By Adrienne Raphel, New York Times

In 2011, the British publishing house Laurence King asked Johanna Basford, a Scottish artist and commercial illustrator specializing in hand-drawn black-and-white patterns for wine labels and perfume vials, to draw a children’s coloring book. Basford suggested instead that she draw one for adults.

For years, she told her publishers, her clients had loved to color in her black-and-white patterns. The publishers were convinced, and ultimately ordered an initial print run for “Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book” of thirteen thousand copies.

Since the book’s release, in 2013, it has sold about 2 million copies worldwide; for a time earlier this year, “Secret Garden” and a follow-up, “Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Coloring Book,” were the two best-selling books on Amazon.

Coloring books for adults have been around for decades, but Basford’s success — combined with that of the French publisher Hachette Pratique’s “Art-thérapie: 100 coloriages anti-stress” (2012), which has sold more than 3.5  million copies worldwide, and Dover Publishing’s “Creative Haven” line for “experienced colorists,” which launched in 2012 and sold four hundred thousand copies this May alone — has helped to create a massive new industry category.

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Terri Upshaw and Daria Sharon

Whittell High School senior Daria Sharon received the seventh annual Gene Upshaw scholarship at this year’s American Century Championship.

Sharon’s academic achievements and dedication to sports and community service are what earned her the $5,000.

NBC Sports and Edgewood Companies contributed equally to the scholarship, which is awarded to individuals possessing characteristics of leadership, community service, and academic excellence. Terri Upshaw, Gene’s widow, was at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course to present the award on July 19.

Initiated in memory of NFL hall of gamer and longtime NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw, the scholarship assists the ongoing education of young leaders.

Sharon has maintained a 4.0 gpa past three years, while taking multiple Advanced Placement classes. She plays on the soccer, softball, and basketball teams. She will be student body vice president this year.

Gene Upshaw (1945-2008) was a popular nine-time participant in the annual celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood. Upshaw was a part-time resident for more than 30 years at his second home in North Lake Tahoe.

By Brice Bennett

With the passing of the 4th of July, we find ourselves right in the middle of summer here in the Tahoe basin. Locals and visitors alike recreating in many different ways, from camping to mountain biking, to boating, Lake Tahoe has something for everyone.

This summer and particularly this summer due to continued drought conditions, it is important to remember just how fragile the Tahoe basin is, and that there is a persistent threat of wildfire. Everyone needs to take steps to ensure they are being fire smart in everything they do. Doing the right thing, the wrong way can start a wildfire.

When using outdoor powered equipment to clear defensible space, make sure you are using the correct tool for the job. Lawn mowers are for lawns, not dried weeds and brush. A lawn mower with its metal blade can strike rocks or other objects hidden by weeds and create an ignition source that sparks a fire. A weed eater with a non-metal blade or string should be used on this type of dry grass and weeds. This type of work should be done before 10am and never on excessively dry or windy days. Spark arresters are required on all portable gasoline equipment. Perform routine maintenance on your powered equipment to ensure its functioning appropriately and not creating a possible ignition source.

Many people will be towing some sort of recreational equipment this summer, whether it’s a kayak behind a small car, or large travel trailer behind a sturdy pickup, there are some simple tips to make sure you are being wildfire safe while towing.

·       Trailer safety chains should be the proper length and not dragging on the ground.

·       Your tow vehicle should be properly maintained and up to the task of hauling a heavy load. A malfunctioning exhaust system or catalytic converter can start a fire with ease.

·       Maintain proper tire pressure. Driving on exposed wheel rims will throw sparks.

·       Carry a fire extinguisher in your vehicle and learn how to safely use it.

·       Worn out brakes are not only unsafe, but can throw sparks that can start a fire.

·       If you have to pull off the road, make sure you are not stopping on dry grass or brush.

Campfire safety is one of our most important topics. It is imperative that everyone follow the campfire rules for the area that they are planning to have a campfire. Currently the U.S. Forest Service and CalFire have suspended all open burning including camp fires, unless they are within a fire ring in a designates site. Portable gas stoves are allowed in the backcountry so long as they are accompanied by a campfire permit.

Share these simple fire safe tips with your friends in the Tahoe basin, as well as anyone planning on visiting. Only working together can we ensure a wildfire is not started here due to negligence. Over 90 percent of all wildfires are caused by people, so 90 percent of all wildfires are preventable. Remember one less spark, means one less wildfire.

Brice Bennett works for CalFire.

By Ana Swanson, Washington Post

Bad bosses can add to your stress, diminish your creativity, and even threaten your health.

One head chef had a bad habit of throwing knives around the kitchen, in the direction of people that made him angry. Another woman’s boss told her coworker she couldn’t take a personal day to bring her dog to the emergency vet “because dogs are replaceable.” Yet another boss was caught shaving time off of his employee’s time cards and banking it into his own for a bigger bonus.

These are just some of the stories from a reddit thread about horrible bosses in which employees share their stories of angry, disrespectful and generally incompetent bosses.

These poor employees aren’t alone. A huge number of people have had a bad boss at one point in their lives. Various polls of workers have shown that between 13 and 36 percent of U.S. workers report having had a dysfunctional manager, and 98 percent have reported experiencing uncivil behavior at work.

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By Guy Clifton, Reno Gazette-Journal

Their first lives might have ended in a mining camp or city dump or with an unceremonious drop into the depths of an outhouse, but a century or more later, they tell a history of their own.

Bottles.

Bottles for beer, whisky, perfume, medicine and myriad other uses are a reflection of the time in which they were made and passion for collectors.

The Reno Bottle Club is, at 52 years old, one of the oldest continuously running clubs in the Truckee Meadows.

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By Marc Saltzman, USA Today

There’s one obvious downside to our fascination with gadgets: obsolescence.

Just when we start to get used to our new purchase – be it a smartphone, tablet, laptop or television – it seems there’s a better one around the corner. To make matters worse, you might find the newer and shinier tech toy costs even less than the one you bought.

Still, many of us can’t resist an upgrade. Instead of ditching your older products, however, consider handing it down to someone (or an organization) that will appreciate it. Or maybe sell it. Or trade it in.

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Small changes to the 2016 Elantra GT made a big difference. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

While not much has changed mechanically with the 2016 Elantra GT, with most every technical specification remaining the same, sometimes just small changes can make huge differences. In this case, besides the improvements in next-gen NAV and Blue Link connectively, the most notable is the new GT front end and it is a doozy. Most mid-cycle updates are usually ho-hum, but Hyundai is using its interpretation of the Fluidic Sculpture front ends now incorporated on the Genesis and the much improved Sonata, is making the new GT one of the best looking sporty hatchbacks in its class.

Eleantra GT is now the high styled, aggressive car it was suppose to be. Add the new 17-inch alloys and you have a sporty sedan/hatchback that can snap some heads. It looks much more expensive than its under $20 grand price of admission.

Specification
Price $19,560 to $25,500 all in
Engine 2.0L DOHC, 16 valve inline four 173 hp @ 6,500 rpm
154 lb-ft of torque @ 4,700 rpm
Transmission
Six speed Automatic
Six speed manual
Chassis layout
Front transverse engine, front wheel drive
Dimensions
Length 169.3 inches
Wheelbase 104.3 inches
Width 70.1 inches
Height 57.9 inches
Track (f/r) 61.0/61.5 inches
Ground clearance 5.5 inches
Weight 3,053 pounds
Fuel capacity 13.2 gallons
Cargo capacity (rear seats down/up) 51.0/23.0 cubic feet
Passenger volume 96.1 cubic feet
Steering lock to lock 2.78 turns
Turning circle 34.8 feet
Co-efficient of drag 0.30
Performance
0-60 mph 7.61 seconds
50-70 mph 4.25 seconds
50-70 uphill 6.85 seconds
Fuel economy EPA rated 24/33/27 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 36.1 mpg on the highway and 29 mpg in rural country driving.

Sizewise the GT remains a small compact with a length of just 169 inches on a comparatively long 104-inch wheelbase and 70-inch width. It stands 58-inches tall, although it looks lower. While almost every dimension is average for a compact, length is 10 inches shorter than average and that is a good thing for two reasons, first it makes it easier to park and maneuver and second, cleaver design gives it an interior volume larger than most midsize cars, allowing the cargo capacity of some small SUVs with 51-cubic-feet of cargo capacity with the spacious second row seats folded flat.

Also making the GT is its more powerful 2.0L inline high tech four cylinder engine (DOHC, 16 valves) that is direct injected. Direct injection offers two benefits. With its higher compression ratio (11.5:1) it gives you significantly more horsepower and fuel economy all on regular gas. Hyundai which sells itself on value and price demonstrates its high value content by offering this expensive system of direct injection.

Relative to performance, this 2 liter, four cylinder engine cranks out 173 hp at 6,500 and a peak torque of 154 pounds at 4,700 rpm meaning at 4,700 rpm the hp output is a strong 138 hp. It drives the front wheels via a six speed auto cog swapper with a manual mode for those who like to shift themselves. Gear changes are quite expedient. A six-speed manual is also available. I have driven them both and go with the auto as you will see.

Acceleration times for the auto GT were 0-60 mph in 7.61 seconds, 50-70 mph in 4.25 seconds and an uphill simulated pass requiring 6.85 seconds. Compared to the manual the auto GT is actually quicker in the passes and virtually identical in 0-60 mph runs with the manual recording 7.57, 4.55 and 7.43 seconds for the same series of tests. It demonstrates how efficient the new automatics are and their quicker shifts. The Auto also overcomes a negligible weight penalty of 53 pounds.

Fuel economy for the automatic version according to the EPA should suffer by about a mpg and it does. EPA posts numbers of 24/33/27 mpg city/highway/combined whereas the manual version shows numbers of 24/34/28 mpg. Reality shows the GT returning 29 mpg overall, with 36 mpg on the highway at 70 mph. During a 150 mile trip to South Lake Tahoe and back the GT averaged 35.6 mpg, which is excellent especially considering the trip from Rescue to SLT up the long hill averaged 28.7 mpg. The manual returned about one more mpg over the auto, not significant.

Handling is very good. Suspension is compact car standard MacPherson Struts (with higher spring rates) up front and a semi independent stiffer torsion beam out back. Coils are at all four corners along with Sachs gas filled shocks and stab bars at each end. Steering is a very quick (2.78 turns lock to lock) adjustable (effort levels of comfort, normal and sport) electric powered rack. It’s all alleged to be sports tuned. It is credible when pushed hard in the corners with benign, predictable handling, but there is a little too much body roll when above seven-tenths in the twisties. Overall handling could be described as smart.

Standard alloys are 17X7 inches shod with wide 215/45 rubber which help matters in the changing directions department. There is way too much handling power for Aunt Tildie on the way to Sunday tea, so take it easy.

But going to Sunday tea with Aunt Tildie certainly will not upset her tummy as the ride quality is about perfect, soft enough not to jar her teeth loose, but firm enough to prevent any chance of car sickness. Hyundai has done a nice job in balance. A buddy of mine who rides a Ducati and drives an Alfa (we call him Rico) remarked about the perfect balance of ride and handling. It is also very quiet, with the engine spinning an inaudible 2,500 rpm at 70 mph with no wind, tire or road noise. When you add in the high level of performance and sporty, predictable handling, this becomes an incredible value starting at under $20 large and there is more to talk about.

The ride is smooth.

Braking is excellent stopping from 40 mph in 41 feet with binders consisting of four-wheel discs (front ventilated) and all the braking and stability acronyms. Seven airbags are also standard.

Inside are optional leather seats which are sublime and heating is standard along with cruise, full power, remote entry and more. The instrument binnacle is about perfect as is the entire layout. Rear seating is roomy for two but will work for three. Quality soft touch trim is everywhere. The overall package is enjoyable to drive any way you slice it, never mind liked to be seen in.

Pricing starts at just below $20 large, my tester was loaded with the Style package, which adds about 10 useful items for $1,975, and the Tech package at $3,950, which adds leather, Nav, giant sunroof and more. I could live without the sunroof, but the point is that with everything optional with the $825 for the boat from Ulsan, Korea the total is a not bad $26,675. In today’s market with lesser equipped Priuses costing $10K more, it becomes a bargain.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.

By Anya Kamenetz, NPR

Why do you do what you do? What is the engine that keeps you up late at night or gets you going in the morning? Where is your happy place? What stands between you and your ultimate dream?

Heavy questions. One researcher believes that writing down the answers can be decisive for students.

He co-authored a paper that demonstrates a startling effect: nearly erasing the gender and ethnic minority achievement gap for 700 students over the course of two years with a short written exercise in setting goals.

Jordan Peterson teaches in the department of psychology at the University of Toronto. For decades, he has been fascinated by the effects of writing on organizing thoughts and emotions.

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Bass Camp Festival III at Hard Rock Lake Tahoe on July 25 will feature Zeds Dead and Kill the Noise as part of the BaseJam Summer 2015 Outdoor Concert Series.

With firm roots planted in the underground electronic music scene, Zeds Dead saw a meteoric rise to international superstardom following their 2010 live debut at a seedy dive-bar in Toronto. Headlining with Zeds Dead at this year’s festival is American “brostep” disc jockey Kill the Noise. Known off-stage as Jake Stanczak, Kill the Noise has performed on EDM’s biggest stages including Coachella, Electronic Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas, and Lollapalooza.

There will be more than 30 industry veterans and rising rookies like Savoy, UZ, Tommie Sunshine and Liquid Todd.

The daylong festival begins at 11am. Tickets for Bass Camp Festival III are available online and start at $60.

By Ryan Canaday, KTVN-TV

On Sunday in Lake Tahoe, a double amputee swam across the lake while towing his son in a kayak.

The 12 mile trek across the lake began at Sand Harbor and finished near Tahoe City.

Leading the swim was Harry Boucher, a 44-year-old double amputee.

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