BLAINESWORLD
#577
10.22.2007

In this issue:
1. Reflections
2. FYI
3. Time
4. Reviews . . . INTO THE WILD, etc.
5. TV alert
6. Problems
7. Websites
8. Computer tip
9. The secret
10. A quote I like
11. Thought for the day
12. Advance planning department

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1. Reflections

A. Cynthia, my beautiful bride, and I had a fun-filled weekend
at two different celebrations.

On Saturday, we journeyed to the Hotel Bethlehem in Bethlehem,
PA to attend the wedding of our good friends Steve and Karen's
son Justin to Alyson  . . . the ceremony, conducted by a Jewish
rabbi and Lutheran pastor, was a perfect blending of the
two religions.

We then had a break of a few hours, so we went shopping in the
downtown area . . . in particular, one store caught our attention: the
Moravian Book Shop (610.866.5481) . .  . it's the oldest such store
in the country and has a great collection of books, along with
an eatery and an eclectic range of knick knacks and food items.

From there, we went to the reception at the Northampton Country
Club in Easton, PA . . .  the food was excellent, as was the
DJ . . . best of all was Steve's advice to his son:

If you ever have a fight with your wife, always keep these three words
in mind:

1. [Say] I love you; and
2. [If that doesn't work] You are right; and
3. [Lastly] It's my fault.

B. On Sunday, we went to Van Gogh's Cafe (908.810.1844) in Union, NJ
to join our friends Berta and Tom as they renewed their wedding vows
on their 20th anniversary.

This was another lovely celebration at a most unusual art
gallery/restaurant . . . see below for the a picture of the four
of us--from left to right: yours truly, Cynthia, Berta, Tom--in front
of a mural that is displayed on one of the walls:

 

 

Pastor Jay Olivo conducted a brief service . . . we enjoyed listening
to his words, in which he encouraged the happy couple to keep
in mind Proverbs 16:3:

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

He then challenged them to commit three things to the Lord:
1. Your home;
2. Your spouse; and
3. Your relationship.

Afterwards, we got to spend some time with Pastor Jay and his
lovely wife Eileen.

For more information about Orchard Park Church, the Christian
Missionary Alliance that he heads in Union, please call
908.687.0364.

C. We consider ourselves blessed to have an excellent team
of financial advisors at Kohlhepp Investments (215.340.5777) in
Doylestown , PA . . . once or twice each year, we meet with them
to review how are we doing with our finances . . . at that time, we
also discuss what we need to do in the future.

For several years, we've been discussing the need to have a long term
care policy . . . personally, I was somewhat reluctant to go in that
direction; i.e., until I saw what happened to my father, Cynthia's mother
and now my mother . . . so with that perspective in mind, we met with
one of Kohlhepp's associates: Gordon Cromwell.

He helped us design coverage that should meet our needs without
bankrupting us . . . we were impressed by his knowledge, attention
to details and excellent follow-up skills . . . in addition, his assistant
(Nancy Peppelman) was a big help in completing all the necessary
paperwork.

Should you want to contact Gordon directly, he can be reached
at Gordon E. Cromwell Associates, Inc. in Flourtown,
PA: 215.836.7845 . . . feel free to mention my name if you call.

D. It gives me great pleasure to be able to share good news with
readers . . . so please join me in extending CONGRATULATIONS to:

* Kelly in Pennsylvania:
She will be getting married in the spring. Also, from what I understand,
her Washington Crossing (PA) massage therapy business is going
well . . . for more information, please click:
http://www.heartofthelotustherapeutics.com/index.htm

* Amy in Pennsylvania:
She has become director of client services for Radey Associates
Architects--a full service Architectural firm that offers a broad range
of high quality design and construction administration services
for new buildings, additions, and renovations . . . for more
information, Pease click:
http://www.radeyassociates.com

* Sue in Pennsylvania:
She recently changed real estate offices and went to Re/Max Advantage
with offices in Huntingdon Valley, Yardley, Fairless Hills, and New Hope. 
The benefit of this change is to provide better service to a larger market 
area in Bucks and Montgomery counties.  

TO CONTACT HER:
Sue Russeck, Re/Max Advantage, 2038 County Line Road, Huntingdon
Valley. PA. Office: 215.354.1001; cell: 215.688.1381.
  
***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****
This week, it goes to Karen Bloschichak--a waitress at Applebee's
in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

I typically go there before class every Tuesday night with a bunch
of teaching colleagues . . . whenever possible, we ask to be assigned
to one of Karen's tables . . . she seems to know what we want to order,
even before we do . . . she is also friendly, as well as extremely
professional.

Karen doubles as one of Applebee's "neighborhood experts" . . . this
means she helps train other waiters and waitresses . . . it is easy to
see why this is the case!

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2. FYI

Here's a neat idea from THANK YOU POWER (see also Sections
4C, 10 and 11) by Deborah Norville that you might wish to utilize
when you next see your doctor and/or any other person who
provides you with service:

Professor Isen told me her experiment scheduled active doctors
at a busy hospital whenever they could spare a few minutes away
from their rounds. One group was given, along with the diagnostic
materials for the task, a plastic sandwich bag containing ten hard
candies and tied with a piece of red yarn, and a note thanking them
for their participation. This is the standard treat she uses in
experiments to make people feel good or valued (in other words, to
create positive affects, as they say in researchspeak). Professor
Isen laughed as she recalled the test. "Actually, for the doctors,
we did break down and put in four Hershey's Miniatures because we
were afraid we needed our 'big guns.'"

The other group of doctors, the control group, received only thanks
for their participation, after the task was completed.

The differences were striking. Isen said, "The doctors who got the
candy didn't jump to conclusions. They realized quickly what the
domain of the illness was, and they were correct. But they continued
to check their diagnosis against new information as it came in."
The doctors who received no candy were less likely to be as
methodical. They had a tendency to distort information they were
given or ignore facts that didn't fit with their preliminary hypotheses.
Professor Isen says where positive affect was created the doctors
were more willing to see what was there, less defensive about
their hypotheses, and less likely to feel that they had to be right
no matter what.

Which doctor would you like working on your case? I asked Professor
Isen if it might be a good idea to bring a bag of treats the next time
I headed to the doctor's office. She begged off my question. I could
understand why. Most doctors (and who knows, our own doctors
might end up reading this book) would like to think they are focused
and open to all the facts as they go about their work. But on the off
chance--hey, it can't hurt--I think I'll bake cookies before my next
checkup!

FYI, part 2

* Laura in New Jersey: 
Again, I recommended your newsletter to someone who just moved
to Hillsborough.
 
I hope your mother is comfortable.  I can tell you from the experience
of friends of mine that she is in the best possible place to be if you
need the care that she does. My friend's mother was there for almost
six months--even before the hospital advertised on the radio. In the
beginning, Eleanor, could not even remember the name of the hospital,
but she just marveled at the care her mother was getting.
 
I finally got to Ya Ya Noodles with my roommate for lunch last Saturday. 
We were doing that tour of the historical sites of Somerset County. 
All of the sites were open, and there were no admission fees and
the weather was beautiful.  I also went to the book store two doors down
and cannot wait to get back there soon.

The tour was great. You got a booklet with descriptions of all the sites,
along with a map that cited three different routes that they suggested. 
We took the Southern Route, which started out at a Blacksmith Shop
in Millstone which is a cute little town right on Amwell Road. The driving
routes used where as nice as the sites we went to. We also went to two
old school houses, a house that is being restored in Middlebush and an
old church in Rocky Hill. The next day I went to the library in Raritan,
which is housed in an old house that has been added to. What a cozy
library it is.

* Michael in New Mexico (with a press release about his latest book):
The U.S. once led the world in innovation. But now, the nation that
gave the world the light bulb, telephone, and motion picture is rapidly
falling behind, as countries like China and India are increasingly taking
over global business investment and technology. How do we reverse
this ebbing creative tide?

The answer lies with America’s own Father of Innovation: Thomas Edison.
In INNOVATE LIKE EDISON: The Success System of America’s Greatest
Inventor (Dutton; October 25, 2007; $25.95), Michael J. Gelb, bestselling
author of How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, and Sarah Miller Caldicott,
MBA and great-grandniece of Thomas Edison, translate the genius
of Edison into a revolutionary new success system for innovation that
applies to both organizations and individuals.

Edison was an exceptional genius, but the greatest product of his genius
was the establishment of a systematic approach to success that he
believed anyone could emulate.

With their unique insight and expertise, Michael J. Gelb and Sarah Miller
Caldicott distill Edison’s creative methods into a carefully researched,
easy-to-apply system of five success secrets, the Five Competencies
of Innovation:

1. Solution-Centered Mindset: how to keep unwavering focus on
finding solutions.

2. Kaleidoscopic Thinking: how to juggle multiple projects, generate
many ideas, and then make creative connections or discern patterns.

3. Full-Spectrum Engagement: how to manage and balance a massive
workload with social life, family, and other obligations.

4. Master Mind Collaboration: how to multiply individual brain power
by bringing the right people together.

5. Super-Value Creation: how to target all creations to an existing market
and provide value to potential customers.

Although over seventy books have been written about Edison, none has
ever addressed his systematic approach to innovation until now. INNOVATE
LIKE EDISON provides the tools and strategies people need to compete
and win in the business world and in everyday life. And in a “flat” world that
increasingly rewards innovation, INNOVATE LIKE EDISION will help readers
build and sustain competitive advantage in today’s global economy.

MY TWO CENTS:
Michael Gelb is one of my favorite authors . . . this book sounds like
another winner . . . I'm looking forward to reading it. 

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3. Time

A man is praying to God. "Lord," he prays, "is it true that to you,
a million years is but a second?"

"Yes," the Lord says, "that is true."

"Well, then, what is a million dollars to you?"

"A million dollars to me is but a penny."

"Ah, then, Lord," says the man. "May I have a penny?"

"Sure," says the Lord. "Just a second."
 
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4. Reviews

A. I have mixed feelings about INTO THE WILD (see also Section 4B),
the film version of Jon Krakauer's bestselling nonfiction book about
the life of Chris McCandless . . . it is both interesting and visually
stunning, but way too long . . . watching it reminded me  of CAST
AWAY, starring Tom Hanks . . . I remembered seeing that
and going out to the concession stand . . . the person working
was unusually slow, and it took me some 15 minutes to get what
I wanted . . . yet when I returned, it seemed as if I had missed nothing.

That's how INTO THE WILD felt . . . the only difference was that
I didn't leave to get some popcorn, staying the entire time . . . I never
got completely caught up in the travels of Chris, a promising college
graduate who gives his life savings to charity to begin hitching
across America with his ultimate goal being Alaska . . . in addition,
I found director Sean Penn's direction a bit too choppy . . . yet that said,
Emile Hirsh was fine in the leading role, and as always, I liked
the work of Hal Holbrook as a widowed leather worker who befriends
him . . . rated R.

B. Out on DVD is WE ARE MARSHALL, the true story of a plane
that crashed with the entire Marshall University football team
in November, 1970 . . . the school and town, though, came
together to rebuild the squad--virtually from start . . . Matthew
McConaughey is believable as the head coach; however, overall,
the film left me flat . . . rated PG.

A much better choice would be to seek out LOVE & SEX
from blockbuster.com or netflix.com . . . this is a touching
romantic comedy about a woman (Famke Janssen) who can
never seem to find the right guy until she meets up with an artist
(a very funny Jon Favreau) . . . the accompanying soundtrack is
great, too . . . rated R.

C. The premise behind THANK YOU POWER (see also Sections
2, 10 and 11) by Deborah Norville is a simple one; i.e., that we should
all be more grateful for what we have . . . yet unfortunately, we often
forget to express such gratitude--and that's a shame.

Saying thanks can be fun . . . it can also make you feel better . . . in
addition, it can even help you make more money as was pointed out
in this one study:

* Waitresses who simply wrote "thank you" on the check
before handing it to their customers received on average 11 percent
more in tips than those who didn't. Waiters who wrote a message about
an upcoming dinner special on their checks also received higher tips.
On average, their tips increased by 17 to 20 percent. In a world where
personal connections seem increasingly limited, and sometimes stressful
when they do occur. Thank You Power has great resonance.

Norville also points out that saying thanks can help turn around those
who have not been kind to you in the past, such as if you did the
following:

* What would happen if you came to work one day and said, "Hello,
how are you? I baked cookies last night; want some?" Remember
how that bag of candies made the doctors better thinkers? There
may be someone who secretly has the dagger out for you, or perhaps
he or she is just insecure and, in that insecurity, has been acting
like a nitwit. A small gesture directed toward that person cost you
little and could change him or her a lot.

For one thing, it makes people more willing to resolve conflict.
In one experiment, test subjects were told to sit quietly, make jokes,
offer someone candy, or say they were uptight. Then they were put
into a dispute that had to be resolved. The people who offered candy
or make jokes were more likely to collaborate and work with the
other parties to resolve the dispute. Once again, the good feelings
from Thank You Power contribute to desired results. And there are
many ways to bring Thank You Power to the workplace.

I also liked the quotes that were incorporated into each chapter,
including this one:

*When other people are made to feel important and appreciated, it
will no longer be necessary for them to whittle others down in
order to be seen bigger by comparison.- -Virginia Arcastle

Do get hold of this book, either for yourself or for those that
you care about . . . keep in mind, too, that it would make an
ideal gift for the upcoming holiday season . . . and I bet if you
give it, you'd even get some thanks for having done so!

D. Enjoyed TOUCHED BY THE EXTRAORDINARY, written and read
by Susan Barbara Apollon . . . she is an intuitive psychologist
who combines research findings by physicians, quantum
physicists and other experts with true stories of encounters
that people have told her about.

To gain value from this CD program, you must be open to the
possibility that our loved ones can communicate with us--even when
they are no longer alive . . . when this happens, call it an
odd coincidence or a synchronistic moment, but just don't reject
the idea outright.

According to Apollon, there are several important messages
to be gained by going through her program . . . you'll come to
understand that:

1. Death is not an end. Whether you are grieving the loss of
someone you love or struggling to accept your own impending
morality, please, please, please know that the soul goes on.

2. Your extraordinary experiences are real. Those strange
encounters you've had--a vivid dream in which a lost loved one
appears to you, a reassuring voice heard in an emergency room,
even a glimpse of an angel--are not merely an overactive imagination
at work.

3. You can create the life you want to live. We are all part of
a Universe of abundance, power, love, and joy.

Strangely (or perhaps it isn't so strange), I feel calmer just
in typing the above words . . . TOUCHED BY THE
EXTRAORDINARY, the program, will help you feel that
way too . . . you'll be touched by it, particularly the
parts where you hear from others about their experiences. 

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5. TV alert

A. Magic man Criss Angel and paranormalist Uri Geller team up
to mentor aspiring mentalists on PHENOMENON,  a new reality
show on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

B. Actor-filmmaker Sean Penn and novelist Jon Krakauer discuss
Penn's adaptation of Krakauer's INTO THE WILD (see also
Section 4A) while traveling to Alaska in the Season 3 opener
of ICONOCLASTS . . . Thursday at 10 p.m. on SUNDANCE.

C. THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND has the Top 12 acts
performing before a studio audience for the first time . . . one of
the judges, Goo Goo Dolls lead singer John Rzeznik, calls
the show a merger of AMERICAN IDOL and a high school
battle of the bands . . . Fridays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

D. After seeing just one episode, I'm already hooked on THE
AMAZING MRS. PRITCHARD . . . the story follows a woman,
the successful manager of a supermarket, who becomes England's
next Prime Minister . . . according to THE WALL STREET JOURNAL,
"As Chancellor and Deputy PM, Janet McTeer delivers a performance
stunning for its force and magnetism . . . quite simply, she runs away
with the series" . . . I agree! My only regret is that you don't get to
see more of McTeer (so fine in such underviewed movies as
TUMBLEWEEDS and SONGCATCHER) in other performances
on the screen . . . Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS . . . check local listings
because PBS times and dates often vary.

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6. Problems

A husband and wife came for counseling after 15 years of marriage.
When asked what the problem was, the wife went into a passionate,
painful tirade listing every problem they had ever had in the 15 years
they had been married.
 
She went on and on and on: neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness,
loneliness, feeling unloved and unlovable, an entire laundry list of unmet
needs she had endured over the course of their marriage.

Finally, after allowing this to go on for a sufficient length of time, the
therapist got up, walked around the desk and, after asking the wife
to stand, embraced and kissed her passionately as her husband
watched with a raised eyebrow. The woman shut up and quietly sat
down as though in a daze.

The therapist turned to the husband and said, "This is what your wife
needs at least three times a week. Can you do this?"

The husband thought for a moment and replied, "Well, I can drop her
off here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays, I fish."

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7. Websites

A. To update your name and number on the Do Not Call
Registry, please click:

http://www.donotcall.gov

You can also call this number: 1.888-382.1222.

At the same time, you can report the name or phone numbers
of violators to the Federal Trade Commission . . . but be advised
that certain groups are exempt from the list—political operations,
charities, telephone surveys, and businesses that have an existing
relationship with you.

What you may have heard is true; i.e., if you were among the first
to sign up with the Registry in June, 2003, you will need to re-register
by next June . . . I verified that fact at the following website: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/pending/donotcall.asp

B. The OTR.Network Library is a free resource for Old Time Radio (OTR)
fans . . . over 12,000 OTR shows available for instant listening with 100
more added each week . . . to listen, please click:
http://www.otr.net/

What a great way to spend some time with your parents,
grandparents or other older relatives as you listen together to such
classic shows as ABBOT AND COSTELLO, DRAGNET, GENE
AUTRY'S MELODY RANCH, RED SKELTON SHOW, TARZAN,
and YOU BET YOUR LIFE.

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

Going to the homepage makes subscribing very easy for your friends,
relatives and colleagues to subscribe to BLAINESWORLD, the
newsletter (and new subscriptions are ALWAYS welcome) . . . just
have them go to the "Special Offer" at the bottom of the page, then
follow the directions there.

Or you can always forward this entire issue . . . if they like it, tell
them to send an email to: bginbc@aol.com and put the words
FREE SUBSCRIPTION in the subject line.

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8. Computer tip

Pat in Pennsylvania wondered about a road sign he saw in
BLAINESWORLD #569 . . . as you may recall, it mentioned
my then-upcoming trip to London.

He wanted to know how to save such pictures.

The answer is simple . . . let me show you be creating another
picture to save; e.g., this one is available from:
http://www.getyourownstar.com/menu.php

It enabled me to create something for the star of my life: