Foreign Affairs: The WikiLeaks

On Sunday November 28th, an organization known as WikiLeaks began to release top secret government documents concerning foreign diplomacy. With 251,287 documents in their possession, this is without question the biggest leak in the history of our government. Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the organization, and warned that this release could severely damage US foreign relations. However this Sunday, WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, a firm believer in the freedom of press, went ahead with his first initial phase of releasing the Diplomatic Cables...

So far there have been 276 diplomatic cables released... Some are merely juicy gossip while others are serious foreign matters. Here is a brief summary of the most significant ones...

• Guantanamo Bay: President Barack Obama has bargained with other countries to move their prisoners out of the detention camp.

• Iran: Seems likes the US is not the only nation afraid of Iran's nuclear program. Many of its Middle-Eastern neighbors such as Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have secretly spoke against the country. In one cable, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia practically asks the US to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. The US Embassy has also compared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler himself.

• Afghanistan: Corruption in the government! One cable tells of an account where The Vice President of the country visited United Arab Emirates, and walked off with 52 million in cash. The US Embassy has also claimed that President Hamid Karzai is driven by paranoia.

• North Korea: Secret deals against North Korea. The US diplomats have persuaded South Korea to strengthen its alliance with China. In hopes of a North Korean economic collapse, the US hopes to establish a unified Korea without communist influence.

• Pakistan: The US has been working to remove uranium from a Pakastini nuclear reactor, which they fear could be used as a weapon. This top secret mission has been ongoing since 2007, and is not secret anymore.

• The United Nations: Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has asked several US diplomats to spy on foreign diplomats of the United Nations, most notably Secretary General Ban Ki-Moons...

• Germany: Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel is known as a Teflon by the US embassy; unaware of her criticism, afraid to take risks, and not very creative...

• Libya: Muammar al-Qadhafi, his extravagant lifestyle, and his voluptuous blond Ukrainian nurse who never leaves his side.

• Russia: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is the Batman and the alpha-dog, while President Medvedev is the Robin. Putin has an extremely close relationship with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi... and the Russian government is believed to have ties with organized crime.

• Italy: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is defined by the US Embassy as "reckless, vain, and ineffective..." He parties too much and is never well rested.

• Zimbabwe: President Mugabe has been referred to as "The Devil" and is considered to be extremely clever and ruthless. His prime-minister, Tsvargirai, is described as flawed, indecisive, and weak.

As I said before, some of these documents are purely gossip, yet others are quite significant and strike some concern. Several questions come into play, concerning this release. The biggest one is Was it the Right Thing to Do?? I am a huge proponent of Freedom of Press, yet if its information that could lead to political turmoil, its only going to cause greater tension, and ultimately bring greater risk to lives. There is enough tension in this world as it is, and the last thing our world leaders need now is to be exposed talking behind people's backs, calling one another devils and weaklings... Who knows what this could lead to...

There have been accusations that Wikileaks should be considered a terrorist organization. This claim is somewhat exaggerated, yet also has a hint of truth to it, depending on the effects this release might bring... It seems thus far, that most leaders will simply disregard this leak, as unofficial and insignificant. However, the documents themselves are as real as it gets, and there's no question that each world leader will look over them, and remember what was said behind their backs... As terrible as the WikiLeaks may be, they have succeeded in sparking a mass interest in foreign affairs and foreign gossip! It will be interesting to see if any severe reactions come from this release... Whatever ends up happening, this whole story has already proven to be quite enormous, the stuff movies are made of, with many more documents still to come, and many more chapters still to be written...

http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/

Regarding The University of Wisconsin

This Thanksgiving weekend seemed to fly by due to my game in Madison Wisconsin. I left extremely early Friday morning, to make the 6 hour drive north. I volunteered to drop my aunt and grandma at O'Hare airport in Chicago, which was right along the way. I made it to Madison with a few hours to spare, so decided to take in some of the Black Friday madness. I bought a terabyte hard-drive and some new dvds. I met with Kealy around 12 in the afternoon to begin our setup. The weather was extremely cold, and the work moved by quite slowly. The game itself was a total blow-out and the Wisconsin Badgers went on to beat Northwestern and become the Big Ten Champions. Although this was my first time at Wisconsin, I hardly had any time to take in the campus. However I did see the impressive state capitol building that lies at the focal point of the city, and has an amazing architectural design... I left late after the game on Saturday, and got back to Indianapolis around 2am. After this recent visit to Wisconsin, I have now visited 9 of the 11 Big Ten Schools (Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan St, Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio St, and Wisconsin)... All that remains to see is (Minnesota and Penn St)... Hopefully, all in due-time...

Foreign Affairs: Crisis in Korea

Today North Korea opened fire on South Korea, over the disputed border of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea. Before the town was evacuated it suffered heavy damage to its buildings as well as the loss of the two soldiers. North Korea claims that South Korea began the open-fire, yet it hardly seems likely given Kim Jong iI's history as an aggressive leader of the regime. Over the past year now, North Korea has began a mild blitz on the disputed island in the Yellow Sea. Today's event has marked one of the most aggressive acts from either side since the end of the Korean War in 1953, and surely brings up the question of what's next.

The Korean War 1950

Following the end of WWII, and the surrender of the Japanese Empire, the Korean Peninsula was divided into two parts. The north was occupied by the Communist Soviet Soldiers while the South was occupied by the American army. Tension over complete unification began to grow throughout the peninsula. This tension eventually grew to the point, where both United States and the Soviet had to intercede in what became known as the ultimate ignition of the Cold War. On June 25, 1950 the armies of North Korea invaded South Korea.

The United Nations, most notably the United States, came to the aid of South Korea claiming that the invasion was unjust. However this event marked a dividing line, between those who supported Capitalism in the Western Hemisphere and those who supported Communism in the eastern Hemisphere. While the United Nations sided with South Korea, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China sided with North Korea. Thus the war became known not only as a civil war, yet more significantly as a proxy war of ideology.

The war lasted for nearly three years, as somewhat of a stalemate in the trenches. Many began to fear that nuclear war was the only way to bring an end to the conflict, however a cease-fire was finally agreed upon on July 27th, 1953. The North Korean invasion was thus repelled, and the external powers were forced to cease their invasions as well. The Korean Armistace was thus established in hopes to further peace talks between the two countries, along with the support of the United States and the Soviet Union. However for over 50 years now these peace talks have been quite unsuccessful and the tension between North and South Korea has remained.

Recent Activity

At the end of the Cold War, reconciliation between North and South Korea seemed very possible until the death of Kim il Sung, brought his son Kim Jong il to power in 1994. As ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong il, brought upon a fierce stance on relations with South Korea. By 1999 naval conflicts had re-emerged within the peninsula, and it soon became clear that the civil war may return. For the past ten years now North Korea has instigated a series of attacks and nuclear tests, which have caught not only the attention of South Korea yet of the world.

On March 26, 2010 North Korea sank a South Korean vessel in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 sailors. Many thought this was the final straw for South Korea, however President Lee Myung-bak merely condemned the attack and decided to cut off economic ties with their aggressors. Nearly 7 months after this attack in the Yellow Sea, the North Korean regime has once again made a loud statement that they are not quite finished. With his son Kim-Jong-un ready to take the helm of his ill father, the country seems extremely united and devoted to this cause of taking South Korea and uniting the peninsula. It will be interesting to see how the world most notably the United States government reacts to this aggression. North Korea has one of the fourth largest militaries in the world and surely is a force to be reckoned with.

Recently Seen Movies

The past few weeks I have seen several DVDs, none of which have truly impressed me. Here is a review of my recently seen movies.

• Robin Hood (C+)

I remember at first impression this film appeared to be an instant drama classic, perhaps the next Gladiator. I must sadly admit though that it did not deliver in typical Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe fashion. Perhaps my expectations were too high, thinking the two would once again create a classic as they did with Gladiator or American Gangster. Yet not even the shinning Cate Blanchett could save this dry film about the legend of Robin Hood. Unlike its many fictional predecessors, Ridley presents the story of Robin Hood in a more historical aspect . I give him high praise for doing this, as well as managing to blend in some good comedy into the story, however the story ultimately lacked any pull.... Furthermore the ending was extremely disappointing... The entire movie builds and builds and builds, and finally at the end it leaves you hanging without the real action... The movie is basically a prequel about the life of Robin Longshore before he becomes the Robin Hood we all know him as... I think that the only way to redeem this film, would be if the producers could come out with a sequel, with all the same actors, to continue the story...

• Broken Embraces (B-)

This Spanish film, also known as Los Brazos Rotos, helped me understand why Pedro Almodovar is one of the greatest Spanish directors of all time. The film is about a blind screenwriter, and his past love with one of his actresses, played by the stunning Penelope Cruz. The movie jumps back and forth, from the screenwriter telling the story to his son, to flashbacks of his love affair with Penelope Cruz. Along with this main plot, are also several sub-plots that all smoothly tie together in the end. Overall amazing, artistic, and passionate directing from Pedro Almodovar.

• Greenberg (C)

Every now and then Ben Stiller tries to treat us with something new, yet can never quite break away from his typical compulsive character. In this comedy-drama directed by Noah Baumbach, Stiller plays the lead role of a man in his 40s, recovering from a nervous breakdown. He decides to put aside all his ambitions, do absolutely nothing for a living, and somehow manages to find love throughout his new lifestyle. Stiller suceeds in creating a serious character, however does not create an awe-inspiring original character. The film has a decent soundtrack and some memorable parts, yet all together is nothing to rave about...

• The Road (C)

I remember often seeing Viggo Mortensen's name in the list of Oscar Potentials for his role in this post-apocalyptic fiction directed by John Hillcoat. It's a story about a man and his son trying to live in a wasteland, after an unexplainable event wipes out all of humanity. Viggo gives a memorable performance, as an extremely intense and protective father. The film brings up interesting concepts of survival and social interaction, however is somewhat dry and lacks any real inspiration...

• The Wolfman (C-)

I've never gotten into the Gothic craze of Vampires and Werewolves, however when I first heard about this film, I thought it might be able to pull me in. I was unaware of the story, yet the film had a dark appeal to it, especially with Benecio del Toro as the lead. However early into the movie I quickly concluded that Benecio del Toro was simply wrong for the part, and perhaps the film's biggest downfall. Emily Blunt managed to bring some light to the dark mystique, yet still couldn't save the overall ridiculousness of the film. It's a typical gory Horror film, that tries to add some dramatic quality, yet fails miserably.

• The French Connection (B)

Now here's a classic film, I've been meaning to watch for some time now. It's been considered one of the greatest of crime-films, with high praise on Gene Hackman's performance. So I finally got the chance to sit through it, and try to understand what makes it such a classic. Gene Hackman plays the hard-noised narcotics detective Jimmy "Popeye" Boyle, out to make a name for himself. He and his partner, played by Roy Scheider, go on an undercover hunt around New York City to bust a group of French smugglers. Major props go out to director William Friedkin for creating an extremely suspenseful chase scene through downtown Brooklyn. The camera takes you for a speedy and destructive ride, inside Jimmy Boyle's car, as he pursues the NYC Transit. The film achieves high marks in unpredictably, acting, and general filming and is definitely worthy of being a classic...

Looking Back at History: The Russian Civil War

I remember I was already quite aware of the Russian Revolution when I first saw the film Doctor Zhivago, directed by David Lean and starring Omar Shariff. The three hour epic is based off of Boris Pasternak's novel, about a good-hearted doctor, caught in a love triangle in the midst of the Russian Revolution. However after a second viewing I have come to realize that this film captures more of the Civil War than the actual Revolution. Therefore I thought it would be fitting to tie David Lean's incredible film into this entry regarding the Russian Civil War...


The History

• The Start of the Civil War (October 1917): Once the Bolsheviks had control of the government, they withdrew the Russian army from World War I and signed an armistice with the Central Powers. The Civil War began in October with uprisings in Petrograd to regain power from the Bolsheviks. Realizing that their revolution was still at threat, Leon Trotsky created the Red Army to squash the counter-revolution.

• The Volunteer Army (December 1917): There were still many people who declared their loyalty to the Provisional Government, as well people who still supported the Tsar's old regime. Both groups were against the Bolsheviks and therefore created the Volunteer Army to bring down the Bolsheviks. With support from the western governments of Britain, France, and USA the Volunteer Army were able to capture several cities, such as Rostov. The Volunteer Army later grew to become the White Army.

• The Czechoslovak Legion (June 1918) Things got worse for the Bolsheviks, when an unexpected intervention of the Czechoslovak Legion grew to prominence in the Western Front and began disarming Bolsheviks... The Legion consisted of nearly 30,000 prisoners of WWI, who wanted to continue the fight against Germany. By June of 1918 they had controlled most of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Realizing that their new government was at risk, the Bolsheviks decided to execute Czar Nicholas II and his family, to prevent them from falling into the hands of the White Army...

• The Russian Provisional Government of Omsk (September 1918): The Conservative and anti-Soviet organizations managed to meet and organize a new Russian Provisional Government in the city of Omsk. However this government quickly proved to be ineffective due to inner-struggles for power as well as opposition to the Czechoslovak Legion...

• The Black Army (July 1919) The Red Army had managed to capture the city of Kiev, Ukraine in February 1919, however quickly withdrew their forces from the city... This angered many Red Army soldiers, and in July of 1919 nearly 40,000 of them broke away from the Red Army and joined Nestor Makhno's Black Army of anarchy.... The anarchists were then able to control much of Southern Ukraine... With a force of nearly 100,000 soldiers the Black anarchist Army faced off with the White Army, in what became an ideal deterrent for the Red Army...

• The White Army's Final Offensive (October 1919) A new threat arose from Estonia in October of 1919, when a force of over 20,000 White-Army soldiers, with British support, marched on the city of Petrograd. Leon Trotsky refused to allow the city of Petrograd to fall and personally organized it's defenses. All able bodies of Petrograd, both men and women, were armed to defend their streets against the White Army. After a few weeks of battle the White Army was forced to call off their seige and retreat. This marked the turning point of the White Army.

• The Red Army takes the Advantage (January 1920) In hopes that the Black Army and the White Army would destroy one another, the Red Army averted its attention to winning back cities in the West. Leon Trotsky sent a massive army against the Russian Provisional Government, and successfully re-captured the city of Omsk as well as the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

• The White Movement goes into Exile (1920-1921) Following their defeat in Petrograd, the White Army began to realize the entire civil war was a loss cause, and also realized it was in their best interests to escape the country while they had the chance. Therefore, with the help of British ships, many counter-revolutionaries began to evacuate from Russia.

• The defeat of the Black Army (1921-1923) With the White Army out of the picture, the Red-Army turned it's attention to Japan on the east, and the anarchist Black Army in Ukraine. After a series of invasions and mass executions, Leon Trotsky was able to drive Nestor Makhno's anarchist movement out of Russia and into exile... Shortly after Japanese forces on the Eastern front also began to withdraw... By the end of 1922 the Civil War was finally over, however guerrilla resistance continued until 1925. The Bolsheviks had successfully retained their newly established Communist government, and would soon usher in an entire new era of Stalinism...

Looking Back at History: The Russian Revolution

My first fascination with the Russian Revolution began after watching Warren Beatty's epic film Reds, which is now one of my favorite films. The film centers around John Reed, a passionate American journalist, who covered the Bolshevik Revolution in his book, Ten Days that Shook the World. I was inspired not only by the passionate character of John Reed, yet more-so the actual event of the Revolution. An event where the people were able to successfully unite, bring down the unfair autocracy, and establish a new government of the people. Today we live in such simple times, and I could hardly imagine what it was like for those Russians to experience such a radical and sudden change in government...


The History

• Bloody Sunday (1905): At the start of the 20th century workers began to organize Socialist and Marxist parties to oppose the Russian Empire lead by Czar Nicholas II. On January 22 1905, a group of demonstrators marched to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to deliver a petition to the czar. The troops guarding the palace opened fired on the demonstrators, killing over 100 people. This tragic massacre became known as Bloody Sunday, and the beginning of the Russian Revolution.

• October Manifesto (1905): Following Bloody Sunday, strikes and riots began to spread throughout Russia and in order to avoid total chaos Czar Nicholas passed the October Manifesto. It granted basic civil rights, formed new political parties, and established the Duma as the central legislative body. This was still not enough for the radical socialists, and an uprising began on November 1905, led by Pytor Shdmit. The uprising lasted for nearly a month until the imperial troops were able to squash the resistance.

• The Rise of the Bolsheviks (1907-1912): On June 16, 1907 Czar Nicholas II did away with the State Duma and once again made himself absolute leader. The revolution had come to an end, yet political terrorism was on the rise led by the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks. In late 1912 the Bolsheviks broke away from the Mensheviks and elected Vladimir Lenin as their new leader.

• World War I (1914): Russia became a key part of the Triple Entente against Germany and the Central Powers. Yet after three years of war, the Russians began to suffer from scarce commodities and serious famine. They once again pointed their fingers at Czar Nicholas II and blamed him for his incompetence.

• February Revolution (1917): At the beginning of February 1917 workers began to strike and protest in the streets. It wasn't long until the military joined their cause and turned away from the war. Unable to control the chaos in the streets, Czar Nicholas II abdicated his throne on March 2, 1917, and gave control to a new provisional government.

• October Revolution (1917): In April of 1917, Vladimir Lenin returned from exile to undermine the newly established Provisional Government. He came to prominence withing the country after he published his April Thesis, crying out against the war, and explaining his communist ideology. During this period the Bolshevik party grew vast in numbers and were soon joined by other leftist parties and leaders, such as Leon Trotsky. On October 23, 1917 the Bolsheviks began with an uprising in the city of Tallinn and two days later in the city of St. Petersburg. With hardly any opposition the Bolsheviks were able to take control of the Winter Palace on October 25, 1917.

• Decree on Peace and Land (1917): Following the fall of the Winter Palace, the congress ratified the old constitution and gave full power to the Bolsheviks. Vladimir Lenin was chosen as the leader of the new Russia and passed the Decree on Peace and the Decree on Land to favor the peasants and workers... The new government had all the Russians banks nationalized, The Soviets took control of the factories, Private bank accounts were confiscated, The Church's property was seized, Wages were fixed higher, work days were made shorter, and all foreign debt was repudiated...

• And so came the end of the Revolution and the beginning of the Civil War...

Study of Russian Culture

Over the past few years I have developed a keen interest in Russian Culture. It is a heritage renown for it's
harsh winters, comradeship, vodka, caviar, great literature, classical music, realistic art, and most of all an incredible history. From the reign of Ivan the Terrible to the collapse of the Soviet Union, it's a culture full of intrigue and mystery with the people always at its core.

Russian History

It was Ivan the Terrible (1574-1584) who began to expand and establish Russia as an empire. He was known for his ruthlessness and madness, and managed to establish himself as the first czar of Russia. Following Ivan's reign began a terrible time for Russia known as the Time of Troubles. They soon became occupied by the Polish-Lithuanian and Swedish armies, broke out into civil war, and dealt with a harsh famine... By 1613 Michael Romanov ascended to the throne, and brought an end to the Time of Troubles, by making peace with Poland and Sweden, and thus began the Romanov dynasty...

It was Peter the Great (1672-1725) who brought serious reform to the Tsardom of Russia, and established the Russian Empire in 1721. He was inspired by his travels to Europe, and wanted to create a similar autocratic system for Russia. In doing so he modernized and expanded the country, and created his own city of St. Petersburg to be it's capital. Following his death in 1725, Russia was left in limbo for nearly 40 years until it was carried on by an equally ambitious ruler.

Catherine the Great was of German descent and became Empress of Russia in 1762 after having her incompetent husband, Peter III murdered. She continued to reform the empire, by giving back more power to the nobles and successfully waging war on the Ottoman Empire. By the time of her death in 1796, Russia had expanded into a vast and powerful nation.

During the reign of Alexander, Napoleon lead a massive invasion in 1812. In an extremely bold act, Alexander had the city of Moscow evacuated and burnt to the ground, so as not to give it to the French. Napoleon therefore had no choice but to retreat back to Paris, through the harsh winter. This proved to be a catastrophic journey for the French Army, who became victims to the freezing cold as well as the pursue of Russian militants. All throughout Europe people celebrated the defeat of Napoleon, and glorified Alexander and the Russian Empire. Russia would thus become the leading power of Europe for the next century.


Following the Napoleonic Wars, and the boom of the Industrial Revolution, Russia had become one of the great powers of Europe. Meanwhile it had completely loss track of its infrastructure and had isolated it's people. Throughout the 1840s, new ideologies of socialism and anarchism began to emerge in Russia, led by radical writers such as Karl Marx, Frederich Engels, Michael Bakunin, Alexander Herzen, and Peter Kropotkin. By 1861 it had become clear that the desire for reform was widespread, and in order to avoid a full-scale revolution, Alexander II abolished the serfdom.

When Nicholas II took reign in 1894, the Industrial Revolution had produced heavy opposition to the czar amongst the workers. They soon began to organize in political parties such as the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks, embracing the ideology of Marxism. It was not long until the first revolution took place in 1905... Years later in 1817 came the February Revolution followed by the October Revolution. In 1917 Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized power of Russia and dismantled the empire. A new government of the people was established.

Following the Revolution of 1917, Civil War broke out throughout the country between the Bolsheviks grip of power, known as the "Reds" and its right-wing opponents known as the "Whites". The war lasted from 1917-1923, and due to the immense leadership of Leon Trotsky, the Red Army was able to squash the counter-revolution, secure the country, and establish the Soviet Union.

Following Lenin's death in 1924, Josef Stalin took command of the newly established Soviet Union and didn't waste time in establishing a totalitarian rule. He had his competition, most notably Leon Trotsky exiled from the country, and took the government into a new direction of Communism. By the mid 1930s he had successfully developed an extremely successful and powerful industrial economy. In 1936 he began a campaign known as the Great Purge, to remove all those who disagreed with his politics. From the period of 1937-1938 more than 2 million people were arrested or sent to labor camps, and over half-a-million people were executed.

During World War II, the Soviet Union played a very important role in the outcome. Although Adolf Hitler despised Communism, he went forth and made a non-aggressive pact with Stalin so that he could carry forth his plan of invading Poland. After the invasion of Poland, the Nazis and Soviets split the country in half. Yet even from the beginning it was expected that this non-aggressive pact would not last long. It was Hitler who acted first, with his invasion of the Soviet Union, in June of 1941. However just as the Russians had driven Napoleon back, the Soviets were able to repeal the Nazi's blitzkrieg and eventually drive them all the way back to Berlin. The Battle of Berlin marked the end of Hitler, the end of the war, and the emergence of Soviet Union as a super-power.

Following WWII, USA and the Soviet Union had become the two ultimate super-powers in the world, and thus heavy tension arose between the two countries that become known as the Cold War. Throughout this tension was a race to rebuild economies, to rebuild arms, and to reach space. After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev took command, and began to denounce Stalin's ideology and move the country in a new direction, in a process he called de-Stalinization.
However tension continued to remain between the USA and the USSR which nearly led to nuclear war in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan began an intense campaign to bring down the Soviet Union economy. He did this by covertly aiding support to it's neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan... In 1985 newly elected leader Gorbachev began serious reform on the Soviet Union. He brought new changes to foreign policy, ended the war with Afghanistan, and brought down the Berlin Wall in 1989, thus ending the Iron Curtain of Communism.

Russian Art

The culture of Russia is best captured in it's vividly colorful yet extremely realistic art. The cathedral of St. Basil serves not only as an architectural masterpiece, yet as the defining emblem of Russian art... Here are some of the Russian artists, that I have come to admire, all of which are from the Realist movement known as the Peredvizhniki...

• Ilya Repin (1844-1930) One of my favorite Russian painters, he blended extreme realism with captivating colors in masterful works such as; Religious Procession, Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossaks, Demonstration 17 October, and on the left Party 1881)

• Rafail Levitsky (1844-1927) The Bridge in the Woods is a masterpiece with incredible depth!

• Isaac Levitan (1860-1900) Was able to capture and create moods in his magnificent landscape paintings...

• Vasily Surikov (1848-1916) Incredible detail captured in his grand painting of Morning of Stretly's Execution

Russian Architecture


The greatest architectural landmark of Russia is without question the Saint Basil Cathedral in Moscow, Russia (sometimes referred to as the Kremlin). It was designed by the brothers Barma and Postnik Yakovlev, commissioned by Ivan the Terrible from 1555 to 1561.

It's unique colorful design demonstrates pillars of fire rising into the sky. This historic landmark served as an earthly symbol of the Byzantine and Russian Eastern Orthodox faith. There is no building in the world quite like this flamboyant masterpiece, however here are some other worthy mentions of Russian architecture;

• The Kremlin Square, Moscow
• Kizhi Pogost, Kizhi Island
• Winter Palace, St. Petersburg
• St. Isaac's Cathedral, St, Petersburg
• Peterhof Palace, St. Petesburg

Movies about Russia

Although some of these movies were produced in America, they still capture the essence of Russian history and culture...

• The Cranes are Flying (1957) This Soviet film depicts the cruelty suffered from World War II and won the Palme d'Or...

• Doctor Zhivago (1965) Directed by David Lean, and starring Omar Shariff... An epic love story in the backdrop of the Russian Civil War

• War and Peace (1965) The Soviet adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel, took over ten years to make and is considered to be the most expensive movie ever made...

• Reds (1980) Warren Beatty's masterpiece about John Jack Reed, an American journalist who covered the Russian Revolution... This film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won 3...

Russian Literature

When one says Russian literature only one man comes to mind and that's Leo Tolstoy. I began reading his epic War & Peace back in March, and only have 3 more chapters to go!! The book has proved to be extremely challenging yet also extremely rewarding and inspiring to experience such detailed writing. I'll have a full review on this novel to come, yet Tolstoy is without question the epitome of Russian literature.

• Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) War & Peace, Anna Karenina, The Kingdom of God is Within You

• Boris Pasternak (1890-1960) Russian Poet best known for his masterpiece, Doctor Zhivago... I have recently begun reading his biography as well as his other work...

• Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, Notes from Underground

• Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard

Russian Cuisine: 


When I think of Russian Cuisine the first thing that comes to mind is their vodka and caviar delicacy.
Although I've tried plenty of Vodka, as it was my drink of choice in college, I've yet to try caviar. As a matter of fact I've yet to have any form of proper Russian meal. Since it's such a large country there are many regional traditions and cuisines within the country. If there's one thing I've gathered from this study it's that Russians enjoy their food to be sour. Some of the most popular entrees within the country are;

• Cold soups such as the Okroshka salad. It's like a creamy form of cole-sole, mixing vegetables, meat and sour milk.
• Hot soups such as the Shchi. It is a mixture of cabbage, meat, carrots, spicy herbs, and sour ingredients. 
• Dumplings such as the Plemeni. Pork, Lamb, Beef wrapped in thin slices of dough. 
• Pancakes known as Pirozhki. They are not only for breakfast with syrup and butter as we do yet as a main entry side mixed with meat, onions, rice, potatoes, cabbage, etc.

Russian Music

The masterful innovators of Classical Music, Opera, and Ballet...

• Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Is considered one of the greatest Russian composers of all time, most popular for his symphonies, operas, and ballets... Some of famous works include; Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, and his First Piano Concerto....

• Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Also played a significant and influential role in Russian's modern classical era, with his famous works such as the Firebird, Petrushka, and the Rite of Spring. I remember the first time I heard the Rite of Spring, was as a child watching the mythological world of Fantasia... Ever since the piece continues to be one of my awe-inspiring favorites!

• Dmitri Shostakovitch (1906-1975) A Soviet composer whose Music was used as propaganda to inspire the masses of Russia. As political as it may have the been the music is also extremely powerful and inspiring, most notably in his Waltz No 2...

I have come to believe that there is no history as compelling and intriguing as that of Russia's... Perhaps this is merely because it is such a vast and populated region... Maybe if I were to study China's history, I may find a similar comparison... (All in due-time!) Yet I must confess as amazing as the Russian culture may be, I have no intentions of visiting the ice tundra anytime soon...

Regarding University of Illinois

Did this game a few weekends ago in Urbana-Champaign and have been meaning to make a post about it. The drive from Indianapolis was very convenient, straight on highway 74, it took a little more than an hour to get there. However this was the 2nd game I've done at the University of Illinois and my impression was no different than it was before. I am sorry to say that the city of Champaign is nothing more than an industrial wasteland. It's a barren and dry atmosphere with factories and smoke torching the gray sky. The mere idea of attending this school is beyond me, and wonder why someone would chose this ugly campus over Northwestern or any of the other much more appealing Big Ten Colleges. I also noticed in a peculiar matter, the town has more Chinese restaurants then I have ever seen before... I stopped in at one of them, and was not very satisfied with the food. Yet somehow the Fighting Illini still manage to have a successful basketball and football program. The game I did that weekend with Kealy went extremely smooth, and to give U of I some credit, Memorial Stadium is one of the easiest setups I've done all year. Yet once the game was over, I was quite happy to be on my way...

Upcoming Movies: Academy Front-Runners

The end of the year is always my favorite time for movies, because it's the season of potential Academy Award Front-runners... These movies are the top-notch dramas of the year, backed by incredible screenplays, acting, scores, directing, etc... They are released at the end of the year, so as to remain most fresh in peoples mind come time for the voting... So here's a list of the upcoming films that have been on my radar and are sure to garner several Oscar noms...

• 127 Hours (Nov 5)

Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Actors: James Franco
Premise: Based on a true story, a mountain climber is trapped in a canyon and must survive for six days before he is able to free himself.
The Score: AR. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)

The Appeal: Leave it to the pairing of Danny Boyle and James Franco, to make such a simple story into an exhilarating drama-thriller. To add to this, is the fact that the entire thing is based on a true story, which always goes over well with crowds. Expect this film to receive high praise for it's dramatic presentation and powerful acting from James Franco, which will surely establish him as one of the leading-actors in Hollywood.

Oscar Predictions: Best Actor (James Franco), Best Director (Danny Boyle)

• The King's Speech (November 26)

Director: Tom Hopper (John Adams, The Damned United)
Actors: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush
Premise: King George VI, played by Colin Firth, must take the throne of England in 1936 after his brother abdicates. He has an immense fear of public speaking and must hire a professional therapist, played by Geoffrey Rush, to help him overcome his fear.
Score: Alexandre Desplat (Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Queen, The Painted Veil, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

The Appeal: A historic story with great acting!! Each of the three stars in the films have a very strong resume, and will surely establish memorable characters in this historic piece.

Oscar Predictions: Best Picture, Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Supporting Actor (Geoffrey Rush), Best Supporting Actress (Helena Bonham Carter)

• Black Swan (Dec. 3)

Director: Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler)
Actors: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
Premise: The New York City ballet company is producing Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, and Natalie Portman plays the prima ballerina. She is suddenly challenged by another up-and-coming star ballerina played by Mila Kunis.
The Score: Clint Mansell (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) There also better be lots of Tchaikovsky music
The Appeal: A psychological thriller, revolving around the masterful works of Tchaikovsky... Then of course there is Natalie Portman, who is one of today's best and most underrated actresses in the business. Also expect great performances from the up-and-comers, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel. I expect this one to be both visually and musically stimulating!
Oscar Predictions: Best Actress (Natalie Portman), Best Supporting Actress (Mila Kunis)

• The Fighter (Dec 10)

Director: David O Russell (Three Kings)
Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo

Premise: Centers on the true life of professional boxer, Irish Micky Ward, played by Mark Whalberg and his older brother Dickie Eklund, played by Christian Bale.

Score: Michael Brook (Into the Wild)

The Appeal: Seems like a Raging Bull yet with a Boston-Irish twist. To add to this are the incredible acting skills of Whalberg, Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. Expect high praise from Christian Bale's performance as the washed-up, drug-addicted brother of Micky Ward.

Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale)

• True Grit (Dec 22)

Director: Ethan and Joel Coen (Fargo, O Brother Where Art Tho, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man)
Actors: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin

Premise: A young 14-year old girl, persuades a marshal played by Jeff Bridges, to track down and hunt the man who murdered her father.

Score: Carter Burwell (In Bruges, Where the Wild Things Are)

The Appeal: Looks like another Coen brothers Western masterpiece... Even though Westerns aren't my favorite genre, I can always count on the directing of the Coen brothers as well as the acting of Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin to keep my interest. I also have a feeling that Matt Damon may steal the show in this one as the Texan Ranger La Boeuf...
Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor (Matt Damon)

• Somewhere (Dec 22)

Director: Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette)
Actors: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning

Premise: An actor in his mid 30s, living the Hollywood-dream-life is suddenly visited by his 11 year old daughter, of which he must now take care of.

Score: Produced by Phoenix, as well as a catchy track by The Strokes

The Appeal: The artistic and original vision of Sofia Coppola, accompanied by her great taste in music. Although these two actors are somewhat unknown, I expect this film to be very intriguing with a strong story and some great directing from Sofia...

Oscar Predictions: Best Director (Sofia Coppola)

• The Way Back (Dec 29)

Director: Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, Master and Commander: Far Side of the World)
Actors: Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong
Premise: Set during World War II, about a group of prisoners who escaped from a Soviet labor camp in Siberia, and their long passage into India.
Score: Burkhard Dallwitz
The Appeal: The sub-genre of WWII labor camps is one that never grows old to me, especially due to the fact that they are always based on true accounts. This film is a bit different in that it establishes the Soviets as the antagonists instead of the typical Nazis. With the respected directing of Peter Weir and an incredible ensemble cast, this film is without question one of the must-see dramas of the year.
Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor (Ed Harris)

• Biutiful (Dec 29)

Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel)
Actor: Javier Bardem
Premise: An underworld figure and devoted dad, played by Javier Bardem, attempts to reconcile with his past.
Score: Gustavo Santaolalla (The Motorcycle Diaries, Brokeback Mountain, Babel)
The Appeal: In a collaboration that I am calling, "El Gran Tres", this film has brought together three of the biggest names in the Spanish/Latin film industry. Therefore I have no doubts that this film will guarantee masterful directing from Alejandro Inarritu, masterful acting from Javier Bardem, and a masterful score from Gustavo Santaolalla. After watching the preview I am quite convinced that it will be the best drama of the year.
Oscar Predictions: Best Picture, Best Directing (Alejandro Inarritu), Best Actor (Javier Bardem), Best Score (Gustavo Santaolalla)





Other Upcoming Films

• Made in Dagenham (Nov 19)
• White Material (Nov 19)
• I Love You Philip Morris (Dec 3)
• Night Catches Us (Dec 3)
• Another Year (Dec 29)
• Blue Valentine (Dec 31)

* Full Oscar Predictions to come in January

Tribute: Grandma Hilda Sundberg

She was the most loving Grandma a person could ever ask for. Always happy and so peaceful. Always so proud of each and everyone of us... And she lived such an incredible full life... Born in Quebec, Canada she married our Grandpa, Enoch Sundberg and had 8 children. She spent most her days in Battle Creek, Michigan. She did an amazing job raising each of these children, into successful adults, each of which raised families of their own. Grandma was the proud mother of 38 children, grandchildren, and great-grand-children. She died on Halloween, October 31st at the age of 92. Her family continues to grow and extend today, into all corners of the country.


Things I remember most about Grandma

• She use to make the best Oatmeal for breakfast when we were kids
• She was so proud of her Irish heritage
• She always sent me cards on my birthday, with 10 dollars inside
• She was so dedicate to the smallest of details...
• She always had a healthy appetite, and wasn't afraid to put back the drinks

Times I remember most with Grandma

• Watching movies on her soft living room carpet, like "Amadeus" and "Riverdance"
• Thanksgiving at her house on Union Street; sitting at the cousins table
• Singing songs, like Amazing Grace, on a trip from Fort Wayne to Battle Creek Michigan
• Shopping for Pillows at Bed, Bath, and Beyond... She bought me a Celtic Christmas CD that day...

She was the focal point of our large family, at the center of it all, and one cannot admire the incredible job she did. Sure there has been a little drama here and there in the past, yet all-in-all she established a large family of loyal, hard-working, and fun-loving people. To see everyone at the funeral yesterday truly captured the amount of respect she deserved. Grandma lived a full and incredible life, she will be missed, yet she was also be dearly celebrated!

Random Notes

So the craziness of October began with Philip and Shawnna's Wedding... From the preparation, to the actual three day event. And as I posted in the previous entry, the event was a total success, and I was happy to finally have it behind us. The following Monday, I took Philip and Shawnna to the airport to begin their honeymoon in Ireland. It was then that I got a phone-call from my mom, telling me that Grandma was dying. I therefore had to turn around, and make a straight 4 hour drive to Battle Creek Michigan.

I managed to make several visits with Grandma on her death bed. She passed away yesterday, October 31... The funeral will be this Thursday... Tribute to come...

I've been staying busy working with ESPN College Football, and am still trying to pursue a career in education. I found part-time work as an English/Math tutor, and hopefully will start in the coming weeks... Getting back into school has not been going as smoothly as I would like, though nonetheless I press onward. This Wednesday I will take the PRAXIS exam, which is a very important requirement of being a teacher.

Palmer got me started on a new exercise routine, called P90x, and I have come to love it. Each day I target a specific area on my body, mixing cardio with muscle toning. The program is very successful, for it's extreme style of which it calls "muscle confusion"... All I need is a living room, DVD player, a resistance band, and about an hour, and I can get in my full workout. I've been doing it for three weeks now, and look forward to it each day.

Election day is tomorrow, and I plan on voting here in Indianapolis. It seems as if the Republicans are going to win back the Congress, yet this is a normal occurrence in mid-term elections. I still think President Obama has done an amazing job in his first two years and has great results still to come...

Audrey had an awesome Halloween party this past Saturday. Philip and I went as the Blues Brothers, dressed in our suits, fedoras, and shades. He was Elwood and I was Jake. We tried to stay in character most of the night...

I've decided to move out of Sand Creek Woods when my lease ends, and try and move closer to the city. I have until the end of January to find a new complex, and maybe a new roommate. If I can't find a roommate I will get a single unit... Definitely one that allows dogs..!

Philip and Shawnna's Wedding

This past October has been the craziest month ever, and I'll begin with the main event...

The main event was of course, Philip and Shawnna's Wedding on October 16th... Yet before we got to that date, it took lots of preparation. I arrived home a week before the wedding to help my family get everything ready. This included getting the house ready for the Rehearsal Dinner, making a slide show, making CDs, and running lots of errands. From Monday to Friday, there was hardly a free moment, with our house constantly full of people working.

So after days, weeks, and months of preparation, the big weekend finally came, and it was a total success! For the Rehearsal Dinner we had Venezuelan food, a keg, a slide show presentation on the big screen, ten tables, a music stage, a bonfire, and fireworks from Rager. I'd say around 50-60 people showed up that brisk evening, and everything went very smoothly.

On the Wedding Day, I couldn't help but feel the pressures of being the Best Man kick in. I was a little on edge that morning, and forgot my shirt at home. Luckily my mom came to the rescue and brought it for me. The ceremony was quick yet went perfectly, and it was so amazing standing by Philip's side, and giving him his wedding rings.

After the ceremony we took many pictures, yet I was more concerned about the Trolley Ride. I put together a cooler of beer, and loaded it up into the trolley, and also provided a good Irish CD for the ride. The ride was extremely fun, and we made many stops along the way. Such as a stop at the liquor store to get more beer and champagne, a stop at Foster Park to take some fun pictures and smoke cigars, a stop at Gily's place to get a Salsa CD, and a stop by our old neighborhood of Park Avenue. Once the ride was over, I was feeling good and relaxed...

Entering the reception we came upon a small problem of what to do with the cooler of beer. Luckily at that precise moment, Ben Franke came to the rescue and took the cooler to his car. We then made our glorious entrance into the Botanical Gardens, with good style... The layout was very spacious outside, and the weather couldn't be more perfect for the evening. After dinner, Stef gave her toast, and I gave my toast. I must confess that I was dreading the speech, yet when the moment finally came, I felt extremely comfortable and spoke from the heart. After the formal dinner, the party really kicked off with good music, good drinks, and lots of dancing!!
It was so amazing knowing practically everyone at the party, and for that reason can say it was easily the funnest wedding I've ever been to!

After the reception, we walked to the hotel around 12ish, for an epic after-party. By this point I must confess that things are a little fuzzy, yet I have gathered many perspectives on how things played out. I do remember walking into the room, and being amazed at how many people were packed into this room. It was a lounge with a table, couch, kitchen, some chairs, fireplace, and a fold-out bed. As soon as we got there, I remember making a hard effort with Stefanie to find Philip and Shawnna, who had already went to their room. We were unable to track them down, so we got straight to the party. This consisted of shots with Rager, and some intense flippy cup action. We played friends vs. family, and this caused some serious competition. By about the third game, things had gotten extremely loud and rowdy, and my dad was forced to kick out the friends. I was upset to see them go, yet also understood that at this point it was a family thing. Some friends did stick around such as Clint and Bridget Glissman, one of Philip's old high school friends. Bridget by this point had somehow become a shinning focal point of the night... Shortly after the friends got kicked out, Jhormy and Peter had an argument, of which lead to my dad having to kick them out. They later settled their dispute and came back in. Things started dying out around 4ish... At this point the last ones hanging out were, myself, dad, Bridget, John, Danny, Kevin, Jenny, Peter, Jhormy, and Clint. Bridget could not find her keys that night, which caused an extreme panic for everybody. I was asleep by this point, and turns out that I had them in my pocket the whole time. In an incredible twist, turns out that Reggie had found them earlier that night on the dance floor, gave them to the DJ, the DJ gave them to me, and I then put them in my pocket and never knew whose they were until the next morning... Dad has been perplexed by this night, and has not stopped talking about its mysteriousness ever since... All-in-all I'd say it was an extremely memorable night, full of mystery, drama, and great fun with great people...

The next morning was difficult for the Brunch, and it was obvious that everyone was tired and hungover. It was mostly family that came over for the breakfast... Philip and Shawnna opened their presents, and everyone shared their stories about the crazy night. After family had left, I volunteered as Best Man to return the tuxes, which proved to be another task in tracking them all down. Once this was accomplished, I was happy to finally sit back on the couch and take a deep breath... The wedding was a memorable success!