Current Event - Romney in Wisconsin

The recent victory of Wisconsin Governor and conservative Scott Walker has provided the Romney campaign with proven strategies in achieving greater public and universal appeal, a fundamental aspect in securing victories in Midwestern battleground states. Walkers victory dealt a considerable low to the organized labor unions in Wisconsin, and its surrounding progressive and liberal base, indicating that despite not voting for a Republican presidential candidate in nearly 30 years, the state may serve as a decisive victory for Romney through a focused and strategic marketing campaign. Walker's $30 million in campaign funds is comparatively significant, and Romney's strong financial backing through devout PACs ensures that he'll have funding to maintain the same public influence on the national level. The unification of the Republic party in Wisconsin was also a fundamental aspect of Walker's victory, and such a national unification and endorsement may be significantly more difficult for Romney to achieve. Democratic observer feel such a national party mobilization would be far less effective, and have dismissed the Wisconsin congressional election as a financial anomaly. Walker's apparent conviction and championing of public interest will also be difficult for the perceivably cold and financially detached Romney to properly emulate. While the congressional election designated Wisconsin as a potential battleground state, recent election polling places Obama ahead by nearly 14 points.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/can-mitt-romney-match-wisconsins-scott-walker/2012/06/06/gJQAYokMIV_story.html

Current Event - Projected 2012 Box Office Earnings

Despite increasingly inflated ticket prices and the artificial addition of overpriced 3D tickets, box office earnings have been on a downturn over the last three years, falling from 10.595 billion dollars in 2009 to 10.174 billion in 2011. The viewership statistics have declined more considerably given this artificial price inflation, and while many industry economists find the trend rather bewildering, it's quite simple in nature. The cinema isn't an easily calculated industry, as it has no true standardization. While the summer and holiday seasons have always been slated for significant blockbuster releases, developments in digital entertainment have progressively devalued the draw of going to one's local theater, placing box office earnings into the hands of the few films that can attract universal public attention through strategic advertising. Enter the Hunger Games and the Avengers, grossing 400 and 557 million respectively in domestic earnings, already edging 2012 towards a half of 2011's total earnings.

While total year projections are nonexistent as of now, industry specialists have released expected earnings for many of the summer's most substantial upcoming films. The Dark Knight Rises is currently projected to gross 520 million domestically, down slightly from the predecessor's 533 million. However, after Avengers' resounding success, even a projection of that magnitude may be undervaluing the film's potential. The Ultimate Spider Man also appears undervalued at only 233 million, given the success of recent trailers in drawing a distinct differentiation between this film's tone and atmosphere with Sam Raimi's earlier incarnation. Brave, Prometheus, and Ice Age are all projected above 200 million, but this brings up the potential detriment of such astounding box office giants as the Avengers, as the film has left Battleship, John Carter, and numerous other potential earners with historical losses. The winter and oscar season is looking strong as well, with strong critical contenders sporting widespread appeal including Spielberg's Lincoln starring Daniel Day Lewis, Tarantino's next masterpiece Django Unchained (trailer released today), the Great Gatsby, the Hobbit, and my personal most anticipated film of the year, Life of Pi. If projections continue as expected, we're finally in store for an upturn.

http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/
http://www.boxoffice.com/statistics/long_term_predictions

Current Event - Apple Becoming an Increasingly Threatening Gaming Platform

While I admittedly haven't shown much interest in the gaming industry for the last two years, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, is currently underway, with numerous announcements from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo regarding how they expect to keep that now-antiquated hardware in your living room for another decade or two. Unsurprisingly, the key developer conferences didn't announce any new hardware, but rather media expansions of their current setups through Microsoft Smart Glass, a new software allowing for interaction of one's console, tablet, phone, and television to experience content in multifaceted ways. It's a compelling concept, yet it may only serve as further assertion of Apple's increasing influence in the gaming industry, as smartphone applications and one dollar downloadable content have further widened the industry's user base and popularized casual content, resulting in console gaming's gradual decline. Nintendo also elaborated on their new console, the Wii U, due to be released this holiday season, emphasizing the asymmetric gameplay achieved through different user interfaces within the same game. Again a compelling concept, but with the casual user base becoming increasingly Apple-devoted, some have speculated that this may be the end of independent Nintendo hardware. I'll try to revert back to something at least seemingly political for my next post.

Source: LINK

Current Event - Syrian Condemnation

The massacre of 116 civilians in the village of Houla by the Syrian government has unsurprisingly resulted in an international uproar, facing condemnation from the UN Security Council as well as both Russia and China despite their typical alliance with the turbulent nation. Since the election of President Bashar al-Assad 14 months previously, numerous uprisings have challenged the UN's ability to maintain peace in the area. Being accused for excessive violation of the UN peace plan, the Syrian government has been called to remove all military and artillery from residential areas. The details on the massacre remain unclear, spurring discussion of a third non-governmental force working to undermine the UN administration in Syria, including the Syrian government, repeatedly claiming the killings resulted from armed terrorists. Security Council reports have provided clear evidence of mortar strikes on the residential area, yet many Houla villagers claim that a majority of the close-range killings resulted from armed local citizens as opposed to militant forces. With bombings in Hama occurring during the UN meeting, Syrian uprisings and violence continue to escalate, but thankfully we don't have Kony anymore to obscure our vision of truly relevant international offenses.

Source: LINK

Senior Reflection #3 - My Least Favorite Season

...is gradually becoming the greatest. Summer's only a week away, and between Foster the People and Ocean City for a week, my season of refuge is already looking more exciting than ever. Unfortunately plans for Lollapalooza fell through, but there's a new music festival in Delaware beginning this year that has thankfully been receiving less press than it deserves. Trips to the Baltimore inner harbor will be frequent. Hoping to scope out attractions and restaurants to keep me going for the next four years. And a Hopkins shirt that actually fits, darn washer. The resume is on the ready, so hopefully either Petsmart, or Harris Teeter will lend a hand in chipping away at that little debt I'm about to inherent. There's also the benefit of my brother being unemployed, so the house should be more lively than ever. We haven't had a real family vacation in over four years, and I have yet to leave the vast parking lot of a country in which we so joyously live, but hopefully I'll have the opportunity to study abroad some time soon. The summer movie season is looking strong this year, though I'm still banking on Life of Pi being the dark horse of the year and surprise oscar contender, given how strong screening reactions have been. So bagging groceries, Dark Knights, the defacement of one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time (please don't be as bad as they say, Prometheus), city trips, and music festivals all lie in store! Look at that, some optimism!

In other news, I too advocate flat tax rates and the civil liberties of squirrels. 

Senior Reflection #2 - Looking Back (With strained eyes)

I was deceived. Senior year not only failed to be the liberating and relaxed year I had been so consistently promised, but it probably topped Junior year for levels of raw stress, though I'm mostly to blame for that. In an effort to uphold the pretension I've always worked to define myself by, I made the rash decision to enroll straight into AP Computer Science without any previous experience whatsoever, drawing leverage from my long history with the robotics team. But wait, I'm an animator on the robotics team, so yeah, dead in the water. While comp sci has been relatively easy to maintain grades in due to the content-focused tests that could often be conquered with last-minute memorization, it's easily been the most frustrating class of my high school career. I've never been used to things not instantaneously clicking, and there wasn't a single spark for quite some time. On top of that, I somehow rationalized AP Physics despite 85% of my previous year with Ms. Fantino being spent playing hangman tournaments. Again, it wasn't particularly difficult to do well in the class, but to fully understand concepts such as rotational inertia that I had never been exposed to was rather frustrating. Stress in economics came from the inevitability of the AP exam, given 40% of our class was taught through such economic examples as Bud Light commercials. Thank goodness I always had orchestra, I suppose.

Taking six APs certainly had its benefits, however, including an inconceivably bloated GPA that always makes me feel as though I'm lying, and the hope that I'll be jumping straight into Calculus 3 next year. And would you look at that, Hopkins doesn't have a core curriculum, so 70% of my AP credit is absolutely useless. At least we're not paying for it anymore. Looking back, I'd have to say the downsides defintiely triumph in this situation, as one less AP probably wouldn't have devalued my application a considerable amount. But then there's the fact that I can walk down the halls thinking about how many APs I'm taking, and that superiority complex kicks right back in and makes everything alright. This is unnecessarily depressing. I grew a beard this year, and it appears to be spreading. Definitely my most notable achievement. And summer should be freeing and lucrative, if Petsmart ever emails me back. If not, it's another two months of mint chocolate chip klondike bars and Netflix. Adventure awaits!

Senior Reflection #1 - Looking Forward

I've been conflicted for months over my naive optimism and the infinitely more probable reality that college will serve as a slightly more liberating extension of high school. Looking back, it's pretty astounding I've wound up where I am now. While selecting universities for applications, I was primarily considering in-state, as well as Carnegie Mellon and UPenn as hopeful alternatives, given public universities couldn't offer the specialized mathematics and statistics curriculum I've worked to convince myself I'm interested in. I've actually been surprisingly decisive looking back, as many applications required specific essays outlining my academic upbringing in a specific section, and statistics appeared as an interesting and economically viable path to follow, if only for the short term. Facing the approaching deadline for sending semester transcripts, I sporadically handed in envelopes for Cornell and Johns Hopkins on the final day of mailing acceptance, and looking back, that may have been the greatest, and only beneficial impulse I've ever followed. The Hopkins-specific essays were surprisingly easy to approach, and served as a template for my remaining essays.

Following some excessively extravagant acceptance booklets, Hopkins sent its acceptance notice in an initially off-putting manner, in the form of a one paragraph email without a photograph in site. Being my first destination for college tours, I was under the impression my brief experiences there would quickly be overshadowed, but I made the retrospectively wonderful decision to attend a non-event day to first experience a simple campus and housing tour. Six accepted students and I were given the full treatment shared by the 140,000 unfortunate souls drowning in the sea of salmon-colored, tailored shorts and boat shoes that was UVA's Days on the Lawn, and this specialized treatment allowed for personal questioning with various students and professors. I was pretty immediately surprised by how much I preferred the campus to Tech's which I had toured numerous times given my brother just graduated, as I had always found larger campuses more appealing. I certainly didn't get the undefinable feeling of belonging that so many prophesize, but on my intentionally long trip to the car, the idea of living in such a place was at least conceivable, instantly putting it above most of my other candidates. In the end, it was Hopkins' specialized Applied Mathematics and Statistics program that drew me in, as its affiliation with the engineering department was infinitely more convincing than Carnegie's overpopulated humanities degree in statistics. That and Carnegie didn't have a central dining hall, which I'll never be able to wrap my head around. Oh well, off to Homewood!

Hong Kong's New Leader

Hong Kong's newest leader, Leung Chun-ying, was selected today by a party of predominantly pro-Beijing elites. Having previously been a British territory, eventually returning to Chinese rule in 1997, Hong Kong has always been notable for its more Western characterization, emphasizing greater personal freedoms and civil liberties than the surrounding region. Many have voiced discontent towards the election, in fear of Leung's strong Communist backing as a threat towards the democratic territory. Many have voiced alarm regarding China's opaque election process, citing it to be wrought with corruption and scandal, as only 0.017% of the region's population voted in the election. Leung failed to reach the popular support previous chief executives attained in elections, and his known enforcement against public protest is a foreboding indicator of the potentially conservative era to come. Leung tried to calm anxiety, particularly in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp, that he will roll back liberties that allow a raucous free press, frequent demonstrations and the publication of books and magazines banned in the rest of China, denying claims of his being an underground member of the Communist Party.During the election, Leung took advantage of Hong Kong's growing economic discrepancies by appealing to the common man, defeating the previously though shoe-in Tang.

Link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hong-kong-selects-new-leader-after-tumultuous-contest/2012/03/25/gIQA10c9YS_story_2.html

Prevalent Anti-Putin Prostests Persist (Avoid Alliteration Always)

While Putin's presidential election victory has effectively diminished protests, another rally of approximately 20,000 formed in Moscow on March 10th. Many protesters under the age of 30 delivered enlivening speeches emphasizing new civic activism to voice the public's discontent. Manipulation of December's parliamentary election, used to bolster greater support for the prior prime minister with numerous chairs being taken by the United Russia party for his impending election, has infuriated many protesters and activists. Opposition has taken many faces, stating "This was not an election. This was a special operation run by a thug who wanted to return to the Kremlin." Immediately following the parliamentary elections, rallies of over 100,000 surged throughout the nation in protest, yet those numbers have dwindled considerably, quite bewildering given Putin's recent election. Civic activism showed influence during the election through volunteer vote monitors to ensure the election remained fair and legitimate. Additionally, a new political movement known as Our City took hold of some of Moscow's municipal councils in advocacy of a strongly voice civil society. While the rally ended quite peacefully, three leftists were detained for defying city restriction, and police detained another 25 nationalists who attempted to incite a march.

Iranian Elections Outline Country Schism

While I'm not particularly educated in Iranian politics at this point, I'll do my best to outline their current situation regarding an upcoming parliamentary election, with the extent to which this parliament and "free election" have been realized still in question. Many opponents to current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have voiced intent to not participate in the upcoming elections in an effort to undermine the regimes claims to hold political legitimacy. Where have I heard that term before? The Friday elections highlight the significant disconnect between a generally conservative government and the nation's increasingly prominent working-class urbanites and middle class. State-owned television networks have made an effort to invigorate nationalism and political efficacy in its citizens, touting Iran as having the world's fastest rate of scientific growth, frequently referencing accomplishments in infrastructure such as bridges and electricity, and more to enliven "national self-confidence." While the accomplishments have had some effect, general country moral remains low with fear of an invasion from Israel. The article makes no effort to assert a personal opinion, but given our nation's emphasis on the spread of civil liberties and the free market economy, many Americans are likely to support the rising middle class, despite their political apathy.

LINK!

Sectionalism in Nigeria

As addressed in Nigeria's last current event, the country's efforts to establish a stable democratic rule have been in many ways futile due to sectionalism and division throughout the country by race, culture, and religion. Recent fighting in Northeast Nigeria resulted in upwards of ten deaths including two unarmed civilians, caused by continued warring between radical Islamic sects such as the Boko Haram and the national police. Boko Haram is waging an increasingly violent campaign against Nigeria’s weak central government in its quest to enact strict Shariah law, free its detained members and avenge Muslim deaths in the nation. Eruptions of violence over the past year have resulted in nearly 300 deaths, with the sect primarily targeting Christians, who comprise much of the country's southern territory. Such attacks further solidify the Islamic-Christian division that has plagued Nigeria's attempts to achieve a true democracy. Some Nigerian politicians have even proposed sectionalism in opposition to national elections, though a majority of head politicians continue to support further efforts to establish the country's unity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/explosions-gun-battles-rage-in-northeast-nigeria-city-thats-home-to-radical-islamist-sect/2012/02/20/gIQActxIPR_story.html

Military Contractors Turn Eyes to Mexico

Given my father's position as chief engineer at a local (though Israeli-owned) military technology firm, the international roles of weapon and technology distributors have always been of great interest to me. With military presence in the Middle East and Afghanistan gradually deteriorating, the lucrative American market of military technology distribution needs to feed from a new source of international conflict, and the spreading criminal violence and rising power of drug cartels in Mexico may be the perfect way to reinvigorate an industry. The State Department has pledged nearly $2 billion in drug war aid to Mexico since 2008, much of it available to U.S. companies that can provide equipment or services to the besieged Mexican state. With Mexico's more aggressive response to drug lords following the election of President Felipe Calderon, the state is very appealing to domestic distributors, though many argue it could never match what US companies faced in the Middle East. Mexico's stern anti-gun legislation makes it increasingly difficult for military contractors to be stationed there. Thus, contractors with notable military skill are of less value, while strategists prove a great asset despite being unarmed. Facing continued hostility within Mexico and limited carrying laws, Mexico may never prove as lucrative a battleground, but may quite likely become the hotspot for military contractors in the years to come.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/security-contractors-see-new-opportunities-in-mexico/2012/01/03/gIQAUj3wSQ_story_1.html

Russians Protest Against Putin (Shocking, I Know)

Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of Russia, has caused a great deal of controversy in recent years. Even following two terms of Presidency, he remains the primary governing force in Russian politics. Following numerous elections of speculation and potential corruption, protesters in Moscow have staged a significant movement against Putin's regime, advocating honest elections and fair government. Significant disconnect remains between police and protest members regarding the protest's size, though it may be upwards of 100,000 people. While hostility remains between the country's political allegiances, groups including the liberal democrats, nationalists, and communists all came together against the Putin regime. Videos showing election fraud have caused uproar in Russia, and the government has responded in charging the United States with disseminating the videos. Protest members demonstrate great vigor given the climate in Russia this time of the year. A pro-Putin rally was also staged in response, and Putin himself offered to personally pay for the fine charged due to exceeding the permit.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russians-give-putin-cold-shoulder/2012/02/04/gIQAW47DpQ_story.html

Political Cartoon #Last

1. This cartoon was drawn by Taylor Jones for Cagle Cartoons.
2. The cartoon is certainly an eye-catcher, depicting Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich as birds over a sprawl of cold hard cash. Each bird seems to represent the figure of the candidate, caricaturing Newt's girth, Romney's more slender character, and Paul's, erm.....seemingly (and unfairly) unelectable aging figure.
3. As stated, the cartoonist uses caricature to depict the candidates in a humorous fashion that ties into the drawing's primary purpose.
4. The cartoon depicts the three birds standing over a swath of dollars, representing both their incredibly costly campaigns and questionable financial background. Especially with Romney, business practice has become an incredibly important factor in the election, and Newt hopes to capitalize on a few financial idiosyncrasies of Romney's in the South Carolina race. If all is right in the world they'll both implode and Paul will come out with a shocking victory.
5. The GOP nomination's core candidates have helmed incredibly costly campaigns, coupled with questionable financial backgrounds.
6. The cartoonist appears to be quite disapproving of the candidates, given their humorous depiction.

Reflections

Senior year has been met with an extensive list of regrets, coupled with some of my life's greatest experiences. Beginning the year with a mop upon my chin was pretty reassuring, and I feel I've had some marginal development socially. When it comes to courses, my six (or eight) advanced placement classes have been, while informative and rewarding, incredibly stressful and occasionally infuriating. This is primarily a result of taking AP Computer Science with absolutely no prior experience though, which I'm certainly to blame for. Symphonic Orchestra is as monotonous as always, though second chair in districts was a nice experience, despite my potential butchering of the Bach Fugue. Sigh. Graduation is irrelevant to me really, my past four years of work will hopefully be capitalized on come college acceptances in April. Gah, I forgot to enter credits when filling out my schedule on the common app, still quite frightened about that. I'll try to take a break from all the pessimism though. My applications were at least finished on time, and I was very happy with the essays. AP Physics and Econ have been interesting, though I'm missing Mr. Gannon. Government has actually been one of my least stressful classes, excluding a recent quiz that shall not be named. SALT II, grrr! Robotics has started, resulting in 20 fewer hours a week, so I'm eagerly awaiting the end of the semester. Following the robotics build season and rejection letters, I aspire to sleep over six hours a night and speak over twelve words to those outside my tightly-knit circle of friends and acquaintances.Though honestly, I'm incredibly excited for graduation itself, quite the experience. Only a few months more!

If there was still any doubt....

The GOP Nomination: I'm Serious-ish

Ron Paul. An established Representative of Texas with a largely untarnished voting record and unquestioned integrity, a strict constitutionalist and libertarian, a purveyor and advocate of extensive civil liberties, a reliable source in re-establishing American economic independence, and a logical choice for the next president of the United States. Having been purposely underrepresented by the media for over half a decade in presidential elections, Ron Paul holds an incredibly devout voting base that largely consists of frequent internet readers. While occasionally misinterpreted as a quasi-anarchist, Paul is a employer of logic who could benefit the nation through admittedly radical departures from our current direction. As for why I believe Paul remains a potential nominee, he accumulated over 340,000 twitter mentions over the past week, belittling Romney, holding 154,000 and president Obama with 120,000. Such statistics may appear arbitrary, but I feel they're indicative of the educated public's dissatisfaction with news favoritism and gradual realization of how Paul's supposedly ridiculous policies and theories have been proven correct numerous times in the past years. Paul faces numerous hindrances, including his aged appearance, uncommanding voice and projection and differentiation from other candidates. But with Jon Stewart and a majority of the internet on his side, Paul remains a potential frontrunner. He may have underperformed in Iowa, but Paul has not fallen victim to the brief bursts of media coverage and eventual undermining that have plagued Perry, Gingrich, and eventually Santorum. Charting a steady second in New Hampshire pollings and potentially showing an impressive Virginia performance, it's certainly not over yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QuLZ1FSnzc
No idea why V for Vendetta's in here, but it serves its purpose.

Political Cartoon: Huntsman Speaks Mandarin?!

1. This comic was drawn by Taylor Jones for Cagle Cartoons.
2. The cartoon is relatively straightforward, offering a detailed caricature of Jon Huntsman, a GOP hopeful whose chances hinge on the New Hampshire primary.
3. Jones appears to take a cynically humorous approach to Huntsman in his unflattering caricature. Numerous signs surround the candidate, each pertaining to a particular draw towards his nomination. "He's a Mormon, but not a Romney" and "He's not Newt!" seem to remark upon the draw of a particular candidate simply through dissatisfaction with the opposition. Such a rise already occurred for Newt and Santorum, and their briefs spurts of stardom indicate the cartoonist's belief that Huntsman's supposed fame will be short-lived. Oh, and he spoke mandarin during the New Hampshire debate. That's pretty cool.
4. As stated, it deals with Huntsman's strong media coverage as a result from the New Hampshire debates, and the belief that such attention will be brief.
5. Huntsman's rather strong showings in recent debates are instrumental in his campaign. Without an established base and funding, a surprise in New Hampshire may validate him as a true candidate. Who knows after Santorum...
6. The cartoonist appears to display a mocking tone towards the press's lauding of Huntsman.