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BLAINESWORLD
#532
12.11.2006
In this issue:
1. Reflections
2. FYI
3. My father
4. Reviews . . . DÃJÃVU, etc.
5. TV alert
6. Good thinking
7. Websites
8. Computer tip
9. The voice
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 went with friends the other night
to one of our favorite restaurants: Pheasant's Landing (908.281.1288)
in Hillsborough, NJ . . . this time, though, the occasion was something
special; i.e., a celebration of our first date . . . it was at the same
restaurant--just three years ago--and as Paul Harvey would say,
"The rest of the story . . . " for those who are new to BLAINESWORLD
is that we fell in love, married and moved to become the Greenfields
of Belle Meade.
I don't think we have ever had a bad meal at Pheasant's Landing . . . my
sauerbraten was quite tasty, and Cynthia enjoyed her duck . . . we both
split a salad, as well as a delicious dessert . . . actually, make that
two of the latter item . . . the apple strudel was as good as it always
is, and we tried a new menu item that I thought was even better:
a melted chocolate chip cookie with ice cream that is getting me
hungry as I type this . . . Ben, our server, was most attentive.
B. My fall classes are winding down at Bucks County Community
College . . . I was particularly pleased with the class projects that
were done by my two night Marketing classes and the presentations
that they made to their "clients."
My Tuesday group developed a marketing strategy for a fine
restaurant in Morrisville, PA: Concerto Fusion (215.428.2899) . . . Man
Wong, the owner, was a delight to work with; helping him was
my longtime friend Betty Tsai . . . she took care of all the
arrangements for the project . . . we had an equally positive experience
on Thursday, working with Fran Stengel at Vita Educational Services
(215.345.8322), attempting to have the community become more
aware of and utilize an excellent decision-making program for
teens . . . Judy Schaeffer, an executive assistant there, handled the
arrangements for this project and very graciously attended the
oral presentations.
C. Over the past few months, our faculty union has been
considering its affiliation with the American Federation
of Teachers . . . as such, we have met with representatives
of that organization, as well as with representatives from
the American Association of University Professors.
We will make an official decision as to what we want to
do, probably within the next month or so . . . however, I find
it surprising that several individuals raised questions about the
wisdom of at least considering options . . . as I've tried
to explain to anybody who has ever asked, the more we
consider what is out there (now and in the future), the
better we can serve our members . . . just like consumers
should revisit their insurance purchases every so often and/or
professors should consider their textbook adoptions,
it is my belief that ALL union members should do the same
type thing when looking at their state and national organizations.
D. I went to Sam's Club to purchase sugar packets not too long
ago . . . the price was reasonable, but as much as I like
to save money, I had to take a pass on this deal . . . after all,
getting 8,000 of the particular item would last approximately
20 years . . . I wound up paying a lot more per individual packet
at my local ShopRite; however, I just had to make the purchase
as I couldn't fathom having that many supplies of anything.
***** BLAINESWORLD BEST AWARD *****
This week, it goes to Meaghan Crawford (215.785.6664)--group sales
manager for the Bristol Riverside Theatre in Bristol, PA.
Last spring, she graciously gave of her time to work with my
Marketing students on their term projects . . . they greatly benefited
from the experience and were most appreciative of the opportunity
to see what marketing for a theater is all about.
Meaghan then returned to the College this fall semester, this
time to work with students in the Advertising class taught by
my colleague Joan Weiss . . . again, all involved had a most
positive experience.
She tirelessly comes up with ideas for new group efforts
that are both different and fun (often tying them into a
meal or some other function), and she'd be glad to work
with you or your organization to plan a memorable evening . . .give
her a call; you won't be disappointed.
Lastly, I'm impressed that somehow Meaghan found time in the
spring to return to her alma mater--Neumann College--to star in
a production of PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD . . . my only
it that I wasn't able to make it; however, I am looking forward to the
possibility of seeing her in some future show!
_________________________________________________________
2. FYI
What would you do if you lost your Day-timer (or any planner or PDA
that you might use)? If you'd be in bad shape, join the crowd.
The above happened to me a few weeks ago. Fortunately, I got it back
as a result of having done the following: I posted a very noticeable
"$25 REWARD" offer on the very first page, along with my
contact information.
When somebody found my Daytimer, I was notified shortly thereafter.
The $25 I paid to get it back was well worth it!
FYI, part 2
* Sue in Pennsylvania (with a REQUEST FOR HELP):
I was wondering if you or your newsletter readers know of a good
grief counselor . . . not sure if I ever told you but my friend's son died
over two years ago . . . she lives in Mercerville, NJ . . . and I offered to help
her find a grief counselor because she is struggling
* Natalie in Pennsylvania:
Light a candle . . . I checked it out, and it's for real . . . an easy
way to do something good.
Today, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the pharmaceutical monolith that charges
nearly $1,000 for a 30 day supply of one of its HIV/AIDS medications,
is donating $1 to the National AIDS Fund for each person who simply
visits their website and "virtually lights a candle."
Please, please take a minute to "light a candle" by visiting:
http://www.lighttounite.org"www.lighttounite.org
This really will take just a second. Please forward this on to others.
* Karen in Pennsylvania:
Love the idea of your readers getting together. Count me in for the vote.
Bring your business cards, printed on both sides, of course!
* Michael in Las Vegas:
If the readers' reunion is in Vegas, Nevada, I would love to go.
Also, take a look at this mini-clip called OBSESSION:
http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/12min.htm
* Geri in Pennsylvania:
Texas Road House is the bomb, fall off the bone ribs! Oh yes, do call
ahead for seating.
* Harry in Pennsylvania:
I read an excellent book on the global expansion of creativity: A WHOLE
NEW WORLD by Daniel Pink . . . the more global the ideas of creativity,
the more acceptable creativity becomes.
* Kathy in Pennsylvania, a longtime reader, was nice enough to share
the following piece that she wrote for a local paper:
Holistic corner
by Kathleen Ann Malen
Have you ever thought about the power of attraction? Not the kind that
draws two people together, but the power that draws positive energy.
Does what we perceive affect what comes into action? Why are there
days when nothing seems to go right and as the day continues, it just
keeps getting worse? We ask ourselves, "What else can go wrong?"
These thoughts are what we bring into action. The next time your day
starts out on the wrong foot, try changing your thought pattern: smile
at a stranger; visualize your day getting better; do something kind for
no reason. Try introducing a positive feeling when you first wake up;
be grateful for waking and having the chance to enjoy another beautiful day.
For some of us it may seem impossible to change our thought patterns.
As human beings, we are often programmed to think the worst and
realistically, not everyday will be a "bed of roses." However, each day that
we can interject a positive thought the process will bring us closer
to attracting what we really want. Start out small, maybe visualize a
parking spot up close or a wonderful smooth ride to work or even just
a great cup of coffee.
Experiment this week, read this quote from ASK AND IT IS GIVEN
by Esther & Jerry Hicks, before you set off to work:
To be the deliberate creator of your own experience, you will be the one
who had decided to direct your thoughts, for only when you deliberately
choose the direction of your thoughts can you deliberately affect your
point of attraction.
"You cannot continue to discuss, observe and believe things in the
same way you always have and make changes in your point of attraction
any more than you can set the radio to 630 AM and receive the broadcast
from 101 FM.
"Your vibrational frequencies have to match."
Love and blessings for a positive week.
NOTE:
Kathleen is a Certified Hypnotherapist/Pediatric Hypnotherapist,
EFT Therapist, Reiki Master, Mind and Body Specialist and has been
helping people in Chester and Delaware counties find their life’s path
for over 11 years. You can contact Kathleen at HolisticHrzns@aol.com.
_________________________________________________________
3. My father
Three boys are in the school yard bragging
about their fathers. The first boy says, "My
Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper
and he calls it a poem, they give him $50."
The second boy says, "That's nothing. My Dad
scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he
calls it a press release, they give him $100."
The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad
scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he
calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to
collect all the money!"
_________________________________________________________
4. Reviews
A. Saw DÃJÃ VU, a convoluted science fiction thriller that
was mildly interesting . . . that said, though, it isn't something
that I'd rush out to see . . . if you wait until it is out on DVD,
that will be soon enough to see it (if you even bother doing
so in the first place) . . . Denzel Washington, as is often
the case, is the most watchable actor in the film . . . a very
overweight Val Kilmer is completely wasted . . . also, I wished
that Washington's love interest--Paula Patton--had more to do
in the beginning . . . you never really feel the connection
between the two of them . . . rated PG-13.
B. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is now out in DVD format . . . my
review from BLAINESWORLD #510 follows:
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is a comedy that I just didn't find
very funny . . . it stars Meryl Streep as a high-powered fashion
magazine editor who must deal with her new assistant, Anne
Hathaway, a small-town girl in her first job . . . Steep is
as effective as she can be with the material and Hathaway
holds more than holds her own . . . Stanley Tucci, usually one
of my favorites, wasn't particularly good--but blame it on
the film . . . rated PG-13.
C. It sounds basic, but being nice is just something that not everybody
does--or at least not often enough . . . and if that's the case in
your company or organization, then please get and read
THE POWER OF NICE: HOW TO CONQUER THE BUSINESS
WORLD WITH KINDNESS by advertising executives Linda
Kaplan Thealer and Robin Koval.
This is a small but powerful book, packed with
plenty of examples from the corporate world . . . however,
students and others would greatly benefit from reading it as
well, as what the authors have to say makes an awful lot
of sense in any situation.
For example, they talk about how this one little act of kindness
made a flight attendant's day:
While traveling on a business trip from Los Angeles to New York,
Rachel Pine noticed that the airline crew looked extremely harried.
So when the flight attendant came by to check her seat belt,
Rachel offered her a Fig Newton from her family-size pack. She
took it, and was so grateful that she looked like she was going
to burst into tears, said Rachel. Soon after, the attendant returned
and asked Rachel to follow her”to first class. The attendant said,
You have no idea what our last flight was like. If just one passenger
had been like you, it would have been bearable.' "
I also liked this technique for getting people to pay money
that they owe:
Gail tried a number of tactics to convince her creditors to pay”from
letters that said Please pay soon festooned with smiley faces to
diplomatic phone callsbut nothing worked. Desperate, she
stumbled on what turned out to be a brilliantly effective idea:
bribing them with baked goods. I would send out reminders
of past-due invoices with the enticement that if paid by a specified
date, I would reward the client with fresh baked cookies, brownies,
cake”whatever they wanted. And it worked.
And then there's this technique that I currently use (and suggest
that others do, too):
The next time someone close to you is feeling cranky or
disagreeable, try handing them a few chocolate Kisses or
offering them the candy bowl. Although scientists haven't
completely unraveled the mysteries of chocolate, they do know
it contains several organic compounds that produce feelings of
well-being in the human brain. The tryptophan found in
chocolate, for example, enables the brain to create serotonin,
an organic compound that can produce feelings of elation and
ecstasy. And the phenylethylamine in chocolate stimulates the
brain’s pleasure centers and produces many of the feelings of
infatuation, including giddiness, attraction, and excitement.
Lastly, THE POWER OF NICE contained some great exercises
that anybody could utilize . . . this one, in particular, caught
my attention:
Zip your lip
For one day, try to say as little as possible. Try to keep the
focus away from yourself. Where you're tempted to tell a
story, ask a question. Where you're tempted to say, Oh,
that same thing happened to me¦, ask, How did that make
you feel? Don't be obnoxious about it. If someone asks how
you feel about the new sports stadium the city is building,
answer the question. But then bring the conversation back to
the other persons opinion. At the end of the day, make a list
of everything that you learned. How much would you have
missed if you had spent the time talking about yourself?
D. Heard the THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MR. ROGERS by
Fred Rogers . . . this is a touching compilation of stories, anecdotes
and insights read by Tyne Daly, John Lithgow, Lily Tomlin, and
Andre Watts.
Even if you weren't a fan of his famous TV show for kids, you'll
become a fan after listening to this CD . . . the same applies
to those not at all familiar with his work; you'll want to learn more.
I particularly liked the introduction from his wife, Joanne Rogers,
and actual recordings of speeches that he made . . . there's even
music from the show.
There were many worthwhile tidbits; among them:
There's not anybody you couldn't love if you knew their story.
I believe it is a fact of life that what we have is less important than
what we make of what we have.
The same holds true for families. It's not how many people there
are in a family that counts, but rather the feelings among the
people who are there.
When we love a person, we accept the person exactly as he or she is.
The real issue is not how many blessings we have in life, but what
we do with our blessings.
You don't have to do anything sensational for people to love you.
And this one, which was perhaps my favorite:
If the day ever came when we are able to accept ourselves and
our children exactly as we and they are, then I believe we would
have come very close to an ultimate understanding of what good
parenting means.
_________________________________________________________
5. TV alert
A. PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL runs for the
first time since 1988 . . . .join Pee-wee Herman and such guest stars as
Whoopi Goldberg, Magic Johnson, Frankie Avalon, and Dinah
Shore . . . Thursday at 10:30 p.m. on CARTOON NETWORK.
B. TSUNAMI, THE AFTERMATH is a two-part miniseries that focuses
on the aftermath of the tsunami that devastated the coast of Thailand
on December 26, 2004 . . . Academy Award nominees Tim Roth, Toni
Collette and Sophie Okonedo lead a first-rate ensemble cast . . . Part
1 airs on Friday at 3:30 p.m. on HBO; repeated on Saturday at 8
p.m. . . . Part 2 debuts on Sunday at 8 p.m.
For all times for both parts, please click:
http://www.hbo.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet
You'll see "Search" box at the top . . . type-in TSUNAMI, THE
AFTERMATH, Part 1 or Part 2 (depending on your preference) and
you'll be given a wide range of times.
C. AL TV features "Weird Al" Yankovic, showing some of his
videos and chatting with his celebrity pals . . . Friday at 8 p.m.
on VH1.
D. Jay Mohr and Daphne Zuniga star in CHRISTMAS DO-OVER
on Saturday at 8 p.m. on ABC FAMILY . . . it is the story of a
man forced to relive the same awful holiday over and over until he
gets it right for his son . . . if this sounds a bit like GROUNDHOG
DAY, then you can guess what the movie is all about . . . and
you don't have to keep reading this blurb over and over again.
_________________________________________________________
6. Good thinking
There was once an aspiring veterinarian who put himself
through veterinary school working nights as a taxidermist.
Upon graduation, he decided he could combine his two
vocations to better serve the needs of his patients and
their owners, while doubling his practice and, therefore,
his income.
He opened his own offices with a shingle on the door
saying, "Dr. Gruber, Veterinary Medicine and
Taxidermy . . . either way, you get your cat back!"
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7. Websites
A. Last week's issue (Section 4B) reviewed the inspirational film that
everybody is talking about, THE SECRET . . . for a quick review of
the material contained in it, please click:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=phL0RLKL8bc
Make sure you have your sound on!
B. Cynthia is presently organizing a film festival at her school for
her students and their parents . . . she is definitely planning to
show AKKELAH AND THE BEE, but for other ideas we've taken
to checking:
http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/moviemom/
This is a "must" website to check for parents to find out more
information about films, especially with respect to appropriateness
for various age levels, profanity and sexual content, diversity
issues, etc.
***** MR. CURIOUS HERE *****
If you have any ideas for family-type movies that could be shown,
please share them . . . we were recently told that POLYANA might
be a possibility; however, upon viewing it, we thought it wasn't
nearly as great as we had remembered it . . . and that current
students might well be bored by it.
C. BLAINESWORLD, the website, remains up and running . . . to view
it, please click:
http://www.blainesworld.net
There are now over 760 readers of this missive, including you . . . kindly
feel free to share it with others and encourage them to get their own
FREE subscription . . . the easiest way to do this is to forward this
whole issue, then specifically refer them (in your email) to the
above website . . . at the bottom of the homepage, there's a
SPECIAL OFFER that make subscribing very easy.
_________________________________________________________
8. Computer tip
A friend recently told me about some trouble he was having printing
directions from Mapquest . . . when he did, parts were often cut off.
Here's one way around that problem: When you get the directions
(or information from any other website), highlight what you
want printed with your mouse . . . . then with your right mouse,
select "copy."
Next open up a new window in your word processor . . . again
with your right mouse, select "paste" . . . the directions will appear
in a word processing document . . . from there, edit out what you
don't want printed.
Another advantage to this approach is that you can save to your
hard drive any directions you might want to use again in the future.
_________________________________________________________
9. The voice
A man was walking down a street when he heard
a voice from behind, "If you take one more step,
a brick will fall down on your head and you will
get killed."
The man stopped and a big brick fell right in front
of him. The man was astonished.
He went on, and after a while, he was going to
cross the road.
Once again, the voice shouted, "Stop! Stand still!
If you take one more step a car will run over you,
and you will die."
The man did, as he was instructed, just as a car
came careening around the corner, barely missing
him.
The man asked. "Who are you?"
"I am your guardian angel," the voice answered.
"Oh, yeah?" the man exclaimed, "And where the h*ll
were you when I got married?"
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10. A quote I like
I try to follow a self-imposed guideline that I call the Reprimand Rule:
“Take thirty seconds to share feelings—and then it’s over.†Anytime
we let a little thing create a big reaction (one that lasts longer than
thirty seconds), then we're using a hammer.--Dr. John C. Maxwell,
author of more than 30 books and motivational speaker
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11. Thought for the day
A daisy field
by Kandi in Arizona, a reader and longtime friend
Life is like a daisy if you
think to make it so.
It's petals are like stepping stones
between you and your goal.
A daisy's known for picking off its petals,
one by one.
Yes! It's True! To reach a goal
the same thing must be done.
Focus not on obstacles
that snag you on the way.
Just think of them as petals,
gently pulled and tossed away.
Clear those hurdles one by one.
don't waste another day!
Pick another petal
when the last has cleared away.
Pause for just a moment
if a daisy field you see.
And think of all the dreamers
who have goals to reach like we.
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12. Advance planning department
A. Meaghan in Pennsylvania:
DECK THE HALLS IN ONE MORE DAY
"All joy, romance, and true sentiment . . . "--The Bucks County
Courier Times
Fast becoming a holiday tradition, BRT's Fourth Annual Winter Musicale,
features some of the best-known holiday music from recent years and
last century to long-standing traditional music. The entire family will enjoy
this two hour celebration of your favorite songs of the season. Selections
will include popular classics like Home for the Holidays, Santa Baby
and The Christmas Song, gospel offerings Go Tell it on the Mountain
and traditional songs including Carol of the Bells,Silent Night and a
fun arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Get in the spirit of the season from December 14-23.
Individual tickets are available online at:
http://www.BRTstage.org
B. Cynthia (see also Section 1A) will next be running her fantastic
Move Your Body classes on the following dates
Saturday, January 6, at 1:30 p.m. . . . FREE; and
Saturday, February 3, at 1:30 p.m. . . . FREE.
Regular drop-in classes start on Mondays, beginning on January 8,
from 7:30-8:45 p.m. . . . $15 per session.
All sessions are at the Princeton Center for Yoga & Health
in Skillman, NJ.
For more information, please click:
http://www.princetonyoga.com/
or call 609.924.7294.
A guarantee: You will be delighted if you attend either and/or
both of the above!
C Now is the best time to see this spectacular American classic:
THE COLOR PURPLE
Tuesday at 7, Wednesday at 2, Thursday at 8:
Get tickets for only $61.25
(Orchestra and Front Mezzanine)
or only $46.25
(Rear Mezzanine)
That's a savings of up to $50!
Friday at 8, Sunday at 2 & 7:30:
Get tickets for only $66.25
(Orchestra and Front Mezzanine)
or only $51.25
(Rear Mezzanine)
That's a savings of up to $50!
Offer good for all performances except Saturdays at 2 & 8,
from Dec. 19 to Jan. 31 only.
TWO EASY WAYS TO GET YOUR SPECIALLY
PRICED TICKETS:
1) Visit:
http://www.BroadwayOffers.com
and enter special code CPTCEW7.
2) Call 212.947.8844 and mention special code CPTCEW7.
D. HOLD THIS DATE:
Harry Paul (co-author of REVVED! and FISH!) will be speaking
at Bucks on March 12, 2007 at the annual "Meet the Author" Business
Seminar . . . you won't want to miss him; he is great . . . details to follow.
Also, we are seeking a corporate sponsor for this outstanding
event . . . for more information, please email me at bginbc@aol.com.!"
_________________________________________________________
PS. Happy Chanukah to those like me who celebrate ALL
holidays . . . yet regardless of your religion, methinks you'll want to click
this link to see how the folks at SOUTH PARK sing a classic holiday
tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zkLBvjOMQA
Also, please join me in praying that we soon get our remaining soldiers
back from Iraq and that peace soon resumes in Israel . . . and make it
a great week!
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