From there, we journeyed uptown to meet Cynthia's sister and
brother, along with their spouses, for dinner at Meridiana, 2756
Broadway, NYC; 212.222.4453 . . . we broke down and split
orders of veal parmigiana and spaghetti bolognese, something
we hadn't had since I started watching my cholesterol several
months ago . . . they were both quite tasty, but surprisingly,
I didn't miss them as much as I had thought would be the case.

C. Cynthia was able to attend a great workshop this past week
called Cycles of Abundance, sponsored by the Holistic Membership
Network . . . there were many fine speakers, including our good
friend Janet Straightarrow.

Another speaker, Vilasi Venkatachalam, really got Cynthia
thinking to the point where she wanted to share Vilasi's
ideas not only with me--but with all the readers of this
newsletter . . . here are just a few of the many tidbits
that Cynthia gained from listening:

* You are the sum total of the five people you consistently keep
company with.
 
* The best thing we can get from anyone is 10 minutes of
wisdom . . . choose your mentors as those people who are further
along the path than you are so you can learn from them.
 
* What two people would you chose to talk to if you had a chance to speak
to anyone in the whole world? More importantly: What would you ask them
if you had a chance?
 
* In five years from now, you will be exactly the same except for
the influence of the people you meet, the experiences you have
and the books that you have read.
 
* Ten minutes of advice can change your life.
 
*  Two great books to read: ZERO LIMITS  and ONE MINUTE
ENTREPRENEUR.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Vilasi's email address is vilasi.venkatachalam@gmail.com, and the
website of the Holistic Membership Network is:

http://www.holisticmentorshipnetwork.com

D. A request:

If you don't like something that you read in this missive,
please let me know as soon as possible. I much prefer you telling me
than just unsubscribing. A longtime reader apparently did not like
the review of a book in a recent issue. She didn't even object
to what I had written; rather, she took a dim view of the authors'
viewpoint.

As I wrote to her, it would have been much better had she written
me about her displeasure--requesting that I run her email. I also
told her that she should read the book (she hadn't bothered to
do so), then if she still felt strongly, I suggested that she write
the authors directly.

And to see a better way of handling disagreement, please see
Dan in Pennsylvania's email in the second part of Section 2.

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

This week, it goes to Patty O'Connell--the excellent Burgdorff
realtor who helped us sell our Belle Mead home so quickly.

From start to finish, we managed to wrap things up in under
three months . . . Patty was there with us every step of
the way . . . she made suggestions, when and where necessary,
and constantly kept us appraised of what was happening.

Her excellent communication skills made working with her a
pleasure . . . it seemed like she would return calls, for instance,
even before we left her a message.

We were also impressed with Patty's wide range of contacts
that we were able to use to help get our home ready for sale.

You won't go wrong working with Patty O'Connell . . . for more
information, please click:

http://www.burgdorff.com/patricia-oconnell  

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2. FYI

Whenever you make a purchase, check to see if you get a discount
by belonging to some organization; e.g., AFT, NEA, AARP, AAA,
etc. . . . you'll often get one, even if the discount is not publicized.

Recently, when renting a car in South Carolina, I asked the above
question and was offered a discount of 5% . . . kidding around with
the agent, I asked her if she do any better; e.g., if I showed her
my AMC Movie Watcher Card.

She said "no" to that, but that her company--Thrifty--gave a 10%
discount to anybody who showed a Sam's Club membership
card . . . fortunately, I had one available.

FYI, part 2

* REQUEST FOR HELP (from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous):

Could you ask your readers for any home/natural cures they know of
for psoriasis. My son has that, and it makes his scalp flake . . . causes
sores . . . and is on his face.

He is so handsome and brave, using his walker dealing with CP
everyday at school. I want to help him clear this up ASAP.

We have been to the dermatologist. Little help. Two creams over $300
per tube per month. And they have steroids in them- with side effects
I am not comfortable with.

They don't know for sure what causes it, and there is no cure. I am
open to suggestions.

* Dan in Pennsylvania, responding to the FYI piece in last week's issue:

Hunting seasons are positioned to be right before, within and right after
the rut, the deer mating season. Deer, both male and female, change
their normally careful behavior during this time of year. This behavior 
and hunger are the things that push them out of their habitat; i.e., what
habitat remains.

Deer hunger is also caused by deer genocide, which is also know
as the development of housing and shopping developments. Hunting is the
one activity that scientifically thins the herds to prevent overpopulation 
in smaller habitats caused by deer genocide. Science has shown that areas
that eliminate deer hunting are the ones most likely to have casualties,
both deer and human, caused by deer/human (auto) collisions.

Bambi and Bambo kill many humans during this time of year. Are you living
in a deer genocide zone?

* Bill in Pennsylvania:

Congratulations on the marriage of your daughter.  I remember when she was
a young girl.

I had the misfortune of hitting a deer this past Friday night.  It happened
on Route 13 in Levittown, about 4 minutes from my home.  It appeared out of
nowhere and I could not even slow down.  I had $2850.00 damage to my car
which is still in the shop.  The deer was killed.  I see dead deer almost
every day during my travels in Bucks County.

* Diane in Pennsylvania with an update on Bill (Lewis), her husband:
 
This past Sunday Bill finally came home and I am still smiling from
ear to ear.  We are all so happy to have him home. Please continue
to keep us in your prayers as Bill still has a very long road of recovery
ahead of him.
 
Please feel free to call him anytime (215 953 5288) and say hi or you
are more then welcome to stop by and see him. 
 
Bill will continue home care, plus out patient physical and
occupational therapy
 
Love,
Diane, Bill, Rachel and Billy

IN CASE YOU LAST WEEK'S ISSUE:

Kindly read this absolutely great column by Kate Fratti that ran in the
BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/257-10272008-1611552.html

The last paragraph contains information on how to get tickets for the
Nov. 13 dinner and auction to help the Lewis family . . . I do hope
that you can join me there!

* Mark Sanborn in Colorado, author of THE ENCORE EFFECT:

Thank you for the terrific Amazon review. I appreciate it!

Delighted you enjoyed the book and appreciate your thoughtful and
insightful review.
 
Please let me know whenever I can be a resource.

* Caren in Pennsylvania:

Thanks for passing on the Rosh Hashanah sermon by Joan Weiss's rabbi. 
It was so moving! 

I wanted to share a website with you that is the home page of my
brother's friend Bob. He is a cancer survivor and he and my brother (Cork
Friedman) go on long distance rowing adventures in Florida to raise
awareness and funds to support cancer research. The site is:

http://www.rowbobrow.com

* Donna:

DONATE A MAMMOGRAM. (COSTS YOU NOTHING!) 
  
A favor to ask, it only takes a minute . . .

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having
trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota
(45,000 clicks) of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an
underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site
and click on "donating a mammogram" for free (pink window). 

This doesn't cost you a thing, and you don't have to give any 
Information. 

Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits
to donate mammograms in exchange for advertising. 

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know. 

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

AGAIN, PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 FRIENDS!

THE ABOVE IS LEGIT; SEE FOR YOURSELF:

I already went to the above and clicked it on . . . though I ordinarily
don't recommend that you forward such information, this is
legitimate . . . see for yourself by clicking:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/charity/mammogram.asp

Also, when you hear such claims, don't just automatically believe
them . . . go to the snopes.com website and check them out
for yourself . . . too often, you'll heard words to the effect of
"I checked it out myself at snopes" and in reality, the person
never did.

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3. The well-versed parishioner

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house
it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came
to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out a business card
and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door. 

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that
his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message,
"Genesis 3:10."

Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales
of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and
knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was
afraid for I was naked."

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4. Reviews

A. Clint Eastwood's CHANGELING is the best film I've seen in quite some
time and right now is my choice for an Oscar for Best Picture . . . this
is the true story about a single woman whose young son vanishes . . . when
the child returns months later, she insists that the boy isn't her son . . . but
the corrupt L.A.P.D. disagrees and even puts the woman (Angelina
Jolie) in a mental hospital . . . Jolie also deserves an Oscar nod, as does
Eastwood . . . he did the soundtrack, too,  and his depiction
of the 1920s seemed very realistic . . . rated R.

By the way, in case you were wondering . . . the title, CHANGELING,
derives from fable lore . . . it refers to an ugly or craft little creature
left behind by fairies, in place of a child stolen from its mother's cradle.

B. WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? is now out in DVD
format . . . my review from BLAINESWORLD #614 follows:

Jim Broadbent first caught my attention in TOPSY-TURVEY and
then followed-up that incredible performance with an Oscar-winning
one in IRIS . . . see those two films, if you can, along with
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? (his latest) . . . it's
the touching story of a father and his son, well-played by Colin
Firth, that bounces back between the 1950s and 1980s . . . Juliet
Stevenson is also excellent as Broadbent's long-suffering wife,
as is newcomer Matthew Beard as the Firth character when he
was a teenager . . . be forewarned; i.e., to bring a hankie . . . though
rated PG-13, I only think older teenagers would find it of interest.

C. I had no idea what having Tourette's syndrome was like; i.e., until
I read AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE by James Patterson and Hal
Friedman . . . it is a true story about how one family dealt with
the reality of having to deal with this debilitating illness.

As Cory, the son  with Tourette's indicates:

* I once told my parents that they couldn't live through a single day
with what I go through every day of my life, and that was when I was
a lot better than I am now.

The book is written in his voice. I'm glad the authors went in that direction
because it conveys more powerfully what it must have been like
to have gone through a 13-year journey of both medication and
treatment.

For example, I actually cringed when I read what he had to experience
just to get through school:

* I finally entered high school, and the biggest surprise is that nothing
has really changed. It's turning out to be as much of a minefield as middle
school. Instead of becoming nicer as they've grown up, some of the
meanest kids have become smarter at using my weaknesses for fun
and games. It's as important as ever for them to look cool, and they
do it by putting down others who are different or have problems. I'm an
easy target, and it makes me feel bad just about every single day
of high school.

I was particularly moved by one passage, toward the end of the book,
when his mother made an impassioned plea to get him back into school:

"Let's be honest," she says, her voice suddenly more relaxed but still serious.
"You all know that this isn't about only rules or the number of hours Cory has
physically sat in classes. You have enough reason to help him keep going if
you want to. That's what it really comes down to. Taking what he has been
able to do here so far, thinking about all the amazing things he's achieved out
of school, and helping him to build on them, helping him to keep going, like you
always have before. You've always been on his side. Most of you have been
wonderful to him. Why turn your backs on him now?"

You'll be moved by AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE, and you'll find yourself
rooting for Cory and his family . . . it is a book I highly recommend.

D. INNER PEACE FOR BUSY PEOPLE, written and read by Joan
Borysenko, grabbed me from the moment I saw the title . . . this
was a book that speaks to me, I thought, and I was right.

If you're like me and sometimes feel overwhelmed by the pressures of work,
family and a whole host of modern-day stressors, then this is the
perfect resource for a number of practical tips on how best
to cope with them . .  as one such example, perhaps my favorite one:

Keep in mind: Everything is over at the end. If it's not over, it's
not the end.

Or this one also struck home:

* Life is not an endless series of tasks that you complain about
because you're busy.

In addition, I thought this was an excellent suggestion:

* Make on oxygen list . . . the things you want to make a more
important part of your life. Then choose one item and make a
commitment to actually do it.

There were many other useful tidbits I gained from this excellent
program; among them:

* My good friend Loretta LaRoche asks, "What's the purpose
of getting everything done?" Your tombstone will still say:
Got it all done. Dead anyway.

* Our goal should be to wake-up on Monday and say, "I'm so glad
to be alive. I can't wait to see what's next."

* You want to get to a state where the guy in the antique store
says "Let me tell you a story." And you respond, "I'd like to hear
your story."

And then there was this one that I will attempt to implement
as soon as possible:

* To be mindful in he shower, say to yourself, "This is all I will
do. I will plan my day now." Better is for you to savor your shower.

I'd like to tell you more about INNER PEACE FOR BUSY PEOPLE;
however, I must stop now . . .  to take my shower!

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5. TV alert

A. MEDAL OF HONOR, a profile of those who have won this award,
airs on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on PBS . . . because PBS times
and stations often vary, check local listings.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL calls this program a "success
in rendering portraits of unimaginable heroism with discipline and
dignity" . . . I'll watch, if just to see the opening testament from a World
War II medal winner who recalls how he trembled uncontrollably President
Truman approached. That was then the commander in chief took him
by the shoulder and told him, "I would rather have this medal than be
the president of the United States."

B. Catch REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER on Friday at 11 p.m. on
HBO if you want to get the acerbic comedian's spin on what happened
on Tuesday with respect to the presidential election.

C. Daphne Zuniga stars in MAIL ORDER BRIDE,  a romance-soaked
Western about a con woman, a cowboy and a gun-crazy
mobster . . . Saturday at 9 p.m. on HALLMARK CHANNEL. 

D. SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH premieres on Sunday at 10:30 p.m.
on HBO . . . . Australian Chris Lilley plays three roles in what
TV GUIDE calls "the riotous opener of his high school mockumentary."

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6. Death notice

When the husband finally died, his wife put the usual death notice
in the newspaper--and added that he died of gonorrhea.

The very next day, a friend of the family phoned and complained bitterly,
"You know very well that he died of diarrhea, not gonorrhea."

Replied the widow, "I nursed him night and day so of course I know
he died of diarrhea, but I thought it would be better for posterity
to remember him as a great lover rather than the big sh*t
he always was."

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7. Websites

A. If you want to search and find online newspapers from anywhere
in the world, please click:

http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/

This website narrows your search down, based on the area you
wish to look up . . . I liked it because it enabled me to quickly find
a listing of all papers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, etc.

B. Regardless of who you are going to vote for, SATURDAY NIGHT
LIVE continues to do a great job of poking fun at the elections . . . here's
John McCain and Sarah Palin (actually, Tina Fey), addressing the nation
on QVC:

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/mccain-qvc-open/805381/

You can also see Sen. McCain on the Weekend Update by clicking:

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/update-sen-mccain/805401/

C. One more election video for you, this time from Ron Howard who
supports Obama . . .  he appears as the characters we've loved for
decades, first as 8-year-old Opie Taylor (THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW)
and then as high schooler Richie Cunningham (HAPPY DAYS) . . . also
appearing are Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler, his TV costars . . . watch
this one, even if you're not a supporter of the Democratic candidate
because it is both funny and touching.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d/ron-howards-call-to-action-from-ron-howard-and-henry-winkler

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

http://www.blainesworld.net

Should you miss a past issue of this newsletter or want to look something
up, just go to "Newsletter" on left and then "Past Issues" . . . there's a
great "Search Newsletters" box at top; e.g., to help you find a joke
on something you remember having read about the "office door"
of various specialists . . . you attempt to find what you've been
looking for and within seconds, you come across the following
entry from BLAINESWORLD #476:

Specialization

A new medical facility with several different specialists
opened in a trendy part of the city. Wanting to be
different and creative, the administration decided that
each doctor's office door would, in some way, be
representative of his practice.

So, when construction was complete, the eye doctor's door
had a peep hole, the orthopedist's door had a broken hinge,
the psychiatrist's door was painted all kinds of crazy
colors, and the proctologist's door was left open--just a crack.

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8. Computer tip

How to shop for jeans online

Check out any and/or all of the following websites:

http://www.safu.com

It applies Google-like algorithms to finding your jeans. Answer the
seven-question survey (which asks about lesser-used measurements
like your inseam and the space between your waist and the waistband),
and Zafu searches its huge database of body types, measurements
and fits.

http://mejeans.com/
 
With a large variety of denim (they even have super-comfy 10 oz. denims),
cuts and details, the ways to customize your ideal pair of dungarees
are virtually limitless.

http://www.tailormade-jeanswear.com/http://www.ic3d.com/jeans/index.html

Both of the above will enable you to clone your jeans; i.e., when your
favorites are too worn out, you send them in and get an identical
pair--without the big holes.

Costs will vary, but in general, methinks you'll be surprised . . . you might
well pay a lot less than you do now for designer jeans.

SOURCE:

Adapted from an online article by Erin Scottberg that can be found at:

http://www.lemondrop.com/2008/10/29/how-to-shop-for-jeans-gasp-online/?icid=200100397x1212214628x1200803582

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9. Best excuses for missing class

* Tonight, one of my MBA students told me he missed class last
week (it’s a one-night-a-week class) to attend the World’s Strongest Man
competition. He was not a competitor. He said it was a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity since the competition is rarely held in the U.S.
 
* Years ago, one student told me he was unable to return to campus because
he had been trapped in the monastery he was visiting over break by a sudden
rise in the river (a result of a recent hurricane). 

* Another (when I was teaching in the Northeast) told me she missed her
evening class because it snowed and she was at her boyfriend’s apartment,
and he'd just built a fire--so they shared a bottle of wine and read
to one another. 

* A student gets up in the middle of the first exam, hands me an
unfinished exam, and walks out the door without so much as a “goodbye.”
I was like, wow, I guess she wasn't prepared!  

The next class period, she approaches me and tells me that she developed a
frightening migraine and went straight to the hospital. She didn't say anything
to me because she was afraid she would throw up all over me. I am suspicious
until she takes out the hospital paperwork. They actually kept her for observation
that night. 

So, yes, I let her take a makeup. 

* I had a student miss class (and her final oral presentation) because
she was selected to get a beauty makeover on the local news program.
Not only did she earn an F for that presentation, but she did get hit with
the ugly stick. There was an unfortunate experiment with hair color. 

* Several years ago I had a student miss because his clothes had been
stolen from the laundry room and he didn't have anything to wear to class. 

* I once had a couple of stoners tell me they missed a week of class
because they had to go to a grandma’s funeral in Santa Fe (a long ways
away from here). 

When I asked them what state Santa Fe was in, they just stood there
giggling. Jeesh.

SOURCE: 

THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, 10.3.2008, p. A42

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10. A quote I like

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot
do--Walter Bagehot (1826-1877), British businessman, essayist
and journalist who wrote extensively about literature, government
and economic affairs

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11. Thought for the day 

Jim in Pennsylvania:

My good friend, Ken McArthur recently stood in a circus tent, asking
2,000 people to spread a message of hope to teenagers who
don't think that life is worth living.

I think it's a great message of hope for anyone and would love to
see all of my readers think about spreading it today.

Here's Ken's simple message for giving hope (and maybe saving
someone's life!):

G--Greet and meet: talk to others, smile, say hello, ask
someone how they are doing.

I--Involve yourself and others: find a cause you can support,
volunteer, pledge resources. Get the people around you
involved, especially if you see someone beginning to
withdraw. Invite them to participate in some activity, to
"get out" of their comfort zone.

V--Validate others: tell others that they matter--especially
family members and friends that you tend to see daily but
may take for granted, give genuine complements.

E--Empathize: be a listening ear, take time to be fully
present, don't try to solve--just acknowledge someone's
feeling/hurt.

You can find out more about Ken's wonderful project with his
Impact Action Team at:

http://speakupsavelives.org/

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12. Advance planning department

A. Joni in Pennsylvania:

Chic and I saw THE INVETIAGATION on Friday evening. It was a very
moving and emotional experience. This 3-hour play was based upon
the second Auschwitz War Crimes trial, held in Frankfurt Germany. If
you get a chance, see this play. It is a harrowing account of the trial you
won't forget. It is playing until Nov. 9th at Actors Net in Morrisville, PA.

For more information, please click:

www.actorsnetbucks.org/

B. Friends of the Library Reception and Historic Walking Tour
of Wycombe

An Historic Walking Tour of Wycombe led by Jeffrey Marshall
of the Heritage Conservancy will  begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 8th.
The walking tour should take approximately a half hour. A Library Reception
will be held from 4:00-7:30 p.m. at the home of Linda and Pat McCann
in Wrightstown. Refreshments and Hors d'oeuvres will be served.
 
Your check for $35 ($30 tax deductible) per person made payable
to the Bucks County Community College Foundation will be applied
to the Charles E. Rollins Library Endowment Fund.
 
For more information:

Linda McCann mccannl@bucks.edu; 215-968-8003

C. Michael in Pennsylvania with information on the next
Book Group discussion at Bucks County Community College:

November 13:  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
and Lucia Graves (2005)

From Publishers Weekly:

Ruiz Zafón's novel, a bestseller in his native Spain, takes the satanic touches
from Angel Heart and stirs them into a bookish intrigue à la Foucault's
Pendulum. The time is the 1950s; the place, Barcelona. Daniel Sempere,
the son of a widowed bookstore owner, is 10 when he discovers a novel,
The Shadow of the Wind, by Julián Carax. The novel is rare, the author
obscure, and rumors tell of a horribly disfigured man who has been burning
every copy he can find of Carax's novels. 

We meet in the Rollins Center Quite Study Room, next to the Fireside
Lounge at Bucks in Newtown from 7:30-9 p.m. All are welcome to join us
on the second Thursday of each month to share your thoughts and
questions. For more information, call 215.968.8164 or send email to:
hennesse@bucks.edu.

MY TWO CENTS:

Michael does an excellent job in running these discussions . . . if
you go to one session, I do believe you'll be hooked to want to attend
others during the year.

D. You won't go wrong hearing Earl Sigmund, my friend, talk about
"10 Websites Guaranteed to Grow Your Business at No Cost to You"
on Friday, November 21 from 8-9 a.m., followed by a 30-minute
Q & A session . . . the seesion will take place at the Lower Bucks
County Chamber of Commerce, Fairless Hills, PA . . . cost is
$15/member; $30/non-member . . . to register, call 215.943.7400
or register online at:

http://www.lbccc.org

Click on events and type in Business Technology Forum.

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_________________________________________________________

PS. Please join me in praying that we soon get our remaining soldiers
back from Iraq and that peace resumes in Israel . . . also, make it
a great week!

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