Have you been indulging with unhealthy foods and/or alcohol? Does your diet include non organic meat, vegetables and fruit and/or processed foods? Are you concerned about your liver and/or kidney health? Are you bloated? Do you want to improve the absorption and utilisation of nutrients in your body? Are your bowel movements irregular? Do you want to alkalise the body? Are you suffering from PMS, blood sugar imbalances and/or mood swings? Do you suffer from skin conditions (including eczema, psoriasis and acne), IBS (constipation and diarrhoea) or migraines? Are you wanting to strengthen your immune system?
If you answered yes to some or all of these questions, my question to you is this; do you want to start to feel healthy and happy again?
As you can imagine in my world as a pharmacist, people present to me every day with these common issues and if you are suffering from these issues you would be feeling generally unwell, unhealthy and unhappy, right?
This is why I was inspired to develop an Intense Detox Tonic to help manage these symptoms. Many of my customers have hugely busy lives, my Intense Detox Tonic is an all natural gentle solution, easy to administer and support the body’s natural ability to detox without the sometimes harsh side effects of swallowing numerous pills.
My Intense Detox Tonic is an all natural, effective homeopathic complex with carefully selected remedies used to support the body’s natural ability to detox. It is suitable for adults and children but not recommended in pregnancy. It is safe, non-toxic, doesn’t interfere with other medications and does not build up in the body. My homeopathic remedies initiate a healing response in the body and reliably restore good health.
Modern foods, while they are convenient can have long term health impacts. The use of antibiotics and hormones in animal produce; pesticides and herbicides sprayed on crops; the use of chemicals and preservatives in food processing burden our detoxification systems and can leave us depleted of essential nutrients. Over farming means that our soils are mineral deficient further rendering foods low in essential minerals. Food processing, long-term storage and handling can significantly reduce the nutrients present in our food. A detox program is a great way of cleansing these contaminates and improving your nutrient status. My Intense Detox Tonic helps to encourage bowel and liver balance, assisting with bowel regularity, bloating, alkalising the body, healthy digestion and pathogen removal.
Artemisia absinthium (Absinthium) (herb, fresh) 6X – Indications include: Bloated around stomach and abdomen, queasy feelings eructation marked in this remedy, Wind, Colic
This product is not to be used when pregnant. It is perfectly safe to take the M&R Essentials Intense Detox Tonic alongside both prescriptive and other over the counter medicine. However, it is best to take it at a different time from the prescriptive medicine and 5 minutes either side of food.
Homeopathic remedies are renowned for being safe, non-toxic and with no known side effects. All members of the family can take the formula excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women.
It is perfectly safe to take the M&R Essentials Intense Detox Tonic alongside prescriptive medicine. It is best taken 10mins either side of food/drink and other medications. If you are prescribed antibiotics we recommend you finish your antibiotics then start taking the tonic and continue for 2-3 weeks to reduce inflammation, persistent coughing and boost your immunity.
I'm a big believer in getting and giving great value for money and great customer service. Obviously there is a cost to me in shipping/delivering your order to you so I can't just ship everything for free, however I have put a free shipping/delivery minimum spend on orders so that if you do spend over a certain amount in one order I'll make the shipping/delivery free for you!
If your delivery address is in New Zealand and you spend over $49 on your order, shipping/delivery will be free, If your delivery address is anywhere else in the world outside of New Zealand and you spend over $79 on your order, shipping/delivery will be free!
Free shipping/delivery will be automatically given at the checkout if your order meets the minimum spend requirements. If your order is less than these amounts, don't despair we have very competitive shipping/delivery rates worldwide. I can't be any fairer than that now can I?
Powered by Mihalism Multi Host | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | | Page Views: 336,367 | Page Load: 0.059 secs
Bring or send your gluten-free friends and family members a set of all our best! Variety packs include 2 savory, 2 sweet, and 2 vegan items and are wrapped in festive pie boxes perfect for gift-giving.
In my essay posted two weeks ago I addressed the topic of performance anxiety, and judging by the statistics regarding that post a number of people found it useful, or at least worth reading and discussing. In thinking and talking about this topic with a few students over the course of the past week I have thought of an additional item that I would like to bring to my readers’ consideration. Stated briefly, one might entitle these thoughts “Live in the Now.”
Quality performance recordings are of great importance to musicians. The application process for graduate programs often includes the submission of audio or video recordings of live performances. After graduation, a quality “demo” CD or DVD is even more important for those seeking employment as performers or teachers of performance. Professional performers and college/university teachers alike use live recordings to market themselves to contractors and prospective students. Indeed, in every solo performance one hopes not only to make a good impression upon the live audience, but also to obtain a (near-)perfect recording for future use.
This desire for a great recording is normal, understandable, and perhaps even laudable, but it can be poisonous to the performance anxiety sufferer. Already fearing the opinion that the audience present in the room might have if any part of the performance is subpar, the nervous musician sinks even further into his anxiety when he considers that he is not only playing for that audience but is also seeking to produce a recording worthy of being heard by prospective employers, contractors, and students. There is only “one take,” and pondering that reality makes a nerve-racking situation even more so.
I know this because I have experienced it. As I said in my earlier post, I am writing this as a “pilgrim on the way,” not as one who has overcome, at least not entirely. Still, I have a suggestion for addressing this cause of performance anxiety: learn to enjoy the moment. “Live in the now.”
In several of my past writings, including that of two weeks ago, I have emphasized the need for the performer to entertain and serve the audience. Focusing upon “what they think of me” is not a healthy attitude, particularly during the performance itself. Likewise, thinking of “how I can use this performance for future self-promotion” is unhealthy, and can beget additional anxiety. Let go of all of that, and remember that you are there to entertain, to edify, and to serve the audience there in the room with you. Remember that playing music should be fun, and allow yourself to enjoy the moment. Remember even that the audience wants you to enjoy yourself and play well, and is unlikely to notice minor errors if you do not draw attention to them.
And if there are imperfections in the performance, learn what you can from them, but don’t dwell on them. Use the best parts for your “demo” recording and discard (or archive) the rest.
Compiling a great “demo” recording of live performances is extremely important, but this should not be in the forefront of the performer’s mind while on stage. To do so only increases anxiety and robs the present audience of the attention it deserves. Enjoy the moment, serve the audience, make great music, and repeat. Perform well and often and you’ll have no difficulty putting together a fine recording.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)
This entry was posted in Performance Anxiety, Performing, Playing Fundamentals, Practicing, Teaching Low Brass, Worry. Bookmark the permalink.	
Hi I have been watching a pair of swans for three years. Like previous years, this year they have a batch of cygnets. However, 2 weeks ago the female swan has gone missing, leaving the male swan and four cygnets(which was born in April). Is it possible for a female swan she to find another mate while raising their cygnets? Sadly, I know there is a high chance that she was taken by foxes but just wanna know other possibilities! Thank you very much.
First, are you absolutely sure that the female is the swan that is missing? We ask this question because it is usually the female that cares for the cygnets. The male may leave the immediate area to patrol the perimeter of the habitat as we have seen this in several swan pairs. The male will still remain within earshot of the family to return and protect them if necessary. But, 2 weeks is usually a very long time to be separated.
We have also heard about male swans that will find another mate and have 2 families. So, without being sure that it is the female that is missing, it is difficult to know if either of these scenarios fit your situation.
Finally, regardless of gender, there is always the possibility that something happened to the other swan. If attacked by a predator, serious injury or death could be the reason for the separation. If killed by a hunter, state or federal wildlife official (yes, there is a concerted effort to kill Mute Swans so the habitat can be freed for the introduction of the larger Trumpeter Swans for Trophy Waterfowl hunting), then obviously the swan will not return. If the other swan were to be ill, it would go away so as not to spread disease to the family. If it recovers, it will return.
Again, a 2 week separation from the family is highly unusual, but we have heard of extreme separation for whatever reason, only to have the missing member return. Please let us know how this situation progresses and if the swan parent returns. The Regal Swan
Thanks for your prompt and detailed reply! Yes, it is the female who left – when they were together, I could recognize that the male swan is bigger, has a bigger knob and a thicker neck than the female swan. Uniquely, this male swan’s head is quite flat, making his head and neck together looks very much like a “7” so that I can still recognize it without comparison with the female. I will keep watching and let you know if the swan parent returns (hope it will!).
This is the final writeup from a weekend trip to Portland, focusing on our favorite beer places (Part 1: Portland Food, Part 2: Oregeon Brewers Festival). I half-wrote this right after the trip but hadn’t got around to posting it.
A great place to taste beer– an informal space with plenty of seating and a rotating selection of about twenty beers on tap, including a lot of Oregon beer. For just $7.50 you can get a sampler of any five of your choice. I liked the Avatar Jasmine IPA (very faint hints of jasmine), but can’t remember what else we had (a scotch ale and one of the Upright beers, but I don’t seem to have notes).
Upright Brewing (on N Broadway, in a tricky-to-find location near freeway offramps and overpasses, in the basement of the Leftbank building)
We tried all nine beers they had on tap. My favorite by far (and one of my favorites of the trip– I brought some home) was the unusual Flora Rustica— it had some slightly vegetive flavors and an interesting faintly-bitter herbal taste (they said “spring yarrow” is one ingredient), as well as a bit of hot-pepper-like spiciness. It’s hard to describe but very worth trying [edit: the bottle I brought home didn’t have the same spiciness and wasn’t as strongly flavored]. Also exceptionally good was the Alphaphylactic Hop, not your typical hoppy beer. It had a slightly savory-vegetable-saute flavor, a light sweetness, a bit of hoppiness… and a taste that went on for a while and kept evolving (either as I got used to it, or as it warmed up). The Four was a very well-done saison-style ale with a slight orange flavor and a floral/honey smell. I also wrote down that I liked the Five but can’t remember the details. The Six, Seven (more of a cream-style ale), Weisse, and Engel Pils were also all good. I didn’t like the hoppy Leafer Madness as much.
A great English-style pub, with cozy dark wood, plenty of tables, many cask beers (hand-pumped, light carbonation, served closer to room temperature) and a wide selection of non-local beers as well. We had a few beers, including a good cask-conditioned version of Racer 5 IPA, but the highlight was the truly amazing Hogs Back Stout (cask): hard to describe, but slightly “chewy”, slightly coffee/oatmeal flavored, rich, not especially sweet or dry… “balanced”? The best stout I’ve ever had and one of my favorite beers of the trip.
Ignore the excessive foam in the photo below– we got a second round of the Hogs Back, but the cask ran out while pouring them, so we got these heady half-beers for free.
A pleasant brewpub for a beer at on a sunny day, with a big outdoor patio and indoor warehouse seating near the brewing apparatus, with a slight smell of grain in the air. We all liked the Plum Founded, a mild pale ale aged with… plums. The ESB and Cream of the Crop (a beer made with flaked corn and a hint of creaminess) were also both good, and refreshing on a sunny summer day. None of these were our favorites of the trip, but all of them were better than most beers we had at the OBF.
Tags: Amnesia, Bailey's, Bar (establishment), beer, Brewery, Horse Brass, Microbrewery, Oregon, Portland, Stout, Upright
[…] I’m going to rave about great beer in Portland Oregon, I should check out the beer in the original US Portland (which, for your local history tidbit of […]
[…] crossed with a stout) and the Speakeasy Butchertown Black (hoppy and dark) were the favorites. The Upright Flora Rustica I’d liked so much in PDX was no good at all– sour and […]
[…] year, another weekend trip to Portland to see friends, eat, and drink beer. Getting up early and going to sleep late– less to take advantage of the nightlife and more […]
You're starting to realize that there are lots of unhealthy things in your home environment. Products you've been using for years and that you never gave a second thought to are turning out to be menaces to your health. From what you're reading and hearing, it seems like almost everything is toxic.
You can't change everything all at once. The best thing to do is take baby steps. Pick one or two areas and work on those. Then add another. Then another.
I'm going to share with you some of the baby steps I've taken in recent months to make my home greener and healthier. They're all things that I have tried myself and that I recommend.
So, here are some suggestions to get you started. You can read through all of them or just click to whatever catches your eye in the list below:
Plastic containers can leach harmful chemicals into your food. Some of the newer plastics are not as bad as the old ones, but I still want to use them as little as possible.
I got rid of my old plastic containers and I replaced them with glass containers like these made by Pyrex.
I love them because they're heavy and strong, and I like that they're clear so I can see the contents. You can put them in the oven or microwave, and you can freeze them.
They do have plastic lids, but they are BPA free and generally don't touch the food, anyway. The lids are nice and stay on tight. They are microwaveable, but I don't use them in the microwave. I prefer to use wax paper to cover foods in the microwave.
You can put the lids in the dishwasher, but I don't because I think they stay in better shape if you hand wash them.
Along with plastic containers, I'm trying to cut back on my use of plastic wrap. Most plastic wrap contains LDPE, which is an endocrine disruptor. It also ends up in the trash, and that's bad for the environment.
Here's a great alternative to plastic wrap that I started using a few months ago. It's called Bees Wrap.
It's made of organic cotton cloth embedded with beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin. You can use it to cover a container or wrap it around food. You use the warmth from your hands to form it how ever you want it. It seals quite well.
After using it, you just wash it with cool soapy water and let it air dry. You can use it over and over again for about a year. Bees Wrap comes in 6 different sizes and in different designs.
At first I was skeptical of homemade cleaners. I found it hard to believe that they could do as good a job as commercial cleaners.
In most cases, they actually out-perform the stuff you buy at the store. They don't knock you over with noxious fumes, and they don't hurt your skin. And they really save you a lot of money.
This Non-Toxic Glass Stove Top Cleaner, from The Turquoise Home, is made of three simple ingredients and works like a charm. It's far better than the commercial glass stove top cleaner that came with my stove top, and it's 100% non-toxic.
Note: the recipe calls for Citrus Fresh oil, but you can substitute any citrus oil because they are great degreasers. I use lemon, myself.
I'm totally in love with Clean Mama's Window + Mirror Cleaning Spray, and I'm amazed by how well it works. It leaves the glass sparkling clean with no smearing, and it doesn't make me choke when I use it. I will never go back to store-bought window cleaners!
If you'd like more ideas for non-toxic cleaners, see my post How to Make Homemade Cleaners with Lemon Essential Oil.
Laundry products are full of hazardous chemicals. Some have even been identified as carcinogens. So I've switched out three items in my laundry for healthier options. Those are the detergent, liquid fabric softener, and dryer sheets.
I only tried one detergent recipe, and I was so happy with it that I never bothered to try any others. I went with the dry detergent because the liquid ones sounded like too much of a mess.
It's called "HE" (high efficiency), but that just means that it's safe for a high efficiency machine. I use it in my top-loading washing machine, and I only use 2 tablespoons of detergent for a large load.
And by the way, the bar soap I use is Kir﻿k's Original Coco Castile, and I grate it using my Cuisinart food processor. I ordered all the ingredients from Walmart and picked them up at the store. That saved me a lot of running around, and Walmart had the best price.
Instead of fabric softener, I use distilled white vinegar. I put 1/2 cup in a Downy fabric softener ball and toss it in at the beginning of the wash cycle. I actually only use it with my whites and towels (which are all white).
You never want to use fabric softener on towels because it makes them less absorbent. That's the whole reason for having towels, right? But if you don't use any kind of rinse, your towels can turn out stiff. That's because of the soap residue that's left behind on the towels.
Well, the vinegar in the rinse gets rid of the soap residue, so your towels turn out soft and clean. And by the way, I've never had a problem with the laundry smelling like pickles. If you use the right amount of vinegar, it should't leave a smell behind.
You just put 2 or 3 in the dryer with your laundry instead of dryer sheets. They reduce static, they speed up the drying time, and they make your clothes turn out soft and smooth. I'm not quite sure why they work, but they do. Maybe it's magic!
If you want to add some fragrance, put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the balls before you start each load. I like to use lavender.
It was a sad day when I learned that all those lovely scented candles and wax melts I was using to make my home smell wonderful were actually polluting the indoor air. And canned "air fresheners" aren't any better. They may as well be called "air polluters" because they're just spewing toxic chemicals into the air. I love having my house smell good, but not at the expense of good health.
Essential oils to the rescue! Not only do essential oils smell good, but they can actually make the air healthier to breathe.
You can make your own air freshener by putting water in a spray bottle and adding several drops of essential oils. But I think the best method is a diffuser, like this one that I use.
You just add water and a few drops of oil to the diffuser, and it dispenses a fine mist into the air. My favorite oil for diffusing is Purification by Young Living. It neutralizes odors and has a fresh fragrance that I love.
So there you have it. None of these suggestions cost a lot of money, and they're easy for anyone to do. There are lots of other great ideas that I could share, but this should be enough to get you started.
Have you tried any of these? Or do you have any other favorite simple steps to going green at home? Let us hear about it in the comments.
I love a good quickie. A quick DIY home decor project, that is. (What did you think I was talking about?). And this easy DIY Burlap Wreath is just that. A beautiful DIY wreath to spruce up your front door, without spending a fortune or a whole weekend’s worth of time. And, this wreath is multi-functional because you can easily take off the fall elements and colored ribbon and replace them with other seasonal items (like pinecones and red and white ribbons). If you can tie a knot and use a pair of scissors, then you can make this easy DIY Burlap Wreath. Read on for the short tutorial.
*This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission from these links at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
lots of burlap – cut into 1- 1/2″ x 7″ strips – I made this wreath while I was living in Wyoming, so my version is made out of real deal horse feed burlap sacks that I repurposed.
“Hi” metal or wood decoration plus string to attach it to the wreath frame – I got my “Hi” from Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon!
Tie burlap strips in a knot around each individual wire. This is what the inside looks like… rows and rows of burlap knots:
I prefer to use floral picks as wreath embellishments. I got my picks from Michael’s, but Hobby Lobby also has a TON of cute options.
The great thing about using picks is that you don’t need to fire up the glue gun. Just stick the pick part down into the knots of your burlap strips. Easy peasy! Plus, since the embellishments aren’t glued down, you can easily switch them out for each season. One easy DIY burlap wreath = lots of different wreaths for the whole year!
This is the exact same wreath as the Fall wreath pictured at the beginning of this post. It only took me 10 minutes to remove the fall elements and change it up for a completely different look!
For this farmhouse version of my easy DIY burlap wreath, I cut gray and black fabric strips into 1-1/2″ x 6″ strips and tied them around random wires on the wreath frame. Be sure to tie your ribbons in a loose knot to make it easier to change them out for the next season.
For the Fall version of this wreath, I used burnt orange wired ribbon and wove it through random sections of the wire wreath frame. Since I wove the ribbon on the fall version rather than tying fabric strips, the ribbon will be super easy to switch out for Christmas. Just pull out your ribbon strip and replace it for winter time.
I couldn’t be happier with the finished product! Who knew that a few burlap horse feed sacks could look so good?!
If you use real-deal burlap like I did, then you’ll probably need to give your easy DIY burlap wreath a quick refresh every other month. Burlap unravels easily after you cut it, so to get rid of all of the stray strings, I just grab a pair of scissors and quickly cut them off. Or, if you want a more rustic look you can just leave them.
I also recommend giving the wreath a good shake to fluff up the fabric strips. I usually give my easy DIY burlap wreath a little refresh every time that I change the picks and ribbons out for the next season.
And that’s it! I told you it was a short tutorial! If you’re short on holiday decor space, this easy DIY burlap wreath is perfect for you, because you never have to pack it away in storage. Just switch out the embellishments for a new wreath season after season.
Variety reports that Mark Wahlberg and James Franco have signed on for supporting roles behind Steve Carell and Tina Fey in the upcoming comedy Date Night. Director and producer Shawn Levy had a goal of filling all the supporting roles for Date Night "with formidable actors." Levy mentioned, "People just kept saying yes." He followed by saying, "I think people just really wanted to work with Tina and Steve." Those that also said yes include, Leighton Meester, Common, Taraji P. Henson and Kristen Wiig.
The comedy revolves around a married couple (Carell and Fey) who find themselves in trouble after their regular Date Night goes horribly wrong.
Directed by: David O. Russell Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence Running Time: 2 hrs 18 mins Rating: R Release Date: December 20, 2013
PLOT: An FBI agent (Cooper) recruits a conning couple (Bale & Adams) to help take down dirty politicians and the mafia.
WHO'S IT FOR? If the presence of anyone in this lead cast intrigues you, American Hustle is definitely worth a look.
A who's who of David O. Russell performers from his past two films Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, (with an exception of Jeremy Renner), American Hustle is a film driven by such performers who are game for the unorthodox shenanigans he often gravitates to. In fact, the film is more about its performances than its characters, which isn't entirely a good thing. It's good for the ability to enjoy the experience of the movie — the giddiness of watching these actors all in the same room with equally great hairdos from a different era gives the party that is American Hustle a strong replay value. But this film is a special moment like A-list celebrity volleyball games, complete with Jennifer Lawrence aggressively cleaning her living space to Wings' "Live and Let Die," or an incredible batch of scenes with Bradley Cooper antagonizing a famous comedian. It's going to make a lot of gifs, in which Cooper will be assuming a more immediate lead role.
But once one attempts to dig under the recognizable actors in these playfully unrecognizable characters, there is a comparatively less amount of richness to be found. While we can be thankful that American Hustle places these characters into unique relationships with one another, they are heavily uninteresting when taken as individuals, despite the potential that remains there (with an exception of Cooper's underdog Richie, perhaps). Bale's manipulative Irving Rosenfeld, though captivating in the film's first shot as he assembles his hairpiece, doesn't hold our attention or our emotion when he has a dark pensive moment in one of his laundromats; Lawrence's Rosalyn is another amusing character for the endearing actress to play, is but a collection of goofy jokes about being trashy. Even Amy Adams' Sydney, who strangely commits to a bad accent for a very comical amount of time, is cut short for her potential.
Russell shows that he is a sound filmmaker, both visually and in terms of his usage of music. As with The Fighter, he expresses that he knows how to bulk a soundtrack. In particular, he has a specific taste for music that can fulfill sequences with both nostalgia and a distinct energy, steering the drama of the sequence. American Hustle, with all of its jokes about Anchorman-like costume design, features a great scene of character procession to the climactic wails of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
As indicated by the planted existence of Lawrence's character (one who is on the fringe of becoming an ugly example of Oscar politics), American Hustle is best at making jokes than it is a strong narrative for which the audience to get into, welcoming its audience with a plethora of '70s-based laughs more than intriguing "Some of this actually happened" true story craziness. In terms of film history, Russell's latest is this year's Burn After Reading. A movie that is preceded by its ridiculousness, American Hustle is a hugely amusing film, but not one to take very seriously.
Renegade by Sharon Shannon, Mike McGoldrick, Jim Murray, Dezi Donnelly Added by nicholas 11 years ago .
Students mostly ignore USSU election – The Sheaf – The University of Saskatchewan Newspaper Since 1912
Despite two contested positions, voter turnout to the 2010 University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union elections was nearly the same as last year, when all positions were won by acclamation.
The results were announced on March 25 at 5:30 p.m., with only 12.5 per cent of students voting, compared to 12 per cent last year.
Leon Thompson beat out Justin Lasnier for vice-president student affairs by a slim 83 votes, while vice-president operations and finance incumbent Scott Hitchings got 57 per cent of the vote over Matt Donlevy. The remaining positions were won by acclamation: the 2010-11 University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union will also have Chris Stoicheff as president, Blair Shumlich as vice-president external affairs, and Kelsey Topola as vice-president academic affairs.
While excited to win the position of student affairs, Thompson was disappointed in the voter turnout.
“It’s terrible, absolutely terrible. I will admit it. We need to get students involved. There is a massive disconnect between students and their government and that’s something I’d like to change. We need to figure out a way to get students involved in the democratic process.”
Current USSU president Warren Kirkland says he thinks the low turnout is due to the lack of controversy surrounding this year’s election.
“My personal perspective on politics in general is that if the politicians aren’t doing a vehemently terrible job, there’s no interest in what they’re doing,” he said. “I like to think we’ve done a good job this year and as a result there’s not as much interest.”
To compare, Kirkland cited the 2007 USSU elections when Ryan Allen and Cody Lang ran for re-election. Allegations of unprofessionalism from some executive members, combined with five people running for president and a choice of several candidates for each position, resulted in a voter turnout of 25 per cent.
Last year’s election was criticized for the lack of diversity, with five male candidates running uncontested. This year, Kelsey Topola was acclaimed to vice-president academic, and two Aboriginal students ran for vice-president student affairs.
“Potentially being the first Aboriginal person on the USSU executive is exciting, and I hope to bring my unique perspective to student government,” he said. “Aboriginal representation on campus is important, and something that we as students need.”
This thesis examines flow control and the potentially favorable effects of feedback, associated with unsteady actuation in separated flows over airfoils. The objective of the flow control is to enhance lift at post-stall angles of attack by changing the dynamics of the wake vortices. We present results from a numerical study of unsteady actuation on a two-dimensional flat plate at post-stall angles of attack at Reynolds number (Re) of 300 and 3000. At Re=300, the control waveform is optimized and a feedback strategy is developed to optimize the phase of the control relative to the lift with either a sinusoidal or the optimized waveform, resulting in a high-lift limit cycle of vortex shedding. Also at Re=3000, we show that certain frequencies and actuator waveforms lead to stabl(high-lift) limit cycles, in which the flow is phase locked to the actuation. First, a two-dimensional flat plate model at a high angle of attack at a Re of 300 is considered. We design the feedback to slightly adjust the frequency and/or phase of actuation to lock it to a particular phase of the lift, thus achieving a phase-locked flow with the maximal period-averaged lift over every cycle of acutation. With the sinusoidal forcing and feedback, we show that it is possible to optimize the phase of the control relative to the lift in order to achieve the highest possible period-averaged lift in a consistent fashion. However, continuous sinusoidal forcing could be adding circulation when it is unnecessary, or undesirable. Thus we employ an adjoint-based optimization in order to find the waveform (time history of the jet velocty) that maximizes the lift for a given actuation amplitude. The adjoint of the linearized perturbed equations is solved backwards in time to obtain the gradient of the lift to changes in actuation (the jet velocity), and this information is used to iteratively improve the controls. Optimal control provides a periodic control waveform, resulting in high lift shedding cycle with minimal control input. However, if applied in open loop, the flow fails to phase lock onto the optimal waveform, degrading the lift performance. Thus, the optimized waveform is also implemented in a closed-loop controller where the control signal is shifted or deformed periodically to adjust to the (instantaneous) frequency of the lift fluctuations. The feedback utilizes a narrowband filter and an Extended Kalman Filter to robustly estimate the phase of vortex shedding and achieve phase-locked, high lift flow states. Feedback control of the optimized waveform is able to reproduce the high-lift limit cycle from the optimization, but starting from an arbitrary phase of the baseline limit cycle. Finally, we apply the tools developed and knowledge gained at Re=300 to a Re of 3000 on a thin airfoil with a thickness-to-chord ratio of 4%, which were chosen to match the experimental studies of Greenblatt et al. (2008). We consider more detailed time-dependent aspects of the lift and corresponding flow fields, particularly the flow structures at the minimum and maximum lift, and the phase of pulses relative to the lift, in order to more precisely compare different actuated flow fields and distinguish the differences responsible for higher or lower instantaneous lift, along with identifying different vortex evolutions. We consider two representative angles of attack, 10 and 20 degrees, and investigate the lift enhancement and which combinations of forcing frequency and duty cycle lead to phase-locked flow. Finally, we show that for certain frequencies and actuator waveforms, there occur stable limit cycles in which the flow is phase locked to the actuation.
Sometimes, all of the little chemicals in your body strike some sort of glorious sort of pattern; concentrations of oxygen, water, sugars, salts, nitrogen, endorphins and other vital hormones exist perfectly, creating an ideal gradient, resulting in absolutely no hangover after a night of hard drinking. Such was the case in my brief visit to …
Living in Addis Ababa requires that one consider the lives of the injured, the sick, and the deformed. Action is optional, but you cannot spend time in the streets of Addis without imagining the lives of the handicapped and homeless. Lacking the mobility and strength needed for the day-laboring jobs so common in the workforce …
Kidepo National Park in northern Uganda is really a place for the bigger, more charismatic organisms, like lions and elephants and giraffe and things. However, it had an interesting selection of shrubbier flowering plants with inflorescences that were typically small and very close to the ground. The fruit of that star-shaped purple solanaceous flower is …
The construction is still underway on the new AU center in Addis, but its taken enough shape for one to realize that it looks like a launch pad for flying saucers. The big dome is actually the conference complex, which I believe is operational. I also believe that the main tower is now the tallest …
Here is a group of pictures of various individuals climbing relatively hard stuff in and around the New River Gorge, WV. Thats about all that needs to be said. If you can identify the crag/route/climber, leave your answers in the comment section. This way we’ll find out who is spending waaaay too much time climbing …
During most of the day I share my living space with a lively group of Ethiopian welders and engineers. Its their job to design, build, and test prototype versions of low-budget irrigation equipment for rural farming. Presently, this equipment includes manual well drills and a few different kinds of groundwater pumps. We have a small …
Currently its the dry season here in Ethiopia, but the heavens uncharacteristically opened up for almost two days straight last week. The storm ended late on a thursday afternoon, very close to sunset. The combination of the dissipating storm, the waning sunlight, and the lack of out and about people gave the city a eerie …
When I heard that the organization that I’ve been working with here in Ethiopia was going to have an “annual review and retreat,” I did not know what to expect. We have employees stationed all over Ethiopia and for one week everybody was to funnel into a hotel somewhere for a series of meetings, reviews, … Continue reading →
I have attempted to buy shoes twice since arriving here in Addis Ababa. About a month ago I decided that I needed a new pair. Up to that point in time I had been wearing a single pair of shoes, almost exclusively. They’re brown leather and belonged to my father before I commandeered them. I’ve … Continue reading →
If you may not know (I didn’t until I arrived in the country) Ethiopia functions under a different calendar than most other places in the world. Currently its 2005, and 2006 isn’t going to roll around until September 1st. The reason for the difference lies in Ethiopia’s unique brand of Orthodox Christianity. Check out the … Continue reading →
It must have seemed like forever since I dropped out of sight and stopped posting on my blog. Well, it’s not your imagination; it has felt like forever – for me too.
Many of you know (and for those who don’t), I spent the last 66 days tethered to an IV pole and a hospital bed with some “House”- like (remember the TV show?) ailment that eluded doctors and rendered me helpless.
It started with 103-degree spiking fevers and chills once or twice a day. The fevers were often high enough to cause my eyes not to track and mild hallucinations – I could see the room, and people but nothing made sense. I was out of it. (But I really wish I could remember some of those Age of Aquarius visions and feelings … for my art, of course).
Finally, after bone marrow biopsies (looking for cancer), kidney biopsies (looking for my kidney transplant rejection), a Bronchoscopy, multiple MRIs, x-rays, CAT scans (good news, I don’t have to turn on a light when I get up at night for the bathroom – I glow), talk of removing my spleen, and finally a major surgical jaunt into my lungs (yup, there were clouds forming – but not until 2-weeks after I was hospitalized!), an answer was found.
I spent a great deal of the time in isolation. My white blood cells fell dangerously low making me even more susceptible to anything and everything flying by. Then, not to be outdone, my red blood cells took a nosedive, which meant several platelet and blood transfusions.
Over two months alone in a room, with the exception of Mr. Electric who tried to balance a fulltime job, a household and a very sick husband. I was losing it.
I was finally diagnosed with something called histoplasmosis and is also known as Ohio Valley Disease. Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus. Symptoms of this infection vary greatly, but the disease affects primarily the lungs] and it can be fatal if left untreated. Here’s the rub: There are areas of the country where certain fungi live comfortably. There is a fungus in the Arizona area. Another in the San Diego area. Another type in the Minnesota area. And another in the Ohio Valley where I grew up (Pittsburgh). These fungi are endemic to the specific areas and many, many people carry the fungus in their bodies them their whole lives.
I haven’t lived in Pittsburgh since September 1975, but guess what settled in my lungs? It wasn’t until I became immune suppressed due to the kidney transplant anti-rejection drugs that this fungus among us reared it’s ugly, and rare, head. Lucky me.
While the cure is almost worse than the disease (the side effects of the IV drip were nothing less than horrifying and torturous), I will be being treated for this using massive (and also somewhat rare) antibiotics for at least a year.
After months in a bed, I have to tell you I’m as weak as a kitten and can barely walk or get up or down stairs (it’s going to take fortitude), I’m extremely emotional (crying 24/7 and I don’t know why), I am having a hard time walking, and also have a slight tremor in my hands, which I hope is temporary.
And just like Jesus (sorry) I have a hole in my left side with stitches from where the lung tubes and cameras and tools were forced into my chest (and it still hurts like a moth …. never mind).
I want to thank everyone for their prayers, and messages, and cards (which were all hung on my wall and amazed everyone who walked into the room), flowers, quilts, cupcakes, and gifts.
When the going gets rough I go inward (you might find this hard to believe but I’m an introvert at heart). I didn’t post much, but your thinking of me meant the world to me and kept me going when I didn’t want to – or when I never thought I’d leave that hospital without a hearse (yes, it got that bad).
The medical team demands that slow down and take it easy for the next several months so I will be forced to cancel several gigs (and I’ll get by on my looks, I guess).
The experience, while frightening and grueling, was also so illuminating and such an opportunity for spiritual growth, that I am reminded once again – no matter how bad it gets, there is ALWAYS something to learn, an opportunity for growth, and a silver lining.
Most importantly, the greatest lesson I learned through one particularly high fever and I was sure I was closing my eyes for the very last time …. There is nothing to fear in this world, and nothing can stop your dreams if you just go for broke. When our end does come, nothing matters or makes a difference except how much you have loved, how much you have given of yourself to others. The rest is all illusion. The rest is just bullshit.
Thank you for still being here with us. I prayed that your transplant was not giving you a problem. I have had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and It is no fun. Two or three days in IV and don’t ask what they did. Still praying for you and your joyful spirit. Sue McKelvy
Mark, I’ve been worried about you and was so relieved to see your post today. Please take all the time you need to recover fully. Just relax and listdn to your hair grow!!!
Oh my goodness, Mark – so very sorry for all you’ve been through! Sounds like a miracle you’re still here. But I’m thankful you’re getting better. I thought histoplasmosis was something you got from pigeon droppings. Had you been feeding the pigeons?? Lol. I wish you a Merry Christmas, continued healing, and an abundance of blessings in 2016!! Sewingly, Annette 😋
Thank god they finally figured this out. We always knew you were a rarity. What a happy New Year you have to look forward to. All the very best,
I had no idea you were going through all of this..tears for what you’ve been through. I have a son that had a transplant 15yrs ago so I know how tricky things can get. Praise God you are home and on the road to recovery…And with your sense of humor intact. Be Blessed!
So happy you are home, even if you still have a long recovery ahead of you. At least it’s a recovery! What a freaky thing to happen. At least you won’t have to worry about dieting. I hope Evan has come around. His attitude was probably just covering his fear. He’s still so young. I know it’s none of my business, but I worry about how you guys are doing financially. Coming from Canada and socialized medicine, up here it would all have been covered. I hope whatever insurance you have has shouldered some of the burden. If I win the lottery on Friday I’m sending you money!! Much love, -Suzanne Stranks
Dear Mark – I am so sorry to hear you have been so unwell. I hope you continue to recover and Nelson and I are thinking of you. With all good wishes Lucie
Research on college student alcohol consumption shows that they drink significantly more when they link their drinking to a reason to celebrate. Halloween is one of the many “alcoholidays” that occur throughout the school year.
Psychologist Kent Glindemann and colleagues took measures of the blood alcohol concentration of college students on Halloween and a comparative non-holiday. As a measure of their investment in the celebration, the researchers also indicated whether the student was in costume on Halloween and asked the subject how much time and effort they spent putting it together.
They found that students on Halloween were significantly more intoxicated than they were on the non-holiday, significantly more intoxicated if they were in costume, and significantly more intoxicated if they had invested more versus less time in their appearance.
Glindemann and his colleagues theorize that the Halloween costume mediates the intent to celebrate, but costumes may also have an independent effect. Social work professor John D. Clapp and his colleagues studied non-holiday-related college parties. Such parties often have themes that encourage students to dress up. In theory, the themes apply to all students but in practice women dress up far more often than men.
Clapp and his colleagues found that women tested at themed parties had higher rates of intoxication than women at non-theme parties. Women may be de-inhibited by the costumes themselves or the costumes may make the party feel more like an alcoholiday.
or its because halloween is a more widely accepted party night, so people are more free to drink then, whereas other times you probably won't all be partying.
i imagine you'd get similar information from christmas and new years compared to any other ordinary day too.
As those who follow me on Twitter know, I believe the Mail on Sunday, like the Irish Daily Mail, is an under-appreciated newspaper (wow, wow, lower those rifles, dear readers, I’ll explain).
People ignore it because oftentimes the substance of the stories they unearth get lost in the style in which they report. Of course the Mail does have some poor journalists but there are some seriously sharp hacks in there (it was no surprise that the Mail was the first national to pick up on the O’Dea libel story). Their work is often criminally slept on by the wider media.
People seem to think “ah, it’s just the Mail, can’t believe that”, where as if the same set of facts at the nub of the Mail stories were reported in the The Irish Times and written in the Times editorial style, they’d be discussed on every national radio show through-out the day. That’s a pity, but only the fault of the Mail publishers and top-level editors for setting the editorial line and agreeing the writing style.
Also, they don’t have a website, so they’re kinda lost on the whole Twitter/Blogs/Forum discussion which some editors/producers seem to use as a barometer of public interest in stories these days.
ANYWAY, GETTING to the point. On page 31 of yesterday’s Mail on Sunday is a piece about Frank Fahey. Brian Carroll reports that the Fianna Fáil TD and property developer failed to declare his 50% stake in construction firm Sage on the Register of Members’ Interests published earlier this month. Not alone that, but he had failed to mention it in last year’s Register too.
When Carroll asked Fahey why he didn’t declare the interest Fahey claimed it was a “clerical oversight”, i.e. he forgot about it. He forgot about holding a 50% share in company in which he has invested over €1m during the last five years? A company which still owes his wife more than €900,000?… Seriously? Upon receipt of Carroll’s enquiries Fahey rushed to the the clerk of the Dáil and asked for the record to be amended show he had an interest in Sage.
The fact Fahey admitted he had the stake in the firm and claimed he had forgotten about it kinda burned the story on Carroll, hence, page 31 (below a picture-driven piece about Angelina Jolie). Oddly, it would probably have been more newsworthy if Carroll had not gone to Fahey but instead got someone like Fergus O’Dowd of Fine Gael to give a comment. Or maybe asked someone like John Devitt of Transparency Ireland for a quote about the damage undeclared conflicts of interest can have on democracy, or the dangers of influence purchasing. But it’s always right to give a right-of-reply, even if you know it’ll ruin the story. It’s also possible Carroll did not have had space for alternative quotes.
Well, questionable stuff from Fahey, great to see him get a scare, no real surprise though. Might have to look closer at his declarations now.
Nice work from the MoS, and Brian Carroll particularly, in fact-checking the register and making sure things are how they should be. Credit where it’s due, no matter what else, or who else (and no matter their level of nakedness) appears on the page.
Also agree on the MoS front – really does have some cracking stories from week-to-week. And is certainly over-looked. I think the website factor is now becomming huge too, papers need to have an online presence nowadays.
It’s that time of year again – it’s revision time! With the exam season upon us, we know you’re all dreading those long revision sessions and those monotonous days in the library. Revising doesn’t need to be boring though – there are plenty of ways to keep things interesting, and even fun (yes, fun!).
In the hope of making the spring less grim for you, we put together a list of seven fun ways to revise.
Get some friends studying for the same exam as you together and play charade. Not any kind of charade though. All words or phrases you use will need to come directly from your textbooks. This game will help you test your knowledge and find new ways to remember things – by listening to the clues given by other players, you’ll find out how they remember those figures, concepts, or facts.
Creating drawings, cartoons, or diagrams of the events or concepts you’re studying can be rather powerful too, whilst also being enjoyable. If you can, hang your illustrations up in your room or the space where you study – they’ll make their way into your head if you occasionally look at them or catch glimpses of them.
If you enjoy a good comedy show or a joke, this method is for you. A great way to remember facts or people is to come up with a joke or funny nickname for the ones that really don’t stick.
For historical figures, you can either change the person’s name slightly, or describe what they’re most known for in a humorous way. For example, Henry VIII could be “the womaniser”. For historical periods, facts, or concepts, you can use amusing expressions to describe the key features that identify them. Revising using inside jokes and witty expressions can be a lot of fun, especially if you do it with a coursemate or two.
Hair brushes at the ready. Have you ever considered singing while you study? It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Assign famous songs, or tracks you like, to people or facts you need to remember. For example, to remember Bill Clinton’s re-election you could sing “Oops!… I Did It Again” by Britney Spears and maybe even change some of the lyrics to include key related facts.
Using this method will make it easier to remember events and people’s personal stories; it will also establish a positive connection with the subject you’re studying.
Can’t be bothered to pull an all-nighter? Why not play board games with your coursemates in the evening instead? You’ll be allowed to play any game you like, but there’s a catch. Every time it’s your turn, you’ll have to state a notion from your textbooks that hasn’t been mentioned in the previous rounds. The pressure of the game and your peers will help you dig deep in your head, which will unveil just how much you already know on the exam subject.
Not any movie, though. If you’re starting to find the subject you’re studying boring and you’re dreading looking at your books, try watching a film, documentary, or video about it. The Hollywood version of the historical figures and period you’re studying is often much more memorable than a long book chapter.
You’ll inevitably frantically check your phone and text people while revising, even when you really shouldn’t. So why not take advantage of it? Make a deal with one or two friends who are preparing for the same exam as you. You’ll need to add facts from your textbooks to all the texts you exchange with them in the lead-up to the exam. This method will force you to open up the books and dig up new facts; it will also “drill” these into your brain.
If you easily get distracted while revising, try the Pomodoro technique – put away your phone and tablet, and work solidly for 25 minutes (this is one “Pomodoro”) and then take a five-minute break. Once you’ve done four consecutive Pomodoros, take a longer break (around 15 or 20 minutes). By taking regular breaks, you’ll feel less overwhelmed by a whole morning or afternoon of studying, and you’ll be more motivated to really focus during each Pomodoro.
Do you have any suggestions on how to make revising fun? Give our team a holler by getting in touch on Facebook or Twitter (@comelivewithus), or email us directly at info@thestudenthousingcompany.com.
The impressive growth of south-south and triangular cooperation and also the struggle of climate change international summits at negotiation and institutional level, establishes a clear need to create an international structure that performs beyond the rigidity of north-south cooperation. Initiatives of Iberoamerica and Asia have shown that SSC may succeed out of the framework of the current international structure assuring their permanence and stability. The summit: High Level Forum in Aid Effectiveness (HLF4) in Busan( 2011) has agreed that the prevailing development model has not achieved equitable growth and broad-based social progress. That is also another reason that led us to conclude of the urgent need of a democratization of the current development models as the “touchstone” that “opens the gate” for new modalities of development where aid effectiveness is not linked to political conditionality. There is a consensus among traditional donors and new development partners alike are that of country ownership, recognizing that development priorities and programs need to be driven by the recipients themselves.
NO, the world cannot afford more delays and ought to move forward towards new models of economic and finance structures. Inequality is an endemic factor that is destroying not just current but future opportunities of growing. I have read this article of Prof. Cowen: “It´s not the Inequality, it´s the Immobility” * and it has raised my concerns about the implications of divert the debate of a serious structural problem into an economic circumstantial fact that could be resolved on the short term.
The author assures that “….a lot of inequality is natural and indeed desirable..”, referring to the differences of talents and tastes on individuals as a way to justify that a “good inequality” is needed; is it here where it fails on a conceptual perspective. A “good inequality” does not exists, in fact is a contradiction in itself. The differences of capacities among individuals are part of a diversity that enriches a community and is precisely this that push the international community to have a resourceful system able to fulfil the basic and upgraded needs of individuals.
Centralized the debate on economic immobility reduces the problem as just a boost on productivity, but this is not a matter of reducing rates of unemployment or to be 2 points over on growth rate, but of structural changes and political decisions with vision.
We acknowledge that an important slow down on productivity has contributed to create this finance chaos that led to a very slow recovery particularly on European countries, but not as a way to deny other negative consequences as a system level.
The world needs more certainty and strong action on the road to change finance structures and reshaped a new globalization model if not, were are in risk to continue talking of reduction of poverty, going sadly back on time. MDG´s are over, now we need to keep our focus on SDG´s and particularly on the cause of all evils: inequality, or maybe it´s better to say the painful consequence of the cause of all evils: finance structures and political decisions not basis on transparency and accountability.
There is enough confusion and lack of awareness on the urgent need of taking action on this front to add more shadow on the concept. Inequality is inequality and I am seeing as very dangerous to try to change and reduce the concept to economy immobility as Prof. Cowen does it in this article. Is a long and rough road we have being walked for starting again the debate about reduction of poverty instead of a global change of an unequal system.
Inspired by nature and with an appreciation of home grown, local growers and suppliers, our team of passionate florists design sumptuous, natural arrangements for all occasions. We feel that flowers and floral design do not need limitations. Nature gives us such a beautiful array of flowers and foliage that mainly go unnoticed. We want to encourage others to find inspiration everywhere they look. There is beauty beyond carnations and gerberas – in climbing roses, cherry blossoms, jasmine trails. Add them to a vase of simple blooms and they will be transformed. Anything in your garden can be utilised, and it’s potential to impress fulfilled. Settled in the beautiful Victorian styled Tannery Emporium in Woolston, we look forward to welcoming you to our inspiring home.
I have seen without seeing the mysteries of the night showing the darkness lying deep within the souls of the people
I have seen without seeing the hope that no longer exists that was splattered against the walls of dreams diminished
of anguish of those coaxed into the line of false prosperity of false reality of false representation of the mindset that was created to contain, restrain, and restrict the bird whose wings have grown without feathers
Whose shoes were made of concrete leaving them unable to close their eyes and click their heels three times in chants of there’s no place like home
Because for them home was not a home, but instead an elaborately painted cardboard face whose doorway lead into the hallways of hungry days and sleepless nights and rooms that brought forth more reasons to defend , to fear, and tear soaked pillows from thoughts of all that they would never be
They gave it to us on a plate of brass, elaborately decorated with green leaf lettuce and just a hint of lemon to make it last a little longer.
At this point, Fossil is probably pushing Android Wear more than any other company. The company is continuing to release smartwatches under many of its brands, including Skagen, Misfit, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and others. The third-generation Fossil Q watches first went on sale in September of last year, with the most notable improvement being the fully round screens (as opposed to the 'flat tire' displays that older watches used).
Another third-generation Fossil Q watch arrived in November of last year - the Q Control. It's the first sports-oriented smartwatch under the Fossil brand, and its design stands out from the company's other watches. Is the Fossil Q Control worth the asking price of $275? The answer, in most cases, is no - but not because it's a bad watch.
First, let me address what I'm sure many of you are thinking. Yes, this looks almost exactly like the Misfit Vapor. In fact, there are almost no design differences between the two watches. They have the same round screen, the same steel body with a tiny side button, the same lugs, and even the same hardware specifications. Both watches come with silicone bands, but they have slightly different designs.
This doesn't mean Fossil is 'stealing' the Vapor's design - as mentioned above, Misfit is one of Fossil's many brands. In reality, the Fossil Q Control is essentially a rebranded Vapor, with some minor software differences. I'll go into detail about the software later.
Original or not, I have to say I really like the Q Control's design. It looks incredibly sleek, with its steel construction and fully-round screen. The original Moto 360 turned heads with its almost-futuristic design, and the Q Control feels like another iteration of that design. Speaking of the display, it's 1.39 inches across with a resolution of 450x450. Text and images look sharp on the screen, and navigation is fairly easy.
As mentioned above, Fossil finally ditched the 'flat tire' screens with the third generation of Q smartwatches. The Q Control has a fully round display, but it unfortunately still lacks the bezel-less design of the Moto 360. While the Misfit Vapor has touch-sensitive bezels (which apparently don't work well), they serve no purpose on the Q Control. On the back of the watch, there's a heart rate sensor and the charging connector.
The included band is silicone, as you might expect from a watch designed for athletic activity. If you want to occasionally swap it out for something nicer, Fossil has made the process incredibly simple. Not only does the Q Control use standard 20mm watch bands, but the included band has a quick-release mechanism, so you don't have to use a spring bar kit like this one.
One of the most notable improvements coming from a first-gen Huawei Watch is the ambient light sensor. Just like your phone has been doing for years, the screen will brighten or dim to match the light level around you. Even though this is far from a new feature on smartwatches (the ZenWatch 3 and LG Watch Sport/Style have it), it was great to not manually adjust the watch's brightness whenever I was in direct sunlight or in a dark room.
Another great feature of the Q Control is 5 ATM water resistance, which is better than the IP67/68 that many other wearable have. This means the Q Control can survive splashes, rain, snow, showering, and swimming. However, it's not a good idea to go diving with the watch, as the higher water pressure could break the water-tight seal.
As much as I like the Q Control's design and features, there are a few places where Fossil could have improved it. Firstly, there is no digital crown, so navigation is done entirely through swipes. The watch's screen is large enough where that's not much of an issue (especially since the bezel is not raised), but it would have been nice to have. Secondly, there's no speaker. Since Android Wear generally doesn't make use of audio at all (even Assistant responses are text-only), this isn't really a problem unless you plan on constantly answering calls on your watch.
The lack of NFC support is perhaps the most obvious missing feature, and keeps the watch from using Android Pay. Personally, I'm torn on it. The demand for an Android-Pay compatible smartwatch that isn't an inch thick (looking at you, LG and Huawei) is high, at least judging by the comments on many of our posts. But the awful experience of using Pay on Android Wear, which David explained in his Huawei Watch 2 review, leads me to believe I probably wouldn't use it anyways. If Android Pay doesn't support your bank/credit union, this is largely a non-issue anyways.
One missing feature that is a problem is the lack of GPS. Despite this being a fitness watch, you can't actually go on a run and track your route without bringing along your phone. Not cool, Fossil.
The Fossil Q Control runs the latest version of Android Wear, which is v2.8 at the time of writing. Since Android Wear updates are mostly delivered through the watch's Play Store, instead of through over-the-air system upgrades, you don't have to worry about Fossil delaying important updates. This watch will receive Android 8.0 Oreo at some point, which adds customizable vibration strength, a new touch lock option, and other minor features. At the time of writing, my watch has not received the update, but I'm sure it's coming soon.
Android Wear generally doesn't allow for much OEM customization, but there are a few additions from Fossil present. There are 30 included watchfaces, including nine digital faces and 21 analog designs. Personally, I stuck with the default 'Sport Digital' face, since the numbers are large and there are three spots for 'complications' (Android Wear widgets).
Despite the Q Control being designed for fitness use, there are no custom fitness apps included. On the watch's product page, Fossil recommends you use either Google Fit or MySwimPro. Both of these apps are probably better than anything Fossil itself could develop anyways. I used Google Fit multiple times to track runs, and it worked just like tracking runs on any other Android Wear watch. I was unable to test the watch's swim tracking abilities, since it's the middle of winter where I live and no pools are open.
In conclusion, the Fossil Q's software experience is pretty much identical to every other Android Wear 2.0 watch. Apps open quickly, animations are smooth, and everything works as expected. I won't go into detail about the current issues and shortcomings with the platform - I recommend reading Ryan's post about the LG Watch Style for that.
Personally, I think Android Wear 2.0 is mostly fine, but the un-bundled notifications are still an issue. I also realize this won't be a problem for most people, but I really wish you could switch phones without wiping the watch.
The Fossil Q is a good watch. Yes, it's missing some features I would have liked (like a digital crown and a speaker), but I really like the design and the software experience is fine. The battery life easily lasts for a whole day, and it can even stretch to two days if you don't use it much. Despite all this, it makes almost no sense to buy one.
As mentioned above, this is essentially a rebranded Misfit Vapor. It has the same design, charger, hardware, and software. The Vapor is just $200 on Amazon right now, and has gone as low as $140 in the past. You're essentially paying $75 more for the Fossil name and the company's library of watch faces. I realize many people buy watches based on the brand, but I think most smartwatch buyers are more concerned about the price than anything else.
Fossil often has sales on its smartwatches, so if the Q Control ever drops to around the price of a Misfit Vapor, I would recommend it. But at its standard price of $275, there's no reason to buy it over a Vapor.
According to Samsung, you can now use Samsung Pay in Mexico with cards from banks like Banorte, Banregio, Citibanamex, HSBC, and Santander. Samsung Pay uses both NFC and MST technology, so it works almost anywhere that can swipe a card. You need a phone with the MST hardware built-in to use that feature, but all of Samsung's flagship phones for the last few years have it. A few mid-range devices like J7 Pro and A8 also work with MST.