(Photo courtesy of Holly Madison, who took it with her son's Fisher Price camera.)

The party was at Il Sol (215.968.5880) in Newtown, PA, where the
food is always excellent . . . a highlight was the make-your-own
pasta station that owner Joe Siano personally ran.

C. Congratulations to Sam Sachs, a longtime friend, who recently
appeared before the NJ Supreme Court . . . to see what he had
to say on the state's DWI laws, please click:
http://mfile.akamai.com/19311/wmv/yorkmedia.download.akamai.com/19311/wm.yorktelecom/NJ/Judiciary/20070405/A-96-07.asx

For more information about Sam, please click:
http://lickyourtickets.com/aboutUs.shtml

D. MR. CURIOUS HERE:
I'm looking at the possibility of getting trained this summer
as a hypnotherapist to continue in my efforts to help
people stop smoking (see also Section 2, part 2) . . . as
such, I'm interested in two things:

* Finding somebody to train me . . . he or she should be
somewhere within 75 miles of Belle Meade, NJ; i.e., anywhere
in New Jersey . . . I'd also consider the NYC or Philadelphia
area . . . anybody have suggestions for such training?

* Would anybody want to be trained with me? Joining
me might prove cheaper than getting trained by yourself, and
it might also be more interesting for the both of us. Let
me know if interested.

***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****
This week, it goes to Ryan Stever--a sales associate with American
Tire Service (908.281.7500) in Hillsborough, NJ . . . he works at the place
where Cynthia and I get both our cars serviced, and we are very pleased
with the excellent service he has provided over the past few years.

He is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and courteous . . . in
addition, he is excellent at returning calls . . . and we're particularly
appreciative of the fact that he checks with us before making
any major repairs, even though we have given him carte blanche
to do anything that he feels is necessary.

Although our dealings have primarily been with Ryan, we have
been quite pleased with all the other personnel employed
by American Tire Service . . . if you need your car repaired and/or
some new tires, you won't go wrong by going here!

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2. FYI

To save money on dry cleaning . . . make that BIG MONEY . . . look
for establishments that do bulk dry cleaning . . . they offer a good
deal.

You get charged by the weight (sometimes as low as $2.50 a pound and
rarely more than $3.50) instead of per item . . . your clothes get dry
cleaned the usual way, but are typically not pressed . . . some places
don't clean for spots, either, though I've found that some will if you
point them out.

Your clothes will be returned on hangers or folded neatly in a black
garbage bag.

To find an establishment that does this kind of work, check your local
listings for cleaners who offer "bulk dry cleaning" . . . you'll be pleased
with the results and amazed by the savings! 

FYI, part 2

* Derek Humphry, author of FINAL EXIT (reviewed in last
week's issue):

Thank you very much for taking the trouble to write and send
around your thoughtful review of my book. I'm not looking for bouquets,
but it is important that the existence of the book be kept in the public
eye so that those who need it are likely to find it easily. You have
skillfully contributed to that.

For more information, please click:

http://www.finalexit.org

* Mark in Pennsylvania: 
Your BLAINESWORLD and the time and effort it requires, compels me
to acknowledge same and thank you for the chuckles and many truly
useful items you send along.
 
Hello to Cynthia. Refreshing to hear a husband speak so lovingly
of his wife. A trend in the making? Shall we hope?
 
Spring may finally be upon us. If so, enjoy. If still delayed, please be
patient . . . we're doing our very best. 

* Elizabeth in Virginia:
Your Cynthia is lovely.

A quote I love from Maya Angelou:
"We did what we knew how to do. And when we knew better,
we did better."
 
I share this with my students. We all grow.
 
Thanks for the newsletter.

* Denise in New Jersey, commenting on the video that appeared
in last week's issue (about another reader's son being on the news):

Marie must be very proud of her son. What a super fellow he is. He
deserves that prestigious award!!  

* Harvey in Pennsylvania (with an invitation):
I'd like to invite readers of BLAINESWORLD to participate
in the “Learning How to Learn Program,” sponsored by our
Mastermind Group.

Participants in this program include teachers, professors,
psychologists, a philosopher, engineers, computer specialists,
a magician, an emergency treatment doctor, coaches, specialists
in creativity, president of a company training in leadership,
founder of S.A.G.E. (Senior Adults for Greater Education), a yoga
instructor, and a woman who did home schooling.

To participate, submit a minimum of ½ page on something you learned
and how you learned it to: HMathason@aol.com by May 22, 2007.
You, in turn, will receive copies of all material submitted.
 
If you have questions, please call Harvey Mathason at 215.752.5117.

* Patty in Pennsylvania:
I just wanted to share with you that I've been a non-smoker since February
14th. I can't thank you enough for your interest in my health and welfare
and your contribution to my good health!

REMINDER:
To help others stop smoking, I still have a few copies left of an excellent
book by Allen Carr: THE EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING . . . if you'd
like a FREE COPY--with my compliments--for yourself, a friend or
loved one, please let me know . . . your best bet is to send an email to:
bginbc@aol.com . . . put these words in the subject line: STOP
SMOKING BOOK . . . then in body of the email, include your
full name and address.

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3. Losing weight the easy way

I was talking to my doctor about a weight-loss patch I had seen
advertised. Supposedly, you stick it on and the pounds melt
away. "Does it work?" I asked.

"Sure," he said, "if you put it over your mouth."

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4. Reviews

A. Richard Gere is fine as Clifford Irving in THE HOAX, a film about
the guy who wrote a book about an alleged series of interviews
with Howard Hughes . . . I also liked the work of his co-star, Alfred Molina,
as Irving's loyal best friend . . . yet overall, THE HOAX did nothing
for me . . . the story dragged on, and it could have been shortened
by at least 30 minutes . . . by the time the credits rolled around,
my feeling was that I was the one who got scammed . . . rated R.

B. DREAMGIRLS is now out in DVD format . . . my review
from BLAINESWORLD #535 follows:

Even if you saw the show DREAMGIRLS, rush to see the movie
version . . . it is fantastic; in fact, one of the best films I've seen
in a long time . . . it is the story of a Supremes-type group that
has such great music that afterwards, I had to rush to
get the CD . . . one song, in particular, sung by Jennifer Hudson,
had those in attendance clapping at its conclusion (something that
I don't think that I have ever seen) . . . Hudson was magnificent
in her first screen role; however, equally good were Beyoncé Knowles,
Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy . . . although I ordinarily don't pay that
much attention to costumes, I certainly noticed them in
DREAMGIRLS . . . I often complain about the fact that movies are
too long . . . this is one that I would have wanted time added to
it . . . make sure you stay for the credits, in that you'll get even more
music and a chance to see pictures of the actors who played the various
characters . . . rated PG-13.

C. I serve on one non-profit Board, so naturally when I was browsing and
came across THE FUNDRAISING HABITS OF SUPREMELY
SUCCESSFUL BOARDS (see also Section 11) by Jerold Panas,

I just had to get it.

The fact that its subtitle promised me that I could read it in
59 minutes made it even more appealing . . . what's best of
all: the ideas contained in the book made sense . . . and
they work!

For example, there was this one:
Not only is it good manners to thank donors, it's fiscally prudent.
It costs a whopping 4 1/2 times the resources, staff and energy to
acquire a new donor as it is to keep a current one.

Nothing profound, yet something that we forget all too often--regardless
of our field of endeavor.

Then there was the following:
Givers give. Which explains why at the end of your campaign, if you're
short of goal, you cal on those who have already given. You don't go to
those who earlier said, "call on me later." Chances are they'll put
you off again.

Lastly, this tidbit really struck home:
From my 40 years of experience, I can say without question the first
and foremost reason people give is because your organization
changes lives or saves lives.

Although it took me less than an hour to read, I must admit to
going back to reread it because there were so many fine ideas
contained therein . . . in fact, I'm going to recommend THE
FUNDRAISING HABITS to my non-profit Board and, also,
to my friends who belong to other Boards.

D. Heard the taped version of AN ACTOR AND HIS TIME, written
and read by Sir John Gielgud.

Gielgud, arguably the greatest Shakespearean actor of the 20th
century, is perhaps best known by modern audiences for his
starring role in ARTHUR . . . however, he appeared in well over
120 other movies and TV productions--in addition to his stage work.

While I found AN ACTOR AND HIS TIME moderately interesting,
I was disappointed that most of its emphasis was on Gielgud's
work on the English stage . . . I would have much preferred
more emphasis on his latter work.

In addition, I enjoyed hearing about such modern performers as
Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson . . . that said, tales of his
own great aunt Ellen Terry (also a star actress) were of little interest
to me.

The fact that AN ACTOR AND HIS TIME was narrated by Gielgud,
who still had a magnificent voice at the time of taping, helped maintain
my interest.

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5. TV alert

A. INNOCENT focuses on a team of young law students, led by a
handsome professor, who grapple with ethics and adulthood . . . THE
NEW ORK TIMES says, "Think of PAPER CHASE meets the
Innocence Project" . . . Thursdays at 8 p.m. on BBC AMERICA.

B. TODAY launches it annual summer concert series on Fridays
at around 8:30 a.m. on NBC . . . Martina McBride, Josh Turner
and Gretchen Wilson perform in the first show.

C. LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL: THE BUNCO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
airs on Friday at 11 p.m. on LIFETIME . . . find all about the parlor
game, made popular by suburban housewives.

D. TIERNEY GEARON: THE MOTHER PROJECT is a provocative
documentary about the model-turned-photographer . . . Sunday at
10 p.m. on SUNDANCE.

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6. Heard on the Internet (so it must be true)

"I read that ten out of two people are dyslexic," said
Stewart Francis--comedian and game show host.

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7. Websites

A. Amazon keeps track of what you buy and suggests other items it
thinks you might enjoy, hoping to lure you into spending more
money . . . for a new website that does just the opposite, please click:
http://www.librarything.com/unsuggester

For example, if you loved David McCullough's biography of Harry S. Truman,
then Harry Potter may not be your cup of tea.

There's also an option for the service to make good suggestions . . . I gave
it a shot with FREKONOMICS . . . recommendations included BLINK and
THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST.

B. I almost forgot to share this website with you . . . to see why,
please click:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN-6PbqAPM

Make sure you have your sound on when you do . . . methinks
you'll be able to relate to the song; I did!

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

On the left, you'll see "Radio Show" . . . go to that link if you want
to see a history of my radio career . . . you can also hear one of
my shows.

As you may have read in a past issue, a recent management change
at WWFM has resulted in my show being taken off the air . . . but,
hopefully, I'll resurface soon again . . . on another station and/or even
with my own cable show.

Please do keep me in mind if you have any media contacts for
me to pursue with respect to the above possibilities.

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8. Computer tip

Many websites that run stories--e.g., newspapers--are starting to
break the text into two or three pages . . . that forces you, the reader,
to click through ads to get all of what you want . . . to circumvent
this from happening, format the story for printing (an option at most
of these websites).

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9. Perks of being over 50, part 1 of 2

1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be
released first.

3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.

4. People call at 9 p.m. and ask, Did I wake you????

5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

7. Things you buy now won't wear out.

8. You can eat supper at 4 p.m.

9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.

10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

(to be concluded next week)

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10. A quote I like

I find that it is not the circumstances in which we are placed,
but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our
comfort.--Elizabeth T. King

REQUEST FOR HELP:
Does anybody know who Ms. King was; e.g., the years
she lived, what she did, etc.? . . . if so, please advise.

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11. Thought for the day 

Michael Bloomberg is yet another advocate. You probably know
him best of all as Mayor of New York.

He's also one of the most significant philanthropists in the country.
His gifts to Johns Hopkins (his alma mater) alone have totaled
well over $200 million.

Bloomberg tells me that because of the size of his gifts, he is
almost always called on by a board member. "I expect that.
I think that's an important job of a trustee. I'm on some boards
and I consider it my responsibility to ask for gifts."

As busy as he is, I ask how he finds time to solicit gifts. "I don't find
time," he says. "I make time."

Most institutions don't lack a culture of philanthropy. They lack a
culture of asking.

But something terrible happens when trustees fail to call on others.
Nothing! It's amazing what you don't raise when you don't ask.

SOURCE:
THE FUNDRAISING HABITS OF EXTREMELY SUPREMELY
BOARD (see also Section 4C) by Jerold Panas

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12. Advance planning department

A. Lou in Pennsylvania, describing a musical currently playing
at the Kelsey Theatre in West Windsor, NJ from May 4-12:

LUST & RUST is a unique musical…..country all the way!!  The book
is quite funny and very explicit sexually. Not a show for kids at all. 

The greatest musical challenge was the absence of music!! The publisher
could not find the parts for the instruments. I think we may be the
first company to perform it since its initial run and the music books
seem to have been misplaced.  All I received was a lead sheet (melody,
words and chord names) with a very rudimentary and virtually unusable
piano part. So I've formed a country band with guitar, bass, drums, piano,
and two fiddles--plus me on electric keyboard. We all basically
improvise . . . just like a real country band!! 

The trick has been making it sound like real country, since none of us are.  
I think its coming together quite well. However, it’s not a deep meaningful
show with intricate interplay between music and drama. But it’s an
enjoyable, humorous, sexually explicit two hours, guaranteed to draw laughs. 

And if one is able to peel past the country skin, there are a few sensitive
moments and even perhaps a message. But I would guess that after
peeking under the covers, most will be pleased to just ride the horse
that was saddled for them.

For more information, please click:
http://www.mccc.edu/kelseytheatre/trailer.shtml

B. Cynthia in New Jersey (see also Section 1A)

* Move Your Body classes meet every first and third Saturday of
the month at 1:30 p.m., so the next one is on May 19.

No charge, but love donations to the Princeton Center are
always appreciated.

Location:
Princeton Center for Yoga and Health
Montgomery Professional Center
50 Vreeland Drive Suite 506--off Route 206
Skillman, New Jersey

For more information:

http://ww.princetonyoga.com
609.924.7294

* Move your Body classes at night on May 17,
24 and 31 from 7-8:15 p.m.

Cost: Just $5 per person.

Location:  
Capitol Health Systems
1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd.
Hamilton, New Jersey
 
For more information: 

http://www.capitolhealth.org

609.394.4512 

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PS. Don't forget that Mother's Day is this coming Sunday . . . if
you're fortunate enough still have your mother alive, spend some
time with her . . . if your mother is no lnger around, then take
the day to remember her.

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!

----------------------------------------------------------

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