The Roman Philosopher Marcus Aurelius said that: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth”. This is true even of the greatest works of fiction. The stories we know and love come to us from one perspective – that which the author has chosen to give us. Major characters are (usually) well developed and minor characters are often not given a second thought by the reader.
In Juliet’s Nurse, we are presented with an alternate view of characters in William Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet. Told from the point of view of Juliet’s wet-nurse, we get to meet Juliet and the Cappelletti (aka Capulet) family from the day of her birth until her tragic demise. Juliet, however, is not the focus of this rich and well written tale – though without her there would be no story – it is instead her nurse whose life we step into in this book.
%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/juliets-nurse.jpg” alt=“Book cover with the title Juliet’s Nurse by Lois Leveen. The cover art is a Renaissance style painting of 2 people laying across the top and bottom of the cover respectively. You can see the face and hand of the top person who presents as female and the lips, chin, neck and torso of the lower figure whose gender is indeterminate” description=“The cover art got me again”}
The story begins with tragedy as Angelica (the nurse) loses her own child; in an attempt to ease her grief, her husband, Pietro, finds her a position as a wet-nurse to the Cappelletti family. The author takes us through Juliet’s childhood years, while also giving life to another minor character in the play – that of Juliet’s cousin Tybalt. Indeed, it was Tybalt who captured my heart in the story – the descriptions of his childish antics were so vivid that I could see him outside the nursery scaling trees and getting into mischief as if looking through a window.
The book is divided into two parts, with the first part being considerably longer than the second. The back-story, the history, and the years between Juliet’s birth and her teenage years are covered in lavish detail. The second part deals with the story as we already know it – but with the added benefit of Angelica’s point of view and with a more robust character to Tybalt. The book is rich with details of everyday life in 14th century Verona, right down to the descriptions of the designs for the dresses worn to the now infamous masquerade ball. As a work of historical fiction, Juliet’s Nurse reminded me of the works of Eva Stachniak author of The Winter Palace and Empress of the Night, in the way the reader was able to vividly visualize the scenes.
As a lover of history, and of Romeo and Juliet, I really enjoyed this new take on an old classic and think that it is a wonderful choice for a spring reading list.
One of the things that brings me joy is my work with children and teens who have Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). When I tell people that I tutor and coach people with ASD I often get quizzical looks or outright questions of why I would want to do something like that.
I often get asked “How do you deal with the behaviours?”. The same way I would deal with the behaviours in a child without ASD. I look for the cause. Behaviours are not the problem – they are the symptom of a problem. The child who cannot sit still is not fidgeting because they want to be disruptive, they are fidgeting because something is making them uncomfortable and they don’t have another way to express it. One of the most common symptoms of ASD is a delay or difference in communication. Some children with ASD never speak, some will talk your ear off about their favourite topic but be unable to answer questions about their day or make casual conversation. If a child with ASD is exhibiting a behaviour such as crying, screaming, or pulling at their clothing, I try to figure out what is causing them to be upset. Something isn’t right in their world and they are trying to communicate that with me. Often the behaviours will disappear when the root cause is dealt with. That’s not to say I don’t get frustrated. When you’ve been bitten for the fourth time in 30 minutes by a 10 year old with a very strong jaw, you can lose a little perspective, but I try to remember to detach myself and attempt to figure out what the behaviour is telling me.
There is a misconception that people with ASD are not capapble of expressing love, or any emotion, or that they are locked inside their own world and refuse to come out. In my 8 years of experience working with numerous children on the spectrum, I have never found a child who can’t or won’t express love or gratitude or happiness. Some express it in ways that are different from what you would expect from a neurotypical child but it is still a valid expression of emotion. I have had some of the best, warmest, hugs from kids with ASD so no, not all kids with ASD are incapable of showing emotion.
And sometimes, they break your heart. Recently, I was doing a tutoring session with a boy who has Autism. We were talking about different ways to solve a math problem, and why it’s good to have more than one way of doing something. All of a sudden, he turned to me and said “I don’t think like other people. I wish I did, so they wouldn’t think I’m dumb”. My heart just ached. It turns out he’s been having issues in school that his parents, EA, the teacher, and I missed. He has had a few group projects lately and there have been some tensions in the group (as there are with all group projects) that have been made worse by him underreacting or overreacting to a situation. The situations have been dealt with but the perceptions of his classmates have been altered. Some think he is weird. Some think he is loud. At least one of them thinks he is dumb. How do I know this? Because this sweet, wonderful boy overheard some of his classmates talking about him at recess. He is very quiet when he wants to be, and has learned the art of blending into the background in order to disappear when he is stressed out. He tells me he was sitting beside the stairs to a portable at recess and overheard some of his classmates complaining about being “stuck” in a group with him – they went on to say that he has “crazy ideas”, and “doesn’t help in the right way” (what IS the right way? Isn’t all help good?) and “must be stupid since he doesn’t talk much”. I asked him when this conversation took place – over a month ago. He has been carrying this around for the last month, afraid to give voice to it lest another person agree with his classmates.
I pushed aside the math homework, we had a chat about how differences in thinking are what make the world a better place to live in, how some of the greatest minds in history have been people who think differently, and about how what we see and hear is not the only truth. I explained that his classmates were wrong about him, and that they were wrong to talk about him (or anyone) behind his back. We discussed how he could handle a similar incident in the future. We made a plan. I wrote a note for his EA and teacher, letting him read it before I printed it off, and he and I had a talk with his mom so that all of his support team were on the same page. He doesn’t want anyone to talk to the classmates in question, and I can’t really blame him for that. He’s feeling better about himself and his teacher and EA are going to talk to the whole class about ways to make everyone feel welcome and why saying mean things isn’t okay even if you don’t think the person is there to hear it. He’s also going to take on a specific role in future group projects – he likes to listen and is good at taking notes so he suggested that he would make a good recorder. This gives him a specific task that he can excel at which should help his self esteem and help his classmates see his strengths instead of his challenges. I hope the strategy works and I’m honoured that he felt safe enough with me to tell me of his heartache. I know I can’t protect the kids I work with from having their feelings hurt, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I could.
I admit to being a purist. I prefer native apps to Android ports. Built for BlackBerry apps give me the best user experience on my Z30, but apps that have been ported into BlackBerry world are a close second. Android apps? I was reluctant to use them at first, worried about battery drain or security loopholes, but I’ve mellowed out a bit with time. As a rule, I don’t download an Android app if there is a BlackBerry version available. I have the Amazon app store installed on my phone, and it’s pretty nice, if rarely used. There are, however, three Android apps that I am unwilling to live without: Waze, the Starbucks app, and Netflix.
“But wait” you say, Waze is in BlackBerry world. Technically that’s true but the version of Waze available in Blackberry World is outdated, full of bugs, and kept crashing on me. I got so sick of having to change the distance units to kilometres from miles every time I opened the app that I wasn’t using it. Which is unfortunate because Waze is an awesome app for people who drive. With Waze you can enter your desitination, choose from 3 different routes, and go. You can also add a stop – say if your gas light comes on while you’re taking a new route home and you have no clue where the nearest gas station is. Not that it’s ever happened to me. Okay maybe once or twice. (Note: I always pull over before using Waze or adding a stop, though with the BlackBerry Assistant that may change since I have voice command over applications). I wrote a post extolling the virtues of BlackBerry Traffic on my Bold 9900, and when I got my Z10, I gamely tried to use its replacement: Blackberry Maps. Blackberry Maps is functional if you’re trying to get from point A to point B via the most common route. The problem is that it doesn’t take traffic into account or road closures. Driving into Toronto for the past few years, I’ve needed something that can help me avoid the numerous construction closures on the highways leading into and out of the city. Enter Waze. More than once, Waze has alerted me to heavy congestion on the road ahead and offered up an alternate route to avoid it. It even saved Dad and I from parking on highway 400 coming down from the cottage. (Dad wasn’t sure about the off road journey Waze proposed but gamely tried it and we were cruising at a steady 60 km / hr on backroads while the radio reports had the 400 at a standstill.) Waze plays through the bluetooth connection to my car audio system or through the speakers on my phone. Either way I get turn by turn directions to my destination – directions which, as a bonus, are in enough time to change lanes without panic. One of the neat things about waze as a passenger, is that I can report traffic jams, accidents and other issues to help my fellow drivers. It’s a really easy to use interface too, which is a necessity in a GPS app.
The easy reporting interface on Waze
Now I’m not a big coffee drinker, as a rule, but when I do indulge, it’s a flavoured coffee drink (I love mochas) from Starbucks. I mainly drink tea and Starbucks has me covered there too. I registered for a Starbucks card, mostly because I liked the idea of earning free drinks, and because I had a couple of instances of needing a caffeine hit but not having any cash on me and I hate to pay debit for a small transaction. My big problem with the Starbucks card was forgetting it in my other wallet, or in the car. No it’s not a huge deal to walk back to the car to get my card, but when it’s minus 35 with windchill, it’s something I’d rather avoid. I’d heard rumors of the Starbucks app working on BlackBerry 10 after an update, so I asked a friend who is a self admitted Starbucks addict. Yes, he’d tried it and it worked! He sent me the application file (I could have downloaded it for myself but he already had it so why bother?) and lo-and behold I had the Starbucks App. I love this app because not only does it work as a payment card, but when you click “pay now” it pops up the bar code the Barista can scan along with any special offers. I love that it brings up the offers because I can never remember if there is one on, when it expires, and if I’ve used it. Remembering stuff like that is why I need caffeine! The other thing that the app helps me remember is when I get my next free drink. As much as I like being surprised with the fact that I’m eligible to redeem my stars, I like being able to plan ahead. Plus this is on my BlackBerry. I may forget my wallet in the car, but I’m not going to forget my BlackBerry! Win-Win.
The payment screen. I love the offer available post at the bottom!
The final app isn’t strictly necessary but it does make my phone into a super-powered entertainment machine. The Z30 has a high definition screen and though it’s not huge, it’s not bad for watching video. I’ve been dealing with insomnia lately and while reading helps, I find that it can wake me up more and sometimes a TV show is just what I need to put the worries out of my head and fall back asleep. Enter the Netflix app. I downloaded it, signed in , picked my profile, and voila – my Netflix Library is in the palm of my hand. While there are some shows I wait to watch on the big screen TV (House of Cards season 3 anyone?), there are plenty of shows that are great viewing late at night. I watch early seasons of Bones, favourite Doctor Who episodes, and Murdoch Mysteries all from the comfort of my bed. (Yes I know sleep hygeine says no phones in the bedroom – I bring it in when I can’t sleep – that way if I fall asleep while watching a show, it’s on my bed and not on the couch where I’ll wake up with a sore neck in the morning.) The Netflix app is easy to navigate and keeps the settings (like the picture quality) the same as on your main device. I also like the fact that you can choose the “Stream over wifi only” setting. This helps to prevent data overage charges, which is always good.
The menus on the Netflix app are easy to navigate.
So those are the three Android applications I have on my BlackBerry. How many Android apps do you have on your BB10 device? Are you a purist and have none or did you download Candy Crush the minute you could install Android applications?
I’m a classic introvert – I love to spend an evening curled up with a good book and with my BlackBerry at my side. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy going out but it’s not something I *have* to do. Still, when my awesome friend Wanda Lynne Young posted a contest for the Book Lover’s Ball After Dark party on the Bookalicious blog on the Yummy Mummy Club website I had to enter. I’ve spent many a day at the Toronto Reference Library and the chance to spend an evening there was too good to pass up!
I didn’t win the tickets, but then the winner couldn’t make it and suddenly I could go! I had less than 6 hours’ notice to get ball ready but rushing around made for an even more exciting evening.
Book Lover’s Ball Programme
I arrived just as the party was starting, in fact those who had attended the dinner before hand were still eating so I took the opportunity to wander around and check out the main floor. The first ‘character’ I met was Harry Potter – appropriately doing some magic tricks. I chatted with him for a bit and went to sample some of the food and drink on offer.
The signature cocktail for the evening was the Book Lover’s Ball 10th Anniversary Old-Fashioned. It was sophisticated and very tasty. The sliders were excellent, the mini pulled pork divine, and the desserts were sumptuous and small enough that I could sample more than one.
I checked out the Adopt a branch library and pop up store where there were some seriously cute book totes and other merchandise available with a donation to the Toronto Public Library . I went to the Digital Innovation Hub and talked to some very knowledgeable people about the 3D printers and learned about 3D printing at the Toronto Public Library. I watched a few people have a 3D scan of themselves done too – it is really cool technology. I wandered through the TD Gallery’s Freedom City exhibit – while I was waiting for Wanda to be finished with dinner and my friend who was arriving separately to arrive.
Then I met up with Wanda and we had our picture taken in the photo booth. (I’d like to state for the record that the photo was not my idea, You all know I’m not a fan of having my picture taken but I couldn’t say no to Wanda). We refreshed our drinks and watched the dancing on the dance floor for a few minutes while deciding where to go next. After finding a few more people for our group, including Wanda’s lovely sister Kara, we went up to the 5th floor for the Library Mystery tour. What a surprise to find Doctor Watson in the Arthur Conan Doyle Room. The room is a vision of Sherlock Holmes’ study at 221 B Baker street and it is furnished to look like it is 1895. I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. I have read every one of his adventures multiple times, have seen most of the TV / Movie incarnations of the famous detective and have been to the Arthur Conan Doyle Room a few times while on scholarly visits to the Baldwin Room (Where the Canadiana is held). The Arthur Conan Doyle room never fails to impress me with the sheer magnitude of the collection. There are thousands of items in a relatively small space. Doctor Watson was ever so helpful to everyone, explaining the 4 special items on display.
The 4 items on display in the Arthur Conan Doyle Room: Clockwise from top Left: Beeton’s Christmas Annual 1887 – Sherlock’s first appearance in print, Angels of Darkness – a handwritten manuscript of a play written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (immaculate handwriting!), Hound of the Baskervilles Mini Dog Shaped book, First edition of the Hound of the Baskervilles (The most famous of the Sherlock stories)
These items were on the table with a Toronto Reference Library staff member on hand to answer questions and tell us some details about the collection. With some exceptions, books are not expensive collectables – most can be found for under a thousand dollars, but the sheer number of books in the Arthur Conan Doyle room – different editions of the beloved stories from around the world – is staggering. Sherlock finally made an appearance and posed for some pictures with his adoring public.
Sherlock poses with a fan
I reluctantly left the Arthur Conan Doyle Room (I could spend a month in there!) and went and looked at the other rare books on display, before heading back down to the second floor to try out the Celebrity Author Speed Scrabble. After a quick stop for some popcorn in the TD Library Lounge, we explored the Book Pod Gallery. There were 5 Pods, each depicting a piece of Canadian Literature. They were stunningly lit up for the event (I must admit that The Handmaid’s Tale one was a little spooky!) and I’m proud to say that I’ve read all the books depicted in them.
The Handmaid’s Tale Pod Life of Pi The Orenda You Are Here The Hockey Sweater
Having woven our way through the book pods, we found ourselves at the Celebrity Author Speed Scrabble. Our opponent was Andrew Pyper – and as we sat down to our 5 minute battle, he told us that he was win-less that evening. I felt bad for him, but not bad enough to throw a game of Scrabble! We started off with an 80 point bingo and the game went downhill from there. He was very gracious in defeat. I have since read one of his books and feel a bit worse about beating him so soundly.
Wanda, Andrew Pyper and I before the match began. Photo credit to Kara from karabana.blogspot.com
I was hoping to meet Jennifer Robson since I adored her books Somewhere in France and After the War is Over or Marissa Stapley, whose book Mating For Life, I had read for a Bookalicious Book club chat, but in hindsight it would have been harder to destroy them at Scrabble.
After our 5 minute game of scrabble (that lasted a few extra minutes since it was the final one of the night), I went over to the Prose Store. I got a custom piece of poetry from the Spontaneous Prose Store. I love the idea of this. Kaile H. Glick (the spontaneous prose writer) was sitting at a table with her typewriter, some carbon paper, and some sticky labels. I went up to her, chatted a bit, and then she asked what I’d like my prose to be about. At a loss, I tossed out Doctor Who. (It’s my general fall back and a good test of a person’s geek credentials). She smiled and started typing. I adore the sound of words being written on a typewriter, past experience has taught me that I should not use a typewriter as I like to rearrange words and not have to rewrite the whole piece, but I appreciate the sound of others typing. Two minutes later, this is what she came up with:
The spontaneous prose on Doctor Who
The fact that there are smudges from the carbon paper makes it even more excellent. If you want some spontaneous prose of your own, Kaile has a website where you can order her books and even book her for your own event!
My next stop in the prose store was the Type Face Literary portrait. There was a good half hour wait for this, so my friend Heidi and I got to catch up which is always awesome. The time flew by and it was my turn to be interviewed by Matthew J. Trafford. We talked for a few minutes about what I liked to do, and I was the first one all night to have a pet which excited him to no end. Then I went back and talked with my friends for a few more minutes. Then I was handed an envelope. Which I opened immediately, because I was curious. (Heidi was doing her interview while I was opening my envelope). Matthew has a way with words that I seldom see in a quick write, he only had time for one draft and then he copied it out on the good paper ready for framing. This is what he came up with:
My Literary Portrait. I think it fits me well.
By this time it was after midnight and so, like Cinderella, I had to leave the ball. After getting my winter gear at coat check, I stopped off at the Bedtime Stories booth for a warm cup of hot chocolate before heading back into the cold, and got a new book to read courtesy of Harlequin. My only regret on the night was that it wasn’t long enough. I hope the Toronto Public Library Foundation hosts another After Dark party next year. If you’re a bibliophile like me, this is a can’t miss event.
Once in awhile the universe surprises you with something so wonderful, there are no words for it. Then again, I make my living with words so I’m going to find them. I belong to some fantastic groups on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). One of them, Team Z30 is a group of people from around the world who chat about pretty much everything. Yes, we are all using BlackBerry devices but we talk about our regular lives as often as we do about devices and upgrades and technological stuff. The members of the group have become like family to me – I worry about them when they’re going through stuff, I enjoy hearing how their day is going, and occasionally, I want to give some of them a good swift kick in the rear.
The group was named Team Z30 because at the time of its creation, the Z30 was the newest BlackBerry 10 smartphone out there and it was one we all had. As newer BlackBerry 10 phones have been introduced, some members of the group have upgraded to either the Passport or the Classic. As a member of BlackBerry Elite, I get a device upgrade every year. I got the Z30 in late March 2014 which gives me my next device in the next few months. However, a lot of my friends have been asking what I think of the Passport and Classic devices. Having only used them for an hour or so each, I didn’t feel qualified to offer more than a basic opinion on them. I had mentioned this frustration in the group and asked members to let me know what they thought of the new devices so that I could pass on real user opinions to my friends and colleagues who wanted more than just a sales pitch.
In February, BlackBerry Elites had a promotional code for the shop Blackberry website that gave customers $100 US or $125 Canadian off of a BlackBerry Passport in any colour. I shared the availability of the discount with the group members (and all my BBM contacts) and a number of group members took advantage of the savings to upgrade or get a second device. I love helping people get new BlackBerrys to fall in love with. It didn’t make sense for me to order a new one when times are a bit tight financially and my Z30 is working perfectly fine, so I lived vicariously through my friends who were getting new devices and posting lots of pictures of the unboxing.
A few weeks ago, one of the members of the group messaged me to say that she had a screen protector for my phone and that she would like to send it to me. I was flabbergasted that someone I hadn’t met in person would do such a thing, but then I remembered that I’ve sent along chargers and cases for phones to people I’ve only known virtually. I sent along my address and waited.
Then I waited some more. It seems that the Canadian Border Services Agency decided to keep my package for a few days. Then it meandered around Ontario for a few more days. Then, on the 20th, the sender got a message that there had been an attempted delivery and the package was being held at the post office. Except that I’d been home all day and had gone to the superbox at the end of the subdivision and there was no notice or anything else from Canada Post. Strange, but I decided to give it until Tuesday to start raising heck as I’m on a rural route and sometimes my mail takes a bit longer to get from the sorting depot. Tuesday dad was heading out for a business lunch so I asked him to check the mailbox for a slip or a package and let me know. He called to tell me that there was a package being held at the Post office for $55 in “fees”. $55 for a screen protector? That seemed a little rich, even for customs and brokerage fees (and taxes – there are always taxes). So I BBMed my friend. I asked if there was something I should know since I needed to pay a $55 hostage fee for the package. My friend didn’t want to spoil the surprise, but realized that the lovely people at Canada Post had tied her hands. So she told me.
It wasn’t just a screen protector in the box. It was a new screen for the screen protector to go on – in the form of a BlackBerry Classic! She was quick to tell me that the phone wasn’t from her, it was from an anonymous source who wished to be identified only as Bob.
Here is the note that accompanied the package: (I am so jealous of the handwriting!)
%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_20150302_141743_edit.jpg” alt=“A handwritten note that says Dear Jenn, You’ve been Bobbed. PS this gift is not from me” description=“It’s a mystery”}
There was a lot of screaming going on in the family room as I grabbed the heavy duty scissors and went at the multiple rounds of packing tape. I carefully cut off the customs paperwork and put it in a file (I keep stuff like that just in case), then I ripped into the box with abandon. Not only was there a nice new (at least to me), Classic but also a skin and an official BlackBerry pocket to put it in. There was also the screen protector that started the whole adventure, and a piece of delicious chocolate. My day, month, year, have been made.
%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/img_20150224_153841_edit2.jpg” alt=“A BlackBerry Classic, with 2 different cases, a screen protector, and a small chocolate” description=“So much goodness in one package”}
So to “Bob”, I’d like to say Thank You. When I get my next upgrade, one of my devices (either the Z30 or the Classic) will be passed on in a similar manner to continue the circle. Your generousity touched me and came at a time when I was feeling low. Knowing somebody cares – makes all the difference. Yet another reason why I am a proud member of #TeamBlackBerry
It’s been an eventful few months and I’ve been trying to decide what to do with my blogs. Do I a)keep them separate b) merge them or c) ditch both and start anew?
%{include image.html url=“/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/img_20140918_203801.jpg” alt=“Jenn wears a Red Elvis costello shirt and sports a high beehive hairdo – the kind Amy Winehouse wore” description=“Changes”}
For the time being I’ve gone with option B – my main 2 blogs are now merged and found here. I may do something else completely but for now, this is the best option. This isn’t going to be only a tech blog anymore – it’s going to have a bit of everything. There will still be tech posts but mixed into book reviews, special needs tips, and general posts. Trying to keep up 2 blogs while also writing and editing for others and working on a business plan (more to come on that in another post) was just too overwhelming.
I hope that this will continue to be a place where I can share tips on BlackBerry as well as the other parts of my life. Look for some new posts over the next week or so.
With all the hubbub recently about Facebook Messenger and the myriad of permissions it requests just to be able to run in the background, I was curious as to what permissions I have given some of the apps on my BlackBerry Z30. (Okay, the real reason I wanted to know is that I accidentally connected an app to BBM after an update and didn’t want to leave it connected but also didn’t want to delete it and reinstall it if I didn’t have to – Once again, my mistakes become blog fodder.)
I asked a few friends and all I got was “delete and reinstall the app and deny the permission” as an answer – which will work but I had an inkling that the BlackBerry 10 Operating System was smarter than than that. So I opened up the settings folder. It’s the one that looks like a gear.
This is what the Settings icon looks like. I use it a lot.
From there you will want to select “Security and Privacy” which conveniently lists “Permissions, passwords screen lock, wipe” underneath it.
The Security and Privacy tab is about halfway down the list. Application Permissions is at the very top.
Once there, select “Application Permissions”.
Within Application Permissions you have a choice, you can filter the permissions by type using the drop down menu – so you can see all of the apps that have requested to connect to BBM for example.
Your list will look different but these are some of the apps that have requested permission to connect to BBM. I have only allowed one of this set that permission. There are a lot of options on the drop down list – connect to BBM is near the middle of the list
By selecting “Connect to BBM” I get a list of all of the apps that have requested this permission and can see at a glance what I have selected.
You can also look at each of the apps separately and see what permissions each app has requested and what your settings are for that app. To do this select an app from the list without using the drop down menu.
Select an app to see what permissions you have granted or denied it and to toggle permissions using the slider.
Here is an example of the Uno app – You can see that I have allowed it permission to access shared files (so it can save games) but not to connect to BBM . You can use the sliding buttons to toggle permission on and off.
Here you can see that I have allowed this app access to shared files and device identifying information but have denied a connection to BBM.
It is important to remember, that some applications will not run properly without certain permissions, so denying all permissions is not the best strategy. The good news is that it’s easy to go in and change the settings back if you accidentally revoke a needed permission. Most apps will even pop up a question asking for that permission to be granted the first time you try and use them. So that’s application permissions in a nutshell.
This got me thinking about what the most common permissions were and why they were needed in the first place so I talked to developers and read developer documentation to find some of the most commonly requested permissions and will now attempt to put them into easier (for non developers) to understand terms.
Contacts: An application like Twitter (or in my case Blaq since it’s my Twitter app of choice) needs to be able to access your contacts to bring up the options when you try to tag a friend in a tweet. Without access to the contacts, you have to type in each twitter user handle manually in a tweet. (This is not good for someone like me who has a horrible memory for twitter handles.)
Shared Files: This one is one that looks scary but is actually really benign. If you want an app such as Igrann (the fabulous Instagram client for BlackBerry 10 -I will write about it soon, I promise) to be able to upload a picture, it needs access to the picture files on your device.
Camera: Similar to Shared Files (above), if you want to be able to take a picture with the camera and have it load to Igrann or Twitter instantly without having to go through saved files, the app will need to be able to access your camera.
Connect to BBM: I tend not to allow access to BBM but that is my choice. Allowing an application access to BBM means that you can invite other users to download it from the app itself, or even initiate BBM conversations from the app. It’s a pretty neat permission, I just don’t ever use it so I figure I don’t need apps to have that permission right now.
Location / GPS Location: Again, this one is pretty self explanatory – if you want to check in on Foursquare or have Endomondo track your run, you need to allow the apps to know where you are.
Calendar: This permission allows apps such as Facebook to add events to your calendar. I personally love it since I don’t always check the events tab on the Facebook App and have missed events because of it. This way if I say “I’m going” to an event, it magically ends up in my device calendar with a handy reminder.
Finally, Run in Background: Most apps don’t request this permission as the BlackBerry development team is pretty strict about which apps they allow to ask for this permission. I only have 3 that request it in my long list of apps. One of the apps that I have that is allowed to run in the background is Blaq. This permission allows Blaq to keep processing when it is minimized – so that the tweet stream is being refreshed. It also allows an app like Webex (a great piece of productivity software), to keep streaming audio and video without losing its place and having to start again.
Those are the most common app permissions, though if you have any others that you’d like to have explained, ask in the comment section and I will try to find out.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a complete and total football junkie and have been since I was a toddler. I’m also an avid reader and quite enjoy the genre known as “chick lit”. One of my favourite writers in this genre has been Emily Giffin . I find her work engaging and fun to read with characters I can relate to. Given this, imagine my glee when I found out that Giffin’s latest book, The One & Only, was going to feature a female football reporter as the protagonist. I may have squealed. Loudly. Then I made an almost fatal mistake – I crowd sourced. I often hit up Goodreads when I find a book I like just to see what others have thought about it. I saw a lot of negative Nellies complaining about the book making generalizations about women who love football always being in it for a guy, that there was too much football (no such thing imho) and not enough plot, or that the characters weren’t relatable. I hate feeling disappointed or let down by an author I love so I put the book aside for a few days to think about whether or not I wanted to read it. I took it up to the cottage with me because I’m always running out of books to read (especially when the weather is as dismal as it was this summer, rainy and cold for most of my vacation) and I’m really glad I did. Had I not read the book based on those few Goodreads users who really disliked the book, I would have missed out on one of my favourite books so far this year.
I could immediately relate to the main character, Shea Rigsby. I lost track of the number of times I said “Oh My God, Yes. That.” while reading after the first 3 chapters. I thought there was just the right amount of football details in the book, especially considering that a portion of the target audience wouldn’t have much prior knowledge of the intricacies of the sport. Giffin was careful to give readers enough information to be able to understand how football worked within the context of the plot but didn’t overload readers with useless tidbits. Being Canadian, I am more used to how college football works up here, so the extra insight into the NCAA and how the organization impacts every team was eye opening.
The One & Only isn’t just a book about football though; it is a book about love, loyalty, football, and change. None of these themes operate in isolation and they all complement each other beautifully to make this book impossible to put down. I think almost every reader can relate to Shea’s struggle to follow her heart and the questions of loyalty that doing that create for her. We have all been in Shea’s shoes at one point in our lives – trying to decide if we should step off the edge into the unknown or stay close to home, with our security blanket. For Shea, stepping off the edge means leaving the town she grew up in, the one where her best friend lives, where she went to college, and where she got a job working for the athletic department at the school. Shea has begun to wonder if all she has ever known is enough – or if there is something better out there in the wider world. Along the way, Shea finds that some of the people in her life aren’t who she thought they were and that loyalty is more than wearing a team jersey on game day. In essence this is a coming of age novel, where the protagonist is left to discover The One and Only thing that makes her life worth living.
In the end, I was not able to put the book down until it was finished and have re-read it once already and recommended it to random strangers in bookstores if I saw them hovering near a copy of the book. The moral of my story is pretty simple – don’t judge a book by it’s cover (although this one is gorgeous and understated and perfect), and don’t be put off by a few negative reviews on a social media site. You may miss out on an amazing read.
The One & Only is available in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Audio, and E-book editions.
As a kid, one of my favourite places to go in Toronto was the Ontario Science Centre. Between the bouncy bridge, the electrostatic ball that made my hair stand up (mine went straight up and out to both sides), making paper, and the machine that said “coffee” in different pitches, it was a great place to spend a day. I went with school, with my parents, and with Girl Guides – usually at least a couple of times every year. Then when I was a teenager, I didn’t go as often – and when I did go I was helping out with younger cousins or my Brownie unit. As an adult, my experience with the Science Centre has been as a leader with Girl Guides (which includes 2 “Sleepovers” with my Brownie unit which mainly consisted of me chasing down 7 year olds who didn’t want to sleep at 3 am and trying / failing to convince them to go back to their sleeping bags) and taking my friends’ kids around the exhibits. While I won’t do another sleepover soon (my Pathfinders prefer to camp and are too old for the official “Sleepover at the Science Centre” program), I have quite enjoyed taking my friends’ kids to the Science Centre. The one problem I’ve had is that the while the Ontario Science Centre has a lot of exhibits that are of interest to adults, it can be hard to see them and almost impossible to interact with them when there are kids around. I mean I’m not going to push a little kid out of the way so that I can play with a fun exhibit – that’s a jerk move if ever there was one. Besides, it’s hard to enjoy the exhibit when you’re also watching to make sure that little Janey doesn’t disappear again or that little Johnny isn’t punching the kid behind him in line. [Please tell me I’m not the only one this happens to out in public]
All of this is why, whenI heard about ScienceRocks! at the Ontario Science Centre I knew I had to go check it out. ScienceRocks! is a chance for adults (19 + as there is alcohol available for sale) to explore the amazing Science of Rock and Roll exhibit without any children present. I got a couple of girlfriends together and we met up at the Science Centre not sure what to expect but hoping for a fun girls night out at the very least. We were clearly not the only ones with this idea, and a number of couples seemed to have chosen the event as a great place for date night. If you have only been to the Science Centre with kids in tow, you need to come and see it after dark. There is something about walking through the Science Centre sipping on a gin and tonic that makes you feel like a rebel.
The Keytar is from the 1980s time capsule.
There were so many things to do that I stayed for the whole event (which runs from 7pm-midnight). I didn’t get a chance to see the IMAX movie about the Rolling Stones (but am aiming for it this time). I did, get a rock and roll makeover courtesy of The Beauty Team. It was amazing. I sat in the audience and listened to League of Rock do a few numbers (though if you’re more ambitious than I am, you can actually play with them). I watched and participated in a presentation on neuroscience and music where we had to clap out different rhythms at different tempos. I ate some of the Fleetwood Mac n’ Cheese (topped with pulled pork – it was amazing). Then, after taking in all of the various attractions, I headed into the main exhibit. The Science of Rock and Roll exhibit has something for everyone! I loved the history exhibits with artifacts from different decades in rock history. The reactables were a lot of fun to play with and distort all the music and see what effect changing the balance or the instrumentation has on a piece of music. The hands on demo with the different instruments that make up a typical rock band was a ton of fun – I especially enjoyed the left handed bass guitar. All the adults lined up nicely to take turns and nobody felt bad about trying things out because we weren’t taking time away from a kid who wanted a turn.
All in all it was one of the most fun nights out I’ve had in a long time. Sorry you missed it? Don’t be – there is still one more ScienceRocks! Adults Only night left – Thursday September 18th! The event on the 18th features all of the fun of the earlier dates plus a ukulele choir (I have to admit, this intrigues me). There is a hands on session where you can make your own cigar box guitar to take home which looks pretty awesome. The headliners for the evening are Steve Cropper and Jonny Rosch. I’m looking forward to finding out what Johann Sebastian Joust is all about. It sounds fun.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door for non members and $12 in advance or $14.40 at the door for members. Parking is free.
I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. It grows quickly, which is both a blessing and a curse (my one experiment with a fringe was extremely frustrating as I had to trim it weekly to keep it out of my eyes). I’m never sure what colour my hair is – it’s either light brown or dark blonde depending on the lighting and the season. In the summer, I get gorgeous natural highlights. I’ve dyed my hair twice – not permanently, and not recently. Again, the quick rate at which my hair grows would mean that I’d be forever touching up roots and that isn’t something I want to spend time and money on. My hair is what my former stylist (he retired from the haircut business to teach others how to work magic on hair at the high school trade level) calls “poker straight”. I will never need a straightener. It is also incredibly soft. So soft that clips and pony tail holders often slide out. I’ve had some success with curling irons but it usually involves mousse in damp hair and half a container of hairspray to get a couple hours of moderate curl. My hair is fine – when it is short (at my ears or even at my chin) it seems even finer. So for the last decade or so I’ve kept it shoulder length or longer. Every couple of years I donate my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. The minimum donation length is 8” but I’ve donated 15” twice (I still had “medium-long” hair afterwards too). I’m at the point where my hair hits the small of my back so I need to do something about it. This is where the trouble starts.
I’m not a fashionista. I don’t like looking through beauty magazines because doing so often brings up all sorts of body image issues. I don’t know what type of hairstyle would look good on me and though I want a change, I don’t want a drastic one. My best friend has been hounding me for years to get a short haircut. I don’t think that going from below the bra line hair to a short cut would be too drastic for me. I also have a practical need for slightly longer hair – I work with kids who have special needs and being able to pull my hair back so that it can’t be pulled is really useful. I don’t want to have to pull it back all the time and right now it is so long that having it tied back is the only practical option, whether it is in an updo or a braid. I’d love to have hair that didn’t need to be tied back or done up all the time but I’m not sure what that would look like. The other problem is that since my stylist retired, I’ve been bouncing around and haven’t yet found anyone I trust completely. I have had some really bad haircuts in my past when hairdressers didn’t listen to me or when their idea of a trim ended up being 4” shorter than my idea of a trim. I’m not the kind of girl who washes her hair daily (it’s too soft as it is, and washing it daily makes it even softer and completely unmanageable). I own a blow dryer but have used it mostly to make melted crayon art. I don’t want to buy (or use) a ton of hair products, and I really don’t have time in the morning to spend more than 10 minutes on my hair trying to make it look “right”. I need a style that is pretty much wash and wear.
The final issue is that the last time I donated my hair, it didn’t go as planned. I raised money to support breast cancer research, and donated my hair at a Toronto Argos game. It was my 4th donation so I knew what to expect – two elastics, hair cut in between them. Except the volunteer hair stylist (a friend of a friend) didn’t follow the program and cut 2” above the top elastic. This made my hair seriously uneven and when it was evened up, it was too short to pull back. I cried for days. It grew back, as it always does, but I don’t want to have that happen again. Given that horrible experience, you may ask why I want to donate my hair again. The answer is simple: it’s something I can do to help others. After the last debacle, while I was feeling sorry for myself after the game, someone approached me to thank me. He told me that a close friend had received a wig through the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign and that it had given her a much needed boost in morale at a very difficult time in life. I have never forgotten his words that night or the picture he brought to show me at the next home game of his friend. I feel that donating my hair is something I should do because I can and because it is a small gesture that can help a woman going through hell. So I’m announcing it here – I’m going to donate my hair in the near future.
Now all I need is to figure out what to do with it after my donation. I’m including a pic of what my hair looked like 6 months after my last donation it grew out quickly – it took a lot of fussing with the curling iron to get it to flip and there is a section at the back that flipped the other way so I don’t really want to do this again. Besides it’s not really a style it’s just shorter hair that still doesn’t do anything. My hair looks like that now except it’s a good foot longer.
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