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BLAINESWORLD
#572
9.17.2007 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Doggie smarts 4. Reviews . . . THE BRAVE ONE, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Getting started 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. Grandma's boyfriend 10. A quote I like 11. Thought for the day 12. Advance planning department _________________________________________________________ 1. Reflections A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I had a nice visit with my mother and other members of my family as we celebrated the Rosh Hashanah holiday at the home of my cousin Richard and his wife Gail . . . we got a special kick in watching my mother's delight as she saw everybody's children and grandchildren . . . that never fails to put a smile on her face. We were also pleased to hear that my mother got an excellent report from her recent visit to the oncologist . . . he said that her lung cancer surgery several months ago was a success, and that everything is now fine in that regard . . . as for her recovery from hip surgery, she's still undergoing physical therapy for that . . . whenever I ask her if they're too tough on her, she says "not really" . . . but when I suggest that I speak to them about working her harder, she tells me, "Don't you dare." B. Cynthia and I also attended a nice Family Circle meeting at her cousin Miriam's house . . . this is a group that meets a few times a year, and we inevitably have a good time getting together with other family members for some good food and conversation . . . it's so great to be able to see family members for no other reason than the fact that you like being with them--especially when everybody is happy and healthy. Cynthia's brother and his wife came in from Connecticut to attend the event, so we then got to spend some time with them and enjoyed having them then come over to visit and stay over at our home: the official residence of the Greenfields of Belle Mead. C. My Tuesday night Marketing class is off to a fine start . . . the other night, my students found out about their group project for the semester: to help market a company called Math in Motion. Run by Barbara Pearl, a dynamic educator, Math in Motion helps make math fun by using origami to introduce many basic concepts . . . for more information, please click: http://mathinmotion.com/ D. I'm soooo glad to be able to extend notices of CONGRATULATIONS to the following friends/readers: * Jean Dolan for having attained a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from the Communication Department in its School of Arts and Sciences at La Salle University. * Ward Vinson for having been chosen as an understudy to portray Gen. George Washington at the annual reenactment of the Delaware River Crossing on Christmas Day . . . for more information, please click: http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-09172007-1408595.html * Tobi Bruhn for having become a father . . . Elizabeth Ann Bruhn arrived on Saturday, September 15, 2007, at 12:53 p.m. weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. and measuring 21” . . . mother and baby (and father, too) are doing fine. * Lee White for become a member of the same father club . . . his son, Samuel Isaac White, was born on Tuesday, August 28th. * Mandy Reilly for being named a full-time faculty member at Bucks County Community College . . . she recently was named as Counselor, having previously served as the College's enthusiastic director of the Career Development Center. ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Jackie Young--a sales and service representative at the Newtown (PA) Acme branch of Citizens Bank. Jackie is always both helpful and friendly . . . yet something she did for me the other day made me truly appreciate the fine service she so routinely provides . . . in helping me with a simple transaction, she noticed that my money could be doing better in another account offered by the bank . . . she reviewed the specifics, then quickly helped me with the necessary paperwork. Jackie is just one of the many fine employees at the branch . . . as a result, I find it a pleasure to do my banking with Citizens Bank . . . what's even better is the fact that I can do grocery shopping at the same time. For more information, the bank is located at 48 West Road; the phone number is 215.860.5268. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI One of the most effective techniques you can use, true to the title of this book, is to engage in organizing activities for one minute at a time. For 60 seconds, straighten up whatever you can. In the course of a minute, maybe you can only tackle one area. Conceivably, you can handle two or three items. Put away or discard extraneous items and neaten up any portion of your desk that will contribute to your overall quest. As with other techniques presented throughout this book, you'll find that after 60 seconds, you often don't want to stop. The momentum of your efforts carries on to the next minute and the next. As this happens, be supportive of yourself. Let yourself "go with the flow." Believe me, you'll stop when you want to, have to, or are too tired to proceed. Still, it's amazing how much one minute's worth of straightening up can do for most of the places and spaces in your life. I've seen people clear out and reorganize a desk drawer in a minute or so. I have observed others who rescue their desktops from overflow in 60 seconds or less. I've witnessed others clear away shelf space or simply make a path through their offices during these 60 second campaigns. You'll never know how much you can accomplish during this time until you try. So try it; you might like it! SOURCE: THE 60 SECOND ORGANIZER (see also Section 4C) by Jeff Davidson FYI, part 2 * Patty in Pennsylvania: If someone who wants help to quit smoking contacts me and mentions BLAINESWORLD or that they are a student of yours, I will give them a HUGE discount on my services. I'll offer them a 3-session smoking cessation program for only $200 if they pre-pay. This discount is over 55% off of my normal fee, which is $425. Again, to receive this discount, they must pay in advance and mention that they are a reader of BLAINESWORLD or a student. This discount applies to the Smoking Cessation program ONLY. Of course, I offer other types of discounts on my fees to anyone who pre-pays for services and of course anyone is welcome to contact me for these services which include: Smoking Cessation/ Weight Loss/ Stress Management/ Performance Enhancement/ Pain Management/ Personal Development, etc. I will also give anyone who mentions your name a 10% discount off of my other services, which include Deep tissue and Hot Stone Massage/ Reflexology/Reiki/ IET/ Ear Candling. Arrangements can be made to receive these services at your personal location if so desired. Here is my contact info: Patricia A. DiIenno, CHt Inspirations Wellness Institute for Mind, Body and Soul PO BOX 2063 Warminster, PA 18974 Phone: 267.813.8316 email: redhen45@yahoo.com MY TWO CENTS: Patty is the best! If you utilize her services, you won't be disappointed. Guaranteed. * Barbara in Pennsylvania (with a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION): I was invited to do a workshop for the Philadelphia School district in November . . . however, they require the presenter carry "Professional Liability" Insurance for the one day teacher inservice. They are also willing to reimburse me for it. Do you know of anyone I can contact to inquire about it? Thanks, Barbara to respond directly: info1@mathinmotion.com * Maria in Pennsylvania: I hope you can find space in your newsletter to add info about our newest fundraising effort. We're trying to get the word out to everyone, everywhere! Help Us Help Them Chilipepper Candles is conducting a fundraising effort for the American Bulldog Rescue. It started when we met Riley, a 7-month-old rescue, who had to have major surgery. Riley has been rescued by a very loving family, and he is recovering nicely from his surgery. His medical bills alone have topped $5,000! Chilipepper Candles will donate 10% of on-line sales to help these wonderful animals. Log onto: httpp://www.chilipeppercandles.com
place your order, then type in "The American Bulldog Rescue" in the special instructions portion at the end of the ordering process, and we'll take care of the rest. Sorry, but no other discounts apply. To contact us, email Maria at info@chilipeppercandles.com If you'd like to contact the American Bulldog Rescue here in Newtown, PA, please call Jodi at 215.8603161 or email her at: jodi.spector@verizon.net * Harry in California: Good website for getting shortcuts to speaking with a person. They list a lot of companies, etc.: http://www.gethuman.com
NOTE: Thanks for the reminder, Harry . . . I originally mentioned this great website in BLAINESWORLD #489, but if you missed it and/or are new to the newsletter, then check it out now. * Tony in Pennsylvania: Tonight Minh and I saw a movie that I felt absolutely compelled to tell you about. It's called ONCE, and it's a small Irish film made on a budget that wouldn't pay for the catering on your average blockbuster. Its stars are musicians, not professional actors, and it has the rough-hewn look of a home video shot in someone's basement. And yet . . . here's how the BOSTON GLOBE put it: "ONCE is a wee slip of a movie, 85 minutes long and notably light on plot. "Guy meets girl, guy writes a few songs with girl, guy and girl try to figure out what to do about their mutual attraction. "We never learn their names, the movie's that basic. "Yet there are more emotions repressed and then sung out in this transcendent new Irish film than in a year of blockbusters, and in its brief running time, writer-director John Carney does something both profound and unexpected: He reinvents the movie musical as a genre of swooning rock 'n' roll realism." The WALL STREET JOURNAL critic, meanwhile, gushed so much about ONCE he finally complained that "I should say something negative here; how else will anyone trust all this praise?" If you're still not convinced, go to the movie's website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/once
then turn up your speakers and listen to "Falling Slowly," one of the film's starkly beautiful songs. Then go see ONCE on the big screen. GREAT MINDS THINKING ALIKE: I REALLY liked this film, too . . . if you can no longer see it in the theaters, grab hold of it just as soon as it is available on DVD . . . in the meantime, check out the website that Tony mentions . . . by just clicking it on, you'll also get to listen to full versions of several other songs from the soundtrack . . . you won't be disappointed. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Doggie smarts According to Jay Leno on THE TONIGHT SHOW, a Canadian psychologist is selling a video that teaches you how to test your dog’s IQ Here’s how it works: If you spend $12.99 for the video, your dog’s smarter than you. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. I've seen many other films with a theme similar to the one in THE BRAVE ONE; i.e., wherein a person seeks vengeance and takes the law into his or her hands (think, most notably, DEATH WISH) . . . yet somehow THE BRAVE ONE maintained my interest from start to end, especially because of the excellent acting by Jodie Foster as the wronged woman and Terrence Howard as the detective who seeks to find the anonymous vigilante . . . though I had problems with the moral ambiguity of the ending, I still recommend the film to anybody seeking a well-done thriller . . . rated R. B. GRACIE is now out in DVD format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #557 follows: GRACIE, based on true events from the lives of the Shue family (producer Andrew Shue and his actress sister Elisabeth), is about a teenage girl who overcomes the loss of her brother and fights to become the first girl in her town to play competitive soccer on the boy's high school varsity team . . . it is too predictable in spots and the beginning drags . . . however, when the soccer action takes over in the second half, the film comes alive . . . and though you can pretty much guess what's going to happen, you'll nevertheless find yourself cheering at the end . . . Carly Schroeder is fine in the leading role, and I also liked the work of Dermot Mulroney as her father . . . there's a great 70s soundtrack, featuring classic music from Blondie, Aretha Franklin and the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen . . . rated PG-13. C. Often times, the problem involving in getting organized is where to start . . . you may be like me and have many projects going at the same time, accompanied by even more pieces of paper. So where do you begin? One approach is to get hold of Jeff Davidson's book, THE 60 SECOND ORGANIZER (see also Section 2) . . . Davidson, an author and professional speaker, presents many useful techniques--60 in all--that don't take a lot of time to implement . . . but do pay powerful dividends when utilized. Many you've probably heard before . . . however, the problem is that you may well never have put them into practice . . . the author shows you how, for example, when he says: * You can fight junk mail by saving all of it for weeks. Then hire a high school student at minimum wage to send a form letter to every party who has sent you mail more than once. Explain carefully that you have no interest in their offer. When it comes to seeking perfection in everything that you do, I really liked this bit of advice: * Studies show that the additional time you spend to take a project from the 95 percent mark to the 100 percent mark is, in most cases, not worth it. Striving for perfection, i.e., ensuring that the final 5 percent is correctly done, often takes as much time as the initial 95 percent of effort required! Gosh, no wonder it felt so difficult! Lastly, when it comes to writing a book or completing some other task that will take a good amount of time, Davidson almost makes it easy when he advises how to do this: * I have written 32 books, but I wouldn't have finished book #1 if I tried to "write an entire book." Rather, my goal in approaching each book is to write one chapter at a time. Since most chapters are made of two or three subsections, I simply aim to finish one subsection, then another, then another until I finish a whole chapter. The rest of the day seems like a vacation. The next day, I go back and start another chapter, approaching one subsection at a time. All the while, I acknowledge that I have a contract to honor and that a publisher is breathlessly waiting for my material. We pick a date in advance, and I agree to turn in the manuscript no later than that day. Now that I've finished THE 60 SECOND ORGANIZER, I'm all set to read another book the author wrote: THE 60 SECOND PROCRASTINATOR . . . all I have to do is stop procrastinating, then I'll be ready to begin it. D. Harvey Mackay's SWIM WITH THE SHARKS WITHOUT BEING EATEN ALIVE is one of my all-time favorite books on marketing . . . it so impressed me that I have since read and enjoyed every other book written by the author. So imagine my delight when I got hold of HARVEY MACKAY LIVE, a DVD of his best tips on outselling, outmanaging, outmotivating, and outnegotiating your competition . .. it captures him in front of a live audience, and does he ever drive his points in both an engaging and informative fashion. Among the many ideas that I gained from viewing were these: * Set your standards as high as Lou Holtz. And measure your performance very day. * They're predicting every college graduate will have 3-5 career changes. * Even if you're doing something, can you improve on what you're doing? * People don't care about how much you know about them. They care about how much you care about them. * You want to know what turns your customer on, which is just one of 66 things you should know about your customers. * You must humanize your selling skills. * The best kept secret in the world is Toastmasters International. * It's the people you don't fire who make your life miserable. * Every person you meet goes into your Rolodex file. Then find a creative way to keep in touch. * Our lives change in two ways: People we meet and books we read. * Knowledge doesn't become power it is used. And lastly, there's this one--one that I often cite: * If I gove you a dollar, and you give me a dollar, we each have a dollar. But if I give you an idea, and you give me an idea, we each have two ideas! That said, I'm confident that you'll get a lot more than two ideas if you obtain HARVEY MACKAY LIVE . . . best of all, it's accompanied by a free CD if you want to listen to it while driving or exercising. To get your own copy, please click: http://store.harveymackay.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=8 Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. BACK TO YOU is the new show I'm most looking forward to this coming season . . . it features Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton as coanchors on a Pittsburgh station . . . perhaps best of all, Fred Willard is also in the cast . . . Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX. MR. CURIOUS HERE: Please let me know what you think about this show. And any others you are looking forward to and/or have already seen? Anything that should go on a "must see" list? (Or a "must avoid" list?) B. A few weeks ago, there was an interesting debate featuring all of the Republican candidates except for Fred Thompson . . . now it is time to catch the Democratic presidential hopeful in THE CANDIDATES, a debate in Davenport, Iowa that will be focusing on health care and economic matters . . . Thursday at 9 p.m. on PBS. C. If you've always wanted to see Bruce Springsteen in concert, join me via a first row seat (in front of your TV, that is) as you watch him live on NBC's TODAY SHOW on Friday from 8:30-9 a.m. You could also go to Rockefeller Center and see him for FREE . . . the only problem is that there will probably be a mob of other folks there . . . but if you leave now, you could probably get a pretty good spot! D. Ken Burns' 15-hour documentary THE WAR begins on Sunday on PBS at 8 p.m. . . . please check local listings because the time and dates of PBS shows may vary . . . according to TV GUIDE, this "is both an unflinching history lesson and a moving tribute to those dubbed the "Greatest Generation." Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 6. WARNING: Gray-haired joke alert. Methinks it's unfair that so many jokes are told about blondes, so as a public service, I think it is past time that BLAINESWORLD runs the following gray-haired joke: Getting started A gray-haired women calls her boyfriend and says, "Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get it started." Her boyfriend asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?" The gray-haired woman says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a tiger." Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle. She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table. He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a tiger." He takes her hand and says, "Second, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then . . . He sighed, "Let's put all the Frosted Flakes back in the box." Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. Are you prejudiced? See for yourself by clicking: http://www.understandingprejudice.org/drawline/ You'll have the option of participating in either or both of the following: * Diet & Lifestyle Choices Interview: This interview probes the logic behind various dietary and lifestyle choices, attitudes, and beliefs. (Typical length: 20-30 minutes) * Race & Advertising Interview: This interview focuses on race relations, advertising and opinions about discrimination. (Typical length: 15-20 minutes) B. Deb in New York: No matter your political leanings, this is pretty funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuE621j50Z0&mode=related&search Be forewarned that some might construe the above as being anti-Bush . . . frankly, I don't see it that way . . . and if anybody wants to share humorous videos about any Democrat, I'd be glad to mention them too. C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net To learn more about the dance programs conducted by my aforementioned beautiful bride Cynthia (see also Section 1A), click "About Cynthia" to the left of the home page. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip As mentioned previously, the 2007 version of Microsoft Office for Windows has a new default file format that has extensions ending with the letter "x" . . . the problem with this, and it's a big one, is that if anybody you correspond with uses an older version of Office, they won't be able to recognize the new formats. If you're in this latter category, get the free auto-conversion patch that Microsoft has made available by clicking: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads
It can be found under Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats. There's also a free stand-alone converter from Microsoft for the Mac versions of Word and Powerpoint . . . that is available at: http://www.microsoft.com/mac
When there, find Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 9. Grandma's boyfriend A 5-year-old boy went to visit his grandmother one day. Playing with his toys in her bedroom while grandma was dusting, he looked up and said, "Grandma, how come you don't have a boyfriend now that Grandpa went to heaven? Grandma replied, "Honey, my TV is my boyfriend. I can sit in my bedroom and watch it all day long. The religious programs make me feel good, and the comedies make me laugh. I'm happy with my TV as my boyfriend." Grandma turned on the TV, and the reception was terrible. She started adjusting the knobs, trying to get the picture in focus. Frustrated, she started hitting the backside of the TV hoping to fix the problem. The little boy heard the doorbell ring, so he hurried to open the door and there stood Grandma's minister. The minister said, "Hello son, is your Grandma home?" The little boy replied, "Yeah, she's in the bedroom bangin' her boyfriend." The minister fainted. Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.--Ray Bradbury (1920 - ), US science fiction author Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day A stunning senior moment Apparently, a self-important college freshman attending a recent football game took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation. "You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one," the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear. "The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon. Our space probes have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, ships and electric and hydrogen cars. Computers with light-speed processing, and more." After a brief silence the senior citizen responded as follows: "You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young . . . so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little sh*t, what are you doing for the next generation?" The applause was amazing. Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know.) Back to Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Cynthia (see also Section 1A) in New Jersey: Just wanted to describe this new form of dance that I will be teaching. JourneyDance/Move Your Body 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 only if you are comfortable. For more information, see below for upcoming programs; also: cgreenfield1001@aol.com 609.731.0808 Princeton Center for Yoga and Health 50 Vreeland Drive Suite 506 Skillman, NJ http://www.princetonyoga.com 609.924.7794 Sunday, September 23: 2:00-5:00 p.m.; Fundraiser for children at St. Jude's Hospital Other activities also: yoga, pilates, etc. Contact Center for more information and what you need to do to participate. B. Deborah in New Jersey: The Princeton Center for Yoga & Health (PCYH), at Montgomery Professional Center, 50 Vreeland Drive, Suite 506 (just off Route 518 West and one half mile from Route 206), features David Brahinsky, songwriter, folksinger and storyteller, as well as philosophy professor and therapist for "The Greg Brown Songbook." The concert will be held on Saturday, October 6th, 8:00 p.m. The cost is $15 per person at the door. Call 609.924.7294 for further information or visit: http://www.princetonyoga.com
C. Tobi in Pennsylvania: The Bucks County Community College Friends of the Library cordially invite you to a Reception and Historic Walking Tour of Newtown. Saturday, October 13, 2007 The Home of Barry and Judy Fleck 127 Court Street Newtown, PA 18940 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Cost: $35 per person (Tax deductible amount: $30) To join the Friends of the Library, call 215.968.8003 or email: mccannl@bucks.edu by October 6 . . . proceeds benefit the Charles E. Rollins Library Endowment Fund at Bucks County Community College. D. Lorraine in New Jersey: From October 15-19, workshops, seminars and events will be taking place throughout Trenton that are designed to provide educational and networking experiences for small business owners, entrepreneurs, corporate executives and enterprising individuals. You will have the opportunity to learn how to excel in: Marketing, Financial Management, Web Site Development, Advertising, Bid Proposals, Sales, Networking, Legal Issues, Real Estate, Government Contracts, Business Growth, Technology, and much more! Plan now to attend Trenton Small Business Week 2007! For a full schedule of the weeklong activities, sponsorship opportunities and to register, visit: http://www.smallbizweek.com
or call 609.771.2947. _________________________________________________________ PS. If you're Jewish, here's hope that you fast well on Saturday when you observe the Yom Kippur holiday . . . which reminds me: Q: Why can Jews never be mugged on Yom Kippur? A: Because we fast! 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! Back to Top ---------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBCRIBE INFORMATION If you or somebody you know wants to subscribe to BLAINESWORLD, have them drop me an e-mail to that effect . . . new readers are always welcome . . . my address is: bginbc@aol.com In the unlikely event you wish to unsubscribe, notify me at the same email address.
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