D. Personally, I received good news when I heard my sabbatical
proposal for next spring was approved by the Bucks County Community
College's Board of Trustees . . . my plan is to run two smoke cessation
programs on campus, as well as two at an off-campus location
in conjunction with the BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES.

As noted in Dean Annette Conn's analysis to the Board, "Professor
Greenfield's proposal, that is, to market smoking cessation, is
directly related to his teaching discipline at Bucks. He did, in fact,
run a successful program on campus last year, as the testimonial
letters affirm. Since Bucks is in the process of exploring a smoke
free campus, this activity will assist our students and employees
in complying with changed conditions. It will also be a learning
experience in marketing and implementing a marketing plan. One
attractive aspect of this proposal is that the program should be
replicable by other individuals or organizations for future use on
the campus. Helping College community members stop smoking
is also, as Professor Greenfield points out, a valuable end in itself."

***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****
This week, it goes to Megan Chavis--an employee of AnimMall
Pet Adoption center in Morrisville, NC.

Cynthia and I met Megan when we were shopping at the Morrisville
Outlet Mall . . . we sort of wandered into her store and became
immediately interested in the concept behind it . . . to quote
from the literature that was out on display:

AniMall is a mall-based pet adoption center, located in the
Morrisville Mall near RDU. Local animal shelters and rescues hold
adoption events in AniMall to find forever homes for their
adoptable animals.

AniMall is welcome to all pets that need homes. We feature
dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, hamsters, gerbils, and
reptiles.

When we went, several adorable cats were the featured
animals . . . they stay in the store for a few weeks and if not
adopted, go back to their foster homes . . . and isn't that a
neat concept? (You can "try" out a pet, and if it isn't for you,
you can easily return it.)

We were especially impressed by the love Megan had for
all the animals at the Center . . . she also was most gracious,
taking quite some time to explain the concept and then
allowing us the opportunity to interact with the cats.

For more information, please click:
http://www.animall.org

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2. FYI

According to Timothy Ferris in THE FOUR-HOUR WORKWEEK (see
also Sections 4C, 10 and 11), probably most of us are busier than
we need to be . . . to help simplify things, he suggests the following 
technique:

Check email twice per day, once at 12:00 noon or just prior to lunch,
and again at 4:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. are times that ensure you
will have the most responses from previously sent email. Never check
e-mail first thing in the morning. Instead, complete your most important
task before 11:00 am to avoid using lunch or reading email as a
postponement excuse.

FYI, part 2

* Debby in New Jersey:
When you sent me the easy way to stop smoking book for my friend,
you asked that I update you on her progress. So here goes . . .
 
I gave Amy the book before Christmas, but told her she didn't have
to start reading it until after the holidays. In January, when I asked
her about it, she said she hadn't started because she was in the
middle of another book. I reminded her she only had to commit
to reading one chapter a night and that she wasn't to stop smoking. 

Two weeks later, when she started the book, she called me. She couldn't
thank me enough for giving it to her. She was a third of the way through
and couldn't wait to stop smoking. When I saw her a few days later,
she was half-way through and was down from 20 cigarettes a day to 4. 
By the next week, she had finished the book and thrown the rest
of her cigarettes in a dumpster. 

She was so excited, felt great and free and that new opportunities would
open up to her as a result of no longer being a smoker. She has gotten
her sense of smell back but always feels hungry and has gained 10
pounds. She is coming up on her three-week smoke-free landmark,
supposedly an important one according to the book. 
 
I am so excited for Amy. Her mother had been a smoker and died
of lung cancer when only in her 50s. Amy also has the build and
stature of women susceptible to osteoporosis. She is in her late 40s
and had never even tried to stop smoking before despite knowing
of the health risks. Now she wants to give the book to friends
who have stopped smoking but are miserable without their cigarettes.
 
Thank you so much for making this book available.

THE OFFER REMAINS:
If you'd like a FREE copy of THE EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING
by Allen Carr--sent with my compliments--just send an email to
my assistant Bridget: hughesbr@bucks.edu . . . put STOP SMOKING
BOOK in the subject line . . . in the body of your email, include
your name, snail mail address, email address, and phone numbers . . . I
only ask that you did what Debby did; i.e., keep me informed
of your progress.

Please only request the above if you're willing to read at least
one short chapter per night . . . by the same token, do the same
if you're requesting a copy for somebody else . . . it only works
if there's a real commitment to give the book a shot.

* Shai in Pennsylvania: 
I hope you continue to experiment with and enjoy South Asian Cuisine.
Glad you had a good experience recently!

OFFERS AND/OR REQUESTS FROM READERS: 
* Jean in Pennsylvania:
March 1,  3 to 7 p.m.: Ukrainian Dinner (eat in or take out)

Dinner ($8 eat in/$8.50 take out) includes: 

1 Holubschi (stuffed cabbage), 2 pyrohy (potato/cheese), kielbasa with
sauerkraut, rye bread, beverage, and dessert.

A la Carte items are also available, including all of the foods above plus
holushki (buttered noodles) and pyrohy (sauerkraut).

St.  Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church in the Activities Center
1545 Easton Road, Warring ton, PA  

Contact for more information: Helene , 215.343.3948; or
Gretchen, 215.343-2714.

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3. Spelling test

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell "crocodile?"

GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L

TEACHER: No, that's wrong

GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.

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4. Reviews

A. I liked DEFINITELY, MAYBE because it is a romantic comedy/
chick flick that any guy can enjoy, too . . . it's also different
than other such films because there's no "set" formula;
i.e., you can't predict every joke as it's happening . . . in fact,
there aren't even a lot of scenes that make you laugh out loud;
rather, you'll find yourself smiling about the tale of a 30-something
Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce who is trying to explain
to his 10-year-old daughter about what his life was before
marriage . . . the premise is just a tad bit convoluted, yet that
did not stop me from enjoying myself . . . Ryan Reynolds
and Abigail Breslin are believable as the father and daughter,
and I also liked the work of all the women (Elizabeth Banks,
Isla Fisher and Rachel Weisz) in his life . . . rated PG-13.

B. You'd think I would learn . . . I didn't like writer-director Noah
Baumach's Oscar-nominated THE SQUID AND WHALE; his
follow-up, MARGOT THE WEDDING was even worse--or at least
what I saw of it . . . it's a supposedly funny and honest dissection
of family life, starring Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and
Jack Black (in I think the only thing he's ever been in that did not
make me laugh) . . . I was so bored with it that I stopped watching
after about 20 minutes . . . it's now out on DVD; miss it . . . rated R.

You'd be much better served to rent BREAKING AWAY, a delightful
coming-of-age comedy about a rivalry between townies and college
kids . . . it stars many actors soon to be famous, including Dennis
Quaid and Daniel Stern . . . in particular, I thought Paul Dooly as
the father was absolutely fantastic . . . he had me laughing in every
scene he was in, including this one featuring just a sample of the
smart dialogue that's throughout the film:

Dad: What is this?
Mom: It's sauteed zucchini.
Dad: It's I-tey food. I don't want no I-tey food.
Mom: It's not. I got it at the A&P. It's like . . . squash.
Dad: I know I-tey food when I hear it! It's all them "eenie"
foods . . . zucchini . . . and linguini . . . and fettuccine. I want some
American food, dammit! I want French fries!

Steve Teisch, the director, won the Oscar for Best Screenplay
written directly for the screen . . . rated PG.

C. The premise behind the book's title had me looking forward
to reading THE FOUR-HOUR WORKWEEK (see also Sections
2, 10 and 11) by Timothy Ferris . . . just imagine if that was
possible!

After reading the book, I'm not sure that it is--but it certainly
would be fun trying . . . and even if I couldn't quite get there,
I do plan to make use of some of the many fine ideas that
the author suggests . . . such as this one, dealing with
the best time to make calls to people:

* When I was in data storage sales, my first gig out of college, I
realized that most cold calls didn't get to the intended person for
one reason: gatekeepers. If I simply made all my calls from 8:00-8:30
a.m. and 6:00-6:30 p.m., for a total of one hour, I was able to avoid
secretaries and book more  than twice as many meetings as the
senior sales executives who called from 9-5. In other words, I got twice
the results for 1/8 the time.

I also liked and plan to try someday this technique for packing
when traveling:

* The overpacking impulse is hard to resist. The solution is to set what I
call a "settled fund."  Rather than pack for all contingencies, I bring the
absolute minimum and allocate $100-300 for purchasing things after I
arrive and as I travel. I no longer take toiletries or more than a week's
worth of clothing. It's a blast. Finding shaving cream or a dress shirt
overseas can produce an adventure in and of itself.

Lastly, THE FOUR-HOUR WORKWEEK got me to think--always
a good sign that a book is making an impact . . . I had never
quite thought about it, but Ferris is definitely right when he contends:

* People don't want to be millionaires--they want to experience what
they believe only millions can buy. Ski chalets, butlers, and exotic travel
often enter the picture. Perhaps rubbing cocoa butter on your belly in a
hammock while you listen to waves rhythmically lapping against the
deck of your thatched-roof bungalow? Sounds nice.

I'm not quite sure that last activity would be my first choice of the
things that I'd like to do with my life, but I must admit that
it opened me up to many other such possibilities!

D. Heard the taped version of THE KENNEDYS: AN AMERICAN
DREAM by Peter Collier and David Horowitz.

This was a controversial NEW YORK TIMES bestseller when
it was published in 1984, and I can see why . . . it tells the
story of a dysfunctional family over three generations, centering
around the elder Joseph Kenney and his wife Rose Fitzgerald . . . it then
moves on to tell how his sons Jack and Bobby moved into the
limelight via their careers in elected politics . . . and the book
concludes with an account of Teddy's troubles, as well as those
of the younger Kennedy children.

Along the way there was adultery, drug usage (particularly by
Jack during his presidency), alcoholism, and a variety of characters
who mostly come across as not very lovable . . . perhaps only Lem
Billings, JFK's best friend and subsequent family advisor, comes
across in any sort of favorable light.

My main criticism of THE KENNEDYS had to do with the last
part . . . many of the younger Kennedys were portrayed in a negative
fashion and though they may have had their difficulties while in
school, several settled down and went on to careers in public
service . . . consequently, I could have done without some
of the dirt that seems to have been found.

Yet that is probably what gives this book its appeal, so I'd
recommend it if you want both the good and the bad about the
Kennedy family . . . in addition, the narration by Joseph
Campanella was outstanding and added to my enjoyment
of listening to this tale about a dynasty that had to face
so much tragedy over the years.

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5. TV alert

A. "Company," Stephen Sondheim's Tony-winning Broadway
gem, is on GREAT PERFORMANCES on Wednesday at 9 p.m.
on PBS . . . check local listings because the time and date
may vary in your city.

B. I'll watch AMNESIA, NBC's new game show, if for no other
reason than to see how Dennis Miller handles the hosting
responsibilities . . . also, I liked his response in TV GUIDE when
he was asked to give an idea of a question: "We blindfolded
[a contestant], who had said something akin to '[my] mother
makes the best shepherd's pie.' And then [we] wheel out five
shepherd's pies and they have to taste them, with their mom
standing behind the one [she cooked]." . . . Fridays at 9 p.m.

C. HISTORY OF THE JOKE has Lewis Black hosting a
documentary that searches for the best joke . . . comics
George Carlin, Robin Williams and Kathy Griffin are among
those interviewed . . . Saturday at 10 p.m. on HISTORY;
repeated on Sunday at 2 a.m.

D. Jon Stewart hosts THE 80TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS
on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on ABC . . . my hope is "Falling Slowly"
from the movie ONCE captures the Original Song statue.

AND JUST IN CASE:
I don't get out the next issue before this coming Monday,  don't miss
A RAISIN IN THE SUN . . . Lorraine Hansberry's historic 1959 play about
a Chicago family striving to rise above tenement life stars Phylicia
Rashad, Sean Combs, Sanaa Lathan, and Audra McDonald--all
reprising their roles from Broadway's Tony-winning 2004
revival . . . Monday, February 25, at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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6. Tough gig

A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience
would be different each week, so the magician allowed himself to do the
same tricks over and over again.

There was only one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows each week
and began to understand how the magician did every trick. Once he
understood, he started shouting in the middle of the show:

"Look, it's not the same hat"

"Look, he is hiding the flowers under the table"

"Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades ?"

The magician was furious but couldn't do anything; it was, after all, the
captain's parrot.

One day the ship had an accident and sank. The magician found himself on a
piece of wood in the middle of the ocean with the parrot, of course.

They stared at each other with hate, but did not utter a word. This went
on for a day and another and another.

After a week the parrot said: "OK, I give up. Where's the boat?" 

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7. Websites

A. If you'd like to see a YouTube for ideas, please click:

http://www.bigthink.com/

It mixes interviews with public intellectuals from a variety of fields, ranging
from politics to law to business, and it allows users to engage in debates
on issues like global warning  and the two-party system.

B. There is now a website that enables citizens to thank those
who are fighting for our country overseas . . . to access it, please click:
http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

The message is quite powerful; i.e., we all need to say thank you to these
brave men and women.

C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view
it, please click:
http://www.blainesworld.net

If you'd like to see my opinion on books that I've read or head
on tape, click "Blaine's Best" to the left, then the second
paragraph under letter "O."

THANKS to the efforts of readers, I'm now #348 on the list
of amazon.com's top reviewers . . . if you'd like to help me
move up, please click:
http://www.amazon.com

Then at the Search option at the top, find any book I've recently
reviewed; e.g.., THE EDUCATION OF AN ACCIDENTAL CEO
by David Novak . . . look to the right to find my review (it is
probably near the top) . . . if you found it helpful, click "YES"
when asked that question . . . that's it!

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8. Computer tip

Last week, I mentioned the need to be careful when using a public
computer; e.g., in checking your mail from a library, at a Kinko's,
etc. . . . here's something else that you should ALWAYS do: delete
your Cookies (computer-generated copies of websites you've
visited) . . . to do so, open a new Web browser page and select
"Tools" from the top of the toolbar and then "Internet options" . .  .under
the "Temporary Internet Files" selection, click "Delete Cookies."

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9. 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."

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10. A quote I like

Service to me is simple: doing something that improves life besides your
own. . . . Service isn't limited to saving lives or the environment either. It
can also improve life. If you are a musician and put a smile on the faces
of thousands or millions, I view that as service. If you are a mentor and
change the life of one child for the better, the world has been
improved.--Timothy Ferris in THE FOUR-HOUR WORKWEEK (see
also Sections 2, 4C and 11)

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11. Thought for the day

Emphasize Strengths, Don't fix Weaknesses.

Most people are good at a handful of things and utterly miserable at most.
I am great at product creation and marketing but terrible at most of the
things that follow.

My body is designed to lift heavy objects and throw them, and that's it. I
ignored this for a long time. I tried swimming and looked like a drowning
monkey. I tried basketball and looked like a caveman. Then I became a
fighter and took off.

It is far more lucrative and fun to leverage your strengths instead of
attempting to fix all the chinks in your armor. The choice is between
multiplication of results using strengths or incremental improvement
fixing weaknesses that will, at best, become mediocre. Focus on better
use of your weapons instead of constant repair.

SOURCE:
THE FOUR-HOUR WORKWEEK (see also Sections 2, 4C and 10), a
book by Timothy Ferris that I REALLY liked as evidenced by the fact
that this is now the fourth time I have cited it in this week's missive

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12. Advance planning department

A. CORRECTION FROM LAST WEEK:
Bonnie in Pennsylvania:
I must have really had one bad proof reading day when I emailed
the info on Mudcat Moan.
 
The date is February 23, 2008. I have no idea how that happened
except for a slip of the fingers on the keyboard.
 
Thanks for the listing. Hopefully, if anyone is interested, he or she
will check the website and see the correct date.

MY TWO CENTS:
Mistakes do happen . . . as I've previously said, I personally am an
enthusiastic typist, just not a very akkkkkurate one . . . what follows
is the correct listing:

Mudcat Moan
February 23, 2008
7 p.m. until 12:00 a.m.
Line dance lessons start at 7 p.m.
31 E. Cleveland Avenue, Morrisville, PA 19067
We will provide soda, ice tea, water, ice and snacks available with
admission; $7 per person. Anything else you must supply yourself.  

For tickets, call 267.987.5433; for more information about the band,
please click:
http://www.mudcatmoan.com

B. Natalie in Pennsylvania:
Dr. Emil Matarese will be speaking on "The Power To End Stroke." This
will take place on Tuesday, February 26, from 12:30–1:30 p.m. in
Founders 141 at the main Newtown campus of Bucks County
Community College.

According to Dr. Matarese, "This will be a presentation on the high risk
of stroke that faces all African-Americans, regardless of their age. 
Between the ages of 35-54, an African-American male has a four
times greater risk of stroke when compared to a white male. Even young
women are at risk, especially if they smoke or take birth control pills. 
We must learn to recognize the signs of stroke so that emergency
treatment can be offered in an attempt to reverse the devastation
of this disease." 

C. Lorraine in New Jersey:
On February 29, , The NJ Small Business Development Center(SBDC)
at the College of New Jersey will host BOOMERS and BEYOND: Work
Matters Over 60. Co-sponsored by the Mercer County Office on Aging,
Experience Works, Senior Living Institute, and the Mercer County Office
for the Disabled, the program will include networking and panel discussions
showcasing the turnabout of retirement for economic benefits.

This is a great opportunity for us to showcase not only our center's efforts
in developing a Center of Learning for Senior Entrepreneurs but also all the
phenomenal resource programs available for seniors and employers",
shares Lorraine Allen, SBDC Regional Director.

The morning program will include a panel discussion of resource providers
as well as a panel discussion of seniors working it . . . both in companies
they started after 60 or employment they have sustained or secured.
seniors interested in business, businesses interested in seniors and service
providers for both seniors and business should attend for networking.

A SPECIAL RECOGNITION Award will be given to East Windsor's Lisa
Gable, LG Accessories, 85, Featured in Inc’s “8 Over 80”, FoxNews New
Jersey for Outstanding Older Worker Award Winner by Experience Works,
Washington, DC.

To register, please contact: sbdc@tcnj.edu; 609-771-2947 or click:

http://www.tcnj.edu/sbdc

D. FREE CONTEST GIVEAWAY (continues):
Due to the popularity of past contests, I'd again like to extend an invitation
to some lucky reader(s) to be my guest at the "Meet the Author" Business
Seminar on March 12, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. in the Library Auditorium
at Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA.

Best-selling author Lisa Ford is the featured speaker of the 5th annual
"Meet the Author" Business Seminar at Bucks County Community College.
Her presentation, Exceptional Customer Service--Going Beyond Your Good
Service to Exceed the Customer's Expectation, is based on Lisa's
best-selling video training program.  

To be eligible for the FREE TICKETS, submit your name by February
25 via email to my assistant: hughesbr@bucks.edu . . . in the subject
line, put these words: FREE TICKETS . . . in the body of your email,
include this information: your name, how many tickets you would
want (1 or 2), email address, snail mail address, and phone
number . . . I'll then let you know if you're a winner on or before
March 5.

Should you want to guarantee a seat or have your company purchase
ticket(s) for you, here's the information that you will need:

Individual tickets: $50 or take advantage of a $495 corporate sponsorship
and receive 10 tickets, reserved seating and the opportunity to promote
your organization.

To reserve your seats today for this engaging seminar, call 215.968.8224 or
to order tickets safely and securely online, please click:

https://www.bucks.edu/meettheauthor.php

_________________________________________________________

PS. Happy President's Day to you and yours . . . it is a federal holiday
in the United States and is celebrated on the third Monday of February;
i.e., the 18th this month . . . although it has become a great weekend
for sales, especially on cars, it was originally designed to recognize
Washington's Birthday . . . to learn more about George Washington,
please click:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gw1.html

Or also:
http://familyinternet.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=familyinternet&cdn=parenting&tm=442&gps=265_474_796_398&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.mountvernon.org/

If you'd like to learn more about any of the other Presidents, please click:
http://familyinternet.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=familyinternet&cdn=parenting&tm=73&gps=132_541_796_398&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/  
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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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