http://www.ncstage.org/

B. On Sunday, we then had our first gathering of folks
in our new home when we invited our neighbors for brunch  . . . that's
the happy bunch below; we're in the middle row to the right:

 

 

We enjoyed getting to show our place and to hear the well-deserved
compliments that everybody gave Cynthia for the great job she did
in setting up our home so quickly.

Afterwards, we played a fun game that Cynthia used to use
with her students: The Ungame . . . it's billed as the world's
most popular self-expression game, and it gave everybody a
chance to know each other as we answered such questions as:

*Do you prefer being a leader or a follower?

* If you had a pet as a child, tell about it.

* Tell about a time you were phony.

* Tell about your favorite teacher or a teacher that made an impact on you.

* Tell about a favorite story as a child and why you liked it.

From there, we went for cocktails at the home of Warren
Fluharty--our decorator/friend . . . he has quite a place and though
it's not quite decorated along the lines of our style, we were impressed.

C. I love hearing good news from readers, so please do keep
sharing such information . . . let me know about awards,
graduations and of course, births of children and grandchildren.

It must be the season, but CONGRATULATIONS are certainly
in order to Chic and Joni in Pennsylvania, Richard and Gail
in New York, and Verna and Jim in New Jersey--all of whom
became proud grandparents in the past few months.

D. MR. CURIOUS HERE:

You get canker sores? Or know anything about them?

As a kid, I used to get them often . . . then I stopped getting them
for a long period of time, but they're back . . . I get them
on a fairly regular basis and am wondering if you know anything
that helps prevent them and/or helps lessen their severity?

I have tried Kankaid, but that no longer seems to help
me very much . . . some research I've done says that stress
causes them, though that said, I don't know that I'm dealing
with any more stress than usual.

I'd welcome any thoughts you might have on the subject. 

***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****

This week, it goes to Julie and Chris Diaz--owners of a place
called Cruizers that is rapidly becoming one of our favorite
eateries in the Asheville area.

It is located just around the corner from us on 320 Smoky
Park Highway in Candler; 828.633.0718.

The first time we went there, we were just checking it out because
we had heard it was one of the few local places that served
ice cream . . . Cynthia asked for a taste of one flavor; Julie
instead gave her a sample that was larger than most scoops
you get at other places.

Cynthia then asked for a kiddie size portion of the ice cream. Julie
said that they only have a small size, but she proceeded to do her
best to scoop out a kiddie size. It was humongous. When we offered
to pay, Julie said it wouldn't be necessary.

We knew we would become frequent customers by what
Julie told us next . . . when we asked her if they had
sprinkles, she said "no" . . . we kidded her and said, if
we brought some in, would she hold onto them for our
private use . . . she immediately said "yes."

The next night we returned for burgers and onion rings . . . they
were both excellent . . . Chris then went around the
restaurant, giving out free homemade cookies (that his
wife had made) to all who were there.

Both Julie and Chris made us feel most welcome . . . we'll
be back--repeatedly.

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

2. FYI

My friend Ivan in Pennsylvania doesn't sign his credit cards . . . rather
he puts on the back: ASK FOR ID . . . this makes it difficult for anybody
to illegally use them; i.e., if the merchant bothers to read what has
been written . . . methinks this is a great idea!

FYI, part 2

* Kathy in Pennsylvania (with a REQUEST FOR HELP):

I  would be grateful for Boxtops for Education. These are small
coupons--usually pink-- that can be found on Betty Crocker
products, cereal boxes, Bisquick, juicy juice, etc.

For a complete listing of all companies, please click:

 

http://www.boxtops4education.com

Livi, my oldest granddaughter saves them for school
and wants to win a prize at the end of the year. Just send
them to me at this address: Kathy Webb, c/o Science Dept.,
Bucks County Community College, 275 Swamp Road, Newtown,
PA 18940. 

I will reimburse for postage. Thanks for your support.

* Earl in New Jersey, a nurse and a member of the faculty
at LaSalle University:

LDL of 163 is way too high. Get some Zocor and stop deluding yourself.
Your buddies want you around!

* Mary in Pennsylvania (in response to Pat in Pennsylvania):

My husband and I have visited Asheville twice in the past 5 years and
appreciate any insight and reviews about it. It has become one of our
favorite places to visit.One of the toughest things when visiting new cities
is choosing restaurants. I save all your newsletters for future use. Keep
up the good work and best wishes to you and your wife in your new home. 
I think you made a great choice.

* Natalie in Pennsylvania:

We saw DEFIANCE. I thought it was excellent. I highly recommend it. 
We also saw REVOLUTIONARY ROAD and found it to be very powerful.

* Jack in Pennsylvania:

Have you seen PAUL BLART, MALL COP yet? It was written by Kevin
James and Adam Sandler.  You will find yourself laughing out loud at times.
It may tempt you to become a mall officer in Asheville while you are rewiring!

* Win in New Jersey:

Glad to know you're enjoying mountain life. 

You can get Mercer County Community College's new jazz station
by clicking:

 

http://www.jazzon2.com

* Cathy in Pennsylvania:

Thursday's Town Hall meeting on Healthcare was featured on the front page
of today's Courier Times. BuxMont CFPA is mentioned as one of the
cosponsors.  You can read the story here:

 

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times/courier_times_news_details/article/28/2009/February/01/forum-argues-for-single-payer-health-care-1.html

* Barbara in Pennsylvania:

HIP HIP Hooray for "Frank in NJ" for the Bush bashing remarks. I totally
agree with him.

* Foundation Office at Bucks County Community College

Tough Economy! Make Students Aware of these Scholarships

More than $100,000 available this spring! DEADLINE: APRIL 1!

For more information about eligibility requirements and for applications, visit:

 

http://www.bcccscholarships.com

visit Academic Departments, Financial Aid, or the Foundation and Alumni
Relations office (Tyler Hall, Room 224); call 215-968-8224 or e-mail:
alumni@bucks.edu.

Here's a sampling of available scholarships:

Alumni Association Completion Scholarship-$500 Awarded to a second
year student who has accumulated at least 30 credits at BCCC and
possesses a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Express Employment Professionals Scholarship-minimum $500
Awarded to a current BCCC student who majors in a program of study
in one of the College’s six academic departments

Dr. James J. Linksz Presidential Scholarship-minimum $600
Awarded to a student currently matriculated at BCCC and who has
demonstrated leadership ability. 

MY TWO CENTS:

There are many, many more . . . check them out if you're at all
interested in applying . . . also, share this information with your friends
and relatives.

More importantly, if you don't live in Bucks County, your local
community college or university probably has a similar listing
of scholarships that you can find out about just by asking.

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

3. Oral exam

The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health
and was giving an oral exam.

Speaking specifically about manic depression, she asked, "How
would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming
at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping
uncontrollably the next?"

A young man in the rear raised his hand and answered, "A
basketball coach?"

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

4. Reviews

A. I'm a bit surprised that Clint Eastwood did not receive any nominations
for GRAN TORINO, a film he both directed and stars in . . .it's the
story of a Korean War vet's reluctant friendship with a Hmong teenage
boy and his immigrant family . . . Eastwood is funny at times;
at other times, he'll remind you of his famous Dirty Harry
character . . . the ending is as good at it gets . . . stick around
for the credits, and you'll even get to hear Eastwood sing . . . rated R.

B. ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is now out in DVD format . . . my
review from BLAINESWORLD #632 follows:

Kevin Smith's ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is definitely not
for anybody who is offended by foul-language . . . but if that doesn't
bother you, methinks you'll enjoy this raunchy comedy that's
surprisingly romantic . . . it is about a guy, Seth Rogen, and
his platonic pal, Elizabeth Banks, who live together in order
to save money on both their housing and bills . . . when they
become really down on their luck, a chance encounter at their
10-year reunion gives them the idea to make a porn movie to
make some money . . . Rogen and Banks have great chemistry
in the leading roles, and I also liked the work of both Justin Long
and Craig Robinson . . . make sure you stay until the very end of the
credits for an add-on part to the film that most everybody else
will miss . . . rated R.

C. You don't have to age badly . . . that's the premise behind
YOU: STAYING YOUNG, an informative guide written
by Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Rather, you can actually extend your warranty if
you learn some basic tips that the authors clearly
(and with some humor) point out . . . for
example:

* [If] You're just beginning to experience some mild sleep
problems.

Try Benadryl.

Why? The nonaddictive OTC option contains an ingredient that
makes you groggy ( it’s also the ingredient in OTC sleep medications).
If you don't have pains or other symptoms, stick to straight Benadryl. 
But if you do, you can add an OTC medication with a pain-killing
element. Downside: You may feel groggy in the morning and suffer
memory problems. If so, stop it. . . .

[If] You're jet-lagged or work shift work.

Try Melatonin.

Why? Available in health-food stores, this supplement helps reset your
body clock and is a first-line therapy for travel related sleep issues. The
dose varies between 0.5 and 5 milligrams, so you'll have to experiment
with dosing to see what works best for you.

Then there was this great suggestion on how to get an assessment
on your overall health:

* Ask three strangers how old they think you are. (Asking friends
and family doesn't count, since they either know or have a
vested interest in not hurting your feelings. Think servers, baristas,
seatmates on the subway, anyone who won't automatically say
“ninety-seven.”) That will help give you some kind of baseline
as to how others perceive you—based on appearance and
demeanor—and it can be a strong indicator of how healthy you actually
are. In addition, you can ask a friend you trust to be honest with you
about how you are aging compared to others.

YOU: STAYING YOUNG covers a wide range of other topics,
ranging from how to control your genes to developing a
remarkable memory and a lot else between . . . there was
even this suggestion on how to handle your closets:

* If you get your clothes dry-cleaned, remove them from the plastic wrap,
which traps in the chemicals used to clean them, and air
them out on a porch or another covered area that is open to the outside air.
Limit dry cleaning to only what absolutely has to be dry cleaned. Use only
dry cleaners that have stopped using either trichloroethylene or
perchloroethelyene (PERC).  These chemicals have been linked to kidney
and nervous system damage as well as cancer (in the person wearing the
clothes, as well as the person cleaning them).

Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz present a lot of other such information in
their book . . . it is one that you'll probably want to add to your
permanent collection so you can read and reread several times.

D. Heard the taped version of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale's YOU CAN
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN, which is his guide to living a better life.

Dr. Peale, the author of THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
(perhaps the classic book on that topic), has another winner
here . . . it is full of useful tidbits and stories that I found
applicable to my life, and I'm sure you also be able
to relate to them.

One, in particular, had me chuckling:

* I know a place where there are 100,000 people with no problems.
It is the cemetery.

Yet what really impressed me most was the fact that Dr. Peale
was talking about the now-famous law of attraction long
before it became the craze that it now is . . . as he notes:

*  What we think and visualize is, to a large extent, what we
are about to become.

And this observation that had me nodding in agreement:

* When fate throws a dagger at you, there are ways to catch it. If you catch
it by the blade, you can harm yourself. But if you catch it by the handle,
you can use it to help you fight through the obstacles ahead.

Dr. Peale also served as the narrator for much of this program. . . though
he was 90 at the time (he lived to be 95), his enthusiasm made it more
enjoyable than had I just read the book.

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

5. TV alert

A. Imagine being a 120-pound rider on top of a 1,2000-pound
horse . . . you can find out more by watching JOCKEYS,
a docuseries that debuts on ANIMAL PLANET on Friday
at 9 p.m.

B. GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY stars Cuba
Gooding Jr. in a biopic about the pediatric neuro-surgeon who made
history in 1987 when he successfully conjoined twins connected
at the head . . . Saturday at 8 p.m. on TNT.

C. Keke Palmer now has her own tween-com, TRUE JACKSON,
VP . . it's about a teen fashion executive . . . watch it with
your children and grandchildren to catch Palmer, who was
so fine in 2006's AKEELAAH AND THE BEE (a must-see
rental) . . . Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. on NICKELODEON.

D. Catherine Bell returns as free-spirited (yet misunderstood) Cassandra
Nightingale in THE GOOD WITCHE'S GARDEN on Saturday at 9 p.m.
on HALLMARK . . . the original last year, THE GOOD WITCH, was
the cable channel's second-highest original film ever.

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

6. Mirror, mirror on the wall

A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not
happy with what she sees and says to her husband, "I feel horrible; I look
old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment."

Her husband replies, "Your eyesight's darn near perfect."

And then the fight started.

Back To Top
________________________________________________________

7. Websites

A. To see how unique you are, please click:

 

http://www.howmanyofme.com/

Doing so will enable you to find out if there are others "out there"
with your name . . . when I checked on Blaine Greenfield, I found
out that I was the only one in the country with my name . . .I also
found out that there are 22,931 people in the U.S. with the first name
Blaine; statistically, that's the 1,219th most popular first name; and
that more than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Blaine are male.

With respect to Greenfield, there are 13,269 people in the U.S. with that
last name; statistically, that's the 2,859th most popular last name; and
that Luke Greenfield (an American film director) is a famous person
with the same last name.

B. Missed any of the Super Bowl commercials? You can still
see them by clicking:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/admeter/2009admeter.htm

The most popular and best reviewed one--a spot for Durritos--was developed
by two unemployed brothers from Batesville, IN . . . it won them $1 million
as a result of an online ad contest for amateurs.

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

 

 

If you'd like to see reviews of books that I've tended to enjoy,
go to "Blaine's Best" on the left, then the second paragraph
of letter "O" . . .  skim around; all totaled, you'll see some
780 titles.

Currently, in large part to your efforts, I'm ranked 351 in amazon.com's
list of Top Reviewers . . . if you'd like to help me move up, click:

 

http://www.amazon.com

Find any recent review by using the search engine at the top; e.g.,
THE HOW OF HAPPINESS . . . then look for the customer
reviews on the left (I'm probably at the top or close to it) . . . click
on my review . . . after reading it, if you've found it helpful, indicate
that by also clicking that option . . .  thanks, in advance!

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

8. Computer tip

If you go to a website frequently, drag it with your mouse to your
toolbar  . . . this makes easily available via just one click.

So when I'm using Internet Explorer, I can just look at the top
and access Amazon, Facebook, etc. . . . this can also
be done if you use Firefox as your browser.

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

9. Dog property rules

1. If I like it, it's mine.

2. If its in my mouth, it's mine.

3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.

4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.

5. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.

6. If its mine, it must never appear to be yours anyway.

7. If it just looks like mine, it's mine.

8. If I saw it first, it's mine.

9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically
becomes mine.

10. If its broken, it's yours.

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

10. A quote I like

We want them [our children] to continually understand that our legacy
is not going to be how big our house is or what kind of car we drive.
Our legacy is going to be the way we impact other people.--Kurt
Warner, the quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals in last week's
Super Bowl

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT YOU MISSED IT:

For a great Warner story, see BLAINESWORLD #643, Section
11 . . . even if you haven't been a fan of his, you'll change
your mind after reading this piece.

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

11. Thought for the day 

What are you looking forward to?
by Jim Donovan*

Several years ago my wife, Georgia, and I began the practice of making
a "looking forward to" list at the start of the new year. This is different from
my list of goals in that it typically has all kinds of things on it. Obviously,
we list the big things like any vacations we're planning but we also list things
we might enjoy doing on a weekend or for an evening out.

For example, in addition to a vacation this year to Alaska, someplace
I've always wanted to see, we'll list "everyday" activities like seeing specific
movies, visiting a museum or going to particular restaurants.

One of the things we've noticed since adopting the practice of making
a looking forward to list is that we do more. We went from hardly ever
going to the movies, for no particular reason, to attending 12 or 15 movies
a year. And we've enjoyed more variety in the restaurants we've visited.
Typically people frequent the same four or five restaurants even though,
in any given area, there are probably a hundred within a reasonable
driving distance.

Having our list eliminates the dialog many couples have of asking, "What
do you want to do dear?" and hearing, "I don't know, what do you want
to do?" It always reminds me of the movie "Marty" where the characters
go through this routine throughout the movie.

When faced with trying to decide what we want to do on a given day off
we can always pick something from our list. Another version of this is
to make a list of everything you want to do before you leave the planet,
however, for obvious reasons, I'm not as fond of that idea:-)
I recently met a woman who said she had almost finished her "bucket"
list, from the movie of the same name. "What will you do then?" I asked
her. "I guess I'll just die," was her response. Personally, I'd rather just keep
a list of what I'm looking forward to.

Something else you may enjoy is an activity I learned at a live seminar
given by my friend, Terri Levine. Terri suggested we look back to our youth
and think about some of the things we used to enjoy doing but, for whatever
reason, are no longer engaged in. For example, when was the last time
you went ice skating? For me it's been years even though, as a teenager,
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What are some of the things you used to enjoy that you may like doing again?
What's stopping you?

Caution: If you're older, remember to start slowly and, in some cases, get a
physical checkup before starting any strenuous activity.

Even though lacrosse is usually associated with youth, my friend, Ski, plays
with a group of older guys appropriately named the "Old Dogs." Yes you can
still play but you're gonna feel the pain: Remember, it's never too late to
have a happy childhood.

Is your age stopping you from the success you desire?

If you need some inspiration, regardless of your age, take a look at this
list of the top 100 youngest blogggers, provided by my friend, Kid Blogger
Carl Ocab who, at 15 years of age has achieved top Google ranking for
one of the most searched for phrases online.

Here's the list:

 

http://www.youngestblogger.com/

Carl has been earning a full-time and sizable income online while still
attending high school. It's a new  and exciting world we're living in. So,
what's stopping you?

* Reprinted with permission from my friend Jim Donovan, author and
motivational speaker, whose website can be reached by clicking:

 

http://www.JimDonovan.com

Back To Top
_________________________________________________________

12. Advance planning department

A. ORSON'S SHADOW runs on weekends through Feb. 8 at Actors' Net
in Morrisville, PA . . . the play by Austin Pendleton is a penetrating
backstage look at actors and their egos . . . for more information,
please click:

 

http://www.actorsnetbucks.org/

B. The February meeting for Lower Bucks Coalition for Peace Action
will not be this Sunday, February 1.  It will be held on Sunday,
February 8, 2009 at our new meeting location, United Christian Church,
8525 New Falls Road in Levittown. The potluck supper begins at 6:00
with the meeting following a 6:30 p.m.
 
C. If you or someone you know owns or manages a children's school
or day care center and could use some mentoring or expert opinions
on how to enhance existing operations and/or get guidance on how
to get your school to the next level, sign up today for your one-to-one
sessions starting February 10 with successful multi-school owner/founder
Al Spiewak. Sponsored by our SBDC and the County of Mercer Office
of Economic Opportunity, there is no charge for his counsel. Call Kathy
Anderson at 609.771.2947 to schedule your appointment today. 

D. ADVANCE PLANNING DEPARTMENT:

Are you looking to quit smoking? Or do you have a friend, relative
or colleague who wants to quit?

If so, stay tuned for details of various FREE smoking cessation
programs that I'll be running . . . they will start sometime in late March.

Should you not be able to wait for this information, drop me an
email and include your name, email address, snail mail address,
home number and cell number  . .  put SMOKING CESSATION
PROGRAMS in the subject line.

_________________________________________________________

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

Back To Top
----------------------------------------------------------

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBCRIBE INFORMATION

To subscribe to this publication, please send an email to: bginbc@aol.com
and put SUBSCRIBE in subject line . . . if you wish to unsubscribe, just
send an email to same address and put UNSUBSCRIBE in subject line.