Healthcare Reform or Media Trap?

Tomorrow, President Obama will be speaking with Republican leaders on the issue of healthcare reform in a live televised debate. One of the goals of this meeting will be to figure out how to come to an agreement on certain key issues regarding national healthcare reform before moving forward with the reform bill. In particular, President Obama has expressed a willingness to be open-minded to suggestions from the Republican party members that will not only help give more coverage to more Americans, but simultaneously help lower the national deficit.

So did any of that register to you out there? Yeah, it all sounds like something straight copied and pasted from CNN.com, right? Often when I hear newscasters or read journalists' reports on what's going on in Washington, a lot of it registers to me as "blah blah blah." Not because I'm not interested in the issues per se, but because of an underlying distrust in news media as a whole. Where did this come from? I'm not exactly sure, but I'm willing to bet that I'm not alone.

Even this televised meeting for example. From the day it was announced, it has translated to many, especially Republican representatives, as a "trap." Many are suspicious of a purportedly "open" discussion, and Obama's request for Republican leaders to "lay their ideas out on the table."

Though Obama has repeated his own desire for a change in the tone of American politics, and for an elimination of a kind of relentless "political theater" as some have termed it, he has still failed to convince many that his intentions are without guile. Though I think at this point, with the economy still being what it is, it would be difficult to convince even the most optimistic American that things are going to change.

Now I'm sure Jay Leno, and Bill Maher and those folks have probably already made a snarky comment or two about all the heated healthcare headlines swirling around this week. Call me soft, but I can't bring myself to crack a joke today. Instead, I leave you with some cool tips on how to cook healthier, and be more aware of health-related risks.

With all the buzz on new diet fads (HCG - where a pregnancy hormone which inhibits appetite is literally injected into a non-pregnant person. Wow. As if people aren't cranky enough these days...) and our own First Lady leading the pack with her childhood obesity prevention initiative Let's Move (a woman who's well dressed AND knows how to get down to business? 2010 better watch out), it's always helpful to know how to adjust your eating habits with minimal changes to your current diet.

Cheers to everyone trying to make 2010 a healthier year.

Bridgestone Superbowl 2010 Ad - "FAIL!", says the killer whale

Those poor, poor people at Bridgestone. Last night, I watched in disbelief as their flashy new Superbowl 2010 commercial was aired on cable. The commercial in itself was nothing ground-breaking.... in fact, it was rather fun. Here's the gist:

Three good-looking young guys in a truck speed down the typical 'car ad' winding road, braking, slewing violently. They have stolen a killer-whale, a la 'The Hangover.' 'Great bachelor party', one of them jokes, as they accelerate down a pier towards the ocean. As they reach the end, they brake and slew the car around.... and the whale slides out of the back, crashes through the rail and falls into the ocean. He does a little leap of joy, like flipper. He's free!

A fun, lighthearted commercial that probably cost thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours (full-sized anamatronic whale, anyone?) and would have been highly successful.... had the top news story of the day not been that a killer whale at SeaWorld had killed a trainer in front of a live audience.

Seen in this light, the airing of the commercial on this particular day seems slightly sinister, even revolutionary, maybe - right now the animal's fate is being discussed, and while it is agreed that the creature will not be put down, due to the trainer's strong love of the whales (who she thought of as her children), Bridgestone's commercial has unwittingly served as a 'Youtube-style' video-response from the entire general public to SeaWorld. Free the whale!

Public opinion aside, I could almost hear the sound of foreheads being slapped in the Bridgestone HQ as the commercial aired, and aside from wondering in a queasy kind of way why the commercial wasn't pulled at the last minute, all this got me thinking about meaning in the media, and how quickly a film that cost millions of dollars and was the culmination of someone's life's work could so quickly be rendered meaningless by a dumb twist of fate.

But that's the media for you. And, in case you haven't seen it, here's the Brightstone advert for you:

Tiger Woods - Human or Animal?

Tigers Woods. Tsk tsk. What to say about a man whose professional career as the world's greatest golfer was almost ended last November, when he crashed his car at 2:30am whist driving away from his house at high speed. He was then 'rescued' by his wife, who was for some strange reason chasing him in his car wielding one of his own golfing clubs.

Suspicious? Maybe. Dumb? Absolutely.

It has since been revealed that despite being married to Elin Nordegren, a former Swedish model and daughter of former minister of migration Barbro Holmberg, Tiger had indulged in a series of no less that 15 extramarital affaris, including famously San Diego cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, who publicly claimed in the gossip magazine Us Weekly that she had a two-and-a-half-year affair with Woods.

It almost makes you wonder whether you really can have too much of a good thing.

Born Eldrick Tont Woods, Tiger Woods is one of the most successful professional golfers of all time. His personal affairs notwithstanding, he had been a poster boy for the American Dream to so many people, benefiting the lives of those who he helped through his many and highly publicized charity events. On the course, his swing and stance was perfect. He had more awards and praise heaped upon him in his ten year golfing career than most people experience in a lifetime.

But off the course, it seemed that his behavior had been less than perfect. With fans turning away in droves and his sponsorship deals dropping like flies after details of his affairs began to emerge, he famously said that "he used to believe he was entitled to do whatever he wanted to do, and that, due to his success, normal rules did not apply to him."

Unfortunately for Tiger, when you're married to a supermodel with two kids, on top of being one of the world's most recognizable faces, 'normal rules' have a way of following you home, or in Tiger's case, chasing you out of your home wielding one of your own golfing clubs. If you could write a manual on how to completely ruin your life, Tiger's Woods style, it might read a little something like this.

To those who argue against nature over nurture, you have your anthropology experiment right here in the form of a man who thought he could do whatever he wanted because he is famous. To anyone who has ever dated a star of some kind, you might say that the warning was on the box.

But to those of you with any common sense whatsoever, you might say that the higher they are, the further they fall.... and in Tiger Wood's case, it looks like the fall will continue for a long while to come.

To Luge or Not to Luge: Musings on the Ambiguous Athleticism of the Winter Olympics

Is anyone else wondering at exactly what point the athleticism is supposed to kick in with a “sport” like luging? Seriously, what particular athletic skill are we supposed to be admiring here? I mean, I’m no athlete myself, a regular layperson when it comes to sports (let alone an international circus act like the Olympics). But when you’re watching someone slide down a tube on what can only be described as a barely-there bobsled, the physicality (and safety) seems pretty minimal (and suspiciously similar to the kind of strategy a 5-year old would use on a playground slide).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean any disrespect. Especially with the recent tragedy of 21-year old Georgian luger Nordar Kumaritashvili (and British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski’s equally tragic death at the 1964 Innsbruk Games- I guess history really doesn’t teach us anything), I am certainly not trying to be irreverent for the sake of irreverence. Seth McFarlane’s my homie but I’m shocked to say that Sarah Palin might be right about this one: some things are just off limits. All jokes aside, I’m really just asking for someone to help me understand the athletic prowess (if any) behind a practice known to some as glorified tobogganing (I think tobogganing is safer though).

Another bone I have to pick with the Winter Olympics: what is up with the impossibly narrow lanes in speed skating? I mean if we all pitched in to fund wider racing lanes, wouldn’t this whole Ohno-being-an-asshole-vs. South Korea debacle cease to exist? Not that wider lanes would eliminate the drama though – I mean, have you seen a Korean soap lately? Drama for your mama AND your mama-in-law (there’s always an in-law catfight at some point). I mean, how is skating THAT close to someone, so close that you’re quite literally AT his heels, even allowed? You almost can’t even scrounge up empathy for the poor Olympic medal hopefuls who end up biting the ice chip dust and sliding into the foam walls mid-race. How can you feel bad for someone who has voluntarily entered a race in which the rules require you to pursue your opponent’s spandex-covered bottom with your nose while slicing away at the ice rink on razor-sharp skates?

I guess even extreme sports have feelings. They need some kind of validation other than the dumbfounded look us normal folk give when we are told that extreme sports are defined by the very risk of death itself. The question remains: Is it worth it? I don't know if the Kumaritashvili family would agree anymore.

Denim Duds Definitely a Dud

[Cue circus music] Step right up folks! American fashion has officially hit an all time low, ladies and gents. If you thought Crocs and the Ed Hardy logo were bad, get a load of this: Pajama jeans. Yes, you read that right. And no, I’m not referring to the current “boyfriend jean” trend. No, my fellow forward-thinking fashionistas. Sadly, we’re not talking about loose-fitting, artfully ripped and torn denim that you’ve been seeing on runways and hanging off of anorexic celebrities’ hip bones. We’re talkin’ straight up spandex and jersey masquerading as well-fitted designer label jeans, complete with high-contrast stitching (I sense a True Religion lawsuit coming on) and rivets “so they look like they were made by some European designer”. (Hey, is anyone else wondering when rivets became an outsourced fashion accessory?)

I mean let’s face it, if you’re gonna call a spade a spade, pajama jeans are really just the awkward cousin of another recent fashion faux pas also touted for its convenient marriage of comfort and style: denim leggings. A co-conspirator, if you ask me. As if American fashion doesn’t already have a bad rap. And just when Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs thought they had the upper hand too! (Actually, both American high fashion boy wonders revived European luxury brands so what does that tell you? Hey, maybe they can demystify the whole rivet controversy!)

Aside from its “sneaky” act of deception (seriously, you almost expect the women in these ads to turn around and wink at the camera, point with both hands and yell, “Gotcha!”), these jeans apparently boast a comfortable fit that mimics the feeling of pajamas. So you can run your errands in comfort AND style. “The best of both worlds”, the website says. Hmm. Kind of reminds you of Carls Jr.’s campaign for the six-dollar burger, doesn’t it? Trying to force upscale dining into the mold of fast food when at bottom, we all know we’re still eating Carl’s Jr. no matter how you spin it. And really, how gourmet is it to be wolfing down a burger with one hand while speeding perilously down the 405? Pajama jeans can mimic designer jeans all they want, but it’s a mediocre impression at best.

C'mon, everyone knows that part of what makes real jeans irresistible to a woman, makes them THE go-to casual-but-put -together outfit, is precisely what also makes them uncomfortable; the stiffness of the twill spun fabric which holds it all in -especially since real women have curves, right America Fererra? Taking away the very essence of denim itself seems almost emasculating, an act of sartorial castration if you will.

It’s an insatiable desire, wanting the best of both worlds. I mean, there are equally bizarre manifestations of such desire everywhere you look: North Korea wants to be both loved AND feared. Baptist missionaries in Haiti want to help AND kidnap. Is it too much to ask that we exercise a little more caution before combining two antithetical concepts into one “convenient” package? Or maybe it’s not caution that we lack, so much as a basic acceptance of the universal rules of fashion: no pain, no fashion statement. Deal with it ladies. If you wanna look good, you gotta pay your dues. Or you can pay $39.99 and get a free t-shirt with your order - hey at least that part of the outfit won't be ridiculed. Just don't tell anyone you got them by purchasing the Jeans for the Inordinately Lazy Dresser.

TVLesson Writing Contest now Open - Get Creative and Win Prizes!

This month, love is in the air with TVLesson's Valentines Day Competition. We are looking for new talented creative writers to enter our contest and submit Valentines-themed articles, tips and recipes to TVLesson. You’ll have a chance to win monthly prizes, whilst building up a following and promoting yourself to our 5 million yearly viewers.

CONTEST DETAILS

Are you a romantic whiz in the kitchen? Do you know a recipe for chocolate lava cake that drives women wild? Or do you have any real-life relationship or romance tips that you'd like to share with our viewers this Valentine's Day?

Send us your favorite original Romantic Recipes, relationship advice and love-tips (PG-13 only!) and you will be entered into our Contest. The top 3 entries that get the most votes on our website will win a $50 Best Buy gift card. 10 runners up will get $20 Best Buy gift cards.

You are allowed unlimited entries. Have fun with your recipes and tips, and let your creativity run wild. Feel free to include pictures, advice, commentary, funny stories and anything else you think might make your entry stand apart from the pack and win you a prize.

CLICK HERE to enter!

PRIZES

* 3 Winners - $50 Best Buy gift card

* 10 Runner's Up prizes - $20 Best Buy gift card

RULES

* Theme – Valentines Day! Romantic Recipes or Love/ Relationship/ Dating Tips and Articles
* Please include the word 'Valentines' in the title of your article

* Winner will be decided by viewer voting - so tell your friends to vote for you!

* Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished online* and unproduced, not accepted or

displayed by any other online or print publisher or producer at the time of submission

* Unlimited entries. Enter as many times as you like (one entry per submitted article).

* Winner will be decided by viewer voting - so tell your friends to vote for you!
* No Illegal or explicit content or images
* No copyrighted images or content

PRIZE RULES

* Gift cards for all winners will be posted to the address you register with when you sign up.

* We hate spam too and will never sell or give out your personal information, ever.

* No cash alternative to gift cards.

* US Entries only

Contest Starts: 2.1.10

Entry Deadline: 2.17.10

Good luck everybody! :-)

iPad Unveiled: An Interesting but Pointless App Displayer

These days, we can all name at least one thing that has failed to live up to its hype. In no particular order: over-commercialized holidays (will Hallmark never let up?), Avatar minus the visuals (disgruntled cultural critics unite!), Obama’s presidency (apparently, secretly right-leaning leftists have officially taken over the approval rating polls). Oh and how could I forget the billboard-hogging McRib sandwich – I mean, is anyone else wondering how you can make a comeback if you never really came to begin with?

News pulses and online trends are unanimous though: Apple is finally slated to be the underdog in THE techie tourney of the year: die-hard Steve Jobs worshippers vs. the rest of us in a chokehold deathmatch for the title: the 2010 (Un)Justified Hype Championship. I guess it’s not so much a title as it is a kind of geeky bragging right (move over Tina Fey) and maybe a cover story in Wired magazine. Geek or not, no one can deny the way Jobs has had the general public eating out of the palm of his hand since the advent of the iPod and its ubiquitous high-contrast black and white ads of dancing audiophiles. And I have to admit, it was a teensy bit inspiring to watch the still-enthusiastic iCEO (his moniker, not mine) present his shiny oblong brainchild to the masses: a moment of elation for sure. But I still think it's a bit of a false alarm: in other words, we can all put our heads back down and continue texting on our iPhones now.

Seriously, at the end of the day, when the blinding white lights turn off at the Apple store and Shaq stops being a good sport about the “finally an ipod that can fit in his hand” jokes, is there a real justification out there for this toy? In order to keep the price “reasonable” (still an elastic word given the current state of the economy), the iPad can’t 1) take pictures and can’t 2) run Flash. I mean, wow. For a 10-inch LCD screen , that’s 2 for 2 folks.

Still, I really can’t talk too much smack about a brand whose products underwent the most famous makeover in techie history (Skittle colored iMacs anyone?). And given its lucrative success immediately following the late 90s, you can hardly throw iPad updates into the Who Cares Hindenburg (props to the LNWJF writers for that one). I mean, Jennifer Aniston probably wouldn’t agree with this (according to Vogue), but I think the rumors flying around for this thing almost rivaled the Brangelina fiasco. Yep, it was right up there along with the Haiti earthquake and Susan Boyle's album release date.

Ahh well, what are you gonna do? If technological advances are really just a mad scramble towards obsoleteness, then all this iBashing is really just killing time until the iPad nano comes out anyway.