|
|
|
#598
3.17.2008 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Experiment 4. Reviews . . . IN BRUGES, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Never too late 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. Talking Pennsylvanian, 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 attended "I'll have what she's having . . ." at Rider University . . . this was a showcase put on by Dance Project, whose mission is to support, encourage and empower New Jersey women dancers/artists/choreographers (over 40) within our community to create and perform works of art . . . we were impressed! For more information, contact Christine Colosimo at the YMCA Princeton Dance Department . . . 609.497.2100, ext. 332 or: ccolosimo@ywcaprinceton.org. And in case you're wondering why you won't see us either of us on email or in person this coming weekend, we're off to Hilton Head, SC, to continue our search for our where we'll live in retirement . . . to update you if you haven't been following our saga, though we very much like our home in Belle Mead, NJ, we don't wish to stay in this immediate area . . . we've also visited (and ruled out) The Villages in Florida and Raleigh, NC . . . after Hilton Head, there's Asheville, NC, in late May and then we may well wind up back where I used to live--Washington Crossing, PA . . . only God knows the eventual answer for us, and to date, she hasn't even shared any hints with us. B. We're also looking forward to seeing Risa, my daughter, and her fiance JP . . . they're leaving Florida toward the end of this month, en route back to New Jersey where they'll be staying for the time being with Risa's mother Hilary, who has graciously made her home available to them. I mention this for two reasons: * To make room for the furniture that they will be bringing, Hilary is trying to clear space in her basement . . . as such, she is making the following items available for FREE: 1 huge desk that may be divided into 3 sections and an accompanying desk chair, as well as another large black chair (all great items that I can personally vouch for, in that I had used them for several years); and 2 nightstands, 2 lamps, child's dresser, 2 old TVs, carpet remnants. Any of the above would be ideal for personal use . . . or feel free to obtain for a church, temple, non-profit organization, etc. . . . all you have to do is arrange pick-up from East Windsor, NJ. For more information, please call Hilary at 609.426.1183 or send her an email: hlrygreenfield@yahoo.com. * Risa has arranged for a transfer to a White House|Black Market in Westfield, NJ . . . however, JP will be looking for a job . . . he has a background in banking (most recently having been with Wachovia), so if you have any suggestions and/or leads for him, please let me know so that I can forward them . . . he's a good guy and would be an asset to banks or financial firms, and I believe he'd be receptive to considering jobs in other fields as well. C. Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Michael Isikoff, a correspondent for NEWSWEEK . . he spoke at Princeton University on "Investigative Reporting and the Presidency." To nobody's surprise, he said this is an extremely secretive administration . . . but he balanced that comment with the observation that every administration has something it wants to cover up. Among his other observations: * I thoroughly reject the 9-11 conspiracy theories. * No matter what, at the end of the day--regardless of the medium--there's interest in the public about what government is doing. * Investigative reporting will continue, but the process and the media will change. And my favorite: * The Clinton camp is angry that nobody has come up with something to take Obama out. A few days later, I then had the pleasure of introducing Lisa Ford . . . she was the keynote speaker at the annual "Meet the Author" Business Seminar at Bucks County Community College on the following topic: Exceptional Customer Service--Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the Customer's Expectation She did just that, too; i.e., exceeded everybody's expectations . . . Lisa was both funny and informative, as well as very thought-provoking. Just to cite a few of the many points she made: * When there's value in the relationship, price becomes a non-issue. * Companies can boost profits by almost 100% by retaining 5% more of their existing customers. * Ask the question: If there's one thing we can do to improve our service, what would it be? * Consider: What is your weakest link? If it's a person, get rid of him or her. * If you respond to email within 4 hours, that's a wow. Otherwise, you must do so within 24 hours. * Don't use, "I can't." Instead use, "I can help you . . . . " Her final point was the one I'll perhaps remember most . . . she asked all those in attendance to stretch out their right hand, then raise it high . . .she next said to touch your cheek with it (pointing to her chin) . . . as you can imagine, just about everybody wasn't really listening properly and so touched his or her chin . . . Lisa commented: People play more attention to what you do than what you say. D. CONGRATULATIONS to Kevin Jameson . . . he was chosen for inclusion in the summer catalog of Bucks County Community College . . . I also want to say THANKS to him for the very nice words that he had to say about me; see below: Kevin Jameson ('78), national accounts manager for Honeywell Security & Custom Electronics, is also an author, singer, inventor, and motivational speaker. His career in the security industry includes a U.S. patent for a manual fire alarm device. Jameson says his associate degree from Bucks, coupled with mentoring from a busi- ness studies professor, helped open doors to success.  "Clearly, Professor Blaine Greenfield most influenced my life at BCCC and after. His ready acceptance of some of my more kooky ideas gave me the sense that anything was possible, and that I should try everything I wanted to try--at least once." CONGRATULATIONS, also, to Mark Bostic on being named Regional Director of the Northeast Region of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) . . . . . . previously, he had been our college's staff representative for AFT Pennsylvania . . . and though in that post for a relatively short time, he had done a fine job. ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Kathy Hamas--office manager/paralegal for the law firm of Brodie & Rubinsky in Philadelphia. She has been of great help to our teacher's union at Bucks County Community over the past several years . . . she sets up meetings, gets us information, answers questions or gets them answered for us, etc. In addition, Kathy is great on both follow-up and details . . . she's always pleasant, as well as enthusiastic, and Josh Rubinsky (her boss) is one lucky guy to have her as an employee. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI Patricia Diesel (see also Section 4C) in A SIMPLE GUIDE TO AN ORGANIZED LIFE presents this great technique for cleaning your garage that can also be any room in your house, closets, etc: Finding friends Go through the garage and figure out what you would like to keep, donate or discard. It's not uncommon that people tend to use their garage as a storage area for their "stuff" they can't seem to part with. If this is the case, begin by sorting it all through and asking the question; is this a friend, acquaintance or a stranger? This technique is an emotional game developed by Judith Kolberg, author of CONQUERING CHRONIC DISORGANIZATION. This means, a friend you would like to keep around. An acquaintance you need to revisit and then come to the conclusion that you can either keep, donate, or discard it. And the stranger is something you have no longer a use for. You can simply toss it and feel good about the decision. FYI, part 2 I'd like to express my appreciation to the many readers who have already written to me about buying a Tempur-Pedic bed and/or to share their experiences in buying from Sleepy's . . . if you haven't written to me about that yet, I'm still interested in finding out more from you; e.g., if you have any knowledge about the topic . . . or have bought other mattresses, dealt with other retailers, etc. . . . my plan is to share this information with you over the next few weeks . . . in the meantime, here's just a small sampling of some other email I've received lately: * Kevin in Pennsylvania (see also Section 1D): Great no smoking ad I heard in Florida . . . see below, then listen to the one that says, "I don't care." http://www.tobaccofreeflorida.com/english/campaign/radio/ * Jody in Pennsylvania: Barry and I went to see No Country For Old Men since it had won the Oscar and best supporting actor. I was physically sick to my stomach through the entire movie. I found it so intense and disturbing that I could hardly sleep that night. I have been encouraging people not to see it. Barry found it quite boring. Our nephew is a movie producer in Hollywood and is on the Academy Award committee for reviewing films. His response to my "How could this have won" was that unfortunately the Oscars have become a popularity contest. He prefers the Golden Globes and the Peoples Choice Awards. Having said that, he did say that the writing and acting were considered very good. * Joan in Pennsylvania: One minute each night In WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, it's people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped! There is now a group of people who are organizing the same thing here in America . If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying: for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for peace in the world. If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along. Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. * Deirdre in New Jersey: Central Jersey moms have a new place to go to connect--a forum-based website that's developed a great energy and following since it's launch in October. Now, more than 6,000 users strong, it's generating more than 100,000 page views a month based on the lively conversations on everything from current events to what's for dinner. You'll find moms talking about religion and politics, green initiatives, Election 08, the Spitzer scandal. And, of course, there's the mom-focused conversations about toddler tantrums and infant sleep problems. Each week, the site runs contests for many great giveaways: Disney vacations, spa treatments, skincare products, and dinners at local restaurants. Log on today and join the conversation: http://www.centraljerseymoms.com * Arlene in Pennsylvania: Free Food for Animal Shelter Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple. Please tell ten (or more) friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "feed an animal in need" for free. It's in a purple box in the middle of the page.This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. Here's the website! Pass it along to people you know: http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com * Lynda in Pennsylvania: Check out our website: http://ww.mginews.com To quote from the homepage, this is: Your Inside Source for News, Analysis, Opinion, Programming, and Production in and about the Middle East. * Robin in Pennsylvania (with an offer): I'm a public relations generalist with a broad range of experience garnered during 25 years of work with my own clients, and in agency and in-house positions. As such, I've created and managed successful strategic public relations programs for a variety of professional services providers and public companies. My services include program creation, media training and interface, and all written materials, including press releases, media pitch letters, newsletters, articles, brochures, annual reports, fact sheets, backgrounders, and websites. If you could benefit from senior level public elations services without incurring the cost of a top level agency, please contact me, Robin Schoen, at Robin Schoen Public Relations: 215.504.2122. Additional information may be found at: http://www.robinschoenpr.com Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Experiment A dog is truly a man's best friend. If you don't believe it, just try this experiment . . . Put your dog and your wife or girlfriend in the trunk of the car for an hour. When you open the trunk, who is really happy to see you? Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. IN BRUGES is a dark comedy about two hit men who are told to wait for their next assignment in the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium . . . they live the life of tourists, discovering the sights, as well as the locals, a dwarf American actor and even Dutch prostitutes . . . it kept my attention from start to finish, particularly because of the acting of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in the major roles . . . Ralph Fiennes as their London boss was also effective . . . if you're in the mood for something different, consider this film . . . rated R. B. ENCHANTED is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #583 follows: I was enchanted by ENCHANTED . . . it is a delightful combination of a classic Disney animated fairy tale meeting up with a modern, live-action romantic comedy . . . kids will like it, and so will their parents . . . and grandparents, too . . . Amy Adams is the princess who gets banished to modern-day Manhattan . . . it is there that she finds true love in divorce lawyer Patrick Dempsey, but that doesn't sit well with her fairy tale prince or the evil queen (Susan Sarandon, intentionally over-the-top in a performance that's both funny and scary) . . . you'll have to see the film to find out what happens, but you'll be glad you did if for just one music number set in Central Park that I guarantee will have you smiling . . . rated PG. C. I once was so disorganized that I couldn't find for three years an application to enter a magazine's "Most Disorganized Office" contest . . . fortunately, things have gotten better, but I still fall into bad habits from time to time . . . it seems that I'm not unique in this, either. According to Patricia Diesel (see also Section 2), author of A SIMPLE GUIDE TO AN ORGANIZED LIFE: * [citing the National Association of Professional Organizer] One hour a week is spent on finding documents and 23 percent of adults say they pay their bills late because they lose them. If you'd been there and/or done that, then you should read Diesel's informative book . . . it will give you many useful ideas that you can immediately put to use to deal with the various organizing problems you typically face any given day . . . for example: * Items needed for the next day, such as keys, purse, brief case, backpack, should be placed, ready to take, at the door where you leave. To provide additional peace of mind, try putting things in the car the night before. I also liked this one that seems so simple, yet for some reason fail to do as often as I should: * If your piles are simply tasks that need to be done, why not try the 15-20 minute rule. Each day, dedicate 15-20 minutes to a pile and start paying some of those bills. Order those items that you wanted to purchase from the catalogs. Go through your magazines and only tear out the articles that you know you will follow up on. Maybe take the full 20 minutes to catch up on the reading you need for that upcoming project. If I get one concept that I can apply from every book that I read, I consider myself ahead of the game . . . A SIMPLE GUIDE gave me many so many that I only regret space prevents me from sharing more with you other than this final one: * The use of a timer can help you set limits for completing tasks and frame your time in a more manageable way. Choose your tasks for the day. For example, make phone calls for 30 minutes, file papers for one hour, and work on a project for 45 minutes. Set the timer for the allotted time. When the timer goes off, move onto the next task. D. I've always admired Scott Turow as a writer, largely because he doesn't always keep to the exact same format . . . he's written several legal thrillers (PRESUMED INNOCENT being one of my favorites), as well as such nonfiction works as ONE L (an inside look at what life in law school is all about). For some reason, I somehow had missed ORDINARY HEROES--a 2005 novel . . . so when I got the chance to listen to the taped version, I grabbed the opportunity--and was not disappointed. This is the story about a retired newspaperman who discovers letters that his deceased father wrote during World War II . . . in doing so, he uncovers a host of family secrets . . . along the way, there's a love triangle, court martial and fascinating tale of investigative journalism. This is not the page-turner that some of Turow's other books were . . . rather, ORDINARLY HEROES unfolds at a more leisurely pace that nonetheless will hold your interest throughout. The audio version I heard had an added bonus; i.e., an interview with Turow (who remains a practicing attorney) at the end . . . furthermore, the narration by Edward Hermann was as fine as I've ever heard. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. A dozen new celebs--including Priscilla Presley, Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, Monica Seles, and Penn Jillette--appear on DANCING WITH THE STARS, which begins its sixth season . . . Mondays and Tuesdays on ABC; times vary, so check local listings. B. Judy Greer (who caught my attention in 27 DRESSES) stars as a former geek who takes a job as a guidance counselor at her old high school in MISS GUIDED . . . Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. on ABC. C. Leonard Cohen joins John Mellencamp, Madonna, the Dave Clark Five, the Ventures, Little Walter, and producers Gamble and Huff as inductees on ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONIES . . . Saturday at 11 p.m. on VH1. D. JOAN CRAWFORD: THE ULTIMATE MOVIE STAR is a documentary that airs on Sunday at 8 p.m. on TCM . . . it promises to touch on her films, her early days as a flapper and her ability to generate big box office. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Never too late A man and his wife were awakened at 3:00 a.m. by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push. "Not a chance," says the husband, "it is 3:00 in the morning!" He slams the door and returns to bed. "Who was that?" asked his wife. "Just some drunk guy asking for a push," he answers. "Did you help him?" she asks. "No, I did not, it is 3:00 in the morning, and it is pouring rain out there!" "Well, you have a short memory," says his wife. "Can't you remember about three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!" The man does as he is told, gets dressed , and goes out into the storm. He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still there?" "Yes," comes back the answer. "Do you still need a push?" calls out the husband. "Yes, please!" comes the reply from the dark. "Where are you?" asks the husband. "Over here on the swing," replied the drunk. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. If you want the latest information regarding taxes, please click: http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001
This website contains news, forms, advice, and much more information designed to help you get through the tax season with ease. B. I saw Amy Walker on the TODAY show and was blown away . . . you will be, too, by clicking: http://youtube.com/watch?v=3UgpfSp2t6k She's an actress who does an amazing 21 different accents in under 3 minutes! C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net You'll notice that at the homepage, you can always sign-up for a subscription . . . see the "Special Offer" at the bottom . . . always feel free to share this information with your friends; e.g., if you'd like to encourage them to subscribe . . . you can also add other email addresses for your own subscription; e.g., if you'd like to get separate issues at both work and home . . . the price remains the same: FREE. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip Jean in Pennsylvania: New virus called POSTCARD. I checked this out on Snopes, and it is a real virus. What follows is the email that's being circulated that is telling you to BE CAREFUL; I agree! Subject: New virus Hi All! I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus! I checked snopes.com, and it is for real!! Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP. PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS! You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled "POSTCARD," regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which "burns" the whole hard drive C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your email address in his/her contact list. If you receive mail called "POSTCARD," even though sent to you by a friend , do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where all vital information is kept. MY TWO CENTS: I also checked it out with snopes.com and in doing so, will provide you with the link: http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp Please ALWAYS do this when you forward such warnings to me, as well as to others; i.e., don't just put down that you checked it with snopes . . . provide the actual link. Also, be forewarned that some people tell you that they checked it with snopes . . . they even provide a link that looks legitimate . . . but when and if you go there, you'll find that the information that you're given has nothing to do with what they're writing about . . . or worse, you'll be taken to another website site that contains a virus. I know it's scary, but the best advice I can give you is to be very careful with respect to whom you trust online! Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 9. Talking Pennsylvanian, part 2 of 2 You can eat cold pizza (even for breakfast) and know others who do the same. Those from NY find this "barbaric." You not only have heard of Birch Beer, but you know it comes in several colors. You know the difference between a cheese steak and a pizza steak sandwich, and know that you can't get a really good one outside PA, except Atlantic City on the boardwalk. You live for summer when street and county fairs signal the beginning of funnel cake season. You know that Blue Ball, Intercourse, Paradise, Climax, Bird-in-Hand, Beaver, Moon, Virginville, Mars, and Slippery Rock are PA towns. And the first three were consecutive stops on the Reading Rail Road. You know what a township, borough and commonwealth is. You can identify drivers from New York, New Jersey, Maryland or other neighboring states by their unique and irritating driving habits. A traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a horse-drawn carriage on the highway in Lancaster County You know several people who have hit deer more than once. You carry jumper cables in your car and your female passengers know how to use them. Driving is always better in winter because the potholes are filled with snow. As a kid you built snow forts and leaf piles that were taller than you were. You also know someone who lives "down the lane." You actually understand all this and plan to send it on to other Pennsylvanians or former Pennsylvanians! And you also will send it to people that never lived in PA so as to confuse them. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can be aroused by two things: first, an idea which takes the imagination by storm; and second, a definite, intelligible plan for carrying that idea into action.--Arnold Toynbee (1889-1975), British historian Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day I apologize (a piece that's sooooo touching) This is for you because you are very dear to my heart! So what if right now . . . I apologize for all the mean things I might have said. I apologize for all the things I did or didn't do. I apologize if I ever ignored you. I apologize if I ever made you feel bad or put you down. I apologize if I ever thought I was better than you. I apologize for everything wrong I've ever done. I care for you. Don't ever forget that! Through bad times and good, I'll always be here for you. I'm writing this because what if tomorrow . . . YOU WIN THE LOTTERY!! Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Janet in New Jersey: Join us Thursday evening, March 20, 2008, 7 - 9 p.m. Experience an Introductory Evening Class for: BE THE MEDICINE: ONGOING GROUP for Healing Professionals--Medical, Psychological, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Nutritional, Energy, Body Worker, Coaches, Astrologers, Service, and other Healing and Integrative Therapy Professionals and ALL who would like to live their highest truth. With Janet StraightArrow, Woman of Medicine, Medical Intuitive, Energy Healer At: 18 Bank Street, Suite 300, Morristown, NJ. (Rt. 202 S. off the Green) For more information, call Janet at 973.647.2500 or 845.853.9998. You can also click: http://www.oasisforthesoul.com B. The Princeton Chapter of Amnesty International will present Eric Fair, who will speak about his experiences as a contract negotiator in Iraq at Abu Ghraib prison in early 2004 . . . admission is free . . . on Thursday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Princeton Public Library . . . for more information, call Robert Fleming: 609.924.6253. C. Susie in New Jersey: The Provincetown Fringe Festival in Asbury Park presents SPECIES STEW: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Interspecies Relations, But I'm Going to Tell You Anyway. This is a reading of a new play by first-time playwright Jackie Freitas and performed by Anne Berkowitz, Diane Jackson, Marjorie Conn and Susan Marco. Proceeds from all performances will benefit Greyhound Rescue Organizations that find homes for ex-racing Greyhounds. Performances are at the Stephen Crane House at 508 4th Avenue in Asbury Park as follows: Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m. Seating is limited and reservations are strongly recommended at 732.807.4052. Tickets are $5 and include complimentary refreshments. A reception with discussion will follow each performance. Sponsor all 3 performance of SPECIES STEW: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Interspecies Relations, But I'm Going to Tell You Anyway for $25 and your name and other information if you choose (up to 25 words) will be prominently displayed in our program. HOW YOU CAN BECOME A SPONSOR Send a check for $25 to C.A.P.E., Inc., 147 Webb Avenue, Apt 2, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756. Or you can pay through PayPal to connartists@yahoo.com Include your name as you want it printed in the program and any other information up to 25 words. If you have any questions, please call Marj Conn at 732.807.4052. D. Brendan Mulvey, my talented colleague from Bucks County Community College, appears in DEAR WORLD at the Bristol Riverside Theatre, Bristol, PA, from April 28-May 18 . . . for more information, please click: http://www.brtstage.org _________________________________________________________ PS. If you're like me and you celebrate ALL holidays (more gifts and lots of great food that way), then here's hoping you have both a Happy St. Patrick's Day and Joyous Easter. 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.
|
