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BLAINESWORLD
#649 3.9.2009 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Which one? 4. Reviews . . . TWO LOVERS, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Contractions 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. Top 10 indicators 10. A quote I like 11. Thought for the day 12. Advance planning department _________________________________________________________ 1. Reflections A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I keep discovering restaurants we like in Asheville . . . The Fiddlin' Pig was our latest find . . . we went there with some new North Carolina friends, Bob and Leslie, and had smoked chicken that was delicious . . . it's served naked, which enabled us to add whatever choice sauces we wanted. Portions were plentiful and included hushpupplies, as well as two sides . . . we couldn't believe that most platters were under $10 and with a restaurant.com coupon for $25 off, the whole meal with tip worked out to $10/person. We went on a Sunday night, but when we return (and we will), we'll go some other night when they have live bluegrass music . . .or on a Saturday afternoon when they have live gospel music . . . for more information, please click: http://www.thefiddlingpig.com I'll also remember the evening for a remark that Bob made . . . I forgot what exactly we were discussing (I think it had something to do with home repairs), he said that "was not in my skill set" . . . what a great response to use when somebody asks you to do something that you're just not good at . . . rather than attempt it, as I often do and then mess it up, just smile and proudly say that it's not in your skill set. B. I do miss certain things from "up North," one of them being getting my hair styled by Dan Focarelli at his Headways Salon (609.588.4944) in Hamilton Township, NJ . . . I had been going there for some 20 years and always was amazed that he could make me look as good as he did. But since I'm now en route to becoming a Southerner, it was time to find a place to get my hair cut near where I live . . . and I'm lucky to have found Courtesy Barber Shop (828.665.9450), which is located just down the road. It's an old-fashioned barber shop, in the sense that they don't shampoo your hair . . . nor do they take appointments; you just walk in. Bruce Morgan, the owner, is the person who has been cutting my hair . . . as he notes on his card, "If you look good, we look good." I think that has been the case, so far . . . nobody, to date, has come up to me and laughed when they've seen me--a good sign. Bruce is real friendly . . . when I asked him how long he has been there, he replied, "Since 7:30 a.m." . . . when pressed, he told me that he has had a shop in the area for 21 years. He's proud of the fact that he has been able to not increase the price of his haircuts for the last several years, and he has no intention of raising them this year given the state of the economy . . . so if you're looking for a fine $10 haircut (I kid you not!), this is the place to go. It is also a place where I saw something the other day that still stuck me as being extraordinary . . . a family brought in their handicapped son for a haircut . . . they managed to get him out of his wheelchair and into the barber chair where one of the other barbers proceeded to cut his hair . . . as this was being done, another customer came up to Bruce and very subtly paid for both the child's haircut and a generous tip . . . you could see that the family was touched by this generosity when they went to pay . . . I know I was. C. On my most recent trip to Pennsylvania, I did manage to catch two performances that I enjoyed: * My friend Natalie Kaye runs amazing programs at Bucks County Community College . . . . most of them are FREE, too (such as the one mentioned in Section 12D below) . . . so when she told me about a concert by Lauren Pelon, I was intrigued--especially when I heard that Pelon not only sang . . . but she played 25 ancient and modern instruments . . . it was quite an impressive show, as well as history lesson. * I saw MID-LIFE! THE CRISIS MUSICAL at The Off-Broadstreet Theatre in Hopewell, NJ (609.466.2766) . . . this is the show for you if any and/or all of the following strike a bell: memory loss, high cholesterol, flabby arms, loss of hearing, talking to your kids like your parents spoke to you, side effects from prescription drugs, menopause, empty nesting, hair loss and . . . well, I think you get the idea . . . there's a lot more things that are covered, all presented in a series of musical skits that often had me nodding in acknowledgment . . . I laughed at many of the lines and genuinely had a good time . . . the cast of six is talented and Timothy Brown on piano was an excellent accompanist . . . the show runs through April 4. D. CONGRATULATIONS to Linda Kanner and Rick Pine, two longtime friends and BLAINESWORLD readers, on their recent engagement! ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Mary Alice Green, drive vacation and membership specialist for AAA in Asheville (828.253.5376, ext. 11501). I've been a longtime and very satisfied AAA member . . . however, amidst all the details of our move to North Carolina, I had inexplicably let our membership lapse. Mary Alice quickly and professionally got us reinstated . . . in addition, in doing so, we saved money because the rates were lower here than they were in New Jersey. In helping us, Mary Alice pointed out that she could help us with our vacation planning too . . . imagine that; i.e., there are still folks who do that . . . so the next time I'm tired of doing all the work on the Internet (and dealing with the frustrations that often result), I just might take her up on that offer. She is a real asset to the AAA organization, and I'm glad that she was the one who answered the phone when I called . . . I also loved her response to my question as to her job title . .. when I kidded her about the fact that she seemed to wear a lot of hats, she commented that she's also known as the "tap dancer." Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI Kathy in Pennsylvania with an important reminder: Lose an hour of sleep this past weekend, but don't lose your life. After you change all the settings on your clocks be sure to check the batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. FYI, part 2 * Jen in Pennsylvania: I think everyone knows somebody with lung disease, whether it's asthma, emphysema, lung cancer or COPD. There are millions of people in the country who suffer every day. The American Lung Association's Stair Climb is my way of helping to raise money for various community programs and research. I'm climbing 50 floors in honor of my sister Becky. She was just 31 when she died 5 years ago. She was born with a very rare lung disease and unfortunately took her too early. Please donate if you would like to support me and my sister's memory by clicking: http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?acct=2309428264®ister_id=0&id=2154 Thanks for helping out! * Deborah in New Jersey: We're delighted to tell you New Jersey Life Magazine has included Princeton Center for Yoga & Health for consideration as your favorite Yoga, Pilates and Fitness Studio. It's part of their Readers' Choice A-List poll. To support Princeton Center for Yoga & Health, please click: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=I6raa&m=1cZrQeN5pNourH&b=.RinULfclTFqNv6dSCv2GA * Kathy in Florida: Loved the liquidity joke; very funny. You know I work for a financial planning office. I sent that one to my boss. And hey there mister . . . I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO . . don't. be knocking us Missourians! It only takes me once to get a joke, LMAO!!!! * Vicki in Florida: Here's a tip for shipping: Go to "U.S. Postal Service" online and then "Tools for shipping packages." They will send you a case of boxes that are free. And it only costs 8 dollars shipping what you send, no matter what the weight is. Absolutely no cost to get them is the good thing .As always, love your mail and congrats on your move. * Jason in Pennsylvania, commenting on Pat in Pennsylvania's remarks about FedEx: They are much more focused on the sender than the recipient. Especially big senders (read spenders). I was just talking to a client yesterday who was singing many praises to FedEx, and said he would never go back to another shipping company. . . . . Personally as a recipient of packages, I prefer UPS. Things tend to show up sooner than FedEx. The UPS system isn't as good, since online it might say the package is in Ohio, when in fact is in my hand, but that's kind of where I prefer it to be anyway. At any rate I'm glad your making your opinions known to FedEx. Hopefully, they will realize from a marketing perspective that every customer's satisfaction is important, not just their biggest customers. MANY THANKS to all those who are spreading the word about the upcoming smoke cessation programs . . . I've also gotten these two emails that helped make my day: * Jarod in Pennsylvania: Good to hear that you are still doing this program. It has been over two years since we last saw each other at this seminar, and I am happy to report that I am still smoke free. Thank you so much for getting me involved! I forwarded the poster to my sister to see if she wanted to get involved. I'll let you know! * Kandi in Arizona: I am so delighted I don't have to even consider this anymore! It was a shot in the arm of pride and self-confidence. March 1st will be my 2 year anniversary of not smoking!. Thank you Blaine!! Keep on doing what you do in this regard! I will NEVER go back! You do help people! IN CASE YOU MISSED THE INFORMATION FOR THIS YEAR: 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. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Which one? Just before a boy enters the barbershop, the barber tells his customer, "This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch." The barber puts a dollar in one open palm and two quarters in the other and asks the kid, "Which one do you want?" The boy takes the quarters and leaves. "See?" says the barber, laughing. Later, the customer passes the boy, who is standing outside a candy store. "Why'd you take the quarters and not the dollar?" he asks. "Because," says the boy, "the day I take the dollar, the game is over." Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. I hope that Joaquin Phoenix doesn't make good on his pledge to stop acting . . . he is excellent in TWO LOVERS, a romantic drama about a depressed bachelor who lives at home with his parents . . . his parents try to fix him up with the daughter (Vinessa Shaw) of a business associate, but he is more interested in a neighbor (Gwyneth Paltrow) . . . I was also moved by the acting of these two women . . . in addition, I liked the cinematography; it made Brooklyn come alive . . . this is a film that I'm still thinking about--several days after having seen it . . . rated R. B. MILK is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #638 follows: Sean Penn is outstanding in MILK, the true story about America's first elected gay politician . . . he makes you really feel for Harvey Milk, a businessman who lost many races before getting elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 . . . Josh Brolin, so fine in both W and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, again shines as Dan White--Milk's political colleague who eventually turns on him . . . make sure you stay for the ending credits to see how close the actors actually resembled their real characters . . . rated R. C. I've long been admirer of Mother Teresa of Calcutta . . . her work always impressed me, and I would often be inspired when I heard one of her quotes. So it was with that background that I read MOTHER TERESA'S SECRET FIRE by Father Joseph Langford, one of her longtime associates . . . and that said, I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed with the book. It went into far too much detail about her encounter with God on her way to a retreat while taking the Darjeeling train on September 10, 1946 . . . Mother Teresa then received a singular message from God about "His thirst" for souls. Father Langford used that "thirst" thread, far too often to my liking . . . I found SECRET FIRE to be very repetitive, and it placed too much emphasis on actual quotes from the Bible . . . I would have much preferred reading more about Mother Teresa's life. However, I was able to find selected passages that did manage to provide me with insight; among them: * In observing Mother Teresa, it was obvious how keenly she felt the suffering of the poor and identified with their distress. She not only accepted as share in their deprivations, she sought it out. She took on voluntary fasting and other self-imposed penances so as to share more closely in the pain and lot of the poor. She slept on a hard prison bed, with no fan, her tiny room sweltering in Calcutta's oven like heat. Her little room was both sleeping space and office, with no more than a table and a stool for furnishing. If such was the lot of the poor, who had neither fans nor a fancy desk, it would be her lot as well. This kind of tenderness of heart, this chosen vulnerability before the sufferings of others, was another attribute of the thirst of God that Mother Teresa has discovered, and reflected, and whose deep roots fill the pages of Scripture. * There are countless examples of the restorative power of love in Mother Teresa's work. In Calcutta, many children who began life literally thrown away, cast aside as infants on a rubbish heap by parents who could not afford, or did not want, to keep them, have been rescued by Mother Teresa and her Sisters. Loved back into life, smiled on and caressed, told and retold of their goodness, they were gradually prepared in body and spirit for adoption by a waiting and loving family. Today those same children are graduating from universities, having children of their own, and passing on the miracle of restorative love that had given them new life and dignity out of the ash heap of the slums. * While most of us wake with thoughts of what we can get today, or where we might shop, or how we can advance our careers or personal goals, Mother Teresa's waking thought was always about how she could give. She invites us all to at least take baby steps to move in that direction; to examine why and for what we live. Why we live becomes how we live, and how we live determines all the rest: our happiness in this life and the next, and to a large extent, the happiness of those around us. That last passage was what I wished that I had seen more of in MOTHER TERESA'S SECRET FIRE; i.e., how her life could be a model for mine--and countless others. D. I remember reading in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL about the real story behind the homer that Bobby Thompson hit off Ralph Branca that won the National League pennant for the New York Giants in 1951 . . . it seems that the Giants had been stealing the scenes of opposing catchers and that Thompson had thus been alerted prior to his memorable hit. The 2001 JOURNAL account stuck me until just recently when I came across THE ECHOING GREEN, written and read by Joshua Prager . . . he elaborates not only on "the shot heard round the world," but on both baseball history and the social climate of the time. It is a masterful account that had me enthralled from beginning to end . . . Prager's retelling of that season's pennant race was as masterful a piece of writing that I've ever encountered. It enabled me to feel that I really got to know both Thompson and Branca, and I remained interested in what happened to them during the rest of their careers. If you're a baseball fan or know of one, then THE ECHOING GREEN is the book for you . . . non-sports fans might find it enjoyable, too, especially if they were around in the 1950s. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. Dying actress Jane (Leslie Ann Warren) returns to her hometown to spend her final days with her best friend, Ida Mae (Meredith Baxter). Their respite hits a snag, though . . . to see what it is, watch BOUND BY A SECRET on HALLMARK on Friday at 9 p.m. B. If you were an ER fan, watch for a reunion of Eriq LaSalle, Michael Michele and Michael Beach on RELATIVE STRANGER . . . it's a dysfunctional family drama that also stars Cicely Tyson (the person I would watch) . . . Saturday at 9 p.m. on HALLMARK. C. WILL FERRELL; YOU'RE WELCOME AMERICA, A FINAL NIGHT WITH GEORGE BUSH has the comedian performing live from New York City's Cort Theatre in the final performance of his one-man show . . Saturday at 9 p.m. on HBO. D. Ferrell can be seen a second time this week . . . he plays a car dealer on EASTBOUND & DOWN (he's also an excutive producer of the show), a weekly comedy series that I find funny . . . Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on HBO. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Contractions A man speaks frantically into the phone, "My wife is pregnant, and her contractions are only two minutes apart!" "Is this her first child?" the doctor queries. "No, you idiot!" the man shouts. "This is her husband!" Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. Please watch the following video clip. It is a story of Johnny, the grocery store bagger. It is very short, but it will remind you of why and how we make an impact in what we do. It's amazing how one young bagger with Down's Syndrome made such a wonderful impact on those customers lucky enough to have Johnny bag their groceries. Click here to view: http://www.simpletruths.com/simpletruths/a.aspx?af=219&mo=stsr Though I don't ordinarily suggest that you forward stuff, this is one website that you might want to share with others. . . just copy and paste it into a new email (rather than just forwarding it) . . . at the same time, feel free to invite them to subscribe to this newsletter. B. If you're an amateur photographer or interested in the work of others, please click: http://www.earthshots.org/500/ This website is full of hundreds of pictures that are posted on the very front page . . . people from all over the world are constantly submitting pictures so that others can view them. Earthshots can also be used as an excellent screen savor. In addition, you can be picked to win the daily contest if your picture is picked in a drawing. C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net If you'd like to pick my brain to find a book to read, go to "Blaine's Best" on the left, click it and then click the second part of letter "O" . . . you'll be taken to the 787 reviews I've posted at the amazon.com website where I am currently 365 in their list of Top 500 reviewers. To help me move up: 1. Go this website: http://www.amazon.com 2. Find some book I've recently reviewed; e.g., COMEDY AT THE EDGE by Richard Zoglin. 3. Go to my review (it is on the right, second or third from the top). 4. If you find my review helpful, and I hope that you do, please click "Yes" when asked to give your opinion. 5. Thanks, in advance. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip Before you print something, click on Print Preview . . . you can see exactly what you are getting . . . doing so, you can then choose to not print certain pages (e.g., that contain little more than "Contact Us" information) . . . sometimes, you can also "Hide Margins" . . . check it out; you'll be pleasantly surprised. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 9. Top 10 indicators your employer has changed to a cheaper health care plan 10. Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters. 9. Directions to your doctor's office include "Take a left when you enter the trailer park." 8. The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles. 7. The only proctologist in the plan is "Gus" from Roto-Rooter. 6. The only item listed under Preventative Care Coverage is "an apple a day." 5. Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month. 4. "The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges" is not a typographical error. 3. The only expense covered 100% is "embalming." 2. Your Prozac comes in different colors with little M's on them. And the number one sign you've joined a very cheap health care plan: 1. You ask for Viagra, and they give you a Popsicle stick and duct tape! Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.--John Andrew Holmes (1874-?), American physician and author Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day The precious gift Once upon a time, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort. He looked for a place to hide this precious gift because, He explained, what man could find too easily would never be valued by him. "Then you must hide this gift on the highest mountain peak on earth," said one of his counselors. God shook His head, "No, for man is an adventuresome creature, and he will soon enough learn to climb the highest mountain peaks." "Hide it then, O Great One, in the depths of the earth." "I think not," said God. "for man will one day discover that he can dig into the deepest parts of the earth." "In the middle of the ocean then, Master?" God shook His head. "I've given man a brain, you see, and one day he'll learn to build ships and cross the mightiest oceans." "Where then, Master?" cried His counselors. God smiled, "I'll hide it where every man and woman will be able to find it if they look sincerely and deeply enough. I'll hide it in their heart." Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Upcoming NJSBDC (New Jersey Small Business Development Center) classes include the following: Learning-Join our classes from your home or office! March 12 Communicating for Success TELECLASS, 7:00-8:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE March 17 The Rules of Networking TELECLASS, 8:00-9:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE March 18 Doing Business with Mercer County- Products and Services: Bidding Process, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Washington Twp. Library, Allentown-Robbinsville Rd. REGISTER HERE March 19 Tax Issues for the Self-Employed, 6:00-8:00 p.m., TCNJ, Loser Hall 106. REGISTER HERE March 19 Building a Marketing Plan TELECLASS, 8:00-9:00 a.m. REGISTER HERE March 24 SBA's 504 Loan Program, 9:30-11:00 a.m., Ewing Library, Scotch Rd. REGISTER HERE March 24 E-mail Marketing TELECLASS, 7:00-8:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE March 25 Marketing/Advertising POWERHOUR Sign up now for a FREE one-to-one counseling session. Limited Time Slots. First call first serve registration. 609.771.2947 Sessions will be held at TCNJ. March 26 Writing Creative Copy That Sells TELECLASS, 8:00-9:00 a.m. REGISTER HERE B. Are you living your authentic life? Bring a Friend for FREE - SAVE $40 SATURDAY, March 14, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Princeton Center for Yoga & Health Andrea Harvey will help you claim your authentic self and live life to your fullest potential! There is another level of existence that is the real, true, genuine substance of who you are. It's what is defined as the authentic self. The authentic self is the "you" that can be found at your absolute core. Register by clicking: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=I6raa&m=1cZrQeN5pNourH&b=OGNSlOInP2_JHJC2U8618g C. Compassionate Listening: Healing Our World from the Inside Out March 20 to 22, 2009 Fri 6:30 Dinner thru Sun lunch Leah Green Kirkridge Green in eastern Pennsylvania $340 Every spiritual master–-from Eckhart Tolle to the Dalai Lama–recognizes listening as one of the most precious gifts we can give to another human being, and compassion as necessary for human survival and evolution. In every human interaction, whether as mentor, friend, family member, co-worker, leader or social activist, the practice of Compassionate Listening builds trust, connection, compassion, respectful dialogue and sustainable solutions. In this training, we learn how to reach through layers of defensiveness and reactivity to our essential core. From there, we can shift communication and relationships into heart-to-heart interaction, even in the heat of conflict. Participants in this highly experiential training learn the Five Core Practices of Compassionate Listening. Participants put the skills to use immediately with real life challenges. Together, we create a trusting circle to explore this powerful model of peace-building and conflict transformation, and learn how each of us has the capacity to create a culture of peace in our daily lives. To register online, please click here. Leah Green is the founding director of The Compassionate Listening Project. She has led 23 training delegations throughout the Middle East, and co-founded the Jewish-German Compassionate Listening Project. Leah has produced 4 films, and her work has been profiled in numerous books and articles, including Gary Zukav's Soul Stories, and Peace, Justice and Jews: Reclaiming Our Tradition. She received the 2003 Yoga Journal Award for Selfless Service. Leah teaches world-wide. D. Celebrate Women's History Month with eyewitnesses to historical events, sharing their experiences. 11 a.m., Tyler 142 at Bucks County Community College (Newtown, PA) for all events. Mon., March 23: Vietnam Wed., March 25: Civil Rights All events are FREE. Call 215.968.8015 for more information. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 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! ---------------------------------------------------------- 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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