That's one of the great things about Biltmore Lake, our
development . . . there's always much that is happening.

B. Within the community, we are friends with all those in our
immediate condo neighborhood . . . we even get together
from time to time, as was the case during the week when
we celebrated Tammy's birthday . . . that's her with
Stuart after he made her a gigantic s'more (the campfire treat made

with graham crackers, chocolate and roasted marshmallows) in honor
of the occasion:

 

C. We also got to see SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS
at the Flat Rock Playhouse . . . the production continued our
run of enjoyable plays that we've seen there . . . nothing has
ever been less than outstanding.

The choreography was especially lively, and I only feel bad that
you can't see it because the run ended last weekend.

Next up is REAL ESTATE, a new romantic comedy starring Scott
Treadway (who has become our favorite local actor)  . . . we're slated
to see it this coming weekend . . . for more information, please click:

http://www.flatrockplayhouse.org/

D. Cynthia and I finished assembling our team of health professionals
this past week when we visited our new dermatologist, Dr. Todd
Wilkinson . . . we were impressed by his friendliness,
as well as his knowledge . . . his staff also came across
as being quite professional . . . he can be reached at 828.274.4880. 

Everything appears fine for the both of us, though Dr. Wilkinson
did a biopsy on a small part on my arm . . . I only mention that
to remind folks to schedule regular visits with a dermatologist,
especially if they spend a lot of time in the sun.

I don't do that, but as some of you may recall, I had to deal
with melanoma a few years back for a spot that my dermatologist
found between my toes . . . had I not had the appointment,
I could conceivably have been in bad shape at a later date.

Naturally, also use appropriate sun screen whenever you
are out in the sun. OK, ok . . . I'm done with the lecture.

 

UDATE:

 

I just heard from Dr. Wilkerson's office . . . the biopsy showed

a basal cell, which means that it needs to be removed . . . it's

not a big deal, though, in that it was discovered early . . . I'll

be having it removed in the near future.

***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****

This week, it goes to Ted and Kimberly Ross --the couple who
did such a fine job at leading the Swing Dance Party
(see also Section 1A) .

You can read more about this dynamic couple by clicking:

 

http://www.ashevilleballroom.com/instructor_tedd-kim.html

Ted and Kimberly are available for private dance lessons, weddings,
private parties and performances.  They can be reached at
(828) 333-8333. To be included on their mailing list for notification
of their group dance classes, workshops and parties they teach at
The Asheville Ballroom, please send them an email at
ted.ross@charter.net 

And if you can't wait,  join them on: 

Friday, August 28th
Beginning Mambo Class at 7 p.m.
"Beginner's Only" Dance Party: 8-10 p.m.
Location: The Asheville Ballroom & Dance Centre (991-B Sweeten
Creek Rd., Asheville)

Learn to Mambo and practice your ballroom dancing in a fun,
safe and supportive atmosphere at this "Beginner's Only" Class and
Dance Party. Refreshments and sodas will be provided and Professional
Dance Instructors will be at the party to assist students with their dancing
questions. Line dances will also be taught and included in the party. 

No partner is necessary for the class or party. $10 for Class and Party
(Special $7 Rate for ages 17 & under.)

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2. FYI

To get half-price tickets to plays, concerts, sporting events or exhibits,
please click:

 

http://www.goldstar.com

Goldstar operates in eight cities: Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco,
Las Vegas, Boston, Chicago, San Diego and Washington, D.C. Sign-up is
free and gets you a weekly e-mail list of current and upcoming local events.

Although the top events may not make the list, there's still plenty
to choose from. Also, you won't automatically get the worst seats in
the house either!

FYI, part 2

* Kimberly in North Carolina:

The Washington Post recently ran an article on Asheville that I thought
you might find interesting and gives you a little more history about our
growing city.  The thriving arts community is one of the primary reasons
we chose to move to Asheville (along with the beauty and serenity
of the mountains). We hope you choose to visit our area soon!

 

http://tinyurl.com/orrmkb

The article also referred to a listing of things to do in Asheville:

 

http://tinyurl.com/rxg8gx

* John in New Jersey:

I read the article on the slang shortcuts.

Here is a quote from it:

The consequences of misunderstanding the lingo can be mortifying.

Cassandra McSparin, 23, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., knew a woman whose
friend’s mother had died. The woman texted her friend: “I'm so sorry
to hear about your mother passing away. LOL. Let me know
if there’s anything I can do.”

It turns out she thought LOL meant “Lots of love.”

MY TWO CENTS:

Reminds me of when Cynthia first met my Dad . . . she didn't always
get all his jokes . . . so we had a sign where I would hold up a big L
on my cheek, sort of like I was scratching my face . . . one time I was
scratching my face as my Dad was talking about some friend who
had died . . . Cynthia started laughing!

* Jack in Pennsylvania:

I received a phone call from Penn yesterday after dinner.  They decided
that even though I'm still classified as "inactive" for the kidney transplant
until I get the next two CT scans, they are willing to test three of my best
choices for a match. I am O positive blood type. 

My three must meet the following requirements:

O positive blood
not a diabetic
thinks he/she has more than one kidney presently

The only reason I am sending this email is because some of you have
expressed interest in being tested for me.  However, I know that this is a
lot to ask of anyone. Do not feel pressured into anything.

The number to call if you meet the above requirements is
Terry @ 215.662.4447.
 
If anyone knows of someone wanting to barter for a kidney, I have a
somewhat long white beard that I'm willing to trade!
 
Thank you.

* Verna in New Jersey:

I have a real life situation (can't call it a story since it is real life) 
and if you would like, I think it would be easier for me to share this with you
through Facebook. It's something that perhaps you could pass on to your
readers. This is 2009, and I have never in my 30 years of nursing heard
of a mother dying in child birth . . .  but it did just happen to one of the

young ladies that worked in my office.

She gave birth to a beautiful little baby boy 7/8/09 and on 8/13/09 she passed
away as a result of complications of childbirth at  the age of 35. Her husband
just recently underwent back surgery and will be out of work for 12 months
at least. This leaves them now in a very precarious situation in that finances
are no longer coming in since Cyndi was the sole supplier of the monies.
As you can imagine with a little baby and no way of getting yourself employed,
it's a rather difficult situation to say the least.

For more information, please click:

http://tinyurl.com/lwsx7b

PLEASE NOTE:

You may have to be a member of Facebook to read the above . . . if you
are not yet a member, but would still like to see this information, please
send me an email to: bginbc@aol.com with the words "FACEBOOK
INFORMATION" in your subject line.

Also, contributions can be made to:

George Walters
P.O. Box 2
Point Pleasant, NJ 08742

Or via email: gwalters1117@hotmail.com that also be used in conjunction
with PayPal.

* Robin in Pennsylvania:

Just saw IN THE LOOP. Brilliant satire.

* Scott in Pennsylvania:

Staycation Movie Coupon offers from Sony (Exp 10/31)

$2 off Staycation Movie Coupon offers:

House of Flying Daggers DVD
Seven Years of Tibet DVD
A Passage to India DVD
Gandhi DVD
Lawrence of Arabia DVD

http://www.sonyrewards.com/local/files/Stay_Coupon%20Aug9.pdf

$2 off coupon on any one DVD:

Bad Boys
SWAT
Black Hawk Down
Boyz in the Hood

http://www.sonyrewards.com/local/files/Stay_Coupon%20July5%20%282%29.pdf

If you use these at Walmart, many of the titles are now $5.00 and would be
$3.00 with the coupon!

* Colleen in Pennsylvania:

Interested in movies? My (favorite) niece is writing movie reviews.
You can subscribe for free at:

 

http://tinyurl.com/lg3ckb

* Marty in New Jersey:

I sometimes wince when you use and overuse the archaic expression
"methinks." There are so many other ways of expressing the sentiment
without reverting to the 17th century. At least that is what me thinks.

MY RESPONSE TO HIM (who doubles as my favorite brother-in-law
named Marty):

Laughing here. I typically use it once an issue . . . sort of a "Can you find
Waldo?" type thing.
 
I did some research on it. Turns out it can be viewed as archaic, but also
humorous:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/methinks

And if good enough for Chaucer, methinks it's good enough for me!  

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3. Please help

A man goes to his doctor and hands him a note that says, “I can't talk!
Please help me!”

“Okay,” says the doctor. “Put your thumb on the table.”

The man doesn't understand how that will help, but he does what he’s told.
The doctor picks up a huge book and drops it on the man’s thumb.

“AAAAAAA!” the man yells.

“Good,” says the doctor. “Come back tomorrow and we'll work on B.”

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4. Reviews

A. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER is a romantic comedy about a
boy meeting a girl, but it twists and turns in unpredictable ways
that make it unlike just about any other film I've seen of
this type . . . I very much enjoyed just about everything
in it: the acting (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel
are both charming in the leading roles), dialogue, soundtrack,
etc. . . . whatever you do, make sure you pack your things
quietly as the movie ends because you won't want
to miss the last line--an all-time great . . . rated PG-13.

SPECIAL BONUS FOR READERS:

Gordon-Levitt has a great dance number in the film . . . Deschanel
was not in it, but if you'd like to see the two of them dancing
together, please click:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtVh8kVZ_XM

B. I LOVE YOU, MAN is now out in DVD format . . . my review
from BLAINESWORLD #651 follows:

If you're in the mood for some laughs, catch I LOVE YOU, MAN . . . it's
a comedy about a guy who proposes to his girl friend, but then
comes to the realization that he has no male friends; e.g., to ask
to be the best man at his wedding . . . Paul Rudd was fine
in one of the lead roles; however, I thought his counterpart
(Jason Segel) was hilarious . . . . I first noticed him in
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL; he'll now be somebody
I look for in future films . . . I also liked the work of Rashida
Jones as Rudd's girlfriend . . . rated R.

C. I loved the question posed by the book, WHY ARE WE SO
CLUELESS ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET? . . . it's a
good one and the author, Mairusz Skonieczny, does a solid
job of answering it in this short but informative look at investing.

As the author notes on the book jacket:

* A successful investor only needs two things: 1) capital
to invest; and 2) the ability to recognize two companies when they
are selling for less than what they are worth.

He then proceeds to tell the reader how to recognize good companies,
evaluate their current worth, decrease the chances of making
investment mistakes, take advantage of Wall Street's short-sightedness
and build wealth through stock market investing.

I particularly liked the conclusions at the end of each chapter; e.g.,
this one after Chapter 9:

* With the odds stacked against investors, it is better to wait for
a company to trade on the open market for some time before buying
shares. Private sellers and underwriters have a pretty good idea what
the business is worth and when to sell it. They will not cut anyone a deal,
but the stock market consisting of millions of buyers and sellers will.
Investors should stay away from most IPOs. Instead, they should
buy good companies in bad markets when everyone else is selling,
and selling, and sell in good markets when everyone else is buying.
Unfortunately, most investors do the opposite.

My only criticism of the book is that I wish Skonieczny had used
more real company examples with their actual financial figures
(as opposed to Company A vs. Company B with earnings
under $2.32 for each year over a decade) . . . however, he
comes through in the second to last chapter with some
informative case studies featuring actual companies . . . and
his Appendix, looking at real estate or stocks and which is
the better investment, is particularly enlightening.

D. My brother is perhaps the world's biggest Dick Francis fan, but
to date, I have read little by the author who builds horse racing
into all his stories . . . however after listening to THE DANGER,
I may well change my thinking.

As noted in the book:

* Kidnapping is a fact of life. Always has been, always will be.
Extorting a ransom is an age-old pastime, less risky and more lucrative
than robbing banks.

This thrilling novel centers around the work of Andrew Douglas,
a partner in the firm of Liberty Market Ltd. whose job is both to
advise people at risk how to avoid kidnapping and, also, to help
negotiate with kidnappers once a grab has taken place . . . the
ultimate goal is to get the victim back at the least possible cost.

What I liked about THE DANGER was that you didn't have
to be a horse racing fan to enjoy it . . . thought that sport
features prominently in each of the kidnappings, it didn't
matter if you knew little about the subject  . . . you'll still be in
for an exciting ride (pun intended) that will take you from
Italy to England to the United States.

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5. TV alert

A. SHAQ VS. has Shaquille O'Neal vs. athletes from sports
other than basketball . . . he'll be competing against swimmer
Michael Phelps, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, tennis
ace Serena Williams, Boxer Oscar De La Hoya, home-run
hitter Albert Pujols and beach volleyball duo Kerri Walsh
and Misty May-Treanor . . . Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.

B. PROJECT RUNWAY, the hit reality show that pits would-be
designers against one another will have a new setting (Los Angeles),
a new network (LIFETIME) and a special guest judge (Lindsay
Lohan) when its sixth season begins on Thursday at 10 p.m. . . . due
to a legal dispute, this show was off the air for nearly a year; during
that time, reruns played on BRAVO.

C. ACCEPTANCE is a made-for-TV movie about a mom who does
everything she can to get her daughter accepted into college . . . Joan
Cusack stars and for me that alone should be a reason to watch
this flick . . . Saturday at 9 p.m. on LIFETIME.

D. RHYS DARBY LIVE: IMAGINE THAT airs at midnight on
Saturday on COMEDY CENTRAL . . . if the name doesn't ring
a bell, he's best known as band manager Murray on FLIGHT
OF THE CONCHORDS.

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6. Judgement day

A Bible study group was discussing the unforeseen possibility
of their sudden death. The leader of the discussion said, " We will
all die someday, and none of us really know when, but if we did we
would all do a better job of preparing ourselves for that inevitable event."

Everybody shook their heads in agreement with this comment.

Then the leader said to the group, "What would you do if you knew you
only had four weeks of life remaining before your death and then the
Great Judgment Day?"

A gentleman said, " I would go out into my community and minister
the Gospel to those that have not yet accepted the Lord into their lives."

"Very good," said the group leader, and all the group members agreed
that would be a very good thing to do.

One lady spoke up and said enthusiastically, "I would dedicate all of my
remaining time to serving God, my family, my church and my fellow
man with a greater conviction."

"That's wonderful," the group leader commented, and all the group
members agreed, that would be a very good thing to do.

But one gentleman in the back finally spoke up loudly and said, "I would
go to my mother-in-law's house for the 4 weeks."

Everyone was puzzled by this answer, and the group leader ask, "Why
your mother-in-law’s home?"

"Because that will make it the longest 4 weeks of my life!"

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7. Websites

A. What American accent do you have? If you've always wanted
to find out, please click:

http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have

If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine. I did find it pretty accurate.

B. I think a lot more about Dawn, the product, after watching
this commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGcZrqP4f98

The accompanying music is great, too.

C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view
it, please click:

http://www.blainesworld.net

In case you've missed some of the stuff on the left side, just take
your cursor and move it down any of the headings on that side
of the homepage . . . when doing so, make sure you look at my
eyes as you do . . . they're watching YOU!

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8. Computer tip

I've recently been touting how much I like Firefox as my Internet
browser . . . make sure you check the following website that has more
than 5,000 add-ons that are available:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

You can also access the above from within Firefox by pulling down the
Tools menu, selecting Add-ons and then clicking on Get Add-ons.

There's even one that puts up-to-date weather information in
the status bar, including the current weather and precipitation, as
well as forecasts for the next two days . . . it can be found by clicking:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/398

If you try an add-on and don't like it, you can simply uninstall or disable
it from Firefox.

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9. If my body was a car  

If my body was a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading
it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish,
and my paint job is getting a little dull. But that's not the worst of it. My
headlights are out of focus, and it's especially hard to see things up close.

My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid
and bump into things even in the best of weather. 

My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins. It takes me hours to reach
my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.

But here's the worst of it: Almost every time I sneeze, cough or laugh, either
my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires.

So it seems that with respect to CASH FOR CLUNKERS . . . I QUALIFY.
How about you?
 
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10. A quote I like

Keep a fair-sized cemetery in your back yard, in which to bury the faults
of your friends.--Henry Ward Beecher (1813 -1887), Congregationalist
clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist and speaker

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11. Thought for the day


Mindset list for the Class of 2013

Some highlights:

For these students, Martha Graham, Pan American Airways, Michael Landon,
Dr. Seuss, Miles Davis, The Dallas Times Herald, Gene Roddenberry and
Freddie Mercury have always been dead.

Dan Rostenkowski, Jack Kevorkian, and Mike Tyson have always been felons.

The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.

They have never used a card catalog to find a book.

Margaret Thatcher has always been a former prime minister.

Salsa has always outsold ketchup.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson has always been HIV-positive.

Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible.

They have been preparing for the arrival of HDTV all their lives.

Rap music has always been main stream.

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream has always been a flavor choice.

Someone has always been building something taller than the Willis (née
Sears) Tower in Chicago.

SOURCE--and for the complete list:

 

http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/

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12. Advance planning department

A. George Hartpence, one of my favorite New Jersey/Pennsylvania actors,
will be starring in "Dangerous Corner"  from Aug. 21-Sept. 12 at the
Langhorne Players in Langhorne, PA . . . for more information,
please click:

 

http://www.georgehartpence.com

B. On Monday, August 24, Bucks County Community College Foundation
will be holding its 15th Annual Golf Classic at Philmont Country Club NORTH
Course in Huntingdon Valley, PA.  Lunch and dinner are included with
registration. 

New this year: forecaddies for each foursome and an action swing video
of each golfer’s swing. Golf Classic proceeds support the College’s
general scholarship fund and contribute toward the completion of innovative
campus projects and programs, both academic and athletic, that are not
funded through traditional resources. Since 1995, the Golf Classic has
raised $425,000.  Sponsorships are still available.  Registration fee is $350. 
For more information or to register go to:

http://www.bucks.edu/foundation