diff --git a/src/Node.js b/src/Node.js
index 0acbf1b1..8ebf7306 100644
--- a/src/Node.js
+++ b/src/Node.js
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 Kinetic.Node = (function() {
-    // variable cache
-    var TYPE = Kinetic.Type;
-
     /**
      * Node constructor.  Nodes are entities that can be transformed, layered,
      * and have events bound to them.  They are the building blocks of a KineticJS
@@ -223,7 +220,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
                 for(var key in config) {
                     var method = 'set' + key.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + key.slice(1);
                     // use setter if available
-                    if(TYPE._isFunction(this[method])) {
+                    if(Kinetic.Type._isFunction(this[method])) {
                         this[method](config[key]);
                     }
                     // otherwise set directly
@@ -342,7 +339,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          * @param {Number} y
          */
         setPosition: function() {
-            var pos = TYPE._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
+            var pos = Kinetic.Type._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
             this.setAttr('x', pos.x);
             this.setAttr('y', pos.y);
         },
@@ -376,7 +373,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          *  y property
          */
         setAbsolutePosition: function() {
-            var pos = TYPE._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
+            var pos = Kinetic.Type._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
             var trans = this._clearTransform();
             // don't clear translation
             this.attrs.x = trans.x;
@@ -405,8 +402,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          * @param {Number} y
          */
         move: function() {
-            var pos = TYPE._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
-
+            var pos = Kinetic.Type._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
             var x = this.getX();
             var y = this.getY();
 
@@ -558,6 +554,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          * @methodOf Kinetic.Node.prototype
          */
         toObject: function() {
+        	var type = Kinetic.Type;
             var obj = {};
 
             obj.attrs = {};
@@ -565,7 +562,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
             // serialize only attributes that are not function, image, DOM, or objects with methods
             for(var key in this.attrs) {
                 var val = this.attrs[key];
-                if(!TYPE._isFunction(val) && !TYPE._isElement(val) && !(TYPE._isObject(val) && TYPE._hasMethods(val))) {
+                if(!type._isFunction(val) && !type._isElement(val) && !(type._isObject(val) && kineticType._hasMethods(val))) {
                     obj.attrs[key] = val;
                 }
             }
@@ -764,7 +761,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          *  is very high quality
          */
         toImage: function(config) {
-            TYPE._getImage(this.toDataURL(config), function(img) {
+            Kinetic.Type._getImage(this.toDataURL(config), function(img) {
                 config.callback(img);
             });
         },
@@ -776,7 +773,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          * @param {Number} y
          */
         setOffset: function() {
-            var pos = TYPE._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
+            var pos = Kinetic.Type._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
             if(pos.x === undefined) {
                 pos.x = this.getOffset().x;
             }
@@ -793,7 +790,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          * @methodOf Kinetic.Node.prototype
          */
         setScale: function() {
-            var pos = TYPE._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
+            var pos = Kinetic.Type._getXY([].slice.call(arguments));
 
             if(pos.x === undefined) {
                 pos.x = this.getScale().x;
@@ -813,7 +810,7 @@ Kinetic.Node = (function() {
          */
         setSize: function() {
             // set stage dimensions
-            var size = TYPE._getSize(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments));
+            var size = Kinetic.Type._getSize(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments));
             this.setWidth(size.width);
             this.setHeight(size.height);
         },
diff --git a/src/Shape.js b/src/Shape.js
index 347c3bf5..475c746c 100644
--- a/src/Shape.js
+++ b/src/Shape.js
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
-    // variable cache
-    var TYPE = Kinetic.Type;
-
     /**
      * Shape constructor.  Shapes are primitive objects such as rectangles,
      *  circles, text, lines, etc.
@@ -73,7 +70,7 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
             var shapes = Kinetic.Global.shapes;
             var key;
             while(true) {
-                key = TYPE._getRandomColorKey();
+                key = Kinetic.Type._getRandomColorKey();
                 if(key && !( key in shapes)) {
                     break;
                 }
@@ -144,10 +141,11 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
             }
         },
         _getFillType: function(fill) {
+        	var type = Kinetic.Type;
             if(!fill) {
                 return undefined;
             }
-            else if(TYPE._isString(fill)) {
+            else if(type._isString(fill)) {
                 return 'COLOR';
             }
             else if(fill.image) {
@@ -156,7 +154,7 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
             else if(fill.start && fill.end && !fill.start.radius && !fill.end.radius) {
                 return 'LINEAR_GRADIENT';
             }
-            else if(fill.start && fill.end && TYPE._isNumber(fill.start.radius) && TYPE._isNumber(fill.end.radius)) {
+            else if(fill.start && fill.end && type._isNumber(fill.start.radius) && type._isNumber(fill.end.radius)) {
                 return 'RADIAL_GRADIENT';
             }
             else {
@@ -316,10 +314,11 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
          * @param {Number} config.opacity
          */
         setShadow: function(config) {
+        	var type = Kinetic.Type;
             if(config.offset !== undefined) {
-                config.offset = TYPE._getXY(config.offset);
+                config.offset = type._getXY(config.offset);
             }
-            this.setAttr('shadow', TYPE._merge(config, this.getShadow()));
+            this.setAttr('shadow', type._merge(config, this.getShadow()));
         },
         /**
          * set fill which can be a color, linear gradient object,
@@ -329,6 +328,7 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
          * @param {String|Object} fill
          */
         setFill: function(fill) {
+        	var type = Kinetic.Type;
             var oldFill = this.getFill();
             var fillType = this._getFillType(fill);
             var oldFillType = this._getFillType(oldFill);
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
 
             // if fill.offset is defined, normalize the xy value
             if(fill.offset !== undefined) {
-                fill.offset = TYPE._getXY(fill.offset);
+                fill.offset = type._getXY(fill.offset);
             }
 
             /*
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
              * overwrite the fill entirely
              */
             if(!newOrOldFillIsColor && changedFillType) {
-                fill = TYPE._merge(fill, oldFill);
+                fill = type._merge(fill, oldFill);
             }
 
             this.setAttr('fill', fill);
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
          * @methodOf Kinetic.Shape.prototype
          */
         setSize: function() {
-            var size = TYPE._getSize(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments));
+            var size = Kinetic.Type._getSize(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments));
             this.setWidth(size.width);
             this.setHeight(size.height);
         },
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ Kinetic.Shape = (function() {
          *  element is the y component
          */
         intersects: function() {
-            var pos = TYPE._getXY(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments));
+            var pos = Kinetic.Type._getXY(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments));
             var stage = this.getStage();
             var bufferCanvas = stage.bufferCanvas;
             bufferCanvas.clear();
diff --git a/tests/js/performanceTests.js b/tests/js/performanceTests.js
index 0db4a3f3..c49e3c5a 100644
--- a/tests/js/performanceTests.js
+++ b/tests/js/performanceTests.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Test.Modules.PERFORMANCE = {
             anim.start();
         }, 4000);
     },
-    'DRAWING - draw 10,000 small circles with tooltips': function(containerId) {
+    '*DRAWING - draw 10,000 small circles with tooltips': function(containerId) {
         var stage = new Kinetic.Stage({
             container: containerId,
             width: 578,
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ Test.Modules.PERFORMANCE = {
         var colors = ["red", "orange", "yellow", "green", "blue", "cyan", "purple"];
         var colorIndex = 0;
 
+		startTimer();
         for(var n = 0; n < 10000; n++) {
             // induce scope
             ( function() {
@@ -134,7 +135,9 @@ Test.Modules.PERFORMANCE = {
         stage.add(circlesLayer);
         stage.add(tooltipLayer);
         
-        document.body.appendChild(circlesLayer.bufferCanvas.element)
+        endTimer('drew 10,000 circles');
+        
+        //document.body.appendChild(circlesLayer.bufferCanvas.element)
 
     },
     'DRAWING - draw rect vs image from image data': function(containerId) {