BLAINESWORLD
#564
7.23.2007
In this issue:
1. Reflections
2. FYI
3. Precision
4. Reviews . . . LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, etc.
5. TV alert
6. Squirrel problems
7. Websites
8. Computer tip
9. 8 dumbest questions asked by cruise passengers
10. A quote I like
11. Thought for the day
12. Advance planning department
_________________________________________________________
1. Reflections
A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I drove nine hours on Saturday
to Center Lovell, Maine, for a much-anticipated vacation at the
Quisisana Resort on Lake Kezar . . . we were having a great
time, too, until we got news on Sunday that her mother had
died . . . so we turned around that day and drove another nine
hours back for the funeral . . . more details next week, but I just
wanted to know that your eyes are NOT deceiving you . . . that's why
you now have an issue of BLAINESWORLD in front of you, even though
I had previously reported that you shouldn't expect another issue
until 7.30.2007.
B. Lastly week, I forgot to mention that we saw 42ND STREET
at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA:http://www.buckscountyplayhouse.com
The production was energetic, and the dancing was great . . . and it was
fun hearing such classic songs as "We're in the Money," "Lullaby
of Broadway" and the title song, "42nd Street."
However, overall, I was disappointed . . . Heidi Giberson, one of
the main characters, has a fine voice but just didn't stop the show
at the end as she should have . . . Jim Lynch was good, as always,
but it is getting tiresome seeing him in what is virtually the same
type role all the time . . . the wigs that were used were about the
worst I've ever seen . . . also, as you probably know by now, I'm
not a big fan of canned music (much preferring a live orchestra,
even if only comprised of a few pieces) . . . that said, what I
heard in this production was a step above terrible . . . it was
tinny and sounded too similar for every song.
Lastly, if ever a production called for a rousing curtain call at
the end, this should have been it . . . yet instead of the performers
coming out and belting out and dancing a refrain, they just
bowed politely and left the stage.
WE DID MANAGE TO SAVE SOME MONEY ON TICKETS:
We decided to go to this show at the last minute . . . fortunately,
we checked the website . . . doing so saved us $10/ticket since
there was an offer for last-minute seats . . . methinks that is
something all theaters should do; e.g., to help get rid of any
unsold seats.
C. Your truly was quoted recently in the BUCCKS COUNTY
COURIER TIMES on paying bloggers:http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-07152007-1378018.html
D. Please join me in praying for Betsy Farber, one of the many fine
Math teachers at Bucks County Community College . . . she
underwent surgery for a brain tumor last week and is now resting
at home.
Though she's not yet up for calls or visits, I'm sure she would
appreciate cards or note from those who know her:
Betsy Farber
915 Princess Drive
Yardley, PA 19067
***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****
This week, it goes to Lisa Gable--a longtime friend who was just
been named by Experience Works, Inc. as New Jersey's Outstanding
Older Worker.
She is an amazing woman who began her inventing career over
ten years ago when she was in her 70s. She has since obtained
four patents and knowing her, I'm sure that others will be forthcoming.
Lisa is perhaps best known for Stap-Mate, a product designed for
1/3 of all the women in the world whose bra straps slip . . . it has
been sold in major department stores such as Nordstrom's and catalog
companies such as Vermont Country Store . . . it has also been
featured on QVC.
In 1999, she was honored by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame
for the above product.
For more information, please click:http://www.strap-mate.com
_________________________________________________________
2. FYI
Dylan, when it's hard to know what to say to someone who is
ill or who just lost a loved one, say, "It's hard to know what
to say, but I want you to know I'm sorry." It means an awful
lot.
SOURCE:
LESSONS FOR DYLAN (see also Sections 4C, 10 and 11)
by Joel Siegel
FYI, part 2
* Dana in Pennsylvania:
I'm writing this in response to "Pat in Pennsylvania."
I live in a 55 and older active adult community, and I disagree
with your comments. My husband and I are in a three story townhome
in the community of Bluestone Creek, in Warrington, Pa. We have been
here for about one year, and we love our community and have made many
new friends with our neighbors, most of which are in the 55 to 65 age bracket,
not our parent's ages.
It is nice and quiet here, and the advantage is simple: We no longer
have to care for the lawn maintenance or snow removal. And my husband
is free to pursue other interests on his days off. This is not necessarily
a retirement home for us, as we are not planning on staying in PA
after we retire.
There have already been four homes up for resale that have sold since
we moved in, so I don't see that it is impossible to sell, even though
there are age restrictions and a more limited market. I see many people
my age and younger looking to downsize after their families are grown.
As for homeowners associations, even non 55 and older communities
have those and that is a question of choice. If you don't want to be
restricted or limited to what you are allowed to have on your property,
don't buy into an association controlled community. I have a friend who
lives in a very high end golf course community that is single family
homes (not 55+) and her book of rules are thicker than a telephone
directory. Again . . . it's not for everyone.
* Ellie in Pennsylvania:
After all the negative comments about over 55 communities, I feel obliged
to defend them. We live at the Villas at Shady Brook, where we thoroughly
enjoy the community and the residents there. As you and your wife are
very outgoing, you would have no problem with making friends there.
We enjoy book clubs, theatre, movies, Rotary Club, softball team, investment
club, etc., as well as the usual card groups. The community has pot luck
dinners, formal holiday parties, trips to interesting places (Sculpture Gardens
for one) and interesting speakers. Someone mows our grass, trims our
bushes, and shovels our snow--right to the front door.
While we are gone in the winter, our neighbors keep an eye on the place,
forward mail, and water the plants. In the nice weather, we sit on our patio
with a drink and invite passersby (who are doing their fitness walking) to
join us. We have indoor and outdoor pools, walking trails, a fitness center,
pool and ping-pong tables, a library, etc.
Many of the residents are under 55 and married to someone who is older.
It's like living in a resort. We receive weekly e-mails to give us current
info on what is going on and also a monthly newsletter. These are done
by some very talented volunteers. Come visit us sometime, and we'll give
you the tour or visit the web site:http://www.thevillasatshadybrook.org
* Anita in Pennsylvania:
Let me say that I sooooooo enjoy your newsletter! I look forward to
each issue.
* Terry in Texas (with a REQUEST FOR HELP):
I have a question about our older male cat that maybe you can help me
with. "Monkey" is over 10 yrs old, basically healthy, but apparently has
a sensitive stomach or something. (I haven't taken him to the vet about this.)
I can't tell what is triggering his "tossing his cookies". It's only sometimes,
erratic, and I think one thing might be that the hairball formula dry cat food
might be too strong so we mix it in with other brands.
He might be dehydrated, but we don't know which came first--vomiting or the
dehydration because the food pellets are still dry when they "come up." Some
of the problem might be that he is an indoor cat and doesn't move much. Neither
does the female his age, but she is fine.
Thank you for any advice you can give.
* Vera in Florida:
I checked the website www.truthorfiction.com for the poem on
The Crabby Old Man, and it said the man who wrote the poem is
David L. Griffith, He wrote the poem in 1986 under this title: "Too Soon
Old." Someone changed a few words and renamed it.
Griffith's website is www.palletmastersworkshop.com . . . you
can find the poem on his website.
Thanks again for your newsletter on Tuesday mornings.
* Kevin in Pennsylvania:
I made my first hit as a trendspotter:http://www.springwise.com/weekly/2007-07-18.htm#eternalimage
Did I ever share this newsletter with you? It's really very good.
* Janet in New York:
Please sign up for our newsletter and enjoy free articles and radio shows on: http://www.oasisforthesoul.com
Learn how you can be your own medicine. Begin to learn different ways
to heal yourself, others and the earth.
* Dave in Florida:
I'm retiring effective 7/31/07. Please change my email address as
indicated. I just want you to know how much I've enjoyed your world.
MY TWO CENTS:
And I've enjoyed sending BLAINESWORLD to you and others. Thanks
for letting me know of your new email address. My request is that
others do the same; i.e., let me know of any changes to their address.
If you'd like, I can also add an address; e.g., to send the newsletter to
both your home and work address. Or even to another address if you're
away for the winter. As always, I can also add the addresses of your
friends to the subscription list--provided you've asked them first.
* Will in New York (in response to comments I made about his excellent
book, SEND, that was reviewed in last week's issue:
Thanks, too, for these additional comments.
1. I do the same--I think it's really effective to lead with a name in
the subject line. The problem can be, though, that spam is getting ever
more specific and it often does the same. So I tend to lead with my name
as sender: "Schwalbe on dog predicting weather for Susie." Even though
it's cryptic, it also has fewer words. I find that as more people read on
handhelds, it's more important to keep the word count down in the subject
line.
2. Love the "bakatcha" though of course for more informal communication!
But I might be more specific in round two or three as you wouldn't
remember later what distinguished round two from three or four. And I
would also probably try to put a word before invitation to make it more
specific. Like:
"Schwalbe anniversary."
"Schwalbe anniversary . . . bakatcha."
"Schwalbe anniversary location"
"Schwalbe anniversary rain date?"
"Schwalbe anniversary dress code"
If those were the successive subject lines in a back and forth, it would
be much easier later to figure out just the right email to open if there
was a certain issue or detail I forgot.
3. Love this too! [I had told him that with respect to spelling and grammar,
I'm an enthusiastic typist but not a very akkkkkkurate one.] Anything that
injects humor, a friendly tone, and encourages us all to lighten up a bit
is . . . grrrrreat!
* Murray in New Jersey:
Enjoyed your must recent "World" . . . as usual.
Two comments:
1. In your comment on "How To Get To the Top" re: complaining.
Here's one I've used in my seminars that strike home: "Cut out the
complaints and most people have nothing to say."
2. Who is the painter in Atlantic City you recommended (FYI, part 2)
and how come I missed it?
IN REPLY:
Sorry you missed this painter . . . I mentioned him in BLAINESWORLD
#561 . . . here's the information again:
To see an amazing painter in action, please click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIJtKxdRQzY
Watch the entire clip and when you do, put your speakers on!
_________________________________________________________
3. Precision
Some tourists in the Chicago Museum of Natural
History were marveling at the dinosaur bones.
One of them asked the guard, "Can you tell me
how old the dinosaur bones are?"
The guard replied, "They are 3 million, four years,
and six months old."
"That's an awfully exact number," says the tourist.
"How do you know their age so precisely?"
The guard answered, "Well, the dinosaur bones
were three million years old when I started working
here, and that was four and a half years ago."
_________________________________________________________
4. Reviews
A. Don't believe the good reviews you may have read or heard about
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD . . . Bruce Willis again stars as New York City
detective John McClane (after a twelve-year break from the role), and
my only regret is that I stayed to see the entire film . . . it was completely
unbelievable and a waste of my time . . . the one saving grace was
that there were technical difficulties at the theater where I saw it
and so there was no sound for about ten minutes . . . I didn't miss
a thing; in fact, it reminded me of a similar experience I had
when seeing Tom Hanks stranded in CAST AWAY . . . in both instances,
they could have chopped another 30 or 40 minutes, and I still wouldn't
have missed anything . . . at least in the Willis film, when I complained,
I got two free passes . . . rated PG-13.
B. Try to find PORTRAINT OF JENNIE on DVD . . . it is an old
Joseph Cotten/Jennifer Jones movie that a friend told me was her
all-time favorite . . . I can see why . . . it is a combination of fantasy
and romance about a painter who meets a young woman and becomes
so inspired by her that his drawings surpass anything he has ever
done in his life . . . mysteriously, she ages every time he meets her
and as she does, he attempts to research her origins in the hopes
of coming to an understanding of who she is . . . Cotten and Jones are
both superb, as is the photography of Joseph August . . . not rated,
but certainly appropriate for anybody over the age of 12.
C. Joel Siegel, an entertainment critic for ABC's GOOD MORNING
AMERICA, had to be one brilliant guy . . . I know that for a fact
because his opinions about movies were almost exactly the
same as mine . . . the main difference, though, was that he
got paid a lot more than I do to share them--and he often
did so in a most humorous fashion.
When I heard he died recently on June 29, 2007 at the age
of 63, I was saddened . . . I was also tempted to find out
more about the man that others spoke so glowingly about,
so I got hold of LESSONS FOR DYLAN (see also Sections
2, 10 and 11) . . . this was a book he wrote several years ago
when he was diagnosed with cancer and his son was just two
years old.
It is an autobiography, of sorts, but much more . . . Siegel
tells of his life as a child, his work as a joke writer for
Bobby Kennedy, his interviews with all four ex-Beatles, how he
named such Baskin Robbins flavors as German Chocolate Cake
and Pralines and Cream, and his Jewish heritage . . . it was
as if he was talking to me personally, and I was amazed that
anybody could lead such a varied and interesting life.
However, I most enjoyed the parts where he shared such bits
of wisdom with his son as the following:
* Gene Siskel once told me that one of his professors, John
Hersey, once told him, "Don't worry about money. This is
America. You're smart. The money will be there. Follow your
passion." Good advice. I heeded it, and I'd never even heard it.
* There is a saying I later learned from people who tend not
to use adverbs correctly: If you fight back and get hit, it
hurts a little while; if you don't fight back it hurts forever.
* These are good friends, Dylan. Almost like family. Better
than family, because they aren't the family we were born
into and had no say about; they are part of the family we
chose.
Naturally, the book had information on movies--including this
list of films that he wanted to sometime see with his son:
* PUBLIC INTIMACY, HEAD START, STALAG 17, DOUBLE
INDEMNITY, THE APARTMENT, SOME LIKE IT HOT, AND
SUNSET BOULEVARD, CITIZEN KANE, RICHARD III,
HAMLET, AND ROMEO AND JULIET, THE BLACK STALLION
AND THE LITTLE PRINCESS, FIELD OF DREAMS AND TO
KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, THE RED BALLOON, SINGIN' IN THE
RAIN, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, BEAU GESTE, AND THE
MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, DAY AT THE RACES, A NIGHT
AT THE OPERA, and DUCK SOUP.
And I smiled at the many humorous stories sprinkled throughout
LESSONS FOR DYLAN, such as this one:
* Another why-I-love-New York story: A mother and her
eight-year-old daughter had moved downtown and were
auditioning synagogues, trying to decide which one to
join. They visited an Orthodox synagogue where men and
women do not sit together-the women's section is usually
behind a curtain in the back of the sanctuary or up in the
balcony. After the service the mother asked the daughter
if she liked it, and the daughter answered, "No. The only
people who get to sit together are the gay couples."
D. Heard the taped version of Erma Bombeck's ALL I KNOW ABOUT
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR I LEARNED IN LOEHMANNMN'S DRESSING
ROOM . . . this is a collection of 38 pieces where she compares and
contrasts animal behavior with that of the human species.
Not everything hit the mark, but those that did had me laughing quite
a bit . . . for example, when she compares the show-off behavior
of gorillas to the attention-getting ploys of Madonna, Howard Stern,
Roseanne, and other "professional exhibitionists, I kept thinking to myself
that there are indeed amazing parallels.
I also liked her observation about the fact that the female elephant
calf carries here calf for 660 days before giving birth and continues
breeding until she is 90 days old . . . however, Bombeck says not
to feel too sorry for the elephant; after all, her height enables her
to carry the extra weight quite well.
And then she tells the story of four dolphins who got lost and
were trapped in a New Jersey river. Of course, she contends, they
had to be men . . . which leads to the author's advice on ending
all wars: "Let men give directions on how to get there."
Bombeck, who died in 1996, was always one of my favorite
humorists . . . this book will help remind you just how funny she
was . . . narration by Barbara Rosenblatt was fine; however, I would
have preferred hearing the author herself.
_________________________________________________________
5. TV alert
A. SAVING GRACES has Holly Hunter playing a tormented,
hard-driving cop who requires some divine intervention in the
from of an angel . . . Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT.
B. DAMAGES, stars Glenn Close as a tough lawyer who attempts
to take down Ted Danson, who plays a corporate bandit . . . Tuesdays
at 10 p.m. on FX.
C. S.O.B. (SOCIALLY OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR) explores what
unsuspecting people will do when faced with a crazy situation
and captured with a hidden camera . . . Wednesday at 10 p.m.
on BET.
D. Season 2 of WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? opens on
Thursday at 9 p.m. on SCI FI . . . among the contestants: Hygena,
who fights crime and grime with the use of cleaning utensils, and
Mr. Mitzvah, who is a wealthy crime-buster.
_________________________________________________________
6. Squirrel problems
There were five houses of worship in a small Texas town: the
Presbyterian church, the Baptist church, the Methodist church,
the Catholic church, and the Jewish synagogue.
Each church and synagogue was overrun with pesky squirrels.One day,
the Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do about the
squirrels. After much prayer and consideration, they determined that the
squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with
God's divine will.
In The Baptist church, the squirrels had taken up habitation in the
baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery
and drown the squirrels in it. But the squirrels escaped somehow, and
there were twice as many there the next week.
The Methodist church got together and decided that they were not in a
position to harm any of God's creatures. So they humanely trapped the
squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later,
the squirrels were back.
But the Catholic church came up with the best and most effective solution.
They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church.
Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.
Not much was heard about the Jewish synagogue, but they took one
squirrel and had a short service with him called circumcision . . . and
they haven't seen a squirrel on the property since.
_________________________________________________________
7. Websites
A. In case you missed it, there was an election to determine the new
7 wonders of the world . . . the results can be found at this website:http://www.new7wonders.com/
This got me thinking about the previous 7 wonders of the world . . . I
tried to name them, but couldn't . . . see if you can . . . then to check
your answers please click:http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/
B. If you're a baseball fan or know of one, you MUST
click:http://www.ThisGreatGame.com
You can find historical information by year, decade and team,
plus a very interesting section called "The TGG Comebacker"
that gives you the sport's latest news in a most entertaining fashion.
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 management change
at WWFM 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.
D. DON'T FORGET DEPARTMENT:
If you have a website you want me to mention, please do send it
along for consideration . . . Janet Zofchak, a former student, helps
design websites . . . to see two that she has done for Susan
Goloshovsky, please click:http://www.susanasa.com
(this is for Susan's work as a certified property appraiser)http://www.susansamericanagallery.com
(this is for Susan's antique business)
If you'd like to contact Janet directly for more information about the fine
web design work that she does, she can be reached at email:
info@jz-art.com or via her cellphone, 267.994.1421.
_________________________________________________________
8. Computer tip
Marilyn in Arizona:
Just for my information . . .
You said AOL thought that the website you included in your newsletter
was sent out by spammers.
Does that mean that AOL reads every email for content and doesn't let
anything in that contains something they don't think is appropriate? I thought
they reviewed mail for spam by the sender's email address. I didn't have an
email from you in my spam folder so does that also mean they censor my
mail, and I don't even get to see what is spam and check?
MY RESPONSE:
I don't think AOL has a little guy or gal sitting down to read every
single piece of email--or at least I hope that's not the case . . . but they
do have computers that check for spam, automatically, or anything
in an email that might be spam . . . in particular, they are looking
to "block" sites that send out a lot of spam . . . and this isn't such
a bad thing.
What seems to have happened with last week's issue: I apparently
had included such a website in Section 7B . . . it was not my intention
to do so and when I found out about it (after a lot of AOL readers
did not get the original copy of BLAINESWORLD #563), I made
a correction so it would not happen again.
If you want to know more, here's the original website I sent out (now
with an XXX designation both before and after it to prevent you
from clicking it):
XXXhttp://createyourdestiny.thesgrprogram.com/?e=bginnj@aol.comXXX
The part after the .com/ is what appeared to be spam to AOL; i.e., it
listed a specific email address . . . what I should have done is just
listed the original website:
XXXhttp://createyourdestiny.thesgrprogram.com/XXX
And even now--because I have some concerns that this company
might well be spamming folks--I have again sent it out with the XXX
designation both before and after it . . . I still think the material that's there
is good; however, I urge you to use caution in checking it out.
So what's the computer tip? Beware of spammers. Also, don't support
their efforts by clicking on their websites and/or buying anything from
them!
_________________________________________________________
9. 8 dumbest questions asked by cruise passengers
Does the crew sleep onboard?
What time is the midnight buffet?
Which elevator takes me to the front of the ship?
Do you generate your own electricity?
Is this island totally surrounded by water?
Is the water in the toilet salt or fresh?
What do you do with the ice carvings after they melt?
How high above sea level are we?
_________________________________________________________
10. A quote I like
He [Rabbi Larry Raphael, his friend] also told me, about kids, "
The days take forever, but the years go by in a minute."--Joel
Siegel in LESSONS FOR DYLAN (see also Sections 2, 4C and 11)
_________________________________________________________
11. Thought for the day
When you watch a ball game, learn to keep your eyes away
from the ball. . . . The same thing goes in the theater, good critics
know it: keep your eyes off the ball. Don't watch the guy who's talking,
watch the guy who's listening. Anybody can talk, but to listen like you
mean it is the sign of a great actor.
SOURCE:
LESSONS FOR DYLAN (see also Sections 2, 4C and 10) by Joel
Siegel--a book you can tell I REALLY liked because of the fact that I
mentioned it four separate times in this week's newsletter
_________________________________________________________
12. Advance planning department
A. Cynthia in New Jersey (see also Section 1A):
I am very excited about a new teacher training that I just completed. It is
called JourneyDance. JourneyDance is a transformative, freeing
movement experience. Using inspiring music from around the world,
you are softly led into easy-to-follow movements. At times you follow,
you move intuitively on your own or you may choose to lead if you are
comfortable. You honor yourself and what you need in the moment.
It is a form of joy, creativity, connection, community, and self-acceptance.
The power of the dance experience is used to release old ways of being
that no longer serve you and reclaim new, consciously chosen ways
of being in a truly experiential way. It includes and celebrates all types
of bodies, people and energy levels. No yoga or dance experience is
required. It is an experience not to be missed.
Here is the current class schedule:
* IN SKILLMAN, NJ:
Sat. Aug. 4 - 1:30 - 3:00
Sun. Sept. 16 - 11:00 - 12:30
Sun. Oct. 21 - 12:00 - 1:30
Sun. Nov. 18 - 11:00 - 12:30
Sun. Dec. 16 - 11:00 - 12:30
$15.00 drop-in fee
Princeton Center for Yoga and Health
Montgomery Professional Center
50 Vreeland Drive Suite 506
Skillman, NJ
609-924-7294http://www.princetonyoga.com
* IN BELLE MEAD, NJ:
Sat. Aug. 18 - 10:30-12:00
Pike Run Associates (the Clubhouse)
Belle Mead, NJ
FREE class. Email me: cgreenfield1001@aol.com or call me:
908.874.9557 for details and to register.
I would love to see you at any and/or all of the above!
* IN HILLSBOROUGH, NJ:
Wed., Aug. 22 - 7:00 - 8:30
Hillsborough Library
Hillsborough, NJ
FREE class.
Call 908.369.2200, ext.13 for details and to register.
B. A good friend, Ivan Winegar, will be appearing in:
OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder
The show is being presented by the Newtown Arts Company
at the Newtown Theater from August 9-15.
For more information or to book tickets, call: 215.860.7058 or
please click:http://www.newtownartscompany.com
_________________________________________________________
PS. Please join me in praying that we soon get our remaining soldiers
back from Iraq and that peace resumes in Israel . . . also, make it
a great week!
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