Kony 2012: Questions?

This week, a viral video called "KONY 2012" became an internet sensation and has gotten an immense amount of attention and support from various social media websites. The video received over 30 million views within the first three days of it's posting and many major news corporations have also ran news segments about the video. The view count for the short documentary film, is now close to 60 million on YouTube.

What is 'Kony 2012'?
A video launched by an advocacy organization called Invisible Children (IC), aiming to bring light to the crimes of ruthless Ugandan army leader, Joseph Kony. Kony is/was the leader of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), and is allegedly the mastermind of inhumane acts towards Ugandan children. The video reported that young boys were used for child soldiers and young girls were turned into sex slaves. The awareness is to capture Kony and have him face charges at the International criminal court for crimes against humanity.

Mission Complete!
The power of social media continues to show it's strength in today's world. The massive support for the campaign has persuaded many people into supporting IC and it's mission. From the countless sharing and likes on Facebook, the considerable amount of vlog responses on YouTube, blog posts and articles, and the hashtag #StopKony2012 trending on Twitter.

Action kit as seen on website

Hold Your Brakes.
One question to ask is, how many of IC's supporters have done their research on Kony, the LRA, Ugandan war history and it's current political situation? Some rumors say that Kony has been committing crimes in Uganda since the '80's and is allegedly dead.

Furthermore, how many have researched IC? What is their mission? Where are their 'profits' going? (Because they are seeking money) The 'Kony' action kit was listed as sold out as of 3/10/12.
Are some supporters aware of the many scams of charity organizations? Or even better, how many people, especially Americans, have researched United States military involvement in Uganda? If you don't have these questions answered, how can you (blindly) support a cause you are not knowledgeable about? Thousands have been manipulated by this video and are now on the bandwagon.

I am not against supporting awareness issues, especially as it pertains to young children and humans in general. But this political propaganda is all too common and whether IC's mission is legit, it should be questioned. Many organizations have been proven to be scams, and have used political crises for their own personal gain.

*Recall the RedCross, YeleHaiti and several other charities after the Haitian earthquake. Where did all that money go? And what is the current state of Haiti two years after?

Think First
Who truly knows the intentions of IC? The world is bigger than it seems, but it is small as well. The KONY 2012 campaign could also be a ploy to get attention to the issue, only for powerful countries to intervene. Does Uganda have oil or other desired and valuable resources?

The shady possibilities are real. The issue in Uganda is real, and I'm glad to see how many people are interested in the lives of others who aren't so fortunate. What concerns me is the lack of knowledge many supporters seem to have, and the tactics being used garner to advocacy for Invisible Children.

Why is it only now there's an interest in Uganda?

I was not fully aware of Uganda's political issues. I was moved by the video and got the message, but I did feel slightly suspicious after watching a few minutes. Prior to the viral popularity of the campaign, I had only heard about IC on Oprah last year.

As of now, I'm reading varying viewpoints and public government reports from a few years ago about the state of Uganda, before clarifying my stance on Kony 2012; as I should.

I support the cause, but my eyes and ears are still open.

Super Tuesdays 'mixed' results

Image: taoty

Now that Super Tuesday, the biggest primary day for the presidential election is over, the results are in.
The constant mixed results from the Republican primaries are simply giving the impression of how doubtful party voters are with the current candidates. Mitt Romney once seemed to be the front runner, and has been so for quite some time. But is he conservative enough for his party? Santorum's very conservative views makes him the ideal candidate for conservative Republican voters, explaining his recent rise in the presidential race. Ron Paul does not seem like he will drop out. I figure he just wants to get a message across.

The ten state primary predicted a great indicator for Mitt Romney, as he totaled with the most delegates won, gaining victory in six states. Ron Paul came out as the biggest loser, winning zero states.

Coming in as second place loser, was Newt Gingrich, who only won his home state of Georgia with 47% of the vote. His ever decreasing popularity as a candidate continues to clear the smoke, as he couldn't even win half the vote.

The Victories:

• Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Alaska, Idaho and Virgina: Romney.
• Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Dakota: Santorum.
• The State of Georgia being the sole winner for Gingrich.
• There were no states that gave more than half of their votes to Ron Paul. 

Ron Paul however, beat out Gingrich in the states of Massachusetts, Alaska and Idaho.
Vermont was the only state that Paul out-won Santorum, as well as Gingrich. His closest call was in the state of Virginia where he won 40.5% of the vote, losing to Romney's victory by just 19%.

I expect to see more mixed results for the next primary.

March 10th, a primary will be held in the state of Kansas.
Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Island will also participate in the Republican primaries.

Watchlist Part 1

Several series and films that are to be released this year, or already have been are on my watch-list radar.

Since Starz began adding drama series to it's programming, I have yet to take the time to watch one. I took an interest in Crash, Boss and Spartacus, but I couldn't bring myself to tune in. However, this April a new series called Magic City will be added to the new list of series the Starz network has taken on. It will be set in 1959, early '60's Miami (or Beach) at a fictional Hotel, and will be primarily about organized crime and corruption. I am highly enthused to these types of genres and I'm obsessed with the era. I look forward to tuning in.


Premiere date is Friday, April 6th at 10p (EST).


I missed this past Sundays premiere, of Kristen Chenoweth's new show: 'GCB' (Good Christian Belles or B*tches). I won't miss another. The ABC show puts a hilarious spin on Christian hypocrisy.


Sundays at 10p (EST)


Also in premiering in April, is a new documentary Marley, which is about legendary Reggae artist Bob Marley. This is the first mainstream documentary circling the late stars life. Marley fans worldwide will flock to see this film.


The doc premieres in theaters April 20th.


*Watchlist Part 2 coming soon.

What's on my playlist: Santigold 'Disparate Youth'

Santigold's newest 'first' single for her sophomore album Master of My Make Believe, expected to be released in May. Although I didn't mind 'Big Mouth', I fell in love with this song (and video) once it was debuted. It's been on constant repeat and I haven't listened to anything else. I'm highly anticipating this album, especially since I've given up on most of today's music. Let's go Santi.

Patiently waiting for: May 1st.

Note: Happy Anniversary

This blog is officially 1 years old.

My Oscar Rundown

Just a few hours ago, the 84th Academy Awards Show wrapped up with surprising losses and wins.
France must be one happy country this morning, with the awards for Best Actor and Best Motion Picture of the year going to French natives. Although I'm not a fan of silent films, I look forward to watching 'The Artist' sometime this year. A silent film in 2012? Perhaps its rarity might the reason for it's high praise?

This was the first Oscar show I've watched, and I must say I probably enjoyed watching it more because of Yahoo's Into Now virtual app. With this app, you can interact with other viewers and comment on the show, and also learn the names of unrecognizable people.

1. Chris Rock was the funniest guest at the event as he presented the Best Animation award. To quote his joke of the night:

"If you’re a white man, you can play an Arabian prince. And if you’re a black man, you can play a donkey or a zebra."

I found this hilarious because Rock plays the voice of the zebra in the 'Madagascar' animated series, and his donkey reference most likely pointed to Eddie Murphy, who voices 'donkey' in the 'Shrek' series.

2. Billy Crystal, who was hosting the Oscar's for the second time did not keep me enthused. I wasn't tickled by his not so funny but hardly offensive 'racial' joke, to his outdated joke about Flomax, that only those of the older generation would understand. Nice one there Billy.

What saved Crystal (for me anyhow) was possibly his "What is he/she thinking" quip that spotlighted several members of the audience on what they were voicing in their heads.

3. Octavia Spencer had the most emotional reaction to her win for Best Supporting actress in "The Help". She beat out her co-star Jessica Chastain, also nominated in the same category. She held back tears and took a quick silent pause before laughing it off as she tried to wrap up her speech due to "freaking out". This award makes her the fifth Black actress to win in this category.

4. Marking the historic moment of the night, was Christopher Plummer's win for Best Supporting actor for his role in "Beginners". Plummer is the oldest person to win an Academy Award, at age 82. Given his time frame in the acting biz, there might be some abuzz to whether his win was a sympathetic gesture. He's been acting for more than fifty years.

5. Angelina Jolie presented an award, and she may have been the most awkward presenter of the night. Jolie wore a dress that looked very large (maybe because she also looked very thin), all whilst attempting to pose with an exposed leg. J.Lo also had a supposed nip-slip accident during her presentation with Cameron Diaz; I'm sure she'll be googled like mad by tomorrow.

Moving on.

6. A surprisingly shocking loss for George Clooney, who lost the Best Actor award to Jean Dujardin in "The Artist". Meryl Streep's win for Best Actress in "The Iron Lady" was also shocking, especially to viewers who thought Viola Davis would have taken home her first Oscar. I said I would be happy if either of them won.

But Clooney and Viola's loss is all the more reason to take Oscar buzzes lightly. All the buzz around those two, only for both of them to leave empty handed. This is Streep's third Oscar in 17 years. As I previously mentioned about Plummer's win, I think accusations of a sympathy award may surround Streep's win.

I hope this signals Viola to play a in a biopic or lead role in the future. Her trophy will come, I'm betting on it.

7. A quick Memoriam towards the end of the show payed tribute to memorable people lost in the past year. It lasted a few minutes. A gorgeous Esperanza Spalding, the Grammy winning artist that upset Bieber fans when she won Best New Artist in 2011, sang a beautiful rendition of "What a Wonderful World" amongst a choir. It was one of the best segments of the night.

How could I forget the amazing acrobats performing Cirque du Soleil? That was an outstanding performance which I found very impressive!

8. "The Artist" took home the Best Motion Picture award and night ended with thick French accents praising America and the award show. I won't see the film right away, I might even wait till it's available on OnDemand.

The show was alright, maybe I'll watch next year.

I still find it sad that after ten years of magical films which impacted pop culture around the world, Harry Potter couldn't get an Oscar :(

Discouraged...

I was/am experiencing feelings of discouragement in the career path I have chosen. I am a college senior and I'm expected to graduate in about two months from now.

Seeking an internship is my next step, as I missed the opportunity to do so a year before, due to uncertainty of graduation and financial setbacks. But this semester is my last and I should have found the opportunity to intern by summer. However, how does one thrive when they're constantly bombarded with discouragement, not just from friends and others, but from the industry you're seeking employment from itself?