COMMERCIALS (video)

Emily wants her husband, John Cullum, to explain why he goes to commercial auditions, but never gets chosen.

Is it his Southern Accent?

JC demonstrates. In a Southern Accent he pretends to sell a Ford car; then, sells the Ford ala John Gielgud; then, tries again, selling the car in a Richard Burton style and tone.

They discuss the fact that some advertisers have asked him to present their product in the style and tone of "Holling the Bartender" -- the role John Cullum played in the TV Series, "Northern Exposure."

Emily suggests that JC doesn't get ever get the job because he really doesn't want to do commercials..

WEATHER

Why is the weather so bad? A lot of people think it's worse this year, than it was last year. Is it worse than last year?

Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, tornado's, blizzards, freezing temperatures, melting polar ice caps, epidemics, Flu, Cholera, Aids, wars, poverty, starvation. parched lands, people running out of water ... Is all this bad stuff that's going on, God's way of handling, cutting down the world's exploding population?

I was not brought up with a God, or Jesus, or any religion helping me to understand life and death, though I read and heard the Bible stories. The child in me wonders if God is angry because we are destroying the earth, the air, everything that's alive, and also destroying the precious things of past history that still exist as monuments to remind us what the world was.

I can't not worry. Every day, throughout the day, we hear weather news -- about the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and how much sunshine there will be -- and of course the probabilities, and predictions, of what may happen tomorrow, or on the weekend.

The announcers are mostly nice-looking normal people -- expert speakers with good diction, fast minds -- capable of going with the flow of what's on their scripts, or spur-of-the-moment, reacting to news flashes about unexpected, possibly dangerous. not good developments that can be seen on their sources (that we don't see).

We are seeing easy-to-grasp maps of our country, and lists of the major cities of world, with their Farenheit/Celsius temperatures, and learning if airplanes are arriving and departing on time, or delayed or canceled.

When the weather news is on, I am off into thoughts about what to wear and do I need an umbrella, and as the report develops into detailed colorful pictures, I'm wondering about ...

Forty days and forty nights, Noah's Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, and God's power to punish mankind with what we've got now with freezing temperatures, and what will come with next summer's heat waves.

Yes, I think God is telling us, commanding those who believe in Him, to stop hurting each other, stop selfishness, murder, sin, neglect -- warning us about morality/immorality, and yesterday's headlines that are every day more so and worse. That's HIM telling us -- pay attention to what's happening, stop the wrangling and babbling, and stop, stop the big wars, the small wars, yes-yes -- stop-stop-stop KILLING YOUR WORLD.

THIS WAY? THAT WAY?

When you're wondering what to do, what to do next, which new thing to try. what old project that you decided was wrong is probably right -- you are nowhere.

It's a writer's dilemma.

Also, it's a normal, average, predicament.

When FINALLY you make a decision, then -- only then -- can you figure out what's first, or last, or where to start -- and what to end with. OR consider reversing the sequence -- consider starting with the end, and ending with what was first.

Then AT LAST, your dilemma in focus because everything is utterly out of out of focus, fuzzy, foggy, unclear.

And HOW to proceed, or IF to proceed, or WHY to proceed is IMMOBILIZING YOU, halting every possible action -- that is when you take a nap.

Or retire for the rest of the day,

You are nowhere. Nowhere is somewhere. It's the place from which you can start again from scratch, to figure out if you should go this way, or that way. Or decide to DO NOTHING.

Do nothing is GREAT! It's a decision than empowers you to think of things you never thought of before, and can take you somewhere where you never ever dreamed of going!

PETS AREN'T PEOPLE, BUT ....

Dogs and cats are amazing, aren't they? It's amazing, the way they bring you joy, amusement, and comfort.

Are other pets as wonderful as a dog, or a cat?

A rabbit, a bird, or birds, squirrels, a flock of pheasants, ducklings, baby chicks, quails that visit -- that's wonderful too, but not the same as pets who live in your home.

If you are upset, bothered, bewildered, tense, fretting, in a bad mood for whatever reason -- your pet somehow brings you back to your centered, normal self.

You can't have a two-way conversation, but discussing things with your pet can tell you what you need to know.

Remarkable true stories have been written about dogs and their devotion. And cats -- our friends tell little stories, so lovingly, about their cats.

When you go out and come back, a pet's reaction when you come back into your home is delightfully affirming.

And cuddling, hugging, feeding, tending -- playing with a cat, kittens, dogs, puppies is more than affirming. -- it helps you do other things that you are compelled to do -- do them with good energy, and a gentler, patient spirit.

But pets don't have the life span that people have. They are in your life quite temporarily. And they don't have the mental capacity to understand your concerns -- problems with health, love, or your mood. Your pets don't really understand -- if you're depressed -- your reasons for being depressed.

Why do you love your pets? Why are they so important?

They are not children, who will grow up and go away, and from afar continue to be in your life.

A pet is not a person, or a child.

Why do you need a pet? What does a pet give you? What do you do with a pet that makes it so very beloved and so very important?

Why am I asking these questions? I don't have a pet, but I've had them -- visions of our dog, Teechie, our cat, Helpy, are still in my mind.