|
|
|
BLAINESWORLD
#645 2.9.2009 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Exchange 4. Reviews . . . PAUL BLART: MALL COP, etc. 5. TV alert 6. The rest of the story 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. You know it's 2009 because . . . 10. A quote I like 11. Thought for the day 12. Advance planning department _________________________________________________________ 1. Reflections A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I have been busy finding local doctors . . . to date, we've been lucky--having found an excellent dentist and, also, an equally fine eye doctor. The former is Dr. Joseph Younger (828.277.9907) . . . so far, we have been very impressed by his practice . . . and personally, I liked the dental chair he uses . . . it was the most comfortable I've ever been in . . . padding at the head/neck area helped make it so . . . we both liked his use of a dental camera for close-ups of what he was telling us . . . we also appreciated how he took time for an individual consultation in a separate room, wherein he reviewed what exactly needed to be done. The latter is Dr. Thomas Brosnan (828.254.9693) . . . his examination was both thorough and professional . . . in addition, we liked the other staffers in his office. B. We continue to be blown away by the friendliness of folks in the area . . . when we walk around the lake that surrounds our development, we're always greeted by neighbors who extend a greeting . . . many will often stop to chat. That's how we recently made a dinner date . . . Cynthia just struck up a conversation with another couple, Bob and Leslie, and they invited us to get together for dinner a few nights later at a local restaurant: The Corner Kitchen in Asheville (828.274.2439). Our food was excellent . . . Cynthia and I split two main courses, as we often do . . . we had the meatloaf and for a first time, tried redfish . . . both dishes led us to the conclusion that this is a place that we'll probably revisit--often. We then went back to the home of our new friends for dessert . . . it's always fun to see what other places look like, and in this instance, we got a particular kick out of seeing the living room . . . Bob uses it to practice his guitar and since we were all standing there, he gave us a mini-concert (including his latest song, the Fleetwoods' "Mr. Blue") . . . our only regret is that he doesn't yet have any gigs in the area because we'd love to see him in concert. C. Cynthia's business cards finally came in . . . I thought you'd like to see her new title:  Please excuse the poor quality of the graphic; that's the best my scanner was able to produce . . . the actual card looks much better, as you'll see for yourself if you ask Cynthia for one when you see her next. She got them printed for free using this service: http://www.vistaprint.com If you use the above, all you need to do is pay for shipping! D. I spent part of my week in Bucks County . . . much of the time was spent preparing for and then testifying in an arbitration case involving our teacher's union . . . we contend that the administration has not lived up to the contract with respect to dealing with salary inequities . . . the administration, as might be expected, disagrees . . . so after a full day of back and forth, we adjourned until a second hearing date in March. We also got some good news with respect to the second major arbitration case (on ratios) we have pending; i.e., there is finally a hearing date set for April . . . we believe this one is a slam dunk . . . our contract clearly calls for a 60-40 ratio with respect to full-time to part-time hires . . . presently, the figure is in the 51-49 range . . . furthermore, we have recently uncovered documents that show that many budgeted full-time slots have simply not been filled for some reason that escapes us. I even managed to get together with a friend to catch a play: ORSON'S SHADOW at The Actors' Net of Bucks County in Morrisville . . . it's the story of a time when Orson Welles directed Laurence Olivier . . . everything about the production was top notch . . . George Hartpence, one of my favorite local actors--cancel that, favorite New Jersey/Pennsylvania actors--seemed to capture Olivier as he must have been, and P.A. Dake was just right as the critic Kenneth Tynan . . . I got a chuckle out of his wry delivery of this one bit of dialogue: "I'm legitimate, which comes in handy as a critic for when you write a bad review and they call you a bas*ard." Cheryl Doyle produced and directed the show with distinction . . . she has come up with another winner that unfortunately you won't be able to see because its limited run will have ended by the time you get this missive . . . however, don't despair . . . next up is husband Joe Doyle's popular comic drama about adult children and their aged parents, THE LAST DAYS OF THE DINOSAURS, which runs from Feb. 27 through March 15 . . . for more information, please click: http://www.actorsnetbucks.org ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Eddie Vargas--manager of the Payless Car Rental operation in Newark (973.824.5800). That's where I've been renting my car each time I come North. In general, I have found the Payless prices to be the best around . . . and if you become a Payless Perk member, you get still an additional discount. Eddie makes things go smoothly . . . he gets you in and out of the office as quickly as possible, and the other day to help me get to the airport quicker, he did the paperwork without me and emailed me my copy. He also has a great smile that helps brighten up the day. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI Being new to the area, we are in the process of finding doctors, dentists, etc. (see also Section 1A) . . . one thing we did was to make appointments, typically one or two weeks apart from each other . . . that way, we get to check the doctor out . . . if we have a positive experience, we then keep the second appointment that has been made for the other person . . . however, if we had a negative experience, this gives the option to cancel the second appointment--and make an appointment with a different health care professional. FYI, part 2 Last week, I asked readers a question about how to deal with canker sores . . . it seemed to elicit the greatest response I've ever received . . . here's just a sampling of some of the emails I received on the topic: * Joanne in Pennsylvania: My husband would suffer from them, and I found out that they are a sign/symptom that your amino acids are out of balance in the body. Stress does bring them out . . . so what’s the remedy? L-lysine is a simple capsule that helps bring those aminos back into balance. Found at any health food store, you could ask more questions from the professionals. You can also Google l-lysine and read for yourself. It’s an inexpensive and effective treatment. At the first sign, usually throbbing or itching, my husband would take at least two four 500 mil. capsules and continue taking a couple capsules a day until the outbreak subsided. If ingested in time, the outbreak would have no visible signs. In the beginning he was not a believer, but as time when on and he suffered less and less. I was a hero wife. For what it’s worth . . . and you may not feel stressed, but moving and all that it has encompassed does take a toll on the body. * Penny in Mississippi: There is an antiseptic called Sia Smith that we can get around here that works well for many things. Now I never said that it was a pleasant dose, but it has been proven to take care of sore throat and sinus problems and when I was having problems with my mouth, I would take a small amount and rinse with it. Believe you me, if you survive from using it, everything else will not. * Tricia in Texas: I use Listerine and try to hold it on the canker sore till I nearly cry. I do it 2 or 3 times a day and in 24 hours its greatly reduced and totally gone in 48 or less. Its the only thing I found that works. * Bob in New Jersey: Lysine has been a godsend to many friends of mine. Buy it anywhere. It was suggested by a nutritionist for a friend. It worked. For more information, please click: http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/amino-acid-lysine-for-herpes.html Don't let the word herpes throw you off. * Rob in New Jersey: For canker sores, use Ambisol. * Marty in New Jersey: Democrats usually get them. If you change your affiliation to Republican or, better yet, Libertarian, they'll go away. * Donna in New Jersey: I get canker sores once in a while, too. I usually get them when I'm stressed, over-tired/run down or have a virus. It always appears on the same spot on my lip. As soon as I start to feel that tingle in my lip prior to an outbreak, I use prescription medication called Denivir. It usually prevents a severe, swollen, painful sore from occurring. It’s important to apply often as soon as the onset occurs. If I'm too late with an application, then it’s full blown. * Pat in Pennsylvania: For more information on the topic, please click: http://www.dentaljobservice.com/sore_inside_the_mouth.html * Ken in New York: Glyoxide for sores in your mouth. * Bill in Connecticut: I get canker sores also. They are much more infrequent now than when I was say in my early thirties. My usual treatment is to swab the sore with iodine on a Q-tip. It only stings for a moment. Iodine in larger doses is poisonous, but the small amount I use is not. The canker sore usually clears about 12 hours after an iodine treatment. No one knows the cause of canker sores. I think my treatment cuts down on the secondary infection the open sore in your mouth would develop if left untreated. * Elaine in Pennsylvania: Canker sores . . . once you get them, you are prone to them. Try Abreva, a little costly or Herpacin. It looks like a tube of lipstick. It tastes weird, but works. My brother is a Dentist and this is what I have used. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Exchange An attorney was sitting in his office late one night when the Devil appeared before him. The Devil said to the lawyer: "I have a proposition for you. You can win every case you try, for the rest of your life. Your clients will adore you, your colleagues will stand in awe of you, and you will make embarrassing sums of money. "All I want in exchange is your soul, your wife’s soul, your children’s souls, the souls of your parents, grandparents, and parents-in-law, and the souls of all of your friends and I want to have sex with your 14-year-old daughter." The lawyer thought about this for a moment, then asked, "So . . . what’s the catch?" Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. Saw PAUL BLART: MALL COP for two reasons: 1) A friend had recommended it; and 2) Cynthia found out that the movie we were going to see (HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU) was the one she was slated to see with a friend . . . so we settled on this Kevin James comedy at the last minute . . . the premise was cute . . . it's the story about a would-be state trooper who can't pass the physical, so he instead gets a job working in security at a New Jersey mall . . .the first half was funny, too, but it tailed way off in the second half when it stopped being a comedy and instead became a rather ordinary tale about a group of bandits . . . yet I realize that we weren't the ideal audience for the film . . . we were accompanied by a teenager who had a good time . . . I thought James was OK in the lead role; however, it was the work of Jayma Mays (a frequent guest on the TV show UGLY BETTY) that caught my attention . . . she was endearingly charming . .. rated PG. B. FROZEN RIVER is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #622 follows: You'll have to look around to find FROZEN RIVER, a grim but powerful indie film . . . yet your effort will be rewarded when you catch this tale of two women who join forces to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Canadian border . . . veteran character actress Melissa Leo delivers a stunning performance that is worthy of an Oscar nomination . . . Misty Upham is equally outstanding in the other leading role . . . rated R. C. I was thoroughly enjoying THE GEORGRAPHY OF BLISS by Eric Weiner, a self-proclaimed grump, until I got toward the end of the book . . . that's when I came across the following passage: * Andy did his research and fixed his sights on North Carolina. The mountainous western part of the state. Asheville in particular. The small city, population about seventy thousand, fits a lot of his criteria; it has mountains, which he loves. And seasons. * He visited and instantly felt at peace there. It's not quite a spiritual feeling--that's not a word that Andy would use--but Asheville does have a calming, narcotic effect on him. He also likes the scale. Asheville is big enough to have a thriving arts scene and a choice of restaurants yet not so big that it is burdened with big-city problems, such as traffic jams and high crime rates. Andy concedes he probably won't go to many art shows or theater performances but he likes to know they are there, just in case. Andy' biggest fear: that he's discovered Asheville too late. "I don't want to get up there and find that the rest of Florida has already moved there." And after reading the above, it was when I decided that this was a fantastic book because that's exactly how I feel about Asheville (my new home) . . . as I was reading what Weiner had to say about many of the other countries he visited (Switzerland, Iceland, Bhutan, Qatar. etc), I kept thinking to myself that maybe I was missing something . . . while he described many blissful experiences, none seemed to be even close to what I've already experienced in North Carolina. The author also had some encounters that were anything but happy; for example: * I have to be honest: All this guru worship turns me off. If I wanted to worship someone, there's always my wife. I didn't need to come to India. Fawning over someone else is just as counter-productive, and annoying, as fawning over yourself. Narcissism turned inside out is still narcissism. Or as he noted about another country: * In Switzerland, it's illegal to flush your toilet past 10:00 p.m. or mow your lawn on Sunday, but it's perfectly legal to kill yourself. At times, Weiner even cited some rather interesting research studies that he reviewed in an attempt to determine what made some individuals (and their countries) happy; for instance: * Several studies have found that unemployed people in Europe are significantly less happy than people with jobs, even though the laid-off workers still receive the equivalent of a full salary, thanks to the generous welfare system. This inconvenient fact pokes holes at notions that the good life is a languid one. In fact, researchers have found that people who are too busy are happier than those who are not busy enough. In other words, the playwright Noel Coward got it right when he observed that interesting work is "more fun than fun." Weiner seemed to have had an interesting time while writing THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS . . . I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of visits with local residents, many of whom he interviewed for sizable portions of his book. D. Every time I read a book by Ann Rule, I think that she has found the creepiest individual to write about . . . and that she couldn't possibly find anybody more despicable. Then, when I see something else she has written, I find that I'm wrong . . . she keeps finding other vile murderers out there . . . that's certainly the case with her latest effort, TOO LATE TO SAY GOOD BYE, in which the story is told of Dr. Bart Corbin--a dentist who seemingly had it all. Yet when his current wife is found murdered, things begin to fall apart for him . . . and they get worse when it is discovered that the dentist's former girlfriend was murdered in a similar fashion some 14 years before. What makes this particular story so chilling is the fact that the story is complicated by the fact that there had been another lover in the picture . . . I don't want to ruin the suspense for you, so I'll just tell you that TOO LATE will hold your attention from the very first page until the very end. I was fortunate to have heard the book on CD, an experience that was enhanced by the narration of Tony-winning actress Karen Ziemba. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. Guilty pleasure department: Catch the return of MILLIONAIRE MATCHMAKER on Thursdays at 10 p.m. on BRAVO . . . Patti Stanger counsels the rich-in-money-but-poor-in-moves types . . . among her tips for surviving Valentine's Day was this one: "No working late that night. Take time to shower and shave before your date, which mill make you a yummy aphrodisiac. Oh, and for God's sake, turn off your cellphone!" B. How could you go wrong by watching SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT 2009? It airs on Friday at 11:30 p.m. on TNT. C. Sarah McLachian performs some of her greatest hits on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS on Saturday at 9 p.m. on PBS . . . because PBS times and dates sometimes vary, check local listings. D. EASTBOUND AND DOWN premieres on Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on HBO . . . it stars Danny McBride (so funny in both TROPIC THUNDER and PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) as a destitute ex-ballplayer who returns to his North Carolina hometown to teach phys. ed. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 6. The rest of the story A young cowboy from Wyoming goes off to college. Half way through the semester, he has foolishly squandered all his money. He calls home. "Dad," he says, "You won't believe what modern education is developing! They actually have a program here in Laramie that will teach our dog, Ol' Blue how to talk!" "That's amazing," his Dad says. "How do I get Ol' Blue in that program?" "Just send him down here with $1,000" the young cowboy says. "I'll get him in the course." So, his father sends the dog and $1,000. About two-thirds of the way through the semester, the money again runs out. The boy calls home. "So how's Ol' Blue doing son?" his father asks. "Awesome, Dad, he's talking up a storm," he says, "but you just won't believe this--they've had such good results, they have now started to teach the animals how to read!" "Read!?" says his father, "No kidding! How do we get Blue in that program?" "Just send $2,500, I'll get him in the class." The money promptly arrives. But our hero has a problem. At the end of the year, his father will find out the dog can neither talk, nor read. So he shoots the dog. When he arrives home at the end of the year, his father is all excited. "Where's Ol' Blue? I just can't wait to see him read something and talk!" "Dad," the boy says, "I have some grim news. Yesterday morning, just before we left to drive home, Ol' Blue was in the living room, kicked back in the recliner, reading THE WALL STREET JOURNAL like he usually does. Then he turned to me and asked, "So, is your daddy still messing' around with that little redhead who lives in town?" The father exclaimed, "I hope you shot that son of a bi*ch before he talks to your Mother!" "I sure did, Dad!" "That's my boy!" The kid went on to be a successful lawyer, and he then went on to become the Governor of Illinois. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. If you are looking to find information on salaries, ratings and reviews posted anonymously by employees, please click: http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm
Viewers can find some 18,000 companies listed . . . of particular interest to me: the first annual Employees' Choice Awards for Best Places to Work . . . General Mills was Number One. B. Remember the game FAMILY FEUD? To play a version online, please click: http://community.games.com/launch.jsp?rkey=1439&privateRoom=&playNow=1&returnFromLogin=1 You have the option to play by yourself or with others . . . and if you enjoy playing, you can even download the whole version. C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net If you have radio, TV or cable contacts in the Asheville area, please be advised that I'm looking at the possibility of hosting another public affairs-type show (along the lines of what I've done in the past) . . . for more information on my background, please click "Radio Show" to the left . . . and if you know anybody who might be able to use my service, I'd be most appreciative if you would forward any contacts. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip Last week, I mentioned about how to easily access websites you frequently visit; e.g., by dragging them to your toolbar. You are somewhat limited as to the number of such websites you can include by the fact that there's only so much room . . . so to include even more, abbreviate them by right-clicking your mouse and choosing the rename option. So, for example on my browser, Amzn = Amazon, BCCC = Bucks County Community College, etc. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 9. You know it's 2009 because . . . 1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave. 2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years. 3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three. 4. You email the person who works at the desk next to you. 5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have email addresses. 6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries. 7. Every commercial on television has a website at the bottom of the screen. 8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it. 10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee. 11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : ) 12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing. 13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message. 14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list. 15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like Ten years from now, you'll laugh at whatever's stressing you out today. So why not laugh now?--Tony Robbins, American self-help writer and motivational speaker Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day The Law of the Garbage Truck I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. We are very happy to announce that on February 12 , we'll be celebrating Valentine's Day with a PARTY IN PINK to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation with SARAR's 2nd Fashion Show. It will be at the Arena in New York City (135 W 41 Street). One day before the official opening of Fashion Week, you will be able to sneak a peek of SARAR's summer and fall collection. We also would like to announce a special appearance by Miss USA 2008, Crystle Stewart, who supports the campaign for breast cancer awareness. Time: Door opens at 7 p.m.; Fashion Show begins at 8:30 p.m. Dress code: Men: BLACK or GRAY; Women: PINK in any shade or BLACK. Entertainment by 4 European DJs. Tickets: $10 in advance/$20 at the door. You can call 646.705.0115 to reserve your tickets. B. If you missed the chance to get a FREE breakfast at Denny's, here's a second opportunity--this time sponsored by IKEA . . . go to most any store from Feb. 13-16, anytime before 10:30 a.m. . . . for the coupon that you'll need, please click: http://info.ikea-usa.com/seizethedays/ C. High Voltage Chanting at the Princeton Center for Yoga & Health on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. 2 for the price of 1; save $10. Join Swami Gandharva and the AstroTheology Vibration party! Electrify your soul in this celebratory ceremony of the spirit as you chant the ancient sound vibrations of gods and goddesses, the sun, moon and all the planets! Come and chant at the top of your lungs and dance your head off! Swami G and friends will rock your spiritual world! Register by clicking: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=I6raa&m=1e.T1DOGENourH&b=uyJ0Mh0SIS_PO4.9x8vKww
D. At Bucks County Community College in Newtown, PA: The Negro Baseball Leagues: An American Legacy Tues., Feb. 24 12:30 p.m.in Penn 259 Stories, tales and Negro Leagues history, along with film clips of interviews from an upcoming documentary. _________________________________________________________ PS. Don't forget that Valentine's Day is Saturday . . . to see if you would have been the perfect date in another decade, please click: http://www.history.com/content/valentine/game-dating-through-the-ages 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! 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. |
