And SPECIAL THANKS to Pat Hannigan for taking that
picture . . . he's the same guy who recently took
the beautiful pictures for my daughter Risa's wedding . . . should
you be in the need of a great photographer, he can
be reached at 215.968.1615.

C. Check Section 7A of this week's issue for a website you won't
want to miss (information on FREE shipping for the holidays, as
well as for other great deals) . . . I realize that because of your busy
schedule, you may not get to read every issue and/or you might
skim over certain sections . . . if that be the case, here's an idea:
save past issues until you can get to review them thoroughly, even
if just for the websites that are typically mentioned in Section 7 . . . then
when you have some spare time to surf the Internet, you can get caught
up on some good stuff that you might otherwise have missed.

D. I NEED YOUR HELP!

My business cards are outdated, given my new phone numbers . . . in
addition, the back part--with the important phone numbers--needs
changing because Bush will be stepping down and Obama will
be taking over.

And though I will still be a professor at Bucks County Community
College through this spring semester, that will be changing too . . . so
I've been trying to come up with something a little different
to put on the front side; e.g., to describe me.

My goal is to come up with something creative that would also
serve as a conversation-starter when I meet new folks.

Three possibilities I'm considering:

1. Something that uses the words "retirement" or "rewiring" because
that's what I like to tell people that I'm doing, as opposed to
retiring . . . I am looking to do some new things and move in
different directions--as opposed to just continuing my college
teaching . . . so I could perhaps call myself a:

Rewirement Expert-in-Training?
Rewiring Expert-in-Training?
Rewirement Guru-in-Training?
Rewiring Guru-in-Training?

Or is there anything else along these lines that you might suggest?

2. To call myself a:

Bon Vivant?

If you're not familiar with that French term, here's how it is defined
in my online dictionary: 

Main Entry: bon vi·vant
Function: noun
Pronunciation: "bän-ve-'vänt, "bO n-ve-'vä n
Inflected Form(s): plural bons vivants/"bän-ve-'vän(t)s, "bO n-ve-'vä n (z)/or bon vivants/same/
Etymology: French, literally, good liver
a person having cultivated, refined and sociable tastes, especially in respect
to food and drink
 
Also:
 
A person who enjoys the good things in life, especially good food and drink
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bon vivant

Any reaction to this one?

3. Or I'm also open to any other suggestions, recommendations, comments,
etc. that you might make as to other descriptions.

Thanks, in advance, for any feedback that you may care to share.

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

This week, it goes to Warren Fluharty--our decorator. Here's what
Cynthia had to say about him:

Warren came to us via a recommendation from Scott and Harry, two
of our neighbors.

When we first met him, we were impressed by his quiet and confident
demeanor. Since we have been working with him,  he has come through
in so many ways. His knowledge and intuition in regards to decorating
a home is amazing. We have trusted him with a range of important
decisions . . . from choosing the color of our walls, to the curtains,
to smaller, more practical issues like where to put a garbage can
when there is no space for it, etc.

Warren has also been extremely reliable. We go shopping together
for many small items or at other times, he just picks stuff up for us. 

Warren chose the small amounts of furniture that we did buy with amazing
expertise, and then knew exactly where it would look the best.  His ideas are
creative and invaluable. He is also the person who has visited us the most
in our new home. It is always fun to see him at our door. Thanks so much,
Warren . . . this was one great decision to choose you as our decorator. 
 
Warren also recommended Adam King, his store manager, to help us
unpack when Cynthia came to North Carolina to meet the moving van. He
has also been invaluable to us. His fun, warm personality became
immediately apparent. He is the kind of person who looks around, sees
what needs to be done and just does it. 

For more information, feel free to call Warren at his cell number:
828.273.1101 or stop by to see him (or Adam) at his store, Structure,
located on 6 Fairview Road in Asheville . . . you won't go wrong!

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2. FYI

My friend Earl in Pennsylvania tells me that the best thing he
has every found to remove scuff marks from walls is a product
called Magic Eraser.

I did some more research on the product and found out that
it has many other uses . . . for more information, please click:

http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/tips.shtml#eraser

MR. CURIOUS HERE:

Has anybody else used this product? If so, what was/is
your reaction to it? 

FYI, part 2

* Mel in Pennsylvania:

It [http://www.FreeConferenceCall.com] works great. I can't figure
out how they make any money!
 
Also, for $9/month, they will save the transcripts of your conversations
as MP3 files for download, and for another fee, they will transcribe them.
 
A good deal!

* Rabbi Katz in New York:

Reba and I wish you and your dear wife our very  best wishes on your
retirement that is in the offing and your move to your new residence.
Reba and I have been following your growth and achievements, and we
cannot help but be grateful and impressed by your achievements and
your wonderful way of making your words a source of wisdom and
encouragement for  your "congregation". We send you our affectionate
regards and good wishes. I'm still your Rabbi. 

* Rick in Pennsylvania:

I have never "gotten around to" thanking you for sharing your thoughts
and observations (and occasional "ramblings") on a regular basis. I always
marvel at the amount of activity you manage to squeeze into any given
day/week and STILL find time to then WRITE about it all!
 
Best wishes to you and Cynthia on your relocation, and of course,
for the Holidays.  May your new year be one of good health
and good fortune.
 
And BTW: I took the liberty of passing along the long press release about
"grief and the holidays" to a friend who has struggled with the loss of her son
the past two years. I am sure it will be helpful to her.

Take care . . . all the best!

* Jack in Pennsylvania:

Facebook and MySpace are used more and more by employers to monitor
past behaviors of potential employees. Colleges are also doing the same
scrutiny.  Just remember, whatever is placed onto Facebook or MySpace
can be viewed by anyone because it is public domain. Text messages
on a cell phone are public domain as well. Posting anything to a website
or text messaging is the same as standing on a corner and shouting out for
all to hear. 

As an aside, monitoring the Internet usage of sexual offenders found that
100% of sexual perpetrators in Pennsylvania were found to routinely view
MySpace and 75% of the same convicted routinely view Facebook.

* Jeannie in Pennsylvania:

I have enjoyed reading David Sedaris too and prefer his one person shows. 
He usually comes to Philadelphia (I just saw him this winter) from France
and has the audience in stitches. Probably saw him 3 times, including
once in Princeton, and absolutely recommend his live shows.

* Jody in Pennsylvania:

I love David Sedaris, have read all of his books (Me Talk Pretty One Day
is my favorite) and saw him at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA 
last year. He is also regular contributor to NPR. His sister Amy Sedaris,
is an actress and comedy writer as well. Just saw her on the Letterman
show.

Glad you enjoyed his new book and don't wait to read his previous selections. 

* THANKS to the same Jody--and to Walter in Pennsylvania also--for
forwarding this important warning about that very same subject; i.e.,
forwarding email:

As you know I rarely forward emails, although occasionally I will. However,
after having read the following I will not forward nor respond to fwd emails. 
The email came from a reliable family member who researches everything.

Subject: FYI

As of today, I WILL SEND NO MORE OF THESE "forward to" EMAILS
TO ANYONE.  This also applies to your cell phone texts that ask you
to forward to everyone you know!  They're making money off of the phone
numbers you forward to. 

Now . . . memorize what follows:

1) Any time you see an email that says forward this on to "10"
of your friends, sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck,
or whatever, it almost always has an email tracker program attached
that tracks the cookies and emails of those folks you forward to. 
The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and
then is able to get lists of "active " emails addresses to use in SPAM
emails, or sell to other spammers. 

2) 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 any of this type of email is, is a way to get names and "cookie"
tracking information for telemarketers and spammers--to validate active
email accounts for their own profitable purposes. You can do your friends
and family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them;
you will be providing a service to your friends, and will be rewarded
by not getting thousands of spam emails in the future! If you have
been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of email, now you
know why you get so much SPAM! Do yourself a favor and STOP adding
your name(s) to those types of listings regardless how inviting they
might sound!

You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT
in the long run. Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later! 
Plus, we are helping the spammers get rich! Let's don't make it easy
for them!

Also, email petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other
organization. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed
signature and full address of the person signing the petition. Read
the full story here:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp

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3. Business travel

Anyone traveling on business for my college must fill out an expense
report. A field on the form asks for “name on credit card.”

One Einstein entered “MasterCard.”

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4. Reviews

A. If Vince Vaughn is in a film, I'm usually going to laugh . . . that
again was the case in his latest effort, FOUR CHRISTMASES, where
he and Reese Witherspoon play a happily unmarried couple who find
themselves having to spend time with their divorced parents . . . the
beginning was very funny; however, by midpoint, it started to
drag . . . and I did find the ending to be far too predictable . . . reviews
from most critics were not very favorable; however, from a box
office standpoint, FOUR CHRISTMASES has been a big
hit . . . rated PG-13.

B. MAMMA MIA! is now out in DVD format . . . my review from
BLAINESWORLD #617 follows:

MAMMA MIA! was one of my favorite shows . . . I don't know if I would
rank the movie version quite that high, but that said, I'd still recommend
you see it—especially if you share my appreciation of the musical
group ABBA . . . there are many great songs and a lot of energetic
dancing in the story about a girl trying to find her real father . . . if you
skip the slight storyline, you'll have a fun time . . . Meryl Streep will
surprise you with her singing (I believe she did it herself) . . . Pierce
Brosnan, on the other hand, doesn't have the greatest voice, but he
still manages to deliver a winning performance as one of Streep’s past
lovers . .. I also liked the work of Amanda Seyfried, an actress who
reminded me of a young Goldie Hawn . . . rated PG-13.

C. I think I've enjoyed everything written by Nicholas Sparks . . . so
whenever a new book by him comes out, I put it high on my list
of books that I want to read.

That's exactly what happened with his latest, THE LUCKY ONE . . . I
got a copy shortly after its September publication date and just
now got to finish it . . . ironically, it was the first book I read
in my new residence in North Carolina--and also the setting
for the story.

And what a story there is . . . a U.S. marine finds a photograph
of an attractive young woman . . . he attempts to find the owner,
but when he can't, he keeps the photo . . . doing so, he
immediately begins to hit a stretch of good luck . . . he eventually
decides to find the woman and when he does, he can't believe
the attraction that he feels toward her.

No wonder, given this one description by the author:

* Seeing Beth last Sunday night while she was dropping Ben off had
done it. Wearing shorts and a tank top, she'd stepped out onto the porch
and waved at Ben, flashing this kind of Farah Fawcett smile. Even if it was
directed at Ben, it drove home the fact that she was getting better-looking
with every passing year.

By the same token, Logan (the marine) attracted Beth:

* No, she wanted Logan here because he was good at listening, and she
knew he wouldn't interrupt her rant, or try to solve her problem, or get
bored if she said, "I can't believe he actually did that," a hundred times.
He would let her vent."

I really got into the two main characters, Beth and Logan, but
also became drawn into the stories of others--including Beth's
mom and her way of expressing things:

* I knew within a few days that he [her eventual husband] was the one
for me. I know how crazy that sounds. But being with him was like toast
and butter from the very beginning.

Other memorable characters included Beth's ex-husband, her
son and even Logan's dog Zeus . . . this was a very romantic book
and a real page-turner until the end of the story . . . that was when a storm
set in and for some reason, it felt like I was rereading another Sparks'
bestseller: NIGHTS IN RODANTHE.

Give the story a different ending, and I would strongly recommend
that you read THE LUCKY ONE . . . as it is, I still think you'll
like it--though it just misses being one of the author's bests.

D. I heard the CD version of FINDING FAITH IN DIFFICULT, written
and read by Iyanla Vanzant (author of a book I previously enjoyed,
YESTERDAY I CRIED) . . . this one was equally as good.

As the author notes:

* Faith is the breakfast of champions. It is the staple diet of those
fearless enough to see the invisible, hear the inaudible and attempt
the impossible.

Now I don't know if I'll be able to succeed in the latter category,
yet I do feel inspired to try . . . the way to do this is to
follow the saying that Iyanla's father had:

* [Do} whatever it takes.

There were many other tidbits that I gained from ON FINDING
FAITH IN DIFFICULT TIMES; among them:

* Don't focus on what we don't want. Instead, we must focus
on what we desire.

* When you find yourself in a disharmonious situation, ask yourself:
"What can I do or give that will bring harmony to the situation?"

* One of my teachers once told me, "You'll never know what kind
of soldier you are until you go into battle."

* We never really need faith until a storm enters our lives. Let
faith be your umbrella.

I also liked how Vanzant ended the program when she said:

* I think of faith as my American Express card. I never leave home
without it.

In addition, I liked the guided visualization exercises that were included
with the program. 

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5. TV alert

A. In the mood for some holiday music? Check out FAITH HILL, JOY
TO THE WORLD: A SOUNDSTAGE SPECIAL EVENT for the country
star's rendition of seasonal favorites, including "Holly, Jolly Christmas,"
"Little Drummer Boy" and as might be expected, "Joy to the
World"  . . . Thursday at 10 p.m. on PBS . . . check local listings
because PBS dates and times often vary.

B. GREATEST HOLIDAY MOMENTS: TV & FILM COUNTDOWN
includes such classics as the ringing bells in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
and Rudolph's blinking nose . . . Friday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

C. BREAKING THE HUDDLE: THE INTEGRATION OF COLLEGE
FOOTBALL is a documentary that recalls the effects of the civil
rights movement on the amateur gridiron . . . Saturday at 11 a.m.
on HBO.

D. CHRISTMAS IN WONDERLAND stars Patrick Swayze (and here's
hope that is doing OK) and Carmen Electra in a misadventure about
what two tykes would do with a million bucks--and no parental
supervision . . . Saturday at 8 p.m. on ABC FAMILY.

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6. CNN interview

A female CNN journalist in Jerusalem (in December, 2008) heard about
a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray,
twice a day, every day, for a long, long time.

So she went to check it out and as she arrived at the Western Wall, there
he was, walking slowly up to the holy site.

She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned
to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him
for an interview.

"Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What is your
name?"

"Morris Fishbien," he replied.

"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"

"For about 60 years."

"60 years," said Smith. "That's amazing! What do you pray for?"

Fishbien answered, "I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews
and the Muslims.

"I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop.

"I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults and
to love their fellow man."

Smith was clearly impressed. So she then asked, "And how do you feel
after doing this for 60 years?"

"Like I'm talking to a frigging wall."

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7. Websites

A. Thanks to Donna in New Jersey for providing the following
website that shows you what online stores will provide FREE
online shopping this coming Thursday, December 18:

http://www.freeshipping.org/

Many places are offering this, including Amazon.com, Banana Republic,
Best Buy, Gap, Nieman Marcus, Nike, Nordstrom, Walmart and
countless others.

Even better: Check the bottom of the above page for other coupons
and coupon codes, including those from Brookstone, Chico's (50% off
orders of $100 or more), Kohl's, Office Depot, etc.

You can also subscribe for free coupon alerts as they become
available.

B. THE FORBIDDEN SNL SKIT

Apparently, SNL did a "Bailout" skit, which has created some incredible
problems for NBC.

They have pulled the video and apparently gone after anyone who put
the video out there because the video has all but disappeared off the Internet.

Yet because I thought you'd find it both funny and of interest, here is one
copy still out there:

http://msunderestimated.com/SNLBailoutSkit.wmv
 
Methinks you should probably try to view it in the near future, given that
I don't know how long it will be up.

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

http://www.blainesworld.net

I appreciate the fact that you're a reader of this missive . . . to see
another FREE publication that methinks you'd like, go to
"Blaine's Best" on the left, then "This is True" . . . you'll find
a link to a weekly syndicated newspaper column by Colorado
humorist that reports on bizarre-but-true news items . . . what
makes it so fun is the ending commentary by Randy.

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8. Computer tip

To give you the flexibility to access and control your PCs or Macs
from anywhere, please click:

http://www.logmein.com

You'll be able to operate a remote computer exactly as if you're sitting
in front of it, whether that computer is next door or even in Asheville!

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9. Values of exercising

In contemplation of my upcoming rewirement, I've been doing a lot
of research about increasing the amount of exercise that I do . . . here's
just a small sampling of what folks have been telling me:

The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, your friends
can say, "Well she looks good, doesn't she?"

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

They say that doing some walking can add 5 minutes to your life for every
day you do it. This can enable you, at 85 years old, to spend up to an
additional eight months in a nursing home at $11,000 per month.

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 70. Now he's 77,
and we don't have any idea where the hell he is.

The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy
breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning before my brain figures out what
I'm doing.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a
pound. Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word "exercise," I wash my mouth out
with chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years . . . just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information
in our heads. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.

Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour
and by the time I leave, I look just fine.

And one final thought of no particular significance: You could run this
over to your friends, but why not just email this over to them?

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10. A quote I like

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year.--Victor
Borge (1909-2000), Danish-American humorist, entertainer and pianist 

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11. Thought for the day

The best time of my life  

It was June 15, and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure
about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years
were now behind me.

My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going
to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He
was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas
on this particular day, he noticed I wasn't full of my usual vitality and
asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious
about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life
once I reached Nicholas's age, so I asked him, "What was the best
time of your life?"

Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, "Well, Joe, this is my philosophical
answer to your philosophical question:

"When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me
and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.

"When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that
was the best time of my life.

"When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my
efforts, that was the best time of my life.

"When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.

"The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria
to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound
for North America, that was the best time of my life.

"When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time
of my life.

"When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was
the best time of my life.

"And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good
and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the
best time of my life."

Author unknown
(if you know who wrote this and/or the source, please let me know) 

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12. Advance planning department

A. Steve in Pennsylvania shared this information about upcoming
performance dates for Justin Solonynka, his future son-in-law:

* Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 

Performance at the UUCLV as part of First Night Bethlehem
424 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 
610.866.7652

Justin will perform a solo show.

Then at 8 p.m., catch Acoustic Bender at the same location.

* Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 

Acoustic Blender CD Release Party
at the world-famous Godfrey Daniels Listening Club
7 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem PA 
7 p.m.
610.867.2390 

Acoustic Blender will perform a live all-ages show.

To download some of Justin's music and/or for more information
about him, please click:

http://www.tinylightsmusic.com/

B. Michael in Pennsylvania:

Dear Friends, here is the Book Group lineup for Spring 2009: 

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

January 8: OPEN ME by Sunshine O’Donnell (2007), at which time
the author will join our discussion!

From Booklist:

The employment of children as part of a centuries-old, ritualistic profession,
albeit illegal, puts a compellingly odd twist on the subject of child abuse
in the story of Mem, a young "star" mourner, paid to weep and wail
at funerals. O'Donnell's meticulously researched first novel juxtaposes
ancient texts, including a ninth-century T'ang dynasty poem, novelistic
exposition, twentieth-century newspaper reports, and historical notes
on such weeping maids and wailing women still employed by funeral
directors today when too few mourners appear at burials or when surviving
relatives pay someone else to perform their grief. Many states have
banned the practice because of the training methods inflicted on little girls
by mothers and grandmothers who teach them to weep on cue (e.g.,
forcing five-year-olds to fondle corpses, abandonment because
of inadequate performance). Perhaps the emotional abuse of ritual
humiliation and degradation within this cult of tears is the novel's
most disturbing aspect. A mother's love for her daughter, however, is
what ultimately grabs the reader. Not for delicate sensibilities.

Future dates are as follows:

February 12: ISLAND: THE COMPLETE STORIES by Alistair McCloud 

March 12: THE SOLOIST: A LOST DREAM, AUN LIKELY FRIENDSHIP AND
THE REDEMPTIVE POWER OF MUSIC by Steve Lopez

April 9: A MERCY by Toni Morrison

May 14: LITTLE HEATHENS: HARD TIMES AND HIGH SPIRITS ON
AN IOWA FARM DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION by Mildred
Armstrong Kalish

June 11: LOVING FRANK by Nancy Horan

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PS. To those like me who celebrate ALL holidays (more gifts and
great food that way!), here's to a happy Chanukah for you and
your family . . . this wintertime Jewish Festival of Lights, which
celebrates religious freedom, begin this coming Sunday and runs
through December 29.

Now if my spelling of the above holiday looks wrong to you, I
should tell you that's the version that I grew up with--and for
some reason, it still looks right to me . . . however, that said,
Hanukkah is the preferred spelling used by the Library of Congress
and is now the most popular one . . . to those wanting still more
information on this weighty topic, please click: 

http://joemaller.com/2005/12/21/sixteen-ways-to-spell-hanukkah/

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!

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