3D Television-The Next Step in Home Entertainment

I've mentioned before in articles that 3D televisions are a giant step in entertainment. When movies began to be viewed on TV, it was hugely successful to say the least. Since entertainment is all about communication, movies on the TV hit the spot. But now the latest trickle down from movie theaters is coming into the home. Three-dimensional visual information, otherwise known as 3D, is the use of special glasses to make imagery look 3-Dimensional. The actual idea of just 3D in TVs is in itself possibly a colossal change for all humans. Picture this, originally, before television, people could not process all the information we do now as easily as we do, thus advancing our brain's screen processing capabilities. For some people, 3D is difficult to watch because it hurts their eyes, but in a few decades, people might not have that issue at all. That is pretty awesome.  

The awesomeness doesn't stop there though, the next advancement after is even cooler. Holograms are supposedly the next stage after 3D. Holograms just change everything  Ads, TV, movies, etc. But that's an article for another day... Anyways, 3D could also become like flat-screen, which is now a rather common sight in an average home. So, regardless, 3D television could change the way we entertain ourselves forever.

Can Anyone Still Hear Me?-The Future of Radio

(Hover over image to reveal more)

The Radio. It's a machine that has changed the entertainment business. It was a like a personal reporter for those in the Second World War. And helps thousands of companies everyday inter-communicate. It has created major turmoil like the "War of the Worlds" report. It's no doubt that radio has left an unmistakable mark on society, but where does it go from here?

Television all but trumps radio in home entertainment now, and the internet has also somewhat pushed out radio for company communication. Since television has more variety of channels as well as having the visuals advantage. So, radio has lost the home entertainment market, and possibly soon the company communication one soon as well, so where does it go? The one place radio seems to have completely locked up is the in-car market. Since using TV in cars is illegal, radio is going to be almost impossible to kick out of this spot, because for the daily commuter who travels to work in solidarity, radio is a real savior, so there is a niche for radio in people's daily lives. Hopefully for radio, car makers do not develop a new entertainment method, as has happened will all of radio's other former niches. (Although iPod integration is a possible alternative).

Other than the car market, radio is all but gone. There are still radio icons that are reasonably well know such as Howard Stern and Elvis Duran, however, there is a decreasing amount of them. Radio really headed the movement of electronic entertainment/news, but it is becoming older. Music radio channels are also under attack from personal internet-based radio stations such as Pandora and Grooveshark. Even the talk shows are going away, because the last major host was Oprah Winfrey, but now, when's the last time a radio show host made the news headlines? While it isn't gone, it's on it's way out, unless a new option arrives for car riders.

5 Coolest Inventions of 2012

 #5 The Deepsea Challenger Submarine

Designed by director James Cameroon for filming, this rugged submarine can reach the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, at 7 miles deep. It was made to withstand the pressure of 3 SUV's put on your toe. It is fully equipped with  3-D cameras. Pretty darn cool.  


#4 Tesla Model S

The next step in green motoring, the American car manufacturer Tesla is really blazing the trail in performance electric automobiles. This means that the dream of racing and exotic cars doesn't have to become depleted with gasoline. It goes 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, but also has the electric charge equivalent of 89 MPG, and so far, electricity is the favorite form of alternative energy.

#3 Women's Body Armor

Finally, women can fulfill their dreams of serving their country on the front lines. Not that women dying is a good thing, but many women would love to help their country by protecting its freedom. For 85% of women in the U.S military, a men's X-small is too big for them, so the armor has been specially developed to fit women's bodies. It is going to be tested by 101st airborne's first brigade in the Middle East very soon.

#2 Wingsuit Racing

This year, the first ever Wingsuit Racing World Championship was held in China. Descending from a 5,000 foot cliff, they glided and then parachuted to the finish. The winner was South African Julian Boulle with a world record time of 23.41 seconds. That's pretty awesome, and man's dreams of self-dependent flight takes a huge leap and it most be a blast to watch.


#1 The Civilization Starter Kit

Marcin Jakubowski has created a blueprint for a DIY civilization. He identified the 50 most important machines for creating a brand new country today. That's pretty cool, and it is actually applicable in real life, like if in Antarctica, scientists want to create a quick civilization to observe the continent, or even if people actually want to settle there. Or even, for the sci-fi dreamers, in the far future, humans that go to settle other planets, can use it to do it more quickly.

5 Most Important Discoveries of 2012

5. Paedophryne amauensis

On January 12th Scientists discovered the smallest vertebrate in the world. while not useful for human use, it is important to know about.

4.  Spidersilk

On January 4th, scientists create genetically engineered silkworms that create super-strong spidersilk. The created substance is stronger than steel, but is also as light as regular silk. The uses for this are immense, because it could help build stronger buildings, lighter, more fuel efficient cars, and many more possibilities  Also, it marks a big step in genetic engineering possibilities, it could be used on other small animals to create more efficient materials like spidersilk in the future.

3. Honey Bee Parasite

While it doesn't have a name, its discovery could save a possibly future endangered species. Since Honey Bees have been dying out and the cause has been a mystery, but the answer could lie in this unnamed parasite. If it is the cause of the dying of the honey bees, it could potentially save a species, even if it does mean killing another....

2. CCTV 

China launched the World's first commercial 3DTV channel (CCTV). 3D is the future of the television, so this is a big step, possibly the next big step in home entertainment. Eventually, this could lead to hologram television movies, which has huge potential for every part of everyday life.

1. Longevity gene

Discovered on November 13th, scientists discovered a longevity gene that made a small water-born organism virtually immortal and that could eventually trickle down to humans. It doesn't require much explanation to show how that is an interesting discovery, but because of the mega possibilities of this, it gets the honor of 2012's most important discovery. (Longevity gene pictured above).

5 Most Influential Political People of 2012

#5 Mohamed Morsi (Egyptian President)

By far this is probably the most different of the people on this list but his actions are no less influential. Coming off a recent violent revolution, he is put in an important situation. He has the influential position of trying to rebuild a whole nation. As well as controlling the biggest shipping canal in the world.


#4 Kim Jong Un (North Korean Leader)

This award would have gone to his father had his father been... well alive.  Anyways, the inheritance to the leader of North Korea almost automatically gets a mention here being that it is such a controversial country. So, why is he here? Well, being that he governs one of the possibly most hostile nations in the world, he is pretty influential.

#3 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iranian President)

Again, more infamous than famous, because of the Iranian missile crisis, his every move is extremely important. Also very watched, he basically defines foreign policy for many major nations. Meaning the dealing with the Iran situation is a huge part of foreign policy for many major countries. Also, if he is producing nukes, that will certainly change the world because he has already made the threat of nuking Israel. That would certainly be influential. Even if it's not for the better.

#2 Hu Jintao (Chinese President)

Being that China is possibly the biggest influence on the global economy, his actions couldn't have more influence. China has pretty much blackmailing material for every country, like when Japan detained a Chinese captain. China just put in an embargo, and Japan returned the captain immediately. That is the power of China, and the leader heads this power.

#1 Barack Obama (American President)

Recently elected, he has the duty of guiding America which is certainly no small task. America, like China has huge effect on the global economy. The other huge effect is on the global energy state. If you look back at almost all of the alternative energy sources, they have a major footing in America, and most are almost only available in the United States, so his actions could decide the future of alternative energy for a long time to come.

5 Most Influential Non-Political People of 2012

#5: Terry Mcdermott (The Voice)

While it might not seem to big, Terry Mcdermott was the first contestant on American Television to sing the Beatles on the show. (Him Singing) While this isn't insanely influential, it means the rights to sing their song on television are fair game, and considering they're some of the most influential people of all time I felt this guy deserved a mention. Also, he has created quite a buzz and has sold huge amounts of singles and might bring back classic rock according to many.

#4: Psy (Gangnam style)

While it may seem quite silly, there is an importance to his achievements  It has really showcased the power of the internet. The first Youtube video with 1,000,000,000 views, it is also the most watched video on Youtube. Still not convinced? Well consider this. He has sent a message that has been viewed 1 billion times. Take any important document or idea and give it 1 billion views. That can change the world. Consider giving  documents like The Communist Manifesto or Conspicuous Consumption one billion views. That can truly change everything.

#3: LGBTQ Rights leaders

While there isn't just one that I can pick out, anyone pretty much fits the reason for these people getting #3. LGBTQ is a huge issue, it is like the civil rights movement of this generation. It has been part of civilization since the beginning of civilization (most likely). It also gains influentiality because it goes against religion. While not necessarily a good thing, it does shake the roots of society. It also has become a huge part of television and is a big part of many big shows currently running. The last part is that it further creates debate in religion, does homosexuality agree with the ideals of the bible, or do the two clash? Needless to say, the leaders of this movement are very influential.

#2: Chuck Hall

Never heard of him? You're not alone, but very soon his name could become known across the world as possibly the biggest inventor of all time. He invented the 3-d printer. (More on 3-D Printing) The possibilities of that are immense and will probably be fully explored within the next 20 years, so not only will it be huge, but it will be huge very soon.

#1 Larry Page/Sergey Brin

The co-founders of Google, they already own the most viewed website in history, and the biggest website sharing website of all time as well. However this year, they made a huge leap in futher becoming part of everyday life. Android sales are up seriously, and they are gaining a big following. They also now own Motorola, and even though it isn't a very popular cell provider, it has potential. And if that wasn't enough, they introduced Google Wallet, which means Google can know your buying info, and possibly sell it to companies. That is pretty scary, but it is also revolutionary, because that changes everything for retailers, because they know alot more about what you want and like, so they can strategically purchase and place items by trends in communities near stores. Because of these contributions these two are my most influential people of 2012.

Alternative Energy 2-Alcohol

Background: While it's probably not the the alcohol you're thinking of, it is a type of alcohol called Methanol. It comes from trees and is made from a variety of sources.

Pros: Because it can be made from natural gas (and it often is) it shares the pros of the land owning that comes with natural gas (for more on the pros and cons of natural gas: Click here). Methanol is very available, recently, some companies came together and aim to inject over 100,000 barrels into the U.S market by next year. The other advantage of that is that bigger oil companies will be able to see it's market value without investing. So, they will be able to make a smoother and better educated transition. Methanol is currently the official fuel of Indycar, for a few positive reasons. Firstly  because it is made of less components, it doesn't vary so much from batch to batch like in gasoline. That can potentially increase fuel mileage. The next advantage is that it is not flammable like gasoline so it is safer for transporting and in military situations. The final is one is shares with its sister fuel, Ethanol, ans that is because it is natural, it is not that dangerous if spilled.  

Cons: Another possible way to get ethanol is through wood fermentation, hence trees would have to be chopped down, which is already an issue just for paper. It is also seriously toxic to the human touch, and if it does burn, it is hard to detect through a regular human eye. The mileage could also be lessened possibly, because it has never been tested thoroughly for road cars, but for Indycar, the range was decreased.

Alternative Energy 2-Ethanol

Background: Ethanol is an alcohol fuel sourced from corn or other plants like grass and/ or certain types of trees.

Pros: Ethanol is a rapidly growing fuel in popularity and is even featured in some commercials for gasoline companies like Exxon Mobile and Shell. Switching to ethanol (blend E85) sees no drop in engine performance. The unique benefit for ethanol is that it sees a very low addition onto vehicle price, meaning the transition could be smoother than other fuels. For any gearheads, you should know that it reduces engine knock (for those who are not car enthusiasts, here is an explanation: Engine Knocking Explained). And the final advantages are more common, they are that it is mainly domestically produced (U.S), and that it releases less pollutants.

Cons: While this can also be a pro, the cost is know to vary per area, so some places might have to pay more than expected, but then again gasoline is the same. On top of costs, like the other plant-based fuels like Biodiesel, it has a very low energy content, so the mileage is somewhat poor. The mileage drop is estimated to be somewhere from 25-30%. Ethanol also requires a certain type of motor types like flex-fuel vehicles. It is currently not too attractive to smaller gasoline companies because it is expensive to produce, with the costs of growing, special storage needs, extra staff etc. Finally, the biggest con to switching to ethanol is that it has limited availability. There is only so much space to have corn fields in the world, so it would be difficult to keep up with global increasing demand.

Alternative Energy 2-Biodiesel

Background: Biodiesel is a fuel produced from vegatable oil, it contains fatty acids.

Pros: Because it is a plant-based fuel source, it has a tremendous amount of energy output. In fact, it gives 3.2 times what it take to produce. So, it's profitable in that respect. It is also largely domestically produced in America; it has a much smaller toxin output compared to gasoline. With the different forms of Biofuel, it can reduce carbon emissions by 15-75 percent. Biodiesel has a very high lubricity rate, so it lessens the need for oil and also keeps engine running more smoothly for longer. Being that it is a plant-based liquid, it is also biodegradable, so it won't destroy the environment if spilled. It is also generally safer, it is less flamable, but is also safe to the touch and to store in relatively dangerous areas. Finally, it is also very easy to use and can be used in any regular diesel engine.

Cons: Blends over B5 are currently not approved by many automakers. Also, it has less fuel economy and also currently costs more than gasoline. The particular blend of B100 is problematic, it is not suitable for low temperatures and it also possibly has negative effects on engine durability. Lastly, there is a possibility of a nitrogen oxide increase in biodiesel.

Alternative Energy Contd.- Propane

Pros: Propane, otherwise known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas is another fossil fuel. It is clean-burning which means not only less CO2, but less Carbon Monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbon. Which basically translates to plain English as less toxins. Propane is also highly available and is already sold in many stores worldwide for grill-powering purposes. It is also much cheaper and is sold for about an average of $2 per gallon. While that isn't a major difference, it does add up over time. Also, for all the Americans, 90% of propane is domestically sourced in the U.S.

Cons: In other ways however, propane availability is limited. It is not recognized yet as a major player of alternative energy, probably because it's also a fossil fuel, and hence it has the same issue of there being a finite amount and hence it will naturally run out. And hence, because of that there are not many purpose-built engines for propane. And there aren't many conversion places out there, unless you know how to do it yourself. The last issue is that the mileage isn't great, so in total, the price might even out, because even though it's cheaper, you have to refuel more often.

Gun Control-NEEDED NOW

Firstly, I would like to dedicate this to the victims of the horrible crime committed in Sandy Hook Connecticut earlier last week. Following that unfortunate incident, people are complaining about the lack of control in gun possession abilities. So lets look at the facts.

Well, originally, the right to bear arms will part of the Bill of Rights, introduced not long after the Constitution. The idea was that since America had no official comparable army when placed in a situation where there were still massive empires. So, like what occurred during the American Revolution, they would need the citizens to take up arms if attacked. Currently, the American Government spends about half of its annual revenue on the military. Well, my take is obvious, seriously limit the availability of guns. According to laws, purchasing a gun is less dangerous than drinking, less dangerous than medical marijuana. In most states by the age of 18 you are able to buy guns, but not alcohol or medical marijuana. Maybe even if total banning is too intense, just limiting it to people without mentally infringed people in close relation with them. Some of the biggest arguments against gun control is that people kill people, guns don't kill people. Well in a similar situation to Sandy Hook in China, a man armed with only a knife attacked 22 children in an elementary school. All of them survived. As opposed to in Connecticut where none of the victims survived. That, speaks for itself. Even if that isn't included, the fact that he had an assault rifle is insane. An assault rifle is not needed to hunt, for personal defense, or for anything for that matter.

So, the final and most prudent reason for why guns should be regulated is because they are archaic. They are used to hunt from a legal perspective, and that in itself has become unnecessary with the invention of the supermarket. Hence, guns are no longer a necessary part of society, and as we have recently seen, they are only a danger.

The History/Future of Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site that encompasses the boom of the internet. As of September of this year, Facebook has generated over 1,000,000,000 (one billion) users from all around the world. It has an interesting future, but first, a look at its past. Facebook Inc. was established on February 2004 in Harvard University by Mark Zuckerburg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. I was originally only for students at Harvard, but then was expanded to eventually include the whole world.

Facebook currently is the most used social networking site on the internet. Widely ahead of its competition. Facebook has an annual revenue of about 3.7 billion dollars, which mainly stems from advertising and paying games on-site. It has revolutionized the idea of social gaming with hits like Mafia Wars and Farmville.

Finally, its future. It is interesting because the main question about Facebook is whether it will end up like Myspace, or is it too big to fail? Being that Facebook has about 1/7 of the world's population on its site, it would seem rather drastic for the majority of its users to switch. Even so, competitors like G+ have been gaining momentum and are introducing new ideas that Facebook doesn't have. So, Facebook is stuck in a bit of a standstill in where it can go. There isn't much to add on a social networking site, so it basically has to hope that its users stick to it loyally. However, that is only regarding the flagship site. Since it bought Instagram for 1 billion, it seems like a company that could be like the next google for social sites.

The Martian Dilemma

Not to long ago, the Martian probe Curiosity found yet another sign that life could have existed on Mars. Even less than 1,000 years ago. The question is that if we discover life, what do we do next? What could happen? What will?

Firstly, what we should do. Hand it over to scientists that aren't effected by the government. But before I go off on a corruption rant, here's an example of why. When the Atomic Bomb was created, the theory of nuclear power was discovered by Albert Einstein. It had the potential to power the world and eliminate the oil problem. However, when politics became involved, it was used for highly destructive purposes. If we hand it over to top scientists from multiple countries, that eliminates the problem.

A lot could happen, and there are a ton of variables. In the very unlikely case that the life is new and has something new that could contribute to technology or science, then it would be very possible that it ends up like the colonial age where advanced countries fight to control the areas where the new life is abundant. Hopefully we've moved past that dark age. If the life is already discovered, then populating the new planet becomes a possibility that will lead to a possible second space race, but that would be difficult considering only one country has ever put a man on the moon, but still possible. What should happen, however is the planet should be equally distributed randomly on the planet.

In conclusion, the probability is unknown , it is a completely new idea, and people back in the 1790s probably could not have predicted the colonization of the 1800s and early 1900s. The same way now, it is difficult and dangerous to make a prediction now.

And then there was none, the world after gasoline.

Gasoline is one of the most controversial substances that is used on a daily basis. It is projected that within the next 20 years, however, it will have run out. and there will be none left on planet Earth. So after that happens, what happens? Well lets look at the possibilities.

The cool parts about when gas leaves the energy scene is that theoretically, the price of everything should go down. Because the main cause of inflation is rising gas prices, so then in theory that increase should be deducted from all the products. This might seem far-fetched considering that if it does cost less and retailers have the opportunity to increase their profit margins, it would seems unlikely that they would turn that down. However, through competition, it my happen. Consider this: because retailers have more wiggle room to lower their prices, small businesses might lower because they are less profit driven, and to stay competitive, bigger retailer like Walmart and Kmart might need to lower their prices. Even without small businesses  bigger companies might compete with each other; kind of like how they competed to be the earliest opener on Black Friday, even though they opened at ridiculous hours. Again, as mentioned in previous articles, the alternative will have its own pros and cons, but mainly, they are all cleaner.

Some other effects that would be more conspicuous, the oil industry would be jumbled around. They might branch out and try different alternatives, they might all switch to one alternative. Regardless, it will be a pivotal moment in all of the oil companies' life. Finally, as a side note, there is a possibility that it won't happen. Some scientist are attempting to find a way to artificially create fossil fuels. Alchemy? Good idea? Only time will tell. The more probable idea is to take the materials for fossil fuels and put it underground and hopefully aid someone millions of years from now.

Chromebook: Contender or Pretender?

The Google Chromebook is an interesting fusion that reveals a lot about Google, and possibly the future of computers. Firstly, what it reveals about Google. It reveals that Google aims to be relevant of all computing and internet related markets. Browser, search engine, social media, and now computers. Google is certainly making it their priority to be a provider of all the popular computer-related markets and they have at least succeeded in being there. Even though the numbers of people on Google Plus aren't as high as Facebook, they have made G+ known. Chromebook as a selling point is probably not great. With Windows taking huge leaps to try and stay in the computer business and Apple still dominating, the future doesn't look bright for this innovative introduction to the slowly progressing computer industry.

The coolest part about the Chromebook is that it's all online. That means that it doesn't need to be backed up. That won't be good for the hard drive makers, but for general convenience  it's pretty revolutionary. It seems similar to Windows 8 where all your information from online is on the home screen; the Chromebook is a more extreme version of that. Unfortunately, like most extreme ideas, it won't get much attention, so that idea may be dissolved in time, but it was a clever because most of what people do is now online, and it also creates a much more social environment. Being social is an increasingly important part of the internet, and the Chromebook is a peek into a possible future.

Black Friday: What's the Rush?

Today marks the biggest day in shopping of the entire year, Black Friday. This day has been here for almost a decade and people often don't know too much about its origin. So, why not take a look back? Ok, Black Friday became consistently the biggest day in shopping in 2005 (c). Before that from 1993 to 2001 it shifted around from fifth through tenth. The name originated in the city of Philadelphia where it was used to refer to the heavy traffic that would occur right after Thanksgiving. The 'black' was then changed to refer to when retailers were in the 'black', or turning a profit. The opening of Black Friday has gradually become sooner and sooner. Last year, companies like Target opened at midnight, a huge leap, however this year companies have even opened at 8 PM on Thursday. Black Friday has been a hectic day in history, even inducing some unfortunate violence. Finally, the reason for the day being right after Thanksgiving is mainly because it marks the beginning of the Christmas season, so people have an extra reason to shop.

Black Friday, from a retailers point of view is a big strategy game. Often they lose money on the items that are put on 'mega sale' because they expect the people who come in to buy other things too that they will make money back on. Also, to ensure that it happens like that, often the 'mega sale' items are not similar so people in theory will not be particularly interested in just buying those items. Another major front for them is advertising, new motto's, spokespeople and ideas. The first step in getting customers is alerting them of your brand, in terms of Black Friday, that is even more true. The last part of Black Friday for retailers is making sure that employees aren't unhappy, because the hours are getting longer, strikes are not impossible.

Should Black Friday exist? Yes. But only if the hours get more reasonable. If the hours are ok, than Black Friday benefits everyone. The other cool part about Black Friday is that inspired other shopping days like Small Business Saturday, but let's save that for a different article.

The Wii U-nderdog

Nintendo is faced with a huge decision that could define its sales for a while to come. Stay in the family-oriented market, or change and try and expand to wider markets. Nintendo has a definite monopoly in the family game market, but the huge game buying demographic of teenagers seem to disgrace the Wii as a loser machine. So where does the new Wii U fit in?

The Wii U seems to be somewhere in the middle. It somewhat imitates the console quality anywhere device used first by Playstation. So that side is a lot towards the 'real gamer' side. The touchscreen and motion as well indicate complex controls, and that as well leans it towards the gamer side. However the major setback included with the Wii U for more passionate players is the selection of games. They are not necessarily the best for players who want to look good. The type of games are things like Mario, Lego, and Epic Mickey. Even though games like Black OPS II and Assassin's Creed III are available, the online will probably not have that many players on and again more serious players generally dislike the Wii. So, again, it fits somewhere in between.

The Wii U has a bit of an identity crisis that Nintendo needs to sort out. Personally, I would stick to the family market. It is often true that companies struggle and sometimes even terminate because of they try to do too much. Sticking in that niche will give them sufficient profit and has already been proven to do so. They also have no real competition in that niche, but if they try to expand, they end up in virtually impenetrable Xbox and Playstation territory. To sum up the U in terms of sales in one simile:  it should sell like hot cakes... on a Tuesday.

Voting mini-series-Proportional voting

So, proportional voting. Considered to be the most democratic form of voting. Basically, people vote for the president, and based on those results, that decides the people in the senate (or Parliament or house of Representatives). So, as an example if 5% of the votes go to the Libertarian party, if the congress contains 100 seats, then the Libertarians get 5 seats. How do they decide on who from the party? Well, before the election, each party submits a list of people, and if they get 5 seats the first 5 on the list make it into the congress.

Personally, this form of voting seems almost perfect, as you can tell from my former article on why voting for a third party candidate is a good idea (http://iexellence.blogspot.com/2012/10/iexellence-on-why-voting-for-third.html). In this form, it makes it so that everyone is represented, for a real example, take Gary Johnson, who won almost 2% of the vote, but he obviously didn't win and there are no Libertarians (Gary Johnson's party of association) in congress. Depending on how you define Democracy, this could technically be the most democratic because the people are represented. As far as cons, I'm pretty much speechless, there aren't any ones to mention. Due to this, it's definitely the best form of Democratic voting.

Popular Vote-Yay or Nay?

Recently, some buzz has been created about changing the voting system. Changing the system of government used since the founding of America, the Electoral College. Some background on the Electoral College: It was created by the founding fathers of America as an alternative to popular and proportional vote counting. The reason for not using the popular vote was that they believed that people would just vote for the runner in their state, and then the majority would not properly be represented, so they decided on the Electoral College, where each state has a number of votes, and when they vote for a candidate (based on majority), that candidate gets the vote. Currently, the amount of votes needed to win the presidency is 270.

So, just using the popular vote, why is that useful? Well, it would more effectively represent the majority in voting. Democracies are by nature, supposed to represent the majority of the people's wishes. Well doesn't the Electoral College do that? No, in the election of 2000, Albert Gore won the popular vote, but lost the election, thus using the popular vote system is more democratic. Also, it could influence people, and encourage them to vote. In states now, some people don't vote because they know that the state will support one candidate or another with its electoral votes, but if it contributes to the popular vote and that decides the president, then people will see that their vote has more value. It can also foil state by state voting fraud, because the popular vote is less based on state by state decisions, and more on the country's decision

In terms of cons, there doesn't appear to be any, except that switching might be an odd transition. Because of that, switching to the popular vote is the most sensible decision. The Electoral College was created hundreds of years ago, and times have changed, so it needs to be changed to fit the current agenda. For more on voting, and why it's important at: http://iexellence.blogspot.com/2012/11/voting-citizens-greatest-obligation.html

3 Reasons Why the World Won't End in 2012

1. Mayans Didn't Include Leap Year Days

Because of that fact, the world according to the Mayans ended sometime in June of last year on the Gregorian Calendar.  It also is a hint that their calendar wasn't fully accurate.

2. It was Created Thousands of Years Ago

Scientists today cannot even predict when the exact end of the world will be, so why would an Ancient Civilization? Sure, the Mayans were ahead of their time, but they weren't prophets. Consider this: there was someone who was assigned the job of making the yearly calendar. He can only continue for so long, their calendars were also very elaborate, and then, 2012 was 2,500 years in the future, and even now we know barely anything of what the Earth will be like in 4512. We also don't think about it. So basically, the Mayans had to stop somewhere, and talking about 2,500 years in the future was already beyond them, so it's possible that they just needed an ending point and randomly chose December 21st 2012.

3. It Is Completely Illogical

The Mayans said that time would rewind in 2012. Scientifically, that makes no sense. Time continues forever, and does not miss a beat. Ok, even if that is discarded and another way like natural disasters is substituted, it still makes no sense. Why would a huge amount of disasters all occur on one day. There is no meteor warning, hurricane warning, or even major earthquake warning that we know of for December 21st.

AO-From Hero to Zero

The rating Adult Only love it or hate it, it's had a everlasting effect on video game culture, its become under attack whether on not it should exist. So let's take a look back at the many faces of the AO rating.

Early days: AO was feared by parents everywhere. With the new creation of video game ratings, they were much more strict in ratings and the ratings were usually one step down from where they are today (M would have been AO, E 10+ would have been M). AO was used rarely, but mainly untouched by buyers. The first AO rated game without a recall was Manhunt 2 made by Rockstar on the 29th of October, 2007. The slaes were verall very poor, but started to pickup, as AO entered its middle stage.

Middle Stage;After the early days where it would look like blasphemy for a child to play or own an AO game, it began to become cool and "bad" to own AO games. It became like a way to separate boys from men in the school playgrounds. Much like M today. Game developers began to cherish the idea of getting the AO rating, because it would increase sales.

Now: AO has become archaic for gamers and it's almost as unused as EC (early childhood). People have even forgotten about it. Mainly, because if a game gets the rating now, then it is pretty much like getting the plague. It's also not ;or teenagers, the main game buyer demographic. So it has become a no-win situation for everyone, both the makers and the buyers.

So, the verdict: will it stay or will it go? Well in the words of the Clash: "if I go there will be trouble, if I stay there will be double". In other words, if AO ends up in the history books, gamers will protest the loss of a former icon, but if it stays, video game activists will just bring it up again and we could be in the same position not to far in the future. In the end however, it will probably stay, because if it stays it most likely won't be used again, therefore it will stay just to provide

To Build or Not to Build

Recently, as hurricane Sandy victims on Long Island and all throughout New Jersey continued their work to rebuild, proposals from area government officials started flooding in about what to do to prevent damage of this caliber in New York City in the future. The main proposal is a 10 Billion dollar dam that would protect the areas in New York City bordering the water. The money is to be asked for from the federal government, but the question is, to build or not to build?

Beginning with the reasons for, in the past two years in the NE area, there have been hurricanes, that hasn't happened for at least a decade before it, so the frequency is seeming to increase, as well as the fact that there have been two major hurricanes hit harbor cities in the US in the last decade that have cost billions in damage. Sandy cost approximately 14 billion in damages, so a 10 billion dollar wall aimed at preventing such damage seems like a bargain. A huge question is whether or not newly re-elected President Obama will agree to the plans. However, the idea that he would refuse makes no sense from a governmental standpoint, because the whole job of a government is to protect its people.

For the against side, most of them do not believe in global warming and/or the effects of it, so they say Sandy is once in a half of a millennium occurrence, which has been put down by the even more damaging great hurricane of 1938, but nevertheless the argument might have some prowess. Also, people (mainly outside NYC) say that it would contribute to more national debt, hence hurting many to save some. Also, the problem of blocking views of the river and if there is a storm during the construction then everything would be destroyed and take more money and resources.

The actual probability of it happening is high because people say Obama wouldn't do it because it would anger people outside of NY and NJ, but now that he's on his last term, he doesn't have to restrain himself by whether or not he thinks swing voters will like his actions or not, so he has the means to do it. He has also collaborated recently with the representatives of NY recently hence he is no stranger to collaboration with them. Also after the storm damage gets cleared the victims will definitely be pushing for storm damage prevention measures.

NASA- Has it taken its final step?

Recently, the United States cut funding to NASA as a method of belt-tightening. NASA could see many more cuts like the 300 million dollar cut it is set to endure in 2013. So, is exploring the final frontier really necessary? Is NASA a thing of the past?First, it would behoove us to take a look back at NASA's origin.National Aeronautics and Space Administration was founded NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Acton July 29, 1958, to replace the ineffective National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics(NACA) and to respond to Russia's recent space-related breakthroughs. NASA's official inauguration was October 1st, 1958. They were established with the purpose of better understanding Earth and the solar system through space missions. Their other main pillar was that all space missions were to be conducted with the intention of peace, hence the phrase "We come in peace". Their first mission was titled Little Joe 1, which was created to test the escape system on the Mercury rocket. Unfortunately, after a premature launch, NASA's first mission only lasted 20 seconds, but that was just the beginning of many successes to come.

NASA has many pros to it, NASA has helped discover many different things about where we came from and how the universe came to be. Big Bang theory (no, not the show) was NASA's doing, all the pictures of Earth we have ever gotten from America, NASA, first and only people to ever walk on the moon, NASA. So, at least it's safe to say that NASA has turned up some good results over its 54 year life-span. NASA has also helped the country in many ways, it won a non-violent space war with Russia, it made the US the king of the final frontier. So, why is it all of a sudden so unimportant in the public eye? Well, NASA lost what little boys and girls dreamt of in the days of the astronauts, it lost the dream. The dream of being an astronaut, a modern explorer of the unknown, discovering all the universe has to offer. Now that we have covered almost all of what humans could possibly get to for a long while, peoples' interest has wavered. The dream of being an astronaut seems to have become outdated, there was little fuss over cutting funding to NASA in the public. And seeing as all science is driven curiosity that deals a major blow to NASA.  NASA may have lost 'the dream' but NASA's time is not yet over, space exploration in America will not become a thing of the past for a long time to come.        

Alternative Energy-Natural Gas

Natural Gas

Pros: Natural gas is already a familiar face among those in the energy business. Many homes are heated with natural gas already in areas that have it available. The most interesting part of natural gas is possibly that it can actually help everyday people. If you own land over a place where gas companies want to drill, as an owner of that property, you sign a lease that settles an amount per acre for the amount of time that they will be drilling, those amounts usually range around $1,000-$2,000 per acre in the major natural gas area of the North East U.S. Also, they have to pay 12.5% of their profits that they gain from drilling under your property. There was even recently of a case where just on the 12.5% (not including lease money and job income) someone made $960,000 a year. Not only that, but natural gas has the least amount of carbon dioxide emissions of any fossil fuel. Natural gas also has the advantage of being familiar because it is closely related to gasoline.

Cons: There is a major drawback to natural gas as an energy alternative to gas. Hydrofracking. In short, hydrofracking is when gas companies pump down water, chemicals, and sand into the drilling holes to extract the gas. The main issues with this is that one: where the dirty water is disposed of, two: the fresh water near the drilling holes getting polluted and three: it takes a huge amount of fresh water. On top of that, because it's a fossil fuel, the amount of gas is finite and therefore we could end up in the same situation we are in now with running out of gasoline; in 50 years, we could be running out of natural gas.  

Voting: A Citizen's Greatest Obligation

Voting is something that many people in America have written off as useless, or unnecessary. There are countless numbers of reasons why that is the wrong decision. The first reason people in America decide not to vote is because they think that one vote doesn't make a difference. Well, as the saying goes if you think you're too small to make a difference, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room. Every vote counts. Some elections have come down to only tens of thousands of people, and this one is shaping up to be one of the closest yet. The first city to vote, a small town of 10 in New Hampshire tied for the first time ever 5 to 5, if only one of them hadn't voted, than the results would have been swayed. Okay, most non-voters would then reply that they don't live in a small town so it doesn't matter, well, over 30% of eligible voters did not vote last election, if they all voted for John McCain, he would have become president.

Another set of reasons would be that they live in a 'set state' that always votes Democrat or vice versa. That reason could be because a huge amount of people there don't vote. People might also say that voting is inconvenient  however it's pretty clear that one day every four years of voting can't really be called an inconvenience. Some say voting is rigged, well, that may be true, but if your vote is counted, and you vote for a candidate who supports voting fraud reducing legislation, then that could change.

The last reason is because voting is a privilege and it is disrespectful to abuse it. Many people believe throwing food away is a horrible thing to do, because it is disrespectful to those who don't have to be wasting what those in need could have had. The same applies to voting. The founders of America fought and lost many patriots in the fight for independence and democracy, so it's important we honor those men's great work every time we go to vote. The last reason is that it sets a good example for the rest of the world. People say that America should be a leader in the world. Well shouldn't a country that wants to lead the world at least be able to have its people vote? Voting decides a country's future for four years, it effects everybody. Fellow Americans, please vote.   

Alternative Energy-Algae

Algae Biofuels:


Pros: Algae is one of if not the most productive of all the plant-based biofuels in terms of production. It produces 60% of his weight in fuel, some producers plan to make 1,000 pounds of fuel per acre. Algae fuel is also planned to start becoming a major player in the energy race, two companies are set to make 50,000 gallons in 2013, so it already has a plan to become a viable option soon. It's also land-based rather then the largely ocean-based gasoline extraction, which could help heal the oceans.

Cons: Algae is seriously expensive to turn into fuel, straining, refining, and changing the algae into oil is a huge thing to adopt, and the 2013 50,000 gallons plan has already cost 3 billion, and that wouldn't even last a day for America alone. The amount of land that would be taken up by algae farms is a lot. Also for some, killing and manipulating algae being that it is a life-form could be considered immoral.

Windows 8-Underneath the Surface

Recently, Windows launched what could be their swansong to the world. This new interface has a few revolutionary ideas that could end up on the next Apple operating system. Windows had the ground-breaking idea of putting everything people do on the internet, on the home screen. Email, Facebook notifications, games etc. Since a lot of what mobile phones are used for is checking those things, it makes perfect sense to put it right there on the home screen so everything is in one place. For some, that might be a little uncomfortable, the suspense of taking a little time to see notifications can be reassuring sometimes. Well, then just use the home page provided, and everything is back to what you used to see. The new picture password and convertible computer that changes into a tablet is also something that could be just as popular as slide to unlock in the future.

Microsoft is making a big deal out of this. In NYC, they've opened a pop-up store in Times Square and put signs for free Wi-Fi all over the subway. The new logo they unveiled a little while ago was probably also part of releasing Windows 8. They're also including "Microsoft" at the end of their Xbox commercials to try and reinforce that Microsoft makes the Xbox as to relate the popularity of the Xbox to the Microsoft brand. The new ads that are very close to Apple's. In short, Microsoft is going all out on their marketing sector for the new Windows 8. That is probably a good idea considering Windows 7's advertising was just commercials as usual, and even though the catchy 'Windows 7 was my idea' was a good marketing trick, but Windows 7 still didn't do so well. So in short, increasing the focus on advertising is not a bad move.

Basically, the success of Windows 8 is defined by whether or not people will give it a chance in the highly Apple dominated market. With the new features, it has the potential to be widely popular. Fortunately, Apple is not releasing the iPad 3 for a while, so all those who want just the latest technology will migrate to this over the iPad Mini. This new interface has a lot of new stuff that could change he tablet and computer industry for a long time to come, but the question again is are people tired of Apple and wanting to switch, or is Apple not yet ready to step down. 

Alternative Energy-Electricity

Pros: Electricity is by far the most recognized of all the alternative energy sources and fully electric cars have already hit the market and had decent sales. There are also charging points that have been set up internationally, so the monetary problem is lessened. Being that it has been highly publicized as the most likely improvement for gasoline in cars, the technology has already been developed and thought out. Like in NYC who will introduce cab with the potential to be produced fully electric. A plus of the charging system is that it is small and can be placed almost anywhere and takes up very little space. It can also be plugged in  anywhere, which makes it more convenient than waiting in line for gas.

Cons: The main issue is if there is a blackout, then there is no place to recharge emergency vehicles like ambulances and firetrucks which may be crucial in crisis situations. There can also be dangerous electrical surges that could seriously injure someone or fry their car which becomes a lawsuit that could create a huge mess. The other major problem is where the electricity comes from, massive amounts of electricity are produced with nuclear power, which is not clean energy, so in the end it might not be so clean after all. 

New Series! (Alternative energy-Hydrogen)

This new series is going to focus on different types of alternative energy that would replace gasoline for cars, It will point out pros and cons of each one and you can decide for yourself which you think should be the replacement (and feel free to post it in the comment section!) Anyway, without further a due here is iExellence's first series:

Hydrogen:

Pros: The potential for this is huge considering that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the known Universe so immediately the first pro is that it basically cannot run out. Another pro coming out of that fact is that it makes so the energy is available to all countries and is not specific to the countries that were fortunate enough to have oil on their lands. That is major because it means that all the third world countries would have access to abundant energy and that could be a huge boost for struggling or developing nations. Additionally, because of the process in which the fuel cell that creates the power works, the byproducts are only heat and water. Hydrogen is also the lightest element, which would help cars be faster and have better braking distances. The process by which the car would be refueled could also be dramatically revolutionized as ideas like filling stations in personal garages or even in the car itself, so you could be filling the car with tap water.

Cons: The fist is that it would most likely be hugely expensive, and even though there are a small amount of hydrogen filling stations in the world, those aren't nearly enough to power the world if if we were to make the switch. Hydrogen is also highly explosive, so having it in your car or at home in a generator could be seriously dangerous (although so is gasoline). Also, hydrogen is a pain to store because it's a gas and wants to spread out. 

To learn more about hydrogen power: Click here       

Apple's Leap of Faith-The iPad Mini

Recently, Apple announced the launch of the iPad Mini. This, in the interest of sales in absolutely genius, it provides an entry-level tablet for those who can’t afford the higher-priced iPad, can still enjoy the social benefits of having an Apple, but still have enough money for dinner. These should fly off the shelves into the hands of parents, singles, and college students. Those demographics are absolutely perfect for the iPad Mini, Parents can use it, save some money, and also not pull their hair out every time they lend it to their children. Singles and college students would buy it more for the ‘Apple for less’ appeal.   

Another plus about the Mini is that it could open a whole new market for Apple, the mid-range in between phone and tablet. Those have the potential to become the new big thing, the new tech that everyone has, and even more people could have it because it’s cheaper. Not only that but it makes so that they have a counter for the increasing popular Kindle Fire and the high potential Microsoft Surface.   

The kickback to the iPad Mini could possibly be just as bad as the sales are good. It could anger their main fan base, the wealthy lawyers. Before the Mini, Apple products were somewhat a way to “separate the boys from the men” meaning it separated the wealthy from the not so fortunate. However, with the Mini, this could lessen the gap even more and risk angering their main Apple users, however it does beg the question, where else could they get high-priced computers and tablets? In that sense Apple has them pretty much cornered.

The other issue is the cheapening of the brand. If Ferrari made a $16,000 car, they would make a huge amount of money, but that is a one-time trick. After that, if they make another cheap model, then the brand gets recognized as cheap, thus they stop wanting one so bad. The same applies to Apple, they’ve spend so much time building up a recognized high-end brand, but if they use this card twice, then all that hard work goes down the drain. If they over-use it, not only does their brand become know as ‘cheap’, but there are companies like Microsoft and Google that would love to get that niche that Apple has, and since the Chromebook isn’t yet established in the general publics’ eyes, they have the potential to easily slip in that niche that Apple currently occupies. The way we can tell how the Mini is affecting Apple is looking at the stocks, and how they are faring should indicate whether the Mini is a failure or a success.     

3 Reasons why Obama will be a 2-Term President

1. Home Field Advantage

Ever since the beginning of America it has been a trend the that if the president runs for a second term, he gets it. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses Grant, and many more have followed in that trend. Even George W. Bush, who left office with the lowest approval rating of any president ever recorded in the history of the United States, was voted in for a second term. The most likely reason for this is that people feel more comfortable with what they know (Obama as president) then what they don't know (Romney as president).

2. Failed Competition

Now, by no means is Romney a complete failure as indicated by the closeness of the polls, bu the lacks one of the major traits a candidate needs to have, the down-to-Earth connection with the people. Considering that at least 90% of America never meets or even sees the president in person, it is important for people to feel a connection to the president. Even though Obama is not the most down-to-Earth person in politics, he is more tangible to the general public than a Multi-Millionaire. If there was a more connectable candidate, or if Romney used a more visible Southern accent, he could gains a few more votes.

3. Social Media/The Internet 

Obama could become the first president to be helped by the internet in his campaign, his posts have been met with better receptions on social media, and not only that, but the amount of sources like the Onion, different Youtubers, and satirical Romney impersonators have been all over the internet. That could work like advertising, because al ot of the theory of advertising is that the more you see it, the more you believe it. So this could work the same way online with the huge amount of Romney critics.

3D Printing-A New Revolution

The biggest invention since the factory. 3 dimensional printing is a revolutionary new technology that can be used for a plethora of different interests. For example, even though now, the biggest objects one can create on a 3D printer are tiny to say the least, it can be used to create a spoon at will. If this technology evolves like the car, then in 50 years, people could become self sufficient, and make their own products out of the convenience of their homes.

If that doesn't convince you of the potential of 3D printing just check out This Website. It clearly illustrates that 3D printing has already taken a step towards every day usage. Currently, the price of the cheapest 3D printers are still over $1,000 a pretty penny for the average Joe, the high-end model shown above is expected to cost a little under $17, 500. But, let's not get to worked up about the price, everything needs time to evolve and over the next couple of decades the price should drop significantly, just look at the light bulb, when it first came out it was a fortune, but now it's something that we incorporate in our everyday life without even noticing.

Of course there are some downsides to this new technology, some people argue it should be made illegal because it would kill manufacturing, students even build a car with a 3d printer, but then again factories killed farming, and it turned out to be for the most part a good thing. And since factories have much more negative effects than 3D printers, they pollute they sometime abuse workers, and they take up massive amounts of real estate. So maybe it's time to give back the power to create back to the people.

iExellence on why voting for a third party candidate could be the best ballot you ever cast

Obama vs. Romney. Republican vs. Democrat. Red vs. Blue. This is how America has voted since the time of Abraham Lincoln. Last election the majority of this country voted for a man with a slogan promising change. So, isn't it time Americans created their own change? Recently, there was a third party presidential debate featuring Gary Johnson (Libertarian), Jill Stein (Green), Virgil Goode (Republican), and Rocky Anderson (Justice). (Full Debate Here) This debate was much unlike the more publicized Obama-Romney debates because there mostly everyone agreed on solutions to the issues except Virgil Goode. The most interesting part of the heated debate was when they were discussing illegal drug use and whether as president the candidates would legalize marijuana or not. When it's Gary Anderson's turn to speak, he sates that he has quote: "Smoked marijuana" in his life. This was a seriously bold move, and it proved something valuable that third party candidates posses that Democrat and Republican candidates don't. Freedom to express their ideas.

Recently, Obama and Romney shattered a record for amount of money spent on campaigning for president  and that number will increase increase over future elections. Much of this money goes to professional campaigners who know what their candidate needs to say and act, just look at the difference between Obama in debate one and Obama in debate two. This was no doubt run by his clever campaign team. If you look at the stats from Jill Stein's total grossed income from this years campaign, it adds up to $246,443 (Full stats), that's less than the donations Obama got from Massachusettes actually, about 1/64th of his Massachusettes donations to be exact. Just FYI, Jill Stein is the favorite of the third party candidates. So, by this I don't mean to say that she is better because she runs on less funds, Obama clearly earned his, but that she can't possibly spend as much on campaign tactics, added on to the fact that she doesn't expect to win, that means she is completely free to express what she truly thinks, and likewise for her other third-party candidates. So, the main reason to vote for one of the, is because it is easy to see their real opinions. Even their websites are less craftily engineered to hide their opinions, they're right there. So, what I'm trying to hint at is not that third party candidates are automatically better, but that it is important to make an informed decision when you cast your ballot an to vote based on your own educated opinion, not just because of your party preference.  

Why Apple should be biting their fingernails about Microsoft's new tablet

Earlier this year, Apple suffered the biggest setback in company history with the death of their founder, Steve Jobs. This was expected by many to throw them of balance and possibly lose their ever-tightening grip on the computer industry. So why worry about an outdated, glitchy, uncool company like Microsoft? Well, with the release of their new commercial, that stars hipsters and dubstep, Microsoft could possibly take away the Apple brand's most valuable asset, the cool factor. After the Apple-Samsung suit, it was made even more clear to the world that products that Samsung's products functioned just as well as if not better than Apple's and could be bought for cheaper. So why do people still purchase those overpriced, fragile tablets anyway? Well, it's because Apple has done a spectacular job of making themselves the go to company for cool computers that no-one takes you seriously without. So, back to Microsoft, they are taking a lot of cues from Apple, the simplistic new logo, the strategic targeting of audiences. However, Microsoft has a couple of secret weapons at their disposal. Before 2012, Apple costumers mostly rallied behind Steve Jobs while Microsoft users rallied behind Bill Gates. When Mr.Gates left Microsoft, they took an almost immediate plunge, and it's no coincidence. The other secret weapon is very simple, so simple in fact, even a child will notice it. Microsoft uses color, while Apple uses B&W. This could easily make Apple's sleek look turn against itself, and Microsoft with its more simple, fun design could become the new 'people's tablet'. Who will win the war in the end for the control of the rapidly growing computer industry? Only time will tell, but with the Microsoft Surface coming into play, this could make for quite a battle.

-iExellence