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BLAINESWORLD
#579 11.5.2007 In this issue: 1. Reflections 2. FYI 3. Congratulations 4. Reviews . . . DAN IN REAL LIFE, etc. 5. TV alert 6. Final exam 7. Websites 8. Computer tip 9. The ant and the grasshopper (two versions) 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 blast at the Thankstween party hosted by our friends Kevin and Ginny . . . it was a combination Halloween and Thanksgiving event, and though costumes weren't required, we dressed up as you can plainly see:  Do you give up on what our costumes were?
We were a bride and groom, walking abreast! B. Getting that rubber chicken was no easy task . . . we spent a bit of time, seeking out a place to buy it from . . . finally, Earl in Pennsylvania (a teaching colleague) suggested a neat store in Doylestown, PA: Foster's. As they indicate on their card, "Fun is our business" . . . you can purchase toys, party goods, costumes, and even teaching supplies there . . . we'll be back, I'm sure. En route, we called to make sure that the rubber chicken we wanted would be in stock . . . after all, there was the very real possibility that there could have been a rush because of the just-concluded Halloween season . . . so Cynthia dialed what we thought was the correct number, but instead got a beauty salon who thought she was crazy for asking about rubber chickens. Imagine thaaaaat! Here's the correct number if you want to call Foster's for more information about rubber chickens--or anything else: 215.345.0710. C. We recently saw Neil Simon's THE SUNSHINE BOYS at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ. It was the first time we had ever been there; it won't be the last. There are less than 400 seats and each one affords a perfect view . . . moreover, the production we saw was fantastic . . . it was touching, as well as funny. All in the cast were excellent, but in particular, we saw it because of the stars: Jack Klugman and Paul Dooley . . . what a treat it was to see them . . . we also couldn't believe their respective ages, 85 and 79, and the fact that they were going to do a second show that night the afternoon that we saw them. If you hurry, you can still catch this play . . . it runs until November 11 . . . for more information, please click: http://www.georgestplayhouse.org D. We're slowly getting back to normal after my mother's death (see also Section 2, part 2) . . . in the meantime, should any reader be interested in her great apartment or know of somebody who might be, here's the information on it: A SPECTACULAR RENOVATED 1 BEDROOM, 1 1/2 BATH. LARGE LIVING ROOM, SLIDING GLASS DOORS AND BALCONY. SUNNY GOLF VIEWS. SEPARATE DINING ROOM / DEN. HUGE MASTER BEDROOM. INCREDIBLE OUTFITTED CLOSETS. HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE. BUILDING # 1. INCLUDES INDOOR PARKING. $569,000. You also get access to all stores downstairs, including a bank, restaurant, movie theater, supermarket, cleaner's, drugstore, health club, etc. . . . golf and/or tennis memberships are also available at a very reasonable extra cost . . . and there are both indoor and outdoor pools. For more information, call Annette Kroll at 718.631.8867. ***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD ***** This week, it goes to Dr. Jeanne Golden-Tevald (908.735.9344)--Cynthia's primary care physician in Pittstown, NJ. Though she is located about an hour from where we live, Cynthia keeps going to her . . . when I asked why, Cynthia told me: Dr. Golden-Tevald is an extraordinary doctor. She is the only doctor I have ever been to who spends as much time as I need with her. I never feel as if she is rushing me. She is excellent at sharing medical information about my physical problems in a way that is clear and understandable. She takes the time to problem solve with me and to ask me how I feel about something (as opposed to just telling me what she knows). I would highly recommend her. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 2. FYI Something I try to do when reading a book is to get at least one good idea from it . . . Ralph Nader's parents taught him the same thing, as can be seen in this passage from his book THE SEVENTEEN TRADITIONS (see also Sections 4C, 10 and 11): We were never able to impress our parents with the number of books we read. They were interested in what we derived from their pages, not just how many pages we turned over. They were too busy to dote on trivial benchmarks or childish academic bragging. When it came to teaching us, Mother preferred indirection- to lecturing, but she wasn't above issuing a direct riposte when needed. The moment one of us began showing signs of overconfidence, she was ready with her response: "You better be a genius, because you've clearly decided to stop learning." FYI, part 2 * THANKS to the many readers who wrote to me after my mother's death . . . it meant a lot to me, as did the visits, calls, gifts of food, etc. Several folks even made contributions to various charities . . . I've already heard from Foundation at Bucks County Community College that over $600 has been received, which will be used by the Women's Center to help get future smoking cessation programs off the ground. This is something that would have pleased both my parents very much . . . in case you missed the notice in last week's issue, it follows: The family requests that those who wish may give gifts in the memory of Muriel Greenfield to the Bucks County Community College Foundation to support smoking cessation programs run by the Women's Center. Such contributions will support the work that was started last year when my father died of smoke-related illnesses. My mother also died, in part due to lung cancer and exposure to second-hand smoke. Gifts can be mailed to BCCC Foundation c/o Bucks County Community College, 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940. Or contributions can also be made online by clicking: Simply put the beneficiary of your donation (e.g., smoking cessation program) in the Comments section on the bottom. * Cathy in Pennsylvania (with some words of comfort): I'll Live On Don't cry for me in sadness; don't weep for me in sorrow, for I will live on beside you, as sure as comes tomorrow. My body has gone but my spirit lives on, as does my love for you, just as in life, I'll watch over you, I always will be true. My blood lives on in my children, how I've watched them grow with pride, I'll live on within them, always by their side. I know my jokes weren't always funny and jobs weren't always done, Just try and remember the good times, the days when we had fun. Reach out if you need me, for I always will be near, Just talk to me, as if I am there, I promise I will hear. For I'll live on, within your mind, we'll never be apart, As long as you keep, my memory, deep within your heart. So lift up your hearts, don't be sad, my spirit hasn't gone, While you're still there, so am I, I really will live on. Author unknown (if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know.) * Mel in Pennsylvania: Here's the information from Snopes on the "keep your fork" story you ran last week: http://www.snopes.com/embarrass/celebrity/keepfork.asp * Jonathan in Pennsylvania (with a REQUEST FOR HELP) Eric Mintel / Jazz presented by the Office of Cultural Programming at Bucks County Community College on Friday, November 23, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. We need (4) volunteers on Friday, November 23 to help with box office/ ushering duties at the Library Auditorium stage. We also need (2) volunteers to provide hospitality/catering service for the performers backstage. Volunteers will need to arrive by 5:30 on show day and will be finished with regular activity by about 8 p.m. Volunteers are invited to stay and enjoy the performance after pre-show activities have been completed. This is a great opportunity to interact with our community and rub elbows with show-folk. Please contact Jonathan Lee ASAP if you can help out. Do so via email: leej@bucks.edu or by phone, 215.968.8987. * Kath in Florida: The newsletter is great. Put me down on your list. The story about giving the doctors candy . . . one time when I went in for a checkup, I took a cheap little bouquet of flowers to my doctor's nurse . . I think it cost me $4.00. I've been going there for 10 years, so I know her well. She was so delighted and she even mentioned it to my daughter the next time she came in. A little goes a long way. I'm a big supporter of handwritten thank you notes and keep a box of blank cards in my desk to thank my three bosses every time they take us to lunch or when I get my annual raise and bonus. If I get exceptional service somewhere, I make note of the person's name and call the manager to tell him or write a note. * Natalie in Pennsylvania: Ivan and I are going to see the FOLLIES as a result of your newsletter. After I read it, I bring it to him. We both enjoy it so much. Thanks for continuing to put my notices in. or in correction? or in section 1? * Mike in Pennsylvania: Just a small correction, but the Colts and the Patriots cannot meet in the Superbowl as they are in the same conference (AFC). MY TWO CENTS: Bummer, in that it would have been a great game . . . though that said, this past week's matchup between the two teams did not quite live up to its advance billing. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 3. Bachelorhood Manny is almost 39 years old, his friends have already gotten married. Yet Manny just dates and dates. Finally a friend asks him, "What's the matter? Are you looking for the perfect woman? Are you that particular? Can't you find anyone who suits you?" "That's not the problem," Manny replies. "I meet many nice girls, but as soon as I bring them home to meet my parents, my Mother doesn't like them. So I keep on looking!" "Listen," his friend suggests, "Why don't you find a girl who's just like your dear ol' Mother?" Many weeks go by and again Manny and his friend get together. "So Manny, did you find the perfect girl yet? One that's just like your Mother?" Manny shrugs his shoulders, "Yes I found one just like Mom. My mother loved her; they became fast friends." "So do I owe you congratulations? Are you and this girl engaged yet?" "I'm afraid not. My Father can't stand her!" Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 4. Reviews A. DAN IN REAL LIFE is a pleasing romantic comedy about an advice columnist struggling to raise three daughters by himself . . . though it won't have you rolling in the aisles with laughter, you'll find yourself both smiling in spots and being touched in others . . . Steve Carrell is his usual funny self in the main role, and I liked the work of comedian Dane Cook as his brother . . . the always watchable Juliette Binoche plays the woman who comes between the two of them . . . it's a shame we don't see her in more movies . . . rated PG-13. B. Out on DVD is I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY . . . it's a not very funny comedy about two firefighters (Kevin James and Adam Sandler) who must pretend to be gay for insurance purposes . . . rated PG-13. You'll be much better off renting THE LAST TIME, a drama that I don't think ever appeared in theatrical release . . . it's a drama about two salesmen, Michael Keaton and Brendan Frazer . . . they wind up competing for the same woman . . . there are a lot of twists and turns in the plot, and it kept me guessing until the very end of the film . . . rated R. C. I've long admired Ralph Nader and have enjoyed some of his other books . . . so when a friend recommended that I read his latest, THE SEVENTEEN TRADITIONS (see also Sections 2, 10 and 11), I made it a point to get a copy. My only problem came afterwards; I couldn't put it down . . . so some other projects had to be aside as I read about Nader's boyhood in a small town in Connecticut, and how that existence and the role of his parents affected the rest of his life. As he notes: * I am often asked what forces shaped me. Rather than trying to give a full answer to that question-which would take longer than a limited interview would allow-I often reply simply, "I had a lucky choice of parents." My brother, two sisters, and I had a remarkable father and mother, who cared for us in both direct and subtle ways. The examples of their lives set us on the solid paths we have explored ever since. As I was reading it, I kept thinking of how my parents were similar in so many ways . . . in particular, this passage could almost have been written about them as well: * Mother and Father each lived to be just short of a century old; we benefited from their seasoned perspectives and wisdom for many, many years. They were forever young, exemplifying my mother's strong belief in the importance of remaining "interested and interesting." And they succeeded in doing this throughout their lives, attracting ever-younger friends to visit, whether we children were home or not. They created the strong family base from which my siblings and I sallied forth into the wider world, full of new experiences and high expectations. In sharing the lessons he learned from his parents, Nader also gave this advice that should be heeded by anybody raising children today: * Perhaps it was my father who best captured their attitude. Once, when I told him that I'd done my best at something, he leaned over quietly and looked at me. "Son, never say you did your best, because then you'll never try to do better." As the holiday season approaches, methinks that THE SEVENTEEN TRADITIONS would make a perfect gift for anybody wanting to read about life back when his or her parents were younger . . . and how much of what took place then could still be put into effect now. D. I enjoyed listening to ALL TOO HUMAN: THE LOVE STORY OF JACK AND JACKIE KENNENDY--written and read by Edward Klein. Yes, it's gossipy, but that's a large part of the fun . . . also, I do believe that Klein had his facts straight (or at least most of them), in that he had once worked for Jackie . . . and she became, thereafter, a lifelong friend. You'll find out more about such interesting tidbits as the following: * Jack had one of the worst attendance records when he was in the House of Representatives; * His back problems were not the result of war and/or sports injuries; * Their respective families had too much control over their adult lives (in fact, Joe Sr. even picked out the engagement ring that Jackie got); * While Jack was indeed a womanizer, Jackie also had her share of male admirers; and * Jackie had perhaps as big an impact on modern culture as did Jack. If you're new to the lore of the Kennedys, then you'll find ALL TOO HUMAN a very readable introduction . . . others will appreciate being given the opportunity to revisit what seems to have been mythical times in the White House. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 5. TV alert A. David Schwimmer guest stars on 30 ROCK on Thursday on NBC at 8:30 p.m. . . . he plays the network's annoying new eco-friendly mascot, Greenzo. B. Don't miss ICONOCLASTS on Thursday at 10 p.m. on SUNDANCE . . . Mike Meyers and Deepak Chopra discuss the connections between humor and spirituality. C. KEITH URBAN is in a new concert special on Friday at 10 p.m. on CMT . . . on the next night, Saturday at 10 p.m. it's Jon Bovi's time on A&E ROCKS. D. George Carlin and Tom Brokaw help Bill Maher wrap up his fifth season of REAL TIME on Friday at 11 p.m. on HBO . . . CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM ends it sixth season on Sunday at 10 p.m. on HBO . . . here's hope that this comedy starring Larry David is picked up for next year . . . it has long been one of my favorite shows. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 6. Final exam There were four college sophomores taking chemistry and all of them had "A" grades so far. These four friends were so confident that the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party. They had a great time, but after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to school until early Monday morning. Rather than take the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it. They said that they visited friends, but on the way back they had a flat tire. As a result, they missed the final. The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day. The guys were excited and relieved, and they studied that night for the exam. The professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them a test booklet. They quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points. Cool, they thought! Each one in separate rooms, thinking this was going to be easy . . . then they turned the page. On the second page was written: For 95 points: Which tire? Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 7. Websites A. To tour the word, you can spend lots of money and actually go places . . . or you can always check: http://www.VirtualTourist.com This is a worldwide travel community where both real travelers and locals share their real travel advice and experiences . . . you'll get valuable tips on what to visit, see, void, eat, and shop . . . should you not be able to find an answer, you can even post a question on the forum to get the answers that you want. B. To see performance art at its best, please click: http://www.youtube.com/v/QZFkZiwMLZ4 It's a bit long, but you'll enjoy the whole thing if you stick to it . . . for maximum enjoyment, you need to keep your sound on. C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view it, please click: http://www.blainesworld.net To see past issues of BLAINESWORLD, the newsletter, go the above website and click "Newsletter" (to the left) . . . then click "Past Issues." So if you'd want to read more about my remarkable mother and/or missed last week's issue, find #578 . . . to find more about my equally remarkable father, locate #513. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 8. Computer tip Just a word to the wise. Email petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other municipality. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address. Same with "prayer chains" . . . be wary. Almost all emails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards. All it was, and all this type of email is, is to get names and "cookie" tracking info for telemarketers and spammers to validate active e-mail accounts for their own purposes. Any time you see an email that says forward this on to "10" of your friends, sign this petition, or you'll get good luck, or whatever, it has either an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and e-mails of those folks you forward to, or the host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of "active" e-mails to use in spam emails, or sell to others that do. That said, this is one time where if you forward this section to others, you will be actually be doing them a favor. You will also be rewarded by NOT getting 30,000 spam emails in the future. (If you have been sending out the above kinds of email, now you know why you get so much spam!) For more information, please click: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp Back To Top __ _______________________________________________________ 9. The ant and the grasshopper (two versions) OLD VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold. Moral of the old story: Be responsible for yourself! UPDATED VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, "It's Not Easy Being Green." Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, "We shall overcome.'" Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake. Nancy Peloski, John Kerry and Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share. Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act, retroactive to the beginning of the summer! The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs, and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government. Hillary gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of single-parent welfare recipients. The ant loses the case. The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it. The ant has disappeared in the snow. The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood. MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2008. Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 10. A quote I like "If you want to get a politician to stop smiling and start promising," she always said, "just don't let go of his hand." In other words, be persistent.--Ralph Nader, quoting his mother in THE SEVENTEEN TRADITIONS (see also Sections 2, 4C and 11) Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 11. Thought for the day Nothing speaks to my parents' view of work better than a story my sister Claire recalled. One day, when she was quite young, she was walking home with Dad when they passed a street cleaner. "I'm glad I'll never have to do such dirty work," she cried out. Dad stopped and looked at his little girl. "Then you should always respect street cleaners," he said, "if only because they're doing work that you don't want to do, but that you very much want to have done. This is the same reason they should be paid well. Claire, as you grow up, you'll see all kinds of work being done. Don't look down on people for the work they do-and don't be in awe of anyone, either." SOURCE: THE SEVENTEEN TRADITIONS (see also Sections 2, 4C and 10) by Ralph Nader, a book you can tell I REALLY liked as evidenced by the fact that this is now the fourth time I have mentioned it in this week's newsletter Back To Top _________________________________________________________ 12. Advance planning department A. Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Carl Bernstein speaks on his new book about Hillary Clinton, A WOMAN IN CHARGE, on Wednesday, November 7, at Barnes & Noble Market Fair in Princeton, NJ . . . Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. . . . for more information, call 609.897.9250. On Thursday, he'll be speaking on the same topic at Borders, 290 Commons Way, Bridgewater, at 7 p.m. B. Michael in Pennsylvania: The Bucks County Community College Book Discussion Group meets the second Thursday of each month during the academic year. Newcomers are welcome to the free, informal talks held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Quiet Study Room, adjacent to the Fireside Lounge in the lower level of the campus at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA. For more information, contact Professor Michael Hennessey at 215.968.8164. The following title will be discussed this coming Thursday, November 8: The Alchemist: A Fable about Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho. This inspirational fable follows a shepherd boy who journeys from Spain to Morocco in search of enlightenment. C. Barry in Pennsylvania: "Financial Aid 101" is being held on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 7 p.m. at Chandler Hall in Newtown, PA. Parents of high school sophomores and juniors are invited to attend this free 90 minute workshop on how to make college more affordable by understanding the laws that govern the financial aid process. Dr. Barry Sysler, College Funding Expert and founder of Academic Directions, will cover the "Nine Best Kept Secrets of the College Funding Process." You can't afford to miss this eye-opening workshop. To register for this seminar, call 215.579.82821 or visit: http://www.academicdirections.com Seating is limited so call today. D. Tony Robbins, Donald Trump and George Foreman are among the speakers slated to be at the Wealth Expo, sponsored by the Learning Annex, in New York on November 17 and 18. There's a $99 registration fee, but as of Sunday, here's way to get that waived . . . when you log-in, type the following words when you're asked for promotion code: FREE NY. For more information, please click: http://www.learningannex.com
or call: 1.800.679.4605. _________________________________________________________ PS. By now, I'm sure you have set your clocks back because of Daylight Savings Time . . . but don't forget to do the following, sent to me by Kathy in Pennsylvania: This Saturday night/Sunday morning, as you go through your home changing the time on the clocks, vcrs, microwave, etc., please take an extra moment to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. If you don't have any, go buy them. Add a few dollars and make sure at least one includes a carbon monoxide detector. 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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