Blaine's World: Newsletter

SPECIAL THANKS to Mark Cater for having provided this
picture . . . he is a professional photographer who does
excellent work; for more information, please click:
http://www.markcarterphotography.com

D. CONGRATULATIONS to Cynthia's sister Joyce and her husband
Marty on the birth of their granddaughter Zoe Emre Dahan . . . may she
bring as much joy to their lives as having me in their family does!

***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****
This week, it goes to Eric Goldner--a former student and computer whiz.

Eric is currently helping me with several software problems I've been
having . . . he is extremely knowledgeable, as well as resourceful.

The highest compliment I can pay a past student is to someday hire
him to work for me . . . Eric thus enters a select group of individuals
that numbers less than 10.

Should you want to have Eric help you with any software issues,
hardware problems and/or installation, programming, etc., email
him at: egoldner@gmail.com . . . feel free to mention my name.

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

2. FYI

Donna Giovanetti, ace division chief for the Mercer County (NJ)
Division of Consumer Affairs sent this warning that may seem
basic to some . . . but that unfortunately has tripped up too many
others--including at least one loyal reader:

MERCER COUNTY CAUTIONS RESIDENTS ABOUT "ADVANCED
FEE" CHECK SCAM

TRENTON, NJ--Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes and
the Mercer County Office of Consumer Affairs joins the state Division
of Consumer Affairs in warning residents to be wary if a stranger asks
them to transfer funds from an overseas account with promises of
a financial gain.

"This is just the latest in a scheme to rob unsuspecting people
of their hard-earned money, and I urge people to follow heed the warning
that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.''

According to the state, more than 60 complaints from "advance fee" scam
victims have been filed last year. The advance fee scam, sometimes
called the Nigerian scam, involves a con artist who typically claims
to be a foreign government official or former official who needs assistance
in transferring funds to the United States. The con artist asks that the
person being contacted provide their bank account information and
also advance their own money to help facilitate the transfer of funds.
In return, the con artist promises a large payment to compensate the
person for their efforts.

Victims may receive official looking documents from the scam artist
to gain trust. When the victim agrees to assist, the scam artist may
send an authentic-looking cashiers' check written for more than the
agreed-upon compensation. The victim is instructed to deposit the
cashier's check in their personal account and immediately withdraw
the money in excess of their compensation payment. The victim then
wires these excess funds to the scam artist.

Several days or weeks later, the bank notifies the victim that the cashier's
check is fake. The consumer is expected to cover the funds they
unwittingly "returned" to the scam artist. A variation of the scheme includes
a bogus job offer where the "recruiter" asks the victim to provide their social
security number and provides a cashier's check as an advance against
the first paycheck. Ultimately, any funds provided to the con artist are
lost and no transfer of funds or promised payment occurs.

Consumers should never give bank account and other personal information
to unknown callers or in response to an email, the state warns.

Consumers who receive advance fee fraud emails, but have not suffered
a money loss, are best served by adding the sender to their email "block"
list and forwarding the emails to their Internet Service Provider. Consumers
who have lost money or have mistakenly given personal account information
to the scammer can contact the Mercer County Division of Consumer Affairs
at 609.989.6671.

MY TWO CENTS:
If you live in Bucks County (PA), you won't go wrong by contacting Mike
Bannon, director/chief sealer for the Consumer Protection Office;
215.348.7442 . . . folks living in other areas should contact their
local consumer officials.

FYI, part 2

* If you know of any current student at Bucks County Community
College who may qualify, please forward this information:

The Dean's Academic Scholarship is open to all returning students
this coming fall semester. Part-time students are also eligible!

It covers tuition and fees for full- and part-time students.

Criteria:
1. You must be a legal resident of Bucks County.
2. You must have at least a 3.5 GPA. The higher, the better.

If you qualify and would like me to nominate you, please
send me the following information on or before 4.29.07:

Your name
Your student ID number

Send it to:
bginbc@aol.com

and put in subject line:
Dean's Academic Scholarship

ALSO:
There are scholarships for entering students, too . . . so if you know
anybody in this category, please have them contact me at once.

* Kevin in Pennsylvania:
Have you ever seen Mrs Hughes? She's verrrrry funny. Search for her
on YouTube.

GREAT MINDS THINKING ALIKE:
I also found her funny. Even better than YouTube is her actual website
where you can actually see her perform:
http://www.mrshughes.com/

* Mike in New Jersey (with a REQUEST FOR HELP):
My name is Michael Venanzi, and I am a sophomore at Rider University
majoring in business marketing. Marketing has always been my field
of interest simply because it fits my personality of being a great public
speaker and an excellent listener. For the last four years, I have been
working for a privately owned pharmacy where I have gained a great deal
of knowledge about the pharmaceutical industry. As I enter my last
two years of college, I have come up with the conclusion that I wish
to become a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company
after graduating in 2010. In the meantime, I am up for gaining as much
knowledge as possible by being a marketing intern and truly getting
a glimpse of what the marketing industry is really like. If you know
of anyone that needs an intern, please forward this information to them.
My email address is venanzi@rider.edu.

* Joan in Pennsylvania:
I heard on a talk show during all my spare time this week that SMART
PEOPLE was filmed before JUNO, but just released second. So Ellen
Paige's JUNO performance was really a take-off on this other film.

* Em in Minnesota, one of the first readers of BLAINESWORLD,
responding to my request for an update on what she's been up to:
I just changed my email address and Blaine asked me to write something
for the newsletter. I met Blaine online, chatting through AOL back in
the "stone ages" of about 1996-'97. He'd talk marketing, which I loved
learning about, and I'd talk about having found the love of my life
online. While I could grasp the marketing chatter, he could NOT
understand the love I was feeling. I remember thinking how sad this
was for him. In '99 I packed up my life in California and moved to
Minne*snow*ta, and married my soulmate, affectionately known to me as
My Jeffie. I'm sure Blaine probably thought I was nuts! :)

I've been a subscriber to BLAINESWORLD, I believe, since its
inception. And what a delight it's been to watch his and Cynthia's
relationship grow! I do believe he now knows what I was talking about
all those years ago . . . isn't that right Blaine?

MY ANSWER:
Yes!

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

3. Emergencies

During a company-held workshop on emergencies, our instructor
asked, "What would you do if you received a letter bomb?"

One guy knew: "Write 'Return to Sender."

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

4. Reviews

A. LEATHERHEADS aims to be a screwball comedy, along the lines
of those from the 1930s and 1940s starring Katherine Hepburn and Rosalind
Russell . . . and the premise is a good one; i.e., about the birth of
pro football in 1925 . . . yet somehow it falls flat, despite engaging
performances by George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John
Krasinski . . . I also liked the score by Randy Newman . .. rated
PG-13.

B. Out on DVD is SWEENEY TODD . . . here's what I had to say
about in BLAINESWORLD #588:

[my] feeling about the film can be summed-up in two words:
miss it!

I haven't changed my opinion . . . however, if you're looking
for something much more enjoyable to rent, catch LITTLE
MANHATTAN . . . it is a touching tale of urban puppy love,
set to New York backgrounds . . . you might only recognize
the adult actors (Cynthia Nixon and Bradley Whitford), but the
kids (Josh Hutcherson and Charlie Ray) are the real reason
for watching this film . . . rated PG, but don't let that discourage
you . . . any age will enjoy this charmer!

C. If you're looking for the perfect book to put the current election season
in perspective, get hold of IDIOTS, HYPOCRITES, DEMAGOGUES,
AND MORE IDIOTS by Paul Slansky.

The author, to quote the subtitle, takes a look at NOT-SO-GREAT
MOMENTS IN MODERN AMERICAN POLITICS . . . regardless
of your political affiliation, you'll laugh at such comments as those
made by:

* President Bush: Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so
are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we.

* President Clinton [railing against excessive drug profits in
1993]: The prescription drug industry is spending one billion more
dollars a year on advertising than they are developing new jugs.
Er, drugs.

You'll also learn the truth behind the stories that you may have
read, such as the following:

* With Gary Hart's presidential hopes evaporating in the wake
of his having been found alone at home with nonwife Donna Rice, the
National Enquirer unearthed a photo of her sitting on his lap. "The attractive
lady whom I had only recently been introduced to dropped into my
lap," Hart explained, adding gallantly, "I chose not to dump her off."

And, lastly, you'll shake your head in amazement at the stupidity
of some rather famous folks--including former presidents such
as this one:

* Nixon thought he could use Presley in his antidrug efforts. "I think you
can reach young people in a way no one in the government can," he said,
and Elvis quickly agreed. "I can go right into a group of hippies and young
people and be accepted, he said. "This can be real helpful." Then, having
buttered Nixon up, Presley got to his own agenda: "Mr. President, can
you get me a badge from the Narcotics Bureau? I've been trying to get
a badge from them for my collection." Nixon told an aide, "I'd like to do
that. See that he gets one," prompting an excited Elvis to surprise him
with a big hug. But then, Presley had a right to be joyous-the federal
drug agent's badge he'd tricked Tricky Dick into giving him protected
him from then on from any airport searches.

Unreal!

And so is much more of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed . . . you
will, too.

D. Heard the CD version of ULTRAMETABOLISM: THE SIMPLE
PLAN FOR AUTOMATIC WEIGHT LOSS, written and read
by Dr. Mark Hyman.

Although I've read many diet books over the years, this one
made a lot of sense because it didn't just automatically tell you
to eat less and exercise more . . . . rather, it explains the concept
of nutrigenomics--the science of how food talks to our genes.

It also showed me the folly of skipping breakfast, citing the
example of a Sumo wrestler . . . he will typically not
eat anything upon awakening, then exercise for
several hours . . . by the time he eats dinner, he eats
too much because he has starved himself throughout the
day . . . and he does this just before going to sleep
(another no-no).

This is one of just many ideas that caught my attention . . . among
the others:

* No bug will ever go near an opened tub of margarine.

* Processed carbs are empty carbs.

* Carbs should come from whole, unprocessed foods. If you eat these,
you will lose weight.

* My grandmother said: Buy fresh, eat fresh.

* That led to my saying: If it has a label, don't eat it.

* Artificial sweeteners create the need for more sweeteners in your body.

* Eat early and eat often. Graze, don't gouge.

* Chocolate can be good for you, but it must be dark with a high
percentage of cocoa. And only eat a few squares.

* Follow this principle: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince
and dinner like a pauper.

* Your plate should like an impressionist panting with plenty
of color.

* Try to get up to 10,000 steps a day. Also, get a pedometer.

Perhaps best of all, Dr. Hyman provides an informative website . . . it
can be viewed at:
http://www.ultrametabolism.com/

There's lots of free useful advice there that goes beyond
what was in the book.

This fine program is available for purchase or rental . . . if you
want to get it, please click:
http://www.achievementlibrary.com/

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.

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

5. TV alert

A. GREAT PERFORMANCES has Anthony Sher starring in
PRIMO, a one-man play, as Italian chemist Primo Levi who
recalls his hellish Holocaust experiences . . . Thursday at 10 p.m.
on PBS . . . check local listings because PBS times and stations
often vary.

B AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: ROBERTO CLEMENTE, a profile
of the late baseball great and humanitarian, airs on Friday at
3 p.m. on PBS; repeated on Sunday at 9 a.m. . . . check local
listings because PBS times and stations often vary.

C. STORM CELL stars Mimi Rogers as the person who saves
the day when a twister hits . . . Saturday at 9 p.m. on LIFETIME.

D. CELEBRACADABRA premiers on Sunday at 9 p.m. on
VH1 . . . seven celebs, including C. Thomas Howell and Chris
"Kid" Reid, train as magicians in the new reality show.

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

6. Help needed

A psychiatrist gets a frantic call. "You've got to help me, Doctor,"
a woman says. "My husband thinks he's a big opera star. He sings
every night at the top of his lungs! Aida! Rigoletto! Traviata!"

"Send him to me," the shrink says. "I'll see what I can do."

A week later, the woman calls again. "Doc, I don't know how you did
it! He's not singing nearly as much. Did you cure his delusion?"

"No," says the psychiatrist. "I just gave him a smaller part."

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

7. Websites

A. To find the best in how to videos, do it yourself ideas and
useful tutorials, please click:
http://www.5min.com/

5min's vision is very simple: Everyone is an expert at something,
so come on and share your skills. You can also learn from others; e.g.:
* How to upload the smart way;
* How to make a prom corsage;
* How to unlock your iPhone for any SIM; and
* How to make a balloon puddle.

B. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator for 41 hours?
It happened to one guy . . . to both read and see more, please click:
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/video-shows-man-in-elevator-for-41-hours/20080421133609990001

Methinks you'll also like the accompanying classical soundtrack,
so put on your speakers when viewing.

C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view
it, please click:
http://www.blainesworld.net

Prepare to be amazed . . . .if you think you're the only one who
views my webpage, think again . . . in fact, even as you're reading,
well . . . to see for yourself how many others are also reading, look
at the counter at the bottom left.

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

8. Computer tip

Has this been happening lately? You're suddenly getting lots
of "bounced" emails with subjects like "DELIVERY FAILURE, "
"Undelivered mail returned to sender" and even some "Out of the office"
notices . . . but when you open the email, the original sent message
was a spam message. What's worse, it looks like you sent it. You might
just get a few of these bounces. Or you might get a few hundred.

If this has unfortunately been happening to you, please click the
following link for more information:
http://secondwheel.googlepages.com/backscatter

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

9. Evening rounds

It was a small town, and the patrolman was making his evening rounds.
As he was checking a used car lot, he came upon two little old ladies
sitting in a used car.

He stopped and asked them why they were sitting there in the car.
Were they trying to steal it?

"Heavens no, we bought it."

"Then why don't you drive it away?"

"We can't drive."

"Then why did you buy it?"

"We were told that if we bought a used car here, we'd get screwed.
So we're just waiting."

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

10. A quote I like

Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody
believes he got the biggest piece.--Sherry Rothfield

MR. CURIOUS HERE:
Anybody know who Sherry Rothfeild was/is? If you can provide
any more information about this person, it would be much appreciated.

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

11. Thought for the day

Be forewarned that the following tale is a bit on the longish
side, but methinks well worth your time:

Three questions
by Leo Tolstoy

One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew
the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter.

What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important
people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?

The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that
whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many
who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person
with a different answer.

In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up
a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year
for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could
he hope to do every task at the right time.

Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that
the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive
to everything in order to know what to do at what time.

Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope
to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when
to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up
a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.

Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision
and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance
what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.

The responses to the second question also lacked accord.

One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust
in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks,
while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith
in warriors.

The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science
was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others
claimed the most important thing was military skill.

The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward
was given.

After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit
who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man.
The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions,
though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known
to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons
of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple
peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the
mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.

Reaching the holy man's dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit
digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger,
he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was
obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust
his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.

The emperor approached him and said, "I have come here to ask your
help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who
are the most important people to work with? What is the most important
thing to do at all times?"

The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the
shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, "You must be tired.
Here, let me give you a hand with that." The hermit thanked him, handed
the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.

After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit
and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but
instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, "Why don't you rest
now? I can take over again." But the emperor continued to dig. One hour
passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The
emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, "I came here to ask
if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any
answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home."

The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, "Do you hear someone
running over there?" The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man
with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing
his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward
the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay
groaning. Opening the man's clothing, the emperor and hermit saw
that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound
thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood
completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and
bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until
the flow of blood had stopped.

At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a
drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back
a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night
air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand
in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the
hermit's bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor
was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging
the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose,
the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot
where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed
and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When
he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint
whisper, "Please forgive me."

"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.

"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn
enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last
war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that
you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved
to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long
time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order
to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your
attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I
escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead by
now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am
ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant
for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to
do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness."

The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled
with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised
to return all the man's property and to send his own physician and
servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After
ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned
to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted
to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit
sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.

The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. "But your questions
have already been answered."

"How's that?" the emperor asked, puzzled.

"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand
with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man
on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying
with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging
in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most
important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up
here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his
wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you
would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he
was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was
taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important
time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which
we have dominion. The most important person is always the person
with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you
will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important
pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy,
for that alone is the pursuit of life."

Back to Top
_________________________________________________________

12. Advance planning department

A. I'm presenting on "Networking to uncover the hidden job market" at
a Job Search workshop for veterans . . . if you qualify and/or know
somebody who might be interested, the date is May 1 from 5-9 p.m.
at Bucks County Community College . . . I'll be the first
speaker . . . there's no charge, but you need to register
by calling 215.968.8490.

B. FRIDAY, MAY 2 FROM 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Princeton
EDUCATOR WORKSHOP: Dr. Dan Gottlieb, author of LEARNING
FROM THE HEART: LESSONS OF LIVING, LOVING AND LISTENING

Pre-K-12 Educators, Librarians and Media Specialists are invited
to a special workshop with psychologist, radio and television personality
Dr. Dan Gottlieb which includes a discussion of the message carried
in his latest book. Refreshments, prizes, and goody bags given to
eligible attendees. The school with the highest attendance wins a special
prize. Pre-registration is required by emailing crm2646@bn.com and
2 professional development units are given to all eligible attendees.

Though the workshop is primarily for educators, the general public is
invited to attend and be seated in the back . . . Gottlieb, by the way,
wrote the very touching LETTERS TO SAM (reviewed in BLAINESWORLD
#544).

C. Jean in Pennsylvania:
St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church resumes its weekly Pyrohy
(Pierogies- homemade) and Kielbasa Sale on Wednesday, May 7.
To place an order, call 215.343.9809 from 9 a.m. to noon on any Wednesday,
starting May 7. Pick-up from 12:30 to 3 p.m.; evening pick-up available
from 6 to 7 p.m. only if requested when placing order.

Cost is $5.50 per dozen for pyrohy and $3.50 per lb. for kielbasa.

_________________________________________________________

PS. Don't forget that Wednesday is Administrative Professionals
Day, formerly known as Secretary's day . . . it is meant to recognize
the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and
other administrative professionals.

I'm particularly blessed to work with many such fine folks, including
Bridget Hughes, Jayne Venanzi, Mary Kuna, Joan Grow, Kathy Gift,
and Darshelle Miles . . . MANY THANKS to you all!

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.