#Point of Care Testing Market Demand

[dashofmonsters]

Bonds of Blood & Delight- Prologue

Male Fae x F!Reader

"A bard? They'll let anyone in here these days," the gate guard scoffs as he tosses your order badge back at you.

The badge nearly slips out of your hand but you manage to grasp it and refasten it to your cloak. You hate when people call you a bard, even if they're not exactly wrong. You're a mage of the Order of Delight. Yes, a lot of entertainers have come from it but there are serious mages who take their skills beyond just illusions and spell crafted songs.

"I've taken the aptitude test like everyone else and sent in my qualifying spells. I've been accepted because I meet the standards," you frown at the guard as he checks your name.

"Whatever makes you feel better. You'll take a left once the gate opens and go towards the west tower where all the first years go," He sniffles and opens the gate.

You collect yourself and walk forward, trying not to feel too ruffled by the bard comment any longer. You've made it this far on your own with your own brand of spells. You're the first mage in your order to invent new spells in over two hundred years as well as the first to get accepted into the High Tower of magic research and development.

Here you'll be able to make a difference, here you'll be able to learn real magic and create more spells for your order. That, and hopefully learn more about the alchemists that reside here.

You grind your teeth just thinking about them. Alchemy has earned high regards in the world of magical research as of late due to the metal refining and greedy nobles. But it's demanding and requires a lot of blood. Not just normal blood, but blood with mana. There are many black market back alley alchemists who've take to kidnapping anyone with magic in their blood. You're late twin brother perished at the hands of a noble's alchemist and you'd have been next if it wasn't for his newly hired mage. Hendrick was a mage of the Order of Delight hired to entertain but his real job was a search and rescue. Unfortunately, you were the only one left to rescue out of the dozens of orphans that were kidnapped, drained and killed.

If Hendrick hadn't saved you when he did, you'd have followed your brother into an early grave. You recall how he took you in, practically adopted you and taught you everything he knew and then some. He was loud and boisterous with a stage presence that put many seasoned performers to shame. Nobody would ever guess that he was actually a mercenary.

It's funny to think that the least suspecting mage order has the most mercenaries and assassins than any other. Or maybe it makes perfect sense, no one would suspect the killing blow to come from the pretty man playing the flute.

The Order of Delight's underground sect known as The Dirge. It's small with only thirty members and you've been tasked with infiltrating the High Tower. You've spent the last five years crafting new spells that would allow me to qualify to study here, I created a persona that would be unassuming yet stereotypical. No one will know why you're here, least of all those fucking alchemists.

Feeling a bit more resolved you set your nerves aside. This mission is incredibly important in bringing down the alchemy rings and kidnappings once and for all and you'd be lying if you said that you weren't nerve wracked.

Biting your cheek you continue on to the West Tower and up the long winding staircase. The air is heavy with magic and a strange scent of salt water and incense. A guard stops you once you reach the halfway point and asks for your name and order badge. He doesn't give you any grief about what order you're from, in fact he seems to not really care about anything at all.

You decide to start making note of the guards first then since they seem pretty relaxed.

He points to a door to his left where all first years are sorted one by one in an interview given by the head of the West Tower. You've heard very little about this mage save for the fact that they tend to favor those from their own base order. A Daybreaker mage, probably the most logical and pragmatic of anyone here.

You enter the waiting room and see several young mages sitting around a fire rune. You instantly recognize one of them, a childhood friend of yours before you and your brother were kidnapped.

"By the light of the moon!" He stands up and holds out his arms as he rushes to you.

"Luan, it's good to see you," you hug him as he picks you up off the ground.

He swings you back and forth before setting you down, "I know you said in your last letter that you were coming to the capital soon but I never imagined that you meant you'd be coming here."

"And what about you? When were you going to tell me that you got accepted to High Tower?" you playfully shove him.

"It was meant to be a surprise for when you got here," He grins.

You laugh and shake your head, "I can't believe we'll both be studying here."

Luan nods and his sweet smile slowly fades, "Yes, well and then there's that."

You raise a brow and before you can ask him what he's talking about an elderly mage calls for him for his interview.

"That'd be me, we'll talk about it later," Luan smiles and waves you goodbye.

Though it was brief, seeing Luan has eased your nerves a great deal. You two became mages around the same time. You were both rescued by Hendrick however Luan had a knack for shadow and dark magic so he joined the newly reformed Order of Night. The both of you kept in close contact when you were separated and always sent each other gifts for birthdays and holidays.

He'll probably be the only one here who won't laugh at the fact that you're from the Order of Delight.

You roll your eyes and take his place in the circle around the fire rune. The other mages there eye you with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

"So...," one of them speaks up, a girl with a badge from the Order of Despair. "A bard? How the hell did you get accepted?"

Here we go, you sigh.

"I have a knack for illusion magic and spell song craft like most bards but I got tired of the old spells that didn't have much practical or everyday use so I invented new ones. The elders here heard about what I was doing and had me test in," you explain.

To be honest it's a half truth, the Order of Delight has a hidden book of spells that The Dirge has full access to. All the spells in it are unregistered so no one would be able to track them back to another mage. You were told to use three or four from the book for your qualifying spells but instead of taking credit you took inspiration. You invented thirty new spells but only sent in seven. Thirty would be too suspicious.

"Sounds like you should have tried for the Daybreak order, practicality is their specialty," another mage chimes in.

"I would have but my family wouldn't let me," you shrug. An easy excuse, most mage families like to stick to the same order.

"Ugh I get that," the girl from the Order of Despair groans. "My folks were the same way, I have light magic and know a few healing spells but no, I had to honor tradition learn mind speak and dream bending. Gods I hate traditionalist. My names Ruya by the way."

You introduce yourself and tell her your fabricated backstory, one that's a bit more cheerful and normal.

A couple other mages open up to you, both from the Order of Bones, Tarek and Ilta... Twins. They both wore the standard skull tattoos on their faces though it looked more menacing on Tarek. They both wanted to join the Order of Delight since they're strong in illusion magic but of course their clan refused them. You knew there was an issue with traditionalist but you had no idea that it was that bad.

"Tarek Falswith," the elderly mage calls to one of your new acquaintances.

He stands tall and stretches, his short black hair shining in the light of the fire rune making his skull tattoo all the more wicked. He glances down at you and smiles, "See ya later bard."

His sister laughs as he walks away, "Just ignore him, he's a stupid flirt. Got himself in trouble time and time again back at our Order."

"Noted," you laugh. "Not looking for love here anyways."

"Not the best place to find it honestly," Ruya adds.

"Our older sister is a third year here and oh the stories she could tell you," Ilta begins. You and Ruya listen to the tales of the twins' sister Asra and her encounters with the opposite sex.

And as she spins her tales, one by one the young male mages are called off to interview until there's only the three of you. Ruya gets called while Ilta is recounting the time her sister wore a deer skull for a month even while she slept and ate to freak out a few of her admirers.

"She sounds crazy," you laugh.

"Oh yes, most say she should have gone into the Order of Twilight with how chaotic she is. But alas-"

"Tradition," both of you say then laugh.

"Ilta Falswith," the elderly mage calls.

Ilta mimics her brother, adding in a wink and the both of you giggle.

"See ya later bard," Ilta mocks her brother again but her voice sounds just like his.

You can't help but to be amazed and amused all at once and laugh as she walks away.

And then it's just you, or so you though.

"Good evening Thaneswell," an elderly voice rumbles your last name.

From the center of the fire run circle a figure slowly appears. An elderly man seated on a simple wooden stool. He's wearing a worn greyish blue cloak with a silver badge from the Order of Daybreak. His eyes are a milky white and his boney fingers tap gently on his lap.

Realizing who he is, you quickly stand up and bow your head.

"None of that now, none of that," He waves a hand and the fire rune dissipates. Ever so slowly he stands up, circling his hand in the air until a staff appears and falls into his hand.

"There is no need to bow amongst kin," he smiles.

You thought it was odd that you and one of the highest mages of the Order of Daybreak shared the same last name, it had to be a coincidence right?

"I did my own digging, my late brother was your maternal grandfather. He was a mage of the same order you belong to, and the same sect as well," He straightens as he starts circling you.

Your nerves reignite and you feel your gut sink.

"The family Thaneswell is not traditional and has members across every order there is. You of course wouldn't know this as your mother passed before you and your late brother were of age. This was," He waves his hand to another door that slowly opens on its own.

"Then my acceptance?" you ask.

"By your own skill, I'm not apart of the qualifying department. I put young mages where they need to be. Skilled and bright mages come here all the time to break from tradition and free themselves from bonds of a family or order. You met three such mages today did you not?" He asks as he lights up the room with a flick of his wrist.

The small room is filled with light crystals and fairy bobbles that produce a soft warm glow. Nic knacks of all sorts both mundane and magical line the shelves and a fat horned cat stretches across the large oak desk.

"Have a seat wherever you can find one," he chuckles as he lowers himself into a puffy armchair.

You turn and look for a chair but you only see mounds of books, small side tables and a taxidermy deer. Small side table it is.

Grabbing a table you pull it up close to the side of the desk as the front is occupied by an old dire wolf laying on a large pillow.

"Now then, let's get down to business. First off within close quarters you may call me uncle, I'd prefer it since we're family. You are after all the only closest living relative I have now," He sighs.

"Wait but you said our family has members in every order," you recall.

"Yes and because of that most of us have become estranged. My brother and his kept close but as the years went by, they were picked off one by one. I only learned of your existence after Hendrick rescued you. I'm so sorry about your brother... had I known... Why your mother never said anything..." he pauses and you see the grief on his face.

"She kept us close to the forest border, in one of the dump villages," you tell him.

His wrinkled face crumples and cringes, "By the gods why would she do that?"

"Hendrick said that the likelihood of us getting kidnapped at a dump village would be slim since the sick and dying are rarely ever kidnapped," you shrug.

"I'm so sorry, there must be more to this... I just know it but at least you're as well as well as can be," He sighs. "Now then, you're a member of The Dirge sect. Very few high mages know of it and I'm only privy of your mission as I'm the one who hired a mage to carry it out. It must have been Hendrick who threw your name in for it."

You blink once, twice and your mouth gapes wide open, "You're the one who- Wait a moment, you know why I'm here then and-"

"The alchemist rings are more corrupt than you can imagine. Both registered and unregistered, back alley and black market. If things continue on as is our nation will have the largest human trafficking outbreak in history. The Western Empire is already calling on our king to put an end to it since citizens of the empire have gone missing in the past few years. They've been putting more and more pressure on his majesty by raising taxes on goods and banning travel between our countries," he taps the desk before slamming his hand down.

"And the laws he made banning unregistered alchemy have been nothing more than a joke, I know. The Dirge has brought down at least fifty rings in the last few years but there seems to be no end to them. What in gods name are they after?" you lean forward, hoping your uncle will have some sort of answer.

"The same foolish thing the registered alchemists are after, immortality. Or at the very least, the next best thing. Long and youthful life, like that of a fae," he waves his hand and a book flings off the shelf and flies right to you.

"The War of Iron and Blood, a history book?" you start to pry the book open but it flings itself to a page near the very end.

"The book leaves out the most important part until the end. A fae specializing in Blood magic was caught and arrested. He is immune to iron and is able to heal himself if he wishes. Since those days long long ago, he has been held here, has been studied, has been bled for research with no real end in sight. I can only imagine what little hope he has if any," the high mage looks up towards the door.

A soft knock rasps the old wooden door, "Mage Thaneswell, it's Dargan, you called for me?"

"Yes yes, come in," your uncle flicks his finger and the door opens.

A tall and lanky mage shuffles in and slowly removes his hood. His skull tattoo looks rather odd on his face with how sunken in his eyes are and how gaunt he is.

"As you'll need to be focusing on your upcoming graduation I've decided to pass off your job to this first year. As you know all fourth years are to hand off their jobs to the new students. I've already given her a history lesson, the rest is up to you Dargan. Oh and once you're done, you'll be allowed a three week respite to recover," the high mage looks to you and nods towards the other mage.

Dargan bows a few times to your uncle and thanks him over and over before he grasps your shoulders, "Of course, yes, I'll get them up to speed and have them trained before then end of the day! Leave everything to me Mage Thaneswell."

"Yes and oh, once you're done could you give my niece a tour of the grounds? I'd do it myself but these old bones don't move like they used to," he smiles.

The Bone mage looks at you and then at the high mage, "Niece? Oh uh yes, yes of course."

Your uncle smiles and waves you off, "I'll be calling you back for a visit soon but please come and see me of your own accord when you can."

Dargan shuffles you out of the office and the door closes behind the both of you. His wide eyes look down at you as he continues to rush you out of the waiting room and down the tower stairs.

"What a horrible thing to do," he shakes his head. "To his own flesh and blood."

"Wait what are you talking about?" you ask.

Dargan stops and grabs your wrist, "This way, not here."

He pulls you aside and leads you down a path that takes you to the North Tower. It hikes up the wall and into a breezeway. The Bone mage looks around and when he's sure no one is in sight he has the two of you sit on the stone cold floor.

"Tell me truly, is High Mage Thaneswell really your uncle?" he asks.

"Great uncle but I fear we're missing the point here so-"

"You're from The Dirge then?" Dargan asks.

Your eyes widen and you grit your teeth but nod.

Dargan lifts his sleeve and reveals a scythe, "The Order of Bones has a similar sect."

"Reapers, I've heard of them," you nod.

"Mage Thaneswell has been hiring from all mercenary sects to take care of the alchemist rings. Myself and four others have been slowly cleaning up the High Tower these last few years, it hasn't been easy." Dargan stars and lays his head against the wall. "I suppose I should begin with what will be expected of you."

The Bone mage details your upcoming job and schedule, the grim nature of it all unsettling you the more he speaks. You're to become the jailor to the captured blood fae. You are to feed him, check his vitals, and collect his blood. You are not to speak to him, not to listen to him if he utters a single word, and you are not allowed to let him bleed unless collecting his blood.

Fear coils in your belly as Dargan tells you all the horrid things the fae could do if he was allowed to bleed out. Slice you up with his blood, set his cell on fire, undo the runes cast upon his chains or turn his blood into weapons and massacre the entire Tower. High Mage Thaneswell doesn't want that, he just wants him to take down the alchemists.

"Your uncle believes if we can find a way to free him that he'll be in our debt and will by the laws of the fae carry out the bounty against the alchemists," Dargan sighs. "Quite the pipe dream huh?"

"Very much so, but fae are keener on magic and can track down different users way better than mage hounds. Plus, he'll have a personal vendetta against them so he might be all for it," you agree and lay your head back as well.

"Still kinda fucked up that he's making his niece take on this job though," Dargan puffs. "But he must have his reasons."

"It's probably because I'll work closely with the Tower's alchemist ring. The more eyes on them the better," you note.

"True, but I rarely spoke with them and even if I showed any interest they kept me mostly in the dark. Get the blood, hand over the blood, and leave. That was the preferred sequence of things," he shrugs.

"Well, fuck..." you groan as you sag against the wall.

Dargan laughs and fishes something out of his pocket, "Here, it's a pass to the Tower. You'll need this to get in, get to the third level and to the cell."

You take the pass and grimace as the blood red runes carved into the small black iron tablet. You could feel the magic resonating off of it, feel it draining a tiny bit of your life essence. You quickly wrap it in your cloak.

"Disgusting, isn't it? They say the pass doubles to strengthen the runes on the Blood Fae's cell. I've tried my best not to over handle it but sometime the alchemists will examine the pass and if there's not enough life in it, they'll make you hold it all day. This job is super fucked up," Dargan snarls and slowly stands then offers his hand.

"Thanks for the heads up I guess," you allow him to help you up then stretch. "Anything else that I should be worried about?"

Dargan shrugs, "Not really, well that's a lie. I'd worry about you dorm placement. Mage Thaneswell pulled some strings and had me bunking with other mercs but I'm not sure how many he's hired this time around."

You nod knowing that it costs a lot to keep up this kind mission. You don't know if he's being funded by the King or if this is his own personal project but hiring you alone costs over three thousand gold.

"I'll introduce you to the alchemists and show you where the cell is real quick before I show you the grounds. Since it's hardly midday we have some time before your sorting," he beckons you to follow and leads you back out of the breezeway.

He takes you back down the wall path and towards the Central Tower, a massive and ancient mage tower built over a thousand years ago before the great culling of the Order of Night.

You feel the magic rolling off in droves with every step you take. The different auras confusing your senses and causing your gut to roil. Dargan places a supporting hand on your shoulder and holds up a hand before chanting a spell that shields the both of you from the onslaught of magic.

"Overwhelming isn't it? Someone here will cast a longer lasting shield on you once you start working. Try not to throw up on the stairs if you feel the shield fading, not only will they make you clean it up but they'll have you manually clean to toilets too," Dargan cringes.

"Sounds like you've been through a lot of hell here," you grimace.

"Hell would be nice in comparison. There's no graces here, no mercy nor kindness to be found. The Central Tower is where mages are truly tested, young and old. Are you certain you can handle this?" Dargan takes a step back and looks at you.

There's real concern on his face, something you feel like you haven't seen in ages. His dull dark red eyes search your face for hesitance and close once he realizes that there's none.

"I have my own reasons for being here, personal and sad as they are," you shrug. "But things can't continue on like they have been."

He nods his head and continues up the stairs, "Fair enough, well then, welcome to the Central Tower." Dargan flourishes his hand and bows. Turning on his heals he points to a bulky guard leaning against the wall, "And this good fellow is Max."

Dargan exchanges introductions between the two of you and has you show the pass. Max opens the barred door to the tower where you're ushered up a series of staircases till you reach the third floor. You're introduced to another guard, Gildred, who you show your pass to. Before you're able to say farewell, Dargan leads you into the third floor lab and quickly shuts the door.

You try and catch your breath but the Bone mage drags you along and takes you down a hall that leads you to a circular room. Several mages clad in maroon cloak turn and glare at you.

"Dargan... has it really been four years?" One of them asks.

"Yes high mage Cragsith. This is my replacement, young mage Thaneswell," he introduces you.

"A Thaneswell? And of.... The Order of Delight? How... Amusing," High mage Cragsith chuckles. "Very well, I assume she's been educated?"

"Yes high mage, of course," Dargan bows his head.

"Good, then you may leave. Estan will show her to the cell, you should hurry and take your respite. I know exams will be starting next month," He waves Dargan off with a limp hand.

Dargan bows and exits with haste, leaving you alone with the High Tower's alchemists.

"You've caught us at an excellent time, we're needing a fresh batch of blood. Estan will take you down and show you the ropes," Cragsith beckons to a hunched figure.

"Follow me," Estan orders and shuffles towards the middle of the room. He places his hand on the central supporting pillar and a door appears shortly after. It opens to reveal a lift that will take you down to the Tower's prison.

Estan tells you that all vials are kept in a desk outside the fae's cell and on a normal day that you'll receive a slip with how many you are to fill.

"He's basically docile at this point. Hasn't been an incident in over two hundred years. It's an easy job, just taxing as I'm sure Dargan has mentioned," Estan says in an oddly comforting way.

Once you're down under the tower and exit the lift, Estan leads you to the fae's cell. He pulls out nine vials from a drawer in the desk and checks them for cleanliness, "Don't want anything but his blood in these."

After his inspection he has you place the pass in a slot on the wall next to the cell. You fell just the faintest bit of your life force slip as the locks turn and door opens ever so slightly.

There's a dank smell that wafts in your nose and the sudden charge in the air has every hair standing on edge.

Estan hands you eight of the vials to hold as he escorts you in. You fear that you might find a horrid and fiendish fae as Dargan lead you to believe but instead all you see is a sad one, bound in chains and leathers with living runes.

What was probably once lovely long flowing black hair is now matted and tangled in several areas. His eyes and mouth are covered with greyish leather that have ancient magic imbued in them. His skin is sickly pale and nails are curled from neglect.

The fear and nerves you felt entering this place disappear and are quickly replaced with pity and then something else. A deep need to free him settles into you and it's one that's beyond your mission or any ethical reason. You feel sicked and in pain at seeing him like this.

"It's just a quick prick right here, same spot every time," Estan interrupts your thoughts as he points to a tattoo of a circle on the fae's arm. As he goes to poke it you quickly ask if you can.

"I learn better by doing is all, that and I want to do well with this job," you say with full fake determination.

Estan chuckles and hands his vial and needle over to you, "I get it, I was the same when I was a student here. Not going to lie, but you're the first Cragsith has really acknowledged this fast, well aside from myself. Maybe he sees some promise in you."

Or maybe he's warry of me being a Thaneswell, you think.

Not wanting to drop your facade, you go and draw the fae's blood.

Bile quickly threatens your throat but you do well in holding back the vomit.

This feels so wrong that it's hard to stomach, is this a curse that the fae has in place? Why didn't Dargan tell you? Maybe you'll ask your uncle later... But first, to fill the other eight vials.

It takes all your strength and will power not to throw up while extracting the fae's blood but you somehow manage. After Estan takes you back up to the third floor and sings praises about your enthusiasm do you ask to be shown to the bathroom.

Once your stomach is empty you resolve to find and beat Dargan black and blue for leaving out the part about wanting to blow chunks when extracting blood.

You stomp your way out of the central tower and down the path to the east but quickly stop in your tracks when a notice echoes through the grounds.

"All first years to the North Tower for dorm sorting. I repeat all first years to the North Tower for dorm sorting," the voice rang.

And before you could take another step you found yourself being lifted for a moment, cold dark air rushing around you, and then you were set back down amongst a crowd right outside the North Tower.

A few others look around in confusion but for the most part people just shrug it off as typical tower magic.

"Hey, over here," you here a familiar voice.

You turn and see Ruya with Ilta, Tarek, and Luan. Quite the odd ball group but you're about to make it weirder, being a bard and all.

"I heard you got to go to central tower, how was it?" Tarek asks.

"And who'd you hear that from?" you raise a brow at him and he grins.

"From a senior of my sect, Dargan," he smiles and shows his reaper mark.

Before you can ask, Ruya, Ilta, and even Luan all flash their arms with the subsect marks on them. They all tell you how they each ran into their seniors here and took on jobs close to or in the central tower. The twins have jobs in the library near the central tower, Ruya brings meals up for the alchemists, and Luan is set to clean the equipment for the central tower.

"Dargan said there's a high chance that we'll get bunked with other subsect members as the Dorm Matron works directly with high mage Thaneswell," Tarek smiles and looks at Luan, "No weird shadowy shit."

"Then I hope you'll keep your knives and bones on your side of the dorm," Luan smiles.

Ilta smacks her brother's arm and Ruya rolls her eyes.

You can feel this group's dynamic setting in place already.

"All first years, dorm mothers will be coming around with dorm assignments. These assignments are final and we expect no complaints. Once you have you receive your dorm and room token you will be teleported there. Potions for teleportation sickness are on the stands outside the rooms if needed," another announcement rings.

Your group looks around for dorm mothers, all middle aged or elderly mages wearing light blue cloaks with yellow ribbons. You've heard many stories about the dorm mothers here and how even the highest mages offer their respects to them. They're truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Here you are... Thaneswell's bunch," A dorm mother approaches your group and looks everyone up and down before turning to Tarek and Luan. "The two of you will go to Mother Margo's dorm, you'll be bunking in room eleven. Here are your tokens."

The two of them reach out their hands with slight hesitation but once they touch the tokens, they vanish.

"I have to say, that's gotta be the second fastest I've seen my brother disappear," Ilta smiles.

"What was the fastest then?" Ruya asks.

"When he found out he broke up with the head Reaper's daughter," Ilta laughs.

"You three," the dorm mother glares at us and then at Ilta, "I expect you to be prompt, never out past curfew, and not a meal skipped. I am your dorm mother, Mother Beatrice. You'll each have your own rooms, connecting. Seven, eight, and nine."

You look at the girls but before either can say anything, Ruya reaches out for her token and vanishes. Ilta smiles at you and shrugs before taking hers. Taking a deep breath in you reach for room token nine and feel yourself being flung around.

Left and right, right then right again. You feel as if you're passing through sheets like a child running through laundry on a sunny day. Warm and cold air take turns at slapping your body before you suddenly snap to a stop and your body slams right into a door with a hard thud.

"Ow," you moan as you peel yourself off the door. Your face stings where it met the hard wood.

You look around and see Ruya doubled over holding an empty potion bottle with Ilta rubbing her back.

"Going to be alright over there?" you ask.

Ruya nods but stays down.

"She was slung into her stand and it knocked the wind out of her," Ilta winces.

"This is why I hate teleportation, too volatile and under studied. Now I know why the fae rarely use it themselves," you cringe at the thought of being teleported again anytime soon.

After the three of you check yourselves over for any wounds and sickness you part to your own rooms.

Your room is cozy and well furnished. A few wooden boxes lay on your bed with a few notes. The first note is a greeting from the towers and what to expect in the coming days. The second is from Mother Beatrice with a list of rules and a meal schedule. The third is from the central tower... A letter just for you.

"Good evening young Thaneswell,

We welcome you to the central tower and have high hopes for you. Estan spoke highly of you and your eagerness, a most welcomed delight, as Dargan was most melancholic. Estan will continue to escort you to the cell for the next ten days as he trains you. We look forward to having a mage with your enthusiasm."

You feel your stomach churn as you finish reading the letter. You quickly crumple it up and toss it in the waste bin.

Something about being on their good side this quickly unsettles you but you'll do your best to turn it around and use it to your advantage. You can't let this continue, too many innocent lives are at stake and you're not sure how much longer your great uncle can keep funding missions like this.

With that resolve you go through the boxes next, supplies and a uniform. Papers, books, ink, and pens. A first year's dark brown cloak and knee high boots with metal plates on the toes and knees. There's a map with local shops and a post office where mages who come to study can send letters and receive parcels.

Next you notice a small wooden box with a stamp from the West tower. You open the lid and see a small mirror, a pouch, a dagger, and a note. You quickly unfold the note and it has instructions on how to use the mirror.

"Use the dagger to prick your finger and sign this rune with your blood. I will be alerted that you wish to speak with me. Only use this in your room or in dire emergencies."

You have a gut feeling that he wants you to try it out know so you prick your finger and write out the rune on the mirror. Within seconds it lights up and an image of your uncle shoots up from it.

"I'm glad my gift has found you. Though I wish we could chat longer I have the head Matron of the dorms coming up to see me. I'll keep this short, get the fae to speak. Get him to talk, get him to listen, and get him on our side," your uncle orders.

You nod but feel sick as you do, "Understood, but I must ask, is there a curse on him?"

The high mage's brows knit in confusion, "Why do you ask?"

"I...I took his blood and I felt sick and there was this wrongness. Like I couldn't stand that I was hurting him, it was odd," you mention.

Your uncle's eyes widen but he says nothing for a few moments too long, "No, no curse. Keep me updated on these, odd feelings. I must go now."

The image of your uncle vanishes and instead of getting an answer to your question, you feel like you've gained a long list of inquiries that will be left in the box.

"What have I gotten myself into," you groan as you flick your wrist and move your things off the bed so you can fling yourself onto it.

At least I'm not alone, you think as you curl up and slowly pass out.

[tkachuktkaching]

Matthew and Brady on @ The Rink Podcast

Most of what they said bits of it has already come out in previous articles a few weeks back

Brady discussed his summer wedding, his excitement going into the season, the growth of his team and what he learned watching Matthew and the Panthers go on their run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Brady : "Just to see the every-day grind of taking care of himself, making sure he's ready for the game, and just as a leader too, taking care of yourself so you're able to demand from the rest because you're doing it right," he said. "I'm definitely ready and hopefully it'll be me in the playoffs soon.

"Seeing what he did created a lot of motivation for me over the summer."

Matthew discussed the broken sternum he sustained during the Stanley Cup Final and the pain he was in, the help he got from his brother at that time, Brady's bachelor party in Miami, and feeling a different vibe in the South Florida market after last season.

"Very different," Matthew said. "A lot more buzz. There's a lot of buzz around every sports team. It's turning into a sports crazy town and that makes it fun. [Soccer star Lionel] Messi coming in makes that much more buzz. The past few years the Dolphins have been great. What us and the Heat did last year really gave a lot of traction for us as a hockey team. So it's pretty cool." via NHL.COM

Listen to Brady from 16.04 Matthew from 40.30

______________________________________________________________

A few added things from Matthew's interview on the podcast some of which we've already heard & posted previously but included here for anyone that missed it first time round.

His injury allowed him to work on his strength & conditioning.

He wishes there was no social media after all the wedding stuff posted online, his family like to have a good time at weddings and doesn't know where people get this stuff (footage that goes viral).

Things Brady is better at than him: a better shot, video games & being a all round better human being than him (but he'll work on that!), Matthew says he himself is a ball buster, Matthew takes the bragging rights when it comes to Golf though he says his Dad is better at chirping and more witty & more funny than him & thinks his dad's game was underappreciated & underrated at the time he played, people realise from Matthew & Brady's game style how good & valuable he was and his dad gets belated recognition which he appreciates.

Says Brady's bachelor party in Miami took a few years off his life!

His summer consisted of the trip to Nashville for the player Awards, laying around in the hotel doing nothing, Bachelor parties, four weddings, and a trip to Montana in August, though he hasn't really done much of anything over the last month.

The Blood vessels and stuff were the the scary part of his injury at the time and half his body felt like it was out here, he knew something wasn't right, he didn't know what it was at the time, until they did his tests the next day. He was in the most pain after winning game three the overtime win. But now he's all good.

It was doctors who gave him the go ahead to do what he could to play just one last game. Despite the serious nature of his injury he would do it all over again if he had the chance.

He's excited to get going for camp & the new season though mentions the missing guys until around Christmas will be a tough ask (Montour & Ekblad) he feels The Panthers have more depth especially with the D this year.

Calls Alex Lyon The Lyon King & Big praise for his (Lyon) & Bob's heroics. How they had to play with only six D & two Goalies with Knight's absence last year.

The goal is to again make the playoffs, and be in the mix he wants to get of to a good start and how it sucks to have to chase for a spot like they had last year.

The Allstar was a good jump start because the Panthers weren't doing well as a team at that point which created a buzz that carried on leading on the cup run.

[critical-skeptic]

WHAT NOW?

TEMU Gilead is Coming: An Unvarnished Reckoning with Our Own Failures

This isn’t just a loss; it’s a colossal, existential crisis that everyone on the anti-QMAGA side, from Democrats to so-called progressives, needs to confront with brutal honesty. Trump has clawed his way back into power, buoyed by young male voters, sweeping the electoral college and taking both chambers of Congress. The dystopian blueprint outlined by Project 2025 is now within arm’s reach of becoming reality, and while there’s plenty of blame to go around, this moment demands an unsparing self-critique of our own faction’s spectacular failures.

Over the past two decades, a toxic combination of identity politics, performative activism, and hollow gestures of moral superiority has undermined what should have been a broad, powerful coalition against fascism. Instead of building alliances, we drew lines in the sand. Instead of engaging and educating, we alienated and dismissed. The pendulum swing between left and right has only accelerated, each side stoking the other’s flames in a downward spiral. And here we are, watching the collapse of democracy with smugness and overconfidence as fuel for our own undoing.

Identity Politics and Performative Activism: The Double-Edged Sword

Identity politics has been weaponized against us as effectively as we’ve used it to rally support. What began as a call for recognition, equality, and justice has been twisted into a purity spiral, where every misstep is grounds for cancellation and every dissenting voice—even within our ranks—is branded a heretic. We’ve reduced complex human issues to hashtags and purity tests, alienating potential allies with a sanctimonious fervor that rivals our enemies’. What’s worse, we’ve become oblivious to the backlash this has created among younger men—particularly white men—who feel vilified and abandoned, driving them straight into the arms of the right.

Want proof of this? Look no further than any outrage towards this very critique of ourselves or that very sensation you're feeling right now to dismiss my points, or to accuse me of being QMAGA, a misogynist, or some other convenient label. That is precisely the problem.

It’s no accident that Trump has seen a surge of support among Gen Z males. We’ve handed them over with our relentless portrayal of masculinity as toxic, our demonization of entire demographics, and our refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue. Every performative gesture, every viral Twitter clapback, every “woke” marketing campaign that reduces people’s lived experiences to commodified slogans—this is the oxygen that has fueled their resentment. And they’ve responded by voting in droves for the man they see as the ultimate middle finger to the establishment we represent.

Overconfidence and Smugness: The Seeds of Our Undoing

Our political campaigns have been plagued by a smug, overconfident belief that moral superiority alone would carry us to victory. Kamala Harris, to her credit, didn’t lean heavily into the “first woman” narrative during her campaign. But the broader messaging from her camp, the overreliance on pop culture endorsements, and the naive assumption that “Swifties” and Hollywood elites would deliver an unshakable base reveal how little we understood the electorate. We banked on identity and celebrity while underestimating the deeply ingrained conservatism within key demographics, including Latino voters, who remain far more complex and varied than we cared to acknowledge.

This overconfidence blinded us to the reality that smugness and moral posturing are not substitutes for coalition-building. The Latino community, for example, has shown time and again that their votes cannot be taken for granted. Yet we assumed that platitudes and virtue signals were enough, while the right steadily worked to win them over with culturally resonant messages and appeals to tradition. We’ve seen this before, but refused to learn the lesson: alienating allies, relying on performative gestures, and dismissing uncomfortable truths only strengthens the opposition.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The loss of this election isn’t just a temporary setback—it’s a harbinger of a dark future. A future where Project 2025’s corpochristofascist agenda is enacted, draining what little remains of our democracy, stripping away rights, and leaving us to fend off an authoritarian regime with dwindling resources and even fewer allies. We have already seen what happens when we rely on fantasies of “resistance” without the hardened resolve, the coalitions, and the practical strategies to back it up. The younger men on our side, while passionate, are often ill-prepared for the ugly reality of what resistance will truly require.

So what now? Are women and other marginalized groups prepared to rise above the petty infighting and bring the fight where it truly needs to be? Are we ready to abandon the performative acts and embrace true, coalition-based action that goes beyond virtue signaling and social media outrage? Or will we keep doubling down on what hasn’t worked, content to watch democracy crumble from the sidelines while we trade moral victories for actual losses?

TEMU Gilead is coming. The question is whether you will play the role of TEMU Offred—engaged in empty gestures and divisive rhetoric—or if you will wake up, before the last of us who have fought, and bled, and sacrificed are too exhausted, too old, or too dead to be of any fucking use. The time for games is over. Wake up before it’s too late. I hope I'm wrong, I hope I'm being an alarmist and that I am utterly wrong, but if I'm not, please stay safe.

[ragnarssons]

Do you think Kataang will still happen in the LA? That EW cover of the four of them where Kiawentiio drapes herself over Dallas has me worried.

So. I'll be honest here, I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. It's apparent that the writers only thought about adapting Book 1 so far, and have been prepared, if needed, to have Book 1 be treated as a story of its own. So I think we might have some very small hints here and there, but nothing that will be clear. And for most of book 1 (at the exception of the Blue Spirit episode), Zuko will be an antagonist to the Gaang, and Kiawentiio has already spoken up several times about how her big moment with Zuko is "Katara kicking Zuko's ass at the North pole". Now, if the show works and does get renewed? It'd take years to develop stuff and age would basically become a non-issue at this point. I don't want to worry about that, because no matter what, we'll always have the source material, aka the cartoon, where Kataang are a thing and that is set in stone, it's never gonna disappear and it's gonna be featured in ATLA studio's future projects. I do think not writing Kataang into the LA would be missing out on a huge bunch of symbolism and heartfelt moments, and big dimensions of the characters of Katara and Aang as individuals. I do think at best we'll have Kataang, at "worst" we'll have nothing, for whatever logistical reason, them just not wanting to touch That Shipwar with a stick or whatever. But I'll never believe that "fandoms" could ever sway or force writers (or producers for that matter) to change characters' direction so drastically (unless they're petty, like Jason Rothenberg, but I don't even consider him a writer anymore anyway). I think ZTs could make a petition with 5million signatures demanding ZT in the show, it wouldn't happen if the writers don't want it and don't think it thematically matches their story and characters (and spoiler, it doesn't match ATLA, since it never happened in the cartoon). Really, I just do not want to engage in this LA adaptation thinking about ships (guess I'm getting too old for that lol... also they're children so it makes me take a step-back, like in Stranger Things where I used to - because I won't watch anymore - just not care because they're basically babies). I live in an ideal world where people would finally appreciate ATLA's central symbolic relationship, and that is Zuko and Aang (but thanks to the Shipwar(tm) they're always pitted against each other, which is the most ridiculous thing possible I'm just gonna get upset if I keep going ffs). That's why I'm so pumped about the producers having made Dallas and Gordon have chemistry reads, because it's the heart of the show, really, how these two are constantly bound together by destiny, hope and "soul" (reincarnations, previous lives etc). To me, them testing chemistry between these two actors, makes me believe they understood the assignment (that, and Albert Kim saying that APPA is Aang's best-friend and is basically just vital to Aang). I'd advise people not to read too much into photoshoots tho, they're photoshoots. Kiawentiio and Dallas Liu are friends, let's not overinterpret "marketing" stuff, because it's just marketing, not the story, yknow? 🤷‍♀️

[thescrumblingmidwife]

Are charcoal pads actually safe? They seem like the kind of thing to be revealed to be detrimental in like 40 years. My favorite brand just started using charcoal and I don’t know how to feel about it.

Hi Anon,

Not gonna lie, I had to do some digging for this one. I know putting charcoal in everything is very *in* right now, and it's usually unregulated and sometimes potentially problematic (for instance, don't ingest charcoal if you take any medications! It interferes with the absorption of medications). But I had never heard of charcoal pads, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.

MENSTRUAL PRODUCT SAFETY

Menstrual products are regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as medical devices. The FDA does not require manufacturers to label ingredients, nor do they ban the use of known harmful products, and there is no safety standard that needs to be met. The labels "organic" and "all natural" are advertising and not statement of fact. Testing that has been done to check for harmful products has been done by watchdog agencies and independent researchers.

Here's a good rundown:

What is known is that a lot of menstrual products do contain harsh chemicals that are better avoided. Most fall below the threshold of increasing cancer and non-cancer health risks, but a few chemicals to be on the lookout for are benzene, n-heptane and 1,4-dioxane. (Lin et al., 2020), as these can increase cancer risk. Chlorine and other chemicals can cause irritation of the vuvla. Also problematic is the use of phthalates, which are endocrine disrupters (can mess with your hormones) (Gao et al., 2020). Another problem is polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or "forever chemicals," which show up in a lot of products, and never leave your body. The New York Times recently did a testing of 44 products to check for problematic chemicals, and they found that PFAS are present in most products in at least very small amounts, although the lowest levels were found in period underwear and medical-grade silicone inserts.

So, our starting point is that commercially available disposable pads and tampons are already something to be concerned about, because no one in any position of power is doing much to make sure they're safe. They touch mucous membranes, which means there is potential for significant absorption. We can talk in a minute about how to choose the safest products from what's out there.

But let's get back to charcoal!

The purported purpose of the charcoal is to cut down on "period odor," which is not something people around you can detect. This is a case of advertising convincing you there's a problem so they can sell you a solution. The company that manufactures these pads, Kimberly-Clark, does supply ingredient lists and their stated purpose on their website. (It's not clear if this is the entire ingredient list, but it's something.) Interestingly, the function of charcoal is listed only as "A colorant used to color a material." Nothing about odor absorption. The charcoal doesn't come into contact with the vulvar skin or vaginal mucosa, so I don't think the charcoal itself poses much of a risk. I suspect this is more a case of fad-based misleading advertising. Will they harm you? Probably not. Will they do something magical and new? Probably not.

The one upside may be that the use of charcoal in menstrual products reflects manufacturer's response to the market demanding products with more "natural" ingredients and fewer harsh chemicals. But this is something that should be tested.

Yikes, that was a lot.

SO WHAT'S SAFE?

It's important to note that none of the chemical levels in any of these products are so bad that you're going to get cancer from wearing a single pad. The most common risk is vulvar irritation from harsh chemicals. The scariest (but rarer) risk is cumulative exposure over a long period of time for a marginally increased risk of some health issues.

But here are some tips for picking the safest products for your body:

Use a medical-grade silicone insert/menstrual cup (like a Diva cup).

Use reusable period underwear or pads from a reputable brand, like Thinx, and wash them before you use them.

If using disposable pads or tampons, absolutely avoid any with fragrances.

Use the lowest possible absorbency you need - the higher the absorbency, the more the material has been treated.

Try using disposable incontinence pads instead of menstrual pads, as these had lower rates of PFAS and chemicals.

Although there's no way to guarantee it's truthful, try to stick to brands and products that are generally chlorine-free. cotton-based, etc.

If you experience any irritation, redness, or sensitivity, try a new product!

And for those charcoal pads - they don't strike me as being any worse for you than the rest of the Kotex's fragrance-free lineup. It's not as problematic as swallowing charcoal or rubbing the dentin off your teeth with it. You may be right that in 15 years we'll have realized this was like that time we were putting radium in everything, but I doubt it?

Sources:

Lin, N., Ding, N., Meza-Wilson, E., Manuradha Devasurendra, A., Godwin, C., Kyun Park, S., & Batterman, S. (2020). Volatile organic compounds in feminine hygiene products sold in the US market: A survey of products and health risks. Environment International, 144, 105740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105740

Gao, C. J., Wang, F., Shen, H. M., Kannan, K., & Guo, Y. (2020). Feminine hygiene products-A neglected source of phthalate exposure in women. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(2), 930–937. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b03927

[beardedmrbean]

Last Wednesday, House Republicans passed the Born Alive Act—a piece of legislation that would require physicians to care for infants who are born alive following an attempted abortion. The bill passed the House 220-210. The overwhelming majority of House Democrats, many of whom support abortion on demand, voted against it, even though abortion itself wasn't at issue. Their extreme reaction to the bill showcased just how out of step they still are with the majority of Americans' views on protecting the most vulnerable members of society.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require that a health care professional who is present for a failed abortion perform life-saving "professional skill, care, and diligence," including by making sure the baby winds up at a hospital. This seems like a common-sense legal requirement to fulfill the Hippocratic Oath: "First do no harm." It likely won't go anywhere in the Senate, but Republicans' support for it relays a strong message about life; Democrats' response does the opposite.

The bill sparked bizarre, even ghoulish, reactions from multiple politicians.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) apparently thought it would be wrong to tell health care professionals to bring a baby who's just survived a botched abortion to the hospital. "The problem with this bill is that it endangers some infants [born alive] by stating that that infant must immediately be brought to the hospital," he said on the House floor.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) echoed Nadler's talking point. She said the bill "requires immediately taking a struggling baby to a hospital. That hospital could be hours away and could be detrimental to the life of that baby." So, following a botched abortion, the baby should be allowed to suffer and die because a hospital may be some distance away?

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Or.) said the bill was "extremist, dangerous and unnecessary."

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said the bill was "deliberately misleading and offensive to the women who face pregnancy complications and the doctors and nurses who provide their care."

Opinion polling on abortion varies, but has consistently found that, while half of Americans identify as pro-choice, many who favor abortion also support numerous restrictions. Most Americans do not support abortion up to birth or partial-birth abortion, for example. One survey found 79 percent of adults did not support late-term abortion, and "80 percent opposed day-before-birth abortion." Thus, it's hard to imagine most Americans would reject a bill that favors saving—or trying to save—the life of a baby who survived an abortion, in states where late-term abortions are still legal. It's hardly a pro-life measure, just a humane one.

Whether Democrats can acknowledge it or not, a culture of life is taking hold in the United States. Abortions were steadily declining before Dobbs, from nearly 1.6 million in 1990 to just 620,327 in 2020. This decline cannot be credited to Democrats, who have partnered with behemoth organizations that not only market abortion as the best choice for scared women, but encourage women to brag about their abortions. Even so, the number of abortion providers has declined too. With the Dobbs decision, empowering women to have abortions, especially late-term ones, should be as unpopular as it is uncommon. Surely bashing a bill that guarantees proper medical care for babies who survive the heinous act of an abortion is even more outlandish than applauding women for their abortions.

A bill that demands such care for the most vulnerable in society is a litmus test for how willing an incoming House of Representatives is to support life. One would think Democrats would fall in line with their constituents' views and be quietly supportive, or at the very least, not so vocally opposed to the bill. But that isn't how they reacted. It's disappointing to see after all that's happened on the abortion issue, including a dramatic decline in abortions in many states since the Dobbs v. Jackson decision last June, some Democrats still don't support a culture of life, even when the babies are born alive.

[gotinterest]

This is a comment from the post about neuralink (Elon Musk's brain chip company) and I want to point it out because I feel like it's really missing the mark on how this is actually going to affect people. (Because this post and the comment I am responding to are long, instead of transcribing the comment I will just link to the post here. I am responding to the last comment left on that post)

A ton of this is pure fearmongering. "Press the button that blocks thoughts and memories irrelevant to work" is just not in tune with reality. Many of these imagined uses for neuralink are pure slippery slope fallacies operating on a borderline fantasy understanding of the brain and technology. The brain is extremely complicated. One implant is not going to be able to do all that (putting aside the fact that some of "that" is just. impossible). The fact that this person had to be informed that this chip was for disabled people instead of just assuming that indicates that they do not have enough background knowledge on the issue to even be commenting on it. This is straight up not a worker's or prisoner's rights issue. This is purely a disability issue.

What does Musk have to gain? Cutting edge medical technology is very lucrative. That's it. That is literally the entire reason he is developing this technology. Money. The animal abuse is just because he doesn't care about safety or humane practices (which has been a well documented issue at Tesla factories).

Neuralink is aimed at restoring movement in people with quadriplegia (paralysis- either full or partial in the arms, trunk, and legs)- something that is objectively a good technology to have around (though I doubt Musk's take on it will actually perform as promised). Most people who were paralyzed in accidents or by illness would like to restore movement in their limbs. Having this assistive technology around could be life changing for those people. Just as people who lost their hearing might want cochlear implants to restore that hearing (while many who were born deaf may not want them at all). This sort of technology would be in high demand and being the company to patent this technology first would be very profitable.

Most people are never going to get implants like this because they are going to be expensive as hell. Nobody is wasting this technology on abusing workers and prisoners and suspects. The very procedure to GET a chip implanted would be expensive as it would require a neurosurgeon or interventional neurologist+ their team to implant it. Not to mention it would require follow up visits to make sure its working properly and there are no complications. On top of that it would have to be replaced every once in a while as the battery ran out.

The reality is this technology is going to be tested on the desperate before being marketed to the rich who can afford it. And even of those who are able to get it, they will be reliant on the company to continue supporting it for the rest of their lives. And if the company ever goes belly up or stops supporting it they will lose access to an assistive technology that they relied upon. This scenario has already played out for disabled people time after time after time. Letting your mind run wild with sci-fi bullshit does not help disabled people.

[mywebworlduk]

mobile app development West London

Mobile app development has become an integral part of the digital landscape, shaping how we interact with technology on a daily basis. In this modern era, where smartphones have become ubiquitous, the demand for innovative and user-friendly mobile applications is at an all-time high. The process of mobile app development encompasses a series of stages, from conceptualization to deployment, each requiring careful planning and execution to ensure a successful end product.

The initial phase of mobile app development uxbridge involves brainstorming and conceptualization. Developers collaborate with clients or stakeholders to define the app's purpose, target audience, features, and overall design aesthetics. This stage lays the foundation for the entire development process, as it sets the direction and goals for the project. Market research and competitor analysis also play a crucial role in this phase, helping developers identify unique selling points and potential challenges.

Once the concept is finalized, developers move on to the design stage, where they create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design are paramount during this phase, as they directly impact how users interact with the app. Designers focus on creating intuitive navigation, visually appealing layouts, and consistent branding elements to enhance the overall user experience. Feedback from stakeholders and usability testing help refine the design before proceeding to the next stage.

With the design approved, developers begin the development phase, where they write code to bring the app to life. This stage involves backend and frontend development, database integration, API implementation, and other technical aspects. Depending on the project's complexity, developers may choose native, hybrid, or cross-platform development frameworks. Agile methodologies are often employed to ensure flexibility and adaptability throughout the development process, allowing for iterative improvements based on user feedback.

[pinkpandatech]

What is Composable Commerce?

Composable Commerce can be best described as a paradigm shift that empowers businesses to create and deliver seamless, personalized, and exceptional digital experiences for their customers. It is an approach that breaks free from the limitations of traditional monolithic commerce systems, opening doors to unparalleled flexibility, agility, and growth.

Introducing Composable Commerce

Composable Commerce can be defined as an innovative approach that empowers businesses to create tailored commerce solutions by assembling flexible, interchangeable components. Its key principles revolve around modularity, interoperability, and the ability to compose and recompose commerce functionalities based on specific business needs. It embraces a granular and decoupled architecture that enables businesses to achieve unprecedented flexibility and customization.

In contrast to traditional commerce systems, Composable Commerce stands out due to its modular and API-driven approach. Rather than being bound by rigid monolithic structures, Composable Commerce allows businesses to integrate best-of-breed components seamlessly. This freedom from vendor lock-in enables faster innovation, easier adaptation to market changes, and the ability to leverage specialized services and technologies.

Adopting a Composable Commerce approach brings forth numerous benefits for businesses:

Flexibility and agility: Composable Commerce enables quick adaptation to customer expectations and market demands through easy assembly and disassembly of components.

Scalability and customization: Businesses can scale specific components independently, optimizing resource allocation, and deliver personalized experiences with the modular nature of Composable Commerce.

Faster time to market: Streamlined development processes in Composable Commerce reduce time and effort for introducing new features, giving businesses a competitive edge.

Enhanced customer experience: Composable Commerce allows for seamless, personalized experiences across touchpoints, optimizing conversions and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Implementing Composable Commerce

Before diving into implementing Composable Commerce, it's crucial to assess your business needs and evaluate if it aligns with the principles and benefits of this approach. Understand your current commerce systems, pain points, and desired outcomes to determine if Composable Commerce is the right fit for your organization.

A well-thought-out plan and strategy are essential for a successful transition to Composable Commerce. Identify key stakeholders, set clear goals, and establish a roadmap for implementation. Consider factors such as resource allocation, timeline, and potential challenges, and outline a comprehensive strategy to guide the transition process.

Steps involved in implementing Composable Commerce

Identifying and selecting the right components

Integrating existing systems with Composable Commerce architecture

Testing and optimizing the system

Ensuring security and scalability

By following these steps, businesses can embark on a successful journey to implement Composable Commerce. Remember, careful planning, alignment with business needs, and a systematic approach are key to achieving a seamless transition and reaping the rewards of Composable Commerce.

[ultramaga]

"Skill" is a distraction. The question is abundance. If you have a lot of skilled wankers, do you demand that they be paid for excellence in wankery? Or reserve payment to those who supply your demands? I'd say Leftists are amazingly good at nothing, but I still don't want to pay them for it. @ralfmaximus "ARTISTS aren’t skilled labor? Really." There's a gigantic overabundance because people enjoy doing art. Supply >> demand. There are a few really good artists, and they get paid a lot. "Make me some art RIGHT NOW."

Done. Art is easy. Good art is hard. Good artists are rare. Rarity combined with a demand for the product means they can demand high wages. You want money for stuff nobody wants. No, fuck off. Pay yourself what you think you are worth if you think it works that way. "that’s something only a skilled painter might know." Moving the goalposts. And what does it matter if they are skilled and still manage to make something nobody wants?

If the person who made this knows everything there is to know about painting, IT DOESN'T MAKE THE PAINTING ANY BETTER. "If fast food is ‘unskilled’ then why does Wendys, McDonalds (et al) expend time on training employees?" Because "unskilled" is relative, and that's why we have 15 year olds doing those jobs. And we are now automating them.

"Do you know the correct EH/OSHA-approved way to wash your hands?" Almost nobody knows or cares. They follow instructions on a wall. Even if they aren't helpful or tested. I routinely see workers handle money then sandwiches. They don't change gloves. They aren't cleaning their hands, or making anything safer. If anything, they are now horribly vulnerable to burns because the gloves aren't removed when they work with the toasting ovens. People mindlessly obey government authorities because the government has guns pointing at their faces. How does that advance your argument, comrade? "what do the symptoms of Hepatitis-A look like?" Do you have any fucking idea how much more doctors get than almost anyone else? They get paid that much because there's an artificial scarcity - governments limit the number of doctors. There's also a lot of demand for their skills. Being highly skilled isn't the point - it's having skills in high demand. "Your training probably covered that. " Have you actually been inside a workplace? My god. I can't believe the naivety. Workplace training is always to the barest minimum that they can get away with. There are rare exceptions, and they usually involve people who are IN HIGH DEMAND. Networking technicians in the eighties and nineties, before the bubble burst, were flown overseas for training. Afterwards, they had the same skills, and mostly were working driving taxis and so on. All the skills in the world do not help WITHOUT A DEMAND FOR THEM. Seriously, how does that simple equation evade every Leftist? "You don’t think that requires ... adequate compensation?" It is paid according to what the market will bear. If the cleaner is paid insufficiently, they should work elsewhere. They can only get low wages at cleaning if the supply of cleaners exceeds the demand.

It's trivial to get a low paid cleaning job. It takes both skill and talent to get more money. If you are also willing to put up with discomfort, it can be very well paid. You need to find the niche where the demand outstrips the supply. e.g "Fully trained Biorecovery technicians can easily make between $55,000 - $85,000 (australian) depending on how many weekends or after hours shifts are worked. A forensic cleaner will often be required to stay overnight or for a week in small towns hundreds of kilometers from home to complete a trauma clean."

It's the same with any shitty job that nobody wants to do.

A Leftist is someone who demands the same money as someone who does the worst jobs, but doesn't want to deal with the same discomfort. They just want to spend their days dreaming about the socialist revolution, where they'll finally get to murder everyone who said they were stupid. Which is more people every day, because Leftists are miserably stupid people, who spend their lives on social media bitching about how much everyone else is getting, RATHER THAN PRODUCTIVELY INCREASING THEIR MARKET VALUE.

I've never seen a Leftist actually research how to make more money beyond GIBS ME STUFFS!

[global-research-report]

The Future of Diagnostics: A Deep Dive into Point of Care Testing

The global point of care diagnostics market size is expected to reach USD 68.5 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.1% from 2024 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The introduction of advanced technologies such as Telehealth enabled POCT is expected to fuel market growth. Furthermore, the rise in the geriatric population and their need for accessible home-based care are anticipated to drive the market.

The adoption of POCT in emerging economies such as Africa and Latin America is anticipated to be a growth determinant of the global POCT market. The authorities are decentralizing the healthcare system and increasing their investments. For instance, the African regulations in Kenya allotted USD 346.7 to Managed Equipment Services project for the government's initiative toward modernizing facilities by procuring new equipment. The Ministry of Health selected GE Health and Philips to offer equipment across 47 countries. Similarly, Latin America decentralized IVD testing, which encourages private players to take strategic initiatives to meet the region’s existing demand for affordable POCT, especially in the infectious diseases segment.

Currently developed POC devices and tests are employed across different medical diagnostic applications, including cancer, pregnancy, and infectious diseases. Patients and physicians employ POC tests to screen conditions, confirm diagnoses, and design suitable therapeutic approaches based on patient health. However, the enthusiasm displayed by different consumers, such as doctors, patients, and caregivers, varies widely. This dynamic consumption pattern of POC diagnostic products is also attributed to economic scalability, financial interests, and lack of a universal healthcare structure.

In the light of COVID-19, the lockdown imposed across the globe has necessitated virtual visits and rapid diagnostic tests that assist patients to avoid hospital visits. Post-lockdown, the eHealth strategy is the emerging area of priority and investment such as an automated patient appointment system, lab result transmission system, healthcare workers' communication system, and medical products procurement system for the companies and governments. It is anticipated to continue to prioritize home-based healthcare delivery even after the pandemic, especially for patients with pre-existing conditions. For instance, NeuroMetrix, Inc. appointed a team to develop the business of DPNCheck, a POCT for peripheral neuropathies. The team is responsible for expanding the footprint in the healthcare market and focusing on the Medicare Advantage population. 

Point Of Care Diagnostics Market Report Highlights

The Infectious disease led the market and accounted for 27.8% of global revenue share in 2023. Growth of the segment is attributed to increasing demand for rapid tests, which has encouraged industry players to deliver point of care solutions to decentralized regions and launch innovative solutions.

Home sector is projected to witness the highest growth rate over the forecast period owing to the comfort level and cost-effectiveness of point of care diagnostics provided to patients at home. POCT devices are easy to use and do not, mandatorily, require any modern lab infrastructure for testing simpler target analytes in a patient's sample

North America dominated the market and accounted for a 42.9% share in 2023 owing to the increasing demand for new technologies, a large pool of key players, and advanced healthcare infrastructure

The Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness significant growth in the market owing to the rising prevalence of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. The increasing population with limited disposable income is the potential target market for the key players in the region

Point Of Care Diagnostics Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global point of care diagnostics market on the basis of on product, end use, and region:

Point Of Care Diagnostics Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

Glucose Testing

Hb1Ac Testing

Coagulation Testing

Fertility/Pregnancy

Infectious Disease

HIV POC

Clostridium Difficile POC

HBV POC

Pneumonia or Streptococcus Associated Infections

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) POC

HPV POC

Influenza/Flu POC

HCV POC

MRSA POC

TB and Drug-resistant TB POC

HSV POC

COVID-19

Other Infectious Diseases

Cardiac Markers

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

Hematology

Primary Care Systems

Decentralized Clinical Chemistry

Feces

Lipid Testing

Cancer Marker

Blood Gas/Electrolytes

Ambulatory Chemistry

Drug of Abuse (DOA) Testing

Autoimmune Diseases

Urinalysis/Nephrology

Point Of Care Diagnostics End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

Clinics

Hospitals

Home

Assisted Living Healthcare Facilities

Laboratory

Point Of Care Diagnostics Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

North America

US

Canada

Europe

Germany

UK

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Denmark

Sweden

Norway

Asia Pacific

Japan

China

India

South Korea

Australia

Thailand

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Argentina

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

South Africa

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Kuwait

List of Key Players of Point Of Care Diagnostics Market

Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Qiagen

Danaher Corporation

Becton Dickinson (BD)

bioMérieux

Abbott

Siemens Healthcare GmbH

Werfen

Nova Biomedical

Trividia Health, Inc.

QuidelOrtho Corporation

Trinity Biotech

Sekisui Diagnostics

Orasure Technologies, Inc.

Spectral Medical, Inc.

EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc.

Anbio Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

AccuBioTech Co., Ltd

ALPHA LABORATORIES.

Order a free sample PDF of the Point Of Care Diagnostics Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

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Best Dry Cleaning Franchise Opportunities

Are you interested in starting your own dry cleaning business? The market size in America is estimated to be $10.82 billion. Additionally, a compounded growth rate of 4.5% is anticipated for the foreseeable future. These are profitable for franchise owners. And there’s a historical element too. Dry cleaning businesses first made their appearance in the U.S. back in the 1820s. Understanding the Dry Cleaning Industry The dry cleaning industry, including laundry services, is expected to see growth, driven in part by advancements such as smart laundry technology. American Drycleaner, a prominent publication in the industry, is predicting a trend of consolidation and a potentially shrinking market. To thrive in this competitive landscape, dry cleaning businesses need to be both automated and innovative, adapting to evolving customer demands and market dynamics. Here are some key points to consider in understanding the dry cleaning industry: Smart Laundry Technology: The integration of advanced software solutions, as highlighted in American Drycleaner, streamlines operations, automates processes, and enhances customer engagement. Market Consolidation: The industry is experiencing a wave of consolidation, with smaller businesses merging or being acquired by larger players. Shrinking Market Concerns: Predictions suggest that the market may be contracting, highlighting the need for proactive measures. Customer-Centric Approach: Providing exceptional customer service and convenience remains a priority. Sustainability and Eco-Friendliness: Acknowledging the growing importance of sustainability in the industry. By embracing smart laundry technology, staying informed about market trends highlighted by American Drycleaner, and adopting innovative strategies, businesses in the dry cleaning industry can position themselves for success. Proactive adaptation to market changes while prioritizing exceptional customer service and sustainable practices will be key to thriving in the evolving landscape. The Role of Dry Cleaning in Today’s World The green option is one of the latest innovations. More successful franchises are offering pickup and delivery options too. Growth Prospects and Market Size of the Laundry Industry Currently, the industry has 28,592 active companies. However, the number of businesses in the USA has declined slightly. Choosing the Best Dry Cleaning Franchise: Our Methodology When selecting the perfect dry cleaning franchise opportunity for your entrepreneurial journey, it is crucial to make an informed decision. We understand how important it is to choose a franchise that aligns with your goals and guarantees a profitable venture. To help you in this process, we have developed a thorough set of criteria to evaluate and identify the best dry-cleaning franchises. Top Dry Cleaning Franchises Following are some of the profitable franchises that have stood the test of time: Speed Queen Lapels Wavemax Laundry Martinizing Dry Cleaning Tide Cleaners Comet Cleaners Zoom Express Laundry Zips Dry Cleaners Dryclean USA The Eco Laundry Company Oxxo Care Cleaners Factors to Consider When Choosing a Dry Cleaning Franchise There are several factors franchise owners need to consider, such as brand reputation, franchise support, fees and other costs, franchise agreement, location and accessibility, proven business model, training and support, eco-friendly practices, technological integration, legal and regulatory compliance, and flexibility and expansion opportunities. Types of Dry Cleaning Services There are different types of dry cleaning services to choose from, including full-service laundry, same-day dry cleaning, traditional dry cleaning, green or eco-friendly dry cleaners, alterations and repairs, leather and suede dry cleaners, and wedding dress dry cleaning and preservation. FAQs: Dry Cleaning Franchise What are the typical startup costs for a dry cleaning franchise? How long does it take to break even with a dry cleaning franchise?

What are the ongoing fees for a dry cleaning franchise? How do I choose the best dry cleaning franchise for me? Are Dry Cleaning franchises profitable? Remember to evaluate these factors when considering a dry cleaning franchise to ensure success in this competitive industry. #StartupBusiness #cleaning #Dry #drycleaningfranchise #Franchise #franchisecleaners #Opportunities https://tinyurl.com/27k8v4rb

[reports-publisher]

Revolutionizing Diagnostics: UAE Clinical Laboratory Services Market to Soar Beyond $2.5 Billion by 2035

The clinical laboratory services market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an integral component of the healthcare sector. Clinical laboratories provide a wide range of diagnostic tests and analyses that support disease prevention, diagnosis, and management. These services play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes, advancing medical research, and supporting the overall healthcare infrastructure.

With advancements in technology and increasing awareness of preventive healthcare, the UAE clinical laboratory services market has witnessed significant growth. Government initiatives, private sector involvement, and the rising demand for precise diagnostics further bolster this market. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the UAE’s clinical laboratory services market, covering its current state, growth drivers, challenges, opportunities, and future outlook.

Market Overview

2.1 Definition and Scope

Clinical laboratory services encompass a variety of diagnostic tests conducted on biological specimens such as blood, urine, tissues, and other bodily fluids. These services are critical in:

Disease diagnosis and monitoring.

Early detection and prevention of diseases.

Supporting treatment decisions through accurate test results.

2.2 Market Segmentation

The market can be segmented based on:

Test Type:

Routine tests (e.g., blood tests, cholesterol levels, and urinalysis).

Specialized tests (e.g., molecular diagnostics, genetic testing, and cancer markers).

Service Provider:

Independent laboratories.

Hospital-based laboratories.

Physician office laboratories.

End Users:

Hospitals and clinics.

Diagnostic centers.

Individual patients.

Corporate health programs.

Market Dynamics

3.1 Growth Drivers

Rising Prevalence of Chronic Diseases:

The UAE has a high prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Early detection and continuous monitoring of these conditions necessitate advanced diagnostic services.

Technological Advancements:

Innovations in molecular diagnostics, automation, and point-of-care testing (POCT) are enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing data analysis in laboratories.

Government Initiatives:

The UAE government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure aligns with the goals of the UAE Vision 2021 and the National Strategy for Wellbeing. Public health programs promoting early diagnosis and preventive healthcare are driving demand for laboratory services.

Expanding Insurance Coverage:

The introduction of mandatory health insurance schemes across emirates like Dubai and Abu Dhabi has improved access to diagnostic services, thereby fueling market growth.

Increased Awareness:

Growing health awareness among residents and expatriates is leading to increased utilization of diagnostic services for preventive health checkups and early disease detection.

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3.2 Challenges

Regulatory Hurdles:

The UAE’s stringent regulatory environment requires laboratories to comply with international standards, which can be complex and time-consuming.

High Operational Costs:

Advanced diagnostic equipment, skilled workforce, and operational overheads contribute to high costs, potentially limiting profitability for smaller providers.

Workforce Shortages:

The clinical laboratory sector faces a shortage of trained professionals, creating a bottleneck in service delivery.

Competitive Landscape:

Intense competition among independent laboratories, hospitals, and international players poses challenges for market penetration and differentiation.

Technological Trends

4.1 Automation in Laboratories

Automation of clinical processes, including sample handling, testing, and result reporting, is reducing errors and turnaround times. Automated systems enable high-throughput testing, catering to the rising demand for diagnostic services.

4.2 Molecular Diagnostics and Genetic Testing

The increasing focus on personalized medicine has driven the adoption of molecular diagnostics and genetic testing. These tests are used for early detection of genetic disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer, contributing to improved patient outcomes.

4.3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data

AI and machine learning are transforming laboratory operations by enabling predictive analysis, improving diagnostic accuracy, and optimizing resource allocation. Big data analytics supports decision-making and strategic planning in laboratories.

4.4 Point-of-Care Testing (POCT)

POCT devices provide rapid and accurate results at the patient’s bedside, reducing the need for centralized laboratory testing. This is particularly beneficial for emergency care and remote settings.

4.5 Digital Transformation

Digital platforms for test management, electronic health records (EHRs), and telehealth services are enhancing patient convenience and improving communication between healthcare providers and laboratories.

Market Players and Competitive Landscape

5.1 Key Players in the UAE Clinical Laboratory Market

PureHealth:

A leading healthcare provider in the UAE, offering comprehensive diagnostic services through state-of-the-art laboratories.

National Reference Laboratory (NRL):

Part of Mubadala Health, NRL provides high-quality diagnostic testing and operates multiple accredited laboratories across the UAE.

Al Borg Diagnostics:

A prominent player specializing in routine and specialized diagnostic testing.

Life Diagnostics:

Offers a wide range of clinical testing services with a focus on customer satisfaction and quality.

Medsol Diagnostics:

Known for its advanced diagnostic capabilities and extensive network of laboratories.

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5.2 Competitive Strategies

Strategic partnerships with hospitals and clinics.

Investment in advanced technologies to enhance service quality.

Expansion of test portfolios to include niche and high-demand services such as genetic testing.

Regulatory Environment

6.1 Accreditation and Standards

Laboratories in the UAE must adhere to stringent quality standards, including:

ISO 15189: Medical laboratories—Requirements for quality and competence.

College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation.

6.2 Licensing Requirements

All laboratories must obtain licenses from relevant authorities such as the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DOH).

6.3 Data Protection and Privacy

Compliance with data protection regulations, including patient confidentiality and cybersecurity measures, is mandatory.

Future Outlook and Opportunities

7.1 Growth Projections

The UAE clinical laboratory services market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7-9% over the next decade. Key drivers include technological advancements, increasing healthcare expenditure, and rising awareness of preventive healthcare.

7.2 Emerging Opportunities

Telehealth Integration:

Collaboration between telehealth providers and diagnostic laboratories for seamless patient care.

Home Collection Services:

Expansion of at-home sample collection services to cater to the convenience-driven market.

Advanced Diagnostics:

Development of specialized testing services, including liquid biopsies, pharmacogenomics, and advanced imaging.

International Expansion:

Leveraging the UAE’s strategic location to serve as a regional hub for diagnostic services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Contact

Alex USA Office 1050 West Lakes Drive, West Covina, California 91790, Los Angeles, United States E-mail: help@reportspublisher.com Phone: +1-323-982-8916

About Us REPORTS PUBLISHER is a market research and consultative company that provides market research reports and business insights to large and small & medium enterprises. The company supports its clients to conceive business policies and accomplish sustainable growth in their particular market domain.

[terrymartin0263]

From Beginner to Pro: How to Start as a Remodeling Contractor by Home Remodeling Professionals such as Terry Martin (Mercer, PA)

Starting a career as a remodeling contractor can be a rewarding and profitable venture, but it requires careful planning, commitment, and a willingness to learn. This field offers numerous opportunities for growth and development, with the demand for home renovation and improvement services steadily increasing.

Whether you're looking to manage residential projects or focus on commercial spaces, there are several key steps to take in order to transform from a beginner to a seasoned professional. Understanding the industry, obtaining the necessary skills and licenses, building a solid network, and developing an efficient business strategy are crucial components for success. This blog explores how to navigate the journey of becoming a remodeling contractor, from the initial stages to achieving long-term success.

Understanding the Remodeling Industry

The remodeling industry encompasses a wide range of services, including kitchen and bathroom renovations, room additions, exterior upgrades, and full home remodels. As a beginner, it's essential to understand the different types of remodeling projects and which ones align with your interests and skill set. Home remodeling professionals like Terry Martin (Mercer, PA) mention that researching industry trends, customer preferences, and potential competition in your area will help you identify market demands and craft a business plan.

The remodeling industry is also highly influenced by local building codes, permits, and regulations. Becoming familiar with these laws will prevent costly mistakes and ensure that your projects are completed to the highest standards. Additionally, understanding the nuances of different materials, design trends, and construction techniques will be beneficial when engaging with clients and contractors alike.

Developing Essential Skills and Training

To succeed as a remodeling contractor, gaining hands-on experience and developing technical skills is paramount as underscored by home remodeling consultants such as Terry Martin (Mercer, PA). This can be achieved by working under an experienced mentor or joining a construction company as an apprentice. During this time, you'll have the opportunity to learn fundamental construction techniques, project management, and client relations.

Furthermore, enrolling in trade schools or certification programs is a wise investment. Many programs offer specialized courses in areas like carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and general contracting. These credentials not only provide you with the knowledge necessary to perform quality work but also give you credibility in the eyes of potential clients. Over time, as you gain experience, you can expand your skillset and grow into specialized areas of remodeling, such as energy-efficient upgrades or historical home restoration.

Securing the Right Licenses and Insurance

As a remodeling contractor, obtaining the necessary licenses and insurance coverage is a critical step in legitimizing your business. Most states and municipalities require contractors to be licensed to operate legally. This usually involves passing an exam that tests your knowledge of construction codes, building regulations, and industry best practices.

In addition to licensure, insurance is another vital aspect of your business setup. General liability insurance protects you in case of accidents or damages during a remodeling project, while workers' compensation insurance covers any injuries that may occur on the job site as pointed out by home remodeling professionals including Terry Martin (Mercer, PA). Without these safeguards, your business could face significant financial risks. Therefore, make sure to research local requirements and secure the appropriate coverage before starting your operations.

Building a Strong Network of Suppliers and Subcontractors

Home remodeling consultants like Terry Martin (Mercer, PA) convey that building a strong network of suppliers, subcontractors, and industry professionals is essential for the smooth operation of your remodeling business. Developing relationships with suppliers will ensure that you have access to quality materials at competitive prices, which can significantly impact your profitability.

Equally important is finding reliable subcontractors who can handle specialized tasks that you may not be equipped to manage. These might include electrical work, plumbing, or HVAC installations. By partnering with trusted subcontractors, you ensure that your projects are completed on time and to high standards. In turn, this will help you maintain a good reputation and attract more clients. Regularly attending industry events, joining professional associations, and networking with other contractors will also provide you with valuable contacts and business opportunities.

Effective Marketing and Client Acquisition

Attracting clients as a new remodeling contractor can be challenging, but with the right marketing strategies, you can build a strong client base. Start by creating a professional website that showcases your work, client testimonials, and any certifications or licenses you hold. Additionally, a solid online presence through social media platforms can help you reach a wider audience and engage with potential customers.

Local advertising, such as flyers, brochures, and word-of-mouth referrals, can also be effective for reaching customers in your area. Joining local business directories and offering free consultations are great ways to build trust and generate leads. As your reputation grows, happy clients will refer you to others, helping you gain more projects. Always prioritize quality service and communication to ensure client satisfaction, which can lead to repeat business and referrals.

Managing Finances and Growing Your Business

One of the most important aspects of transitioning from a beginner to a professional contractor is learning how to manage your finances effectively. Start by creating a detailed budget that includes all the costs associated with running your business, such as tools, insurance, licenses, and labor. Keep track of your cash flow to ensure that you’re making a profit on each project and that you’re able to reinvest in your business.

As your business grows, consider hiring employees or expanding your team of subcontractors. Additionally, investing in project management software can help streamline operations and keep you on track with scheduling, budgeting, and client communications as noted by home remodeling professionals such as Terry Martin (Mercer, PA). You can also consider diversifying your services to tap into new markets, such as offering eco-friendly remodeling options or expanding into commercial construction. These steps will help you build a sustainable business that can handle a growing client base and complex projects.

[theworldcigarr]

How to Identify Authentic Gurkha Cigars: A Complete Guide

Introduction

Gurkha cigars are renowned in the world of premium cigars for their exceptional craftsmanship, rare tobacco blends, and their association with luxury. With a legacy dating back to the late 1800s, Gurkha has carved out a significant reputation, especially among cigar enthusiasts who seek the best in quality. However, due to their popularity, Gurkha cigars are also a target for counterfeiters. This can make it difficult for consumers to differentiate between authentic and fake cigars, especially for those new to the cigar world.

In this complete guide, we'll walk you through how to identify authentic Gurkha cigars, ensuring that you make the right purchase every time. From recognizing genuine packaging and labels to understanding the construction and aroma, we’ll cover all the crucial details to help you distinguish an authentic Gurkha from a counterfeit.

Key Points to Identify Authentic Gurkha Cigars

1. Understanding the Gurkha Brand Legacy

The History of Gurkha Cigars

Gurkha cigars have a fascinating history, originating from the Indian subcontinent, where they were initially created to cater to the demands of the British army stationed in the region. The cigars became associated with the bravery and strength of the Gurkha soldiers. Over the years, Gurkha cigars have evolved into a luxury brand, producing some of the finest cigars on the market today.

Today, they offer a variety of lines, each crafted with care and skill. Authentic Gurkha cigars are usually the result of meticulous blending and aging processes, making them a sought-after luxury product. Knowing the brand’s legacy is the first step in identifying genuine cigars.

2. Examine the Packaging of Gurkha Cigars

Authentic Gurkha Cigar Packaging Features

One of the first signs of an authentic Gurkha cigar is the packaging. Gurkha cigars come in premium packaging, often including wooden boxes, intricate designs, and high-quality bands. Here’s what you need to look for:

High-Quality Boxes: Authentic Gurkha cigars are packaged in well-crafted wooden boxes, often embossed with the brand logo or engraved with detailed designs.

Bands with Precision: Gurkha cigars have unique bands that are meticulously designed. These bands should not feel flimsy or easily peel off. They often include a gold or metallic finish and are sometimes even hand-applied.

Seals and Holograms: Many premium Gurkha cigars are packaged with official seals or holograms to signify their authenticity.

Check for the Correct Logo and Labeling on Gurkha Cigars

The logo on the cigar band should be clear and free of any printing errors. A poorly printed logo is often a giveaway of a counterfeit product. Additionally, the labeling on the packaging should be precise, without any obvious misspellings or grammatical errors. Counterfeit cigars might have a rushed, cheaper appearance.

3. Smell and Aroma of Authentic Gurkha Cigars

The Signature Aroma of Gurkha Cigars

Authentic Gurkha cigars offer a complex and rich aroma that can be easily distinguished from fake ones. These cigars are made from high-quality tobaccos that have been aged to perfection, and their scent should reflect this. The most common aromas you should expect include earthy, woody, and spicy notes with hints of chocolate or coffee, depending on the blend.

How to Test the Aroma

To check the aroma:

Pre-Smoke Test: Before lighting your cigar, take a whiff of its foot (the open end). It should give off a distinct scent.

Post-Light Test: When smoking, the aroma should not only be pleasant but also consistent throughout the smoke.

4. Construction Quality of Gurkha Cigars

The Art of Rolling and Construction

The quality of construction is one of the most critical aspects of identifying an authentic Gurkha cigar. Gurkha cigars are hand-rolled by expert torcedores, and their craftsmanship is one of the hallmarks of authenticity. Here are the key elements to check:

Firmness: An authentic Gurkha cigar should feel firm but not overly tight or loose. If you gently squeeze the cigar, it should have a slight give but not be spongy.

Seamless Wrapper: The wrapper should be smooth with minimal visible veins. Any large veins or tears may indicate a low-quality cigar.

Even Burn: When lit, Gurkha cigars burn evenly with a consistent ash. If the cigar burns unevenly or produces too much smoke, it may be a counterfeit.

Inspect the Cigar’s Draw and Taste

Authentic Gurkha cigars offer a smooth and effortless draw. The taste should be rich and flavorful, with no bitterness or unpleasant aftertaste. If the draw feels too tight or too loose, or if the taste is inconsistent, you may be dealing with a fake.

5. Where to Buy Authentic Gurkha Cigars

Trusted Retailers for Gurkha Cigars

To ensure you're purchasing authentic Gurkha cigars, buy from reputable sources. Here are a few options:

Authorized Gurkha Retailers: The official Gurkha website lists authorized retailers, ensuring you are buying genuine products.

Luxury Cigar Shops: Well-known cigar shops that specialize in premium brands are also a good place to find authentic Gurkha cigars.

Online Stores: If you prefer buying online, make sure the store you choose is reputable and offers guarantees of authenticity.

6. Price as an Indicator of Authenticity

Beware of Unrealistically Low Prices

Authentic Gurkha cigars are priced according to their quality and craftsmanship. If you come across a deal that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Counterfeit cigars are often sold at much lower prices to lure unsuspecting customers. While discounts and promotions do happen, they should not drastically lower the price of a premium cigar.

What Price Range to Expect for Authentic Gurkha Cigars

Gurkha cigars can range from $10 to over $100 per cigar, depending on the blend, rarity, and packaging. If you find a Gurkha cigar priced much lower than this range, it’s a red flag.

7. Inspect the Cigar's Origin and Manufacturing Details

The Gurkha Manufacturing Process

Authentic Gurkha cigars are made in the Dominican Republic and other parts of Central America, depending on the specific blend. The cigars are carefully crafted using a combination of fine tobaccos from regions like Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras.

Check the Cigar's Country of Origin

Every genuine Gurkha cigar will have a clear indication of its country of origin, often printed on the packaging. Counterfeit cigars may not provide this detail, or the details may be vague or inaccurate.

Conclusion

Identifying authentic Gurkha cigars is essential for any cigar enthusiast who appreciates quality and craftsmanship. By focusing on the details—such as packaging, construction, price, and aroma—you can ensure you're purchasing a genuine product that lives up to the Gurkha brand's legacy. Always buy from reputable sources, and never be swayed by deals that seem too good to be true. Happy smoking!

[brehaaorgana]

I obviously agree on several key points, like toxic metals exposure IS ubiquitous. But also (and part of what I put in my own reblog of that post) the links between fast fashion and menstrual products ARE part of why reusable menstrual products are not necessarily free of other harmful chemicals.

Which is why I pointed out that many reusable menstrual products (period pads and underwear) are either untested or contain varying levels of PFAS forever chemicals (usually meaning fluorine was detected during testing).

And PFAS chemicals can be present as a result of unintentional exposure OR (in some instances) by intentional treatment of the fabric with PFAS chemicals because of the characteristics it creates for fabrics.

Lead may be able to be expelled from the body over time, but a forever chemical is exactly that. Forever. It's also why it's alarming that PFAS is used in the manufacture of a huge number of bandages.

Likewise you can't simply say "if you're concerned, maybe look at fast fashion..." Because, well. Cotton/Viscose manufacturing and exposure to various toxic metals or chemicals within in that process are inextricable from the question of fast fashion.

But that doesn't mean that the solution is simply going out and buying pads and period underwear. Because pads can also be exposed to and treated with various metals and chemical compounds. Period underwear may be intentionally coated in PFAS depending on the brand because it's still a textile garment.

The solution is more testing, more studies, regulations, and oversight. Consumers should demand transparency and protections.

And at the end of the day, even if tampons have such small amounts of lead that they are likely not meaningfully harmful to the end user, that doesn't say anything about how harmful the production process might to the people who manufacture them. And those people are definitely being exposed to these products in the number of thousands daily, so I will very well assume that the risk to them is much greater.

I do agree we should be careful about fear mongering any use of tampons whatsoever. But also, the truth is that most people don't think: "the end product having small amounts of these toxic compounds means the factory worker and farm workers involved may have been exposed to much higher levels far more regularly, so we should cause an uproar to regulate that and ensure it IS safe for the production,"

Most people just go "well *I* don't want lead poisoning!" And then they proceed to recommend products that may also be untested and even sometimes have toxic chemicals intentionally applied to them.

But to say we should turn a critical eye to fast fashion should precisely recognize this problem that 1) the end consumer is not necessarily who is actually always being hurt directly and 2) it may be that everything has contamination with certain compounds/metals to some degree and 3) the solution isn't to strive for perfection, the solution is to ban what problematic things used in manufacture that we can, aggressively regulate what we can't, demand transparency, and seek alternatives or mitigating factors for the current products on the market.

this post is fearmongering. the results of this study are concerning and should definitely be a matter of public discussion, but this is certainly not the conclusion the researchers came to.

the point of the study was to assess the risks of exposure to toxic metals- something one of the co-authors notes are “ubiquitous” fwiw- via menstrual products. Their research confirmed that these metals are indeed present in tampons, but no further conclusions are drawn. it is possible the metal entered into the cotton from the soil, which is a well-known phenomenon; cotton is so good at lifting heavy metals that it has actually been suggested as a part of the solution for revitalizing polluted ground.

the authors conclude with an acknowledgement that the study should be repeated- their sample size was 60 tampons- and a suggestion that further testing ought to be done to indicate whether or not these metals can even leech out of the tampon in the first place, let alone whether or not such leeching could occur at levels deleterious to human health.

there is, in fact, a body of research- too small, for sure, but much larger than this single study- indicating that long-term proper tampon use has no observable negative impact on health. i am grateful and thrilled that more research is being done and i hope that this study is the first of many on this line of questioning, but i am really frustrated at this post and the response it got.

obviously, if this study alters your approach to menstrual health, more power to you. consumers should be informed-risk-takers, and menstrual health is double-obviously a very personal choice. but it definitely wasn't the researchers concluding that you ought to “avoid using tampons at all cost," only this tumblr user did. the lead author of the paper, in fact, specifically says that she hopes people do NOT panic about the results.

(the notes of the post were disappointing. people affirming that they knew they were right to be suspicious of tampons all along, or even recommending alternatives that actually have very little to no research regarding the safety of long-term use, etc. it’s a different conversation, but categorical distrust of tampons is old-school misogyny. you certainly shouldn't wear them if you don’t want to, but there is nothing inherently scary or wrong about them, and people who prefer them are not being reckless or crass.)

((if you're really worried about exposure to heavy metals, you may want to turn a critical eye to fast fashion, as an aside))