Traveling Back and Forward in Time

October 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
View of Mirror lake near Centennial, WY

View of Mirror lake near Centennial, WY

Have you ever visited a new landscape and been transported back in time?

Over this past weekend, I traveled to the state of Wyoming for the first time, specifically visiting the old American railroad town of Laramie, home of the University of Wyoming.

While touring the Laramie Plains Museum at the Historic Ivinson Mansion in downtown Laramie, I had the opportunity to step inside an old-school American schoolhouse (the schoolhouse previously resided on land in the Wyoming countryside but has since been relocated to the museum location downtown):

inside view of prairie schoolhouse at Ivinson Mansion, Laramie, WY

inside view of prairie schoolhouse at Ivinson Mansion, Laramie, WY

Stepping into the log-cabin-style schoolhouse was like stepping back in time.  My mind immediately drifted back to my childhood and back to an old friend, Laura.

Laura, who?  Laura Ingalls Wilder, of course.  I remembered reading her Little House series of books that described what life was life for many American pioneers.  I also remember the hours I spent watching the Little House TV series, adapted from the book series and based on Laura’s life.

Laura was from Wisconsin rather than Wyoming, but the schoolhouses that she described in her books matched the one that I stepped in at the Invinson Mansion perfectly.  And, in a fast-paced world, it was nice to take a step back to remember a different time in America.

My Ivinson Mansion visit also made me newly aware of another pioneering woman from the past, Nellie Tayloe Ross:

framed photo of Nellie Tayloe Ross at Ivinson Mansion, Laramie, WY

framed photo of Nellie Tayloe Ross at Ivinson Mansion, Laramie, WY

Nellie was Wyoming’s Governor and the first woman Governor in the United States.  I should have guessed that the “Equality State” of Wyoming could tout a first for women.

My experience in Laramie was a reminder that travel can lead to new discoveries and rediscoveries.  When was the last time you traveled?  What new things did you learn?  What things did you remember?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Real or Replica?

September 23, 2012 by 1 Comment
helenalloydart.com replica image of The Three Graces

helenalloydart.com replica image of The Three Graces

While walking the galleries inside the Museo Nacional Del Prado in Spain in May, I stumbled upon “The Three Graces.”

Ironically, while standing in one of Europe’s most famous houses of art and viewing an authentic 17th-century piece, upon seeing “The Three Graces” painting, I was immediately transported back home to North Carolina and to a 20th-century reproductive work of art.

I remembered a wall tapestry titled, “The Dance,” that was purchased by a friend of mine after her visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville back in the 1980s.  My friend’s wall tapestry similarly features three female subjects and replicates the style of the authentic 16th-century Flemish wall tapestries that still hang in the Tapestry Gallery room inside the Biltmore House.

What is your opinion of replicas of art?  Do you think a reproduction can evoke as much feeling and response as an original?

In her “Art Reproduction: Is It As Good As the Original?” blog post, Anouska Hudovsky, founder of Fabulous Masterpieces, a UK premier art reproduction company, argues that reproductions can be as good as the original in certain cases.

A grand example of the replica versus authentic question can be seen in the massive hotels along the Las Vegas strip.  For example, you can see a replica Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, and you can see replicas of statues of Roman gods and replicas of paintings from Rome in the lobby of the Caesars Palace hotel.  If you’ve never traveled to Paris or to Rome, maybe the Vegas reproductions mean as much or more to you than if you’d witnessed “the real thing,” but, maybe not?

Again, I’ll ask:  what do you think of replicas of art, and do you hold any bias towards original works?

For some reason, when I consider the question, I keep hearing Marvin and Tammi singing these words of wisdom: “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.”

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Finding Favor in Fear

September 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Wikipedia shark image

Wikipedia shark image

Psychologists often advise individuals who are suffering from phobias to confront and embrace their fears in order to overcome them.

Have you ever followed that advice?  When was the last time you confronted something that you fear?

Ever since watching the 1975 movie, Jaws, I’ve maintained a fear of sharks.  Besides trying grilled shark meat at a restaurant once, I admit that I haven’t taken too many steps to get “up close and personal” with any sharks.

National and local news coverage of shark attacks hasn’t helped assuage my shark fears, but one recent bit of shark-related news has helped me to appreciate sharks more. Have you heard of Sharklet Technologies?

The company produces a surface that is inhospitable to the powerful bacteria that are resistant to many of our drugs today.  The surface is called Sharklet™ and is “comprised of millions of tiny diamonds arranged in a distinct pattern that mimics the microbe-resistant properties of sharkskin.”

Sharklet, patterned after sharkskin, is being added to hospitals, childcare centers, daycare centers, public bathroom and fitness facilities to make them less bacteria prone and safer.  Check out this video on Sharklet Surfaces to learn more.

After hearing the news about Sharklet surfaces, I appreciate sharks more, but I still wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of the fish.

What about you?  When was the last time you tried to discover something good in an object of your fear?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , ,

When Love Means Nothing

September 9, 2012 by 1 Comment
Tennis Balls in Heart Shape

iStock image of tennis balls in a heart shape

Kudos to USOpen.org for offering a free live video stream of today’s men’s semifinal tennis match between David Ferrer of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the 2012 U.S. Open Tennis tournament.

Most of the free cable television sports channels highlighted football versus tennis today, the official start of the NFL football season.

A new-to-tennis friend recently asked me the question, “why is zero called ‘love’ in tennis?”  Do you know the answer to that question?

According to Wikipedia’s “tennis score” definition, the origin of the use of “love” for zero in tennis is disputed.  Wikipedia offers four possible explanations:

  1. “It is possible that the use derives from the French expression for ‘the egg’ (l’oeuf), because an egg looks like the number zero.”
  2. “‘Love’ is also said to derive from l’heure ,‘the hour,’ in French”
  3. “A third possibility comes from the Dutch expression, ‘iets voor lof doen’ which means to do something for praise, implying no monetary stakes;” or
  4. “The use of ‘Love’ comes from the acceptance that, at the start of any match, when scores are at zero, players still have ‘Love for each other.’ ”

What do you think of the four suggested explanations above?  One Yahoo user has offered an alternative, fifth theory, suggesting that the use of “love” for zero in tennis is tied to the 17th-century expression, “play for love,” which meant, “to play without any wage, for nothing.”

This fifth theory certainly seems to be the most romantic of all of the suggested explanations with its love-means-more-than-money, “Money Can’t Buy Me Love” sort of air.  Would you agree?

When was the last time that you put your heart and soul into an effort without expecting a monetary gain?  And, was love the motivational source behind your effort?  Also, what wages have you reaped from the love that you’ve shown while living your life so far?

If you’re a tennis fan, you can show your love for your favorite players in a no-cost way – follow them on Twitter.  Which players?  Check out Bleacher Report’s recent article, “Tennis on Twitter: 25 Players You Have to Follow.”

 

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Forget Grey, We’re Talkin’ Shades of Green!

August 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

400-million-dollar bahia emerald image as shown on starlanka.com

Unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand over the summer, you’re most likely aware of the heavily publicized book, 50 Shades of Grey.  Are you aware, however, of the book, Shades of Green?

Unlike the fictional 50 Shades of Grey, Shades of Green: The Bahia Emerald Story is a true-life story centered around two men’s efforts to gain ownership and possession of one the largest and most valuable emeralds in the world known as “the Bahia Emerald.”

Have you heard of the Bahia Emerald?  The gemstone was originally mined in 2001 in Bahia, Brazil, weighed 840 pounds, contained 180,000 carats and was appraised at $372 million US dollars.

In January 2012, the National Geographic Channel aired a video story about the emerald’s discovery, its mysterious 10-year journey to the US and the legal dispute that’s still underway regarding its ownership.  The story of the rare and famous Bahia Emerald is without doubt intriguing and exotic.

What about gemstones of a more local variety?  Have you ever had the opportunity to see an uncut emerald that was mined in a location near you?

Two weekends ago, I had the pleasure of visiting one of North Carolina’s gems – the Nature Research Center wing of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.  While there, I saw the “Underground North Carolina” exhibit that included several uncut emeralds that had been mined in the western part of N.C. on display behind glass.

According to the museum, North Carolina is the only state where the four most valuable gems – emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds – have been found.  So, if you live in North Carolina and if you’re lucky, in addition to uncut emeralds, you may get the chance to see uncut N.C. rubies, sapphires and diamonds one day.

Throughout history, whether uncut or cut, gemstones have held charm and fascination for many people.  What about you?  Are you fascinated by gemstones?  Do you have a favorite gemstone?

I already happen to know several girls with a best friend whose name starts with a “D.”

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , ,

Is Your Marketing Content Cooking?

August 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Crock-Pot manual slow cooker image

Marketers today are challenged to create valuable content that can be distributed through traditional print and Web mediums as well as newer social media channels.

For example, the authors of the book, Content Rules, advise: “But why not steer your marketing to another level?  Why not create value?  Why not provide your customers with a steady flow of high-value content that, as marketer Len Stein describes, is ‘paced with utility, seeded with inspiration, and that is honestly empathetic‘?”

Are you aware of organizations who are successfully leveraging today’s marketing channels to provide their customers with useful and valuable information?

One success story that I’d like to mention when it comes to content creation and distribution is a favorite of mine for a couple of reasons: 1-The founders of the organization are two women; and 2-Both of the women founders live in small towns.  Like singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, I’ve “got nothing against a big town,” but, since I was born in a small town, small towns for me will always have a certain lure and small town successes will always have an appeal.

Have you heard of “The Crockin’ Girls“?  In 2011, small-town Texas dwellers Nicole Sparks and Jenna Marwitz started an American revival of slow cooking by distributing timesaving, helpful Crock-pot recipes online to busy mothers across America.  Within two weeks of debuting their initial Facebook presence, their Facebook site went viral and received over 500,000 “Likes.”  Listen to this video to hear Nicole and Jenna describe the phenomenon that took place back in August 2011.

Why has The Crockin’ Girls’ online success been so incredible?  Did Nicole and Jenna hire an excellent digital marketing agency to support their marketing communications needs?  Possibly.  However, it’s more likely that, regardless of any professional marketing support attained, Nicole and Jenna have achieved online marketing success by, as Jenna stated in the video, “meeting a need for many, many people.”

The slow-cooking-related information that Jenna and Nicole regularly maintain and share online helps simplify the lives of their website visitors, Facebook fans, and Twitter and Pinterest followers.  In a nutshell, or maybe I should say, “in a Crock-pot,” Nicole and Jenna have figured out the way to successfully match specific, valuable content with an audience in real need of that content.

Again, are you aware of other organizations who have figured out the content creation, management and distribution puzzle?  If so, please share those examples with me.  Or, if you’re unaware of such an organization, feel free to simply pass along your favorite recipe for the slow cooker!

Filed Under: SheCave, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Be My Guest, Blogger

August 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Welcome Mat

Welcome Guest Blogging

For those of you out there trying to improve your Web site’s organic search rankings and optimize your Web site for SEO, consider guest blogging strategies.

Guest blogging is a fantastic way to naturally build your organization’s brand visibility and organic search rank on search engine sites.

So, what is guest blogging?  In this Koozai video, James Perrin explains that guest blogging occurs when a website’s owner publishes content on his or her website that is written by someone else.  According to Perrin, key benefits include:

1-    Enhanced visibility of your site’s content;

2-    Enhanced social sharing of your site’s content (your content will most likely be shared, and social sharing is a huge ranking factor with SEO);

3-    Relevancy and quality of Web sites – when guest blogging, you write for sites that are of high relevancy and quality for your industry, which will pass authority onto the link that you’re trying to optimize;

4-    Page Link – you’ll be writing for Web sites that have a higher page rank than those links found on blog spinning sites; and

5-    Enhanced PR, branding and marketing for your site via enhanced exposure.

Where can you find guest blogging opportunites?  Perrin suggests sites like Guest Blog It but also suggests sourcing on your own.

In this MySheCave.com post, I’m taking a different spin with guest-blogging.  I’ve  invited a guest blogger, with pen name Josifina O’Brien, to co-write the remainder of this post.  Here is Josifina’s contribution:

Have you ever read an amazing book and then gone to see the movie adaptation and found that the adaption has missed all the key points and details of the book?  Or, have you ever had the book become real at the movies, down to the very color of the characters’ hair?

Movie adaptations of popular books are a common thing to see at any movie theater but that doesn’t mean audiences appreciate how their favorite books were adapted. The magic of the movies is really highlighted when a movie adaptation turns out right.  Here are some of my examples of book-to-movie adaptations that turned out right:

 1. Gone With the Wind

2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe

3. The Notebook

Of course, there are adaptations that bomb…completely. Here are some movies that I am aware of that really missed the mark:

1. The Da Vinci Code

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

3. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

In some cases, the result is divided.  Everybody has an opinion and, in these cases, no one can agree…bad or good?

There is one debatable movie that no one can agree on, including myself. The book/movie is The Hunger Games.  The question I have for you guys is, is the book better than the movie, or is the movie better than the book? 

Guest blogger Josifina O’Brien is a 13-year-old young lady who lives in the Equality State, U.S.A., home of elk, bison and former Vice-President of the U.S., Dick Cheney.  Besides guest-blogging, Miss O’Brien enjoys reading, downhill skiing and paddle-boarding during her spare time. 

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Jacks in Boxes, Surprises and You

July 15, 2012 by 2 Comments
Jack-in-the-box

image of Jack-in-the-box toy online at growingtreetoys.com

According to Dictionary.com, a surprise is “a completely unexpected occurrence.”

As a writer, I appreciate reading stories where the surprise factor is included.

Surprise endings to books, plays and movies often heighten their entertainment factor.  For example, check out this fun, “Top 15 Amazing Movie Endings” list to be reminded of movies with last moments that were, according to Listverse.com,  “simply astounding.”

Not every writer can successfully weave the surprise factor into a narrative.  However, it’s pretty safe to assume that all writers have successfully experienced real-life surprises.

In fact, it seems that all of us experience surprises starting at an early age.  I can still recall playing with a Jack-in-the-box as a child and being thrilled each time the jester popped out of the box and surprised me.

What about you?  How do you feel about surprises?  Do you enjoy being surprised, or are you uncomfortable with experiencing unforeseen moments?

Finally, what surprises, good and bad, have been the most memorable in your life so far?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , ,

Finding Unexpected Pairs

July 8, 2012 by 1 Comment

My husband’s ancestral origins link to Galicia, Spain.  Galicia, known as “the Green Spain, ” is a place where you can sometimes find the unexpected.  Below are three images from the town of Gondomar in Galicia that seem to reveal a somewhat unexpected pairing of things.

What do you think?  Do you think these pairings are unusual?  For example, when you think of a church, do you also think of wine? And, when you think of crosses and religion, do you also think of cannons and war?  Last, when you think of wine receptacles, do you think about small, white porcelain cups?

I’d love to know whether you think these three pairs of images convey any element of surprise, and, I’d also enjoy seeing any unexpected pairings that you’ve captured.

Church and Vines in Gondomar, Spain

Church and Vines in Gondomar, Spain.

Cannon and Cross in Congomar, Spain

Cannon and Cross in Gondomar, Spain. May 2012.

"Glasses" of vino in Gondomar, Spain

“Glasses” and Vino in Gondomar, Spain. May 2012.

Filed Under: SheCave, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Read East, Young Man!

July 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Go East graphicThe first day of summer, or Summer Solstice, was Wednesday, June 20, 2012, so, summer is officially underway here in the U.S.

Each year with its arrival, summer brings the return of fun rituals, such as catching rays at the local pool, making road trips to beaches, attending outdoor parties and picnics and, of course, participating in the major U.S. summer holiday celebration, the Fourth of July.

Another summertime ritual is the promotion of summertime reading lists by countless U.S. online and print publications — the idea being that summer, a time when a majority of Americans take vacations, is an opportune time for individuals to slow down, relax and read.

Have you established your 2012 summertime reading list yet?

If not, I’d like to remind you of the fact that you’re now living in what many are referring to as “the Asian Century” and suggest two books for your summer reading that will specifically enhance your knowledge regarding China as a player in the evolving global economy:

  • Winner Takes All – this book centers around the commodity dynamics that the world will be facing in the near future and highlights China’s current resource campaign to secure hard and soft commodities, a campaign that will have multiple global implications.
  • What Chinese Want: Culture, Communism and the Modern Chinese Consumer – this book sheds light on the worldview that is driving Chinese businesses and consumers.

If you would prefer to read a book about modern day China that is a little “lighter,” I would suggest a book that I already own:

To conclude, when it comes to expanding your reading horizons this summer, my advice is opposite from Horace Greeley’s advice and is, instead, “Go East, young man.”

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»