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BLAINESWORLD
#592
2.4.2008 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. The power of nonverbal communication 4. Reviews . . . MICHAEL CLAYTON, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Diversity 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. You know you're a Floridian if . . . , Part 2 of 2 10. A quote I like 11. Thought for the day 12. Advance planning department _________________________________________________________ 1. Reflections A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I met friends for dinner on Saturday at YaYa Noodles (609.921.8551) in Skillman, NJ . . . as always, the food there is quite good . . . however, the service is a whole different matter . . . it's adequate at best, and on this night, the place seemed to be too crowded for the diners on hand . . . so two different items we ordered did not come out as we had requested them. From there, we all went to the Princeton Center for Yoga & Health (609.924.7294)--also in Skillman . . . we saw David Brahinsky & Friends in the Center's annual winter concert: "Canadian Spirits," which featured the songs of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Stan Rogers . . . it was perhaps the best show I've ever had the pleasure of seeing David perform in, in part because I am a big fan of Cohen. However, what really made the evening for us was the fact that Sarah Houtz handled many of the vocals . . . she is a singer, originally trained in opera, that I've been following for several years . . . she keeps getting better, too. For more information, please click: http://switchedmusic.com/ B. On Sunday, we went with other friends to an Introduction to Hypnosis workshop . . . it was presented by Gary Gewant, and we found it both engaging and informative . . . Gary even hypnotized all those in attendance . . . for more information, please click:http://hyp4life.com/ I left thinking that this well might be something that I'll want to pursue in my next life; i.e., becoming a certified hypnotherapist after retirement next year from my teaching at Bucks County Community College. We then had dinner at The Cafe Metro in Denville, NJ . . . this is an attractive restaurant that serves up a variety of cuisines with a unique flare for organic and vegetarian fare . . . I liked my chicken with peanut sauce, and Cynthia enjoyed her scallops with a coconut coating . . . only our desserts were a bit disappointing; we probably should have ordered the vegan carrot cake that our friends both said was excellent. For more information, please click: http://www.thecafemetro.com/ C. Mark Sfirri, professor and coordinator of the Fine Woodworking Program at Bucks, was recently profiled in THE COUNTY PRESS . . . to read more about my talented colleague's background, please click: http://www.countypressonline.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=/CPO/Entertainment&r21.content=/CPO/Entertainment/ContentTab_Feature_1503407 D. MR. CURIOUS HERE: Do any readers have experience with having the ducts cleaned in their homes? If so, is it something that should be done? How often? And might you have any recommendations as to firms in New Jersey? I recently heard from somebody that she got ripped off by a contractor who did this work in her home, so I'm trying to avoid a similar experience. ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Ni'asia Boatwright--patient care coordinator for Advanced Eyecare & Vision Gallery in Hillsborough, NJ. She assists Dr. Tarbell, my fine optometrist, in many different ways . . . in doing so, I have always been impressed with Ni'asia's professionalism, as well as by her cheerfulness. I'm not a big fan of going to any doctor, though that said, it is something that I realize I must do . . . Ni'asia makes my yearly visits more palatable than they might be otherwise. I should add that all the others in Dr. Tarbell's office are equally helpful . . . should you want more information about the practice, please click: http://www.eyecare-nj.com/ Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI I've mentioned before that if your computer isn't working, sometimes the best approach is to unplug everything . . .then walk away from the problem and come back to it after a period of time, say at least 15 minutes . . . the same applies to phones and other electrical appliances. This approach worked for me recently . . . all my Uniden phones stopped working . . . it happened at exactly the same time and place (ordinarily a tip-off that something isn't right) . . . I tried a number of approaches to no avail . . . then, just before I was going to install a new system, I unplugged all the wires leading into the phone, and I also unplugged the wire into the wall . . . after waiting some 30 minutes, I tried my old system . . . and sure enough, it worked! FYI, part 2 * Maddie in Maine: It's always so nice to receive your wonderful online newsletter. I hope you and Cynthia are doing well. I just thought I would share with you that my daughter also trained with Team in Training for very much the same reasons and has successfully run several triathlons since. And, of course, did her fair share in raising funds for a very worthy cause. Congratulations to Yael for her efforts. I wish her all the best of luck. * Jerry in Pennsylvania: When I had my 50 year old physical exam, My doctor told me that it would be a good idea to have a colonoscopy and gave me a referral. I did not do anything with it until I found out that my dad, age 78, was having one done. I figured if my dad could do it, then I should too. I mean if there was something wrong, they could start treatment right away. One person explained it like this, if there is something wrong and you don't know, and don't treat it, then you can DIE. The day before the exam was the worst. Starting at 5 p.m., I drank this mixture of powder and juice, and I took four laxative tablets. Not to be disgusting, but I spent hours in the bathroom. I was sore and tired. The day before the procedure is also a liquid only diet, so by the day of the exam, I was tired, drained and of course, very nervous. I did have one cup of coffee the day of the procedure and admitting this cost me an extra hour wait.You are NOT allowed to eat or drink anything the day of the procedure. You are also not allowed to drive that day, so you need to arrange a ride to and from. I arrived at the procedure on time and I answered many questions to the receptionist and signed a few forms, and of course, gave her the referral and my insurance card. She made me take off my jewelry, and I put it securely in my pocket. I then waited in the lobby until my name was called. Another nurse took me to a dressing room, where I got naked and put on this weird gown that I could not tie it in the back. I then answered many questions in which I admitted to the coffee thing. This made me popular, and I was told I needed to wait an extra hour. They nicknamed me the "coffee guy." Many people walked by including the doctor and said, "Oh, you are the coffee guy. Finally, it was my turn, and they wheeled me in. I cannot believe I trusted so many strange people. I did not know these people. I did not know what medical school this doctor went to or how he did in school. But yet, I trusted these people to do such an invasive procedure. The meds put me to sleep, and I was out like a light. I woke up a bit groggy a few minutes later in another room and finally heard my diagnosis. My colon is OK, but I need to eat more fiber. I figured that was good news. Before I left the procedure, they gave me apple juice and took my blood pressure. Mine was very high, so they would not let me leave. This made me more nervous; hence, my BP did not come down. Finally, the decision to let me go was given, but only if I went straight to my personal doctor, which I did. My driver was nice enough to do that, and by the time I arrived at his office, my BP had stabled to a more reasonable level. Thank G-d. So I survived. My next one should be done in 5 years, and I'll be sure to comply to that timetable. I urge you to get this done if you are 50. I must admit the whole thing is really annoying, A REAL PAIN IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT from the day before and the day of. It is now the day after, and I am basically back to normal. Starting on Monday, I will try to eat more fruit and vegetables and salads. OFFERS AND/OR REQUESTS FROM READERS: * Marianne in Pennsylvania: For Sale: Completely renovated house with three bedrooms, two full baths and a large backyard. Newly carpeted large master suite with walk-in closet, newly refinished hardwood floors on the first floor, all new eat-in kitchen, freshly painted throughout, new deck, detached garage, central air, newly paved driveway, all new plumbing and electric, near shopping areas, in Upper Moreland School District. Listed at $287,000. Immediate availability. Contact Marianne at kepclan@comcast.net or 215.343.4072 * Sam in New Jersey: My new website is up at: http://www.nj-traffic-ticket.com/index.htm It takes a folksy approach to marketing. MY TWO CENTS: Sam's your man if you need help with any New Jersey traffic or speeding ticket you'll ever get . . . I've known him since . . . .well, let's just say for a lot of years . . . and he knows this particular field as well as anybody I know. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 3. The power of nonverbal communication The Pope and Hillary Rodham Clinton are on the same stage in front of a huge crowd. "Her Majesty" and His Holiness, however, have seen it all before, so to make it a little more interesting, the senator says to the Pope, "Did you know that with just one little wave of my hand I can make every Democrat in the crowd go wild?" He doubts it, so she shows him. Sure enough, the wave elicits rapture and cheering from every Democrat in the crowd. Gradually, the cheering subsides. The Pope, not wanting to be out done by such a level of arrogance, considers what he could do. "That was impressive. But did you know that with just one little wave of MY hand I can make EVERY person in the crowd go crazy with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display like that of your subjects, but will go deep into their hearts, and they will forever speak of this day and rejoice." The senator seriously doubts this, and says so. "One little wave of your hand and all people will rejoice forever? Show me." So the Pope slaps her. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. If you missed MICHAEL CLAYTON the first time it was in the theaters, you now again have the chance to catch it . . . you'll be captivated by this thriller about a "fixer" for a high-powered law firm whose job is to take care of situations that nobody else wants to handle . . . George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson all acted up a storm and deservedly received Oscar nominations . . . I also liked the role of Sydney Pollack in one of the supporting roles . . . rated R. B. THE BRAVE ONE is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #572 follows: I've seen many other films with a theme similar to the one in THE BRAVE ONE; i.e., wherein a person seeks vengeance and takes the law into his or her hands (think, most notably, DEATH WISH) . . . yet somehow THE BRAVE ONE maintained my interest from start to end, especially because of the excellent acting by Jodie Foster as the wronged woman and Terrence Howard as the detective who seeks to find the anonymous vigilante . . . though I had problems with the moral ambiguity of the ending, I still recommend the film to anybody seeking a well-done thriller . . . rated R. C. I think I've read everything by Sandra Brown (i.e., since she turned away from her earlier career as an author of romance novels) and have always admired how she manages to come up with different story ideas . . . more importantly, every book just doesn't seem to be a rehash of a previous effort--and that's something I very much appreciate in an author. Her latest effort, PLAY DIRTY, is the story of a disgraced pro football quarterback who has spent the past five years in jail because he bet on a game . . . when he gets out, has no prospects until he comes across a wealthy couple who want him to be the father of the child they can't have on their own. While the plot might sound farfetched, Brown somehow manages to pull it together into a suspenseful novel that grabbed my attention from the beginning . . . and maintained it until the very suspenseful ending . . . along the way, she threw in enough football action that gave the impression that she knew what she was talking about with respect to that sport. In addition, a compelling love story added to my enjoyment of this novel. There were also many passages that contained realistic dialogue that helped move the book along . . . for example: * "A piece of advice, Griff. During a business negotiation, once you've won a point, drop it. Don't mention it again. I've already conceded that you could keep the initial hundred thousand." * "You know from the day you start that it can't last forever," he said. "Even if you go all the way to the pros, it's short term. Thirty is old. Thirty-five is ancient. And that's if you escape serious injury. You're never more than one play away from the end of your career. Or even the end of your life. Each time the ball is snapped, it's a tempt of fate." And then there was this tidbit of suspenseful writing: * Griff hadn't heard the approach of Speakman's chair and was startled to find him so close. Prison would do that to you, too. Make you jumpy. Linemen topping three hundred pounds used to charge at him bent on inflicting injury and pain, teeth bared behind their face guards, eyes slitted with malice. He'd been prepared for them and was conditioned to take their abuse. You'll like PLAY DIRTY and will have difficulty putting it down . . . also, it will leave you anxiously awaiting the publication of Brown's next book. D. Heard CITY OF LIGHTS by Lauren Belfer, a first novel about life in Buffalo, New York, in 1901 . . . it is the story of a headmistress for the Macaulay School for Girls who becomes entangled in the aftermath of a murder at the nearby power plant. I've never been to Buffalo, but this book made me feel like I knew what it must have been like living there around the turn of the century . . . Belfer also gave me a feel for how society changed with the development of hydroelectric power. What I enjoyed most was the introduction of President Cleveland into the action . . . he seemed so real that I kept comparing him to President Clinton for reasons that I won't reveal here for fear of ruining a key subplot. CITY OF LIGHTS was different than most books I typically read . . . my only regret is that it seems Belfer wrote no other novel since then . . . what a shame! Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. February 1 marks the beginning of 31 days of Oscar-winning movies on TCM . . . for the complete schedule, please click: http://i.cnn.net/v5cache/TCM/2008/31days/documents/31days_2008schedule.pdf B. One of my favorites comedies, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTIE, begins its third season on CBS . . . Mondays at 9:30 p.m. on CBS . . . look for a March episode, in which Julie Louis-Dreyfus is fixed up with a much younger man named Timmy . . . "I didn't know whether to kiss him or smell his head. I did both," she admits. C. Brooke Shields stars in LIPSTICK JUNGLE, a new series about gal pals written by Candace Bushnell (who was also handled similar responsibilities for SEX AND THE CITY) . . . Lorraine Bracco is also in the cast, playing a "harridan . . . with hideous and perfect menace," according to THE WALL STREET JOURNAL . . . it airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. on NBC. D. BERNARD AND DORIS is a fictionalized account of the 1987-93 relationship between heiress Doris Duke and the recipient of her fortune, butler Bernard Lafferty . . . according to TV GUIDE, " . . . there's plenty of emotional truth in the go-for-broke performances of Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes" . . . Saturday at 8 p.m. on HBO. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Diversity The local news station was interviewing an 84-year-old lady because she had just gotten married--for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 84, and then about her new husband's occupation. "He's a funeral director," she answered. "Interesting," the newsman thought. He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she first married a banker when she was in her early 20s, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40s, later on a preacher when in her 60s, and now, in her 80s, a funeral director. The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers. "Easy, son," she smiled. "I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!" Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. Sue in Pennsylvania: You might enjoy this: http://www.TheYearsAreShort.com In only 3 minutes, it made me realize a few things and actually changed my day. I hope it does the same for you. B. In case you missed the commercials on the Super Bowl, please click: http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads Overall, I enjoyed most of them--and found several quite funny . . . feel free to share your reaction(s). C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net In case you've ever wondered what I do with the names of subscribers, please click Newsletter to the left of the homepage and then Privacy Statement. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip To make your computer run better, download Startup Cop Pro 3 at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2177188,00.asp You can easily disable any program that starts when Windows boots, or specify exactly when a program should be launched rather than allowing Windows to randomly start it. In addition, it notifies you when programs attempt to add themselves to the startup process and can block them from doing so. There's a very reasonable fee of $7.97 to download, but if you're like me and you subscribe to the pcmag.com Utility Library, there's no charge! Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 9. You know you're a Floridian if . . . , Part 2 of 2 Sweet tea can be served at any meal. An alligator once walked through your neighborhood. You smirk when a game show's "Grand Prize" is a trip or cruise to Florida You measure distance in minutes. You have a drawer full of bathing suits and one sweatshirt. You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls. All the local festivals are named after a fruit. A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level. You think everyone from a bigger city has a northern accent. You know the four seasons really are: almost summer, summer, not summer but really hot, and February. It's not soda, cola or pop. It's coke, regardless of brand or flavor, "What kinda coke you want?" Anything under 95 is just warm. You've hosted a hurricane party. You go to a theme park for an afternoon and know when to get on the best rides. (Space Mountain during the Electric Light Parade!) You understand the futility of exterminating cockroaches. You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee, Ichnatucknee, and Withlacoochee You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat than have a boat yourself. Bumper stickers on the pickup in front of you include: various fish, NRA, Nascar, and Go Gators. You were 5 before you realized they made houses without pools. You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim. You get angry when people say "Florida isn't really part of the SOUTH." You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas. You know what the "stingray shuffle" is and why it's important! You recognize Miami-Dade as "Northern Cuba ". Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like Children need models rather than critics.--Joseph Joubert (1754-1824), French philosopher Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day Colored pills A row of bottles on my shelf Caused me to analyze myself. One yellow pill I have to pop Goes to my heart so it won't stop. A little white one that I take Goes to my hands so they won't shake. The blue ones that I use a lot Tell me I'm happy when I'm not. The purple pill goes to my brain And tells me that I have no pain. The capsules tell me not to wheeze Or cough or choke or even sneeze. The red ones, smallest of them all Go to my blood so I won't fall. The orange ones, very big and bright Prevent my leg cramps in the night. Such an array of brilliant pills Helping to cure all kinds of ills. But what I'd really like to know . . . Is what tells each one where to go! Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Be my guest when I present on "Positioning: How to Differentiate Yourself From the Competition" on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 6:30 p.m. in Room Penn 410 at Bucks County Community College. ADDED BONUS: By attending, you'll learn the difference between a left-handed and a right-handed pencil . . . I kid you NOT! The presentation is FREE . . . however, please email me to let me know if you'll be coming so I can notify you if there's any change of plans. B. Natalie in Pennsylvania: PLAZA SUITE, put on by the Newtown Arts Company, runs from Feb. 14-Feb. 20 at Newtown Movie Theater, Newtown, PA . . . for more information, please click:http://www.newtownartscompany.com/ C. Donna in Pennsylvania: I wanted to mention that my son Sam's band, NEXT IN LINE, is going to be playing at Puck in Doylestown on Feb 17th at 7 p.m. This is an all ages show and tickets are $5.00. They can be purchased at the door. The genre is pop-rock. You can listen to the band at :http://www.myspace.com/nextinlinepa They'll also be playing Philafunk on March 9th in West Philly. D. Carol in Pennsylvania: My nephew, Bennett Dunn, is starring as Buddy Holly at the Media Theater in Delaware County, PA from March 3-30. He was in this role previously about 4 years ago on a 9 month tour across the USA. For more information, please call 610.891.0100 or click: http://www.mediatheatre.org _________________________________________________________ PS. Gung Hay Fat Choy (may prosperity be with you) to all my friends who will be celebrating the Chinese New Year--the Year of the Rat--beginning on Thursday . . . on the Chinese calendar, this marks year 4706 . . . methinks that you could win a bet with most any Chinese man or woman if you asked him or her to name that date. For more information about this holiday and/or to send somebody a New Year card, please click: http://www.jackiechankids.com/files/Chinese_New_Year_Main.htm 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.
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