You are tired of working at your cubical. You’re dreaming of something bigger. You’re obviously online now and most likely looking for something better. Better is in front of you right now. We are better. No we are not Google, Zappos, or Facebook. We are a local Clive, Iowa, company. And NO we don’t need any money from you. This is a real business and we don’t need you to buy into anything other than our vision. You will be a full time paid team member.

We are not a startup. Our company was founded in 2005. We are financially stable and a leader in our industry. Why the entrepreneur themed vibe? We want to build something better. We want to build something that is truly great. We want to interview 5 leading candidates not 50 bodies.

Benefits:

Discussed at interview but they are well above the industry standard. Hours: 9-5? 8-4? Somewhere around there. We need you here 8 hours per day and it has to be during standard business times. Flexible but simple right?

By: Jason Lee

From the standard AA battery to the relatively unknown LR44 battery, everyone everywhere should embrace all things battery operated on February 18, also known as National Battery Day.

The  “battery” can trace its routes to Benjamin Franklin who coined the term. In 1800, another inventor, Alessandro Volta created a steady current for a length of time using zinc and copper plates and brine soaked paper disks. Eventually, this primitive experiment in electricity would lead the way to the batteries we know today.

So don't be negative because Mr. Electric® has some positive reasons to celebrate National Battery Day.

Whether you have four, six or eight cylinders under the hood, chances are you only have one battery. No car or truck can run without it. So when you get in your ride on National Battery Day, take a minute to thank the true workhorse of the vehicle; the battery.

When it comes to handheld and portable electronic devices, not a single one would work if it weren’t for the battery. These devices would do little good for people on the go if they stopped working every time they were unplugged from the wall. Thankfully, batteries that drain slowly over time allow for us to be portable and still be connected to the digital world. All of this is made possible by the battery.

Battery operated drills and saws have made working at the construction site or doing home renovations a breeze. Workers can cut boards and build for hours before simply changing out the batteries. Once the workday is done, workers can charge the batteries over night and start again the next morning. With the advent of cordless tools, tripping hazards can be avoided. Blown fuses and tripped breakers are a thing of the past, all thanks to the battery.

On February 18, go out into the world with a positive attitude and change those who are negative around you by reminding them of everything the battery does on a daily basis. Who knows, doing it may give you a charge!

Spring has sprung. The weather is getting nicer. Time for a new pair of sunglasses?  It was time for me. Even though sunglasses are not a regular topic of our lighting blog, I felt that my recent experience picking out new sunglasses warranted this post. I was disappointed at the number of myths about sunglasses that were told to me by multiple, yes, multiple, supposedly knowledgeable sales people. So, I figured that it might prove useful to others if I shared my experience and busted these myths with this sunglasses buying guide. 

Myth #1: UV Protection In Sunglasses Not Important

Fact: The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can do several very bad things to your eyes and the area around your eyes: harm the lens, retina, and whites of your eyes, cause corneal sunburn and blisters, increase your chances of getting cataracts, have been linked to macular degeneration (vision loss due to damage due to a small spot near the center of the retina called the macula), cause skin cancer around your eyes including your eyelids, and help cause unwanted wrinkles and skin thickening around your eyes. WOW!  There’s a lot more but it would take more than this short response to get even more technical.

Myth #2: Sunglasses With Glass Lenses Remove All UV Radiation

I visited a small boutique optometry store and spoke to someone with 40 years of experience. He told me that if a pair of sunglasses has glass lenses, then they remove all UV radiation. Not true.

Fact: Glass of almost any kind (building windows, car windows, a pair of clear glasses) can remove some but not all of the UV radiation that reaches your eye. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is made up of three segments: UVA, UVB, and UVC. Fortunately for all of us UVC radiation is blocked by the earth’s atmosphere, ordinary glass blocks out UVB radiation (the main sunburn ray that causes skin cancer and sun damage) but allows UVA to pass right through (UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply and can also cause skin cancer, wrinkles, and premature skin aging). However, it is possible to add a special UV-blocking film to ordinary glass or use specially formulated glass (or plastic) to block out 99.9% of UVB and UVA radiation.

Myth #3: Polarized Lenses Also Mean UV Protection

Two representatives in the optical department of a national chain of retail stores told me that if a pair of sunglasses has polarized lenses, then they also provide UV protection. Not true.

Fact: These two features of sunglasses are entirely different from one another; one feature does not imply the presence of the other feature. Polarized lenses minimize direct and indirect glare from the sun; they allow you to see more clearly when the sun’s rays are reflected off flat, smooth surfaces like water, road pavement, and car hoods. Polarized lenses are not designed to reduce the ultraviolet radiation that reaches your eye.

Myth #4: More Expensive Sunglasses Have The Best UV protection

Fact: This is not always true. Relatively inexpensive sunglasses can sometimes block 99%-100% of UV radiation but they are not easy to find. However, you should be careful about still another problem – inexpensive sunglasses sometimes are non-uniform in thickness and have poor optical quality. This can mean that they sometimes distort the shape or clarity of an object, depending on what portion of the lenses that you look through.

Myth #5: Sunglass Tint Is Not Important

Many people think that the tint of the sunglass lenses is not that important. That it is purely an aesthetic decision based on your personal preferences and the “cool factor” you’re looking for.

Fact: The tint or hue of the sunglass lenses plays an important role in the perception of colors. Yellow or rose tinted lenses generally can make it difficult to distinguish different colored traffic lights. Gray, green, and brown lenses, however, minimize color distortion and are a better choice when you’re driving a vehicle. Some specialized sunglasses can have a special tint that are designed to enhance your performance of a specific task or sport; e.g., at least one sunglasses manufacturer has created a whole array of lens hues, one of which can possibly improve your tennis game by enhancing the color of the tennis ball.

Myth #6: Size Of Sunglasses Not Important

Most people choose the size of their sunglasses on whether or not they think they look “cool.” Thus, they think that size is not important.

Fact: Size, at least when it comes to sunglasses, does matter. It’s this simple: The larger the sunglasses, the broader the protection of your eyes, eyelids, and the skin around your eyes against UV damage. However, you can have all of that and still look “cool.”

Enjoy your spring and summer and enjoy your new sunglasses.