Republican Control of Senate May be Short-Lived

The GOP had a wonderful night last night largely because the Senate map this year was in their favor.

Of the seven seats the party picked up, five of them were in states won by Mitt Romney in the last Presidential Election. The fact that they also won Senate races in Colorado and Iowa, two states won by President Obama in 2012, also dealt a major blow to Democrats.

But the problem the Democrats had this year will be the same problem the GOP will have in 2016.

In that election, seven Republican Senators who were elected in 2010-Mark Kirk of Illinois, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Rob Portman of Ohio, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire-will be running for re-election in states that President Obama carried in the last presidential election, with an electorate that will be much less favorable to them than this year.

With Angus King’s announcement today that he is still going to caucus with the Democrats, the party of President Obama would have 46 seats if Begich concedes in Alaska and Mary Landrieu loses the December 6 runoff in Louisiana. That would mean Democrats would need to win five of those seven seats held by Republicans where Obama won. They could also potentially win a Senate race in North Carolina, especially with a larger youth and minority turnout in presidential years.

Even if Democrats don’t succeed in winning back the Senate in two years, the Senate landscape next time around may be good for the country, since those seven senators might be willing to compromise on certain issues such as immigration reform in order to have another six years on capitol hill.

"Simpsons" Premiere Death Extremely Dissapointing

To quote the person who died on the season premiere of The Simpsons Sunday night, the episode was very "eh"(if you haven't seen it yet, feel free to continue reading. You really didn't miss out on anything). 

The major character death turned out not to be Krusty the Clown as I had predicted but Krusty's dad, a character so miniscule in importance that I keep forgetting his name. Like many of those who went on Twitter immediately after the broadcast, I felt the episode was severely over-hyped. When the showrunners announced that there would be a "character death" I was expecting it to be someone like Krusty or Grandpa Simpson or even Mr. Burns-someone whose death would shake up the entire series. Watching the 26th season premiere of The Simpsons was sort of akin to seeing The Phantom Menace for the first time. You expect you're going to watch something truly life-changing and then once it's over you end up unsatisfied and asking yourself "is that it?"

That's not to say the entire episode was bad. My favorite part had to be the sleepover scene with Chief Wiggum, a cutaway gag that reminded me of Family Guy. And the B-plot involving Lisa trying to protect Homer from danger was incredibly touching. Still, Clown in the Dumps will most certainly go down as the most overhyped Simpsons episode of all time. 

What Robin Williams Meant to My Childhood

When I heard the news yesterday that Robin Williams died of an apparent suicide, I just couldn't believe it. It almost felt like a cruel hoax, some fake news announcement that would pop up on Twitter on April Fool's Day. While I am now old enough to recall the death of countless celebrities, none of them had the impact on my childhood the way Robin Williams did.

Williams actually appeared in the first movie I ever saw in theaters, Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest, which I saw when I was four. In it, Williams voiced Batty Koda, a bat that is not only experimented on, but raps about it. But it was his performance as the Genie in Disney's Aladdin that people of my generation will surely remember him most by. Aladdin is a great movie by itself, but it was the Genie that made it extraordinary, not just because of his comedic impersonations but because he gave the role a hundred percent even though nobody could see his face (although a dispute with Disney caused him to drop out of the role of the Genie in the video sequel Return of Jafar, he did return to voice the role in Aladdin and the King of Thieves). 

When I was seven, I went to see Jumanji with my mom, grandmother, and brother. The movie was way too scary for my brother, who was five at the time, so he and my mom left the theater to see Balto instead, while my grandmother and I continued to watch the fantasy-adventure film  based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg. My grandmother still watches it every time it comes on TV, and to this day I consider it one of the best plot-driven movies I have ever seen. And when I was nine my mom took my brother and I to see Flubber. I don't remember much about that movie, but I do remember Robin Williams being the motivating factor for us seeing it. 

Mrs. Doubtfire is by far one of his greatest performances, yet the movie is also a great way to help children of divorce cope. When Williams as Dobtfire looks into the camera and talks in a calming manner about the realities of divorce, about how some parents get back together while others don't, it's as if a real human being is speaking and not some guy dressed in drag. My own parents were getting divorced when I was re-watching the ending of Mrs. Doubtfire, and it helped me feel better about the whole situation. 

As I got older I saw Williams in his more dramatic films such as Dead Poets Society, Jack, Patch Adams, and Good Will Hunting, which earned him the Academy-Award for Best Supporting Actor. Of all his dramatic performances, Patch Adams will arguably be the most talked about in the days, weeks, months, and even years after his passing since it almost disturbingly parallels what happened in his own life. In the beginning of the movie, Williams character is sent to a psych ward for trying to kill himself, and in the middle of the film he contemplates jumping off a cliff after his girlfriend is killed in a murder-suicide 

In a statement, William's wife Susan Schneider said she hopes that "the focus will not be on (her husband's) death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions". To me, Robin Williams will always be the Genie that turned a street rat into a Prince, a divorced father who dressed up as a woman in order to spend more time with his kids, and a board-game player battling against lions and other wild animals. In other words, the guy who helped make a my childhood a very special one. 

"Batman Vs. Superman" Move to March 2016 Shows Diminished Importance of Summer Release Date

For the past several months, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice was scheduled to go head-to-head with Captain America 3 on May 6, 2016, creating an epic showdown between Disney-owned Marvel and Warner Bros.-owned DC Entertainment. 

But last week Warner Bros. announced that it will be moving Batman vs. Superman up several weeks to March 25, 2016. Although the film had been widely buzzed about since its announcement last year, DC has a lot more to lose than Marvel. Marvel, which has been on a winning streak as of late, can afford to take a hit, while DC is still trying to establish itself and needs Batman vs. Superman to be a colossal success. (The $94 million debut of Guardians of the Galaxy may have also convinced DC and Warner Bros. not to go head-to-head with Marvel). 

While the shift was indeed a smart move, it also underscored something even more significant going on in Hollywood: the diminished importance of the summer release date. 

It used to be that blockbuster movies came out during the summer months between May and August or during Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the rest of the year reserved for mid-budget movies like romantic comedies and teen fare. 

Although March is a time when kids are still in school, the month does have a history of movie debuts that became mega blockbusters such as 1999's The Matrix ($464 million worldwide) and 2010's Alice in Wonderland (over $1 billion worldwide). 

Hollywood may have learned its lesson from last summer, when a crowded marketplace produced mega bombs such as RIPD, The Lone Ranger, and White House Down. Meanwhile, the success of last October's Gravity ($716 million worldwide), last February's The Lego Movie ($468 million worldwide) and last April's Captain America: The Winter Solider ($712 million worldwide) showed studios that a movie could be a hit no matter when it is released. 

Batman vs. Superman isn't the only mega budget flick scheduled not to open during the summer months or holiday season. Disney's live action re-imagining of The Jungle Book is set to come out in October 2015, while Warner Bros. own Jungle Book movie is set to come out October 2016. 

Not only has Warner Bros. missed a gigantic train wreck by moving up Batman vs. Superman by several weeks, but the movie now has a better chance of being hugely successful since it will now have the entire month of April 2016 to itself. But if the movie does become a hit, not only would it be a victory for DC and Warner Bros., but it would also be a victory for theatre goers and theatre owners, since it would further convince studios to release blockbuster movies year round. 

Amazon Fire Phone Not Worth The Hype

If you have an iPhone and are thinking about getting the new Fire Phone from Amazon, my advice would be to stick to the iPhone. 

I got the chance to test out the Fire Phone at an AT&T store in Long Beach, not because I'm interested in getting one someday, but because I was curious as to what all the fuss is about. Is the Fire Phone the phone that will bring Apple to it's knees, or is it just another Apple wanna be? 

The best feature on the Fire Phone by far is Firefly, an innovative piece of technology that recognizes music, movies, TV shows, or any type of product. Whenever I hear a song I like in the car I always have to remember the lyrics so I can later google it so then I could buy the right song on iTunes. The Fire Phone instantly recognized Lenny Kravitz's Again playing in the background at the AT&T store and pulled up info about the song. 

Other than Firefly, however, the Fire Phone is not worth the $649, or even the $199 two-year contract with AT&T. 

While the FireFly makes it easier to buy music and Dynamic Perspective makes playing games a lot more fun, a smart phone is supposed to be a lot than fun and entertainment. It is also supposed to be a companion to make everyday life just a little bit easier, and unfortunately, the Fire Phone is unable to do that. 


There are some very annoying things about the Fire Phone that you can take for granted on an iPhone. For starters, when you go to the E-Mail app you can type up an E-Mail, yet there is no search bar to look up an E-Mail you sent days, maybe even months ago. There isn't even a "sent" part of the E-Mail app that lets you make sure that your E-Mail even went through. This is a problem if you rely on your smartphone to send E-Mails throughout the day. 

Another problem with this phone is the Weather App. Of course the app shows weather in your city, but what if you're planning on going to say, Hawaii, and you want to know what the weather will be like when you get there so you can pack accordingly? With the iPhone you can look up the weather in cities from all around the world, yet the FirePhone doesn't give you that option. 

And then there's the problem with the Notes App. On the Fire Phone you have to remember to press the check mark on the top right hand corner in order for the note to save, while the iPhone saves notes automatically. 

Buying music may be easier with the Fire Phone, but you can't set one of your songs to be your alarm sound like you can on the iPhone. This is a major bummer if you want to wake up and start your day listening to your favorite artist. 

Even the calculator app on this phone is disappointing. Whenever I leave someone a tip, all I have to do is take out my iPhone, type in the bill plus 15%, and then give the right amount. But with the Fire Phone there is no % button, so you have to do all the percentages manually. 

But by far the biggest problem with the Fire Phone is the internet. It is virtually impossible to open more than two screens at once, and while it has sites such as Amazon, FaceBook dedfaulted, it doesn't default any news sites, not to mention navigating the internet on the phone is extremely frustrating. 

The Fire Phone does have some potential, and maybe in a few years, if Jeff Bezos and the rest of the people of Amazon read this review and fix all the complaints I have listed, then maybe it might be worth taking a trip to your local AT&T store. Until then, stick with what you've got. 

Harry Potter Fans Should Give Cormoran Strike Series a Chance

Seven years ago this month saw the publication of the seventh and final Harry Potter book, culminating an almost decade-long journey fans experienced with the Boy Who Lived. 

But many fans are unaware that J.K. Rowling has recently begun a new chapter in her literary career as the author of a detective-mystery series. 

That is because when writing this series Rowling uses the pseudonym Robert Galbraith rather than her real name. The pseudonym is a combination of her political hero Robert F. Kennedy and her childhood fantasy name Ella Galbraith. Rowling says she began writing under this new name because she wanted to go back to the beginning of her writing career when she could write without "hype or expectation". 

The series features the detective duo of Cormoran Strike, a private investigator and war veteran who got his leg blown off in the War in Afghanistan, and his secretary and assistant Robin Ellacott. The first book in the series, "The Cuckoos Calling", involves the investigation in the apparent suicide of a world supermodel, while the latest book in the series "The Silkworm" (which came out last month) see Strike and Robin trying to find a missing author. Rowling says she is already halfway through writing the third book in the series, which will involve the return of soldiers, and has already figured out the plot for the fourth book. She also plans to write more than seven books in the series. 

Though not nearly as popular as the Potter series, the Cormoran Strike series have been fairly successful in their own right. "The Cuckoos Calling" has sold over 1.1 million copies in print, audiobook, and digital formats, and "The Silkworm" has already sold 87,000 copies in its first month. 

If you love mystery novels, I highly recommend reading "The Cuckoos Calling". Not only will it entertain you and keep your mind active, but the ending will totally blow you away. It is an ending that deserves comparisons to works done by Agatha Christie, another mystery author from Great Britain. Although "The Silkworm" did not have as shocking a conclusion as its predecessor, it is still an entertaining read, especially since Strike and Robin have become characters that are hard not to love. 

While Rowling may initially be seen as a newcomer to the mystery genre, if you look closely at the Potter series, you would find that each book involves some type of investigating. Even Rowling herself has said that they are "in many ways whodunits in disguise". 

Recently Rowling published a short story featuring a 30-something Harry and his friends on the Pottermore website. But rather than anticipate for another short story or book or movie featuring the Boy Who Lived, I think it would be an even better idea for Potter fans to give Rowling's new series a chance.  

The Campaign to End the Electoral College

Imagine a U.S. Presidential election without obsessions over Ohio, Florida, or other swing states. A presidential election in which there are no red states or blue states, an election in which the winner of the national popular vote wins, regardless on which states that candidate won. 

That reality may be sooner than you think.

Since 2007, 10 states and the District of Columbia representing 165 electoral votes have signed on to The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, in which the states agree to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote and not on the popular vote from that state. There are also currently active bills to join the compact in Michigan and Pennsylvania, which would bring the total to 201 electoral votes-74% of the 270 votes needed for the compact to go into effect. 

The Compact is based on the 1st Section of Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which allows states to decide on how to award their electoral college votes. Currently 48 of the 50 states award their electoral votes to the winner in their states, while Nebraska and Maine award their electoral votes by the winner of each district. 

Ending the electoral college system as we know it  would change our democracy for the better. Instead of spending most of their time in, say, Ohio, and focusing exclusively on the issues facing that state, presidential candidates would be free to campaign in other states regardless of whether or not that candidates party has won the state in the past. It would especially be beneficial to the state of California. Under the current system, the 2016 Democratic and Republican Nominees for President will not spend their time in the Golden State in the waning days of the campaign, with the possible exception of fundraising. But if the candidates no longer had to worry about the electoral college vote and instead have to worry about their popular vote totals, then you can bet they would spend a lot of their time in the most populous state in the country. Issues facing California such as the drought would force positions from each candidate and receive national attention. 

It's not just Democrats like myself who are rooting for this compact to go through before 2016. 73% of Independents and 60% of Republicans support a direct national popular vote for President. The GOP might even benefit more from this compact than Democrats. Under the current system, the GOP nominee for President in 2016 will have to run the tables in order to win the electoral votes necessary to win the election, with states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania no longer considered tossup states. And shifting demographics may turn states such as Georgia and Texas from solid red states to tossup states in the not-so-distant future. 

Since the founding of this country there have been four presidential elections in which the eventual winner lost the popular vote, the most recent being the infamous 2000 Florida debacle in which George W. Bush won the Sunshine State's 25 electoral votes by 528 votes despite winning over half a million fewer votes nationally than Al Gore. 

So far the states that have signed the compact have been blue states such as California and New York, so red states and tossup states will be critical in getting the compact to go into effect (although tossup states may be reluctant to sign the agreement since their states would no longer be critical in determining the next President). 

It has often been stated that turnout in U.S. Presidential Elections is lower than turnout in other developed democracies. There have been many efforts in order to mobilize voters to go to the polls, but I believe more voters won't be motivated to turnout until they know for sure that their vote would truly affect the outcome.