The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • E1

Carolina Living A A 1 2 0 0 7 DAY A I VA LU www.charlotte.com SECTION EC ENTERTAINMENT 4E Get to know the Lipizzaner Stallions before they gallop into Bobcats Arena Coming Sunday in Arts Living A McColl family love story, captured in letters Medical aid to Darfur. Doctors Without Borders provides surgeries and other medical help for the many rape victims and others caught in the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan. Give at www.doctorswithoutborders.org or 888-392-0392. Donation cards take weeks to reach your recipi- ent. If you want to wait, you can send an e-card from the Web site.

Kwanzaa music. for Young People (and Everyone Inspirational pop and songs celebrate the winter universal principles, such as unity, work, faith. $12.99, www.amazon.com T-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, totes. Pass along the simple message of grace. Bumper stickers, shirts from $20 for a child to $30 for an adult sweatshirt; totes $32; mugs www.gracehappens.com.

Olive wood rosary. This hand-carved rosary was made in the West Bank. Package it with an olive wood ornament of the Holy Family, also handmade. $30 for the rosary and $10 for the tree ornament, Ten Thousand Villages, Cotswold Village Shops, 300 S. Sharon Amity Road.

704-365-0010. Glass menorah. Fused, curving glass creates a stately, yet contemporary look for a traditional piece. $175 at the Temple Beth-El gift shop, 5101 Providence Road. 704-749-3060.

In the latest ratings sweeps that ended this week, WCNC-TV (Channel 36) saw erosion in all key newscasts except the midday report, the worst show- ing in at least five years. Even in early-morning news, until now a key source of growth for Channel 36, the numbers were down, off 11 percent in the 5 a.m. hour and off 2 percent in the 6 a.m. hour. At 6 p.m., WCNC saw a year-to-year audience decline of 23 percent, while its 11 p.m.

report was down 27 percent. At least some of the erosion can be traced to the anemic network schedule. prime-time ratings in Charlotte were off a third from a year ago. Only one NBC show Night made the top 25 locally. really hurts us at WCNC news director Mary Alvarez said Friday.

Early evening newscasts are also hurt by the lagging performance in daytime. WCNC has had seven program changes in the last year in its daytime lineup, which includes one half-hour when the station runs infomercials. think the tide is going to turn, hope- fully, but when you change programming that many times, you are starting with a new audience to introduce to your she said. running promos all day to our news and a lack of eyeballs there to see NBC prime time viewing is down 34 percent in Charlotte, year to year. CBS was down 9 percent locally, while ABC was up 8 percent and Fox surged 17 per- cent, partly on a jump in ratings for net- work-leader resurgent with a fresh cast and story line.

Among the three 10 p.m. newscasts, News at (Channel 18) retains a comfortable lead, though WJZY (Chan- nel 46), with a news show produced by WCNC ratings fall for most news shows Station cites daytime changes and poor showing by NBC SEE Mark Washburn Q. I have a terrific boss who is also a good friend. For the last 6-7 years we have exchanged gifts at Christmas. given clothing, a movie, college With his marriage in the last year, I now feel like I need to get a joint gift in- stead in part because his wife is a little jealous of our relationship.

At the very least, I feel I need to get something leaning more to- ward professional than personal, only I want it to be GREAT and memorable. As long as you are not getting too in- timate with your gifts clothes may cross the line you can give him a present that is a token of your working relationship and friendship. I do wonder why the gift has to be and and whether you have a hidden agenda. Said in another way, give based on what the holiday means to you and not on your need to impress. If you remain uncertain about what to bestow, a donation to his (or their) favorite charity may be a nice solution.

Michael Kahn is a Charlotte life coach and licensed counselor; www.reeltoreal.biz. Give and Take MICHAEL KAHN best gift for newly married boss? Need advice on a tricky gift-giving is- sue? E-mail: Kahn Cows and chickens. Heifer International lets you load rabbits, a llama or other creatures into your cart for an impoverished family on the other side of the world. Ranges from $10 for a share of a pig or other animal to $500 for a heifer. www.heifer.org.

Give a child a smile. The Smile Train provides free cleft palate surgery for poor children in developing countries. Cleft palates can keep a child from speaking, eating and smiling but the corrective surgery is simple. The group uses 100 percent of donations for programs, and you can make a donation in a loved name. From $25 (covers sutures for one surgery) to $250 (pays for one complete operation).

www.smiletrain.org. Meditation music. Navan is a trio from Madison, that sings ancient a capella Celtic music from several countries and regions. The pieces, in haunting, untranslated Gaelic and other original languages, can serve as an effective backdrop to meditation. Try $15 at www.navan.org.

Bibles and study books. The NIV Archaeological Study Bible is an illustrated walk through biblical history and culture, filled with hundreds of articles and photos to provide historical context. $49.99 to $89.99. Family Christian Stores, 1848 Galleria Suite B. 704-814-0101 or www.familychristian.com.

Preschoolers by V. Gilbert Beers, features Bible stories retold for kids ages 3 to 5. $13.99, Family Christian Stores. Bad Girls of the Bible: Flawed Women Loved by a Flawless by Liz Curtis Higgs. It focuses on revered women of Scripture who struggled with serious problems.

$13.99, Family Christian Stores. Find do-it-yourself gift suggestions in the New Home section Gift Guide When it comes to faith-based giving, there are a lot of ways to make somebody happy. Pay special attention to the charities that can change a life forever for relatively small donations. KR IS RG ES PH OT By Heather Donckels Religion News Service the holiday season, which means time for another Hollywood block- buster with a cast of talking animals, witches and an earnest child to point the way to truth and justice. But those who applauded the Chris- tian allegory in Chronicles of Nar- or Lord of the now worry that Golden the silver screen adaptation of Philip Pull- book that opens Friday, will poi- son minds with atheism.

Kiera McCaffery, a spokeswoman for the New York-based Catholic League, says the film is a hook to lure kids into a series of what she calls deeply anti- Catholic books. parents know about the books going to want to keep their children away from reading the said McCaffery, who has yet to see the film. Golden the first in- stallment in avowed atheist Dark trilogy, follows a young girl, Lyra, through a world dom- inated by a governing authority called the Magisterium the same name Cath- olics use to refer to their teach- ing authority. MOVIE OPENS FRIDAY Does point kids to atheism? NEWLINE PHOTOS Nicole Kidman plays the sinister Mrs. Coulter.

New Line Cinema says it watered down anti-religious themes in Golden SEE Firm stirs controversy begun by Philip series of fantasy books for children NEWS YOU CAN USE Holiday.