I know that some people are upset it took Obama this long to come out for gay marriage. I, too, wish it could have happened sooner. I certainly wish it had not taken something likeNorth Carolina’s Amendment 1 passing, to get him do so. (Am I the only person who finds it ironic that this is called Amendment 1 and the First Amendment of the US Constitution is the one that calls out separation of church and state?) However, I also understand why it is still a risky move. Please remember to vote this November. Don’t let hate win.
Archive for May, 2012
#TheVoice (s2 Finale)
09
May
Congratulations to Jermaine Paul, winner of season two of The Voice.
Since I have no beef with how the voting turned out, I want to talk about the show and differences from last year.
Both seasons have featured duets with the contestants and coaches. What I missed this year was the meaningful duets of contestants and other singers. Last year, Javier sang with Stevie Nicks, and it was amazing.
I also missed each of the contestants getting their own original song. It is nice to make a song your own, but it’s better when the song actually is your own.
#TheVoice (s2 ep20)
08
May
I have to say, I think it’s anybody’s game except Chris Mann’s. I feel bad, because he has an amazing voice, but he honestly doesn’t have much range. He talked in the beginning on how he didn’t want to have to change himself, but he wanted to sing pop- well, he can’t sing pop without toning himself down or at least learning to loosen up.
Tony Lucca’s arrangement for 99 Problems was absolutely perfect. If they hadn’t told me it was a Jay-Z song, I would have thought it was the blues.
Jermaine and Juliet also had really great nights.
#MythBusters (ep 187)
07
May
I love the water heater myths, though they do make me really wish I had gas heat at my house so I could switch to a tankless water heater. (They have them for electric, too, but they aren’t very energy efficient.). And I know I shouldn’t speculate, but given the absolute elaborate setup they had for stopping the water heater cannon, what do you want to be this was the myth where they sent a cannonball into a neighborhood and through houses?
I don’t know that I’d call rocket man confirmed. Survivability was pretty much a zero in that scenario.
Science Links
06
May
Four things:
Living near volcanoes myself, it’s good to have a reminder that a eruptions do not pose the only danger. A mudflow that is like a wall of concrete coming at you is not something to be dismissed.
Like me, you’ve probably always pictured robots as being made of metal, but think of the possibilities for biodegradable robots- mechanisms that could be released into the ocean to help with oil spills and such.
You know I love space. Information has recently been gathered that challenges the current dark matter theory.
The Astronomy Picture of the Day website is awesome.
Blog Feature: American Debt Project
05
May
I enjoy American Debt Project. She’s honest about her situation, her goals, and when she messes up. In fact, I often think she’s too hard on herself. It’s a problem I’ve noticed with a lot of personal finance bloggers. Even though we start blogging because we have made mistakes, and we want other people to know that that’s okay, we start to expect perfection from ourselves. Well, none of us, not even the big name personal finance bloggers, are perfect. We all take our own road to financial freedom. I’m happy to be sharing the journey with American Debt Project.
Your Money Friday: Talking About Money
04
May
Back in the first post for The Dog Ate My Wallet, I wrote about My Money Philosophy. I believe that personal finances shouldn’t be a taboo subject. I believe that we would all be better able to make good financial decisions if people were willing to talk about money. However, I’m definitely in the minority. I knew that, but threads like “How much do you tell people about your money?” really bring it home. And that seems wasteful to me. No wonder kids know nothing about money when the people who have made smart decision refuse to talk about it.
Movie Review: Inkheart
03
May
I enjoyed Inkheart. I’ve been really happy with the way Brendan Fraser has grown into his roles in family fantasy type movies. I did have a few bumps with the story- like who got sucked into the story the previous times he had read aloud (before his wife was taken)? And who came out of the story when the daughter read to send everyone back? Especially when she put the author in the book. He hadn’t been there to begin with.
At the same time, those were questions for after the movie. While watching it, I was just having fun.
#TheVoice (s2 ep19)
02
May
I went 50/50. I love Juliet Simms, so I was happy to see her go through. I was surprised by the Chris Mann vote. He definitely has a voice, no one can argue that, but his stated intention (back during the blind auditions) was to sing pop. He has been unable to let go enough to do that well. But maybe the experience will teach him that it’s okay to be an opera singer.
It was nice to see Adam and Cee Lo learn from the Nakia experience and assign their points in a way that was meaningful to them.
#TheVoice (s2 ep18)
01
May
It was a great show last night. I thought everyone sang really well. No matter who makes the finals, it will be a good show. And I want to remind people that just being in the semi-finals can get contestants an album. It did for Blake’s semi-finalist last year.
Chris Mann has a voice. He still can’t sing pop, as the group performance showed. Erin Willett also got lost on the group performance.
My guesses for finals: Tony Lucca, Jermaine Paul, Lindsay Pavao, and Jamar Rodgers. The last really uncertain, but I think Jamar appeals to more people than Juliet.