D. CONDOLENCES to Marty Litchman, my brother-in-law, and his family on

the death of Marty's son Andrew in California . . . should you wish to make

a contribution in the memory of Andrew, it can be made either to:

 

* the Israel National Fund to plant a tree:

 

http://www.jnf.org/support/tree-planting-center/; or

 

* the American Cancer Society:

 

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/don/don_0.asp


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

 

 

* Scott in Pennsylvania:

 

7-11 is giving away a free hot 12-ounce beverage through December 31:

 

 

* Mark in Pennsylvania:

 

if you missed the little KYW TV segment about me, go to:

 

 

NOTE:

 

Click the above to learn more about Mark Sfirri, an outstanding Bucks County

Community College professor who was recently named as one of only three

educators in the country to receive the prestigious Renwick Award.

 

* Mandy in Pennsylvania (responding Josephine's question last week on consumer credit):

I'm not entirely sure if the following person can help, but . . .

A former classmate from grad school, Loretta Hutchinson, MA, NCC, Financial Life

Planner, works for a company called Harvest Group (Financial Services).

Contact location follows:

loretta.harvestgroup@comcast.net
215-860-6056

They are located in Newtown, PA, which is a long way from Las Vegas but again,

perhaps they at least could make a solid referral.

I know Loretta had a background in Accounting and Finance and then became a counselor

with interest in helping people solve financial concerns. I think she could be a good person

for Josephine to connect with.

 

* Lana in Ohio (with another response):

 

responsible for paying it, you will still be subject to its influence on the
relationship, whether that influence manifests as a partner's stresses and
frustrations about always being in debt.

He also shared this useful rule to remember:

* Family finance works best, and stress is reduced the most, when both
partners know exactly what's going on with the money and where all the
accounts are located.

And, lastly, I appreciated the wisdom he shared on such basic
everyday decisions as buying a house:

* So how do you know if you're buying too much house?

Here's a clue: If your lender cannot qualify you for the home of your
dreams using a traditional, fixed-rate mortgage and, instead talks to
you about considering adjustable-rate or interest-only mortgages, you're
on the verge of living beyond your means.

Methinks this would not only be a good book for most any couple
to read, but it would make a fine gift for your children and/or
grandchildren . . . in fact, just as soon I as finish this review, I'm
going to send a copy of FINAICIALLY EVER AFTER to my daughter
and son-in-law!

D. I was inspired by GIVING--written and read by Bill Clinton . . . it's a
call for action about how each of us can change the world.

You will learn little about his presidency in this book . . . rather, you
will learn what Clinton has spent his life doing since leaving
the White House . . . as he writes:

* Politics is a getting business--[getting votes, support, contributions,
etc.]. To balance the sales [he has devoted his post-presidency to
giving]. . . . After I narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal
heart attack in 2004, I felt that way even more strongly.

He then presents accounts of what companies have done, but I was
most moved by the stories of such individuals as the following:

* Oseola McCarty, a retired cleaning lady in Mississippi, who gave
her life savings to the University of Southern Mississippi for a scholarship
for poor African-Americans;

* Paul Farmer, who grew up living in a trailer park, a boat and even
a tent but eventually graduated from Harvard Medical School and
went on to devote his life to fighting AIDS and tuberculosis in
destitute places around the world; and

* McKensize Steiner, a six-year old California girl who organized and
supervised drives to clean-up the beach in her community.

GIVING motivated me to want to do more not only for my Asheville
community, but also for this country and the rest of the world . . . you'll
feel the same way, too, if you read this book. 

_________________________________________________________

5. TV alert

A. THE SING-OFF is a new reality contest that is actually worth
watching, at least in my opinion . . . a cappella singing groups compete
for a recording contract . . . I saw the first episode and enjoyed
it to the extent that I look forward to future ones . . . it is running
Monday through Wednesday this week on NBC at 8 p.m. and
then the finals are live next Monday at the same time.

IF YOU GET THIS TOO LATE IN TIME FOR THE FIRST EPISODE:

You can catch up to it here by clicking:

http://tinyurl.com/y88clo8

 

B. SNL: A VERY GILLY CHRISTMAS features holiday-themed skits
from the late-night show's archives . . . . included are guest appearances
by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, as well as new sketches involving
mischievous moppet Gilly (Kristen Wiig) . . . Thursday at 8 p.m.
on NBC.

C. BARTENDER WARS airs on Friday at 10:30 p.m. on FLN . . . in this
weekly competition, hosted by radio DJ Egypt Sherrod, bartenders duke
it out in challenges ranging from how fast they can mix to how well they flirt.

D. PIXAR SHORT FILMS will feature two hours of animated goodness,
including three Academy Award winners . . . Friday at 10 p.m.
on ABC FAMILY.
 
_________________________________________________________

6. Two doctors

Two doctors, a psychiatrist and a proctologist, opened an office
in a small town and put up a sign reading: "Dr. Smith and Dr.
Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors."

The town council was not happy with the sign, so the doctors changed
it to read, "Schizoids and Hemorrhoids."

This was not acceptable either, so in an effort to satisfy the council, they
changed the sign to "Catatonics and High Colonics." No go.

Next, they tried "Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives." Thumbs
down again.

Then came "Minds and Behinds." Still no good.

Another attempt resulted in "Lost Souls and Butt Holes." Unacceptable
again!

So they tried "Analysis and Anal Cysts." Not a chance.

"Nuts and Butts?" No way. "Freaks and Cheeks?" Still no go.

"Loons and Moons?" Forget it.

Almost at their wit's end, the doctors  finally came up with: "Dr. Smith
and Dr. Jones, Odds and Ends." Everyone loved it.

_________________________________________________________

7. Websites

A. For one of the finest renditions of a song you'll ever hear, catch
Bruce Springsteen with Darleen Love, Sam Moore and others
at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame finale in October, 2009 as they
perform "Higher and Higher" . . . just click:

http://tinyurl.com/ykrboop

Also, you can still see the entire show on HBO by clicking:

http://www.hbo.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet

Then at the search engine at the top, type "Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame."

B. Continuing on the music kick, you'll enjoy viewing
"Ode to Forgetfulness" by clicking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lSliucgygc

If you'd like to know more about the performer, Mack Dryden,
please click:

http://www.mackdryden.com/

There's even an option to get a free copy of Dryden's "Seven Steps
to Achieving Your Goals," along with 25 of his top jokes . . . I laughed
at this one:

A jury awarded the Food Lion Supermarket chain five and a half million
dollars in that lawsuit against this network, saying ABC used illegal means
to videotape rat-gnawed cheese and unsafe food handling. So ABC was forced
to eat a little crow . . . which at Food Lion is marked "Cornish Hen."

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

http://www.blainesworld.net

If you'd like to see the reviews of some 860 books that I've read
and usually enjoyed, see "Blaine's Best" on the left and then letter
"O" . . . click the second paragraph.

Currently, I am #370 of Amazon's top 500 reviewers . . . if you'd
like to help me move up in the ranking, here's all that you need to do:

1. Go to the amazon.com website:

http://www.amazon.com

2. At the search engine at the top, type-in some book I recently
reviewed; e.g., DON'T LET AN OLD PERSON MOVE INTO
YOUR BODY by Jim Donovan.

3. Click on my review and read it. If you find it helpful, and
I think you will, respond "YES" when asked that was the case.

4. Thanks!

_________________________________________________________

8. Computer tip

THANKS to Karen in North Carolina who recently wrote:
Here's another computer tip I thought your readers might find useful:

5 FREE Microsoft programs worth checking out

Microsoft isn't known for giving away its products, but if you know where
to look you can find a handful of pretty cool, free applications. Here are
a few:

Paint.NET

An image and photo editing program. Easy-to-use and has all the
essential image editing features you need plus layers, special effects
and it supports a wide range of formats. 

WorldWide Telescope 

Virtual telescope from Hubble Space Telescope and approximately
10 earthbound telescopes. If you don't have XP or higher or have a Mac,
you can run as a Web client.

SyncToy 

This tool assists in maintaining duplicate files (e.g., on your computer and
laptop). Can also be a great back-up tool.  It doesn't have a built-in scheduler
so will need to be done manually.  

Office Accounting Express 2009 

Easy-to-use accounting package. Provides most accounting features
a small business might need, such as managing credit cards, bank accounts,
payroll, vendors, invoices, quotes, cash sales, and even built-in PayPal
functionality.

Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition 

An easy-to-use tool for dynamic Web application development. Creates Web
sites or small applications. From HTML to ASP.NET or even SQL Server
databases.

Adapted from TECHREPUBLIC.

For more information, you can reach Karen as follows:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SEO_Web_AVL
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmazza

Email: klmazza@charter.net
Phone: 828.252.3612

Karen runs "Charlotte's Web Design," a company designed to help
you stand out with web design, SEO and Internet marketing.

_________________________________________________________

9. Three proofs

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS PUERTO RICAN:

His first name was Jesus.
He was bilingual.
He was always being harassed by the authorities.

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS BLACK:

He called everybody "brother."
He liked Gospel.
He couldn't get a fair trial.

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS JEWISH:

He went into his father's business.
He lived at home until he was 33.
He was sure his mother was a virgin, and his mother was sure he was God.

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS ITALIAN:

He talked with his hands.
He had wine with every meal.
He worked in the building trades.

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A CALIFORNIAN:

He never cut his hair.
He walked around barefoot.
He started a new religion.

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS IRISH:

He never got married.
He was always telling stories.
He loved green pastures.

And now the most compelling evidence . . .

THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A WOMAN:

He had to feed a crowd, at a moment's notice, when there was no food.
He kept trying to get the message across to a bunch of men who just
didn't get it.
Even when he was dead, He had to get up because there was more work
for him  to do.

CAN I GET AN AMEN?

_________________________________________________________

10. A quote I like

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.--Berthold
Auerbach (1812-1882), German-Jewish poet and author

_________________________________________________________

11. Thought for the day 

The Ivory and Gold Tablecloth
by Howard C. Schade

At Christmas time, men and women everywhere gather in their churches
to wonder anew at the greatest miracle the world has ever known. But the
story I like best to recall was not a huge miracle --not exactly.

It happened to a pastor who was very young. His church was very old.
Once, long ago, it had flourished. Famous men had preached from its
pulpit, prayed before its altar. Rich and poor alike had worshipped there
and built it beautifully. Now, the good days had passed from the section
of town where it stood. But the pastor and his young wife believed in their
run-down church. They felt that with hard work and lots of faith they could
get it in shape. Together they went to work.

But, late in December, a severe storm whipped through the river valley,
and the worst blow fell on the church--a huge chunk of rain-soaked plaster
fell out of the inside wall just behind the altar. Sorrowfully the pastor and
his wife swept away the mess, but they couldn't hide the ragged hole.

The pastor looked at it and had to remind himself quickly, "Thy will be done!"
But his wife wept, "Christmas is only two days away!"

That afternoon the dispirited couple attended the auction held for the benefit
of a youth group. The auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a
gloriously beautiful, very ornately sewn, gold and ivory lace tablecloth.

It was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long. But it, too, dated from a long
vanished era. Who, today, had any use for such a thing? There were a few
halfhearted bids. Then the pastor was seized with what he thought was
a great idea.

He bid $6.50 for it.

He carried the glorious gold and ivory lace cloth back to the church and
very carefully put it up on the wall behind the altar. It completely hid the
hole! And the extraordinary beauty of its shimmering handwork cast a fine,
holiday glow over the chancel. It was a great triumph. Happily he went back
to preparing his Christmas sermon.

Just before noon on the day of Christmas Eve, as the pastor was opening
the church, he noticed a woman standing in the cold at the bus stop. "The bus
won't be here for 40 minutes!" he called, and invited her into the church
to get warm.

She told him that she had come from the city that morning to be interviewed
for a job as governess to the children of one of the wealthy families in town
but she had been turned down. A Jewish war refugee, her English was
imperfect.

The woman sat down in a pew and chafed her hands and rested. After a
while she dropped her head and prayed. She looked up and saw the great
gold and ivory cloth. She rose suddenly and walked up the steps of the
chancel.

She looked at the beautiful tablecloth with remembering eyes.

The pastor smiled and started to tell her about the storm damage, but she
didn't seem to listen. She took up a fold of the cloth and lovingly rubbed it
between her fingers, tears welled in her kind eyes. But they were happy tears
of recognition.

"It is mine!" she said. "It is my banquet cloth!" She lifted up a corner and
showed the surprised pastor that there were initials monogrammed on it.
"My husband had the cloth made especially for me in Brussels! There could
not be another like it."

For the next few minutes the woman and the pastor talked excitedly together.
She explained that she was Viennese; that being Jews, she and her husband
wanted to flee from the Nazis. They were advised to go separately. Her
husband put her on a train for Switzerland. They planned that he would join
her as soon as he could arrange to ship their household goods across the
border. She never saw him again. Later she heard that he had died in a
concentration camp.

"I have always felt that it was my fault--to leave without him," she said.
"Perhaps these years of wandering have been my punishment!" The pastor
tried to comfort her and urged her to take the beautiful cloth with her. But she
refused saying, "no, no, the cloth has found it's way to you. You need it. It
has a purpose here. I want you to have it. I am happy knowing you have it."

She gazed lovingly up at the magnificent gold and ivory lace cloth, then quietly
went away.

As the church began to fill on Christmas Eve, it was clear that the magnificent
cloth was going to be a great success. It had been skillfully designed to look
its best by candlelight.

The glorious gold and ivory lace cloth actually glowed in the candlelight! It
cast lovely fine designs on the walls and ceiling of the church. Everyone
looked around in wonderment, and a tranquil ambiance was cast over all.

After the service, the pastor stood at the doorway. Many people told him
that the church looked more beautiful than ever before.

From the generous donations that were given, a few days later the pastor
had the local jeweler who was also the clock-and-watch repairman come
to repair the church chimes.

The repairman's gentle middle-aged face drew into a look of great
astonishment! As if in a trance he walked right up to the beautiful cloth
and looked intently!

"It is strange," he said in his soft accent. "Many years ago my wife--God
rest her--and I owned such a cloth. My wife put it on the table"--and here
he gave a big smiled--"for holidays and when the Rabbi came to dinner."

The pastor suddenly became very excited. He told the jeweler about the
woman who had been in church to get warm, saw the cloth, and recognized
it to be hers! The startled jeweler clutched the pastor's arm. "Can it be?" he
said through desperate tears.

Together the two got in touch with the family who had interviewed the women
for the governess position, got her address, then they both drove to the city.

The jeweler knocked on the heavy, weathered, door. As it opened, there
stood his beloved wife. The many years of separation were immediately washed
away by their blissfully tears, as they held each other in loving embraces,
never to be parted again. True love seems to find a way.

To all who hear this story, the joyful purpose of the storm was to knock a hole
in the wall of the church.

So Dear Ones, the next time something knocks a hole in your dreams, your
goals  . . . just remember to have enough faith, enough belief in those dreams
and goals, to lovingly and creatively hang your own brilliant lace cloth over the
temporary mar. Then watch the miracles come.

THE REST OF THE STORY:

This story was first published in the December, 1954 READER'S DIGEST
and reprinted in Alice Gray's CHRISTMAS STORIES FOR THE HEART
in 1968 . . . some say it is true, but even if it's not, it is touching . . . for
more information, please click:

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/tablecloth.asp

_________________________________________________________

12. Advance planning department

A. Buster, a great local band headed by Bob Butcher, is playing at Mararitagrille
(Main Street in Hendersonville) on Friday, December 18, from 6-7 p.m. . . . to find
our more about the group, please click:

http://bustertunes.com/

B. Cynthia (see also Section 1A) will be conducting two JourneyDance/
Move Your Body sessions in January . . . the first one takes place
at 6:30 p.m. on January 5 at our Biltmore Lake clubhouse, and the
second one takes place at 6:30 p.m. on January 28 at Jubilee . . . if
you'd like to attend either and/or both sessions, just send an email
to bginnj@aol.com and put JourneyDance in the subject line.

_________________________________________________________

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

----------------------------------------------------------

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