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. 

Hillary's Wealth Is a Non-Issue

There has been way too much fuss this past month about Hillary Clinton's wealth as she decides whether to wage another run for the presidency. 

So what if she can charge $200,000 per speech, and so what if  she and her husband have a net worth in the tens of millions? People who criticize her fortune have forgotten that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a man born into extreme wealth, created Social Security as well as jobs for millions of unemployed Americans during the Great Depression through the Works Progress Administration. They have forgotten that another President raised in riches, John F. Kennedy, proposed free medical care to the elderly, which later became Medicare. And they have forgotten that Kennedy's successor, Lyndon Johnson, who was a multimillionaire partly due to his ownership of a TV and radio station in Texas, launched a War on Poverty by singing into law Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start. 

This of course doesn't mean that all Presidents who experienced affluence made the lives of the downtrodden better during their administrations. George H.W. Bush, who made his fortune in Texas oil drilling, vetoed an increase in the minimum wage, while his son refused to extend health insurance to six million children. 

No doubt the current debate about income inequality have put a harsher light on the Clinton's finances. The millions they have made since leaving the White House have been criticized and scrutinized as if by becoming rich they have suddenly become bad people. One columnist even went so far as to ask Mrs. Clinton to stop speaking for payment. 

What does her speaking fee have to do with her ability to lead the Free World? What does the net worth of her and her husband have to do with how she governs as President?

Instead of focusing on what Mrs. Clinton has, we should focus on what she can do and her plan for America. That's what really matters. 

Why LeBron's Return to Cavaliers may hurt GOP Convention Plans

Today's announcement that LeBron James is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers may hurt the Republican Party's plans on holding their 2016 convention in the early summer. 

One of the biggest reasons why the RNC chose Cleveland (other than it's in Ohio, which no Republican has ever won the White House without winning) is because the party wants to hold their convention in late June or early July in order to take advantage of tens of millions of dollars in federal election funs as early as they can in order to avoid a repeat of summer 2012, when presumptive nominee Mitt Romney was hammered over Bain Capitol and was unable to respond to the attacks since he wasn't able yet to tap into his general election campaign cash until the convention started. 

Until LeBron's surprise announcement today, it seemed as if the GOP would have no problem holding their convention at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena whenever they wanted to during the summer months. After LeBron left in 2010, the Cavaliers have been unable to win a championship or even a conference title, making a convention in June seem entirely within possibility. But LeBron's return may make is possible for the Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference and play in the finals. Although the NBA finals can end as late as the third week of June, it takes six weeks for organizers to get the convention ready, meaning the Quicken Loans Arena may not be ready for them until late July or early August. 

Unfortunately for the GOP there is no other place in Cleveland for them to hold their convention. The Quicken Loans Arena has a capacity of over 20,000 and is just a short walk from several hotels. Most likely the 168-member Republican National Committee will still vote to have their convention in Cleveland, but they might end up holding it later than they wished. 

BMW i3: The Environmentalists Dream Car

If you're currently looking for a car that's sporty and fun but also want to help save the planet, the all-new BMW i3 may be right for you. The first car launched from BMW's all electric "i" division started deliveries in the U.S. back in May and has already sold 3,300 units globally through March.

I had the privilege of test-driving the i3 as part of an event at South Bay BMW in Torrance, CA. The car may look safe and friendly, like a new incarnation of the EVI, but under the hood, it's an absolute beast to drive. I have ridden shotgun in Bimmers and Mini Coopers before, but it was the first time I had myself been behind the wheel of an ultimate driving machine. With 170 horsepower and 184 pound feet of torque, it's a zippy little car that makes you feel like you're back at the Cars Ride at Disney Adventures. Another cool thing about the car is how high up the seats are, so you can feel like you're in an SUV without having to worry about fitting it into a parking space.And with even the cheapest gas now set above $4 a gallon, the i3 gets a jaw-dropping 124 combined mpg, saving you over $9,000 over five years compared to other vehicles.

However, despite its outstanding performance and environmental friendliness, the i3 does have a few drawbacks. Like any BMW, the i3 is not a very intuitive car. The controls take some time figuring out, especially the navigation system. And despite saving you money at the pump, that saving comes at a significant cost. As you would expect from any BMW, the i3 is not cheap, with a base price of over $42,000. Federal tax credits can bring the price down to just below $35,000, which is still pretty expensive. Leasing the car isn't cheap either, with a 36-month lease set at $648 a month with $5,000 down. With that amount you can get a much roomier and more powerful BMW 5 series. And although the three-hour charge can give the i3 a range of 70-110 miles, you'll need a garage that makes it possible to plug in your car, so unless electric charging stations start springing  up soon, you're out of luck.

But if you do have a garage that makes it possible for you to charge electric vehicles and have the means, I would highly recommend the i3. Not only is it fun to drive, but you'll also be helping to save the planet at the same time. 

Why I Miss Traditional Animated Movies

When I was seven I had the privilege of going to the premiere of Toy Story at the El Capitan with my mom and brother. It was a very exciting event for me, because it was the first time that I had ever seen an animated movie made entirely from computers. It wasn't just me that was experiencing computer animation for the very first time, but the entire world. The release of Toy Story in November 1995 was no doubt the biggest event in animation history since the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Not only did Pixar's first feature film beat Batman Forever to become the highest grossing movie of 1995 in the U.S. and Canada, but it was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. 

But now, the fascination I had with computer animation when I was seven has long since gone, because nowadays every animated movie is made entirely from computers. 

This is because in the early 2000s, 2D animated flops such as Titan A.E., Treasure Planet, and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas convinced studios that traditional animation was a guarantee of financial ruin, while at the same time the success of Pixar and DreamWorks Animation's Shrek franchise convinced the studios that CGI was a guarantee of financial success. Animators with only 2D experience were laid off, while animators with CGI experience were in demand. 

However, DreamWorks Animations recent Box-Office misfires Rise of the Guardians, Turbo, and Mr. Peabody and Sherman as well as the Disney flop Mars Needs Moms shows that CGI is no longer a guarantee of an animated film being financially successful. 

I hope that Disney and DreamWorks will someday realize this and release a 2D animated movie every once in a while, because I'm sick and tired of seeing commercials for computer animated movies all the time. I miss living in the era of the Disney Renaissance, when the Mouse House released 2D animated fare such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. Not only do I consider these movies entertaining masterpieces, but also beautiful works of art. There is just something about 2D animation that makes it so beautiful to look at, while CGI animation to me seems too dull and too real. 

After being hired as Walt Disney Animations Chief Creative Officer in 2006, Pixar Guru John Lasseter convinced the Mouse House to produce The Princess and the Frog in 2D rather than 3D animation. Despite being a critical success and grossing $267 million worldwide, Disney has refused to release another 2D animated movie since. But I'm hoping that someday Disney, DreamWorks, or any other animation studio will take a chance on 2D animation once again.