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BLAINESWORLD
#656
4.27.2009 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. New finding 4. Reviews . . . THE SOLOIST, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Time for church 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. School, then vs. now, 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 saw ART at the Flat Rock Playhouse--the State Theatre of North Carolina located in Hendersonville . . . this is the third production we've seen there, and they have all been excellent. This particular play is a comedy about three friends who debate the merits of a purchase made by one of them: a pricey piece of modern art that appears to be just a white on white painting . . . I liked the dialogue and, in particular, this one line: "Nothing of value ever came out of a rational argument." Scott Treadway (who recently excelled in STONES IN HIS POCKETS, a play we saw a few weeks ago) and Bill Munox were both great in two of the main roles . . . however, it was Damian Duke Domingue as the third friend who had us laughing just about every time he had a monologue. When I was in Pennsylvania, I had the pleasure to catch friends Chic and Joni Dowburd in 42ND STREET . . . this was put on by the Neshaminy Valley Music Theatre, and it was a lively success. I'm biased, of course, but I thought Chic nearly stole the show with his only piece of dialogue: "Move it along!" . . . he said it with such passion that I believe that bigger things are in store for him, as in . . . next . . . Broadway? You never know! Lastly, I'll remember the week because it marked the last meeting I ran as president of the teacher's union at Bucks County Community College . . . halfway through it, a special presentation was made when I was given a clock:  (SPECIAL THANKS to Michael Hennsessey for taking the above.) But this just wasn't any clock; it was symbolic of the clocks at the College that never ran on time . . . I battled for well over 10 years to have them replaced and finally, they were . .. though that said, the new clocks aren't running much better! B. MR. CURIOUS HERE: I'm seriously thinking of getting Kindle 2, Amazon's wireless reading device . . . is any BLAINESWORLD reader using it (or any other wireless reader)? if so, please share your feedback . . . I'm particularly interested in the read-to-me option and whether that works. C. CONGRATULATIONS to Betty and Gore Tsai on the birth of Miranda, their first grandchild. CONGRATULATIONS, also, to K. Ward Vinson and Helen Wilson, two longtime readers and colleagues, for being recognized as "Outstanding Part-Time Faculty" members at a recent Dean's Reception that I attended at Bucks County Community College. D. Some sad news to report: * CONDOLENCES to Jean Konkel and family on the loss of Jean's father, Leslie Mitchell, who passed away unexpectedly . . . donations in Mr. Mitchell's memory may be made to the Bucks County Community College Foundation for the Matthew W. Stuski Student Art Prize (Matthew was Mr. Mitchell's grandson) . . . mail to: BCCC Foundation, 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940. * Kingdon Swayne taught at Bucks Community College for more than two decades . . . he passed away on Wednesday . . . I valued him as both a colleague and mentor. He was also the first political candidate I ever supported financially . . . I remember that I did so when he ran for Bucks County controller in 1985 . . . after he lost, he was quoted in the BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES as saying had he won, he would have retired from the College to work full-time in his new position . . . I immediately called to tell him that had I known that, I would have doubled my contribution . . . he got a chuckle from that.
For more information, please click: http://tinyurl.com/c7jr37 * I was also saddened to hear of Bea Arthur's death . . . has it really been 17 years since THE GOLDEN GIRLS last had a first-run episode on TV? And some 31 years since MAUDE was on the air? It seems that she was always on screen . . . but that's probably true, in that she even once noted: "After being in the business for such a long time, I've done everything but rodeo and porno." I always laughed when I watched her . . . and isn't that a great way for anybody to be remembered? In the unlikely event you're not familiar with her work and/or need a reminder, please click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyhlnL0AbmI Aside from her work as an actress, Arthur's commitment to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) impressed me . . . so did this one quote: "Making lasting gifts for animals in our estate plans is perhaps the single most important thing we can do to ensure animals have the strongest possible voice for their protection." MY TWO CENTS: If you are an animal-lover, please do make sure you have made arrangements for your pet(s) in your will! ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Gwen Lyons, the person who deals with warranty issues for Biltmore Farms Homes (the development where we live in North Carolina) . . . to quote Cynthia, who was nice enough to suggest her as a nominee: Any time we have an issue with our home, she is the person to call. It has been delightful to work with Gwen. Any new home has problems that need attention. Gwen has been pleasant, efficient and responds quickly to any complaint we have had. Most recently, it appeared that our air-conditioning was not working properly. she responded on a Friday night and got someone to our home to fix it on Saturday morning. She then called a few times to check up on the status of it, personally making sure that our issue was resolved. Thanks, Gwen! Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI For some reason, no matter what we used, we could not get the mirrors in our bathroom clean due to a streaking problem . . . so Cynthia asked Warren--our decorator--for a recommendation, and he
suggested that we use StreakProff Original Glass Cleaner from a company
called Castle . . . he even gave us a sample can to try.
We did and were most impressed with the results . . . so much so, in fact, that we just ordered a whole bunch more of the product . . . for more information, please click:
http://www.castleproductsonline.com/glass_cleaner.html It is easy to use and leaves a pleasant, clean after-scent . . . in addition, it is very reasonably priced at just $2.99/can. FYI, part 2 * Mel in Colorado (commenting on a recent goof, in which an extra copy of this newsletter was sent to all): Just as I never complain about getting an extra piece of cheesecake, so I never complain about getting an extra dose of BLAINESWORLD. * Pat in Pennsylvania (commenting on my comments about how friendly Asheville is): Sorry, but this was how I was raised, and that's how it is here where I live in Newtown. Most of the neighbors simply knock on our door and walk in. It was like that growing up and its like that here. Nothing new for me.. I think all too often people buy houses instead of neighborhoods. * Jack in Pennsylvania: I forwarded your story at the end of your latest missive to a bunch of friends. I hope you don't mind. MIND? NOT AT ALL! I welcome Jack's forwarding part and/or all of any issue . . . and invite others to do the same . . . when you do, please also invite folks to subscribe to this FREE newsletter . . . all they need to do is drop me an email note with the words "FREE SUBSCRIPTION" in the subject line. * Ruth in Pennsylvania: Thanks for the invitation to share the 6 steps to Setting and Achieving your seemingly "impossible" goals. Here are the six steps that have helped me and my clients achieve that dream that’s been in the drawer for years or maybe centuries in a matter of months: 1. Energize your imagination to launch your dream out of the drawer. 2. Make Your Dream a priority by setting up systems of accountability. 3. Set specific parameters for your dream so you become a filter for only things that support your dream. 4. Create anchors in your subconscious that alerts you when your dream is being supported. (mind maps, scripting, sensitive movement skills). 5. Organize your relationships in a way that fuels your dreams. 6. Do what ever it takes to experience your dream now! Listen to the 30 minute interview about the setting and achieving your goals: http://scriptingforsuccess.com/6_steps_to_setting_and_achieving_goals.htm As a special treat to your subscriber, I'm also offering a: FREE 25 minute "Relationship Rehab" for people who want to really put the 6 Steps to setting and achieving your goals into great use. In this powerful session you will leave with: Written positive outcomes for your relationship A new awareness of what is causing many of the challenges in your relationship right now. (They may not be what you think!) A renewed sense of energy about turning your relationship around (or you'll know if it's time to call it quits).
A "next-step" action plan for moving your relationship into the next phase of love, connection and passion! For more information, visit the aforementioned website . . . you can also use it to access the form to get your FREE Rehab. * Ed in Pennsylvania: My office manager found a set of keys on the side of Almshouse Road near the St. Johns Methodist Church in Ivyland. We are taking a strong interest in finding their real owner as the ring attached to the keys is inscribed “Sicily 1943”. I'm sure it is sorely missed. We have posted them on craiglist and placed an ad in Penny Power. Would you be able to mention them in BLAINESWORLD? Possibly the owner is local to the area as many of your readers are. If you find them, please Ed Knight at 215.368.7600. Thanks.
* Lee in Pennsylvania: I wanted to offer my opinion with regards to IE. I absolutely agree with Debbie in New York about Firefox. It is a much more stable browser. I would advise anyone and everyone to go to Mozilla.com and download Firefox.
* Lana in Ohio: As always a wonderful BLAINESWORLD issue. Kudos to you for your recognition of excellent service by the person at Acme.Too often the services people at stores, dining establishments, civil service etc. go unrecognized by the public they serve. * Lisa in Pennsylvania: I'm so sorry to hear about Shanti. I know how much your kitty is a part of your family. We lost one of our cats, Oscar, a couple weeks ago. I always said he was our sweetest cat, the most accepting of my son; he loved to hang with us. (The others run from my son). Cynthia's poem is lovely. Writing a poem and journaling memories does help the pain somewhat. When my husband and I lost our first cat (who was our first son), I dedicated a website to him. Also, a friend had given me a candle and told me to light it every time I thought of him. She said every time I lit it, it would get a little easier. I lit it every day until it ran out of wax. I now light one for Oscar. It helps somehow. I think of it kind of like a Yarzheit candle. * Bob in North Carolina: I know that you and Cynthia were into Elisabeth Gilbert, and I spotted a video with her on the WP in the Faith section. Thought you might be interested. It seems to get referenced regularly in your newsletter. Seems a little slow to load; I had to be patient, which is one of my challenges, but I hung in there. http://tinyurl.com/629o38 Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 3. New finding "Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana, according to Matt Laurer on NBC's TODAY SHOW. "The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two but can't remember what they are." Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. Cynthia and I had been seeing coming attractions for THE SOLOIST for months and couldn't wait to see it . . . the film, based on a true story about a homeless man with amazing musical talent who is befriended by a newspaper columnist, looked like it couldn't miss being a winner . . . sad to say, when we did get to see it this past week, our reaction was one of disappointment . . . we found it watchable, in large part because of the performances of Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. in the two main roles . . they were fine, but overall, THE SOLOIST just didn't register with us . . . we weren't as moved by it as we had both hoped and thought we would be . . rated PG-13. B. THE READER is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #648 follows: Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her work in THE READER, but if anything, I actually think she was better in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD . . . it marks her first screen appearance with Leonardo DiCaprio since TITANIC, but don't go expecting a similar romantic tale . . . rather, this is a somber tale about what seems to be the "perfect" couple in the America of the 1950s . . . the reality is quite different . . . the dialogue was excellent, as was the cinematography . . . DiCaprio was also outstanding . . . and Michael Shannon (who received an Oscar nomination for his work) made his few scenes come alive . . . rated R. C. Harry Paul, coauthor of bestselling FISH! series, is one of my favorite business authors . . . INSTANT TURNAROUND!, coauthored by Ross Reck, might well be his best effort yet. It is the story of a human resources director at a magazine that is struggling with the problems dealing with unhappy employees . . . there's low productivity and morale, along with high absenteeism and turnover. If that sounds like your company or any firm that you know about, then get this book immediately . . . by reading it, you'll actually be able to accomplish what is stated in the subtitle: GETTING PEOPLE EXCTIED ABOUT COMING TO WORK AND WORKING HARD. One way to do this is by making it so that work is fun . . . as an example, the authors tell the story of this one flight where the attendant in the front gave what turned out to be a very entertaining safety briefing: * At one point, he said, "While there may be fifty ways to leave your lover, there are only six ways to leave this aircraft: two forward exit doors, two exits over the wings, and two aft exit doors." Later in the briefing he said, "We will be flying over the Mississippi River and hundreds of swimming pools this afternoon on our way to St. Louis, so in the event of a water landing, your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device." He concluded with, "Pushing your reading light button will turn on your reading light, but pushing your flight attendant call button will not turn on your flight attendant." Another thing that can make a difference is to just be nice to folks . . . while that may sound basic, the reality is that it isn't done enough . . . as one character notes: * "And the most important part of being nice is your smile." "Why is that?" asked Nancy. "Your smile draws people toward you. It tells people that you're open, approachable, and that you care-the kind of person they want to get to know better." Jack continued, "The other aspect of being nice is saying or doing something that brightens the day of each person you come into contact with--greeting them by name, complimenting them on something they've done or what they're wearing." I also liked how Paul and Reck cited real-world research throughout the book, such as in this passage: * A research study recently reported in the Harvard Business review found that the vast majority of employees are quite excited when they start a new job. This study also found that in 85% of the companies surveyed, this excitement declines sharply after the first six months, and continues to decline for years afterward. One of the big reasons is that tier managers didn't take the time to thank them for a job well done, yet the same managers were quick to criticize them for their mistakes. What these managers fail to realize is that if they would focus their efforts on showing sincere appreciation to their employees instead of pointing out mistakes, their employees would work harder and make far fewer mistakes. Saying "thank you" often not only energizes your employees, it makes you a more effective manager. Lastly, what added to my enjoyment of INSTANT TURNAROUND! was the fact that I really cared about the characters in the story and what happened to them . . . consequently, being the nice guy that I am, I won't reveal the ending except to say that it doesn't disappoint. D. Heard HOME GROWN DEMOCRAT: A FEW PLAIN THOUGHTS FROM THE HEART OF AMERICA--written and read by Garrison Keillor. Please don't be put off by the title . . . even if you're a Republican, methinks you'll like this book . . . it is actually more of a love story about Keillor's strong appreciation for not only this country, but also his home state of Minnesota . . . in fact, if it wasn't so cold there,
I may have even wanted to consider it a place to live when retired. After all, it is a place where if there's one meatball on the plate: * You take 1/2 and leave the other half for the other person. It is also a place where: * If you tell a new joke and tell it well, you'll be welcome here. I also liked how Keillor talked about his childhood though the time when he was a student in college . . . in describing his appearance, he had my laughing when he said: * I looked liked a folded ironing board with hair. He then described that he was a Democrat because: * I received a good education in the public schools of Anoka, Minnesota, and attended a great state university and when I was 18, John Kennedy ran for president. Yet he contends: * We Democrats are deeply flawed people, we can be earnestly boring and awfully righteous about moral issues in faraway places. We can be wennies, capable of doing dumb things in the name of the common good. But we do stick to our guns. We believe in decency and public spiritedness and have refused to hitch our wagon to yahooism and have supported government as a necessary force for good. And we are passionate. This a year for passion. Now to be fair to both political parties, if anybody can point me in the direction of a similar book by a Republican, please let me know about it. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. DOING DA VINCI airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on DISCOVERY . . . the shows features experts who have been trying to build weapons that Leonardo Da Vinci imagined, drew and wrote specifications for some 500 years ago. OOPS, my part: I just noticed that three of the shows mentioned in last week's issue actually run this coming week . . . so if you missed them, you still have a chance to catch them on the following times: B. PAUL RODRIGQUEZ & FRIENDS; COMEDY REHAB airs on Friday at 11 p.m. on COMEDY CENTRAL . . . if you've been feeling down lately because of the recession or any other reason, methinks this will be just the show to lift your spirits. C. My daughter Risa and her husband JP have been telling me for quite some time that I should watch a show on FOOD NETWORK that features my kind of food . . . so with that recommendation, I'll watch THE BEST OF DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES on Saturday at 8 p.m. D. LIVING OUT LOUD stars Gail Grady as a breast cancer survivor who gets a second chance at life . . . Saturday at 9 p.m. on HALLMARK. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Time for church Three little boys were concerned because they couldn't get anyone to play with them. They decided it was because they had not been baptized and didn't go to Sunday School. So they went to the nearest Church. But only the janitor was there. One little boy said, "We need to be baptized because no one will come out and play with us. Will you baptize us?" "Sure," said the janitor. He took them into the bathroom and dunked their little heads in the toilet bowl, one at a time. Then he said, '"You are now baptized!" When they got outside, one of them asked, "What religion do you think we are?" The oldest one said, "We're not Kathlick because they pour the water on you. "We're not Babtis because they dunk all of you in the water. "We're not Methdiss because they just sprinkle water on you." The littlest one said, "Didn't you smell that water?" They all joined in asking, "Yeah! What do you think that means?" "I think it means we're Pisscopailions." Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. Start every morning with a bit of inspiration and a smile by clicking: http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com
You will get an inspiring and sometimes funny quote, an entertaining fact about today and an interesting article to check out. . For example, here's a recent quote of the day from Charles Kettering, “You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.” B. Lindsay Lohan is newly single and ready to mingle . . . see for yourself by clicking: http://tinyurl.com/c4qcmp
And who says you can't find attractive, bright, somewhat sober folks at eHarmony? C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net Going to the above website makes it sooooo easy for your friends, relatives, colleagues, etc. to subscribe to BLAINESWORLD, the newsletter . . . all they need to do is go to the homepage, then click on the Special Offer toward the bottom. Of course, you can also forward them this issue . . . then tell them if they like it to just send me an email at bginbc@aol.com and put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip Test the speed of your Internet connection, please click: http://www.speedtest.net/ See if you are getting what you pay for and, also, share your results with others on Download Speed, Upload Speed and Ping (Latency) . . . best of all, there's no charge for using this website! Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 9. School, then vs. now, part 2 of 2 (concluded from last week) Scenario #5: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school. 1959: Mark gets glass of water from principal to take aspirin with. 2009: Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons. Scenario #6: Pedro fails high school English. 1959: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college. 2009: Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. AFRE files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English. Scenario #7: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a bull ant nest. 1959: Ants die. 2009: Star Force, federal police and anti-terrorism squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, Feds investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again. Scenario 8: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him. 1959: In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing. 2009: Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job.She faces three years in prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.--Jonathan Winters, American comedian Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day Graduation A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months, he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said "with all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible--just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt. 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation and the words PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? If your gift is not packaged the way you want it, it's because it is better packaged the way it is. Always appreciate little things . . . they usually lead to bigger and better things. Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Jazz Band Concert The Bucks County Community College Jazz Band, under the direction of Dr. Michael Hoffman, presents a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in the Music and Multimedia Center on the Newtown campus. And at Bucks on Saturday: James McBride, an author, musician, and screenwriter, shares his talents at Bucks County Community College Saturday, May 2, as part of Arts at Bucks celebrations. The event takes place at 7:30 in the Gateway Auditorium. Tickets for are $10 and can be purchased by clicking: http://www..bucks.edu/tickets B. Mei in Pennsylvania: Please come to the hilarious improv show this Friday, May 1 in the Library Auditorium, Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA at 8 p.m. Tickets are just $5. C. Following her highly successful appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Mary Carlomagno, will be discussing and signing her latest book, SECRETS OF SIMPLICITY: LEARN TO LIVE BETTER WITH LESS, on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. in the Princeton Barnes & Noble, MarketFair Mall, 3535 US Route 1 South, in Princeton, NJ. Mary Carlomagno, founder of Order, a company specializing in clutter control, will demonstrate ways to make practical changes to unburden the home, closets, and calendars and make room for what’s really important in your life. For more information on this event or for a schedule of upcoming events, call 609.716.1570 or email: crm2646@bn.com. All events are free and open to the public. D. Tyler Tasting Party 21st annual event presented by the First National Bank and Trust Company of Newtown Join us on June 5, 2009, for one of Bucks County's premier social events. Enjoy food, wine and spirits from Bucks County's finest establishments and network with other business and community leaders at the 21st annual Tyler Tasting Party. Proceeds benefit the students in the College's Historic Preservation Program and the restoration of historic Tyler Hall. Featuring: Musical Entertainment Valet Parking Silent & Live AuctionEvent Info Bucks County Community College 275 Swamp Road Newtown, PA 18940 June 5, 2009 7-11 p.m. Tickets: $125 pp For more information, please call 215.968.8244. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ PS. Please join me in praying that we soon get our remaining soldiers back from Iraq and, also, that peace comes to Israel and her neighbors. . . make it a great week, too! ---------------------------------------------------------- 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. |
