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3.24.2008 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Previous employment 4. Reviews . . . DRILLBIT TAYLOR, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Shopping 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. Kindness 10. A quote I like 11. Thought for the day 12. Advance planning department _________________________________________________________ 1. Reflections A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I visited the Hilton Head, South Carolina area this past weekend in our continuing quest for the place we will call home when we retire next year . . . overall, we were impressed--and particularly with a development called Hampton Lake . . . it was breathtaking, as can be seen by the picture below of the two of us (taken outside of the clubhouse):  Just imagine: All homesites overlook water or magnificent trees--and many have both . . . for more information, please click: http://www.hamptonlake.com Pratt Reed was our gracious host; if you visit, do try to have him show you around. B. We also enjoyed seeing a Del Webb/Pulte Homes development called Sun City . . . that had some 6,000 homes and best of all, there are some 100 activities that residents can participate in . . . Aaron Fisher was our friendly host for this visit; he can be reached at: 1.800.978.9781, ext. 8616 . . . Gary Smythe, his colleague, did a fine job in helping us make all our arrangements for the trip (which included a great rate at a nearby Hampton Inn); his number is 1.800.978.9781, ext. 8553. We next went to another Sun City community: Riverbend . . . this one has custom built homes with lovely wooded, lagoon and marsh views . . . it certainly did not come across as shabby! C. While in South Carolina, we went for our first time to a Cheeseburger Cheeseburger restaurant . . . it was located in Bluffton; 843.706.9716 . . . we liked how the hostess explained the menu to us . . . in addition, we liked the pictures on the wall (of all those who managed to eat a 20-ounce hamburger in one sitting) . . . our food, though, was a disappointment . . . the onion rings were cold, and we had to send them back . . . the hamburgers were cold, too, as well as overcooked . . . the only reason we didn't send them back was because we had to leave to catch the movie mentioned in Section 4A. We had a much better experience at Jack Frost Ice Cream, also in Bluffton; 843.705.5669 . . . they had a wide variety of very tasty flavors, and the owner (Dave Folts) made us feel welcome. D. During the week, I viewed WELCOME TO NOLLYWOOD--a documentary about the emerging Nigerian film industry--at the Princeton Public Library . . . what makes Nollywood so unique is that all films are shot on digital and released direct to consumer . . . what made this showing so unique is that it also featured an informative introduction and then post-screening discussion led by Simon Gikandi, a Princeton University English professor. ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Ellen Jolley--a realtor with RE/MAX Island Realty on Hilton Head Island. She was the person who showed us the various developments cited above. She was both knowledgeable and friendly, and she helped make our trip a success . . . also, we were most appreciative of how she took us around the Island on Easter Sunday just to see what it looked like (even though we weren't interested in any of the properties there). If we decide to buy in South Carolina, you can be sure that we'll work with Ellen . . . she can be reached at 843.301.5875. And SPECIAL THANKS to Sue Russeck, our local RE/MAX realtor, who helped us find Ellen . . . should you want to buy or sell real estate anywhere in Bucks County, PA, you won't go wrong with Sue . .. her number is 215.688.1381. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI If you ever need to hire salespeople or any other employees, go to directly to where they work . . . this is exactly what competitors do when shopping at Gap, as described in PUNCHING IN (see also Section 4C) by Alex Frankel: In fact, Gabriela told me that when another clothing store wanted to find good salespeople, they sent in fake customers to our store. If you did an exceptional job, they might give you their card and encourage you to call them. FYI, part 2 * Deidre in New Jersey: Central Jersey moms have a new place to go to connect: a forum-based Web site 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 eek, 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 Many readers graciously responded to my recent questions about buying a mattress (and specifically, a Tempur-Pedic one), as well as to whether to buy at a Sleepy's or some other retailer . . . here were just a small sampling of the many emails I received in response: * Nonie in New York: I have to tell you that we just recently bought a memory foam mattress, which was a knock off of a Tempur-Pedic. I absolutely love this mattress. Although I am sure that the original may be much better, it doesn't matter. This is the way to go. I have had back pain when I sleep too long on my day off, but when I sleep a little past 6 a.m., I now have no aches or pains. Also, I bought my last bed from Rock-Away bedding. Not sure if they have them where you are, but I was very pleased with the service. * Jean in Pennsylvania: Mattress shopping is the most difficult. They are notoriously priced differently and with different model names for each store, so comparison shopping is next to impossible. I tried to buy a mattress from Sleepy's. I just needed a twin for my son, and asked them to waive the delivery charge since I could take it home in my station wagon. Instead of a delivery charge, they wanted to tack on a PICK-UP charge ($60 for delivery, $30 if you picked it up). I left and went to JC Penny instead, which was much more reasonable. * Ginger in Florida: We bought a day bed for Michael's mom when she needed to have someone stay overnight in her apartment and be close enough to get to her easily. We went to Sleepy's and we explained that we couldn't bring her in and she was very particular. We asked if we could send it back if she hated it. We agreed to pay for the delivery and the cost of picking it up. They said there would be no problem. I think they were on Lexington, three blocks away. We should have gotten that in writing because, of course, she didn't like it. We called them to come pick it up. They said they don't take returns. She ended up calling a charity to pick it up. No amount of negotiating would make them change their mind. Never again; all promises are now in writing! We went from a Queen-size to a King and hated it. Not everyone feels the same. We're back to a Queen. * Melanie in New Jersey: We purchased our new bedroom set and mattress at Flemington Department Store when we moved into our development 5 year ago. This store (located in Flemington, of course) is quite an amazing store. It looks like a discount department store when you walk in, but in the back they have everything from lamps to furniture to carpeting, etc. We have a king-size bed. but I didn't want any fancy pillow top or extra width mattress. We purchased a nice firm mattress. I can' t remember the name, but it's a famous brand and they had good prices. It's the best mattress I ever had, and I still love it after 5 years. * Craig in Pennsylvania: Last year, Lynn and I purchased a sleep-numbered bed that allows you to adjust the firmness on each side of the bed separately. It wasn't cheap, but it was a good investment. And definitely worth checking out. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Previous employment The applicant was asked, "Why did you leave your last job?” She replied, “It was something my boss said.” “What did he say?” “’You're fired!’” Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. DRILLBIT TAYLOR is a moderately funny comedy about three high school students who keep getting beat up by bullies . . . things get so bad that they hire a supposed tough guy (Owen Wilson) to keep an eye on them . . . it's certainly not profound, but I did find myself laughing in spots . . . and as long as you don't view it with high expectations, you'll find yourself having a surprisingly good time . . . rated PG-13. B. AUGUST RUSH is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #554 follows: Saw AUGUST RUSH, a schmaltzy drama about a talented orphan who finds his parents as a result of his musical talents . . . the music is OK and so is the acting (except for an over-the-top Robin Williams), but I just didn't get into the story until the very ending . . . the film finally comes alive then, but not enough so that I'd recommend that you rush out to go see it . . . rated PG. A much better DVD to rent would be TOOTSIE . . . considered by some as one of the funniest comedies of all time, this film is about an actor who can't get a job as a male . . . so he decides to disguise himself as an older woman to get a daytime soap opera gig . . . he's hired on the spot and becomes an overnight sensation . . . Dustin Hoffman is superb in the title role, but he is matched scene by scene by such other talented performers as Jessica Lange (who won an Oscar for best supporting actress), Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, and Sydney Pollack . . . Pollack also directed . . . rated PG, though probably most appropriate for anybody over the age of 12. C. I've always admired the work done by UPS drivers . . . in addition, I've always been impressed by how well employees at Starbucks go about getting coffee to the vast numbers of people who enter their stores each day. Other businesses come to mind, too, including Gap, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Apple stores . . . they're all covered in Alex Frankel's PUNCHING IN (see also Section 2), an engaging and unauthorized look at what it's like to be a front-line employee at these various organizations in America. Frankel went undercover to get hired by each one, then spent time doing such tasks as folding endless T-shirts, selling iPods and completing a management training program . . . what really caught my attention was how he attempted to find out how these firms then tried to turn thousands of job applicants into new hires and eventually loyal--even fanatical--workers. For example, at UPS: * . . . we were given only a brief lesson in how to treat customers. It went something like this: If a customer is angry at you or upset that a package has not been delivered, tell them that you are sorry. Do not confront them or engage them. That was one extreme . . . at Gap, things were different: * On my first day, I had a gnawing sense of not really knowing what to do, but I received constant advice that I needed to be doing something. "A little secret," said one coworker. "Don't stand around, or management will say, 'Why isn't he doing anything?' " My first day was a blessedly abbreviated four-hour tour of duty; I wandered around aimlessly and tried to avoid both the eyes of my managers and the questions of customers before I was set free. I also liked the so-called advice that others gave Frankel, including this from a coworker at Enterprise: * Another guy shared his own method of selling insurance to unsuspecting customers and regaled us with stories of selling "trips": "Dude, I'd like, rattle off a bunch of stuff and, like, totally confuse them, and then I'd, like, say, 'So, you want full coverage?' And they're like 'Okay,' " said Allan. Lastly, all was not so perfect for the author . . . he interviewed for a job at Whole Foods, but did not get it . . . probably because he had difficulty with the online application: * The test consisted of statements and a choice of four answers--"strongly disagree," "disagree," "agree," or "strongly agree"--for each statement. Trying to guess which answer would get me invited in for an interview as quite difficult. Statements bobbed and weaved in unpredictable directions and included the basic and the absurd: You have confidence in yourself. Your stuff is often kind of messy. You like to have exciting fun. It is maddening when the court lets guilty criminals go free. There are some people you really can't stand. You are somewhat of a thrill-seeker. You are always cheerful. You like to stir up excitement when you are bored. It is easy for you to take advantage of others. You are not afraid to tell someone off. You can wait patiently for along time. Realistically, these days, companies do not expect much loyalty from employees. You deserve to be better off than you are. You like to be alone. Slow people make you impatient. You love to listen to people talk about themselves. Your behavior gets out of control at times. You've done your share of trouble- making. You think about your feelings and try to understand them. You would rather work on a team than by yourself.
Overall, PUNCHING IN is a great book to read or give as a gift for anybody entering the workforce . . . it will also make others presently employed rethink the wisdom of leaving their current job for something that often isn't as wonderful as it may look. D. Heard the recorded version of THE HP WAY: HOW BILL HEWLETT AND I BUILT OUR COMPANY by David Packard I found it fascinating to learn how these two college friends decided to start their own company in 1939 out of a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California (that has now become a historic landmark: the birthplace of Silicon Valley) . . . from those humble beginnings, Hewlett-Packard has grown to become one of the world's most admired technology corporations. What made this book stand out for me was the fact that in learning about the HP history, you also found out what Hewlett and Packard both did to make their company one where employees would actually enjoy working at . . . they did this by holding such beliefs as the following: * A guiding principle at HP: Get the best people, stress teamwork and get employees fired up to work there. * Personal communication was often necessary to back up written communication. * Much of the success was from management by walking around. * Individuals need to be treated with consideration and respect. * People need the challenge to be their best, to realize their potential and to be recognized for their achievements. * Personnel's job is to support management, not to supplant it. * The betterment of our society is not a job to be limited to a few; it is a responsibility to be shared by all. After reading THE HP WAY, my only regret is that more organizations don't get founded by such progressive thinkers as Bill Hewlett and David Packard . . . though both dead, their legacies live in the continuing success of the Hewlett-Packard Company. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. AUTISM: THE MUSICAL details the efforts of educator Elaine Hall in a documentary that covers the six months she spent helping five autistic children create their own musical . . . Tuesday at 8 p.m. on HBO and repeated throughout the week . . . for a listing of other show times, please click: http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/autism-musical/tv-listings/293076 B. WHO KNEW? WITH MARSHALL BRAIN looks at how robots have replaced humans on the assembly line when the inquisitive host visits car factories in Utah and Alabama. . . he also crashes into the air-bag industry to learn how they inflate and then later observes how money is printed . . . Thursday at 9 p.m. on NATIONAL GEORGRAPHIC. C. MASTERPIECE has a show on Sunday at 9 p.m. on PBS that methinks will be a winner . . . to quote TV GUIDE: A marvelous new adaptation of Jane Austen's SENSE AND SENSIBILITY follows two sisters who are opposite in temperament as they each search for their perfect beaus without the benefit of eHarmony in 19th century England. PBS times and dates often vary, so check local listings. D. DANCE ON SUNSET premieres on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on NICKELODEON . . it not only offers easy (or so "they" say) step-by-step tips on all the latest dance moves, but also features music from hot acts like Ashlee Simpson, Janet Jackson and Sean Kingston. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Shopping The supermarket had a sale on boneless chicken breasts, and I intended to stock up. At the store, however, I was disappointed to find only a few skimpy pre-packaged portions of the poultry, so I complained to the butcher. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll pack some more trays and have them ready for you by the time you finish shopping." Several aisles later, I heard the lady's voice boom over the public-address system: "Will the gentleman who wanted bigger breasts please meet me at the back of the store." Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. To see how easy it is for people to find out much of your personal information, please click: http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf At the end, there's useful information on how to prevent identify theft. B. If you'd like to experience the joy of feeling young again, catch the Zimmers (a group of senior citizens) sing the song "My Generation" by clicking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqfFrCUrEbY For the original version by The Who, please click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0XknwXqLDo
C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net THIS IS TRUE is one of my favorite online publications . . . it's a weekly syndicated newspaper column by Colorado humorist Randy Cassingham. TRUE reports on bizarre-but-true news items from legitimate newspapers from around the world (never "tabloids"). Each story ends with commentary by Randy--a tagline which is humorous, ironic or opinionated. To subscribe for FREE from my website, go to "Blaine's Best" on the left, then click the dropdown menu and find THIS IS TRUE. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip To cut down on junk mail, squash preapproved credit offers. Register at: http://www.optoutprescreen.com
or call the toll-free number: 888.567.8688. Both methods cover you for five years. You also can opt out permanently by phone or by mail using a form found on the website. “Not only will you nix the offers, but you'll be reducing your chances of identity theft,” says Beth Givens of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. SOURCE: USA WEEKEND, 3/7-3/9/08, p. 13 Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 9. Kindness One afternoon, a wealthy lawyer was riding in the back of his limousine when he saw two men eating grass by the road-side. He ordered his driver to stop, and he got out to investigate. "Why are you eating grass?" he asked one man. "We don't have any money for food," the poor man replied. "Oh, well, you can come with me to my house," instructed the lawyer. "But, sir, I have a wife and two children with me!" "Bring them along!" replied the lawyer. He turned to the other man and said: "You come with us, too." "But I have a wife and six children," the second man answered. "Bring them as well" replied the lawyer. They all climbed into the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine. Once underway, one of the poor fellows says: "Sir you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you." The lawyer replied: "Glad to do it. You'll love my place; the grass is almost a foot tall." Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.--Anonymous Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day A pastor's story (longish, but definitely worth your time) Some years ago, I walked into my office after a Sunday morning service to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and anonymous person who knew my love for chocolate had placed them there, along with a piece of paper that had a short story written on it I immediately sat down and began eating the first brownie as I read the following story: Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the Internet, he denied their request. "Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13, and we're both older than thirteen!" Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality as being normal and acceptable behavior." "But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That's what our friends who've seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! It's based on a true story and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice. Even the movie review websites say that!" "My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch that film. End of discussion." The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other, "Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go to that movie after all." About that time I began eating the second brownie from the sandwich bag and wondered if there was some connection to the brownies I was eating and the brownies in the story. I kept reading . . . The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a plate of warm brownies which he offered to his kids. They each took one. Then their father said, "Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both so much." The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances. Dad was softening. "That is why I've made these brownies with the very best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even organic. The best organic flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate." The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens began to become a little impatient with their dad's long speech. "But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one ingredient I added that is not usually found in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies. The amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite and let e know what you think." "Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before we eat?" "Why? The portion I added was so small, just a teaspoonful. You won't even taste it." "Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is." "Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients." "Dad!" "Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic . . . dog poop." I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie, and I spit it out into the waste basket by my desk. I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that still remained. Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror. "DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by making us smell those brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us that you added dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!" "Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the other ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!" "No, Dad . . . NEVER!" "And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead us into temptation long after we first see it? I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the entire untouched third brownie. What had been irresistible a minute go had become detestable. And only because of the very slim chance that what I was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely it wasn't . . . but I couldn't convince myself.) What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin? On the day of the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every bit of leaven from their homes. Sin is like leaven--a little bit leavens the whole lump (1Corinthians 5:6, 7). Faith and sin don't mix. Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Cathy in Pennsylvania: Attend the Weekly Prayers for Peace Vigil of Pax Christi from 6:30-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 27 at St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church, 1253 Lawrence Road in Lawrenceville. B. Janet in New Jersey: Join us Thursday Evening, March 27, 2008, 7-9 p.m. BE THE MEDICINE: ONGOING GROUP for Medical, Psychological, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Nutritional, Energy, Body workers, Coaches, 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. We began with a great group of people two weeks ago; join us as you can. 18 Bank Street, Suite 300, Morristown, NJ (Rt. 202 S. off the Green) Parking lot across the street is free, leaving after 8 p.m. For more information, please click: http://www.oasisforthesoul.com C. This Weekend: Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m. David Brahinsky & Friends 12th Annual Singing for Our Souls Sing A Long David provides the song sheets, and you add the voice in songs that touch the heart and mind to stimulate the soul’s growth. Selections will include folk music, songs by contemporary musicians, and songs David wrote based on the words of Lao Tsu, Whitman, and others. Princeton Center for Yoga & Health Montgomery Professional Center 50 Vreeland Drive, Suite 506 Skillman, New Jersey For more information, please click: http://www.princetonyoga.com
Or call 609.924.7294. D. Cyndy in Pennsylvania: I am birthing a new Drum and Sacred Sound Healing Circle in West Chester, at the Creative Healing Arts Center. This is the culmination of a dream to have a West Chester circle for my friends who are finding that Landenberg, although beautiful when you get here . . . is a bit of a drive for some. We will meet on Saturdays, March 29, April 26 and May 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. The donation for the Spring Session is $100.00. If you cannot afford this, talk to me. If the circle has more value for you, and you can afford it, please offer more. This allows space for those who need to be there, but have less. You can register by emailing me. Cyndy "Snake Dancer" Landenberg, PA http://www.rhythmoftheearth.com
snakedancer@rhythmoftheearth.com 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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