Swordsman’s Resolve

Montricher’s scabbard clattered off the wet cobblestones as he lost his balance rounding the corner at full speed. The calamity of merchants and citizens being bowled over and their startled cries were all he needed to know the palace guards were hot on his tail.

Fortune smiled on him as a trolley of potatoes toppled over ahead and he nimbly swift-stepped over the rolling spuds before his pursuers were thwarted by the throng of poor folk who flooded into the street to snatch one or two before order was restored.

Ahead he saw yet another group of anxiously swivel-headed guards and he quickly cut down an alleyway, narrowly avoiding a fall of waste water that splashed his tall boots with all manner of filth. The end of the squalor lane led to much of the same – a busy rue increasingly thick with guards clearly on the lookout for someone and something. That someone, obviously, was Montricher himself, but of greater concern to them, and their sergeant-at-arms most particularly, was the silver pendant resting in his breast pocket atop his heaving chest.

He removed his plumed hat, and steeled himself to the rotten burlap sack that he wrapped over his tunic and the equally fetid mud he smeared across his face to disguise himself as one of the innumerable poor souls that shuffled through the streets of Havertreille. His father had wanted him to follow in his cooper’s footsteps but he had an exceptional skill for sword fighting and was drawn to the allure of defending the monarchy.

Luck again seemed to be on his side as he reached the steps of the honorable J.F. D’Ormonde’s residence without further incident. The respected magistrate and trusted long-time confidante was the only one he could trust to clear his name and prove that the pendant incriminated the sergeant in the kidnapping of Mademoiselle Descoteaux. Repeated knocks went unanswered, and the commotion that moved up the lane left him no choice. He picked the lock with ease in no time at all, as the King’s Elite Guard were equally well-trained in the illicit arts as well.

He removed his soiled boots and took care not to drip any blood onto the hall carpet as he made his way into the judge’s study. He took a seat at D’Ormonde’s writing desk, a beautiful crescent-shaped piece with marquetry inlays, a scalloped apron and long cabriole legs that fittingly had all the trappings of the intellectual elite. The good judge would sit at his Powell Masterpiece Hunt Desk and put his thoughts to paper with a quill pen and glass of fine cognac, and Montricher remembered this image fondly from his youth when the judge had taken him under his wing after his father’s passing. He had hoped he might have the same good fortune to be able to decorate a den of his own in a similar style with a visit to WritingDeskSelect.com , but it seemed such a life would never be his.

A series of impatient knocks at the door made it known time was of the essence. Montricher removed one of his custom-monogrammed black swordsman’s gloves, a gift from the magistrate years earlier, and dropped the pendant into it. A violent crash and the accompanying stampede of boots meant he had but seconds to spare. Even the old judge had vices, and Montricher quickly opened the baseboard in the floor in which D’Ormonde hid his opium and dropped the glove into it before re-concealing the spot.

He unsheathed his rapier in anticipation of their arrival and smiled to himself knowing they’d prefer to take him alive. Either way would have been fine, but as they escorted him from the building he saw the good judge standing in the crowd and winked at him with an all-knowing confidence.

It was only a matter of time, and pain was a temporary sensation.

Oh, To Have Been a Scribe

The fact that, in 1^st and 2^nd world countries at least, illiteracy has been by and large eradicated is an achievement worthy of praise and of tremendous benefit to society as a whole. The ability to read and write is no longer the divider it once was for everyone from children to adults, and the campaigns for literacy that began 30-plus years ago have been a great success. So much so in fact that Generation X folks like myself and the Y / Z s who’ve followed seem to take it for granted.

If I told you that at some point in the past and in a certain part of the world, your being literate was the only qualification necessary to ensure you a very well-paying, well-respected profession where you, among other perks, NEVER PAID TAXES – would you believe me?

In Ancient Egypt, scribes were part of the royal court who documented everything from the musings of the nobility to administrative and economic policies to legal statutes and much in between. They were compensated very well for their work and enjoyed many of the benefits of being faithful servants of the pharaoh or other nobility. Further, they had absolute job security as literacy was shared by only a tiny percentage of the population and nearly exclusively it was a skill passed down from older scribes to their sons. When not taking hand-written notes or assembling their submissions, these men would also read to their wealthy employers who could not do so on their own.

The benefits didn’t end there – scribes were absolved of military service obligations as well. So instead of being displaced and deemed disposable you’re taking the minutes of the Hieroglyphic Hansard and regaling the old boys with a tale or two before enjoying some wine and entertainment. Sounds like it would have been my kind of gig if I’d been born a few thousand years earlier a little to the left of the cradle of civilization.

Yet here we are in the 21^st century and taking notes by hand is not only unimpressive but quickly becoming as long lost as the Sphinx’s nose. Many people these days claim they have either forgotten how to handwrite or have difficulty with it, and I’m certainly one of them. The electronic medium has taken over, and although well it should, there’s still something of an attractive nostalgic value in scribbling out what you have to say. Love letters need to be commended for prolonging the life of pen n’ paper, and I suppose to a lesser extent so do birthday cards and the like.

For those who do
not channel the entirety of their communications or discourses through a keyboard, there are still furniture pieces that manage to incorporate a writing desk sensibility into their design. Audio-Video-Furniture.com has recently added a selection of Haugen Rolltop Desks that offer the vintage style appeal of more old world-themed writing desks with the versatility to accommodate more electronic means of communicating. Distinctive with the traditional roll-top enclosures that foster a charm seemingly incomplete without a quill pen in ink and sealing wax, these desks also have more modern design features like cord management outlets and drop-front keyboard tray drawers.

These desks are a tasteful hybrid between the old and the new. Not as old as 3000 BC though, as the fact that the scribes sat cross-legged with a slate on their lap writing on papyrus may have made the job slightly less appealing. Actually, come to think of it – no, it probably wouldn’t have. Knowing you’d be set for life shortly after Dad had taught you how to read and write must have been a darn good feeling.

Thinking Outside the Box: Breaking Free From Office Cubicles

Cubicle life can be drab and draining at the best of times. Being caged inside four walls of grey fuzzy fabric, put together with rusty screws and wobbly legs does not exactly inspire a creative and effective work area. Natural light and open space should not be a break-time luxury; instead, it should be a fundamental element of your office space.

Cymax Stores provides online shopping for office furniture that is essential to a successful work environment. At www.bushfurniturecollection.com, you will find a variety of office furniture fit for every type of business and every office employee. Office space arrangements can be tricky, but with over seven hundred options for cubicle configurations alone, Bush Furniture covers everything you might never have even thought of. No matter how small or big your office is, we’ll find a fit.

With collections such as Bush Furniture’s Office-in-an-Hour, designing your workplace has never been so simple. Cymax allows you to narrow your search by design, finish, and price so that you can find what you need right away. Mismatched chairs and tables, lack of storage options, and messy wires stick out like sore thumbs. Impress your clients with stylish uniformity and pamper your employees to a comfortable work environment.

Bush Furniture desks come with panel grommets for wire access, keeping computer equipment tidy and out of sight, so no more tripping over cable wires on your way to the boss’s office! No matter if you are right or left handed either, you will find a desk that accommodates you.

Although a messy desk might make it seem like you have a lot of work on your hands, it doesn’t look attractive for the passerby. Filing cabinets can help you clean up your desk and organize your files so that important information is out-of-sight but easy to access. Also an attractive and efficient storage option is a hutch for over a desk. A hutch allows you to keep your desk surface clear; it also allows you to display special items, such as framed photographs of your loved ones, so that your workspace has an individual and personal feel to it. Bush Furniture also carries bookshelves in all sorts of colors, sizes, and styles.

Many items in the Bush Furniture collection come in a variety of finishes, giving a different look for every office, while keeping the style within one workspace the same. With choices in quality materials, styles, and collections, get rid of the drib and drab in your workplace.

Most of us spend more of our waking hours at work than we do in our own homes, which is one of the reasons why it is so important to furnish an office in a way that respects and keeps in mind the needs of each employee. Our environment affects our frame of mind, which in turn affects our ability to produce and inspire ideas and productivity. Cymax works to help you accomplish a positive environment for your work team with our extensive Bush Furniture collections.

From our office to yours: happy shopping.

Going French With Help From Cymax

I’ve decided to change my identity. My entire heritage, actually. Although I am a perfectly balanced mix of Scottish and English (50/50, I’m told), I’m going French. It’s just that French is sultrier, more seductive. The language elegantly rolls off the tongue… well, more like the back of the throat, but still. I love to eat, and the tastes of France beat the Scottish meat ‘n potatoes or the British fish ‘n chips staple foods. I’ll stay away from escargot, but bring on the cheeses and baguettes, and especially the chocolate fondue, any day. And no more tartan, no more cardigans. I want Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Chanel. And who doesn’t want to go to the most romantic country in the world? I certainly do. French: I want to speak it, eat it, wear it, and live it. I want to be French.

In order to “go” French there are some essential things I need to change about my home. Luckily, Cymax makes this incredibly easy with the convenience of online shopping. Cymax has a variety of furniture items, for every room in the house, which will help with my transformation.

Firstly, in order to cook up a French storm, to have all the wonderful aromas and tastes that come with the nationality, I will need a French kitchen cart for all of the extra space I will need to accommodate the varieties of ingredients cluttering my kitchen. Classically styled, this cart will make it easy to cook a genuine gourmet French-inspired meal. I will also need a French baker’s rack for all of the baguettes I plan on making. I don’t know how to make them yet, but those are just minor details.

But I can’t just go from a French kitchen to a drab eating area, furnished with a table and chairs from England that have been passed down to me from centuries ago that any person my age should not have anywhere near their house if they want to avoid the nickname “Granny”. In order to genuinely transform my identity, I need to invest in a French bar table set to feed myself and my guests in style. This will provide a perfect perch for wine and cheese, and a good gab. With the contemporary style, combined with a touch of traditional French scrollwork, I can have a modern dining area with a French design. There I will sit, pouring champagne for guests, and will be well on my way to French-hood.

My new French identity needs to infiltrate my every hour though – even when I am not awake. In order to be successful at training my subconscious, I need to start having French dreams. In order for French dreams, I need to be dreaming in a bed complete with a French comforter set. This nine-piece comforter set features a leafy design that I can only imagine mirrors the falling leaves on Paris streets. Here, I will sleep in French, and when I wake up, I will take my fashionable new clothes out of my French floral accent chest to dress myself, and head to my French jewelry armoire to put on my make-up and accessories to start my day on the right foot.

The finishing touches for my newly Frenchized home will probably be the most important part of my transitioning nationality. I will desperately need a place to practice the language. Sure, I will get the chance to test out my French by speaking with friends (or forcing them to listen to me), but I won’t master the language, or the nationality, without studying. With a French floral desk to match my accent chest, and a French table lamp to keep me company through hours and hours of perfecting the language and the accent, I will have everything I need.

On top of this, thanks to the ability to shop online for all of these necessities, I can become French without having to leave the house. That said, once I feel French enough, I am buying a one-way ticket to France (bypassing the United Kingdom), and bringing my furniture with me. C’est final.

Furniture Bribery and the Toppling of Nepotism

The maxim of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has never been more true in the spectrum of career and job searching as it is today, and projects to be even more painfully relevant in the future. I have no problem with the cut-throat nature of business, just as long as I have as equal an opportunity for a close shave as does Mr. Todd’s nephew but, regrettably, that’s not the way it works most often in the corporate Fleet Street of the twenty-first century.

Sure, it stings that much more when a) you’re qualified to the eyeballs, then b) make the second interview short-list only to learn you’ve been rejected in favor of the second cousin of the receptionist whose husband ceaselessly offers the “I’m sure you haven’t taken your mulligan yet, Mr. Hardy” to keep the boss from double bogeys during Friday’s extended “power lunches.”

I suppose you could tailor your job search to anywhere you might conceivably have a familial “in”, but for me that would mean another undergrad degree or wearing a name tag and little to nothing in between. For most of us, I imagine, the scenario would be disdainfully similar. So the question is – What can you do to give yourself an edge?

I haven’t come up with much so far, but I did happen across the Bestar furniture collection in search of affordable and pleasingly functional office furniture. After a short perusal, I (sheepishly) came up with this half-baked suggestion. What about bringing along a piece of office furniture to “curry their favor” as they say?

As ridiculous as this sounds, (and it does) what’s not to suggest that a particular hiring agent might be “touched” by the thoughtfulness of your bringing a ready-to-assemble Bestar corner desk up 8 flights of stairs? Or that your promise to bring back that most fashionable Bestar computer desk when (AND IF GOSH DARN IT!!) you start training on Monday morning sways the decision to your liking? Perhaps bribery is your thing and you combine a Bestar desk or maybe a Bestar workstation with a considerable dose of unfounded flattery to rig the outcome? Hmm?

What’s that you say? You’ve always dreamed of being a purchasing officer and the accountant’s drop-dead gorgeous daughter-in-law and her philosophy degree are, however incomprehensibly, massively intimidating? You need to up the ante my friend! How about a conference table as the proverbial carrot-on-a-string dangled in front of him or her? Maybe even a pair of office tables if you sense you’re in something of a dead heat.

Fast forward; now, assuming you are indeed the new purchasing officer, there’s no need to put to waste all of your ill-gotten knowledge of conference tables. Stand proudly at the round conference table (or maybe it’s a modular conference table – you are the purchasing officer after all, right?) you’ve so tastefully brought to the office and lay out your plans to furnish the entire place in just the right mix of traditional executive office furniture, contemporary office furniture and modern executive office furniture. Then soak up the accolades…

The end justifies the means, people, the ends justifies the means.