2012 United States Presidential Race

This is more than your average election. This forthcoming election for the President of the United States of America, may just decide how America will fare for the next 10, 20, years. Our country is in a turmoil, loads of debt, budget deficits, you name it, we got it. Barack Obama, as much as I like him, needs to step up his game or get benched. If he wins the next election, we better start seeing some change for the good. Anyways,  here is a brief overview of the race:

The Candidates:


Democrats:


President Barack Obama (D-Illinois) - President Obama has been running for reelection and running the country at the same time for the last couple of months. Obama is currently projected as the Democratic Party's Nomination for the upcoming election. All of the previous Democratic primaries have gone to Obama. If he is to win, he better make some changes right now or be given a bitter defeat. Obama is a supporter of rights for same-gender marriages.

Republicans:


Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts) - Ah, Mr. Romney, the wealthiest of all the candidates running. With an estimated $200 million worth in assets, Romney is one of the richest candidates to run for the White House this election cycle. Considered by most Republicans as the most "liberal" of the candidates, he was the former governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007. Romney has his best shot at winning if he can prove that he has the values of Republicans and if he can really rally the conservative voting base. Romney is against same-gender marriage and civil unions.

Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) - When I think of Newt, I think of a moon base, but hey, that's just me. Gingrich is a former Speaker of The House. He served during Clinton's administration. Gingrich also served as a Congressman from Georgia in the 6th District. Newt is a big thinker and a grassroots organizer. Gingrich is against same-gender marriage, although his sister Candance is a advocate.

Ron Paul (R-Texas) - Ron Paul is considered the "radical" candidate in this election. Paul is a Representative from Texas in it's 14th District. Before serving as a Congressman, Paul was a doctor in Texas from the 60's to the 80's. Ron is one of the candidates that most voters shrug off, but he has some good ideas. Paul has a committed group of supporters and can raise money well. Paul is against same-gender marriage, but for stem-cell research.

Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) - Santorum was a former Senator from the state of Pennsylvania. Of the 4 current candidates he has done well in the most recent primaries winning 2 of the 3, Colorado and Minnesota. Santorum is against same-gender marriage and birth control. He is socially conservative and voted for tax cuts.

The Problems:


Budget Deficit: the Government is spends more money than they earn in revenue.


Debt: The United States is $15 trillion dollars in debt, and it is increasing by the second. (U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time)


Scenarios :


Santorum vs. Obama: Obama wins this matchup easily. Santorum's views on social issues and other things lead to the general American public not agreeing with them. Obama is a safer choice for president than Santorum.

Romney vs. Obama: This is a tough one, and it could go either way. Romney has been considered the most liberal of the Republican candidates. If they ran this scenario 10 times, Obama would win 5 times and Romney 5 times. Romney getting the nomination is the greatest chance for the Republicans to win the Presidency.

Gingrich and Paul are essientially out of the race.
The Outcome:


You think that I know what's gonna happen? It all depends on what you chose to do. If you vote, it can make a difference, albeit a small one. If you really support a candidate, then go out and do whatever you can to make sure that they get elected. If you really do not care, well sit back and enjoy the show! :)

(All from the head of a 14 year old and Google)

JFK

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States of America. He was born on May 29,1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. His parents were Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was one of nine children in the Kennedy family. His siblings were Joseph Jr, Rosemary, Patricia, Robert, Eunice, Jean, Edward, and Kathleen. On September 12, 1953 he married Jacqueline Bouvier and later had two children, Jack Jr and Caroline. John's education consisted of many prestigous private schools throughout Massachusetts. Kennedy later graduated from Harvard in 1940 s.b. cum laude in international affairs. John died on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas after being shot by former United States marine, Lee Harvey Oswald.

Question 1: What was JFK's greatest contribution to society?

I would say that Kennedy's greatest contribution to society was standing up to the Soviet Union and communism during his presidency. In 1962, he forced the Soviets into removing their missiles on the island of Cuba. This situation would later be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. With his actions in Cuba, Kennedy prevented a possible nuclear war from breaking out. In 1963, Kennedy along with the Soviet Union and other governments signed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban treaty, banning all testing of nuclear weapons except for underground. On May 25, 1961, Kennedy presented the lunar landing program to congress. Space was really just another way to compete with communism and the Soviet Union. By 1963, the United States was already ahead of them in that category as well. However, John did not live to see his goal of a man landing on the moon being achieved as he died about 6 years before it happened on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon, thus achieving his goal.

Question 2: What were three events that influenced JFK's life?

One event that influenced JFK's life was when his brother Joseph Jr. died in World War II. Joseph died in a plane crash over the English Channel. Before his death, he was supposed to be the member of the Kennedy family that went into politics, not John, and it is most likely that he would have become president instead of John had he not died. After his death, John's father pushed him into politics and John later became the President of the United States in 1960. A second event that influenced John's life was when he was fighting in World War 2. He was the captain of the boat PT 109 when it was sunk during a nightly patrol. John had to swim to shore while rescuing his crew mates and then look for a nearby US naval base or any scouts on the islands. John, would later use this event to benefit him in his campaigns for government offices in the late 40's and early 50's. However, John would suffer back problems for the rest of his life, and this indirectly led to his death in 1963 as he was wearing a back brace at the time of the shooting. After the first non-fatal shot was fired, he could not duck down due to the brace and was shot two more times, killing him. A third event that influenced John's life was when he became elected President in 1960. He had to deal with problems such as the Soviet Union, the rise of communism, possible reunification of Germany, and Cuba. He also had to make important decisions such as establishing Peace Corps and helping the Civil Rights Movement. Peace Corps was an organization that sent volunteers around the world to promote US society and culture while also promoting world peace. John's life was very busy after his election and his family life was strained up until his death.

Question 3: What is a quote from or about JFK that was important?

A quote from JFK that was important was, "Ask not what your country can do for you-- Ask what you can do for your country." He said this quote during his Inaugural Address in 1961. This quote means that people need to make a change and not rely on others or the government to do it for them. Another example would be that a nation is made up of individuals and if those individuals do not do great things, than that country can not become a great nation that is respected and prosperous. A more personal example would be that my brother, Joseph Jr. gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country and was not expecting any rewards or recognition for his actions. 

This was for a speech in my Language Arts and Social Studies class. I was answering these questions as JFK during the speech and changed it to third person for this transcript.

Source: John F. Kennedy: A Biography by Michael O'Brien

Take Care by Drake REVIEW

Take Care. The words itself makes me feel like I should listen to this album differently. Drake's sophomore album is much more serious and kinda depressing. Songs like "Marvins Room" and "Headlines" are good though. 

Drake deviates from his style in "Thank Me Later" a lot in this album. Besides just rapping he actually sings in songs like "Shots For Me". Drake's tone is much more darker in this album as it sounds like he is trying to adjust to his newfound fame in songs like, "Marvin's Room" and "Over My Dead Body". His lyrics as always have to do with life and dealing with his problems. Drake's style of rapping is a lot different than his Young Money counterparts, Lil Wayne and Tyga. Drake raps slower and his words make you think about what his message is in these songs. This was a high point in Drake's musical career and I feel like this is the better album of the two he has released.

Rating: 9/10

nostalgia, ULTRA by Frank Ocean REVIEW

Frank Ocean. Nowadays, say these two words and pretty much everyone knows who you are talking about. He has been featured on songs such as "No Church In The Wild" and "Made In America" off of the collaboration album, "Watch the Throne" by Jay-Z and Kanye West. This was a fantastic mix tape from Frank, the odd man out in Odd Future.

Songs, including a chilling rendition of Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing" make me really believe that Frank is the next big thing in the music industry. Frank, it seems uses his music to get his views across, such as in the song "We All Try". Frank sings with such emotion that is not really seen in today's music industry except in a few cases, such as Adele for example. My personal favorite on this mix tape is the track, "Songs For Women". It starts off kind of layed back, but then gradually gets a little more serious, and the lyrics are brilliant. Frank's lyrics in all of these songs make sense and I really like them. 

This is a mix tape that I would definitely recommend downloading and is a great addition to the young musicians career.

Rating: 8.5/10

Links:

Download: Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra. Hosted by OFWGKTA // Free Mixtape @ DatPiff.com

"No Church in The Wild" Kanye West & Jay Z (Ft. Frank Ocean) - No Church in the Wild - YouTube

"Made In America" Watch The Throne - 11. Made In America (Feat. Frank Ocean) - YouTube

All Songs Can Be Found On YouTube

Finding My Own EP by Devin Miles REVIEW

    A fantastic debut for the Pittsburgh native. Devin Miles will become a mainstream artist pretty soon, if he produces tracks like the ones on this EP. At times he sounds like Drake, and at others he sounds like fellow Pittsburgh native, Wiz Khalifa. My highlight of this EP would have to be the track called "Spaced Out". It's a fun, upbeat song that has one too many references to marijuana. There are many other tracks on this extended play that are noteworthy, but a track that I personally liked was "Open Season". In this track Mr. Miles raps about becoming huge and becoming one of the best rappers. The way he states all this is very creative and is very nicely structured. "Love Letter" talks about Devin's girl problems and how he tries to keep his girl. There isn't really that much he could improve in these "emotional" tracks. 


  Some improvements Devin could make is making better beats, but I'm not complaining. This was a great debut for Devin Miles, and I hope to see, sorry "hear" more in the future from this man. 


Rating: 7.5/10


Download Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?s0coliserp1nsi5

Music Videos

Spaced Out: Devin Miles - Spaced Out [Official Music Video] - YouTube

          

Just check it out... swagg

Personal Narrative: Collision Course

When I was 6 years old, I went to my friend’s house. The day seemed like any other, as we were just playing games, but then one thing happened that changed how I lived for months after. There was no way to know that it would happen at all.

            The traumatic event happened due to extreme boredom. I looked up at the clock and saw that it was ticking exceptionally slow. My friend came up with the idea of us going and playing in the playground near his home. After we played for what was about ten minutes, I noticed the tennis court for the first time. My friend easily glided over the tennis net. He turned around and dared me to do the same. I took a deep breath, ran step after step, and launched into the air. I thought I had made it to the other side, but the net though otherwise.

            This was when the life changing event happened. The net threw me backwards and my head struck the ground with an enormous amount of force. Black and blue dots scattered across everything in sight. Screams of pain exploded out of my mouth. Tears began gushing down my face. My friend ran to get help. Seconds later, my mom came running out and helped me go inside. An ice pack was placed on my head and I was put in the car, the doctor’s office was the destination. The doctor made me have an X-Ray and saw that my skull had a fracture. A hand reached up to touch my head and I was horrified to find that there was a spot that was squishier than a sponge.

            The next few months of my life were very different. The sense of smell, I barely had before was not working correctly at all. There were smells, like apples, that I thought was something else. Even with all that had happened; I managed to make a full recovery. Overall, fracturing my skull was a very frightening event and I was terrified that it would affect the rest of my life.