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Apple unveils new iPad Air, announces OS X Maverick will be free
The new iPad – now called the iPad Air-- is thinner than the previous generation and weighs just 1 pound.
Though many weren't surprised to hear about Apple's new iPads, MacBook Pros and Mac Pros, they were shocked to find out that the company would be releasing their latest operating system for $0.
OS X Maverick had been buzzed about for some time, but Apple surprised consumers by announcing the program would be completely free and available on Tuesday.
"Imagine if Microsoft suddenly said Windows was free of charge instead of charging a ridiculous amount for it," Steve Sande, editor of The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), explained to Metro World News. "OS X Mavericks has a lot of new features, does a better job of handling power requirements (battery life is better on laptops), and it works better with iOS 7."
OS X Maverick improves battery life, equaling about an extra hour of time on a single charge if the person is using a 13-inch MacBook Air. It also compresses inactive memory and has integrated graphics, so it can run 1.8 times faster relative to the computer's processing unit.
Upgrades allow you to get more notifications from websites, use finder tabs and tags, and have multiple display support. Notifications will send push notifications, iMessages and IMs to your desktop. You can also take advantage of Safari's accelerated scrolling and have the ability to share links from your searches.
Apple also said they were launching improvements for the iWork suite, including upgrades to the word processing program Pages, spreadsheet program Numbers and presentation program Keynote.
The company made this move to compete directly with Microsoft Office. Users of Microsoft's product can work on their projects across devices and platforms, but they have to pay a $99 yearly fee to use Office 365.
People who make the move to iWork suite will get the all the cross platform benefits for free. The programs will come gratis with the purchase of any new Mac or iOS device, and will be available for use online as well.
If you want to shell out for something, Sande said to take a closer look at the new MacBook Pros. The laptops saw a bevy of improvements, and are actually cheaper than the previous model.
The 13-inch model is thinner (0.71 inches thick), lighter (3.46 pounds), has nine hours of battery life and has Wi-Fi that's three times faster. A base model will set you back $1,200.
The 15-inch model will have a retina display, Iris Pro integrated graphics, last 8 hours on battery and start at $1,999.
"The new MacBook Pros -- more powerful at a lower price -- are worth considering for those who are in the market for a new laptop computer," Sande said.
For those in the market for a desktop, the new Mac Pro -- which will be available in December – starts at $2,999. It has the latest Intel Xeon E5 processors, up to 64GB of RAM, dual AMD FirePro graphics chips, and up to 1TB of PCI Express solid state storage. It will also have six Thunderbolt 2 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet jacks, and an HDMI output.
Weigh your options before deciding to plunk down some cash for that iPad though. The new iPad – now called the iPad Air - is thinner than the previous generation and weighs just 1 pound. It runs on Apple's A7 chip and includes the M7 chip found in the iPhone 5S. If you want to go smaller, the second generation iPad mini now comes with Retina display and an A7 chip.
iPad Air will be available on Nov. 1 starting at $499 for a 16 GB model, and the iPad Mini will be in stores in November starting at $399 for a 16 GB model.
"For someone who doesn't have an iPad, one of the older models would be an excellent choice, especially the $299 iPad mini," Sande said. "For those who are using the iPad for work or personal needs that require more processor power, the new iPad Air is going to be a good choice."


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Saturday, February 1, 2014
January Finishes, RAKs, & Thanks a Lot Vonna!!!
Posted by Shirlee at 10:46 AM
31 comments:
- Jackie said...
Not pathetic at all to snatch up a Kiss & Make up Clutch - I think you were rather smart! Goodness, probably half of Vonna's readers did the same thing.
I really like the Snow Birds ornament. I'm never inspired by the magazine photos like I am when I see it stitched on someones blog!
Glad you're not lighting any fires this year!
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 11:25:00 AM
- Melody said...
What a nice long post! Your ornaments are great. I also like your choices in new charts. I've ordered from the Silver Needle several times and have always been pleased with the good service. It makes it feel special when they wrap up your purchases, it's like a present to yourself!! Happy Birthday to John. Have a good weekend.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 11:28:00 AM
- Krista said...
So many sweet ornaments in the works! I think the snow birds are my fave! Enjoy your weekend, Shirlee!
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 11:50:00 AM
- Dawn said...
Wow, you've been a busy lady Shirlee! So happy to see a wonderful post and goodies for January.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 12:12:00 PM
- gracie said...
Wonderful stitching...wonderful post today.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 12:20:00 PM
- Beth said...
What an interesting post Shirley. I do love Holy Night, and all your purchases too.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 12:20:00 PM
- Mrs. GraceWorks said...
LOL! I wanted to go find a Kiss and Makeup Clutch, too. LOL! And I love all your finishes - WOW! You have been a busy, busy girl! Aren't Silver Needle orders fun? I love how they wrap things. It makes you feel so special. And freebies, too! How nice!!
As for stitching and eating this weekend, well, I think I have the eating part down ;) ... now to work on the stitching part!
The sunrise was GORGEOUS. Our God is such an incomparable painter!!
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 12:35:00 PM
- Robin said...
Wow, Shirlee! What wonderful pictures you shared from the glorious sunrise to all your finishes. I like the changes you made to them. Good going!
Enjoy your weekend!
Robin in Virginia
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 1:02:00 PM
- Judy said...
Congratulations Shirlee...you went for changes and you did a fantastic job! All of your ornaments look perfect. That sunrise was amazing. And some sweet purchases! Sounds like a great weekend of stitching and eating..what more could there possibly be to want!!
Judy Heartland stitcher
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 1:14:00 PM
- Linda said...
What an awesome post Shirlee. Great new stash and I love all your finishes.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 1:38:00 PM
- Sarah in Stitches said...
Great finishes! They're all so lovely and sweet. So proud of you for changing the design and thread color to suit your tastes, too - I do it all the time! Excellent purchases as well. No wonder they sent you some complimentary goodies! :D
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 1:54:00 PM
- Stitchy Mc Floss said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 2:19:00 PM
- Vickie said...
Oh what a glorious sky!
My oh my, haven't you been busy?!
Such lovely new goodies. I really, really like Betsy. =)
Are you being naughty with food? ;)
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 2:36:00 PM
- Karen said...
What fabulous finishes... you certainly had a productive month! Happy stitching...
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 4:02:00 PM
- Shebafudge said...
What beautiful stitching. Love all the changes you made and good for you for having the confidence to do it. It always scares me changing something from the design, I'm a coward.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 4:08:00 PM
- Carol said...
Oh, my, Shirlee!! You have been one busy stitcher... They are all so cute and I love the new charts that you bought, too. I have three of them myself--we must have the same taste :)
Beautiful sunset--you are so lucky to see them. We are down in a valley and never see a single one... Hope you are feeling all better now! Happy February to you :)
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 4:47:00 PM
- Pam in IL said...
Beautiful sunrise and a wonderful post! I must say, Vonna is certainly an enabler! I had to order "A Little Snow" too. Now that I think about it, tho, I think Mother Nature thought I wanted real snow. I must have made her mad because I have snow drifts deeper than I am tall that I had to shovel through just to get out my front door!
Great post!
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 5:20:00 PM
- Pam in IL said...
I have the Snow Bird design from With Thy Needle and I used the recommended colors and thought they were fine.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 5:21:00 PM
- marly said...
Great stitching selections and linen colors. Nice haul from SN!! What a beautiful sunrise.
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 7:40:00 PM
- Maggee said...
Great post buddy! From a beautiful picture of God's handiworks to samples of yours! Then presents and stash! Who could ask for anything more! The snows back to back here has kept life interesting, to say the least! Thought of you! Hugs!
- Saturday, February 01, 2014 8:54:00 PM
- Barb said...
oh Shirlee you are a one, I love the finishes the pictures the stand for your Woolen sheep and I want one lol. I have a few of the charts that you do too, and a few more there I would like hmmmm a visit to a Needlework site is in order I think.
Hope John gets over it quickly we have had the same thing 4 weeks it lasted. You would think with the cold weather it would kill all the bugs off, mind you we just have had rain and more rain. Lovely post to cheer a person up.
- Sunday, February 02, 2014 7:28:00 AM
- Sherry said...
I love all your ornaments! You got alot done last month. Your picture is beautiful. I was out side early one morning and got one like that. You got some great new goodies too. I hope you both feel better soon. Happy birthday to John.
- Sunday, February 02, 2014 8:16:00 AM
- Peggy Lee said...
We also had a perfect view of the sunrise and sunsets from where we lived in that area. It's beautiful here when the sun sets over the lake. Lots of eye candy in this post! I'm going back for another look.
- Sunday, February 02, 2014 9:26:00 AM
- Chris said...
So glad to catch up with you Shirlee! I hope that you and John are feeling normal again soon! This has been an awful year for infections.
First on your stitching, beads a re a good thing and the finish looks great. I think leaving the lines off the snowmen was a good choice too. Look at you!! You are making great decisions where your stitching is concerned.
Wonderful glorious stash!!
That sunrise is so gorgeous and special.
I hope that you have a great upcoming week!
- Sunday, February 02, 2014 4:08:00 PM
- Catherine said...
What a great post, Shirlee!! That sunrise is a stunner! Wonderful stitches and goodies ~ I may have to read this again to make sure I didn't miss something!
- Sunday, February 02, 2014 7:53:00 PM
- Anne said...
That first photo is stunning Shirlee! What a sunrise. So majestic and indeed, reminds us of God! Wonderful finishes for January. You have been busy with the needle!! I think the Snow Birds look great. Too bad about how long it took you with the knots. I just do French knots, wind it twice around and plop it into the fabric. It works for me! Although, I really disliked my finish of the snow birds. I'm sure yours will be stellar! Great new charts you picked up too! I hope you and John are better now...and that the no-reply thingy is fixed. I don't seem to have a problem replying to you though! HUGS and prayers :D
- Monday, February 03, 2014 2:31:00 PM
- Kaisievic said...
Oh Shirlee, I love your long, long posts and all of your so gorgeous finishes, RAK gifts and your purchases. Please wish John a very Happy Birthday from me and enjoy your Italian dinner!
- Monday, February 03, 2014 3:29:00 PM
- Julie said...
A lovely post full of lots of beautiful things.
- Wednesday, February 05, 2014 9:03:00 AM
- Sally said...
Wow, wow, wow! Al, those beautiful finishes and new stash! I'm coming to your house for a cuppa and a fondle of all your new stuff lol! Can you put me up?!
I was gifted Warm Winter Woolens with the threads to stitch it with which was such a lovely surprise. I still haven't worked out who did it! Fancy a SAL when we've finished Snow Angel?
Hope John is feeling much better now. Drs annoy me sometimes too!
- Friday, February 07, 2014 5:49:00 AM
- Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...
That was a post worth waiting for! So many lovely designs and the year's most popular chart - The Snow Seagulls. That's what they look like to me anyway.
All the way though I kept thinking "I bet she's not doing Stitch from Stash" this year and I was right!
I hope John enjoyed his birthday in the Firey Mouth of the Hellgate. That's where the photo was taken, right?
- Friday, February 07, 2014 2:04:00 PM
- Simply Victoria said...
Gorgeous sunrise!
Your busy hands have created some lovely finishes. Fun new charts to stitch too.
- Wednesday, February 12, 2014 12:43:00 AM

subset: commoncrawl


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To report an emergency in progress, call 911.
Project Location: The project site is located at 1920 Squaw Valley Road, north of Squaw Peak Road, at the western end of Olympic Valley in Olympic Village, Placer County, California. The site is identified as Assessor's Parcel Number 096-020-023.
Project Description: The project consists of the demolition of the existing 61-room PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, constructed in 1959, located adjacent to the Squaw Valley Ski and Recreation Area, and the construction of the following primary components: 1) a two- and five-story hotel, containing 60 hotel key rooms and 6 residential units; 2) a three-story residential condominium building, containing 12 units; 3) a four-story residential condominium building, containing 16 units; and 4) an underground parking structure, containing 135 parking spaces.
Notice of Availability
Notice of Availability
Notice of Preparation
Initial Study Checklist


text:
"MADE by trolls in Trollhattan," said the bumper stickers of proud Saab owners, back when the cars were rarely seen. This is the 50th anniversary of both Saab and Volvo in the United States, and a reminder that the vaguely New Age aura of both Swedish carmakers has long given them a special link to New York.
The Swedes offered an alternative to the horsepower and styling excess of American cars, creating a singular bond between Trollhattan and Manhattan, between Gothenburg and Gotham.
The leftward leanings of Saab owners are an article of faith at the company; a 1972 survey supposedly found that 98 percent of Saab owners voted for George McGovern for president. Pundits spoke of "Volvo liberals" long before they discovered Nascar dads.
But who in 1956 would have thought that the Swedes would outlast all the mainstream French and Italian carmakers in the American market -- or that they would become part of General Motors (Saab) and Ford (Volvo)?
To celebrate its anniversary, Saab is showing off a 1956 Sonett Super Sport roadster in a setting that mimics the company's tiny display at the New York auto show that year, where a Saab agent named Ralph Millet sought out dealers for the odd-looking car with a two-stroke three-cylinder engine.Continue reading the main story
One man who eventually became a dealer was the author Kurt Vonnegut. In his recent book, "A Man Without a Country," Mr. Vonnegut recalls running Saab Cape Cod in West Barnstable, Mass. "I believe my failure as a dealer so long ago explains what would otherwise remain a deep mystery: why the Swedes have never given me a Nobel Prize for literature," he wrote.
His customers were sometimes confused about the car's pedigree. "They make the best watches," one prospect told Mr. Vonnegut. "Why wouldn't they make the best cars, too?"
Today, the buyer may be even more baffled by automotive geography. Now, the trolls in Trollhattan also make Cadillacs -- the BLS model sold in Europe -- and Saab puts its own badges on a Subaru Impreza from Indiana (the 9-2X) and a reworked Chevy TrailBlazer from Ohio (the 9-7X). At Ford dealerships, a buyer is offered the Five Hundred, built on a Volvo platform.
Saab's plans for the future are highlighted by the Aero X design study, inspired by a fighter jet. "Born from jets" is Saab's current ad slogan, recalling the company's beginnings as a maker of airplanes. Similar to a fighter jet, the roof and sides of the Aero X swing forward to provide access to the interior.
The specific jet from which the Aero X was born, said Anthony Lo, the chief designer, is the Gripen fighter, a joint venture of Saab and BAE Systems. The Gripen provides 80 percent of the capability of the Eurofighter favored by most European Union air forces at a third the price, Mr. Lo said, echoing the way Saab once pitched itself as a close-enough BMW alternative.Continue reading the main story


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Of minds and men
- The List
- 7 September 2006
Theatre editor Steve Cramer rounds up the themes and preoccupations of a strong festival.
The coffee and cigarette diet (smoke until you're too hungry, then eat a cigarette) of the Festival is,
at last, over. As ever, it was an exhilerating experience, but beyond this, it was a genuinely strong festival, as might be attested to by our theatre pages, which boasted more five star reviews than I can recall as theatre editor.
There was a sense of the need to find political truths about the world that persisted throughout the Festival. From TEAM's magnificent Particularly in the Heartlands (5 stars, Traverse) to Girl Blog from Iraq: Baghdad Burning (4 stars, Pleasance) there was a focus on individual people's struggles with the ruthless and rapacious forces of multinational-led hegemony.
Each in its way cried out against the pre-programmed bespoke philosophies fed to us by the mass media, be it the palpable nonsense that justifies a pointless war, or the bizarre religious doctrines that reinforce such aggression. So, too, in Goodness (4 stars, Traverse) the stories told that lead to hysteria and genocide were scrupulously and movingly examined. The EIF also made its contribution through Platform (4 stars, Royal Lyceum) which spoke with thrilling articulacy of the mass de-individualised pap of pornography that is sold to us in the name of individual expression. The sex industry that feeds it was distilled down to the experience of its faceless drones, and the tragedy of their lives in Unprotected (5 stars,Traverse) So there were powerless folk facing huge forces, but there were also a few very famous figures resurrected for the fringe, among them Robert Kennedy in Particularly in the Heartland, Freud in The Visitor (4 stars, Hill Street), Zelda Fitzgerald in Zelda (4 stars, Sweet Grassmarket) and even someone very like Gore Vidal in Terre Haute by Edmund White (4 stars, Assembly Rooms).
In Lies Have Been Told (4 stars, Pleasance) we even meet Robert Maxwell, who manages to explain, if not justify his notorious bullying, ruthlessness and theft. Figures who are less acclaimed than notorious didn't stop with Maxwell, for Myra Hindley in Wasted(3 stars, Pleasance) also gets her say, as does Gary Glitter in Up the Gary (4 stars, Underbelly), albeit through an impersonator. In each case, what was so fascinating was that the celebrity status, good or bad, of each was no match for larger forces that control minds. The vision of Sigmund Freud menaced by a Gestapo officer in The Visitor seemed to speak for the powerlessness of all.
Meanwhile, the unconscious and our basic inability to control neither it, nor the stories we tell from it has long been festival fare, and it was not only the figure of Freud who spoke of it. Anthony Neilson's stunning and hilarious Realism (5 stars, Royal Lyceum) saw a morning of free association in the mind of a average sort of middle class white cove transposed into brilliant theatre. So too, the unconscious, what we
reveal of it, and who we tell formulated the basis for Two Men Talking (4 stars, Assembly), an open conversation about psychiatry and who owns a story which seemed to intrigue on each night it was, quite differently, performed.
Then there were the odds and sods of the festival, be it an accomplished revival of Hedda Gabler (5 stars, Hill Street), a retrospective study of the political and personal waste of the x-generation in the superb Finer Noble Gases (5 stars, Bongo Club) or the bonkers pastiche comedy of Spymonkey - Cooped (5 stars, Assembly Rooms). There can be little doubt that most memories of this festival will be dominated by Greg Burke's magnificent Black Watch (4 stars, University of Edinburgh Drill Hall), yet there will be many other mementoes too, not least a superb program by the Traverse, for whom pretty nearly every show was a winner.


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In this problem set, learners will use a diagram of carbon fluxes, which shows the sources that contribute to current atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, to answer a series of questions. Answer key is provided. This problem is part of Earth Math: A... (View More) Brief Mathematical Guide to Earth Science and Climate Change. (View Less)
Keywords: Inquiry; Rate; Carbon dioxide sequestration; Carbon cycle
Audience: Middle school, High school
Materials Cost: Free
Materials Cost: Free


text:
"I have long been searching for a great brodetto or fish stew and now I've found it in Bondi. Would you please request the recipe from A Tavola?"
Frank Cancian, Norwood, SA
To request a recipe, email email@example.com or send us a message via Facebook. Please include the restaurant's name and address, as well as your name and address. Please note that because of the volume of requests we receive, we can only publish a selection in the magazine.


text:
What's the best power leveling strategy in WoD? In MoP, I would use my hat + biscuit and do the circuit of pet tamers in pandaria in about an hour. I could usually get two pets to level 25 this way each day. Without flying in WoD, getting to the new pet trainers seems to take longer. I'm thinking of getting my pets to level 20 or 21 and then using the new stones on them to take them to level 25. Any better strategies? Would it be worth doing the new trainers instead of Mop?
Here's a link to the strat I have been using. Is there a new one for WoD?


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In a 2013 issue of Nature, Milliron's research group demonstrated how, using a small jolt of electricity, a nanocrystal material could be switched back and forth, enabling independent control of light and energy.
The illustration demonstrates the dark, bright and cool modes made possible by the researchers' new electrochromic material. Illustration courtesy of Nano Letters
The team now has engineered two new advancements in electrochromic materials — a highly selective cool mode and a warm mode — not thought possible several years ago.
The cool mode material is a major step toward a commercialized product because it enables control of 90 percent of NIR and 80 percent of the visible light from the sun and takes only minutes to switch between modes. The previously reported material could require hours.
To achieve this high performance, Milliron and a team, including Cockrell School postdoctoral researcher Jongwook Kim and collaborator Brett Helms of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, developed a new nanostructured architecture for electrochromic materials that allows for a cool mode to block near-infrared light while allowing the visible light to shine through. This could help reduce energy costs for cooling buildings and homes during the summer. The researchers reported the new architecture in Nano Letters on July 20.
"We believe our new architected nanocomposite could be seen as a model material, establishing the ideal design for a dual-band electrochromic material," Milliron said. "This material could be ideal for application as a smart electrochromic window for buildings."
In the paper, the team demonstrates how the new material can strongly and selectively modulate visible light and NIR by applying a small voltage.
To optimize the performance of electrochromics for practical use, the team organized the two components of the composite material to create a porous interpenetrating network. The framework architecture provides channels for transport of electronic and ionic change. This organization enables substantially faster switching between modes.
The researchers are now working to produce a similarly structured nanocomposite material by simple methods, suitable for low-cost manufacturing.
In a second research paper, Milliron and her team, including Cockrell School graduate student Clayton Dahlman, have reported a proof-of-concept demonstrating how they can achieve optical control properties in windows from a well-crafted, single-component film. The concept includes a simple coating that creates a new warm mode, in which visible light can be blocked, while near-infrared light can enter. This new setting could be most useful on a sunny winter day, when an occupant would want infrared radiation to pass into a building for warmth, but the glare from sunlight to be reduced.
In this paper, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Milliron proved that a coating containing a single component — doped titania nanocrystals — could demonstrate dynamic control over the transmittance of solar radiation. Because of two distinct charging mechanisms found at different applied voltages, this material can selectively block visible or infrared radiation.
"These two advancements show that sophisticated dynamic control of sunlight is possible," Milliron said. "We believe our deliberately crafted nanocrystal-based materials could meet the performance and cost targets needed to progress toward commercialization of smart windows."
Both studies received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Welch Foundation, as well as the NSF Graduate Fellowship Program.
The University of Texas at Austin is committed to transparency and disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. The lead UT investigator involved with this project, Delia Milliron, is the chief scientific officer and owns an equity position in Heliotrope Technologies, an early-stage company developing new materials and manufacturing processes for electrochromic devices with an emphasis on energy-saving smart windows. Milliron is associated with patents at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory licensed to Heliotrope Technologies. Collaborator Brett Helms serves on the scientific advisory board of Heliotrope and owns equity in the company.
For more information, contact: Sandra Zaragoza, Cockrell School of Engineering, 512-471-2129.


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An Open Letter From DCI's Executive Director, Board Chairman
Dear Friends: We need your vote to Keep Music & the Performing Arts Marching ON!
As you may be aware Drum Corps International, along with DCI-member organizations the Blue Devils, Glassmen, Santa Clara Vanguard and Cadets (through their parent organization Youth Education in the Arts) – as well as our strategic partners Music for All/Bands of America, MENC: The National Association for Music Education and WGI: Sport of the Arts – have advanced to the second round of an exciting program created by the JP Morgan Chase company which awards grants of up to $500,000 to deserving nonprofit corporations. Each of the eight groups have already received a $25,000 grant from Chase Community Giving as a result of the enthusiastic support of their legions of members, alumni, supporters and friends during the first round of the campaign.
Read the rest of the article here.


text: Business Headline Body Content EVENT: Innovation Through Connectivity Monday, Sep 12 2016, 11:00 The Brampton Entrepreneur Centre is proud to celebrate entrepreneurs whose ideas, passion and determination make our community competitive and prosperous. Please join us in this Small Business Month Celebration. Thursday, October 27, 2016 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Brampton City Hall, 2 Wellington Street West AGENDA Doors open at 6:00pm Reception with refreshments and appetizers 6:45pm Keynote - Kate Davis 7:45-8:30 Post-reception networking Early bird ticket price $20 After Oct 5th tickets $30 INNOVATION THROUGH CONNECTIVITYWe want the fastest, most stable connection possible in all areas of our lives. In "Connectivity," Kate Davis shows the audience how to establish, cultivate, and keep connections that lead to productivity and success both in business and our personal lives. Good communication and rapport within an organization is the source of a flow that leads to creativity, quick resolutions, and a deeper understanding among staff of the overall business purpose. KATE DAVISA speaker, writer, comedian and actress, Kate Davis has the unique ability to find humour in any situation and to offer creative solutions to defuse the frustrations in the home and workplace. For more information: http://ow.ly/IDAt304846y


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Tulsa Colors & Oklahoma Icons: Art by Heathyr Chenoweth & Maegan Kauffman
January 2013 – September 2013
This unique art exhibit features the art of two talented Tulsa artists with very different styles. While Chenoweth paints brightly-colored, acrylic renditions of local landmarks using a style nicknamed "electric impressionism", Kauffman sketches charcoal and graphite portraits of Oklahomans in an attempt to keep the tradition of portraiture alive. Their complementary styles work together to provide a glimpse into contemporary Tulsa art.
About the Artists:
Heathyr Chenoweth
Heathyr Chenoweth began finger painting at the age of five. Early on her father coined the term "electric impressionism" to describe her painting style. A lover of working with acrylic paint, she hesitates limiting herself to one medium and still likes to paint with her fingers. "I am still a fan of finger painting, though lately, when my painting is finished I add bright colored paint markers which add movement to the pieces."
A few of Chenoweth's influences are: Andy Warhol, Saul Bass, Mr. Rogers, and Will Rogers. She also looks through books and art magazine to gain new ideas and finds the library a wonderful place for inspiration.
"Life can be really hard, and I like for my art to bring a ray of hope and something positive. I am constantly learning and evolving and updating my techniques. I like to go on photography sprees and then paint my photographs. I want the world to be as colorful as possible." Chenoweth also helps bring color to others by teaching art lessons through Canvas Oklahoma and the Tulsa Art Center.
Maegan Kauffman
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Maegan Kauffman graduated from Skiatook High School in 2005, before receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from OU. Drawing is her passion. As she describes: "Working with charcoal and graphite allows me to achieve the values and high contrast I desire in my pieces. I love the challenge of translating a face to paper. I want my portraits to be viewed as if sharing a glance with a stranger on a sidewalk."
Kauffman is fascinated by the role art has played in history and the way people and places have been preserved through the eyes of artists long before photography was developed. She describes always being reminded of artists who came before and who will follow her when she thinks about her own work. "Perhaps it's the romantic quality that portraits possess or my appreciation for artistic documentation that drives me to keep it alive in the 21st century".
More Information:
Urban Tulsa Weekly article, Jan. 9, 2013


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I enjoyed reading thc0655's article. I really like the idea of the "easy find safe" or "fireproof boxes". I think that would fool the majority of burglars if you ever get burgled. I would have photo copies or passports and driver licences plus cash, afew gold or silver coins and maybe even a smaller weapon . The main hoard would be hidden away. However, do you really need that safe? If you were able to secure a hideaway for the real valuables in a fireproof box somewhere well out of the way would that not work? Say a false bottom to a chest of drawers or a tool box in the garage thats not a tool box! How about an electrical panel brteaker box that is simply a fake? You can buy theses things cheap and insert in the average wall relatively easily...looks real but could easily pull out to reveal a small safe to hold cash jewels and handguns plus ammo. Burgalr may of course rip a place apart but where might be the last place they would look.... the fridge vegetable drawer?, the bottom of a ditry linen basket? The places could hold a small fireproof safe with a handgun, valuables, cash and a clip? Ultimately, you could "build" a secret location behing something not obvious, i.e. a picture or a mirror, and instead locate a hiding place under the baseboard of the oven or on a support behind the sink basin! Some of the fireproof boxes today are quite suited for that approach. Still, the idea of a decoy that you pretend to wife an perhaps older offspring (21+) feels right. Hiding the real stuff with only you your spouse and the lawyer knowing the wherabouts makes sense!!
Residential safes
I have included here a portion of the material in my wiki on "Personal Safety and Home Defense" regarding the use of safes to secure valuables in the home. Safes offer valuable protection, but there is a wide range of features and costs. An important warning is: don't be overconfident or complacent just because you store valuables in a safe. A safe should not be considered invulnerable to theft. A safe is just one of many possible layers in a home safety/personal defense strategy.
Safes are rated for fire protection and/or for burglary protection. Many safes protect for only one of these threats, so be sure what you need. A safe that will protect your valuable papers from burning in a fire will provide some protection against burglary, but not a lot. A safe that will resist men with tools trying to break in to it for 15 minutes, may get so hot inside during a fire that your important documents and paper currency spontaneously burst into flames (not to mention what happens to any electronics, computer disks or ammunition inside!).
Underwriter's Laboratories tests and rates safes: http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/newsroom/storyideas/urbansafetymyths/safes/
Consumer Reports on safe ratings: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2011/01/choosing-and-using-a-home-safe/index.htm
Most residential safes/gun safes qualify as "B1" (minimal security/theft resistant). These gun safes can be broken in to surprisingly quickly. Watch this demonstration from You Tube:
I say "surprisingly" because the safe can be very heavy (say 350-500 lbs.) and cost $1,000 - $1,500 or more. Most of the rest of residential safes qualify as "B2," also known as "Residential Security Containers (RSC)." These safes (600-800 lbs., $2,500-$5,000) provide much more security but even they are only rated and tested to withstand men using tools to try to break into them for five minutes. FIVE MINUTES!! Compare that to a top-rated TL-30X6 safe that is most commonly used in jewelry stores. One of these monsters with inside dimensions of 60X28X16 and a curb weight of 2,210 lbs can easily cost $6,000. The difference is that the TL-30X6 rated safe has been tested to withstand men trying to break into all six sides of them with a variety of tools (and even a small amount of explosives) for 30 minutes. So, think about it: if the most common rating for a quality gun safe (B2 = RSC) is only designed to resist attack for five minutes and the top of the line jewelry safe which could store millions of dollars in gold and jewelry is only designed to resist attack for 30 minutes the owner is counting on the police or an armed owner being notified of the attack on the safe and responding to the scene before the thieves can successfully break in to it. (The same is true to a lesser extent of fire ratings: the designers are counting on the fire department.) That means a safe is not a stand-alone item: it has to be protected by an alarm system and measures taken to make finding and accessing it as difficult as possible. You also have to remember to make the safe as difficult as possible to remove from the premises (for breaking into later in privacy and with plenty of time). Weight is not enough to insure the safe won't be removed. Because of these issues, it is not uncommon for homeowners to build a structure around a safe to conceal it, improve how long it can survive in a fire, and to make accessing it all the more difficult and time-consuming. Use your imagination here.
A custom-built or commercially available safe room (perhaps measuring 6'X10' or 8'x8') can be a more economical and more secure alternative to buying a safe big and strong enough to store every high-value thing you own. Imagine a walk-in closet off the master bedroom custom-fortified with steel plate and featuring a vault door which when closed appears to be a normal door. Or imagine a commercially available steel tornado shelter built into a basement with a high-security door hidden behind a normal interior hollow core door. Such a safe room would be plenty secure and roomy enough for storing firearms. If you also want to protect documents, currency, gold/silver and jewelry, a small jewelry safe could be installed inside the safe room.
While considering a safe, you should first decide what it is you want to protect and how much space those items would require in order to be stored. If you have a stack of important documents, $30,000 in cash, two handguns and 100 gold American eagle coins that could all fit in a fairly small jewelry safe. If you add rifles, shotguns, and framed paintings then you need a much larger, heavier, more expensive safe. A small, high-security safe inside a hidden safe room would probably be a more cost-effective solution and provide benefits a big gun safe would not (eg. a place to retreat in case of a tornado or home invaders).
You should also be very mindful of how someone could steal your valuables from your safe. 1) If you leave the safe open/unlocked or if you leave your valuables outside of the locked safe, theft would be easy even for a casual visitor in your home. Don't laugh: this happens frequently. I once responded to a burglary in which the victim had over $100,000 in gold and jewelry stolen. The stolen items were in a shoe box in the same room as a locked safe which was not breached. No alarm. No insurance. 2) A criminal could break your safe open in your home. 3) A team of criminals could rip your safe from the bolts holding it to the floor and cart it away in a truck. 4) A team of home invaders could put a gun to your head and force you to open the safe for them.
You may consider the strategy and expense of having two safes. The idea is to have one safe that would be found by burglars in 5 minutes or less. This safe would be the cheaper of the two and, in a sense, a decoy. This safe would be filled with some cash, valuables and personal papers so that if the burglars/home invaders found it they would gleefully conclude they had struck the mother lode. Then, hopefully, they would leave the house without looking further. (You have to decide wisely what to put in the first decoy safe so that it is believed to be where you keep ALL your most valuable things.) The second, larger safe (rated for fire and burglary) would be hidden much better and contain the majority of your valuables. For this to work, no one can know that you have a second safe or where it is. Many burglaries and nearly all home invasion robberies are initiated because the criminals get information about certain cash or valuables kept in a specific home (this intelligence sometimes also includes the specific hiding place). "Loose lips sink ships!" Don't imagine this intelligence comes to criminals through high tech spy technology. You and some friends are discussing guns and precious metal investments and you mention your safe. Two or three of those friends later discuss the same subject with their friends, who discuss it with their friends. One of those discussions occurs in a restaurant and a paroled felon sitting in the adjacent booth listens in enough to determine YOUR address. Now you're a target and they know what they're looking for. Having a safe installed is a key time for your precautions to be discovered. The delivery vehicle should absolutely have no commercial markings, especially any that might enable observers to conclude you're having a safe delivered. The safe should be covered with a blanket when wheeled inside so no one can be 100% certain what it is. A night time delivery after everyone's in bed has some obvious advantages. Whatever the methods for delivery and installation, you should have a believable cover story if/when someone asks you what was going on at your house last night. Once your safe is installed it should be hidden or disguised and never shown to or discussed with anybody, except those you trust with your life (and then not too many even of them).
If you were considering going down to Costco, Home Depot or Cabella's and buying one of the big gun safes they have on display, all this talk about safes may have scared you off. If it's the cost that has discouraged you, be sure to consider the cost of a safe and safe room over the number of years you will have it and against the cost of what you would lose if you don't get a safe and are the victim of a burglary or home invasion. A $5,000 safe to protect $10,000 in firearms and cash doesn't seem sensible, but it would make more sense if you plan to have the safe for 30 years and leave it to your heirs in your will. However, spending $30,000 on a safe room and small jewelry safe to protect firearms, cash, $1 million in gold and your own life can seem like a no-brainer.
There are alternatives to consider. The first is insurance on your valuables. Most homeowner policies limit what and how much they will cover and reimburse. Generally, you have to get a policy rider to cover high value items. This will be relatively expensive, certainly more expensive than buying a $5,000 safe and using it for 30 years. Secondly, insurance riders require that you divulge to the company exactly what it is you are insuring. This is a big security concern as there are any number of ways the knowledge of the valuables you keep at home can leak into the criminal world. Last, you have to consider the possibility the insurance company will go bankrupt and be unable to pay you for a loss.
Two alternatives for securing precious metals are bank safe deposit boxes and private vaults outside of the banking system. Use of either of these options could significantly affect your decisions about a residential safe. Some experts discourage bank safe deposit boxes for precious metals because of the possibilities of being unable to access them during a "bank holiday," and of having the metals confiscated by government as was done in the US in 1933. Keeping your precious metals in a private vault has advantages over safe deposit boxes and residential safes, but access in an emergency or disaster is still a concern.
Remember that the institutions that are known to have the most to protect use layer after layer of protection. Think of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and it's hoard of gold. Think of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and it's priceless art treasures. These kinds of institutions use locked doors, electronic alarms and access controls, safes, vaults, safe rooms, 24/7 human surveillance and armed security personnel. Take a page from their book and think of security in layers: don't just think of one simple solution for all threats all the time (like a safe).
4 Comments
My family and I have been mulling over the idea of hiding valuables (mostly metals) outside of the house, burying them or putting them somewhere that would avoid detection. Digging a hole makes sense because we have about 13 acres of land that is largely wooded, but I wonder how good metal detectors are. How deep will they detect metals? Anyone have and idea on that?
Although burrying valuables around a 13 acre yard might work - what about families in the city? When looking for a safe for our house, I came across a very useful buying guide that I think might help some of my fellow City Slickers - http://bit.ly/PEyxli.
"But I wonder how good metal detectors are. How deep will they detect metals?"
That does not matter. You just spread out a few boxes of nails around your property, and let them at it. They spend a lifetime digging up the nails!


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Anders Behring Breivik. Photo credit: Oslo politidistrikt
On day two of his high-profile trial, self-confessed mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik continued to strike an almost entirely unrepentant tone for his July 2011 crimes which left 77 people dead. He boasted to the court today that "I have carried out the most spectacular and sophisticated attack on Europe since World War II," and insisted his massacres were "based on goodness, not evil" as he acted to defend Norway against immigration and multi-culturalism. Breivik said he would do it all again and asked to be acquitted.
The trial of Norway's worst ever serial killer, which is expected to run for ten long weeks, is obviously a hugely harrowing event for the victim's families and for the Scandinavian country, which prides itself on its democratic ideals and history of tolerance. The ongoing trial has prompted much soul-searching amongst the commentariat who roundly praise Norway's response yet do worry that self-proclaimed "little attention-whore" Breivik is being given exactly what he wants – a platform to promote his poisonous ideology.
Norway's response is an example to the world. An editorial in The Guardian paid tribute to "Norway's troubled example to the world." "To its credit, Norway has refused to rise to Breivik's provocation," praised the newspaper, who reminded that, "there is nothing that fanatics who see themselves as warriors want more than to provoke an over-reaction. That was the mistake that the United States made after 9/11. Even though Breivik's acts are abnormal and abhorrent, Norway has rightly put him on trial in the normal way, has emphasised that he has rights, and has allowed him to have his say in court, however painful that may be. This is absolutely the correct way to assert the strength of democracy and the rule of law in the face of acts of terror of all kinds. This is not a war. It is a challenge to the rule of law, and it must be met with an assertion of the rule of law, not by its abrogation."
Malevolent pantomime. The Times (£) expressed concern that the ten-week trial offers Breivik an opportunity to promote his poisonous ideology to a wide audience further and threatens to further traumatize the victim's families. The paper acknowledged that the principle of due process is "central to a democracy, to the disinterested application of law and to the notion of justice" and Norway's legal system "exemplifies it," but lamented that, "Breivik is exploiting the scrupulousness of the proceedings in order to turn them into a malevolent pantomime." The newspaper recommended that, "as far as possible within the constraints of the legal system, the court authorities should prevent Breivik from compounding atrocity with calumnies against the victims and inflammatory denunciations of their ideals."
"Prison cells in Norway are the stuff of Daily Mail nightmares, and he could end up with a flat-screen TV, a personal trainer and even a rock-climbing wall," noted Owen Jones of The Independent.
Terror has cemented divisions. Writing at The Guardian's Comment is free, Aslak Sira Myhre, director of the House of Literature in Oslo, lamented that the Norwegian political landscape has not changed more in the post-Breivik era. Myhre argued that, "the debate on Islam and Islamophobia has hardened rather than softened after 22/7. In the aftermath of the killings, some anti-Islamic organisations and websites showed remorse, but that phase passed, and now the venom is even stronger. Those who insist that Islam poses a threat to Europeans and Norwegians, and claim the past 1,500 years is a story of a never-ending clash between a Christian civilization and Islamic barbary, are just as insistent as before. Instead of opening a door to decent debate, the terror has cemented divisions."
"We are looking so intensely into the eyes of the terrorist that we are becoming blind," argued Aslak Sira Myhre at The Guardian's Comment is free. "We know all his guns, his suits and uniforms, his family and friends. He is becoming a celebrity, an icon of evil. But we close our eyes to the fact that Behring Breivik's worldview is shared by many all over Europe. The collective disgust for his acts is not matched by the same unanimous disgust for his motives."
Breivik is not insane! Writing at The Telegraph, Brian Masters, the author of Killing for Company: The Case of Dennis Nilsen, insisted that Breivik may be mad but he isn't insane: "Breivik is obviously aberrant, but he was throughout resourceful, determined, careful, purposeful; 'mad' if you like, but perfectly sane in his ghastly ambition and his deliberations as to how to achieve it." Masters hoped a diagnosis of schizophrenia, which carries the implication that the man was entangled by delusions and hallucinations which controlled his behavior, will be quickly thrown out by the judge "for Breivik's reasoning may be abhorrent, but it is sequential and organised … anti-social behavior is not a mental disease, however repugnant its consequences."


text: 5 Signs of Unstoppable Self-Confidence We all recognize her, and admire her: the confident woman. We see her carry herself through life with poise and assurance, still feminine yet with a strength which is undeniable. The confident woman has presence, which is often hard to define but you'll know it when you see it. You'll notice … Continue reading "5 Signs of Unstoppable Self Confidence"


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Did 30 Rock executive producer Jeff Burditt just give us our first glance at Planty in the flesh? We won't know for sure until after 30 Rock's seventh season premieres in October — but this picture Burditt tweeted today seems to indicate that Liz Lemon and Criss Chros have procreated.
But knowing 30 Rock, there could be all sorts of other explanations for why Liz Lemon is holding a baby. Such as:
1. It's a callback to Season 1's ninth episode, "The Baby Show," in which Liz accidentally steals a coworker's bundle of joy.
2. Liz rescued the kid from Jenna, who was jealous of its soft skin.
3. That's actually Jack's daughter Liddy, who has somehow shrunk in size.
4. Poor Liz has cracked and is carrying around an actual plant swaddled in blankets.
5. That's not Liz Lemon, it's Tina Fey — and she's holding one-year-old daughter Penelope.
What's your theory — and if Liz does, in fact, have a little Lemon on her hands, what does that mean for 30 Rock's final season?
Read more:
Tracy Morgan on 'Centerstage': Drunken comic 'pooped in the kitty litter'
Jonathan's coming back to '30 Rock'! Who else should return for the final season?


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Cool Ideas For Those Who Like To Go A Little More Retro.
We love the tongue in cheek range of retro styled posters with a playful, modern folk look and graphic edge from Scandinavianinspired homewares brand Isak.
Brought to life by award-winning Swedish designer Sandra Isaksson, all posters are A2 sized for impact and easy framing and cost just £20.


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The Presence of God
It is time I write these things down. It is time for those of us who believe in a creative God of love and compassion to be very present in this world.
I am no longer part of the Amish community, haven't been since I was 19 years old. I am, however, Christian. I am not the fundamentalist brand of Christian. I haven't been born again. God doesn't grace me with personal conversation.
God does not exist as I would have him exist. Rather God IS with me, He is especially with me when I work hard to be a good and moral person. He is least present when I am prescribing what is necessary for others in order to have God in their lives.
At those times that I am at my best, and God is with me, I am able to recognize his / her / its presence in the world around me. I am also able to know when and where God is not present.
For instance, God is not present in this war in Iraq. We have not liberated a people from a horrible dictator. Instead, we have given them hell on Earth. Over Twenty-two thousand Iraqis have died since our invasion of their country. Over half of those were women and children. Countless thousands of others have been wounded and maimed for life. God does not shed his grace on this evil that we do.
If an Arab terrorist beheads a citizen of the world, American or other, it is evil incarnate. However, I/we placed the knife in his hand by allowing this war to happen. God did not!
Those fundamentalist Christians who thought to impose their ideal of democracy on an Arab nation have presented the disenfranchised Arab a knife and the permission to use it. Do not blame the Arab! Do not blame his religious beliefs. Do not blame your God. Blame the Godlessness of your own behavior.
And if, by some miracle we are able to fix this disastrous invasion, it will not be because of our misbegotten 21st century crusade, it will be because others for whom God is truly present were granted the opportunity to step in and work to end the nightmare of evil and death that has been created.
It is time for the people of our country to wake from this nightmare of misbegotten fundamental patriotism, and become true American patriots of democracy. It is time to stand with God and say to the world...
"This war is immoral and terribly wrong!"


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You are invited to my soon-to-be-legendary presentation at Content Marketing World 2016 in Cleveland. I'll be rocking the stage with a brand-new presentation on visual content strategy called "Creating a Visual Content Strategy that Scales." Continue reading
Category Archives: Conferences
A Tale of Two Decks (Slideshare Experiment)
This is an experiment on Slideshare. This is…A Tale of Two Decks.
Let's start at the beginning. Recently, I shared the stage with Michelle Killebrew at the Intelligent Content Conference 2015 in San Francisco. If you didn't attend the event, you missed our somewhat unorthodox presentation where we told "a story about storytelling."
Note: All videos from the ICC conference are available online. Watch the video of our Long and Short presentation. This is my Intelligent Content Conference 2015 Recap blog post.
Usually the best way to understand a presentation is, well, to see it presented. Realistically, there are only so many conferences any one person can attend, so a lot of us check out Slideshare for interesting and useful presentations.
We planned to simply upload the deck, but that would lose some meaning, since we can't be there to offer the voice overs and other descriptions. I've uploaded other decks in the past, most of them about healthcare marketing and visual storytelling. The decks are clear during the presentation, but would be a bit vague if you didn't see it presented in person.
This time we decided to try something different. We maintained one master deck, which we called the Original Version. Other than a few minor edits, the deck was a record of how we presented at ICC. The second was a version with comments and call outs, which we called the Annotated Version. This version included slides that we'd removed for time and added several additional slides to enhance the download experience. More on this later. Continue reading
Intelligent Content Conference 2015 Recap
I'm tired, but I just can't stop smiling. Travel is exhausting, but I am still energized. The things I've learned in this past week make all the travel an' tribulations worth the efforts. It lifts the spirits, and I feel great.
This past week, I attended Intelligent Content Conference 2015 in San Francisco. It's an annual, can't-miss professional event for content marketers, content strategists, and content engineers. It is one of the few conferences that I depend on, quite literally, to progress my career as a content strategist. From basic concepts to advanced techniques, the ICC has guided my personal learning journey for several years.
The speakers are world-class educators who bring real-world examples to the stage. Many conferences are only about big ideas. This conference is about the big ideas and how to make them work in your organization.
After years of being the the brainchild of Ann Rockley and Scott Abel, the Intelligent Content Conference changed hands to be run by Joe Pulizzi, the godfather of content marketing and the Content Marketing World Conference. Continue reading


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Last week, Nicole Scherzinger was spotted looking fierce in AsbyDF Sam Stretch Leather Pants. The Pussy Cat Doll, multiplatinum solo artist, and X-Factor judge practically purred in this deliciously decadent pair of ribbed, 100% stretch lambskin pants.
Flexible for comfort and form-fitting for major sex appeal, these beauties rest easy with a mid-low rise. What takes these leather pants to the next level is distinctive detailing: accordion moto paneling over the left pocket and knees and gold zippers over left knee, at front leg bottoms & on back pockets.
Saunter into stylehaus and try on a pair stat!


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Thursday, October 24, 2013
Minion - in Baby costume
Posted by Bel Jee at 10:21 PM
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Labels: birthday, cake, despicable me, fondant covered cake, novelty
Sunday, October 20, 2013
BBQ set
This was a birthday cake back in June for my cousin Alex.
Alex said he was having a BBQ party and would like the cake to be the same theme :). So here were the charcoals
Sausage before
Sausage after being BBQ-ed
A piece of floating meat, ready to be served ;)
Saturday, October 19, 2013
365 with Lunafly - Sam's birthday cake
A cake for Sam's birthday. Can you guess which are real and which ones are figurines? ;)
This was an edible postcard, what do you think of the edible stamp and sticker? :)
Posted by Bel Jee at 10:39 PM
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Labels: anniversary, cake, fondant covered cake, Lunafly, novelty, suitcase, tiered cake
Thursday, October 17, 2013
365 with Lunafly - 1st Anniversary Cake
A cake for Lunafly's 1st Anniversary Showcase in Malaysia
Passport for travelling around for the world tour
The Lunafly logo in 3D
Suitcases for the world tour
At scene, Taylor's Lakeside campus, on 12th October 2013
Posted by Bel Jee at 10:39 PM
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Labels: anniversary, fondant covered cake, Lunafly, novelty, suitcase, tiered cake
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Growing up, I was a Personality Plus Wannabe. When my aunts described someone as having Personality Plus, it was a sincere compliment which meant that the person shined and glowed in social situations. In childhood, I had not acquired the social skills to be a Personality Plus.
At age 8, my parents and relatives said that I had the brains and that my brother had the personality. We interpreted this as I had no personality and my brother had no brains.
My friend, Diane Marty, who didn't know me at age 8 and who I met at age 60, disputes the above: "Well, they were infinitely, unarguably, outrageously wrong -- on your account anyhow. I can't say anything about your brother, not knowing him. But if they are as wrong about him as they are about you, he is an Einstein."
Thanks, Diane, for your much-needed compliment.
At age 9, I played in monthly accordion recitals at Quigley Music Studios in Kansas City. Suffering from a severe case of stage fright, with sweaty hands and a terrified grin on my face, I stood up and played "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" on my heavy 120 bass accordion which was almost as long as I was tall. The evaluator's comment on the 3 x 5 note card was "Her personality really projects, doesn't it?" I wondered if he was describing my anxious personality or what other personality traits he observed.
In 1959 at age 10, the song "Personality" reached #2 for Lloyd Price. I remember him crooning:
'Cause you got personality
Walk, personality
Talk, personality,
Smile, personality
Charm, personality
Love, personality
And of course you've got
A great big heart
So over and over
Oh, I'll be a fool to you
Now over and over
What more can I do?
At age 17, I overheard one of my aunts describe me as a "diamond in the rough." Although she was well-intentioned, I always wondered if she meant that I had potential to be a Personality Plus girl.
From age 18 through age 60, I honestly don't recall thinking much about personality –- what it was, whether I had any, or what kind of personality I had. Then on my 61st birthday, the personality issue once again surfaced.
After attending the World Parkinson Congress in Scotland, Joyce and Jim, my Scottish friends (who Tom and I met when we lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) took Valerie and me out for a beautiful day of touring the Scottish countryside. Over a delicious birthday lunch at Loch Lomond, we reminisced about our wonderful Canadian experiences. I was stunned when they described me in the past with words and phrases such as:
always being on the go
frequently entertaining and having people over for dinner with gourmet meals
arranging interesting and fun entertainment such as mystery dinners, ski weekends
spontaneous and impromptu, and
the life of the party.
They even produced a photo from 1986 to document their description (see below):
From left to right: Jim, Joyce, Kate, Tom in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1986
I couldn't recognize the person they were describing. Perhaps in the past, I had been transformed into a Personality Plus gal and hadn't even realized it.
On that particular day in 2010 in Scotland, after an exhausting week at the congress, I felt like I had Personality Minus, not Personality Plus. Being very quiet, reflective, and tearful, although I was at a party, I certainly wasn't the life of it. I felt as though Parkinson's had destroyed my personality with my masked facial expression, quiet breathy voice, sometimes stooped posture and shuffling steps.
On the other hand, I was happy to be reminded that once I had Personality Plus. I left Scotland with a lilt in my voice and a spring to my step.