Looking Back at History: JFK Assassination

Regarding Conspiracy Theories

I've come to believe that conspiracy theories are extremely interesting, sometimes addictive, yet ultimately a waste of time. No matter what you think, and what you can prove, there's really nothing that can be done. Back in college, I was drawn into a 9/11 conspiracy, that the twin towers were imploded from within, and the Pentagon was bombed by an air missile. I became obsessed with this theory for some time, yet eventually came to the realization that it was either too far-fetched or beyond my grasp. The one thing I have learned from conspiracy theories, is to never be naive. Which now leads me to the epitome of conspiracies, the JFK Assassination. I've always been quite intrigued by JFK's assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963, yet have never really put much thought to the event. Just this once I will open and close the book on this suspicious case.

My curiosity into this event, was as usual, inspired by a dramatic film, JFK, directed by Oliver Stone. The controversial film stars Kevin Costner, as the eager district attorney of New Orleans, Jim Garrison. In 1967 Garrison led one of the most noteworthy investigations against the Kennedy assassination and the Warren Commission. He practically assumed that Lee Harvey Oswald was no more than a "patsy" and the actual assassination plot was conducted by a string of mobsters and top secret government ops. Although his trial against Clay Shaw was a total failure, he certainly introduced some very insightful theories, and brought some real speculation to the table.

Questions on the Warren Commission

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind, that there was some foul play involved in this historical tragedy. Here are some extremely interesting questions brought up in the film;

• The Long Gun-man Theory: The Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone , and shot off three shots from a high-up vantage point at the president. The first shots missed, the second shot, known as the infamous "Magic Bullet" pierced both Kennedy and Gov. Connolly, and finally the third shot, was the fatal one that hit him in the head. I see two obvious problems in this theory proposed by the Warren Commission; The Magic Bullet Theory, and the Impossible Shooting

• The Impossible Shooting: The film JFK, demonstrates quite clearly the impossibility of this shooting. It was concluded that Oswald fired three shots, two of which hit their target, in under 7 seconds. Yet this is absurd considering several factors; First it was discovered that the scope on Oswald's rifle was in bad condition. Then there's the fact that he was shooting at a moving target. There's the fact that there was a tree with heavy foliage, in his line of sight. And finally there's the impossibility that Oswald had to aim, shoot, and reload three times, in under 7 seconds. No gunner could ever duplicate this performance.

• The Magic Bullet: To take things a step further, the Warren Commission, concluded that Oswald's second bullet caused 7 wounds in both President Kennedy and Governor Connolly. This theory is the greatest farce of the entire investigation. It is believed that Oswald's second gunshot, first pierced through Kennedy's back, then his neck, then through Gov. Connolly's back shoulder, through his rib, his wrist, and through his left thigh. An impossible trajectory of twists and turns. 15 layers of clothing, 7 layers of skin, 15 inches of tissue! And to make things even more ridiculous, the bullet was mysteriously found on a gurney in the Dallas hospital. Give me a break...

• The Zapruder Film: Of the several films taken that day, this one proved to be most significant, providing a clear vantage point of the entire event. It should therefore come as no surprise that it was immediately confiscated, and was not released to the public several years later. Garrison used this film in his case against Clay Shaw in 1969, the first time it was seen by the public. After watching the film several times, especially in slow motion, it is quite clear to see that the third and fatal-shot to Kennedy's head, pushed him back and to his left. Thus implying that the shot must have come from a forward and level plane, referred to as the "Grassy Knoll".

So these are my biggest reasons to believing that there was some foul play involved. However the next question of course is who, how, and why. I'm going to make some brief assumptions here, of course inspired by the film...

In order to properly assess this situation, we have to begin with some historical backdrop and possible motives.

Brief History of JFK's Presidency

John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States in 1961.He was a democrat in favor of the Civil Rights Movement, big on government not so big on global affairs. He was a huge opponent of organized crime. During his years as president, he was bombarded by the threat of communism most notably in the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy was never in favor of intervening on foreign soil, both in Cuba nor in Vietnam, and was especially angered by the CIA's secret operations. He not only fired many of it's chief administrators, such as Allen Dulles, yet also intended to strip away most of their power. Many accused him of being far too soft on communism. By dismantling the CIA, turning away from global war, and improving the country's infrastructure, Kennedy was threatening the dominance of capitalism. So begins a political motive.

The Possible Motives

The Who is of course the biggest and most haunting question. Whether or not Oswald did the shooting may remain a mystery, yet I do believe there were multiple shooters involved. They were obviously the best of the best; underground, top secret men without any political motives whatsoever, most likely foreign... Untraceable mercenaries for hire... Yet the even bigger question is who hired them? Perhaps an underground organization, such as the mafia, upset with Kennedy's strict policies. After-all who better to blame than the mafia. Yet the Mafia could never conduct something of this magnitude at this level of secrecy. If they were involved, they were definitely either working with or for someone else... Yet Who?

Although we may never know for sure, I don't doubt the existence of a top secret organization, that specializes in covert operations, and has no traceable ties whatsoever to the government. We see and hear about it all the time in the movies; Men in Black, Watchmen, etc. Yet is it really too far off the deep-end to believe of their actual existence? Perhaps they feel that there are some things in this world that are better kept secret from the general public, in order to avoid mass pandemonium. An invisible organization, above our own government, acting in the name of national security. Is it really that far-fetched? Or perhaps beyond our grasp? Either way it's the stuff conspiracies are made of!!

Recently Seen Movies

Alice in Wonderland (C+)

For some strange reason, I've never been drawn to Lewis Carrol's story "Alice in Wonderland". Not even a summer blockbuster directed by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, could sway me into watching it. Yet many months later, after seeing this film nominated for three academy awards, and taking home two for best art direction and best costume design I decided it was finally time to give it a try. The film is basically a new take on Carrol's story, by adapting a much older Alice returning back to the wonderland. Great special effects, and a unique performance as usual by Johnny Depp as the Mad-Hatter.

The Imaginarum of Dr. Parnassus (C-)

Now here is a film that will always be remembered as Heath Ledger's final performance, and frankly that's about it. I suppose the concept was quite intriguing, a fictional world within a mirror, controlled by an old magician played by Christopher Plummer. Then there was the studio's decision to re-write the story and include big name stars, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Ferrel, to replace Heath Ledger as alternative versions. The film was nominated for two academy awards in Best Art Direction and Costume Design. The visuals were quite impressive, yet for the most-part this film was a bunch of drawn-out nonsense, with perhaps a few interesting moments, yet nothing to pull me in.

The Hurricane (B)

I've always enjoyed Bob Dylan's song, "The Hurricane", yet never really knew the true story about Ruben "Hurricane" Carter. In this film, starring the great Denzel Washington, we see the biopic of a wrongfully accused boxer set in the 60s. Ruben Carter could have been a middleweight champion of the world, but was wrongfully accused of murder by the racist and corrupt New Jersey state court. After spending 20 years in prison, he was finally able to prove his innocence in federal court, with the help of some hippie Canadian activists. Overall its a great true story carried by an incredible performance by Denzel Washington.


Bonnie and Clyde (B-)

I must say over the years I have become quite a fan of Warren Beatty's work, (Reds, Bugsy). He captures American folk-lore as a very passionate actor, producer, and director. This 1967 film focuses on the rise and fall of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, the iconic public enemies of the 193os. Warren plays the smooth-talking, Clyde Barrow, who entices Bonnie Parker, played by the beautiful Faye Dunaway right from the start of the film. From here on out, the film becomes both both a romance and an action-packed heist of classic cops vs. robbers. Bonnie and Clyde are also joined by Clyde's bother, Buck, played by Gene Hackman, and his wife Blanche, that won the best supporting actress for Estelle Parsons. This film is a classic, known for its revolutionary portrayal of violence.


Network (B)

After watching the mesmerizing Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde, I just had to watch her other claim to fame, The Network, which won her the Academy Award in 1976. She was also good in Chinatown! However in this film, she plays a vicious business-woman, who only cares about her work as the chief programmer. This 1976 film directed by Sidney Lumet intermingles several stories all revolving around the industry of broadcast television. There are several notable performances in this film, such as the great Robert Duvall, playing the role of a ruthless business executive. Then there is William Holden, who plays the director/producer, on his way out of the business. And finally there is the most memorable performance of the film by Peter Finch, who plays the passionate anchor Howard Beale who is "mad as hell! and not going to take it anymore!" This performance won Finch a posthumous Academy Award. Another interesting fact about this film is a five minute performance by Holden's wife in the film, played by Beatrice Straight who also won an academy award for best supporting actress. All-in-all great performances and classic film from Sidney Lumet.


I Heart Huckabees (D+)

Not really sure where to begin on this film directed by David O. Russell in 2004. I've heard of it for some time now, perhaps due to it's impressive cast, starring Dustin Hoffman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, etc... So finally I decided to pick it out at the library and give it a try. And now I know why I waited so long to watch it. The story is simply out-of-control, all over the place... It is definitely character-driven, yet each performance is either way off the deep end, or extremely shallow. The film tries way too hard to hit at some philosophical, metaphoric meaning, while missing any logical reasoning whatsoever. Ultimately a wild failure in my opinion, that lost my attention in the first five minutes.


Brothers (B-)

Tobey Maguire's critical breakthrough. Yes, this man can act beyond the Spiderman blockbusters. He's played some good dramatic roles in films such as Pleasantville, Cider House Rules, Seabiscut, and The Good German yet this role was finally his chance to show off his skill. The story is a unique love triangle, between an Afghanistan veteran, played by Maguire, his wife, played by the beautiful Natalie Portman, and his brother, played by Jake Gyllenhaall. The three of these stars brought exceptional performances to a thrilling film. After this performance, I would now expect to see more accolade from Maguire in his future films.

Random Notes

The past month now, I've fallen into a very busy routine of juggling part-time jobs. During the day I do courier work for a company called Racer Courier Logistics, where I deliver Amazon books and medical supplies. Sure I'm not proud of it, however it pays the bills, and I enjoy to work out of my car. Some days are extremely smooth, enjoying music and the drive, however other days can be extremely stressful, bad weather, wrong address, gates that won't open, etc. All-in-all though it's something for now.

During the afternoons I continue to tutor with the Mind Program. I am still working with a 1st grader and a kindergardener at Abe Lincoln Elementary. And I have also begun to work with a spunky 6th grader at Maplewood, who is constantly testing my tolerance. Both jobs keep me busy and pay the bills. And the best part is that I don't dread them, as I have other jobs. However they are ultimately part-time jobs, without tax deductions, benefits, or real guarantees, thus making my financial stability constantly in question.

My recent excursion into international diplomacy, has fallen short, by 10 miserable points, so I will have to wait another year to take the Foreign Service Officer test. Nonetheless I will always continue to enjoy global affairs and politics. I have recently submitted to the Wall Street Journal and the Economist, which are both full of good insightful inside information. Reading the WSJ in the morning with some coffee, has become an enjoyable habit of mine.

My spike in international diplomacy, couldn't have come at a better time. The past few months have been full of historicly significant news. A wave of revolutions across the Middle East, beginning with Tunisia, then Egypt. Civil unrest in Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia. Civil war in Libya, where Gaddafi refuses to cease power. Potential war in the Ivory Coast, against the mad tyrant Gbagbo. And many other countries standing against tyranny and oppression.

Then there is the situation in Wisconsin, which recently ended in the government voting to do away with worker's collective bargaining rights. This bill caused massive protests and demonstrations against governor Scott Walker who proposed the bill to hack away at the state's debt. Thousands of workers, teachers, students, and other citizens protested for nearly a month, in the streets of Madison, and all around Wisconsin. The public outcry became world-news, and spread into other nearby states, Ohio, Illinois, and even Indiana. However it seems that the worker's cries will eventually be silenced by the bought-out government. Not even President Obama can intervene on this state issue, that is eager to hammer down organized unions and other workers' rights.

Japan has recently been rocked by a massive earthquake, 8.9 on the scale, one of the largest in many years. What makes this even bigger news is the fact that Japan is extremely economically-developed, and the financial losses will be quite considerable. As one of the third largest economies in the world, the damage of Japan's economy, will absolutely effect the global economy. Then there is the extreme humanitarian concern. As of now over 3,000 have been pronounced dead, and nearly 10,000 as missing. To make matters even worse, are the damaged nuclear reactors, some of which have already exploded and led to major melt-downs. This fear of radiation could spread all throughout Japan. This earthquake, known as the Sendai quake, is said to be one of the biggest quakes to ever hit Japan, and the fourth strongest since 1900.

The Academy Awards happened several weeks ago, and were a mixed success for several films. The King's Speech won top honors; best picture, best actor, best director and best screenplay. Other notable winners were Social Network, Inception, and The Fighter. I was very happy to see Natalie Portman win the best actress for her role in Black Swan. Yet I was quite disappointed that the Social Network did not win best picture.

I am finally back to running, and have found a great course at the Monon Trail. This past Sunday I ran in a 5k downtown at the Big Ten Hoops 5k. Lauren, EJ, and Laura also joined me. I had only trained for a week, yet ran a surprisingly good time of 21.40. The mini is in about 2 months, and if I can keep physically active, perhaps a 1:40 is not out of the question.

I finally finished the Two Towers, and am now starting the final chapter in Tolkein's series, Return of the King. I have also been occasionally reading up on philosophy, about the lives and theories of greats such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Galileo, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Descartes. A full study on this to come perhaps later in the month.

A Study of Greek Mythology

From the classical works of Homer (Iliad and Odyessy) and Hesiod (Theogony), to the lesser known poets such as Pindar, Bacchylides, and Simonides, it is without question that Greek Mythology has become the defining tradition of ancient folklore and myth. The origins of Greek Mythology date as far back as 850 BC, with Homer’s Iliad, that gives a poetic account of the Trojan War that took place from 1194-1184 BC. Although his sources and even his existence may be disputed, his masterpieces of the Iliad and the Odyssey, have become the earliest known foundations of Greek Mythology.

The Beginning

Before there was a universe or life as we know it, there existed a vast state of nothingness, known simply as Chaos. And out of nothing came Gaia, mother of the Earth. Gaia gave birth to Uranus, father of the sky, and the two had 12 children, six males and six females, known as the Titans. Along with these 12 titans, they also gave birth to a one-eyed monster known as, Cyclopes, and the hundred-handed monster known as Hecatonchires. Fearing that they may grow more powerful than he, Uranus hid his children in the dark depths of Tartarus.

Gaia, longed for her children, and created a stone sickle to defeat Uranus. She freed her children from Tartarus, and asked for one of them to face Uranus. Her youngest son, Cronus, was the only one willing to accept the challenge, and he took the sickle and castrated Uranus. The product of Uranus’ castration created many powerful deities, such as the Gigantes and most notably Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Once Uranus was out of the picture, Cronus took to the throne, with his sister Rhea, as the queen, and the rest of his titan brothers and sisters. He re-imprisoned the monsters of the world back in Tartarus, such as Cyclopes, Hecatonchires, and the Gigantes.

Cronus feared that his son would someday do the same to him as he did to his father. Therefore he ate each of his offspring, at birth. Rhea gave birth to five children, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Hestia, and Poseidon, all of which were consumed by Cronus. This angered Rhea, who decided to trick Cronus on their sixth child. When the baby Zeus was born, she gave him a stone, and hid the baby in a cave on Mount Ida.

The War of the Titans

When Zeus had reached adulthood, he fed his father a poisonous drink that caused Cronus to disgorge his five children. Zeus then freed the monsters of Tartarus to aid him against the Titans. The Cyclopes, the Gigantes, and the Hecatonchires all came to the Zeus’ aid in the war against the titans. Cyclopes gave Zeus a thunderbolt, Poseidon a trident, and Hades a helmet of darkness that were all used as weapons against the Titans. The War of the Titans, known as the Titanomachy, lasted for ten years, and finally resulted in victory for the gods of Mount Olympus. Zeus had the Titans imprisoned in Tartarus and shared his world with his brothers. Zeus became god of the sky; Poseidon, god of the water; and Hades, god of the underworld. Hera became Zeus’ wife and queen of the gods; Demeter became goddess of the harvest; and Hestia was goddess of the fireplace.

The Age of Heroes

Herakles, also known as Hercules to the Romans, is the most well known of the Greek heroes. He was a half-god, son of Zeus, and the mortal Alcmene. As a child he suckled so hardly upon Hera's breast, that one day she pushed him away, causing milk to spay everywhere, thus forming the Milky Way. Hera despised him as a child, for obvious reasons, and once put two giant snakes in his crib. The baby Herakles was later discovered holding the defeated snakes in each of his hands. He had aquired supernatural strength at an early age.

As an adult, Hera later drove him into madness, and caused him to kill his own children. After realizing what he had done, he sought penance from the oracle. He was then forced to serve King Eurystheus, who wanted him dead. Eurystheus gave Herakles 12 labors.

1. Kill the Nemean lion
2. Destroy the Lernean Hydra
3. Capture the Ceryeian Hind
4. Capture the Erymanthian Boar
5. Clean the Augean Stables
6. Kill the Stymphalian Birds
7. Capture the Cretan Bull
8. Round up the Mares of Diomedes
9. Steal the girdle of Hippolyte
10. Herd the Cattle of Geryon
11. Fetch the Apples of Hesperides
12. Capture Cerberus

Jason is another well-known mythical hero, who went on a journey to retrieve the Golden Fleece. He was joined by the Argonauts, a group of Greek heroes. The band traveled to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece, a magical fleece of a golden -haired ram. He goes through many adventures on his quest to obtain the fleece, as well as on his return journey.

Theseus, was a mythical hero known as the founder-king of Athens. He underwent many labors and adventures such as his encounters at the Six Entrances of the Underworld, his fight with the Marathonian bull, and especially his battle with the Minotaur.

Perseus, was a legendary hero, and founder of Mycenae. His quest began when he overcame the deadly Gorgon, Medusa, who had snakes as hair, and a gaze that would turn anything into stone. Perseus was well equipped with a adamantine sword from Zeus, an invisibility cloak from Hades, winged sandals from Hermes, and a polished shield from Athena. He used his shield, as a mirror to approach Medusa. and cut off her head. He decided to take the head as a prize and also to use as a weapon.

He then traveled to Ethiopia, where the beautiful princess Andromeda was being sacrificed to a giant sea monster. She was fastened to a rock on the shore, while the giant sea serpent, known as the Cetus, emerged from the waters. Perseus came to save Andromeda, mounted on the famous winged-horse, Pegasus. He slew the sea-serpent by using Medusa's head to turn it into stone. Perseus then freed Andromeda, married her, and became king of Mycenae.

It was the Trojan War, that brought forth the culmination of Greek Heroes in one ultimate battle. The war lasted for nearly 10 years, caused by a debate amongst the gods. It began when the three goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena argued amongst themselves of which was the fairest. Unable to come to a decision, Zeus chose a shepherd-prince from Troy, Paris to make the decision. Each of the goddesses offered him a bribe. Athena offered him wisdom and skill in battle, Hera offered him political power and control of Asia, and Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. Paris thus chose Aphrodite as the fairest of them all, thus resulting in the start of the Trojan War.

The conflict began when Paris journeyed to Sparta, under the guise of a diplomatic mission between King Menelaus and the kingdom of Troy. His intentions however, were to seduce and elope with Menelaus' wife Helen. With the support of Aphrodite, Helen instantly became Paris' prisoner of love and the two secretly left Sparta together. Once Menelaus realized the deception he was outraged and went to his brother Agamemnon for aid.

Agamemnon was a war-mongering king of Mycenae, and the chief commander of the Greek Army. He called upon all the Greek Achaean kings to unite and prepare for war against Troy. He assembled 1200 ships, with an estimated force of 130,000 men to set sail for Troy. Their journey to Troy was full of obstacles caused by the gods, causing them to get lost several times. Finally they landed on the shores of Troy, and the war began.

King Priam of Troy, did not know what to make of the abduction of Helen at first. Yet he eventually came to understand and support his son action, and was prepared to face the repercussions. However his other son, the greatest Trojan warrior of them all, Prince Hector, was against the abduction. He knew that the Greeks would be arriving with a massive army, and that it could be the end for Troy. Hector was a great warrior, a peace-loving man, a loving husband, and a loving father. Unable to change his father's mind, Prince Hector, took to his role as leading the defenses of Troy.

The Greeks were led by many great heroes, such as Ajax, a man of colossal frame, said to be the tallest and strongest of all the Achaean soldiers.

The old and wise, Nestor, a former Argonaut who had fought against centaurs and the Calydonian Boar. He served more as a counselor throughout the war, especially trying to quell the disputes between Agamemnon and Achilles.

Then there was Diomedes, King of Argos, who brought 80 ships with him to the war. He is best known for his outstanding fighting abilities, wisdom, courage, and strategy throughout the war.

Then there was mighty king from Ithica, known as Odysseus, who played a vital rule throughout the war and especially after the war. He was known for his exception fighting ability, courage, resourcefulness, yet mostly for his cunning intelligence.

Yet of these warriors, the greatest of them all was without question, Achilles, the chief protagonists in The Iliad. He was born from the sea-nymph, Thetis, who dipped him in a sea of immortality, while holding his heel. He was trained as a child by a centaur known as Chiron. His father was Peleus, a great warrior and king of the Myrmidons. He became a great warrior as a young man, yet it was not until the Trojan War that he would stamp his legacy. He set sail with his army of Myrmidons knowing that he would meet both his glory and his death.

Achilles found early success in the beginning of the war, however eventually got into a dispute with Agamemnon, over the course of the war, as well as a Trojan princess named Briseis. He decided not to fight, thus causing things to go poorly for the Greeks. Hector began to find great success in repelling the Greek attacks, and eventually drove them back with a counter-attack. During this foggy battle, Hector was driven by a madness he had never known, and eventually met Achilles' nephew, Patroclus in battle. Hector then killed Patroclus, mistaking him for Achilles. This outraged Achilles who finally ended his refusal to fight, in a mad quest to avenge his cousin's death.

Achilles' battle with Hector was the ultimate meeting of champions, however did not go very favorably for Hector. Once Achilles found Hector, Hector ran away from him, around the walls of Troy three times, until finally he knew there was no hope. He finally faced Achilles, and attacked him with his word, yet the fight did not last long, until Achilles slit his neck. In one final act of humiliation Achilles tied the dead body of Hector to his chariot, and dragged it around the battlefield for nine days. King Priam finally was able to come to Achilles and beg for the body of his son. Achilles accepted the king's request, and a temporary truce was made to honor the gods through games and festivals.

Following the cease-fire, the war waged on, and Achilles continued to slaughter many Trojan heroes. The Greeks had now taken the advantage in the war, however the gods had finally decided that Achilles time had come. During one battle, he chased Trojan soldiers into their city, where he was met by a poisoned arrow from Paris. The arrow was carefully guided by the sun-god Apollo, to strike in Achilles' one weak spot, his heal. Following the death of Achilles, a great battle waged over his dead-body. Ajax played a crucial role in defending his body, while Odysseus was able to carry him out of the city-walls and back to their camp for a proper burial. Following Achilles' death, Ajax was overcome with grief and madness, and eventually took his own life.

With the death of Achilles and Ajax, things seemed quite somber once again for the Greeks. They knew there was no way they could penetrate the Trojan's mighty wall. That was until the cunning Odysseus despised a masterful plan of deception. The Greeks built a giant wooden horse to give the Trojans as a gift, and an offering to the gods for a safe trip home. Inside the horse hid many Greek warriors, while the rest of the armor, moved their ships out of sight. Once the Trojans pulled the horse into the walled-city, the Greek warriors came out of the horse at night, and opened the walls for their army to enter. The Greeks were then finally able to enter the city, and burn it to the ground. The only one to survive the sacking of Troy, was a young warrior named Aeneas who carried his father and his son, and fled from the siege. Legend tells that he eventually went on to found the city of Rome.

Following their victory, the Greeks began their long journey home, which ended in tragedy for many of the kings and heroes. The only hero to have a safe return was Nestor. Ajax the Lesser was smitten by Poseidon and drowned; Diomedes was scattered to many islands, and nearly sacrificed to a king; Menelaus' ship was blown to Egypt and it took him nearly 8 years to get home following the war, however he lived the rest of his days with Helen. Agamemnon made it back to his kingdom, yet was later killed by his wife. Yet of all these perilous journeys it was Odysseus' journey back to Ithaca, that has become the most famous.

This account is told in Homer's Odyssey, directly following the Trojan War. Odysseus' ship is blown way off course, where he encounters many adventures. He first encounters a cyclops named Polyphemus who takes them prisoners. Once he manages to escape, he journeys into Hades where he speaks with Achilles and many other fallen heroes of the war. All his men are eventually killed by the gods, and only he manages to survive. He comes to an island and lives with a nymph, named Calypso. for seven years. Finally longing for his wife, Penelope in Ithaca, he manages to sail back on a raft. He then has to defeat the many suitors of his wife, and regain his throne. Finally after 20 years he is reunited with his wife, Penelope, as king of Ithaca.


This of course is only a fraction of the countless tales of Greek Mythology, yet to me they are the most significant ones. My fascination with Greek Mythology began as a kid, watching Xena: The Warrior Princess; and during my 8th grade literature class, where Mr. Loy passionately described the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey to us. From games, television shows, books, movies, classes, I have always been inspired by the imagination of Greek Mythology. To me it is the epitome of creative literature, glorifying ancient tales with deep meaning and beautiful imagery.

Movie Masterpiece: Black Swan

Now here is a film, that can either be admired for it's brilliance and originality, or despised for it's unexplainable and disturbing material. After months of anticipation, revolving around Natalie Portman and the subject matter of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, I knew it would be something special. I finally got a chance to watch it before the Oscars on Sunday, and must say that it was beyond special; it was a masterpiece! Well-worth Natalie Portman's win for best actress. The film is unlike anything I've seen before, an artistic psychological thriller. It's easy to see how viewers may not like this film, perhaps due to it's random abstract method of story-telling. I thought it was ingenious; one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Driven by three factors; Natalie Portman's performance, Darren Aronfsky's directing, and Tchaikovsky's beautiful music from Swan Lake.

First there is the amazing performance by Natalie Portman, as the multi-layered character of Nina Sayers. Nina is an extremely fragile yet ambitious dancer, striding to prove to herself, to her mother, and to her director, that she can incorporate both the white and black swan in total perfect harmony. However as the story goes on, she falls deeper and deeper into madness, slowly consumed by the idea of the black swan. It goes without question that Portman rightfully deserved the Oscar for this performance.

Then there is the unique filming by director, Darren Aronofsky, who takes the viewer on a thrilling roller-coaster. He does a unique job at telling the story by blending reality with the surreal. It is through Portman's hallucinations, that the film really manages to push the envelope and create a multi-dimensional story. These hallucinations begin as minor ones, driven by Nina's overwhelming stress and pressure, and gradually begin to drive the story. The final sequence is exhilarating and sensational, where Natalie Portman loses her self into her character, and transforms into the Black Swan. She becomes consumed by the dark character, and experiences a full transformation on stage, a metaphor that illuminates her brilliant performance. However the brilliant performance ends in tragedy, where she falls so deep into the hallucination, that she loses her mind and unknowingly kills herself. An amazing story! A film that will be long remembered as a masterpiece.