I tried a new dish for me, sea bass, and enjoyed it immensely . . . it was
very tasty . . . Cynthia said her salmon dish was equally good . . . service
was a bit on the slow side, and the restaurant was a bit noisy--in part because

it got so crowded . . . reservations are therefore
a must . . . for more information, please click:

http://www.limonesrestaurant.com

B. On Sunday, we went with other friends to dinner at what is ordinarily
one of our favorite places: Sushi Thai in Asheville; 828.225.8885 . . . Sutra,
our favorite waitress, was no longer there; she has left the area to
move back home with her parents . . . we instead had a new waitress
who tried, but just about every dish we ordered had to be sent
back because of various mixups . . . eventually, the food we
got was fine--but it was almost like a comedy of errors . . . I''m hopeful
that it was one of those rare nights when things go wrong for this
restaurant that is usually top notch.

From there, we went to the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun
Festival . . . by the time we got there, it was winding down, but we
still had a fun time on the Lazoom Bus where we heard a performance
by Kelly Barlow while touring the streets of Asheville . . . she is
a one-woman band who enthusiastically plays several instruments while
singing hits from Buddy Holly to the Beatles to her own stuff . . . and
getting everybody to join her, too . . . we had a blast.

C. MR. CURIOUS HERE:

Will you be watching President Obama's speech on health care reform
this coming Wednesday? Or if you can't watch it, at least read it? I hope that

you do and, if so, I'd be interested in your reaction to it.

I know there are problems with some of what has been proposed, but
to Obama's credit, I do think that it is good that he trying to bring about
some change . . . and keep in mind that what has been proposed,
to date, is evolutionary in nature; i.e., what eventually becomes legislation

will be different than what is out there now--perhaps even radically so.

Regardless of how you feel, I urge you to also:

* Find out how much both the insurance and pharmaceutical industries
are  contributing to politicians who come out on either side of the proposal.

* Rent the documentary SICKO, if you've never seen it.

* And view this clip of how one politician handled an angry mob when
asked for his views:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNs7Zpqo98

D. CONDOLENCES to Jean Dolan and family on the loss of her
brother, John Anthony Settembrino, who passed away Saturday morning
at his residence . . . in lieu of flowers, memorial donations in John's memory
may be made to Hillside SPCA, Hillside Road,Pottsville, PA 17901. Online
condolences may be sent to:

 

http://bestlifetributes.com/


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

This week, it goes to David McLoughlin--Front Office Manager
at the Trenton Marriott in Trenton, NJ.

That is where I stayed last week when "up North" for a meeting
at Bucks, as well as for some hypnosis work . . . I booked the
hotel at what I thought was a very fair rate via:

http://www.priceline.com

I wasn't expecting that much in terms of the facility, but David's
hospitality helped make it exceed my expectations . . . he
couldn't have been more gracious and largely because of him,
I would recommend that others stay here as well when visiting
either Mercer County or Bucks County.

In addition, I should mention that all other staffers I encountered
were most friendly and helpful too . . . it was nice to constantly
be greeted by smiles.

My only disappointment with my stay: The per night parking charge 
of $13/night was rather steep, given that no other hotel in the area has
any such fee . . . for more information, please click:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ttnmc-trenton-marriott-at-lafayette-yard/

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2. FYI

With respect to losing weight or any other-self-defeating behavior,
try the following approach that Cynthia recently shared with me:
 
When you are your own critic and call yourself names like fatso, loser, etc., 
it is self-defeating.

It's as if you are on a football field, all alone, and you are tackling, tripping
and banging into yourself with nobody else around. That is the pain
of constantly judging and evaluating yourself. And, of course,  it makes
you feel miserable, battered and abused. And what do you then do? Eat
some more, of course.
 
Instead  of judging and evaluating  yourself, try this approach:

1. Watch what you have done on an imaginary TV screen.

2. Take a few deep breaths as you observe  what is not  working; e.g.,
eating six cookies unconsciously.

3. And put  in the correction, such as simply waiting until you are
not hungry.
 
There is no shame or blame in this approach. It is merely observing your
behavior as objectively as you can (that is the purpose behind the TV screen
method), giving yourself  feedback (that is not  moving me to my weight loss
goal), and putting in the correction.

SOURCE:

Cynthia based part of the above on one of her favorite books, THIN WITHIN:
HOW TO EAT AND LIVE LIKE A THIN PERSON by Judy Wardell

FYI, part 2

* Pat in Pennsylvania (on what I wrote last week about driving while
on cellphones):

Yes, there are moron drivers that do not deserve to have the use of a
cellphone while driving. I agree. However the bad never outnumbers
the good!! I use my cell phone all the time and lots while driving. Its how
most if not all of us who earn a living in the field stay competitive. I get
stuck behind people who have no business driving and talking. They
are the problem and its not everyone who drives and talks on a phone.
They are a small few compared to the millions who can talk and drive.  
Seems the bad ones cannot chew gum and walk at the same time.
So why would we expect them to be any different when driving?  Sure
accidents may happen. But again, its due the select few who have
no business driving and talking.
 
Yes, it does take a certain amount of skill to talk and drive. Since my first
cell phone use in the car was in like 1987? I can say that after 22 years
of driving and talking on the phone, I feel I do have it down. Not to mention
that I have 36 years experience as a licensed driver and 52 years as a
passenger. I am not about to surrender that privilege just because of
a select few don't have the skill to do two things at once. If someone
is going to suggest such a thing will they also demand that pilots give
up their head sets and talking to airport people  and other planes and
people on the plane while flying?  The focus of your issues should be
on the people who can't talk and drive at the same time and not be
limiting or put restrictions on the good ones who can.

* Dan in Pennsylvania added:

Some links to hands free bluetooth speakerphones for the car:

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/BlueAnt-Supertooth-Bluetooth-Speakerphone-Black/dp/B001953NGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=wireless&qid=1252020560&sr=8-1

* Dan also had a QUESTION:

I need to learn about the pyramid schemes like Amway.Have you ever
taught any classes about them or done any research about them? I would like
to be able to analyze such a scheme, in terms of how many levels of profit
makers can be supported before the system breaks down, how much, relative
to realistic market cost, does the product have to cost to support many levels
of profit makers, and who, if anyone, gets screwed in the end. There's got
to be some research and data out there.

PLEASE RESPOND TO:

sharkdb@verizon.net and, also, send a copy to me, bginbc@aol.com,
so I can share this information with others.

* Nick in North Carolina (with a REQUEST FOR HELP):

Some of you know that I am on the Board of directors for the Buncombe
County Rescue Squad. I do this in memory of my son Johnathan,
who was a member of that organization. The squad, like every other
business, is struggling financially. This is an opportunity to get some
much needed cash.  The Christie Cookie Company is giving away $25,000
to the charity with the most votes. There are two things you need to do
to really help. 

1. Go to the website and vote for the Buncombe County Rescue Squad.  
To do this,cut and paste the following link and go to the site to vote. You
will need to type in the charity name Buncombe County Rescue Squad, Inc. 
It is located in Asheville, NC. The contact person is Karen Speed. The link is:http://ilovechristiecookies.com/contest/

2.  Forward this message to everyone in your address book and ask them
to help. Let's see if networking, tweeting, social websites or whatever other
means you use to communicate with your friends to win us some money.   

If you want to know more about the Rescue Squad,  go to this website:

 

http://www.buncomberescue.org

You will be impressed with what they do. The Buncombe County Rescue
Squad is a Private Non Profit 501-3C Corporation. 

Please help. It will only take a few minutes. 

* Linda in Pennsylvania:

Check out this website for a city profile in Asheville that I thought
you might enjoy reading:

 

http://www.usairwaysmag.com/city_profiles/city/asheville/

* Staci in Pennsylvania:

Years ago (I may have been in 8th or 9th grade), a friend's mother had
a wonderful meditation CD where someone walked you through going
for a walk, sitting down, and it was amazing the visualization I incurred.
(See how I still remember it.). Can you suggest something similar; e.g.,
on iTunes or elsewhere?

PLEASE RESPOND TO:

staci.obrien@comcast.net and, also, send a copy to me,
bginbc@aol.com, so I can share this information with others.

* Darcy in Pennsylvania:

I'm now Philadelphia's small business development expert
on Examiner.com. My ranking on the site is linked to
the number of views of my articles, so I'm inviting you
to view my very first article at:

 

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-22775-Philadelphia-Business-Development-Examiner~y2009m9d5-Ideas-for-promoting-your-small-business

You can sign up on the site to receive an email every time
I post a new article. You also can click on my photo and,
from my profile, add me to your list of favorite Examiners.

I'd like to personally send you an email announcing each new
article (no more than 3x/week); if you'd like to be removed
from this email list, simply reply to this email and put "REMOVE"
in the subject line.

If there are any topics you'd like me to address, let me know.

Please forward this email to anyone you think might be
interested in the topics of publicity, marketing, advertising,
writing and more. If you received this email indirectly and
would like to be on the email notification list, please send
me an email with “SUBSCRIBE” in the subject line.

My email address is: write2sell@verizon.net.

* Just in time for the upcoming Jewish holidays, Art in Pennsylvania
was kind enough to send me these two links:

For full explanation of the Shofar and its sacred uses and history,
go to:

 

http://shofar221.com/

For the Shofar webpage, go to:

 

http://shofar-sounders.com

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3. Bookstore visit (as told by comic Brian Kiley)

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman,
“Where’s the self-help section?” She said if she
told me, it would defeat the purpose.

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4. Reviews

A. Seek out ADAM, a touching romantic comedy about a man with
Asperger's Syndrome whose life is changed when he meets
his new neighbor . . . it's a beautiful film with great dialogue
that had me caring for the two leading characters, Hugh Dancy
and Rose Byrne--both of whom were outstanding . . . the ending
was just about perfect, too, especially because it was not
the typical Hollywood conclusion to a film of this type . . . rated PG-13.

B. Rather than rush out to rent anything new (there's really not too
much out there), I suggest you instead catch ARTHUR . . . Dudley
Moore is delightful as the drunk who is about to marry a member
of high society, but who falls in love instead with a waitress--played
by Liza Minelli in one of her best efforts . . . however, it's the work
of John Guilgud  as the butler that really made the film soar . . . he won
a well-deserved Oscar, as did "Arthur's Theme (Best That You
Can Do)" for Best Original Song . . . rated PG.

C. As a kid, I wanted to be a professional baseball player . . . however,
I soon came to the realization that no matter how much I practiced,
I was never going to become more than a reserve outfielder on my
Little League team.

Fortunately, I was lucky to have grasped the concept so well explained
in Tom Rath's excellent book, STRENGTHS FINDER 2.0:

* When we're able to put most of our energy into developing our
natural talents, extraordinary room for growth exists. So, a revision
to the "You-can-be-anything-you-want-to-be" maxim might be more
accurate:

You cannot be anything you want to be--but you can be a lot
more of who you already are.

So that was when I switched gears and turned my attention
away from an athletic career to other directions . . . yet that
said, my life would have been a lot easier for me had I been able
to assess my talents much earlier in my life.

Rath now makes it possible via this update of his earlier
bestseller, NOW DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS . . . it describes
the assessment tool that's available to purchasers of the book
(via a unique access code to a website) that enables you
to not only determine your talents, but to come up with ideas
for putting them into action.

For example, I found myself personally relating to this
description of a Developer:

* You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all
you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary,
each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And
you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you
interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success.
You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting
experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the
while  you are on the lookout for the signs of growth--a new
behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a
glimpse of excellence or of "flow" where previously there were
only halting steps. For you these small increments - invisible to
some - are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs
of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and
satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and
encouragement because on some level they know that your
helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.

And I also liked what he had to say about working with
an Achiever:

* This person may well need less sleep and get up earlier than
others. Look to him when these conditions are required on the
job. Also, ask him questions such as "How late do you have to
work to get this done? Or " When did you come home in this
morning?" He will appreciate this kind of attention.

STRENGTHS FINDER 2.0 is the perfect book for you to read
if you're not sure if you are in the right job or career . . . in
addition, I'd strongly recommend it as a gift for any high school
or college student you know who may be struggling with the question
of his or her choice of major.
 
D. Spencer Johnson, billed as "The king of parables" by USA TODAY, has
long been one of my favorite authors . . . his ONE MINUTE MANAGER,
co-authored with Ken Blanchard, helped revolutionize my thinking about
management, and his ONE MINUTE FATHER helped me become
a better parent.

His latest, PEAKS AND VALLEYS, is the story of a young man
who lives unhappily in a valley until he meets an old man
who lives on a peak . . . this encounter changes the former's life,
and it will change yours too as you encounter both good and bad times.

I particularly appreciated being reminded that during bad times,
I need to:

* Relax, knowing the valleys end. Do the opposite of what put you
in the Valley. Get outside of yourself: Be of more service at work
and more loving in life. Uncover the good that is hidden in a bad
time and use it to your advantage.

By the same token, when times are good, I need to:

* Be humble and grateful. Do more of what got you there. Keep
making things better. Do more for others. Save resources for
your upcoming Valleys.

You may think you are reading nothing new here, but the material
catches up on you . . . it's something that we all need to
reminded about and Johnson does an excellent job of doing this
in PEAKS AND VALLEYS.

I was fortunate to have heard a CD copy of this book, and am glad
that I did because it contained a bonus audio interview with the author
that shared some of his unique insights on putting the principles to work.

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5. TV alert

From AOL Television, here's information on the Best shows
this fall season:

HEAD OF THE CLASS

'V'

ABC's been hunting for a worthy successor to 'Lost' for years now and
failing dismally. But the net just may have found one with this sleekly
modern remake of the campy '80s show, with vibrant characters
and amazing special effects. Oh, and it's scary as hell. We still have
goosebumps.

Airs Tue., 8 p.m.on ABC | Premieres Nov. 3

 

Modern Family'

This smart, wry ABC mockumentary about three "normal" families
was our favorite new comedy. Sample line from Ty Burrell's wannabe
hip dad: "I surf the web, I text . . .  'LOL' -- laugh out loud, 'OMG" -- oh my
god, 'WTF' -- why the face. I know all the dances to 'High School
Musical.'" Genius.

Airs Wed., 9 p.m. on ABC | Premieres Sept. 23

HONORS STUDENTS

'Glee'

We won't stop believing in Fox's infectious, quirky, soulful high school
dramedy. Aside from fun sing-a-long potential, there are relatable characters
of all ages, types and cliques. And speaking of the education
system's losers . . .

Airs Wed., 9 p.m. on FOX | Premieres Sept. 9

'Community'

Joel McHale, Chevy Chase and newcomer Danny Pudi headline this
band of community-college slackers on NBC. And while 'The Soup'
host McHale shines, the entire ensemble works together to make
this comedy hum.

Airs Thurs., 9:30 p.m.  on NBC | Premieres Sept. 17

'FlashForward'

Where 'V' is more of a thriller, this other ABC drama inherits 'Lost''s
more puzzling elements. The central mystery -- Why did everyone
black out for two minutes? And were their visions really from the
future? -- is absorbing enough for fans to theorize obsessively about
it for years to come.

Airs Thurs., 8 p.m. on ABC | Premieres Sept. 24

'The Good Wife'

We can hear the elevator pitch: "What if Bernie Madoff's wife . . . went
back to practicing law?!" But CBS' 'The Good Wife' moves beyond its
ripped-from-the-headlines origin thanks to a top-notch cast, including
star Julianna Margulies (in her first decent gig since 'ER').

Airs Tue., 10 p.m. on CBS | Premieres Sept. 22

NEXT WEEK:

I'll share information on the shows that need work or are just plain
terrible  . . . as always, I'd be curious as to your reaction when
you see these and/or any other new shows . . . what you like, what
you dislike--and why.

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6. Companionship

A lonely woman buys a parrot for companionship. After a week, the parrot
hasn't uttered a word, so the woman goes back to the pet store and
buys it a mirror. Nothing. The next week, she brings home a little ladder.
Polly is still incommunicado, so the week after that, she gives it a
swing, which elicits not a peep.

A week later, she finds the parrot on the floor of its cage, dying.
Summoning up its last breath, the bird whispers,“Don't they have any
food at that pet store?"  

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7. Websites

A. For the most complete collection of recipes on the Internet, please
click:

http://www.recipezaar.com

Choose from 372,000 member-contributed recipes.You have the option
to search the site by ingredients or browse recipes by course, cuisine,
diet, occasion or preparation. There is even nutritional information based
on the recipe ingredients. See what others have thought about the recipes,
too, because there are plenty of comments from people who have actually
made them.

DON'T FORGET:

If you attempt any recipe you find here, I would not be at all crushed
if you made some of it for me--and then very nicely chose to also
ship it to me. 

B. Many kids don't want to get a Facebook friend request from
their Mom or Dad . . . see why NOT by clicking:

http://myparentsjoinedfacebook.com/

Some of the most embarrassing posts included one mother telling her
daughter to stop drinking sodas because she had cavities, another
mother requesting "intervention should she ever wear twill, tapered-leg,

buttless mom jeans" and the results of one stepfather's "Which sex

position fits you best?" quiz.

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT:

That you're on Facebook and I'm not your friend, that can be changed
by sending me an invite . . . or for more information, please feel free to click:

www.facebook.com/blainegreenfield

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

http://www.blainesworld.net

To see other books I've reviewed, go to "Blaine's Best" to the left and
then click on the second part of letter "O" . . . as can be seen, I'm
currently #367 in the listing of Amazon's Top 500 reviewers . . . if
you'd like to see me move up:

1. Go to:

http://www.amazon.com

2. Using the search engine at the top, find some book I've recently
reviewed; e.g., THE PASSION TEST.

3. Click on reviews . . . mine will be at the top or toward the top
on your right.

4. If you find what I've written helpful, please click YES when prompted.

5. That's it. Thanks in advance!

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_________________________________________________________

8. Computer tip

If you feel you've been a victim of online harassment, please click:

http://www.wiredsafety.org/

Self-proclaimed as he world's largest Internet safety, help and education
resource, its Frequently Asked Questions (on the left) are invaluable
if you are seeking information on such topics as cyberstalking, determining
if you child is at risk, spyware and adware.

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9. Place to stay

A Hindu priest, a Rabbi and a lawyer are traveling together and need
to find a place to stay for the night. Finding no hotel or motel anywhere
for miles, they come to this farm house and ask if they can stay for the
night. The farmer says, “Well, OK, but I only have one guest room
with one double bed. Someone will have to sleep in the barn.”

The Hindu priest says that he will sleep in the barn. The lawyer and Rabbi
are getting ready for bed when there comes a knock at the door. “There
is a cow in the barn,” says the priest. “My religion forbids me to sleep
with a cow.”

The Rabbi says, “OK, I'll go.”

The lawyer and the priest are getting into bed when there comes a knock
at the door. “There’s a pig in the barn,” says the Rabbi. “There’s no way
I'm sleeping with a pig.”

“OK," says the lawyer,” I'll sleep in the barn.

As the priest and rabbi are getting into bed, there’s another knock
at the door.

It’s the pig and the cow.
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10. A quote I like

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I
don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want,
and, if they can't find them, make them.--George Bernard Shaw
(1856-1950), Irish Playwright

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11. Thought for the day 

Two days we should not worry   
             
There are two days in every week about which we should not
worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and
apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares,
its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed;
we cannot erase a single word we said.
Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow
with all its possible adversities, its burdens,
its large promise and its poor performance;
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise,
either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,
for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today.
Any person can fight the battle of just one day.
It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful
eternities Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,
it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened
Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.

Author unknown
(if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) 

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12. Advance planning department

A. Political Cartoonist and Author, Joe Szabo to speak on Constitution
Day, September 17,  from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Gallagher Room at
Bucks Community College (Newtown, PA). He'll also be speaking at the
Lower Bucks County campus (Bristol, PA) on September 16 from
12:30-1:30 p.m. He will be addressing "Images of America" and share his
experience of how America is perceived by other countries. Don't miss
this exciting and informative program.

B. The Hicks Art Center Gallery provides changing art exhibitions and
related activities for the cultural enrichment of the students and staff
at Bucks County Community College and all the residents of Bucks
County.

Its next exhibit features more than 40 artists from the mid-Atlantic region
whose work is made with recycled or reused materials. Guest curator,
Rebecca Kelly, will give a gallery talk at 6 p.m.on Thursday, September 17.

C. Yours truly is speaking to the residents of my development,
Biltmore Lake, on Friday, September 25, at 7 p.m. . . . the topic,
"Four-mula 4 Success," the 4 things you need to do every day to
market yourself and/or business . . . if you'd like to attend as
my guest, please drop me an email to that effect . . . put
SEPTEMBER 25 the subject line of your email.

D. If you're a jazz and blues fan, come on out Sunday, September 27th
for a full day of jazz at Katmandu, Route 29,  in Trenton, NJ. The music
starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.

For more information, please click:

http://www.jazzon2.org/katmandu.pdf

_________________________________________________________

PS. Hoping that you get to enjoy Labor Day, I invite you to celebrate
just one of the gains the labor movement has brought by clicking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E82ozXyNjk

Make sure your speakers are turned up for this make that way up!

After, please then click this click from the History Channel on the
history of the holiday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZkq7d4lyrw


Please also join me in praying that we soon get our remaining soldiers
back from Iraq and Afghanistan . . . and that peace comes to Israel
and her neighbors. . .  make it a great week, too!

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