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BLAINESWORLD
#550 4.16.2007 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Twins 4. Reviews . . . BLADES OF GLORY, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Lunch break 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. Management Communications 101 10. A quote I like 11. Thought for the day 12. Advance planning department _________________________________________________________ 1. Reflections A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I are pleased to report that your good wishes, prayers and cards are working . . . my mother only wanted to get out of her rehab center, so we had her brought home and provided 24-hour care for her . . . the first few days were a bit rough, but shortly thereafter, she started making progress . . . she's now even back to smiling! B. On Saturday, we went with friends to dinner at Hong Kong Pearl (215.949.1233) in Levittown, PA . . . the food there is excellent, and you know you're in for a treat because there's usually a wait to get seated . . . Cynthia and I shared our two dishes: steamed fresh vegetables with sauce on the side and chicken with cashews. From there, we went to a production of GEORGE M!, being put on by the Neshaminy Valley Music Theater . . . the entire troupe did a bang-up job with this musical account of the life of legendary showman George M. Cohan, and we particularly appreciated the enthusiasm of all the performers . . . Michel Zweig shined as Cohan . . . we enjoyed seeing Chic and Joni Dowburd (see Section D for more information about them) acting and dancing up a storm . . . in addition, Bob Davidson did a fine job in one of the roles; he was my daughter Risa's Hebrew teacher when she went to religious school . . . . . . and costuming by Joanne Urquhart, who also appeared as Fay Templeton, was excellent. You can still catch performances on April 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, PA and on April 21 at 2 p.m. . . . ticket prices are $18 for adults; $12.50 for children/students under 18 with a special $12.50 price for senior citizens at the matinee on April 21. Performances are at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope on April 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. and on April 29 at 2 p.m. . . . ticket prices are $20 for adults; $12.50 for children/students under 18. All seats are reserved . . . for more information, call 215.364.4999. Tickets will be available at the door and via online at: http://www.ticketleap.com
On Sunday, we went to the home of my friend and colleague Dee in Pennsylvania who put together a delightful retirement party for my friends Barry Sysler and Earle Meyers (both of whom are retiring from Bucks County Community College at the end of this spring semester) . . . we got a kick out of hearing stories about the both of them told by all those in attendance. I mentioned all the help Earle has given me with the Union and how he made life easier for me by presenting me with something to utilize for whenever the BCCC president, Jim Linksz, gave me a hard time; i.e., my very own button to push . . . Barry actually helped pave the way for my life with Cynthia, in that several years ago, we sat down over dinner and he went on and on about how happy he was with Jodi as his wife . . . I saw for the first time that such an existence was possible and shortly thereafter, found it. See below for a picture of several of the happy crowd:  (L-R: Blaine, B.J. Duffy, Dee Jones, Scott Bradshaw, Joan Hughes, Gene
Fox, Barry Sysler, and Earle Meyers; photo taken by Walter Weeks) C. I've mentioned before how you can find many excellent programs at local colleges and universities, as well as at public and parochial schools in your area . . . they are often for free or at very low cost . . . these include films, speakers, shows, and a whole range of other activities . . . to find them, check your local paper or visit websites of the nearby institutions. Bucks County Community College is blessed to have Natalie Kaye (see also Section 12B), coordinator of the Women's Center, arrange many such events . . . just last week, she brought filmmaker, actress, writer, and producer Fay Ann Lee on campus to talk about her soon-to-be-released movie FALLING TO GRACE. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend this most informative presentation . . . afterwards, we all got to see Lee's romantic comedy about the cultural complications that occur when an Asian-American woman realizes her Cinderella fantasy by dating one of Manhattan's most eligible bachelors. Lee wrote the script for the movie and starred as Grace, a female Wall Street whiz with a Chinatown background . . . she was simply charming, as was the film . . . look for it in the theaters! D. WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK? You're now reading the 550th issue of this newsletter, which means it has been in publication for well over 10 years . . . for those who may have joined late as a subscriber and/or just recently: BLAINESWORLD is a weekly missive that contains some jokes, hopefully not too risque; websites; reviews, etc. . . . you do NOT ever have to read the whole issue; i.e., unless you want to . . . typically, it is broken down as follows: Section 1: General reflections on things happening in my life, some of which you may be able to apply to yours. Section 2: Information that hopefully will be of use. Sections 3, 6 and 9: Jokes or material of a humorous nature. Section 4: Reviews of movies and books. Section 5: Programs you might want to watch on TV. Section 7: Websites, typically of an unusual nature. Section 8: A weekly computer tip. Section 10: A quote I like. Section 11: Something to think about. Section 12: Notice of upcoming events that are generally open to the public. For BLAINESWORLD to work best, your participation is both requested and appreciated . . . feel free to send me anything you think others might like to see . . . I especially welcome jokes that may be new to you (that you have not seen repeatedly on the Internet) . . . the same applies to websites, computer tips, etc. . . . as I tell my students, if I give you a buck and you give me a buck, we each have one dollar . . . however, if I give you an idea, joke, website, or computer tip that haven't seen, and you give me one back, we each have two . . . your best bet to reach me is via email: bginbc@aol.com . . . please make sure you put something in the subject line that tells me what you're writing about; e.g., suggestion for an upcoming issue. There are now some 780 BLAINESWORLD subscribers and new ones are always welcome, so feel free to share it with your friends, relatives and colleagues--and encourage them to subscribe as well . . . all they have to do is go to this website and see the information at the bottom (under Special Offer): http://www.blainesworld.net ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Chic and Joni Dowburd--longtime friends who are now appearing in GEORGE M! (see also Section 1D) . . . this was the first time they've appeared together on stage, and they both performed with great aplomb . . . and talent, too . . . like everybody else involved in the production, they spent countless hours in rehearsal . . . their efforts certainly paid off, and I look forward to seeing them in whatever show they next appear . . . in the meantime, you can see them both in the Time Life Malt Shop Informational appearing on many local TV stations. Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI People tell me they have to watch the daily news to "keep current." My definition of "keep current" is "stay negative." All news is negative. Constant exposure to daily negative news can possibly have a positive impact on your life. The Internet will give you all the news you need, in about a minute and a half. That will free up time that you can devote to yourself and your positive attitude. Think about it this way: If you watch the news an hour a day, that's 15 full 24-hour days of negative each year. 1. How important is the news to your success? 2. What can you do with that time to build YOUR LIFE, instead of your storehouse of useless knowledge? Do you affect the news or does it affect you? This is a key phrase to determine whether something will positively impact you. If you can't affect it in some way or another, the best thing to do is stay away from it. SOURCE: JEFFREY GITOMER'S LITTLE GOLD BOOK OF YES! ATTITUDE (see also Sections 4C, 10 and 11) by Jeffrey Gitomer FYI, part 2 * Dan in New Jersey and author of the excellent NATURAL CAUSES: DEATH, LIES AND POLITICS IN AMERICAN'S VITMAIN AND HERBAL SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY (reviewed in BLAINESWORLD #543): [In response to a follow-up email I sent to him about the above] If one trusts scientists to put a rocket into space, to build a bridge, to make a cellphone that allows you to talk to someone on the other side of the planet or to figure out how it's possible for me to sit here in my kitchen and type on a laptop keyboard that will send you a message, then why not trust scientific tests of whether or not a drug works. Homeopathic products have never been shown to work. They are based on a truly loopy, non-scientific idea, developed in the mid-19th century, that you can cure an illness by giving the body a teeny-tiny amount of something that should cause the same kind of symptoms as your illness. By "teeny tiny," that means it's diluted to the point where the laws of physics say it should be undetectable, that is, nothing's left. No credible studies have ever shown that a homeopathic product can cure any illness, and it would be bizarre if a study did show that. Of course, scientists are always open to "bizarre" findings, or else there would never be any progress. But they're convinced by proof, not by a neat-sounding theory, which is all that homeopathy ever was. One peculiar part of the homeopathy story, however, is that U.S. poison control centers get thousands of phone calls every year from people who took a homeopathic product and either had a bad reaction or else just mistakenly took too much and are worried. People get hospitalized from reactions to these products. So they definitely do not work, and they occasionally (very rarely) cause bad reactions. But as Sponge Bob would say, "Good luck with that!" PS. Another way of putting it: Would you ever fly on an alternative airplane, built by alternative flight engineers, piloted by a complementary and alternative pilot, all of whom believe not in the rules of physics but in alternative aerodynamics? * Poonam in Pennsylvania: Yes, the movie [THE NAMESAKE, reviewed in BLAINESWORLD #548] is very well done. The acting is good. I always liked Tabu. It was nice and short, but still portrayed the struggle, etc. very well. Like you said, it was sad but funny. I can relate to some of the feelings very well regarding the parents and life one leaves behind. Like in the movie, our friends are the family we leave behind. Now for me Newtown is home. * Lorraine in New Jersey: Saw your picks on your website regarding Travel. My company is partnered with Travelocity for our booking engine, but we have something that Travelocity doesn't . . . we give the opportunity for individuals to have their own booking sites with Travelocity's own booking engine. In essence, you can become a homebased travel agent complete with industry credentials! Whether someone is a travel junkie and wants to take advantage of the industry perks, upgrades and discounts, or someone is looking to make a part time income being the travel agent for family, friends, groups, get the tax benefits of a home-based business and get their vacations for less, or for the businessperson making a career change and helps us market these sites for larger income returns, we have a brilliant, win/win opportunity. Most of all, Blaine. It is so simple. So inexpensive. So addictive. We sell the same thing as Hilton, Sandals, Royal Caribbean . . . with no extra add-on premiums. People order their travel online (Travelocity and Expedia), so they order travel on our website with the same booking engine....and make doing so. In addition, there's access to all the insider professional and the tax benefits. Check out our booking site: http://www.olatravels.com Check out our presentation: http://www.presentingytb.com Then call and/or write us: (609) 730-8388 olatravels@gmail.com * Janet in New York: Continued love and healing to your Mom. Good to have her out of the facility she is uncomfortable in. They are set up to help after surgery, yet can be depressing My 80 year-old Mom had surgery last fall in Tennessee, and I was fortunate to be able to work from her home to be with her for a week. It helped tremendously when she had different professionals come to help each day for weeks and happy to be in her own home. . . . Thanks for your weekly newsletter and community and personal support. Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Twins A man was taking his wife, who was pregnant with twins, to the hospital when his car went out of control and crashed. Upon regaining consciousness, he saw his brother, a relentless world-class practical joker, sitting at his bed side. He asked his brother how his wife was and his brother replied, "Don't worry, everybody is fine, and you have a son and a daughter. But the hospital was in a real hurry to get the birth certificates filed and since both you and your wife were unconscious, I named them for you." The husband was thinking to himself, "Oh no, what has he done now?" and said with trepidation, "Well what did you name them?" The brother replied, "I named the little girl Denise." The husband, relieved, said, "That's a very pretty name! What did you come up with for my son?" The brother replied, "Denephew." Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. BLADES OF GLORY is a goofy comedy that had me laughing from the very first scene . . . it is the tale of two male ice-skaters who when banned from competition for fighting with each other, team up to make a comeback in the pair-skating program . . . Will Ferrell and Jon Heder are equally funny as the two main characters, and I also liked Craig T. Nelson--and how come you don't see him more often?--as their coach . . . rated PG-13. B. FREEDOM WRITERS is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #537 follows: Loved FREEDOM WRITERS, a real-life story of high school teacher Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank in a great performance) who inspires her at-risk students to change their lives via a writing project. . . it moved me and made me, as well as the others in the audience, want to applaud at the end . . . this is a film that you won't want to miss; encourage others to see it, too . . . teenagers and their parents will do well to see it together . . . Cynthia and my mother also enjoyed it . . . and even if you're not a fan of rap music, much of what's contained you'll appreciate . . . rated PG-13. C. Jeffrey Gitomer knows how to write about selling . . . I've read and enjoyed two of his other books--THE LITTLE RED BOOK OF SELLING and THE SALES BIBLE . . . in each instance, I found myself taking copious notes . . . that's always a good sign; i.e., it shows there is something that I wish to retain and/or share with others. The same thing happened when I devoured JEFFREY GITOMER'S LITTLE GOLD BOOK OF YES! ATTITUDE (see also Sections 2, 10 and 11) . . . it took me just a few hours to read, but that's misleading in that after I finished, I had to go back to revisit much of it . . . and I'm sure I will continue to do so in the future, in that it is that good. Perhaps most importantly, Gitomer got me to think about what's important in life . . . for example, when feeling down, he advises that all you need to do is: Visit a children's hospital or help someone less fortunate than you. Get comfortable with the plight of others, and feel good about the minuteness of your problems compared with theirs. I also liked his advice on how to find out about the weather: Poke your head outside in the morning. It's a lot more accurate than the weather guy. The above might seem basic, but if you're like me, you need to be reminded of it every so often . . . likewise, Gitomer urges you to think the following when it comes to making money: Most people get into a career to "make money." There could not be a worse reason to enter a profession. The best way to amass a lot of money in a career is to earn it. And, also, I liked the author's shortest goal lesson in life: Post your goals (in front of your face) on your bathroom mirror, and say them twice a day. Once achieved, post your accomplishments on your bedroom mirror so you can start each day by looking at your success. Lastly, Gitomer constantly offers readers the opportunity to gain even more from his book by references to his website . . . one free offer promises you his collection of personal quotes for your personal inspiration . . . please excuse me while I go get that now. D. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Dale Carnegie was first published in 1937 . . . it has sold over 15 million copies since then and, amazingly, is as relevant as it ever was. I first read it as a college undergraduate back in, well, let's just say way back when . . . since then, I've made it a point to reread it at least once every ten years . . . just recently, I had the opportunity to hear a recorded version for the first time . . . and while I'm glad I did, I now find myself wanting to go back and revisit the print copy because I couldn't take all the notes that I wanted to (since I was driving). Carnegie makes many points that left me shaking my head every time I hear them . . . they make sense and I often wonder to myself: How come I don't do follow his advice more often? His use of real-life examples and famous people (running the gamut from Abe Lincoln to Al Capone) also helps drive home his material. Essentially, his advice can be broken down into four main sections that are presented in the book . . . they are as follows: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People, including: "Give people a feeling of importance; praise the good parts of them." Six Ways to Make People Like You, including: "Remember that a man's name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking, including: "Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never tell someone they are wrong." And Nine Ways to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment, including: "Ask questions instead of giving direct orders." Now if I can just remember even some of these idea when we negotiate our next contract at the college where I teach, I'll be all set . . . in the meantime, I'll make sure to reread HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE . . . I encourage you to do likewise, and at the same time, buy a copy and then share this timeless classic with somebody else (possibly younger) who could also benefit from it. This fine program is available for purchase or rental . . . if you want to get it, please click: Above is the tape rental club I belong to; i.e., the Achievement Tape Library . . . this a great way to hear CDs and/or audio cassette tapes, view videos, etc.--all for a fraction of what it would cost to buy them . . . call the head of the firm (Paul Arroyo) directly at 1.800.735.3660 and mention my name . . . that way, you'll be sure to pay even higher prices . . . NOT. Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. I haven't previously been watching HUSTLE, but the fourth season's opener looks like a winner . . . Robert Vaughn and Co. relocate to America where they attempt sell the Hollywood sign to a corrupt businessman played by Robert Wagner . . . Wednesday at 10 p.m. on AMC. B. EDDIE IZZARD: GLORIOUS features THE RICHES star at his cross-dressing, free-associating best . . . Saturday at 9:55 p.m. on BBC AMERICA. C. 20/20 has Diane Sawyer discussing "Planet Earth: Seven Ways to Save the World," a look at critical environmental problems and the innovative solutions currently practiced on different continents . . . Friday at 10 p.m. on ABC. D. JUMP THE SHARK is an hourlong special that looks at how a great TV series can be torpedoed by one critical misstep . . . the term first came about when Fonzie on HAPPY DAYS jumped over man-eating sharks while on water skis . . . Sunday at 8 p.m. on TV GUIDE CHANNEL. Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Lunch break During my lunch break one day at work, a person at the next table sneezed. "In my culture, if you sneeze once, that means someone is missing you,” my Chinese friend Lin told her. “If you sneeze twice, someone’s saying nasty things about you behind your back. And if you sneeze three times, someone is speaking kindly about you.” “What if you sneeze four times?” asked the person who had sneezed. “That,” said Lin, “means you've caught a cold.” Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. When formatting something for publication on the Internet, it is best to use 60-65 characters per line . . . to make life easier for you, all you need to do is click: http://www.web-source.net/format_text.htm This online text formatter means you won't have to count each character and/or place a hard carriage return at the end of each line . . . will this make life easier for you; for me, too! B. For a lovely rendition of the song "One Boy, One Girl," please click: http://www.blueyze.com/1boy1girl.html This website is best viewed if you have your sound turned on as you read the accompanying words. C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net THANKS to Lori, my fantastic webmistress, you'll now be able to get more information about Cynthia and her dance programs . . . on the left of the homepage, you'll see "About Cynthia" . . . please click to read more, then make sure to stop by for updates. Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip For hotel discounts, one good source to check is: http://www.destinationcoupons.com
What I typically do: Check travelocity.com or expedia.com, then see if I can beat the price at one of the above websites. MR. CURIOUS HERE: Might you have any other suggestions for hotel/motel rooms, in general, or travel (overall)? If so, please share them with me. That way, I can then let others know this information too. Top _________________________________________________________ 9. Management Communications 101: Memoranda for Management In large companies, it's obviously important that memoranda contain lots of important buzzwords. What the memos actually say isn't particularly important; if it were really important, someone would discuss it in person or by email. In writing these memoranda, please remember the importance of these buzzwords. BUZZWORDS FOR MANAGERS COLUMN I COLUMN II COLUMN III --------------------- --------------------- -------------------- 0. integrated 0. management 0. options 1. heuristic 1. organizational 1. flexibility 2. systematized 2. monitored 2. capability 3. parallel 3. reciprocal 3. mobility 4. functional 4. digital 4. programming 5. responsive 5. logistical 5. scenarios 6. optional 6. transitional 6. time-phase 7. synchronized 7. incremental 7. projection 8. compatible 8. third-generation 8. hardware 9. futuristic 9. policy 9. contingency The procedure is simple. Think of any three-digit number, and then select the corresponding buzzword from each column. For instance, number 257 produces "systematized logistical projection," a phrase that can be dropped into virtually any report with a sincere ring of decisive, knowledgeable authority. No one will have the remotest idea of what you're talking about, but the important thing is that THEY ARE NOT ABOUT TO ADMIT IT! Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like The main reason people rain on my parade is because they have no parade of their own.--Jeffrey Gitomer in JEFFREY GITOMER'S LITTLE GOLD BOOK OF YES! ATTITUDE (see also Sections 2, 4C and 11) Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day When I REALLY like a book, I use it four times in the newsletter . . . as you can see by the following passage, that's the case with JEFFREY GITOMER'S LITTLE GOLD BOOK OF YES! ATTITUDE (see also Sections 2, 4C and 10) by Jeffrey Gitomer: What's your attitude when you describe a person? When someone asks you, "What do you think about Bill?" do you give your opinion in negative terms - what Bill can't do - or where Bill falls short? On rare occasions, you might have nice things to say at the beginning, followed by the word BUT. And but is the downside. "He's a great guy, but he drinks too much." People put others down to build themselves up. This is known as limited self-image through the third person. "I believe I'm better than Bill; therefore, I can put Bill down." Key Awareness: You've been doing it for years - so many years that you do it automatically. I'm going to ask you to think about how you describe others in their absence versus how you might describe them if they were in your presence. One usually gives negative traits in their absence, but would almost never say the same thing in their presence. My rule is real simple: If you wouldn't say it to their face, why would you say it behind their back? This is a very important part of attitude awareness because it brings to focus how much negativity and how much negative talk is really in your life. This is only one example. "If you have nothing nice to say about someone, say nothing." Florence Gitomer 1915-1986 (my mother) Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Cynthia (see also Section 1A): TREASURE YOURSELF A Woman’s Circle of Discovery and Adventure with Janet StraightArrow and Cynthia Greenfield Saturday, April 21 (rescheduled from March 17 when it had to be postponed because of the snow) 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at Princeton Center for Yoga 50 Vreeland Drive, Suite 506, Skillman, NJ 08558 609.924.7294 For directions, please click: http://www.princetonyoga.com Cost: Free. Love donations accepted for the rental space. Bring your little girl self and wise woman self. Be ready for mystery, magic and fun! Woman of all ages welcomed and appreciated! B. Natalie in Pennsylvania (see also Section 1C): Cris Groenendaal, the third Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and his wife, conductor of Cats, Sue Anderson will present an evening of Broadway music on Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. in the Library Auditorium of Bucks County Community College. Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased through Natalie Kaye, 215.579.1836 or online at: http://www.bucks.edu/cultural They are also available in the Student Life office. For anyone who loves the music of Broadway, this is a must-see. C. Jerry in Pennsylvania: Monday April 30th FREE Financial Seminar at Pippo's (primarily for singles, but others are welcome), 765 Second Street Pike, Southampton, PA 6:30-8:30 p.m. Who says there no such thing as a free lunch? We'll do one better . . . how about a FREE DINNER at Pippo's Italian Restaurant with some great free financial advice from Charter Financial Consultant Jerry Gross, MBA, CLU, ChFC. You must be registered for this event to attend. Learn the answers to questions like: Are your investments a reflection of your future goals? Is your IRA set up properly? Are you paying too much in tax? And much,much more! Call Jerry Gross at 215.355.4544 to register. D. Adrienne in Pennsylvania: HOLD THIS DATE: On Friday, June 8, from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., the Bucks County Community College Foundation will be hosting Tyler Tasting’s 19th annual premier food and wine tasting event, along with musical entertainment and a silent and live auction at the Newtown Campus. New in 2007: In addition to sampling food from Bucks County’s finest restaurants, guests will also have an opportunity to sample some of the “Greatest Beers of the World” presented by Gretz Beer Company. Beers such as Rogue, Victory, Michelob, Newcastle, Moretti, Paulaner, Carlsberg Jacobsen, Grolsch, and Warsteiner will be available. Another new vendor this year is Southern Wine and Spirits Portfolio. For your pleasure, they will be serving Absolute, Cruzan, Sauza, the Jim Beam Family, and Starbucks.™ A new and exciting auction item this year: Chef Barry Sexton, who assists Chef Robert Irvine on the Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible," show will prepare dinner for 12-18 people. For more information or to order tickets, call 215.968.8224 or send an email to: foundcation@bucks.edu _________________________________________________________ PS. Please join me in praying that we soon get our remaining soldiers back from Iraq and that peace soon resumes in Israel . . . also, make it a great week! And if you read this on or before Tuesday, make sure you visit this website to find out where you can get celebrate Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day: http://www.benandjerrys.com/index.cfm Top ---------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBCRIBE INFORMATION If you or somebody you know wants to subscribe to BLAINESWORLD, have them drop me an e-mail to that effect . . . new readers are always welcome . . . my address is: bginbc@aol.com In the unlikely event you wish to unsubscribe, notify me at the same email address.
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