Sunday, June 29, 2014

Masterful Tim McGraw

I wasn't really familiar with Tim McGraw (and I don't think I knew a single song of his) but I happened to catch Oprah's Master Class on the OWN Network featuring him. What a contrast to the episodes I've encountered previously

Tim McGraw came off likable, charismatic, sincere and interesting... helping me to realize the value of the show when it's done right. Listening to his story was inspiring and conveyed the benefits of perseverance, hope and humility. It doesn't hurt that he's also talented and good looking. Well done Tim McGraw, country superstar!

Foiled by Double Chocolate Bread Pudding but not by High Fructose Corn Syrup

While I fit in exercise session number 35 yesterday, I also fell victim to this decadent dessert, prepared by my lovely sister, and served with a side of cookie dough ice cream.

Close-up to appreciate the beauteous texture:

The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of chocolate syrup, with Hershey's as the recommended brand. However, the first ingredient in Hershey's Chocolate Syrup is High Fructose Corn Syrup, followed by more Corn Syrup. Yuck. 

I googled "healthy alternative to chocolate syrup" and found this simple recipe for making your own chocolate syrup on this blog "Art of Natural Living." Not only was this version super simple to make, requiring only a few ingredients, it actually tasted better than Hershey's syrup!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients
  • 1 c water
  • 1 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 c cocoa
  • 1 t vanilla
Directions
 
1.  Mix sugar and cocoa.
2.  Add water and bring to a boil,  pressing out any lumps with the back of a spoon.  Boil for a couple minutes.  Add vanilla.
3.  Cool and store in refrigerator.

Thanks to Art of Natural Living for this far superior alternative to store brand chocolate syrup. 

Replacing high fructose corn syrup, even in a double chocolatey dessert, made me feel better about indulging.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Sorry - Not Sorry

"'Maybe we’d hear “sorry” differently if we took it as a gesture of compassion, not'... 'a sign of weakness.'”

Ms. Dahl, quoted in an Op-Ed piece in the NY Times, shared my perspective on this ad from Pantene:


"Sorry - Not Sorry," the ad's "improvement" on a simple sorry, is actually passive agressive which, in my opinion, is weaker than being apologetic for no real reason.

Also note the body language of the woman replacing "Sorry" with "Morning, got a minute?" Her shrugging shoulders, cute little head nod to the side, and meek delivery don't really convey a remarkably different message, although her hair is pretty lustrous.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Dr. Phil Strikes Again - Lie Detector Lack of Logic

The following is a detailed (over)analysis of "A Father Accused: Did He Molest His Children" which aired today, uploaded for the time being here:



There's a lot of baloney in this episode, which is unfortunate because it involves a very serious issue: allegations by a mother, Wilma, that her husband, Adam, has sexually abused their children.

Now, I'm not arguing that Wilma is right; that she's telling the truth; that her child actually accused the father; or that Adam is a molester. However, (again) Dr. Phil poorly handles the matter and carelessly distorts the discussion. In a most disturbing display of exceeding his professional expertise, Dr. Phil actually sets himself up as the judge to determine whether child abuse did in fact occur and delivers a verdict. Isn't it highly irresponsible for a talk show host to exercise this kind of jurisdiction in a one hour television show? 

(at 39:01) Dr. Phil states that he isn't basing his conclusion on the results of the polygraph results alone.
However, immediately after announcing the results of the lie detector test, which supports Adam, Dr. Phil asks Wilma (at 33:16): "How do you feel about the fact that this test confirms that Adam has not touched your children in a sexual manner?"
(at 33:37): "You should be elated... you have just found out that these evidence indicate that your child has not been molested. Is that not the best news that you have ever  heard your whole life?" 

Since when is a polygraph proof positive? Have we gotten to that level of technology? In fact, doesn't the research indicate the opposite:
"Polygraphy has little evidence to support its use.[9][10][11] Despite claims of 90% validity by polygraph advocates,[12] the National Research Council has found no evidence of effectiveness.[10] The utility among sex offenders is also poor[13] with insufficient evidence to support accuracy or improved outcomes in this population.[14]"

In rendering his verdict, Dr. Phil repeatedly states (his opinion) as a fact that child abuse has not taken occurred:
(at 41:20) He states to Wilma, "As much as you feel like reality is spinning right now, you should have joy that all signs point to the fact that no one has hurt your children."

(at 40:05) Before apologizing to Adam, Dr. Phil states "And I'm the guy who says you have to believe children until you find out otherwise. I think we have found out otherwise."

(at 40:30) Dr. Phil states to Adam, "...now you have a lot more evidence than you had before....Well, I will be happy when you have your children in your [lap?] and they have their daddy in their lives."

However, to the complete contradiction of everything he had just represented, Dr. Phil concluded his show with:
(at 41:38) "If a child comes to you and gives you an indication that they've been touched inappropriately in some way, then please take that very, very seriously. Don't go running at the accused person like your hair is on fire in a hysterical way." [what the hell is that supposed to mean anyway??]
"Do your homework too. But believe that child, accept that child, nurture that child and find out what the truth is."

HERE'S MY REBUTTAL:
Fuck the truth. 
What if you can't uncover the truth? Is finding the truth even possible in every case? Humans are not oracles that can channel events to review them for accuracy. If, as I suspect in many cases of child abuse, there may not exist evidence which affirms the existence of the abuse, what does a parent do when faced with an indication/accusation/allegation by a child or even a gut instinct that something is wrong even without a shred of evidence? 
Here's my non-expert point of view - the truth would be convenient but it's actually a non-issue at this point. Your child is in need of help, and your search for the "truth" may derail what needs to be your primary focus, which is protecting your child. Err in favor of believing your child. 
Yes, even when the accused is a parent:
1) because even if it's untrue, the accusation indicates your child still needs help; 
2) I'll take my chances that an innocent adult is more capable of dealing with the injustice of a false accusation versus a victimized child if the unthinkable is in fact true.

Extended reading:
In no particular order, here's more of Dr. Phil's nonsense and flawed reasoning, which permeated the entire episode:

  • (at 39:10) Claiming that he didn't open the envelope containing the test results until he was on the show - what difference does that make? and that claim doesn't mean he didn't know the results of the test results before the show (which of course, he did).


  • Questioning the sufficiency of Wilma relying on her child's alleged account of abuse, asking:
    "Why do you believe that he is [molesting his daughter]?"

    "And you believe this?"

    "And why do you believe it. I mean, this is the man you married. I mean, you know him. Do you think he's capable of that?"

    Why is Wilma's knowledge of her husband independent of her daughter's accusation relevant? Why is Dr. Phil shifting responsibility over to Wilma based on her understanding of the man she married? Obviously, most sane people don't enter marriages with known pedophiles. If good people who would protect their children from danger had this kind of cognition, wouldn't that resolve the problem?

  • After Dr. Phil himself raises Wilma's allegations that she's been raped repeatedly during the marriage, he counters with:
    "I was interested to see if you wanted to talk about that, because if someone was molesting my children, I wouldn't want to talk about another damn thing... I wouldn't want to talk about pills... I wouldn't want to talk about muscle relaxers... I would want to talk about that... that would be my focus here... I was just curious what you want to talk about."

    So rape allegations and completely opposing accounts of drug use/abuse are not relevant to the credibility of these individuals? Why would Dr. Phil raise the issue only to pass judgment and dismiss its relevance? Why would Wilma's apparent concern that Adam's alleged abuse of her is related to the alleged abuse of her children be twisted by Dr. Phil to be representative of her lack of regard or focus on the issue at hand?


  • (at 13:44) Dr. Phil implores Adam to make a confession on national television if the allegations are true - following with an offer to help Adam any way that he can, stating "people can get over and recover from that."
    Was Dr. Phil just baiting Adam to reveal the truth or does Dr. Phil actually believe his sweeping generalization that a man who would molest his own children "can get over and recover from that?"

  • Contrary to Dr. Phil's suggestions, a Child Protective Services "No Finding" of evidence does not mean that no abuse happened. It simply means CPS didn't find conclusive evidence.

  • Dr. Phil used variations between Wilma's statements in police reports and what she told the show's producers to discredit her, determining the existence of inconsistencies. Are these variations actually inconsistencies? We don't know what kinds of questions producers ask their guests or how in depth these conversations are? We don't know to what extent Wilma received more information from her children since the time of her initial report to the police, which she then conveyed to the producers. Moreover, if the allegations are true, the information comes from a 4 year old and is being recounted by her emotionally distraught mother - is it that unbelievable that the information could be imprecise?

  • Dr. Phil threw out weighty terms such as "forensic interview" and touted his forensic investigation background as supporting his ability to determine what likely happened. However, all he seemed to reach were faulty conclusions. For example, I'm not sure that Wilma talking about herself in her forensic interview necessarily undermines her credibility. There are other possibilities, like maybe she's self-centered and not necessarily a liar?

  • Even if the guests had a pleasant testing experience and fully understood the test questions, these conditions do not establish the veracity of the lie detector test results. At one point Dr. Phil (at 29:35) even uses Wilma's words against her, "and, like you said, there are no false positives, so you don't have any problems with the test?" So now if Wilma says it, that makes it so, Dr. Phil?

  • Even if Wilma instructed her daughter on how to recount her experience, which was not proven, does this mean the abuse didn't happen?

And on a non-determinative point, I can't help but note that Adam's laugh at 11:52 is downright creepy. How are these accusations "laughable?" I don't know if this man is a molester, but it's weird that he finds allegations that he molested his own children comedic.

Sugar by the NYC Health Department

I reached exercise session 30 this weekend, of which I'm proud especially because I'm finally starting to see some improvement compared to 8 weeks ago when I started:

 
Unfortunately, I messed up really badly with my sugar addiction.

It began this lazy Sunday afternoon with this:


If only when I saw this:

I would realize it is actually this:



This is illustrated by this great ad by the NYC Health Department:

More Ad Commentary - Jake From State Farm

I always thought that this commercial should have ended without the final line from the husband "Well, she's a guy... so."



Yea, we know that. The line adds nothing in terms of information or comedy, and it just falls flat. A better commercial would have been edited to end with the [annoying] wife's funny line "Well, she sounds hideous" (perhaps followed by the husband's reacting expression).

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Ed Sheeran Sing (Video) - Puppet Trickery

I guess I can be critical even as I am simultaneously amused.

Check out the video for "Sing" by the super talented Ed Sheeran:



It's pretty clever to feature a really cool puppet masterfully manhandled throughout the video, rendering the debauchery more innocent, humorous and seemingly less exploitative of women - but not of Asians.

The "drunken" dancing Asian males flailing all over the place in the karaoke bar seem to be more objectified than even Ed Sheeran's puppet form. Then again, if you really think about it, having a puppet stand in for Ed, that's better looking than Ed himself, is a cop-out in itself.

Oh well, Ed doesn't seem to mind and neither do the dancing Asians. Should/Shouldn't they?

Game of Thrones: Season 4, Alive and Kicking All Up In Your Face

I considered live-blogging Game of Thrones Season 4 and then abandoned the idea. I love this show. I think it's excellent and respects its followers - unlike other ventures

However, I'm far too impatient to wait a week to get my fix, and so I prefer to see chunks of episodes at a time versus watching live airings each week. This way, I feel like I'm saving something special that I can enjoy in bulk. The drawback to this delayed viewing method is avoiding spoilers, which is a losing battle - partly because of the inconsideration of Facebook acquaintances but more often because I tend to read past the most alluring "spoiler alert" even when I'm forewarned. I annoy myself this way!

Season 4 was excellent. There was only one moment that stood out for me that seemed inspired by the current show runner/writers of the Walking Dead

NON-SPOILER ALERT.

Episode 8: The Mountain and the Viper was a great episode, even though the actual battle between the aforementioned characters doesn't take place until like the last five minutes, which were explosive! 

However, immediately preceding this magic, was a jail cell scene between Tyrion Lannister and his brother Jaime. What should have been touching was actually... ridiculously dull and forced. It involved an unreasonably long conversation about a random beetle smashing cousin, the drudgery of which was exacerbated by its utter pointlessness and a cringe-worthy Peter Dinklage (the actor who plays Tyrion). How uncouth for a midget little person vertically challenged individual anyone to mockingly impersonate a retard the developmentally disabled? Maybe that was the point? I am a fan of Peter Dinklage, but sometime after season 1, his accent/performances have flamboyantly teetered on the edge of questionable acting. I still love him though, save that stupid, really long beetle scene that was nothing more than filler leading into the good stuff/battle everyone was waiting on.

I can forgive these rare lapses (and the increasing ineffectiveness and bad judgment of Daenerys Targaryen) because Season 4 was truly impressive.

Sucks to have to wait a year for what happens next.

THE METHOD TO MARTIN'S MAD GENIUS:  MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW
NO REALLY!

Even though I have not read the books, after four seasons of having my emotions toyed with (and loving it), I finally get it. 

I realize now that George R.R. Martin's formula is the anti-formula: setting up the classic hero/villain formula and smashing it. 

In Season 1, I was sure Ned Stark would be rescued moments before his beheading. 

Season 3, I was completely blindsided by the Red Wedding.

Season 4, I was finally the wiser. Of course, the dashing Oberyn Tyrell was deserving of victory, not only championing the innocent Tyrion, but with a just cause of his own, i.e. avenging the cruel and horrific loss of his sister and her children... which is exactly why I knew he was DOOMED.
 
As Tyrion himself foreshadowed to the Viper earlier in the season:

 
"If you want justice, you've come to the wrong place."

Another Dumb Commercial - Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Cat Food

Why do ad execs insist on the annoying wife prototype? Do test studies actually indicate that consumers relate to the nagging wife?

But that's not even my main issue with this commercial:



She bemoans the lack of fruits and vegetables in cat food. 
Does this lady realize that cats are carnivores? A diet high in fruits and vegetables would actually kill her "baby."

Even if Blue Buffalo doesn't use meat by-products and the first ingredient listed in the commercial is chicken, I'm curious what percentage of the product is meat? Perhaps a cat food using meat by-products is still better for a cat than one containing a high percentage of carbs, even if the ingredients in the latter are all natural?

Blue Buffalo could include arsenic and still tout their product as all-natural. This commercial strikes me as yet another example of crafty marketing that insults the intelligence of annoying wives across the nation. 

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Pokerstars Sunday Billion - Father's Day Edition

I finished 8th out of 699 players, the furthest I've ever placed in this play money tournament. My prize was 13 million play money dollars. 

That's my quick play money poker update. 

Green Tea Evolution & Fat To Burn

Green tea supposedly enhances fat burning but I'm not sure it can combat all this (Caramel Apple Pie & Banana Caramel Cheesecake Xangos):



Here's my BFF with the pretty purple manicure modeling tea prep:

Thanks B!

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Asics Gel-Kayano 20 - Lite Show It Up!

Exercise session 26 happened today, against my sluggish Saturday afternoon malaise - thanks to motivation from a fit buddy across the country who squeezed in Pacific Standard Time 7 am exercise while his infant was sleeping - now that's commitment! 

I realized the need to invest in good running shoes after my feet were feeling the effects of even my fitness baby-steps. After a recommendation from another buddy, and reading rave reviews, I went with the Asics Gel-Kayano 20.

These are expensive but I splurged (including $10 extra for the glow in the dark version - hahaha, even though I never run at night or outside) fantasizing that my future fit body would be better off for them. 

Today's exercise session was the test jog - and it was totally worth it! Wow, what a difference a good pair of sneakers make! Each step was cushioned, as if I were moving on gel-enforced clouds - not flimsy insubstantial real clouds but heavenly angelic clouds that pave the way to the realization of dreams!

I'm not kidding. These kicks were all that.


Saturday, June 7, 2014

Viva la Moules Pot!

Mussels may be considered a pretty healthy meal option. However, I'm fairly confident that dousing them in a creamy lobster sauce will frustrate weight loss but definitely not the taste buds. Thumbs Up for the Moules Pot Homard Style!



These tasty critters were served with crispy fries and a mayo-y delicious sauce.


The final nail in workout #20 earlier this afternoon was dessert. This photo and the undoing of my fitness goals are the only evidence that remains of their existence.
Warm Brownie Sundae & Vanilla Creme Brûlée:

Yummy yum in my expanding tummy. The evening was especially delightful because of the company, my lovely cousin.

I'm definitely going to need to exercise tomorrow (and many other tomorrows) to pay for my crimes

My Hero - John Oliver & Net Neutrality

This is a beauty:

More Shitty Commercials - Cadillac Escalade Edition

How obnoxious is this commercial, "2015 Cadillac Escalade TV Commercial - Evolution of Indulgence"?


So, am I supposed to draw from this ad that Escalades, and its forerunner, slavery, are good things? Yes, watch not so carefully - this piece of shit actually features slaves.
 
There's no doubt that the advertising executives responsible are aware of their homage to slavery because they unsuccessfully attempt to offset the offensiveness by casting the modern-day Escalade driver as African-American with a white man-servant. How does this make your shitty commercial better, idiots? 
 
Fittingly enough, the commercial was followed on cable tv by the also shitty movie musical Evita, directly to a number where Antonio Banderas is furiously singing an awful rock number about tumultuous regime upheavals and military coups preceding an earthquake. I thought I saw somewhere in the mess an Escalade, the vehicle of choice for dictators and future wannabe oppressors.

p.s. While the featured song in the commercial, "Fame" by David Bowie is pretty catchy, Youtube commenters have noted that its critical lyrics (such as "Fame, puts you there where things are hollow") don't exactly jive with the elitist/luxury brand messaging of Escalade. Is this an oversight by neglectful ad execs, or some warped inside joke?

TCBY, My Lust

I have surprised myself by sticking with the exercise, completing session 19 in this sixth week (still just cardio/treadmill - need to eventually fit in some muscle strengthening). 

The nutrition part is even more challenging. My current obsession is:

I don't kid myself that this indulgence is a healthy alternative. Unfortunately, this knowledge isn't power enough to quit. 

As my frozen base, I've recently swapped out Golden Vanilla


for the protein-infused Greek Yogurt, which is less sweet.


Then, unfortunately for my waistline, I go nuts with the toppings galore!


My concoction usually consists of:
Toasted Coconut

Extra extra crunch

A smattering of Heath Bar which I'm trying and failing to omit


Mixed Nuts - I left these out last time, cause they're pretty fatty

A dollop of Hot Fudge

I'll have to update this blog to show you the finished product, which I once again devoured before documenting!

UPDATE: