So you can imagine my shock and outrage when I saw a CBS news report warning buyers that fake fur may actually be the real thing. Apparently, clothing manufacturers (predominately from China) are skinning alive raccoon dogs and neglecting to mention this little fact on the label. In the past when there was no mention of the fur on a label I just assumed that because the item was so inexpensive there was no possible way that it could be real fur. My assumptions could not have been more wrong. In China the raccoon dog, which is in the canine family, are raised by the millions for their fur. It is cheaper to use raccoon dog pellet than to produce faux fur. Sad but true.

The news report also uncovered that some stores tag items as faux fur when it is actually real fur. Now it is possible that these stores may have been duped just like the rest of us. I say this is no excuse. If you buy and sell a product, you better damn well know what it is that you are selling! In a court of law, ignorance is not a valid defense.

In the future I will certainly be more cautious when looking at faux fur products. To spot fake from real you must examine the fur closely. Part the fur with your fingers, look close at the base to see if it is made of material or skin (ugh, just creeps me out to say skin). You may not always be able to tell the difference by inspecting it this way but, it’s a start. In short, buyer beware.

*Okay, I will make the occasional exception to wearing animal materials but only if it’s an emergency, ie: protection when racing a motorcycle, hiking in Antarctica, etc.

In the last U.S. election, Californians voted to pass Proposition 8. In short, this Prop bans the right for same-sex marriages. Now if I have my facts correct, yesterday the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and it remains law. However, the 18,000 couples who married during the Rainbow Window (Same-sex marriage approved by the Supreme Court before the election) last year will remain legally married.

So yesterday’s ruling was a lose/win situation. Congratulations to all the gay and lesbians couples that were married during the Rainbow Window. To the rest of you that did not drop everything and make a mad dash to the court house to say “I Do”… I’m sorry – you’re basically screwed. Until the next election.

Deutsch and I were proud to join the thousands of people who rushed to the streets to stand up for what we believe in, equal rights for all.

Of course, I’m sure I am over simplifying the facts and missing crucial information, but this basically sums it up. Here is a good article from the L.A. Times that helps explain.

Here are some pictures we took during the march:

Like I said the chase itself was not riveting, however, the news coverage and internet chatter was. It was amusing listening to all the local anchors insinuating in every imaginable way that the driver was Chris Brown, but without actually SAYING his name. Good thing for them they did avoid saying his name, as they would be facing some legal problems today.

What was amazing was watching Twitter just EXPLODE! D & I were reading the Tweets, but could not keep up with them. They were coming in way too quickly to read. So interesting to see how many people are using and depending on this technology.

When the chase finally came to a stop and the standoff had begun it was incredible how the paparazzi and curious people/fans started to converged onto the scene. People!?! Guns are being drawn! Bullets could be flying! Have you never heard of stray bullets or friendly fire?

Sadly, once the media learned that the driver was not the famous Chris Brown or the semi-famous DJ Khaled all coverage of this event abruptly ended. Just like that it was over… on TV at least. The tense standoff was still going on. However, once it was confirmed that the driver was just an average, luxury-car owning (not even referred as a “Bentley” anymore), Joe, nobody cared. I’m hoping that the driver was not aware of the lack of interest to his fate once the true identity was known.

I guess I am just as guilty as anyone else for being sucked into the media frenzy. I just could not turn away. Sad.

*Chris Brown – Entertainer. Age 19. Best known as a singer with chart topping singles. Reportedly in a relationship with Rihanna, a singer as well. Most recently in the news with accusations of domestic violence charges.

**DJ Khaled – A Palestinian-American DJ, producer and radio personality for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR. He is also a member of the hip hop group Terror Squad.

Breakfast:
1 egg white, scrambled
1 slice of soy Canadian bacon
1 small glass of vegetable juice
Coffee with fat-free milk

Morning Snack:
4 pieces of celery with hummus

Lunch:
Egg-less Caesar Salad w/ soy chicken
1 sugar-free orange creamsicle

This is the yummy Egg-less Caesar Salad w/ Soy Chicken. This is a keeper!

Afternoon Snack:
1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
(D had a mozzarella cheese stick)

Dinner:
Portobello Mushroom Burger (without the bun)
Steamed broccoli

This Portobello Mushroom Burger may not look pretty, but it was very tasty.

Dessert:
Lemon Zest Ricotta Crème
(D had Mocha Ricotta Crème)

Exercise:
None. I suck.

I plan on two forms of exercise. The first will be walking up Runyon Canyon. From my start to finish, the walk is about 4 miles long. With half of it being all up hill. It is not an easy walk, but it is an enjoyable one. Beautiful views (on a semi smog-free day) and many, many, many cute dogs. Runyon is a popular dog walking park in L.A. All shapes, sizes, colors, breeds and barks. Yes, a very enjoyable walk. My second form of exercise will be pilates. I do pilates on my living room floor. I have two Windsor Pilates recorded on Tivo. A 20 minute session and a 60 minute session. Hopefully, I will be able to stick with my plan.

As for the South Beach Diet, there are 3 phases:

Phase 1 will last for two weeks. It is a strict diet of NO sugars, breads or pastas. This tragically includes all fruit and alcohol!!! Now don’t get me wrong, this is not a starvation type of diet. I will be eating plenty as South Beach insists that every day one consumes breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and DESSERT! One can’t really complain about that meal plan.

Phase 2 is intended for people who wish to continue to lose weight. Once Phase 1 is complete the body has been purged or cleansed of all sugars. Phase 2 slowly reintroduces sugars. This phase continues for as long as one wishes to loose weight.

Phase 3 is intended for people who wish to maintain their weight. This phase allows you to eat everything you want, but within moderation. Keeping SB rules in mind. Phase 3 is meant to be more of a life style rather than a temporary diet.

The South Beach Diet has many cookbooks that provide excellent and tasty recipes for all phases. I see a lot of cooking in my future. At least I won’t be doing it alone. My husband has also noticed his waistline growing as well. He has decided embark on this adventure with me. Hopefully, the buddy system will keep us strong.

I will try (but not promise) to write a daily post of Phase 1. Wish us luck!

Just doing my part for TV.

For the past two weekends (including Fridays), I have been busy shooting an independent film. For reasons unknown to me, I have been sworn to secrecy regarding any details of this film. One would think that I am working on the set of super secret TV shows like Lost or 24. All I can tell you is that it’s an high action drama. These past two weekends have been filled with long hours and terribly cold evenings wearing nothing but a little black dress. As cute as I may have looked, I was freezing my butt off. You may be thinking, “California doesn’t even have a winter.” Well let me tell you, along the coast we may not have snow, but some nights it sure feels like we do.

Unable to avoid the inevitable, all of us female actors proceeded to get sick after the first weekend of shooting. By the second weekend we were all Hollywood starlet material with our ever sexy hacking (all in various phlegm stages), our attractive red and snotty noses and our barely there cheerful demeanor’s. Thankfully, the executives were better prepared for the second weekend’s evening shots. They provided us with heaters and enclosed the area with walls and roof of plastic sheeting to keep the ocean breeze out. We have one more full weekend then we are off on location to Las Vegas. That’s where the real fun begins!

With all my grumblings aside, we are having fun (well, most of the time). I will be sure to tell you all about our Las Vegas escapades.

Now that I have professed my undying love for the Swedish company, I will start with my grumbling. We own two floor lamps from Ikea. Yes, they are nice looking. Yes, they were budget friendly. Yes, they serve their purpose and provide light to our otherwise dark rooms. However, these little bastards bestow light on their own terms. Every 4 or 5 months, they decide to toy with us.

It will be a normal evening and artificial light is required. A simple flip of the switch is all that is needed. Then, with a startling pop, a brief flash of light, and a mini heart attack we are engulfed in the darkness again. I know what you are thinking. Just change the light bulb, dimwit. However, the light bulb isn’t the only problem. The lamp has blown a !*@# fuse… again. The problem is a tiny little fuse. Now, I will admit that a replacement fuse is inexpensive, about 75 cents. The last time I was at Home Depot, I cleaned them out, buying every last fuse. This happens so often, it is just easier having a supply on hand. Replacing it is where the problems really begin.

First, the room is still fricken dark. “Where the heck is the flashlight?” “Where did we put our stash of fuses?” In this case, it takes two people to change a light bulb. Me, to hold the flashlight and Deutsch, to change the fuse and bulb.

Second, the box in which the dead fuse is in must be pried open. You see, this box does not open easily. It was not designed to be opened on a regular basis. Therefore, over the years this box has gone through tremendous damage. Today, they (both boxes, both lamps) are now held together with the always fashionable electrical tape.

The third and final problem is us. At this point we are so cranky, all we want to do is throw the darn thing out of the window. However, we can’t because the room is dark and we don’t know where the damn window is.

So on your next excursion to Ikea, please remember my story. I urge you not to look directly in the lighting area. Avert your eyes. Should you accidentally take a peek, fight the desire to walk into the light. It is not your time yet. Fight the temptation, go to Sears.