Hmmm...THIS IS A UNIQUE WAY TO LIVE YOUR FAITH

Okay. This is a book that I just might have to read. The author claims he is not really religious. Actually, he says that he is "Jewish, in the way that the Olive Garden is Italian." He spent 12 months trying to follow every rule in the Old Testament (except for killing magicians - he thought that was just going too far!) He even stoned an adulterer, but he used pebbles, since the Bible was not clear about the size of stones required.

In my latest issue of "Mental Floss" (a terrifically fun, mind-bending publication) there was a piece written by this author. He listed five obscure rules from the Old Testament, complete with his translation, and possible explanation. Let me just put one of them here on the blog for your enjoyment. :
The Rule: "...she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month; and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband..." From Deuteronomy 21:10-14
Translation: If you capture a beautiful woman during war; and you want to marry her, you must first have her shave her head and trim her nails. Then you must live with her for a month without touching her. After that, she is all yours.
Possible Explanation: Think of it like gun control - it's a mandatory waiting period. If you still want to marry a bald, short-nailed woman after a month of no sex, then maybe it truly is love.

You can see why I think this book may be a fun way to spend a winter afternoon. I can't help but wonder what A. J. Jacobs' wife thought of his project. It seems that he really went all out - he dressed like Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments, ate locusts and honey, and grew a long itchy beard. Hey - at least he got published!!!

Also - just so you know - Bizy is back to her cute self. Of course, this is after 3 visits to the vet, complete with x-rays and blood work, and several prescriptions. I spent more on this little bout of illness then I spent on purchasing the dog! Still, she is the best money I ever spent!

ISN'T SHE CUTE???

Sweet Bizy is still sick. We took her to the vet yesterday, and had more blood work done, and x-rays. They changed her cough medicine to something with a narcotic in it - to keep her calm. There is nothing more pitiful than a woozy dog.

I love pets - they are like children to me. Only, with a pet, you know that you are going to outlive them - so you wrap your heart around them knowing all along that heartbreak is inevitable. I've been through it several times - and it is never easy. But, of all my dogs, Bizy is my favorite. Because she is so small, she seems like a puppy, even though she is 7+. In other words - I cannot even comprehend losing her now.

There is a heaviness in my heart that I am carrying around - and I know that all you pet lovers understand. The vet was showing me her xray's yesterday - and chatting about possible thyroid problems, and special surgeries. My mind just closed down. I can't even think about all of that now. I just want her to jump up and respond again to her favorite word, "Cookie"...and to EAT! Not just lie there and blink her big eyes.

So - nothing earth shattering in the post. Just letting you know what's happening...

ONE SICK AND SAD PUPPY

I have not died....yet. The last couple of weeks I have felt terrible. Sometimes Lupus gets the best of me. My doctor - a SPECIALIST, I might add - says "Lupus is a terrible disease". Just think - he went to med school for that bit of wisdom. Don't get me started on our health care system!!

AND - my dog is sick. She has a terrible cough - actually, she sounds like the AFLAC duck. She is not eating - which REALLY means she is sick. The vet gave her some medicine on Friday - but she is not getting better...so that means another trip to see him. There is nothing more pitiful than a sick pet. They just look at you with those big eyes that seem to beg you to"fix it". I wish I could.

OKAY...on top of all of this...Deborah Kerr died.

I know - she was old. 86, I think and suffering from Parkinson's disease. But she was such a class act. Her movies are a sharp contrast to what we have now. I still remember the closing scene in "Tea and Sympathy," where she unbuttoned the top button of her blouse and said, "When you speak of this...and you will....be kind." Then the music swelled and the screen went dark. That was so much more erotic and sensual then what we see today. And - who can forget the passionate kissing scene in the surf with Burt Lancaster in "From Here To Eternity?" Or her emotionally wrenching performance in "An Affair to Remember???" I know - these are old movies. But they were wonderful.

I can't help but compare Deborah Kerr's movies to the new HBO series, "Tell Me That You Love Me." Actually - there really is no comparison - more like a sad commentary on what passes as entertainment. If you have tuned into the HBO series, you know that you think you have inadvertently tuned into a porn channel. There is not only explicit nudity...there is explicit sex, and crude language. And what saddens me most, is that a stellar actress, like Jane Alexander, has cheapened her art and talent by choosing to appear in this mess.

We have lost the enchantment, somehow, of the "magic of movies". Now we have real life...and sometimes, real life is not so pretty. I miss being entertained. I mean, with drama. Sure, we still have entertainment in the form of fantasy - like the Harry Potter movies. But the romantic movies are less about acting, and more about seeing how far they can push the envelope. Actually, maybe it is more than that. Maybe during Deborah Kerr's heyday - movie stars were more mysterious - less accessible. Their public appearances were well-scripted, just like the movies. Now we have TMZ and a zillion paparazzi who capture on film every time the celebrity burps, or scratches their rear end. Now we see them as horrendously human and flawed - just like we are - so it is impossible to create real "magic and mystery" on the screen.

When Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster kissed in the surf - they didn't have a camera man zooming in close enough to count the grains of sand that made their way into the actors' bathing suits. We, in the audience, were allowed to think that part of the kiss didn't happen. That for that one passionate moment, the irritating sand disappeared, or didn't exist. We were allowed to suspend realism.

Oh well...I will miss knowing Deborah Kerr is still alive somewhere in the world. When Doris Day dies, I will be inconsolable....that's a heads-up warning to you all...just so you know.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT - THIS IS NOT A TOY!

Isn't this the cutest little car?? I have never been a person who pays much attention to automobiles. My only requirements are that when I put the key in the ignition - it runs...and it has to have air conditioning. But lately, several cars have made me stop and look. I loved the little mini coupes (I think that is what they are called. You know - the ones in the movie The Italian Job.) And, I liked the new VW bugs when they came out a few years ago - especially the added touch of the flower vase near the steering wheel. Then the Toyota Scion made me turn my head - but not in a good way. Looks like box with little wheels. The Honda Element is a little better - but not much. Oh - and whatever car it is that has that automatic parking feature. That sounds wonderful to me. I have never been able to parallel park!

This little car in the picture above is Nissan's Pivo 2. It is not available for purchase because they have not been able to make it affordable. But - it is really unique. It is an electric car that can go 78 miles on one charge...fit into extremely tight spots because its wheels turn 90 degrees...the interior cabin can rotate in a complete circle, so the driver can see everything from whatever angle they want.

Still - none of those features attract me. I like the little companion bobbing robot head near the steering wheel that speaks in a cute electronic voice. This is not a GPS system. It is there to keep the driver company...and be a kind of road rage therapist. Seriously. Nissan claims the robot can detect the driver's mood by analyzing changes in the facial expressions picked up by its digital-camera eyes and using a microphone that picks up the driver's voice to detect volume and speaking speed. The head says preprogrammed phrases such as "Don't worry. Relax." Too funny!!! I suppose it recognizes curse words and hand actions, too. Just think - drivers can never get away with flipping the bird to one another. That little robot head would probably say, "Naughty, naughty! Was that a nice thing to do?"

I don't think I would want to own one of these little things - but I certainly would like to ride in one just once. I keep thinking about the cartoon series, The Jetsons, that was popular when I was a kid. They had all these crazy gadgets and cars that seemed too wild to be anything other than make-believe...and yet, today, those same cartoons are almost ordinary. Progress is wild. But, this little Pivo 2 hammers home a point. No matter how advanced technology becomes, we humans still need that little voice in our heads (or on our steering wheels) that reminds us all is well, and that we need to play nice with one another.

ACT NOW!!! SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED!!!

I cannot watch infomercials. It's a simple as that. I can click THROUGH an infomercial - or those demon channels, HSN and QVC, but if I ever stop long enough to listen...I am done for. Whatever they are selling...even if I have no desire to have it, and no way to use it...if they say they only have 40 left, and it will never be offered at this great price again - I'm sunk. Case in point - the ID Vault.

This sounded like a fabulous product! It supposedly protects the owner from identity theft online. It stores all the passwords and screen names for the sites you visit so that you never again have to use the keyboard and risk a hacker picking up your info through key strokes. (I didn't even know that was possible!) I was so impressed by the sales pitch - that I ordered THREE!!! (Yes, I know...but see, there were only 40 left and...well, you know the drill!) When the product arrived, I immediately installed it on my computer. It was easy to do - and I loaded in my passwords and screen names, etc. It was working great...for about 15 minutes...and then a window opened on my screen asking me if I wanted to update the product. Sure! So - my computer, uninstalled what I had just installed, and prepared to install the updated version - except that a huge error window opened. Sigh. So - I reinstalled the original version, deciding that I would just ignore any future updates. All was fine for another 15 minutes, when that stupid window about the update appeared again. Ever the sucker, my resolve to ignore it dissolved and I decided to try again - with the same disastrous results. So...after my third time reinstalling the original - when the update window appeared, I took a deep breath and started to push the "No Thank You" button. BUT - this time it was different. This time, it did not offer the option of refusing the update...and there was no way to close the window. ARRRRGHHHHH!!!!

The ID Vault has now been uninstalled permanently from my computer. I sent an email to the company support division, but they have not responded. In the meantime, I have two more ID Vaults sitting here in my office. I was going to give them as Christmas gifts...but I can't do that now! At least, not with a clear conscience!

You think I learned my lesson??? Uh....not really. I am currently waiting for the arrival of my new Magic Bullet! I HAD to order it, because if I purchased it NOW for a LIMITED TIME, they include an extra large chopping cup, and extra blade, and an extra set of color coded rings for beverages AND they throw in a cook book!!!! I know...I know...I hate to cook! And now that I think about it - it is basically just a blender. You have to admit, however, that the name Magic Bullet sounds a lot more enticing than a plain old blender!

I'll let you know when it arrives. Maybe I'll invite you over for a delicious meal of pureed something or another. It will be a casual dining experience. Pureed food....teeth optional!