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I passed, with only 3 minors! :D

AND I had to do a parallel park, on a HILL! The examiner said that when he asked me to I had a look of sheer terror, heh. I got in first time perfect, but was sure I must be out, so put the handbrake on and went to go into first, but he stopped me and said that that was fine, see, it wasn't so bad! He was really nice, though; he had tested me before and felt very bad for failing me, so he said he was glad to be able to pass me. He said it was a great drive, and I had deserved it!

Unfortunately my car's MOT ran out in September so I can't legally drive it (if I do, my insurance will be invalid). It's being MOT'd Wednesday, so I'm back to uni today (due to registration) and coming home on Thursday, then I'll drive up Saturday or Sunday. Yay! It's going to be great to have so much freedom.

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'The Da Vinci Code' is also not worth the read. It certainly did not live up to the hype. And it is not real (I thought I would remind Da Vinci fanatics of this). I didn't feel that the ending was much of a twist, really. I didn't feel shocked, or surprised; I just wasn't bothered. It was far too predictable, and the writing was poor. I also didn't like the need for so many short chapters - there are 105 in total, but many are less than two pages in length!

Obviously Dan Brown, the author, has done a lot of research for the book, some of which was interesting, which is it's merit - but only if you're interested in religion and the history of Christianity.

Many of the 'puzzles' that the characters struggled over, I found fairly simple, particularly at the beginning in the murder scene. A quick, light read for those who want something thought-provoking and that will make them appear intelligent and/or well-read, without much effort or without actually having to do much thinking.

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'Fun With Dick and Jane' is awful. DON'T DO IT.

It was not funny at all, not even "heh" funny. I didn't care about the characters. They're too unrealistic. And their kid is Spanish, for some unknown reason. They are meant to be broke, yet keep a cleaner! Surely the cleaner would be the first to go, if you were struggling to pay your mortgage? They start stealing, but there is no real explanation behind it. If you were desperate for work, you would go for lower positions - it was just unbelievable.

It's full of so many plotholes, it's just not realistic, and the fact that it's not funny, makes it not worth seeing. It's only blessing is that it's short, but when it's over I just thought "... is that it?" It didn't seem like a proper ending.

Books & an Open Letter to Dr. Laura

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I finished reading Well of Lost Plots yesterday on the train - I hadn't touched it in a while due to being so busy with assignments and exams. I then started reading the Da Vinci code, which I'm now halfway through. It's alright; so far it doesn't really seem to be living up to the hype.

Someone on my Livejournal friend's list posted this, and I thought it was worth sharing:

Dr Laura Schlessinger is a US radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet.

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination.

End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them.

1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev.1:9). The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev.15:19-24). The problem is, how do tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev.11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,
Jim.