Category Archives: television

Star Trek Vs. Star Wars

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Last week I listened to an interesting conversation.  A couple of coworkers were chatting, and it turned to the new Star Wars movie.  One of the guys mentioned that he had always been a Star Trek fan, that he had grown up with it and never really got into Star Wars.

Suddenly it dawned on me that this is the first time I’ve ever actually heard anyone say anything like this.  The stereotype is that the two franchises have rabid fans who will defend their choice over the other all the time.  But what I’ve encountered in reality is people who may have a preference, but tend to be a fan of both.

Just an interesting observation, and maybe I don’t get involved deeply enough in the internet to truly get it.

The science behind mermaids

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Today I flipped on the TV and stumbled across a show on Animal Planet about of all things…mermaids!  It was presented as a documentary, some people were going to speak publicly for the first time about what they had seen in their time working for various agencies and military branches.  At first it seemed pretty realistic, but some of the footage gave it away as being a dramatization.  A little research found that the show is a “speculative documentary,” similar to something Animal Planet did a few years ago about dragons.

Although the show, called “Mermaids: The Body Found” is not true, the science used was true enough.  They presented a theory that our primitive ancestors had found their way to the oceans and evolved over the years into what we know as mermaids.  The adaptations they would have had to make were interesting and seemed realistic enough.

This type of speculative work is fun.  Even though there is no real basis for mermaids being real, other than myths from different cultures throughout history, I enjoyed seeing that myth being looked at with real science to see how it could be real.  Of course with the ocean, as with lots of nature, there are huge pockets of undiscovered life.  New species are found, even large things like whales are found despite the years and technologies out there.

So what does this mean?  Nothing really, it’s just fun.  I wish I remembered more about the show that Animal Planet did on dragons.  I do remember that it was done similarly, using examples from nature to show how it could be real.

If you want more info on the show, check out Animal Planet’s site: http://animal.discovery.com/tv/monster-week/episode/schedule.html#sunday

“The Voice” semifinals

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Here in California we’re a few minutes away from the semifinals of “The Voice”.  As I wait for the DVR to get a few minutes ahead, this is the time to write up my thoughts on the last eight contestants.  To start, I don’t have anyone that I really dislike.  Last season, I really didn’t like Christina’s finalist, Beverly.  She was talented, but I just really didn’t care for her music or her personality.  This actually makes this season a little harder.  I don’t have anyone to root against (I had a few, but they all got eliminated over the last few weeks), so I’ve got to pick my favorites to root for.

Team Adam
Katrina Parker and Tony Lucca
I’ve liked Katrina’s voice from the beginning.  I totally see why she gets the comparisons to Adele (both because of her voice and because of her look), but I don’t think that’s anything bad.  Tony finally wowed me when he did “Hit me Baby One More Time” but I need to see him do something more.  At this point I’m pulling for Katrina.

Team Blake
Erin Willett and Jermaine Paul
Jermaine has been one of the strongest singers since the beginning.  He has talent and big time experience as a backup for Alicia Keys.  My wife really likes Erin, but she hasn’t wowed me yet.  I pick Jermaine, and honestly he has to be a favorite to win it all.

Team CeeLo
Jamar Rogers and Juliet Simms
CeeLo finally got rid of James and Cheesa.  I couldn’t stand either of them from the beginning.  Jamar is great, but I feel like everything is about his story at this point.  After his last performance everyone praised his story and said nothing about his singing, which was good but not great.  Juliet is an amazing performer and controls the stage.  She’s got to be a favorite to win as well.

Team Christina
Chris Mann and Lindsay Pavao
I really like Lindsay’s voice, but I don’t dig what she’s been doing with her songs so far.  I’m hoping that she gets something awesome when she gets to do an original song.  Chris is pretty awesome and I’ve liked him from the beginning.  So at this point, I’ve got to put my support behind Chris.

So where does that leave us?  I like Juliet, Jermaine, Chris and Katrina in the finals.  Out of them?  Wow, I’d really be happy with anyone winning.  I can picture myself buying stuff by Juliet, Chris or Katrina.  Depending on what style of music he goes with I could buy Jermaine’s stuff too.  Personally I’d like to see Juliet or Katrina.  Juliet is entertaining and Katrina is a great talent.  Guess we’ll have to see how it goes!