The morning after

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Convo with my dad: “Britain can’t leave the European Union. Look at the cover – the first two words on my passport! What does this all mean?”

Me: “It’ll take about two years before the UK formally leaves the EU. You can use your current passport in the meantime and eventually, we’ll get new ones.”

Dad: “Bugger.”

Indeed but what does it all mean?

A great summary by Alastair Macdonald responds to the top five questions about leaving the EU:

1. Time frame: Approximately two (2) years before the economic and trade divorce is finalized;

2. Economic Council: Remaining members of the EU hustle to find a way to deal with the loss of 1/5 of the EU economy as well as the global and military clout;

3. Article 50: The break-up clause of the Lisbon Treaty. Invoke it or just say “I break with thee three times and throw dog poop on their shoes” ala Steve Martin;

4. EU: Now that the UK has said “adieu” to the EU, the goal is to find new members and fill that 7-billion euro hole in the budget;

5. Right here; right now: For now, nothing changes. Britons remain EU citizens and business continues with the caveat that we’re in unchartered territory including the potential for Scotland to make another attempt for independence and join the EU on their own.

In some ways, this reminds me of the Trump dynamics in the States. Many parts of the UK, especially post WW2, have not experienced or shared in the economic prosperity afforded London as the financial hub of Britain.

Loss of jobs, anger at immigrants, and fear of terrorism are tremendous motivators re: nationalism. “Make [insert country here] Again!”

Plenty of lessons to be learned ahead of the U.S. Presidential general election on November 8, 2016.

The Clash and Brexit

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American politics continue to bubble and boil in the summer heat while counting down to the general election in November. Across the Atlantic and just weeks away, Britain will vote whether or not to stay in the 28-nation European Union, also referred to as the “Brexit” referendum a/k/a British exit on June 23, 2016.

Issues on the table include the economy, jobs, trade, immigration, national security, and its status within Europe. For the Brits, this vote is a game-changer for the nation and the world as greater Europe fails to find a solution regarding the refugee crisis, increased terrorism across the Continent, and a protracted economic recovery.

In a quirky twist of fate, I have the opportunity to vote in this election and like most life events, it comes with a soundtrack and in this case, The Clash’s ode to indecision, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” does the trick.

For my American friends, a quick tutorial to explain the complicated pros and cons of this relationship or to quote Joe Strummer, “If I go, there will be trouble and if I stay, it will be double.”

Photo by AFP | September 2014 | UK

Cybersecurity threats: squirrels, weasels, and martens – oh my.

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Cybersecurity has been in the news lately ranging from Iranian hackers gaining access to a dam in upstate New York, ransomware against the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, data breaches involving federal agencies including OPM and the IRS, as well as private companies such as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Home Depot, and Target to name a few.

While humans are accountable for most of the hacks, the U.S. government continues to do battle with elusive creatures which repeatedly attack the nation’s infrastructure and power supply: Sciurus carolinensis a/k/a the common grey squirrel.

“I don’t think paralysis [of the electrical grid] is more likely by cyberattack than by natural disaster. And frankly the number-one threat experienced to date by the US electrical grid is squirrels,” said John C. Inglis, former Deputy Director, National Security Agency.

To date, more than 700 power outages can be directly attributed to the horribly adorable furry rodent followed by a smattering of attacks by birds, raccoons, and snakes.

hai squirrel

Mind you, they’re also causing the near extinction of the UK red squirrel but that’s for a different post.

Not to be outdone, an errant weasel or marten brought down the world’s largest particle accelerator known as CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, located near Geneva, Switzerland. The decidedly singed creature apparently chewed through the wiring and took out CERN for at least a week.

cybersecurity weasel

Admittedly, this is not the first time an animal has brought CERN to a halt. In 2009, a bird “accidentally” dropped a baguette on the electrical system resulting in a slight disruption of service. Unlike the weasel, the bird survived.

Who needs cyberbombs when a squirrel will do?

Are we there, yet?

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The U.S. presidential campaign and March Madness remind me of two things: it’s seemingly taking forever and a bracket buster for a lot of folks.

Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich remain in the GOP primary race vs. Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. No impending debates for the Republicans and according to the DNC, a ninth (9th) debate is scheduled in April but no word re: date or venue.. Update: Get ready to rumble as Hillary and Bernie debate in Brooklyn, New York on April 14, 2016.

What is confirmed is the lucrative star power for Hillary Clinton’s campaign as George and Amal Clooney attend a series of fundraising events on April 15th and 16th. For two seats at the head table with Clinton and the Clooneys, a couple must contribute or raise $353,400 followed by another dinner, this time at Clooney’s mansion in Los Angeles where a ticket costs $33,400 per person to dine at the same table as the hosts.

via GIPHY

Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders billed the events as “obscene” and quick to point out he was not against George Clooney but rather a “corrupt campaign finance system… undue influence on the political process.” The fundraisers take place less than two months before the crucial Democratic primary on June 7 in California, where 475 delegates are at stake.

A quick primer: in order to win the respective party’s nomination, hopefuls need to solidify the support of the delegates based on primaries and caucuses governed by rules that varies from state to state.

Democrats need 2383 delegates

Republicans need 1237 delegates

For the latest tally, take a look at an interactive delegate tracker by Politico and as you can tell, it’s a long slog to the finishing line.

Typically, the national party conventions (DNC/RNC) are de facto and don’t offer a lot of surprises. Political historians will note skirmishes here and there but over all, it’s been pretty low-key.

That was then, this is now.

Cleveland, Ohio is ramping up for the Republican National Convention in July followed by the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both cities have been awarded $50 million USD in federal grants for security measures which includes 2,000 sets of riot gear and bringing in law enforcement from around the country.

A few dates of note:

April 03: North Dakota Republican convention
April 05: Wisconsin primary
April 09: Wyoming Democratic caucus
April 19: New York primary
April 26: Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island primaries

Side note: while candidates vie for the top office, the current occupant, U.S. President Barack Obama, is wheels up for another round of good-will visits in late April. According to Reuters, he’s attending a summit with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates

In Britain, Obama will meet with Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister David Cameron before moving on to Germany, where he will meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

On the global agenda: terrorism, brexit, and technology.

And the countdown continues…

WTF AND EXPLODING DONKEYS

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Starring Tina Fey, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” makes its debut on the big screen, an adaption of Kim Barker’s book “The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan“ which documents her surreal experiences in Kabul as the South Asia bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune from 2004-2009.

Having been in Afghanistan during the second round of elections in June 2014, I expected to either love or hate the movie. Overall, Tina Fey worked hard to make her character and the story line relatable, yet I was hoping to see a slightly more gritty narrative about the Afghans, the troops, the media, and the daily surreal fight for anything remotely deemed normal

Yeah, I know it’s not supposed to be a documentary ala Restrepo and I wasn’t in AFG for long but the day I arrived in the Balkh province, a donkey loaded with explosives was detonated just outside a NATO base resulting in me being covered with organic debris in the form of a tail part and mangled hoof – welcome to Afghanistan.

In my next post: Uzbeki warlords and the World Cup.

Photo attribution: Paramount Pictures and Terry Moseley

** No donkeys were harmed in the making of this post.

Donkeys in Blackpool, England

Donkeys in Blackpool, England

March Madness – the political edition

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It’s that time of year for the annual NCAA college basketball tournament replete with bracket picks, Sweet 16, Final Four, and the National Championship. Replace the word “sports” with “politics” and March Madness best describes the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle and what to expect regarding primaries, caucuses, and debates. Photo attributions: Getty Images and Fox Broadcasting

March 1: a/k/a Super Tuesday because more states vote and more delegates are at stake than any other single day in the presidential primary campaign. In alphabetical order: Alabama primary, Alaska caucus (GOP), American Samoa caucus (Dem), Arkansas primary, Colorado caucuses, Georgia primary, Massachusetts primary, Minnesota caucuses, Oklahoma primary, Tennessee primary, Texas primary, Vermont primary, Virginia primary, and Wyoming caucus (GOP).

March 2: Based on Super Tuesday’s election results, there will be lots of grinding and gnashing of teeth by candidates and their contributors. Stay in the race or fold?

March 3: Republican debate in Detroit, Michigan.

March 5: And another round of voting including the Kansas caucuses, Kentucky caucus (GOP), Louisiana primary, Maine caucus (GOP), Nebraska caucus (Dem).

March 6: Democratic debate in Flint, Michigan; Maine caucus (Dem) and Puerto Rico primary (GOP).

March 8: Hawaii caucus (GOP), Idaho primary (GOP), Michigan primary, Mississippi primary

March 9: Democratic debate in Miami, Florida.

March 10: Republican debate in Miami, Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands caucus (GOP).

March 11-20: SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin, Texas kicks off for nine (9) days of film, interactive media, and music. And because it’s not gonna be crowded enough, U.S. President Obama is scheduled to attend a DNC fundraiser in Austin the first day of the festival with a musical performance by J. Cole. Be assured, every Airbnb in the area is sold out.

March 12: District of Columbia convention (GOP), Guam convention (GOP), Northern Mariana Island caucus (Dem).

March 15: Candidates lacking delegates should heed the ancient warning, “beware the Ides of March” as this is the last day of primaries/caucuses for the rest of the month. Meaning? Whoever is running short on numbers and money won’t be in race for much longer. Voting continues in the Florida primary, Illinois primary, Missouri primary, North Carolina primary, Northern Mariana Island caucus (GOP), and Ohio primary.

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day.

March 20: First day of Spring. (Spring Equinox).

March 21-22: U.S. President Obama and the First Lady say “hola” to the newly reinstated U.S. Embassy in Havana, the first visit by a sitting president since 1928. Coincidently, the GOP debate takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah and expect candidates to say “no bueno” to Obama’s visit to the Caribbean country.

March 22: American Samoa convention (GOP), Arizona primary, Idaho caucus (Dem), Utah caucuses

March 25: The Rolling Stones perform for the first time in Havana, Cuba — as per Reuters, a milestone event in a country where the communist government once banned the group’s music as an “ideological deviation.”

March 26: Alaska caucus (Dem), Hawaii caucus (Dem), Washington caucus (Dem).

Bart Simpson and the 2016 presidential election

The politics of entertainment

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Having covered politics and entertainment, I’m aware they’re decidedly similar — namely fame and influence — but does star power translate into voter appeal? Hollywood makes the campaign trail slightly more interesting yet I can’t imagine a sizable number of potential voters saying, “Hey, I was undecided about [candidate] but since [celebrity] likes you, I know who I’m voting for!”

Let’s look at some of the endorsements, to date.

If you’re looking for A-listers, Hillary Clinton has it in abundance: Beyonce, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian West, Lady Gaga, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria, Morgan Freeman, Anna Wintour, Salma Hayek, and Robert De Niro, to name a few.

“Feeling the Bern” celebrity supporters include Susan Sarandon, Daniel Craig, Will Ferrell, Mark Ruffalo, Sarah Silverman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Danny DeVito, Neil Young, Bonnie Rait, Jackson Brown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Spike Lee although Ferrell recently switched to Team Hillary.

As for Donald Trump, who commands a dominant lead in polling numbers across the U.S., as well as winner of New Hampshire and South Carolina, he’s received accolades from Gary Busey, David Lee Roth, Mike Tyson, Ted Nugent, Stephen Baldwin, Dennis Rodman, Hulk Hogan, and Wayne Newton.

Rounding out the remaining GOP candidates, Ted Cruz, wearing camouflage attire, scored the approval of Phil Robertson from “Duck Dynasty” while Tim Allen lends his support and voice to John Kasich’s bid for the White House. As for Marco Rubio, he recently welcomed Donny Wahlberg‘s endorsement while Ben Carson got Kelsey Grammer and Kid Rock, which admittedly, I did not see coming.

Ted Cruz and Phil Robertson

Politics, pop culture, and groundhogs

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The political season in the U.S. goes into prime time starting in February as the countdown begins to Super Tuesday while the sports and entertainment industry celebrate the best of show including the 50th annual Super Bowl, the 58th annual Grammys, and the 88th annual Academy Awards.

Considering the lineup, it’s no surprise that “sweeps” kick off starting February 4th – March 2nd.

HOLIDAYS:

February is Black History Month in the US and given the recent controversy re: lack of diversity in Hollywood, timing is everything.

February 2nd: Groundhog Day. Not only one of my favorite Bill Murray films, but a day to see if
Punxsutawney Phil emerges from Gobbler’s Knob amidst the bright lights of the news crews to save or condemn us to six (6) more weeks of winter based on his shadow. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will miss the annual ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo to stump for Hillary Clinton in Iowa but New Yorkers know the real reason why Hizzoner is keeping his distance.

February 8th: Chinese New Year a/k/a Year of the Monkey and while I have no idea what that means, it seems appropriate for this year’s news cycle.

February 14th: Valentine’s Day. Mercifully, it falls on a Sunday this year.

February 15th: Presidents’ Day. It’s plural to represent all U.S. presidents – past and present. Wonder who will celebrate next year?

CAMPAIGN 2016

February 1st kicks off Iowa’s caucuses for both parties with the Democratic and Republican winners scoring bragging rights and momentum into the New Hampshire primary

February 3rd: CNN hosts a Democratic town hall in New Hampshire which is curious because tomorrow is pretty much more of the same.

February 4th: MSNBC just announced that it will hold a Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire ahead of the first primary.

February 6th: GOP debate before the NH primary. At this point, it doesn’t even matter if Trump shows up to the event as he will be discussed in absentia.

February 9th: New Hampshire primary: expect to see picturesque shots of snow and local villages. Also, an important time for those lagging in the polls to impress the New England constituency.

February 11th: Democratic debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ahead of the caucus in Nevada.

February 13th: GOP debate in South Carolina and primary to follow.

February 20th: Two-fer. For the Republicans, it’s the South Carolina GOP primary – often considered a “do-or-die” event and Nevada, it’s caucus time for the Democrats and the last big election before Super Tuesday on March 1.

February 23: Now the GOP rally and caucus in Nevada.

February 25: GOP debate. Last time to knock it out of the park before Super Tuesday

February 27: South Carolina feeling the love as the Democratic primary kicks off and candidates rethink their respective strategies.

March 1: Super Tuesday. It’s go-time as twelve (12) states either have a caucus or a primary. Much like the Hunger Games, someone is go’n down.

ENTERTAINMENT/AWARD SEASON:

February 7th: 50th annual Super Bowl kicks off with the Carolina Panthers vs Denver Colts. Without the Green Bay Packers, I’ll only be watching for the ads and the halftime show starring Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars. Estimated viewership: more than 110 million fans around the world.

February 15th: The 58th annual Grammys hosted by L.L. Cool J.and airing for the first time on a Monday in a bid to boost ratings. The “In Memoriam” segment is going to be lengthy as 2016 said goodbye to Ian Fraser Kilmister a/k/a Lemmy, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, amongst others.

February 28th: The 88th annual Academy Awards hosted by Chris Rock who zinged the Oscars on Twitter: