Risa--in case you are new to this newsletter--was married in
October; hence, the new last name. . . she and her husband JP
are both doing well in their new apartment in East Windsor, NJ.

Yet I'm recognizing her for another reason; i.e., because she
got me up and running on Facebook (see also Section 1C) . . . I was
impressed with how quickly she moved me through the process,
getting me up and running within minutes . . . she then patiently
taught me what else I needed to know, patiently answering all
my many questions . . . she even took and posted the picture
for my profile.

 

In addition, Risa--aided by JP--did an excellent job in helping to set me up

in my temporary Wrightstown digs.

Lastly, I was impressed by the fact that Risa found a new job on her own--a

difficult task given the present economy . . . she had worked in retail ever since
high school . . . she put up with the long hours, work on nights and
weekends, and a long commute.

 

That will now be in her past, however . . . she starts with Sovereign Bank

on Monday . . . methinks the banking profession will never be the same;

look out world! 

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2. FYI

I'm a big fan of peanut butter . . . however, that said, I'm not consuming
any (or products that contain peanut butter paste, such as ice cream,
crackers, pretzels, etc.) until more information is known about the latest

health scare . . . this is NO JOKE; see for yourself:

Update on FDA's investigation

January 17, 2009: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting
a very active and dynamic investigation into the source of the Salmonella
Typhimurium outbreak.  At this time, the FDA has traced one likely
source of Salmonella Typhimurium contamination to a plant owned
by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which manufactures both peanut
butter that is institutionally served in such settings as long-term care
facilities and cafeterias, and peanut paste—a concentrated product
consisting of ground, roasted peanuts—that is distributed to food
manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many products including
cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and ice cream. . . .

Based on this information, and on the current state of the investigation,
the FDA recommends that consumers avoid eating products that have
been recalled and discard them. 

Because identification of products subject to recall is continuing, the FDA
urges consumers to postpone eating peanut butter-containing products
until further information becomes available about which products may be affected. 
Efforts to specifically identify those products are ongoing. 

SOURCE:

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html

MR. CURIOUS HERE:

I have not seen anything (yet?) about peanuts being tainted . . . for example,
I'm a big fan of PayDay Pro--a delicious high protein bar that is a healthy

version of the PayDay candy bar . . . I'd like to continue eating this

product . . . and some peanuts, too, in a daily mix with some almonds and

raisins . . .  have you come across anything that says that this might not

be a good idea? If so, please let me know.

FYI, part 2

* Pat in Pennsylvania:

Just curious: When you say [referring to Kilwin's Ice Cream in Asheville]
"not only is there great ice cream,but the fudge is off the charts, too" . . . I'm

wondering if this is something that women taught us to enjoy and appreciate?

I mean when I was younger, ice cream was just ice cream. But I must say that

my wife made me understand and appreciate little things in life that I think

most guys typically don't make a big deal over, especially when men

are younger.

Make sense? Like you are making a big deal over fudge now when
probably when you were younger you never really thought of it as
being a big deal? Thoughts? Make sense?

* Jean in Pennsylvania:

When you type an artist in Pandora, it plays that artist and artists
that match the rhythm, beat, and style. If you don't like one of the songs
in the rotation, each song has a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” icon. Just
click on “thumbs down” and Pandora will remove that song from the rotation
and not play it again. If you like it, click on “thumbs up” and it will play
more songs by that artist and more songs like it.  It’s very smart!

You can also block a song just for a month or a year. I don't think it will
play ALL TURTLES (or solo of whatever other artist) for copyright
reasons. I created a Beatles station that had Rolling Stones in the
rotation. I kept the bluesy-Stones but blocked the screaming-heavy-rock
Stones.

* Diane in Pennsylvania:
 
I was just talking to my sister and unfortunately, she has to get rid
of her Golden Lab. Her daughter is going off to college and my sister does
not have the time to take care of the dog plus her house is too small for this
very big dog who is absolutely adorable.

She asked me if I knew of anyone who would want her, and I told her that
I will put an email out there.
 
It is a pure bred Golden Lab named Summer (female). She is nine months
old and is up to date on all shots, plus she is caged trained.  She cost $700
and my sister is asking $250.00. If anyone is interested please let me know
ASAP.  My sister will have no choice but to give her to the S.P.C.A. 

If you know of anyone with a big house or yard who would be interested, 
please pass the word on also. She is going to give it until Thursday.
 
Thank you
 
Diane
267.574.4003/215.953.5288

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3. Question

Did you hear about the 83-year-old woman who talked herself out
of a speeding ticket by telling the young officer that she
had to get there before she forgot where she was going?

Makes perfect sense to me!

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4. Reviews

A. Micky Rourke gives an Oscar-winning performance in THE WRESTLER,
a moving drama about a has-been whose life is falling apart . . . it
is a film that is often violent, but always compelling . . . Marisa Tomei
is also excellent as a stripper who is Rourke's only true friend . . . I still
have THE WRESTLER in my mind and imagine that it will be there
for quite some time . . . even if you're not a wrestling fan, catch
it . . . rated R.

B. WANTED is now out on DVD . . . the story about an apathetic nobody's
transformation into an enforcer of justice, it starts quickly and will hold
your attention until it falls apart a bit toward the end . . . there's lots of action
and a good amount of violence, too . . . James McAvoy, rapidly becoming
one of my favorite actors, is fine in the leading role . . . and also I liked
the work of Angelina Jolie, the woman who recruits him into the
Fraternity--a secret society . . . rated R.

IF YOU ALSO LIKE MCAVOY:

Rent one of his earlier films, RORY O'SHEA WAS HERE . . . he's
superb as an individual suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a
degenerative muscle-wasting condition, who befriends somebody
who has cerebral palsy . . . rather than being depressing, it is
life-affirming . . . rated R for language; however, I do believe that
it would be appropriate for any mature teenager.

C. Richard Zoglin's COMEDY AT THE EDGE, subtitled HOW STAND-UP
IN THE 1970S CHANGED AMERICA, brought back fond memories of an
era when comics changed from those my parents enjoyed
(Milton Berle, Totie Fields, etc.) to much edgier humor pioneered
by Lenny Bruce.

I had not known too much about Bruce, so I found it fascinating to read
about how he began to change things in the entertainment world . . . he
was then followed by innovative comedians such as George Carlin,
Richard Pryor and Robert Klein, and shortly thereafter, Steve Martin,
Albert Brooks, Robin Williams and Andy Kaufman.

Many of these guys were my idols at the time; in particular,
Brooks had been my favorite . . . it is too bad that his stand-up
career didn't last that long (though his movies have since kept
him in the limelight).

Even as a kid, he was recognized as being one of the funniest
people around . . . in fact, when Johnny Carson asked Carl Reiner
to name the funniest people he had ever seen, at the top of his list
was his son's sixteen-year-old high school friend, Albert
Einstein [later changed to Brooks].

I liked how this book got into the minds of what humor is all
about . . . for example, there was this one passage that described
how Martin developed his routines:

* And so I came up with a plan, which was to observe myself when
I laughed, and figure out what it was that made me laugh, and try
to put it into material.

Naturally, COMEDY AT THE EDGE contained its share of jokes;
among them:

* If God made the body and the body is dirty, the fault lies
with the manufacturer.--Bruce

* He [Carlin] loved dissecting the illogic of language (oxymorons
like "military intelligence" and "jumbo shrimp") and the social uses
of euphemism ("When did 'toilet paper' become 'bathroom issue'?
When did 'house trailers' become 'mobile homes'?")

* One thing I found out. When you're on fire and runnin' down the
street, people get out of your way.--Pryor

Yet I also liked how Zoglin's book addressed more serious
issues, too, such as the time when comedians went out on
strike to protect the fact that they weren't getting paid to work
in comedy clubs . . . the chapter on the scarcity of big-name
women comedians was equally interesting.

Even the source notes at the end kept my attention . . . I
was particularly impressed by how much research went into
the writing of COMEDY AT THE EDGE.

D. Enjoyed Collection 1 of THE TWILIGHT ZONE RADIO DRAMAS,
hosted by Stacy Keach . . . it contained four stories
that were performed by such actors as Jim Caviezel, Jane Seymour,
James Keach, Lou Diamond Phillips and Tim Kazurinsky.

If you were a fan of the TV show, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, you'll
want to listen to this program . . . doing so will enable you
to step back in time to revisit the chills you experienced
when you watched Rod Sterling hosting the original version.

You'll also receive an introduction to what it was like listening
to the radio for your entertainment . . . folks actually did
that at one time . . . or so I've been told.

Though some of the stories were better than others, none
left me disappointed . . . they left me seeking Collection
2 of these dramas.

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5. TV alert 

A. LIE TO ME, a drama series inspired by a true story about a deception
expert who can read the human face, body and voice to expose the truth
in criminal cases and investigations, debuts on Wednesday at 9 p.m.
on FOX . . . I'll watch if for no other reason than Tim Roth (so fine in
ROB ROY, PULP FICTION, etc.) stars.

B. SPECTACLE: ELVIS COSTELLO WITH . . . combines the best
elements of talk and music television and invites viewers to enjoy
an intimate conversation between host Costello and his guests,
including rare musical performances by Costello, his guests and
a wide variety of musicians . . . guests for the 13-part series will
include Sir Elton John, Tony Bennett, Lou Reed and President Bill
Clinton . . . Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on SUNDANCE.

C. WE ARE ONE: THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE
LINCOLN MEMORIAL, held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, has a
repeat broadcast on Wednesday on 11:30 p.m. on HBO2 . . .  Beyonce, Mary J.

Blige, Garth Brooks, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, John

Mellencamp, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder are

among those slated to perform . . . reading historical passages will be Jamie

Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington.

 

D. COME WALK IN MY SHOES features Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who
was a civil-rights leader in the 1960s, leading members of Congress
on a tour of important civil-rights sites . . . Thursday at 10 p.m. on
PBS . . . because PBS times and dates often vary, check local listings.

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6. Confusion

A Sunday School teacher of pre-schoolers was
concerned that his students might be a little
confused about Jesus Christ because of the past
Christmas season's emphasis on His birth. She
wanted to make sure they understood that the
birth of Jesus occurred a long time  ago, that He
grew up, etc. So she asked her class, "Where is
Jesus today?"

Johnny raised his hand and said, "He's in heaven."
Mary was called on and answered, "He's in my heart,"
and Robert, waving his hand furiously, blurted out,
"I know! I know! He's in our bathroom!"

The whole class got very quiet, looked at the teacher,
and waited for a response. The teacher was completely
at a loss for a few very long seconds. She finally gathered
her wits and asked Robert how he knew this.

And Robert said, "Well . . . every morning, my father gets up, bangs
on the bathroom door, and yells 'Jesus Christ, are you still in
there?' "

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7. Websites

A. I've read about the crash of the US Airways jetliner into the
Hudson River, but watching it amazed me even more:

http://news.aol.com/article/both-engines-missing-from-downed-jet/308358?icid=200100397x1216356071x1201100447

One thing I do know is that I'll pay more attention to the safety
instructions the next time I fly!

B. If you've ever had printer or other computer problems, you
can probably relate to the following letter:

Dear Geek Squad,

I recently purchased an HP Printer, and when I am in the room
watching it, it works perfectly.

However, nearly every time I leave it unattended, the papers come
out wrinkled, sometimes even shredded, with blurred ink.

If I restart the print job and babysit it, there are no problems.
You can imagine that this has been very frustrating, and I would
appreciate one of your technicians coming out to fix whatever the
problem is.

Thank you,
Dave Larson

The response:

Dave,

Thank you for contacting the Geek Squad. As you know, one of our
top Technicians was dispatched to investigate your printer problem.

His initial findings mirrored your experience, so he set up a hidden
camera to document what was causing the paper disruption.

Please review the attached video, and thanks again for your business.
And for the laughs we all had upon discovering the source of your
problem.

Sincerely,
Mark Donaldson
Geek Squad

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MXh244-rz0

C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view
it, please click:

http://www.blainesworld.net

For an easy way to subscribe to BLAINESWORLD, the newsletter,
just go to the "Special Offer" at the bottom of the homepage.

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8. Computer tip

I've heard about Skype for a long time, but only recently added
it to my computer--and Cynthia's too . . . it enables us to speak
AND look at each other; e.g., when I'm in Pennsylvania and she
is in North Carolina . . . best of all: there's no cost!

To check this out for yourself, please click:

http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/videocall/

All you need is a webcam.

In addition, Skype offers unlimited calls to the US and Canada
for just $2.95/month . . . if you want unlimited calling to 36
countries worldwide, the cost is $9.95/month . . . there's even
an option for cellphones . . . for more information, please click:

http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/subscriptions/#uscaSubscriptionTab

If you use Skype for any purpose, I'd be interested in hearing your reaction
to it.

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9. True love

I ran into Jim at work yesterday. He had been out for a few days
with the flu.

I asked him how he was feeling."I'm better, thanks. You know, it
was a wonderful experience."

"Wonderful? How can the flu be wonderful?" I asked in stunned
disbelief.

"Well, I learned that my wife really loves me. You know that
whenever the mailman came by or a delivery man headed toward the
door, my wife ran out to meet them? I could hear her excitedly
saying 'My husband is home! My husband is home!' "

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10. A quote I like

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking,
eventually you'll make progress.--President-elect Barack Obama

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11. Thought for the day 

Last week, I ran part of the introduction from Lee Iacocca's
latest book  (WHERE HAVE ALL THE LEADERS GONE?); here's
the rest:

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION--a fire in your belly. You've
got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How
do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for
number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President--four hundred and
counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself
in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high
point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound
perch in his hand-stocked lake.

It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven
days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when
President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people
would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show
for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now,
that's  not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy.
Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the
ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my
definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out
with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where
the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential.
Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't
go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our
President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and
started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through
the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've
got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to
surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags
about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent?
Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest
deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up
a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters.
A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face
as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this
Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out
in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager
in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie
Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was
a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel.
Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going
for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense.
If you don't know a dip of horsesh*t from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll
never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has
a lot of sound bites. You know--Mr. they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators-no-
child-left-behind-heck-of-a-job -Brownie-mission-accomplished Bush.

Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home.
I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world--and
I like it here."

I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

THE BIGGEST C IS CRISIS

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's
easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send
someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself.
It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other
time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.
Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat
to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there
for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can
see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back
to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the
panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return
to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day--and he
told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were
all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders
to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took
Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op
at Ground Zero.

That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And
what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road
to Iraq--a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was
President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father.
He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare
the crap out of you, I don't know what will.

A HELL OF A MESS

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan
for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in
the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia,
while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy
policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle
class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out
for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders
gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the
people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense?
I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making
us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent
billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to
do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.
Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the
hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made 

in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers
crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms
happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do
the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can
restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed
that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese 

car companies? How did this happen-- and more important, what are we
going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down
the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem.
The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away
at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your
asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being
hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is
everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call
them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine
for a change?

HAD ENOUGH?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying
to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America.
In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's
greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises--the
Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy
assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles
of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this:
You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for
somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building
a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge
I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe
in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake
off the horsesh*t and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough.

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12. Advance planning department

A. You can get a FREE cup of coffee for doing good for the community!

Starting: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 7:00 a.m.

Ending: Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

Location: Participating Starbucks locations in the US

Description:

What if you gave 5 hours to help your community?
What if we all did?
Your small commitment could add up to something BIG.

Starbucks and HandsOn Network are launching a campaign to support
the President-elect’s call for national service. Working together, we
can create the change we all wish to see.

From January 21-25, 2009, you'll be able to find local volunteer
opportunities at:

http://pledge5.starbucks.com

And during those five days, when you pledge 5 hours for the charity
or cause of your choice, Starbucks will salute your work and dedication
with a free Tall brewed cup of coffee in participating U.S. Starbucks stores
(not valid at airports or Barnes & Noble locations). It’s just a small token
of gratitude for the big work we can all do together.

B. Best-selling author James McBride joins us for the paperback release
of his highly acclaimed novel Song Yet Sung. Join us for an entertaining and

enlightening discussion and book signing.

Monday, Jan 26 at 7:30 PM

Barnes & Noble, Princeton MarketFair Mall, 3535 US Route
1 South, Princeton NJ.

_________________________________________________________

PS. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "History will have to record that the
greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident
clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

Think about that as you honor his memory on Monday on Martin
Luther King Day, the day celebrating his birthdate.

Also, please join me in praying that we soon get our remaining soldiers
back from Iraq  and that peace resumes in Israel . . . and make it
a great week!

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