SO LAME!!)

but the kids were still scared!

The girls had to do the potato sack slide!  (One of my favorites when I was a kid too!)

Ella is screaming of course!

Asher’s favorite ride was the ferris wheel!

momma’s boy!

Ella’s favorite thing was the cotton candy, I’m sure!

treat time!

But then daddy took her on some fast rides and she had to keep her mouth closed “in case the throw up would come out!”

love how Rilyn and Ella have such opposite expressions!
about to fly!
Rilyn loves fast, spinning rides!

The chaos of the day was all worth it for James when he got this:

Last stop was the pig races which is pretty cheesy, (Brad PIG vs. Kevin BACON vs. Justin BeiBOAR), but the kids love it.

these pigs are racing for an oreo as their “prize”

And after 5 hours at the rodeo, Asher was ready to go. Not even a picture with the Rodeo pig would cheer him up! Can you tell?

spring BREAK

And by ‘break’ I mean James and I got to take a 2 day ‘getaway’ to the Hyatt Lost Pines resort and spa in Bastrop, TX. We were so blessed to have James’ parents take the girls for a week and my parents take Asher for a couple of days!  I know the kids had more fun than we did.  Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful to have some R&R, just the two of us, but let’s just say our hotel didn’t live up to expectations.  (For starters, we walked into a dirty hotel room….eeewww!  Nothing like seeing someone else’s wet towels and sheets on the floor when you walk in!)  The list goes on from there(we actually moved hotel rooms twice)…BUT we did have a wonderful time golfing together(my first time to golf 18 holes!) and I would like to try golfing again (there is just that little thing called childcare!)  And we had a ‘duet massage’ that was nice in the resort’s spa.

From March 2009
From March 2009

The girls had such a blast going on their first train ride to Oklahoma City with their Oma and Papaw Bear. In ‘Bricktown’ they were busy visiting all the tourist attractions.

Can’t go on a train without conductor hats!              From March 2009
Bottoms Up!  on the train                   From March 2009
What was in that bottle Ella??                           From March 2009
totally Ella          From March 2009
again…totally Ella          From March 2009
Strike a pose                                                         From March 2009
Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory    From March 2009
From March 2009
From March 2009

My photography business!

November 2022


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Now available: New VSM app note and FORC ebook for download

New 8600 VSM

Helpful tips to reduce liquid helium cryogen consumption

A recent Physics Today issue had an interesting article on the difficulties researchers continue to have with the volatile prices of liquid helium (LHe). The article noted the steps some have taken [...]

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New app note on sensitive EQE characterization measurements

The landscape of photodetector and solar cell technologies has been rapidly expanded with the emergence of numerous novel material paradigms, including organic semiconductors, perovskites, and two-dimensional (2D) materials. These technology advances directly impact a broad spectrum of applications, from night vision to medical imaging and energy conversion. As materials, device architectures, and manufacturing processes evolve, external quantum efficiency (EQE) is a key metric when comparing devices and competing technologies.

EQE App Note Diagram-11-2021In this new app note, we demonstrate a new approach to sensitive external quantum efficiency (sEQE) characterization as a means to measuring the lowest EQE values possible — more precisely, the EQE values at the low-energy flank of the EQE spectrum — when studying low-energy phenomena such as charge transfer (CT) states as well as traps and defects.

The note, co-authored by Lake Shore Senior Applications Scientist David Daughton, Dr. Axel Fischer of SweepMe! GmbH, and Jakob Wolansky and Dr. Johannes Benduhn of TU Dresden, specifically discusses:

  • Conventional instrumentation used for an sEQE measurement
  • The alternate approach that utilizes our new MeasureReady™ M81-SSM (Synchronous Source Measure System) set up to perform DC I-V sweeps and lock-in detection of a device's induced AC photocurrent
  • The results of an sEQE measurement performed on a C60:ZnPc organic solar cell device using the M81-SSM platform

Download the app note

To speak to us about your specific EQE measurement application and how the M81-SMM could benefit your research, contact or call 614-891-2243.

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Tags: application note, solar cells, photodetector, external quantum efficiency (EQE)

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Quiltathon – update #1

Getting ready to break for dinner so I thought I’d share my progress.

Decided I might as well get caught up on the laundry while I’m in productive mode so load # 1 is in the wash.

The binding is made and machine stitched on – I’ll work on this a couple hours next while I watch some TV.
I pieced a backing for this log cabin quilt – I just realized that I need this quilt done in the next 2-3 weeks and with my Thanksgiving week plans I need to move it up the list. It will get loaded tonight after my couple hours of TV.

I started my Christmas Postcards. We usually just exchange one card each month but for December we have an option of sending one to everyone participating. I’m not doing anything elaborate but will make 2-3 different ones to send out. There are 9 of us that participate so I need to make 8 of them. The cute snowman print just has some snowflake brads attached – cute and quick. The other two are waiting for trees and I’m still debating what to do for the remaining ones.
And just because this was on my camera from yesterday. The IDS center has a beautiful atrium. I had lunch at a restaurant here yesterday.

See you in a few hours with another update.

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  1. Busy girl! I’m almost finished my Dec postcards…guess I should take some pictures. I like the background paper. Almost looks like Hibiscus…

  2. You give the term multi-tasking a new definition! I am impressed with your progress so far. I am glad that you have scheduled breaks in the Quiltathon. Take a power nap or two as well.

  3. You are really pushing yourself. Why do you do that? Hope you get it all done so you can sleep in.Diane in Alaska

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Four ways lockdown has changed our spending habits

Throughout 2020, countries across the world have been in various stages of lockdown as part of the fight against Covid-19. It’s affected all of us in myriad ways, from the way we socialise to the way we work.

One area that’s seen significant change for a lot of people is their finances, with many seeing both their income and their outgoings go down to varying degrees. Part of this has been due to changes in spending habits, with lockdown shuffling our priorities and closing off opportunities for more frivolous spending.

To get an idea of just how big a change we’ve seen to our spending habits over lockdown, we asked 2,000 UK adults about everything from their utility bills to their savings. With another lockdown just beginning in the UK and the potential for more down the line, it’s worth examining how your spending habits have changed and thinking about how you can benefit.

We’re spending more on utilities

Probably the most predictable habit to change has been the amount we spend on utilities and groceries to support ourselves at home. Sitting in a heated or air-conditioned office is something a lot of us took for granted – having to regulate your own home can be expensive when it’s all day, every day.

Over the period of the first UK lockdown, 28% of people said that they’d spent more on utilities, while an overwhelming 74% said they were spending more on groceries. Those free office snacks and coffees can make a difference, while grabbing some food on the go might not be factored into a lot of people’s grocery budgets.

Importantly, if you’re self-employed, you can claim living costs as part of your business expenses. This primarily applies to utility bills, but it can make a real difference at the end of the tax year and is something any self-employed people who largely work from home should look into.

We’re saving more

One aspect of being home more is that we’re spending less on leisure activities – while this may be a financial positive, we’d be reluctant to label it a ‘good thing’. The reality, though, is that we simply have fewer outgoings during periods of lockdown than we ordinarily do.

For most of us, even if we spend more on utilities and on stocking the fridge, the savings made by not going out with friends or going on holiday are significant enough to be an overall positive for our balance sheets. Around three in 10 (29%) of those we asked said they were able to save more over lockdown, of which over half (54%) expect to be able to keep up this level of saving.

The key for savers is finding smart ways of using that extra cash. Our research found that Brits were slightly more proactive with their investment accounts during the first lockdown, a trend we expect to see continue into the current one. An increase in disposable income can mean an increase in contributions to savings accounts, a sensible step to take during a period of high uncertainty.

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See how you could use the lockdown as a period for financial fine-tuning

Our leisure spending has changed

Another key feature of lockdown has been the restrictions on personal travel. Stay-at-home orders and international travel bans have meant that, for most of us, we’ve been spending much less time out of the house than we would have under normal circumstances.

This has led to a surge in spending on home entertainment. Games consoles have been difficult to get your hands on and Netflix added a record 15.77 million new paid subscribers to the platform in the first quarter of 2020, according to MarketWatch. Our report found that, of the 2,000 UK adults we surveyed, 31% spent more on media and entertainment over the first lockdown.

This has coincided with a severe drop in the amount of money spent on travel during the lockdown period. With the likes of Ryanair dealing with refund logs that stretched for months and UK rail travel down 92% year-on-year for the period of April to June, the amount the UK population is spending on travel has plummeted. Couple this with a lot of people saving on their commutes into work – an average of just over £66 a month for UK workers – and the overall cost of getting around has been slashed.

Our priorities are shifting

One side effect of the uncertainty caused by Covid-19 has been that a lot of people are thinking more about financial security. With no clear end to the pandemic in sight and difficulties arising in the job market, having a rainy day fund has never been more important.

This is reflected in our findings below. Of the UK adults we asked, 41% said they were more likely to set saving for a rainy day as a financial goal. By contrast, starting a business and buying a bigger house are the two areas that actually became less popular as goals across the course of the pandemic.

It’s unsurprising that, in times of uncertainty, more ambitious plans like upsizing your home or starting your business venture are put on the back burner. It’s important to point out that over a quarter (27%) of the people we spoke to expect their financial situation to be worse in 2021.

It’s more important than ever that people are smart with their money and make sure they have that all-important ‘rainy day’ fund in place, with smart investments in place for a more secure long term future.

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Solid mahogany bidet from the second half of the 19th century.
This solid mahogany bidet dates from the second half of the 19th century. The removable ceramic washbowl is set into the frame, with four turned baluster legs and a cover with a round pommel. Jegenstorf Castle Foundation

The bidet – furniture designed for cleansing the ‘delicate parts of the body’

300 years ago, a diverse array of special furniture designed for personal hygiene began to appear in the bedrooms and boudoirs of the French aristocracy. Among these was the ‘cleanliness seat’ – the bidet.

Murielle Schlup

Murielle Schlup

Freelance art historian and cultural scientist

According to the prevailing ideas of health in the 17th and early 18th centuries, water was poisonous and transmitted diseases that entered the body through the pores. Bathing was therefore considered bad for the health. Even the ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV is said to have taken a bath only twice in his life. People preferred to dab themselves clean with dry or damp cloths, or a sponge dipped in vinegar water. If you had the money, you would resort to perfumes and powder to cover up unpleasant body odours. The level of ‘cleanliness’ maintained in this way was considered an attribute of social class.
François Boucher, La Toilette, 1742.
François Boucher, La Toilette, 1742. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
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Bedroom on the main floor of Jegenstorf Castle
A bedroom on the main floor of Jegenstorf Castle, featuring a Louis XVI alcove bed, gueridon with chamber pot, a beautifully crafted poudreuse from the Bern studio of Christoph Hopfengärtner, and a folding screen behind which the bidet and a commode are hidden from prying eyes. Georges Lehmann
Image 01 of 02

Elaborate 'morning toilette' in the boudoir

In order to be ‘clean’ (neat and tidy), the day started with an elaborate ‘morning toilette’. Especially for women, this could take quite some time because of the fashions of the age, with corsets, bodices, petticoats and hoop skirts, hip pads, wigs and hairpieces, and often required the help of servants. In an age before the advent of running water, the laborious procedure took place in the bedroom or the boudoir. These rooms were equipped with special furniture for attending to ‘local personal hygiene’, which craftsmen at the French court had been producing from the beginning of the 18th century onwards and which had rapidly been taken up by the aristocracy. One of these was the poudreuse: a dressing table with fold-out mirror and space for toilet sets, make-up, combs, hairpins, scented water and powder. Soon, the poudreuse was as much a part of the standard equipment of the private chambers in aristocratic circles as the long-established ‘commode’ – referred to by Liselotte von der Pfalz (Princess Elizabeth Charlotte, 1652-1722, sister-in-law of the Sun King, Louis XIV) in her blunt descriptions of French court life with the more expressive term Kackstuhl – roughly, ‘crapping seat’. These armchairs in various styles were elaborately designed, padded and upholstered with fabric or leather. Removable ceramic chamber pots could be integrated into these structures. Chamber pots were also concealed inside box-like, hinged pieces of furniture, with the true function often remaining hidden behind a commode-like façade.
Portrait by Emanuel Handmann, Bern, about 1765.
The young woman, an unidentified aristocrat from Bern, sits at her dressing table with a mirror, hairbrushes, jewellery and jars. Is her gaze directed at the lady’s maid who is helping her with her morning toilette? Or is the lady already receiving guests in her bedroom, who will keep her company during her lengthy ‘morning toilette’? This was not uncommon, and in fact was normal practice in the highest echelons of the aristocracy. Right up to conversations carried on from the ‘night commode’ without the slightest trace of shyness or inhibition. Portrait by Emanuel Handmann, Bern, about 1765. Jegenstorf Castle Foundation

The triumphal procession of the 'little wooden horse'

It is thought that the ‘cleanliness seat’ – the bidet – was devised at the French court during the first quarter of the 18th century. The portable seated washbasin was used for intimate hygiene, particularly by women. The word is derived from the French word bidet – a little horse or pony – because the design of early forms was reminiscent of a small horse made of wood. The user had to mount and sit astride the bidet, as if seated in a saddle. The wash bowl, made from glazed earthenware or more rarely (for travel purposes, for example) metal, was set into the seat and could be removed for filling or emptying – which of course was the job of one’s servants.
The bidet was an expression of social cachet, a luxury item made by skilled artisans. An ornate rosewood model made in 1751 for Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764), mistress of King Louis XV, was decorated with carved flowers and gilt bronze fittings. In and on the upper part of the early bidet models there was space for an array of ‘cleaning tools’ to aid in the washing process. A French manual on feminine hygiene dating from 1772 provides information on what could be in the little bottles and jars: ‘Attending to the cleanliness of the delicate parts of the body is an unavoidable necessity. These parts must be washed every day, with all manner of aromatic herbs or alcohol-containing liquids added to the water used for this purpose.’
Three bidet designs by Jean Charles Delafosse, Paris, around 1770
Three bidet designs by Jean Charles Delafosse, Paris, around 1770, show how elaborate this hygiene furniture for the upper classes could be in the 18th century. MAK – Österreichisches Museum für angewandte Kunst, Wien

A piece of furniture with an erotic component

The association of personal hygiene with eroticism that was widespread particularly during the 18th century, as evidenced by explicit descriptions in the memoirs of playboy writer Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798), has always been reflected in the visual arts. So it goes without saying that the bidet in particular, because of its intimate purpose, also excited erotic male fantasies. This is particularly vividly illustrated in the painting by Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845): we are looking at a young woman; she’s already partly dressed – or is she partly undressed? Her bodice is fastened, her stockings are tied with ribbons above the knee and her shoes are laced. The woman is sitting ‘astride’ her bidet, facing its upright section; the association with the ‘little horse’ is vividly brought to life here. The padded cover, which allows the bidet to be used as a seat when closed, sits on the floor behind her. With one hand she is pulling up her petticoat. As was still common in the 18th century, the lady is wearing no knickers; had she been wearing any, they would have been knee-length and completely open between the legs. With her free hand, the woman is washing herself. The defoliated rose in the foreground, an explicitly suggestive symbol in this pictorial context, speaks for itself. Combined with the lady’s inviting smile and her direct eye contact with the viewer, this gives the intimate washing scene an erotic component.
‘La Toilette intime ou la Rose effeuillée’, painted by Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845), year and location unknown.
‘La Toilette intime ou la Rose effeuillée’, painted by Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845), year and location unknown. Wikimedia

For many, an object of shame

As the 19th century progressed, bidets also found their way into the bedrooms of the upper middle class. Around 1900, as a result of advances in technology and plumbing, they were increasingly found – together with the flushing toilet, the washbasin and the bathtub – installed in the new bathrooms, which were specially set up for washing purposes and were separate from the other private chambers. Now plumbed into the water system, fitted with a water intake or a jet of water – the so-called Unterdusche for intimate rinsing – or even a shower hose, the bidet became even more widespread in the first half of the 20th century. After World War II it also started to be found in many middle-class homes. Despite its wide distribution, from the 19th century onwards the bidet and its use were also fraught with shameful connotations, especially in circles and countries in which prudishness prevailed. In addition to the issue of intimate hygiene, which was increasingly becoming a taboo topic, this also had to do with the additional sexual associations of its intended purpose. Portable seated washbasins were already well known in antiquity; Greek marriage contracts stipulated the provision of these items for vaginal rinsing before and after intercourse. The modern bidet was also used for contraception – although it was admittedly very unreliable. Catalogues of 19th and early 20th century manufacturers of sanitaryware advertised the bidet under product names such as ‘Protector’. Doctors recommended the use of the bidet to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. So, as you can imagine, the bidet was also encountered in many brothels – further reinforcing its dubious reputation, presumably.
Brassaï (Gyula Halász), La Toilette dans un hôtel de passe, rue Quincampoix á Paris, photograph, Paris 1932.
Brassaï (Gyula Halász), La Toilette dans un hôtel de passe, rue Quincampoix á Paris, photograph, Paris 1932. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Denounced by the guardians of public morals, in the USA in particular the bidet was long regarded as immoral and was therefore disapproved of. In 1900, the classy Ritz Hotel in New York is said to have removed its newly installed bidets because the keepers of virtue objected to their presence. One anecdote about the bidet tells of an uninformed American woman in a French hotel who, speaking to the chambermaid about the bidet she had just been shown, exclaimed: ‘Oh, how lovely! Is it to wash the babies in?’ The Frenchwoman replied: ‘No, it is to wash the babies out.’ The newly acquired knowledge is said to have left the astonished guest red-faced with embarrassment.

Declining demand since the 1960s

Following the introduction of the Pill and other relatively reliable contraceptives in the 1960s, but particularly due to the increasingly widespread habit of the daily shower, bidet sales fell dramatically. While they’re still a standard item of bathroom equipment in many southern European countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal, they are disappearing in Switzerland. Bidets are rarely installed in new buildings nowadays. So it’s hardly surprising that many people no longer know their actual purpose. For some the bidet is used to wash their feet, or for handwashing. And why not indeed?

Baroque. Age of Contrasts

16.09.2022 15.01.2023 / National Museum Zurich
As a cultural epoch, the Baroque was a time of contrasts: opulence and innovation on the one hand, death and crises on the other. The exhibition presents beautiful objects from Baroque architecture, garden culture, fashion and art, focusing on the historical context of these items in order to illuminate this creative epoch in all its glorious ambiguity.

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Address & contact
Swiss National Museum
Landesmuseum Zürich
Museumstrasse 2
P.O. Box
8021 Zurich

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Swiss National Museum

Three museums – the National Museum Zurich, the Castle of Prangins and the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz – as well as the collections centre in Affoltern am Albis – are united under the umbrella of the Swiss National Museum (SNM).


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Franca Scala

Home > Dinner Venues > Franca Scala
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Opened in 2009 it is housed in a beautiful Neoclassical building located at a street corner at the end of Market Street. The cuisine is mainly Mediterranean and Greek and fresh ingredients from the island are used to prepare a variety of classic dishes that are served in elegant and spacious dining areas. Some of the specialty dishes include: Neoclassic (a fresh green salad); cheese and pastrami rolls with crisp pastry; chicken bites sauteed in beer and parmesan mix; chicken pasta cooked in wine with sage; pork scaloppini with a fig sauce served on creamy potatoes. The dessert menu of Franca Scala has, among the favorites, home-made cheesecake and hazelnut and mascarpone ice cream.

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Fiction Friendship Contemporary

An Ass Out of You and Me

I had shucked off my work image by slipping into my threadbare jeans with the once-fashionable tears in them and pulled my favorite dark green sweatshirt over my head. I stepped into my gardening tennis shoes, frowning because I could see that they needed to be tossed in the washer. I grabbed my comfortable brown jacket and went out the door.

It was a blustery February afternoon. The air was crisper than the iceberg lettuce leaves that I had laid on top of the sweet onion, ripe tomato, and a slice of honey-baked ham that was between two slices of homemade bread, in my brown paper lunch sack. I wasn’t about to let chilly weather keep me from visiting North Side Park. My professional life was hectic, and my Sunday visits to the park always centered me and prepared me to take on Mondays at Bradly Publishing House, where everything was done at a dead-run.

I took the path that wound around the large fountain in the heart of the park, and once I passed the statue of the town founder, I headed for my park bench. It wasn’t that I owned the bench with its chipped green paint and broken armrest; it was that I’d sat on it more than any other human being – so I considered myself an entitled benchsteader. That bench was where I could watch kids playing football on the field to the left, and lovers tossing coins in the fountain in front of me. I could also hear the music from a nearby practicing orchestra while the pigeons begged for my bread crust. It was my healing bench.

I was just a few steps away from the bench when I stopped and frowned. There was a bum in my spot; a homeless beggar on my bench. He had his balding head tipped back and he was snoring loud enough to drown out the music that was floating in the air. I hated that the city didn’t do anything to keep the indigents out of the city park. It was Sunday, this bench was mine, and he had to go and sleep on the sidewalk elsewhere.

I walked up close and stared at him. I wondered how long it had been since he had a bath and a shave. I imagined vermin crawling through his tattered clothing. His presence was unacceptable. I coughed to get his attention. It worked; he opened one eye and frowned at me. In a raspy voice, he said, “It’s a big bench. Just don’t sit too close.”

I fidgeted on my feet, and said, “Are you hungry?”

He responded, “I was born hungry, but I’m not buying you lunch.”

I cocked my head to the right as I processed what he’d just said. I stiffened my spine and snapped, “I didn’t ask you to.”

He raised his head, leveled his dark eyes on me, and said, “I don’t mind helping those of you who are down on their luck, but can’t you see that this is my nap time? Ask someone else.”

I glanced down at my torn jeans, and I realized that this bum that was sacked out on my bench, thought that I was a beggar. “Sir, I was thinking that I could buy you lunch.”

He sat up straighter, looked me up and down, and said, “How much did you steal?”

This was getting out of hand. All I wanted was to sit on my bench, enjoy the music, and share my sandwich with the pigeons. I didn’t think that I should have to explain myself, and frankly, I was offended by the vagrant’s assumptions. Still, I didn’t want to just spend my time staring at him and burning daylight, so I took a deep breath and said, “Sir, you are mistaken. I’m a senior editor at Bradly Publishing, and if you’d kindly get yourself off of my bench, I’ll give you enough money to get a room, bath, and meal.”

I was taken aback when he broke apart in laughter. He laughed until a tear slipped from the corner of his eye. He said, “This is royally funny. You expect me to believe that line of cock and bull you just spit out?”

Anger raced through my veins. “Not that it’s any business of yours, but I’m Marion Shafer, the senior editor at Bradly publishing. Bradly is behind a long list of bestsellers, including, Escaping Myself, by Sara Dukes, Trails, Parks and Waterways, by Noah Singer, and My Last Dime, by Frank Norrison.”

He startled me when he broke into laughter again. I watched him struggle to catch his breath, and I was done. I fully intended to contact City Hall and look into a way to keep the homeless out of the park and off of my bench. I turned my back on him and marched up to the side of the fountain. I stared into the falling water and tried to let my anger go. I flinched when I felt a hand on my arm. My eyes followed the hand, up the arm, and to the face. Before I could spell it all out in plain language, the bum held out his hand, and said, “I’m Noah Singer. I think we’ve got a plethora of bad assumptions between us. You know what they say in the writing world. To assume is to make an ass out of u and me.”

My jaw dropped open, and I know my face was the color of a too-ripe tomato as I put my hand in his. “Mr. Singer, I don’t know what to say. I’m so embarrassed.”

He smiled, and said, “Likewise, my dear. How about we start over?”

I nodded. “Thank you, I’d like that.”

We walked back over to the bench, and he said, “You seem pretty possessive of this bench. If you would be agreeable to sharing it with me, you can lay claim to your favorite end.”

I stumbled through an explanation about why the bench mattered to me, and he smiled and said, “You’re right. This is the perfect spot to level out the bumps in the week. I’ve been sitting here dozing while listening to some of Beethoven’s most beautiful pieces. I love that the concert hall is so close.”

I reached into my lunch sack and pulled out my sandwich. “Will you share my sandwich with me?”

I giggled, when he said, “You know, my stomach was just about to meet my spine. I just feared that if I went and bought myself some lunch, I’d lose my bench to another music lover who wanted to sit on it to unwind. I’d love to lunch with you.”

We spent several hours talking about the travels that he’d written about in his book. He told me how he often visited city parks when he was in a new area. He said that he was in town to sign papers at Bradly on Monday morning for a new book about some of the interesting people that he’d met along the way.

We lost track of the hours. When we noted that the sun was dropping low on the horizon, I stood and offered one more apology. “I have learned something today. I think that in the future I will be less quick to judge people; to make assumptions. I teasingly added, “Please don’t add me to the list of people you’ve met along the way in your new book.”

He winked, and said, “I think we’ve both learned that you just can’t judge a book by its cover. I’ll see you on Monday.”

January 29, 2022 18:30

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Kimberly Close
15:24 Feb 05, 2022

Overall, I very much liked this story! I did feel that you could mix up your sentence structure at times though- you tend to start a lot of your sentences with "I." What if instead of "I had shucked off my work image by slipping into my threadbare jeans with the once-fashionable tears in them and pulled my favorite dark green sweatshirt over my head. " you tried something along the lines of "Shucking off my work image, I slipped into my threadbare jeans with the once-fashionable tears and pulled my favorite dark green sweatshirt over my hea...

Show 0 replies
12:27 Feb 10, 2022

Your title caught my attention first. I am VERY quick to look at my friends and remind them, “You know what happens when you ASSUME...” 😆 but this story was delightful! The mistaken identity was fun and yet pointed. Very well done!

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The Bundesliga Show Episode 60 - Tight in the Title Race

This is the first of a double header of Bundesliga Show action for this week. In this episode Jon Hartley and Terry Duffelen talk about all all the big action from matchday 29 and the impact on the big battles in the Bundesliga.

Also there is a look forward to the big matches taking place in the Bundesliga 'English Week' on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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