Does Your Handbag Reflect Your Personality?

It has been said, and probably by a man, that a woman's handbag reflects her mind! This is rather worrying. While my three children were young, my bulging hand bag was full of an assortment of strange things. Wet wipes, a piece of lego, half a biscuit, hair bands and that is before we go into all the usual paraphernalia of purse, mobile phone, make-up bag, hair brush, nail file, diary. No wonder my shoulder ached by the end of the day.

Hand bags come in all shapes and sizes and are purchased for many different reasons. Although I cannot entirely agree with the idea of a handbag and its contents reflecting a woman's mind, I do think you can tell a lot about a woman's personality from the hand bag she chooses.

If you like unusual handbags with perhaps an ethnic feel to them, made from a variety of materials from painted silk to woven wool or even bamboo or wicker you are probably "creative" in your approach to dressing. Perhaps you have artistic tendencies and work with people or in a creative environment.

If you have to have the latest bag as seen in magazines in the clutches of a celebrity, you have a "dramatic" personality. You probably like to make a statement with your clothes and be noticed when you enter the room. Perhaps you work in journalism or a media related field.

If you cannot go out unless your handbag matches your shoes and is conservative in its colour and shape you have a "classic" personality. You are probably very organised and may even favour bags that have a special place for your pens, mobile phone, keys and purse (which probably matches too!).

If you love pretty bags with plenty of detail, perhaps floral or beaded in the evening, you probably have a "romantic" personality. You enjoy the whole process of getting ready to go out and shopping for clothes is a hobby. You are probably quite gentle in nature and work in a caring role.

If you only own one or two bags and favour a rucksack style bag so you don't have the bother of carrying it, you probably have a "natural" personality. You possibly don't spend much time getting ready to go out and favour comfort over style. This may be your general personality but it may just be a phase if you are a mother of small children and really don't have time!

If your bag is elegant, understated, chic and neutral in colour, you are probably very "international" in your dress and approach to life. You are probably calm and unflappable and take a pride in looking smart yet comfortable. You probably work in the hospitality industry.

The above is very generalised and some people may have a tendency to more than one personality type. It can be quite useful to identify your style personality, as it can explain why you buy certain items and how you can accessorize outfits with bags simply and easily.

Joanna Steele-Perkins is a senior image consultant with Colour Me Beautiful image consultants.

Based in Taunton, Somerset, she is a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers. She offers advice on all aspects of personal image and her services include colour analysis, style consultations, make-up lessons, bridal advice and personal shopping.

College Student Internships - Top 5 Tips For Interns

If you've landed your perfect student internship, you're no doubt looking for some solid advice about how to keep it and be successful. If this is your first job, the office can seem like a scary place, and you may not know where to begin or who to talk to. If you follow these five tips, you'll be sure to fit right it and get the most out of your placement.

1. Shake hands

One of the best ways to make a great first impression is to introduce yourself with a firm handshake. It's easy to get caught up in an awkward "should I or shouldn't I battle" with yourself, particularly when meeting a large volume of people for the first time. As long as you remain consistent with your greetings, you will minimize awkwardness. It is also best etiquette to stand when being introduced to someone new who has come into your office or over to your desk. It is also important to do your best to learn names. You may no be able to remember everyone's names on the first day, but repeating their names after they are introduced is a surefire way to commit it to memory.

2. Take initiative and take risk

There will be many tasks and assignments that you are given that may not seem important, and some that are downright boring. This kind of work may also be easy for you, or at the very least not challenging. Too many interns realize that they can probably get by doing the bare minimum and are encouraged by the "grunt work" they are given. Keep in mind that in your first few weeks, no one knows exactly what you're capable of, and you'll need to prove yourself. If after a few weeks you still haven't been trusted with anything challenging, ask for something different; talk to other staff members about what they are doing and think of ways that you could help them. Supervisors will look favorably on your initiative and willingness to take risks as an intern.

3. Remember that you're learning

It's important to keep thinking of yourself as a student (even if you are well out of college) during your internship. This will keep you in the constant frame of mind that you're learning something new, even when it seems like you can't possibly be learning anything from a copy machine or a coffee maker. Have you stopped to read the document that you're copying? Or stopped to listen to what you're boss is talking about in his big meeting? If people trust you to be around information, you should feel free to ask about it. If you don't make an effort to ask questions, people will assume that you are bored and uninterested, and you'll most likely not be asked back.

4. Have fun

Even in the stuffiest of offices, it is important to be positive and have fun at your internship. Chances are there are others in the office who take some time during the day to unwind a little by gossiping about celebrities in the break room or making jokes. Spend your first few weeks feeling out what is appropriate and what isn't, and make some friends that you can joke with. If you have a positive attitude, the file room doesn't have to be so bad.

5. Network

It is possible that your current internship may not be for you, but there is still potential for you to find a job after it is over. As long as you keep working hard, stick to deadlines and stay positive you will attract positive attention from some higher ups. Make it clear that you don't "not like" the position, but that it isn't necessarily the right fit. Hopefully that will lead to some discussion about what you are going to do next, and if you've done a good job most supervisors will be happy to pass your name on to another company or organization to which you might be better suited.

Follow this tried and true advice and your college internship could open doors to a career after graduation. Learn about student internships from Lisa Jenkins, a career writer for JobMonkey. She explains how important the intern experience is, and how to take maximum advantage. There's even information about internships abroad for those who want to really expand their horizons.

Superstition sparks toilet cleaning craze

Cleanliness has long been next to godliness for the hygiene-conscious Japanese, but fortune-tellers are now advising those who want to succeed in life to start by scrubbing the smallest room.

"Cleaning the toilet to attract luck" published this month is the latest in a series of books advising readers on how to attract good fortune using a brush and an array of cleaning fluids.

"Don't just wipe the floor, polish it," the book instructs. "It's important to maintain a positive mood while cleaning."

The books are inspired by Buddhist teachings and feng shui, a traditional Chinese belief that people's fortunes are determined by their surroundings.

The idea that Lady Luck may be hiding in the lavatory has been taken up by magazines and television programs.

"I won the lottery! I married my ideal person! I got pregnant!" read some of the claims on the cover of another book on the topic, published last year.

The idea that a clean toilet can bring good fortune, or even make you more beautiful, has existed in Japan for many years, according to Yuka Soma of Makino Publishing in Tokyo, editor of one of the toilet books.

But she is still waiting for a big stroke of luck.

"I've always cleaned my toilet every day, so it never really gets dirty," she said. "At least it's easy that way and it probably helps keep my family healthy," she said.

Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited.

Baby finds $1,300 in 25 cent book

Rhiannon Barnes is a shy 15-month-old.

She doesn’t speak much except to her pet German Shepherd Callie or to say hello or thank you to everyone else. And like others her age, she enjoys playing with uncomplicated objects like boxes, balls, and books.

Still, there is something about this blue-eyed toddler. She is either prophetic or lucky, says her mother.

Two weeks ago, Rhiannon discovered about $1,300 in cash between the pages of a used book her baby-sitter Sheila Laughridge purchased for 25 cents at the Goodwill Store in Stockbridge.

“I was just bored that day, and we rode up there,” said Laughridge, whom Rhiannon affectionately calls Nanna. “We started walking around (the store), and she saw the book and started to pitch a fit.”

She said she only decided to buy the book because of Rhiannon’s insistence to have it. It is an old white hardback book, distinguished only by a sailboat on the cover.

“It’s not even a readable book,” Laughridge said, adding that Rhiannon held the book the entire day.

And later as Rhiannon flipped through the pages, the toddler found a small brown paper bag tucked inside the folds of the book.

“It kind of scared me, because I didn’t have any idea what it was,” Laughridge said. But the bag’s contents included much more good fortune than bad. She found several torn and tattered dollar bills — $100s, $50s, $20s, and $10s.

She took the money, dated as far back as to the 1960s, to a local bank and attempted to run the serial numbers but says she could not trace where the money originated.

Laughridge, who bought the book, received about $300 cash back from only the tattered bills she took to the bank. She said the rest of the $1,300 were in pieces and will be sent to the U.S. Treasury Department.

“I was shocked,” said Shirley Barnes, upon finding out her daughter Rhiannon’s discovery. “I thought it was really interesting. I don’t often take her to the store to do that. She points and screams for things she wants, but she’s generally pretty quiet.”

Barnes added, half-joking: “What I want to do is put pieces of paper with number on them out on the table and have her pick them so that maybe we can win the lottery.”

http://www.henryherald.com/

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Mistake: Canadian Police Promotes Gangs!

TORONTO — The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have pulled online job recruitment advertisements that mistakenly appeared on websites with links to a prominent Los Angeles street gang.

Canada's renowned police force removed the ads after it learned the RCMP brand appeared alongside "inappropriate material that belonged to the 18th Street gang," Sgt. Martin Blais, a media spokesman for the Mounties in Ottawa, said Monday.

"It was extremely inappropriate — poor language, everything you can imagine," he said without providing further details.

The Mounties responded after being alerted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. late last week that its recruitment ads were running on Internet sites run by the notorious 18th Street gang, thought to be one of the largest and most violent gangs in the world.

On one message board, violent messages and death threats to gang rivals appeared as if they were endorsed by an RCMP logo that invited youths to apply to the force, the CBC reported.

At the top of another page on a different site, a banner ad of a smiling female Mountie showed up above a dedication to slain gang member "L'il Creeper," the CBC said.

Blais said the ads — which were supposed to target youths frequenting entertainment websites — were on the gang-related sites for about 46 hours and popped up about 62,000 times.

Although the Mounties made efforts to ensure the ads did not go on sites that contravene its "core values," the Internet company Lycos placed the ads by mistake, Blais said.

"We have strict values that we operate by and we want to make sure those values are reflected in the materials we're providing to the youth community," he said.

LATimes.Com

Funny Crime

A funny thing happened on the way to Manalapan.

A tractor-trailer loaded with 10 Medjool date palms destined for The Ritz-Carlton was stolen before it could make its delivery from the Groundworks Nursery west of Boynton Beach.

The trees, valued at $50,000, were scheduled to arrive Monday.

"Can you believe it?" hotel spokeswoman Crissy Poorman said. "We want them back."

According to Poorman, the truck has been recovered, but the trees are missing.

Each of the 10 palms is 30 feet tall and weighs 4,000 pounds.

"They're beautiful. They're very graceful," she said.

The Medjool variety originated in Morocco and was favored among royalty. The hotel plans to make them part of its $60 million expansion and March 5 reopening.

"We are fond of our fronds," Ritz-Carlton general manager Brad Cance said in a statement released Friday. "We hope the local authorities catch the palm poachers as soon as possible.

"We would love to see them make their way home," he said Friday evening.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is handling the case.

"The crime occurred outside of our jurisdiction," Manalapan Police Chief Clay Walker said. "If they [the trees] had been in Manalapan, they never would have been stolen."

Investigators ask anyone with information to call their local police department or Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-8477.

The nursery is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the palms, and The Ritz-

Carlton is offering a VIP dinner at Angle, its new specialty restaurant.

The reward meal would, of course, include hearts of palm.

PalmBeachDailyNews.Com

Contraband Detector Device

The M600P is a hand held device which can positively detect anomalies packed in a scanned item, etc (including the detection of contraband such as drugs, explosives, weapons, currency and much more). This is a fast and effective way to detect contraband concealed in objects such as tires, cargo, doors, walls and any other object or substance that may contain contraband. The principle of operation for the M600P is the measurement of the difference in density between contraband (drugs, explosives, weapons etc.) and the object in which the contraband is hidden.

Contraband Detector Device

The M600P uses low level microwave energy for detection, yet is completely safe. Since it does not use x-rays or nuclear radiation, it is much safer than many other devices in use today. The portability makes it very convenient for rapid searching.

The M600P is a highly effective search tool, handheld and easy to use. The complete kit includes probe, earpiece, battery pack, full instructions and carrying case. Training is available.

Typical Operation The M600P is held in the hand with the opening placed against the material to be measured. The unit is turned on, producing a very Low-Level microwave signal that is absorbed in the test material and also reflected back into the M600P. The M600P compares the signal it produces with the reflected signal. The results are given both audibly and digitally on a meter on the rear panel of the M600P.

Technical Description The M600P Portable Dielectric Tester utilizes patented nearfield microwave technology to measure the dielectric properties of materials. This technology has made possible a very compact and easy to use instrument.

For materials which are the same throughout (homogeneous), a change in reading will indicate something is in there which should not be. This will give a reason to investigate further or to let it pass.

The depth of penetration for the M600P is about 4 ft. in air and is correspondingly less depending on the dielectric properties of the materials being tested. For example, for a bale of wool the depth is about 30" and for a water slurry 6".

Typical Search Scenarios:

In a shipment of asphalt or cement blocks, all will normally look the same. Hidden items will show up as differences from normal readings. Readings are taken from the same points from block to block. Frozen shrimp or fish blocks with items frozen in the center will give different readings from normal. Readings are taken from one or two points in the center of the block. Sealed bottles of wine, whiskey, or any drinkable fluid can be tested without opening. Water based fluids (drinkable), give a markedly different response than explosives or drugs. In a shipment of similar boxes of ceramic fixtures or other commercial items, boxes can be screened to find those which are different from normal. This can be done from outside the unopened box. Tires should be uniformly empty. A tire with drugs in it will show changes from normal. Many other search scenarios have been tried with success. Consult our security professionals.

Advanced Search Scenarios: A user can collect data about the known response of a particular product, and use that from search to search. For example, wine bottles of a known size will always read similarly. A sharply different reading in a new carry on bag would indicate a different substance. In the same way, asphalt blocks will always give the same response. A change should trigger a closer look.

Specifications
(specifications are tested using factory procedures at sensitivity setting of X1)

Operating Frequency 600-650 Mhz
Operating Wavelength 50 cm. (19.7")
Measured Parameter Coefficient of Reflection
Output Device Digital meter/audio
Output Power Less than 10 microwatt/sq. cm. @5cm.
Accuracy/Repeatability "+/- 5% DPM reading
Sensitivity Can display changes +/- 10ml
Response Time Less than 2.5 milliseconds
Safety Less than 1/100 of gov't safety level for microwave ovens (1mW/sq. cm @ 5cm)
Primary Power 12V battery pack; 120 or 220 VAC supply
Weight 4.5 lbs.

Two Students Spike Teachers' Tea With Laxatives

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Two students were charged with insult or abuse to a teacher after allegedly putting a laxative in tea that two teachers drank before the prank was uncovered.

Harry Lee Keek and Bradley William Parham, both 18, were cited with a misdemeanor count, police said Monday. The two face a hearing May 16 in Hot Springs District Court; two others also could be charged.

The Lakeside High School seniors are accused of tampering with the tea as a prank. Two teachers drank the tea and suffered from cramps afterward.

Police Cpl. Chris Chapmond said Monday that the charge is punishable by a fine ranging from $100 to $1,500 in addition to any disciplinary action taken by school officials.

According to a police report, Parham bought the laxative and Keek shook the tea to blend it in. The two others believed to be involved will likely be cited this week, Chapmond said.

via Yahoo!News