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. 

Why Cleveland will host the next GOP Convention

Cleveland and Dallas were announced Wednesday as the two finalists to host the 2016 GOP Convention, and I have no doubt which one of them will come out on top.

It has been said many times but it is worth repeating again: no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio. The Buckeye State may be even more important than ever to the GOP since it was the state that gave America a second term of President Obama. With it's 18 electoral votes, it is the second largest battleground state prize after Florida, and you can bet that winning it will be a top priority for whoever wins the GOP Presidential nomination.

The last time Cleveland hosted a GOP convention was in 1936 when it nominated Alf Landon to run against FDR, and the last time Dallas was the host city was in 1984, when it nominated President Reagan for re-election. Although Texas is much larger than Ohio with 38 electoral votes, it is a reliably Republican state. Having a Republican Convention in Dallas would be like having a Democratic Convention in San Francisco-holding a convention in a state the party can take for granted and would in no way help in winning the White House.

But I believe there are other reasons why the GOP will avoid having their next national gathering in Dallas. Part of it is due to the last Republican President, who by sheer coincidence lives in and has his presidential library in Dallas. Despite former President George W. Bush's approval numbers having increased significantly since he left office, having the convention in his home city might end up reminding voters about his policies and why they disliked his administration in the first place. If the convention was in Dallas, it is a pretty sure thing that Dubya would have to have a speaking slot, since it would be awkward to hold the gathering in his own backyard and not invite him. But if it was in Cleveland, then it would be a lot easier for the party to disinvite him.

But the more significant danger to the GOP in holding their convention in Dallas is that it would run the risk of giving Texas Senator and Tea Party champion Ted Cruz a starring role at the convention. At a time when mainstream Republicans are fighting off against the Tea Party, having the convention in the home state of one of the Tea Party's most recognizable faces is not on their wish list. Giving Cruz a starring role could also run the risk of reminding voters about the government shutdown, something the party would like everyone to forget.

The only way I can see Dallas beating Cleveland in hosting their convention would be if Cleveland was unable to raise the necessary funds in hosting the event. Dallas has a variety of high-net worth GOP donors that would make raising money for the gathering a piece of cake, which has even more significance after Congress passed legislation stripping away public financing of political conventions. But even if that were the case, I think it would be more likely that the party would be willing to go into debt in order to win Ohio-and the White House-once again. 

Voice of Shaggy in "Scooby Doo" Dead at 82

Radio legend and former American Top 40 host Casey Casem died this morning in Washington State at the age of 82. Casem died as the result of complications from Lewy body dementia, a type of dementia that is often associated with Parkinson's disease. His daughter Kerri broke the news this morning on FaceBook.

If you are 30 or younger you probably never heard of Kasey Casem, but chances are you would recognize his voice. From 1969 to 2009 Casem voiced the role of cowardly teenage slacker Norville  "Shaggy" Rogers, the best friend and owner of the beloved canine Scooby-Doo. Together with Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, and Velma Dinkley, Scooby and his gang of five have solved various mysteries as part of the crime solving group Mystery, Inc.

Casem first voiced the role of Shaggy in the popular Hanna Barbara Saturday Morning Cartoon Scooby-Doo: Where Are You (1969-1971) and played the role in subsequent series such as Scooby-Doo and Scrappy Doo (1979-1980), The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries (1983-1984) and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988-1991). Casem's last performance as Shaggy was in the direct-to-video movie Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword. 

Just a few weeks ago, Casem was involved in a mystery case himself when he went missing. He was later found at a hospital in Washington State. For a long time now, there has been a huge family fued between Kasem's second wife Jean Casem and his children. Back in October, His oldest children with his first wife Linda Myers claimed that Jean had blocked contact with them for three months. Just a month ago Kerri Casem was granted conservatorship of her father despite Jean's objections.

The voice actor who entertained millions on radio and TV lost his ability to speak when he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. In a statement, Kerri said that even though her father "is in a better place and is no longer suffering, we are heartbroken". If you ever watched Scooby-Doo on Saturday mornings, you probably share that same sentiment.

Schweirtzer comments point to potential run against Hillary

With countless prominent Democrats announcing their endorsement of Hillary Clinton this early in the game, it was a surprise to hear one of them say something negative about the former First Lady.

In an interview with Time Magazine, former Montana Governor and potential 2016 Presidential contender Brian Schwetizer said he would make a better President than Hillary, pointing to her ties to Wall Street and her vote for the Iraq War Resolution as liabilities.

While his candidacy currently has no chance of beating the Clinton machine, his candidacy might cause Hillary some major headaches in the Iowa, a state whose economy relies a lot on agriculture. Not only does Montana also rely heavily on agriculture, but Schweitzer also served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Clinton Administration. So having the chance to pick a candidate who knows a thing or two about agricultural issues might give some Iowans something to think about.

In 2008 Clinton placed third in the Iowa Caucuses against eventual nominee and President Barack Obama and John Edwards. Although Schwetizer doesn't have the starpower that Obama did, beating Hillary in Iowa or coming very close to her in the nation's first presidential contest  would have the potential to destroy the "inevitability" factor for the Democratic nomination that she currently has. So if Schweitzer gets in the game, it's a possibility that the Clintons will have to worry about Iowa all over again. 

What the media isn't telling you about the Botched Execution in Oklahoma

You've probably heard by now about the botched execution in Oklahoma, the one in which a man died of a heart attack 43 minutes after the execution took place.

But did you know that the man that died of a heart attack-Clayton Lockett-shot and buried alive a 19-year old who just graduated high school and that the man who was scheduled to be executed after him-Charles Warner-raped and murdered an 11-month old baby girl? Probably not, because for some strange reason there hasn't been any TV coverage of why these two men are on death row in the first place.

In 1999, Lockett forced 19-year old Stephanie Neiman to witness one of her friends being gang raped and then ordered his accomplices to bury her alive after shooting her. Two year later, Warner raped and murdered Adriana Waller, the baby daughter of his girlfriend.

Now, I'm not saying that you are wrong if you don't believe in the death penalty. If you believe nobody should be executed no matter how heinous a crime that person commited, that's a valid opinion to have.

But I do not believe anyone should immediately start being against the death penalty because of what happened in Oklahoma without knowing all the facts.

For me, after discovering the circumstances that led these two men to be on death row, I feel that they got/are getting exactly what they deserve.

The debate about the death penalty has been going on for quite a few years now. But I believe a bigger debate needs to take place on how to prevent horrible acts like the ones Lockett and Warner committed from happening in the first place. 

Why "How I Met Your Mother" Finale should have included funeral scene

According to Alyson Hannigan, the series finale of How I Met Your Mother could have been a lot more gut-wrenching.

A scene showing Tracy's funeral that was included in the script was cut because the creators thought it would hit the viewers, and us fans, way too hard.

But even if this scene had been gut-wrenching, I believe Carter Bays and Craig Thomas made a terrible mistake by not including it in the finale.

For starters, I believe it would have helped many fans be ok with Ted ending up with Robin. While I was satisfied with how the series turned out, I feel that the last five minutes were too rushed from Ted meeting Tracy to Ted wanting to date Robin again. It isn't until Penny says "Come on Dad, Mom's been gone for six years now, it's time" that the viewer knows for certain that the mother is dead and that she has been dead for six years. Before she says this, it's easy to assume that Tracy could be dying in a hospital or that she just recently passed away. Showing Tracy's funeral and her tombstone would have shown viewers that Ted had been a widowed father for six years before it cut back to him finishing telling the story to his kids.

Unfortunately, this scene wasn't shot, so we won't get a chance to view it on the season nine DVD. Which is a shame, because it's a scene that might have given fans a lot more closure. 

Which cities are likely to host next Democratic Convention?

Last week, the Democratic National Committee invited 15 cities to bid for 2016 Democratic National Convention. Here are the list of the cities that received invitations, as well as my opinions on each city's likelihood of being chosen. Each of them have until June 6 decide whether or not to submit a bid.

1.Atlanta-Yes

The Peach State might be more purple than you think. Georgia's changing demographics could make it's 16 electoral votes up for grabs in 2016. This fall Jason Carter, grandson of the 39th President, has a real shot at following his grandfather's footsteps towards the governor's mansion, while Michelle Nunn is leading all her Republican opponents in her bid to win her father's former Senate seat. A win by either Democrat will definitely help the city's chances.

2. Chicago-No 

While the Windy City has held several democratic conventions in the past (the last one bering in 1996), having the convention in the home city of the incumbent President doesn't really scream "moving forward". Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's poor relationship with labor unions also makes a Chicago selection seem unlikely.

3. Cleveland-Yes

It's in Ohio, the state that put Obama over the top in 2012. Nuff said.

4. Columbus-Yes

Like Cleveland, it's in Ohio. Yet Columbus is much larger and has already created a YouTube video and a website for it's bid, while Cleveland hasn't. Columbus has also been described as one of the best cities in the country in terms of LGBTequality.

5. Detroit-No 

If the Motor City can't afford to pay its bills, how could it afford to put up $50 to $60 million to host the political equivalent of the Super Bowl? Plus Michigan will remain blue in 2016, no matter who the Democratic nominee is.

6. Indanapolis-No 

Obama won the Hoosier State by the slimmest of margins in 2008, yet four years later it went sharply back to the right. Mayor Greg Ballard has also said the city is unlikely to submit a bid.

7. Las Vegas-Yes

Nevada is trending blue, if not already a sold blue state thanks to it's growing Latino population. Vegas unfortunately doesn't have any sports arenas, so it's luck might depend on if the expansion of the Mandalay Bay Convention center will be done before the summer of 2016.

8. Miami-Yes

No Democrat has won Florida since the 1960s without winning Miami-Dade County by at least 90,000 votes. With it's 29 electoral votes, the Sunshine State is the biggest electoral prize in the next election.

9. Nashville-No

Not even Al Gore could win his home state of Tennessee.

10. New York-Yes 

The most convenient choice for Hillary should she decide to run, the Big Apple would have no problem providing wealthy donors to help fund the convention and hotel space for convention goers and party leaders. Mayor Bill DeBlasio's "tale of two cities" campaign theme on income inequality might give a New York convention an economic populist message that could help fire up the base.

11. Orlando-Yes 

Like Miami it's in Florida, the biggest electoral prize in the country. Being the location of DisneyWorld shouldn't hurt.

12. Philadelphia-Yes 

Once a hard-fought battleground state, Pennsylvania is starting to become solidly Democratic. The city of Brotherly Love is also the fifth largest city in the nation. Popular former Mayor and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is already trying to raise $60 million from Philadelphia's business leaders for a bid, along with U.S. Representative Bob Brady.

13. Phoenix-Yes 

Though it has only gone blue one since 1948, Arizona's 11 electoral votes might be up for grabs in 2016 due to its rising hispanic population.

14. Pittsburg-Yes 

Though not as big as Philadelphia, this other Pennsylvania city might be chosen due to its leadership on developing environmentally friendly buildings. The city is also home to nine Fortune 500 companies, which may help it to raise money for a convention bid.

15. Salt Lake City-No 

The only reason SLC is being considered is because it's one of the top 51 gay-friendly cities in America. Other than that there's no reason for the Democrats to hold their next convention here. The eventual nominee will certainly lose Utah, as has been the case in the past 50 years.