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BLAINESWORLD
#646
2.16.2009 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Gone fishing 4. Reviews . . . FROST/NIXON etc. 5. TV alert 6. Childbirth at 65 (Yes, you heard about it first here!) 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. New job 10. A quote I like 11. Thought for the day 12. Advance planning department _________________________________________________________ 1. Reflections A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I spent some more time apart . . . but this time, it was not me who was traveling . . . rather, Cynthia went to New Jersey to see friends . . . and to surprise her sister Joyce on her birthday . . .. see below for a picture of (l-r) her niece Rachel, Joyce, Joyce's husband Marty and as you can see for yourself, my beautiful bride:  It also marked the first time that we were apart on Valentine's Day since we met over five years ago . . . hopefully, it will be the last! B. By myself, I did get to see an excellent play: THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED . . . it's the story about an actor, his agent, a hustler and the hustler's girlfriend . . . when the actor and hustler become involved in a physical relationship, the agent is concerned that what she describes as a "slight recurring case of homosexuality" will hurt her client's career . . . Joan Atwood, David Ely, Adam Kampouris and Jamie Shell all shined in their roles. THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED runs until February 28 . . . it can be seen at 35below in Asheville, NC . . . for more information, please click: http://www.ashevilletheatre.org/ C. PLEASE HELP DEPARTMENT: My sabbatical project is underway . . . as such, I'm looking for 100 people who want to quit smoking. Please share the following information with any of your friends, relatives, students, etc. who could attend three one-hour sessions in Bucks County, PA: Quit Smoking! The Women's Center of Bucks County Community College, in conjunction with the Bucks County Courier Times & The Intelligencer, will be offering a series of FREE seminars to anybody who wishes to quit smoking. Do sign-up if you plan to quit smoking. This is not something we want you to try. It is something we want you to do. And we are confident that you will! There is only room for 25 participants at each of the seminars. So sign-up will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each seminar involves three one-hour sessions. You're expected to attend each of these sessions. Bucks County Comm. College, Newtown 6:30 p.m. each night . . . April 7, April 21, May 5 Sessions to feature a discussion of the book, THE EASY WAY TO QUIT SMOKING. Bucks County Comm. College, Newtown 8 p.m. each night . . . April 7, April 21, May 5 Sessions to feature hypnotherapy. The Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown 6:30 p.m. each night . . . April 9, April 23, May 7 Sessions to feature a discussion of the book, THE EASY WAY TO QUIT SMOKING. The Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown 8 p.m. each night . . . April 9, April 23, May 7 Sessions to feature hypnotherapy. To register or for more information: Call Bridget Hughes at 215.968.8254 or via email at Iplan2quit@aol.com. D. Barbara in Pennsylvania emailed me about a joke that ran in last week's issue: " . . . and I want to have sex with your 14-year-old daughter." Blaine, is this supposed to be funny? With the escalation of sex offenders in our country, children abductions and abuse, sex among teens, and teen pregnancies, this is really inappropriate and not funny. Is it because you are male or just insensitive? Please be conscientious and aware of what you are sending out there. Examine your motives. There is absolutely no excuse. MY TWO CENTS: Barbara's insightful comments got me thinking about a movie that Cynthia and I once saw, THE ARISTOCRATS . . . it is a documentary about the world's dirtiest joke as told by many comedians . . . at the time, Cynthia found it very offensive (and was even upset with me for liking the film) . . . she has since modified her thinking to the point where we even get a laugh out of thinking about it. Humor can be tough; i.e., in trying to determine what is and isn't offensive . . . the joke that Barbara refers to had to do with a lawyer being visited by the Devil. I was not trying to offend, but that said, if I offended Barbara or anybody else, please accept my apologies. I will also tell you what I told her: My motives are to entertain, inform and even get people to think at times. ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Charessa Scott--shipping coordinator with FedEx Kinko's in Princeton, NJ. I recently went to her store to get some stuff shipped to North Carolina . . . she helped me choose the best way to ship it and then sold me the materials to do the packaging myself (thus saving me money). Now I don't consider myself as one of the world's greatest packers, but with Charessa's encouragement, I was able to get the job done . . . I also appreciated her pleasant way of being. FURTHERMORE: FedEx Kinko's provides a great service to folks, especially those who are moving . . . we used the firm when we moved and doing so gave us a lot more flexibility with respect to using things until our very last day in New Jersey . . . I'll also be doing the same thing when I pack up to move from my temporary location in Pennsylvania . . it's a lot easier than lugging and paying for extra suitcases. For more information, please click: http://www.fedexkinkos.com Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI In last week's issue, I mentioned how Cynthia and I are starting to find new doctors, dentists, etc. in the area . . . something else we do to find them takes place after we find a professional we like . . . we then ask that individual for somebody that he or she uses . . . our thinking is that if our doctor uses somebody, we can't go too far wrong with that recommendation. FYI, part 2 The responses still keep coming on how to best deal with canker sores . . . though I probably won't run any more after this week, I thought you'd like to see the following: * Ken in New York: Some of your readers may be confusing canker sores with cold sores. A canker sore is an ulcer of the mouth best treated topically. (I suggested Glyoxide). A cold sore, which seemed to be described by many, is Herpes Simplex and Abreva is as good as any of the products over the counter (but costly as stated--about $18 for a tiny tube). Famvir is a great Rx. It will help with the discomfort and speed the healing. Lysine is a good amino acid to take for cold sore prevention as well, but should be taken on a daily basis--not when the outbreak arrives and is probably useful in preventing canker sores as well. * Jeanne in Pennsylvania: I followed the link that Bob in NJ gave you and found this [additional information about the difference between cold sores and canker sores]: http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/cold_sores.htm#What_is_the_difference_between_Canker_sores_and_Coldsores * John in Pennsylvania [with an informative link, extolling the virtues of Vitamin B12]: http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2009/0213_Vitamin-B12-Helps-Prevent-Canker-Sores.htm?source=eNewsLetter2009Wk7-2&key=Article&l=0#article * Jerry in North Carolina: Canker sores getting you down? Seeing stars when citric juice hit that darn canker? I've been there. Here's a remedy that I think really works wonders: There are two parts. First of all, a canker sore means that there is an internal imbalance. Part 1. I use Lysine, no, not Listerine. Lysine, it's a free form amino acid. You can get it at any health food store. I usually use the Solgar 1000 mg. Take two at least three times a day. Symptoms should go away in about two days or so. The second part. Also, in addition to the internal remedy (a must-do), you should do this awesome mouth wash: Forget those over-the-counter remedies, they suck. Get some Tea Tree Oil (the Australian branded one, I just can't think of the name right now). Use about 10 to 12 drops in a 1/4 glass of water. (Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic. It can sting, so make sure you don't get any in your eyes.). Also, get Lavender essential oil (organic if possible), and mix in about 10 or so drops with the Tea Tree oil in that 1/4 glass of water. Take your new antiseptic mouthwash and swish it around your mouth and spit it out. It may not have the best taste because of Tea Tree oil. Do that a few times a day. This mouthwash will help kill the bacteria that is helping to foster an environment for the canker to survive in. In a sense, it helps create a more alkaline environment in your mouth. Personal case study: Some years ago, Julie was very ill and was hospitalized. During her illness, her immune system was quite compromised and she had about a dozen or more canker sores in her mouth. She used this remedy, and the canker sores literally fell out of her mouth when she rinsed with this specific mouthwash. Within ONE DAY her mouth improved by about 80 percent. By the end of the week, they were all gone. I think those two remedies will really help. And, when you ever get the nearest inkling of onset of a canker sore onset,start with the Lysine. It will shut it down immediately. * Cathy in Pennsylvania: The best product that I have found to take the pain away from canker sores and to get them to end quickly is Peroxyl. It is a peroxide mouth wash. I think Colgate makes it. You swish it around in your mouth, and it takes the soreness away and shortens the duration of the sore. * Joyce in California: I must have missed reading last week's edition. I did not read your section on canker sores. I used to get them. The doctor I was working for told me that at the first sign of tingling, I should take Ibuprofen 200 mg, Take one every four hours. He said it will suppress the virus, and you won't get any sores. It worked for me. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Gone fishing Two guys are fishing in a boat under a bridge. One looks up and sees a funeral procession starting across the bridge. He stands up, takes off his cap and bows his head. The procession crosses the bridge and the man puts on his cap, picks up his rod and reel, and continues fishing. The other guy says, "That was touching. I didn't know you had it in you." The first guy responds, "Well, I guess it was the thing to do . . . after all, I was married to her for 40 years." Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. I saw FROST/NIXON, in part, because I wanted to have seen all the top picture nominations before Sunday's Academy Awards show . . . I left with the feeling that the film was well-deserving of much of the critical praise it has received. Frank Langella, who won a Tony for his portrayal of Nixon on stage, was magnificent as the disgraced president who tries to save his legacy via series of interviews with British journalist Frost (portrayed by Michael Sheen in an equally impressive performance) . . . director Ron Howard also deserves kudos for making sure the film never dragged . . . I also liked the fact that it was surprisingly funny in spots. Rated R, though I'm not really quite sure why . . . it would certainly be appropriate for any mature teenager. B. FLASH OF GENIUS is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #627 follows: Imagine watching a movie about the inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper . . . if you can, give FLASH OF GENIUS a shot . . . it is the true-life story of Robert Kearns, a man whose 1960s invention became the standard for every car . . . yet Ford tried to steal it from him . . . production values aren't the best (it appears to have been shot on a very low budget), but the David vs. Goliath story is an inspiring one . . . Greg Kinnear is excellent, as he almost always is, in the leading role . . . I also liked Alan Alda's work as one of his lawyers . . . rated PG-13. C. As a kid, I was never a big science fan . . . I've now become more interested in the subject and you will, too, if you read WHY A CURVEBALL CURVES--edited by Frank Vizard. This book is a collection of articles from POPULAR MECHANICS by such contributors as Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, Olympic swimming coach Bob Bowman and Buzz "The Shot Doctor" Graman . . . you'll learn how certain hockey players achieve greater speed on the ice, why swimming is all about reducing drag and even what Babe Ruth had to say about the mechanics of his home-run swing: * Coordination, that is perfect timing and harmony of action, is a great essential. You have got to develop rhythm and full utility of every muscle. My whole body goes with every swing. I swing right from the hips. And those who have seen me take a healthy sock at the ball know what I mean. With that coordination there is the fact that I assume that strength is behind it. Whatever your favorite sport is, you'll probably find it covered in this book . . . baseball, basketball, bowling, boxing, cycling, football, golf, hockey, running, skiing, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis all get covered in separate chapters, often accompanied by memorable photos. I often found out some surprising information; e.g., about the importance of the follow-through in golf: * Irrelevant. In truth, a golfer could release the club from his hands the moment after impact and it would make no difference—except, of course, to your playing partners, who might not appreciate having your eight-iron embedded between their shoulder blades. Still, a full release of your arms and torso, leading to a classic pose, with your belly button pointed to the target and your hands high above your front ear? Well, that always looks nice for the cameras. And then there was this passage about hockey's Wayne Gretzy that ended with one of my all-time favorite sports quotations: * By his own admission, Gretzky, who played most famously with the Edmonton Oilers as well as several other teams during the 1980s and 1990s, was not the strongest or fastest or most agile player on the ice even though he was named MVP of the National Hockey League nine times. What Gretzky did have was an ability that amounted to being able to see into the future and visualize what was going to happen in the next few seconds. In an article appearing in WIRED magazine, scientists working for the U. S. Olympic team and the Australian Institute of Sport concluded that skills like Gretzky’s come from an innate ability to intuitively translate physical cues dropped by opponents that are not apparent to most other athletes. Scientists are at work figuring out how this skill can be taught, but this type of perceptual training is still in its infancy. On the other hand, Gretzky may have just been following his father’s advice, given to him when he was a youngster: "Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." Methinks that's great advice for any sport . . . unfortunately, putting it into practice was never quite that simple--or at least not for me. D. You have to pay attention to a book dedicated to Wilbur and Orville Wright, "without whom air sickness would still be just a dream" . . . that certainly aught my attention, as did just about everything else in DAVE BARRY'S ONLY TRAVEL GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED. I particularly liked this guide's candor . . . as the author notes, "If I think a country is awful, I'm going to say so, even if I've never been to this country and know virtually nothing about it." Every time I read something else by Barry, I wonder if he can get any funnier . . . yet he somehow manages to keep me laughing with such observations as the following: The type of luggage you carry says a lot about you. For example, if you're carrying somebody else's luggage, it says you're a thief. If the security personnel do their job properly, they just might cause you to miss your plane, thereby possibly saving your life. As you parents know, a small child can go for weeks without going to the bathroom at home, but once you hit the road it becomes pretty much a full-time occupation. We have taken Robert's friends with us on numerous trips, and we have noted a phenomenon familiar to all parents, namely that you would have less conflict if you put the entire North and South Korean arms forces in your backseat, then you get with just two children. The official state motto of Alaska is "Brrrrrr!" We eat a lot on long trips because we feel our bodies are less likely to become bored if they can pass the time converting food into fat. I listened to a taped version of ONLY TRAVEL GUIDE, which was made even more enjoyable by the fact that Barry also served as the narrator . . . his wry sense of humor came through even more vividly than had I just read the book. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. RIGHT AMERICA, FEELING WRONG: SOME VOICES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, a documentary, airs on Thursday at 3 p.m. and repeats at 10 p.m. on HBO . . . it is journalist/filmmaker's Alexandra Pelosi first-person, cross-country snapshot of a group of conservative Americans who saw their hopes and dreams evaporate in the wake of the decisive Democratic victory in the 2008 Presidential election . . . for other dates and times, please click: http://www.hbo.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet?ACTION_DETAIL=DETAIL&FOCUS_ID=680932 B. MISTRESS, a British soap about four fetching females who bond and gossip and support each other, premieres on BBC AMERICA on Friday at 8 p.m. . . . the show is a "fun blend of the erotic and neurotic," according to TV GUIDE, "loopy with sexual tension and never so highbrow it can't indulge in a little low comedy.: C. Kevin Bacon stars in TAKING CHANCES on Saturday at 8 p.m.. on HBO . . . he plays a Marine who escorts home the body of a young hero killed in action in Iraq. D. Don't try to reach me Sunday night from 7 p.m. on to first watch THE BARBARA WALTERS SPECIAL on ABC . . . she'll be interviewing the Jonas Brothers, Academy Awards host Hugh Jackman, and nominees Anne Hathaway and Mickey Rourke . . . I'll then stay tuned to the same channel to watch the actual Awards. My hope is that Rourke takes the coveted statue for THE WRESTLER, and I'd like to see SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE win Best Picture. For information on all of the nominated films and performers, please click: http://www.oscar.com/nominees/index?pn=nominees#BestPictureNominationCategory Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Childbirth at 65 (Yes, you heard about it first here!) With all the new technology regarding fertility recently, a 65-year-old friend of mine was able to give birth. When she was discharged from the hospital and went home, I went to visit. "May I see the new baby?' I asked "Not yet,'" she said. "I'll make coffee and we can visit for a while first." Thirty minutes had passed, and I asked, "May I see the new baby now?'" "No, not yet," she said. After another few minutes had elapsed, I asked again, "May I see the baby now?" "No, not yet," replied my friend. Growing very impatient, I asked, "Well, when can I see the baby?" "When he cries," she told me. "WHEN HE CRIES?'"I demanded. "Why do I have to wait until he cries?" "BECAUSE I FORGOT WHERE I PUT HIM, Ok?" Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. TISSUE ALERT: Have a tissue--or a bunch--available when you click on this website: http://parentswish.com/site01/big.html Make sure your speakers are on! B. Have too much stress in your life? If so, please click: http://www.riversongs.com/greetings/stress.html It even comes with sound effects . . . and if you like, you have the option of emailing it for free to others. C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net THANKS to the efforts of Lori, my talented webmistress, several past issues of this newsletter have recently been posted . . . to view them, click "Newsletter" to the left and then "Past Issues." The fun part is to use the Search option at the top; e.g., to find a joke or quote on some random topic--such as inspiration . . . I did so and was able to revisit this oh-so-touching true from BLAINESWORLD #594: Insight At Saint Mary's Catholic Church they have a weekly husband's marriage seminar. At the session last week, the Priest asked Luigi, who was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman all these years. Luigi replied to the assembled husbands, "Well, I've a-tried to treat-a her nice, spend the money on her, but best is that I took-a her to Italy for the 20th anniversary!" The Priest responded, "Luigi, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th anniversary." Luigi proudly replied, "I'm a-gonna go and get her." Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip To analyze and improve the performance of your Windows-based PC, please click: http://www.PCPitStop.com For FREE, you can try out a product called Optimize . . . it identifies junk files, analyzes your Internet performance and browser settings, and recommends changes to speed up your Internet browsing. One downside: You'll probably have to view the site with an IE browser; it doesn't seem to work as well--if at all--if you use Firefox . . . in addition, you'll then be encouraged to buy products from the company that will help you correct any of the problems that are identified . . . there's nothing wrong with that, though there may be other products that do the job just as well for you at lesser or no cost. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 9. New job The drunk announced to the bartender, "It seems I've been informally named adviser on ’Sexual Matters’ at my company." "That sounds interesting. Does this mean you'll be counseling management on matters involving sexual harassment of secretaries?" "I'm not sure yet," he answered. "During a staff meeting, I popped up to suggest a reduction in executive expense accounts, and it was after that I was told if they ever wanted my f*ing advice, they'd let me know." Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.--Warren Buffett, American investor, business executive and philanthropist Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day When You Bury Me When you bury me, and bury me you must Bury my body but not my life Bury my feet, but not the road I traveled Bury my hands, but not the work I did with them Bury my eyes, but not my vision Bury my mouth, but not the truth I spoke Bury my heart, but not my love Bury my faults, my mistakes, my sins But don't bury my life Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Women’s History Month Eyewitness Series at Bucks County Community College (Tyler 142), Newtown, PA Events are FREE and open to all. Call 215.968.8015 or email kayen@bucks.edu to register. Mon, March 2: Women’s Liberation Movement Mon, March 9: Holocaust Wed, March 11: World War II – author Margaret George speaking and selling her book, WHEN WE WERE AT WAR Mon, March 23: Vietnam Wed, March 25: Civil Rights B. Thursday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. Michael Davis: Author of STREET GANG: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF SESAME STREET Discussion/Signing: Join us for a discussion and look back at the 40 years of Sesame Street with former TV Guide editor and local author Michael Davis. The development, rise, and enduring success of television's most influential children's show is a phenomenon that has not been equaled. Join us for this entertaining evening
for all ages! Princeton MarketFair Mall, 3535 US Route 1 South, Princeton, NJ Email CRM 2646@bn.com for details and registration. C. Cathy in Pennsylvania: We are discussing going to Washington on Saturday, March 21 for the March on the Pentagon. You can find more details about the event here: whttp://ww.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=M21_homepage We need to know how many people are considering going on the day long trip. We want to decide whether to rent a bus or vans. The cost if we rented a van should be around $15.00 $20 a person. If we need to rent a bus, it might be a bit more. If you think you might like to be a part of this event,please RSVP to: cfpabuxmont@aol.com so that we can get an approximate count
of how many people we need to arrange transportation for. _________________________________________________________ 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. |
