"RG3!"

The chants seem to be getting louder as the season goes on.

The fans of the burgundy and gold by our nation's capital have grown louder and louder over time, as the list of accomplishments have grown more and more impressive.

"RG3! RG3!"

And indeed, Robert Griffin the third, popularly known as "RG3", has produced. Over and over and over again, he has produced, and the excited buzz in Washington among football fans has grown as well.

Now, it has reached fever pitch, as the Redskins have won three in a row, including two games straight against their closest competitors within the division: the Cowboys and the Giants.

He had that unbelievable day in Dallas, where his passing was crisp, and he showed tremendous patience and poise, and a maturity that some doubted that he possessed under pressure situations. He had a phenomenal game there in front of a national television audience, putting up jaw dropping numbers and unbelievable plays for the highlight reels, en route to engineering an important, exclamation point kind of a victory in the hostile environment that is Dallas.

Last night, the Redskins, who have played well in winning their previous two games, hosted the Giants, fresh off their 38-10 dismantling of traditional NFL powerhouse Green Bay. If the Giants were to win, they would maintain a two game lead over the Cowboys, with four games remaining, and they would have ensured not only a very comfortable three game lead over the Redskins, but have pulled off the sweep. Instead, with the loss, the Giants have a very thin lead over both the Cowboys and Washington. New York sports a record of 7-5, while both the Cowboys and Redskins are 6-6. All of those teams have some tough games remaining on their schedules, and nobody can boast a gimme. The Giants have played all but one of their divisional games, and they only host the Eagles in their remaining schedule. The Redskins and Cowboys will play each other in Washington on the final weekend of the season, in a game that could potentially have a lot riding on it.

Talk about high stakes!

Washington went to considerable lengths to obtain RG3 in the offseason, trading a lot to the Rams to ensure a high draft pick. It was a risky move, and reminded me a bit of the Cowboys trading off star running back Herschel Walker in the 1980's in exchange for tons of draft picks that proved essential towards the Cowboys picking up a lot of talent that helped them build what was to become the team of the decade in the 1990's. So, they really did stick their necks out for the guy. Coach Mike Shanahan has stuck his neck out for RG3 this season, as well, uncharacteristically placing all of his trust to empower his star rookie quarterback to make his own decisions and even take some risks to help his team win games. But RG3 is rewarding both the franchise and his coach in their faith in him. Washington has now long been an also ran, just another team. They last won the Super Bowl in 1991, with a mighty team that ranked among the best in football history, but have not seen remarkable success since. But RG3 has given the local faithful something to cheer about. Loudly.

Against the Giants, Griffin did not throw the ball all that much. But still, the running game was effective, and RG3 himself poses such a threat with his mobility, that the Giants constantly struggle trying to keep him contained. Although they mostly did manage through the course of the evening, he proved versatile enough to orchestrate a touchdown drive late in the game for a come from behind, Redskins win. It is a measure of revenge for the loss earlier this season at New York.

I will admit that it seemed like a bad move for Washington to give away so much to obtain one man on their roster. Especially given the history of other mobile quarterbacks, given that they tend to be prone to injuries, and often open themselves up to a lot of vicious hits. Dating back all the way to the days of the spectacular athletic abilities of Randall Cunningham in the 1980's and 90's, and going through numerous quarterbacks right up to the present (where another Eagles quarterback, Michael Vick, also impresses with his athletic abilities, but disappoints because of his vulnerability and tendency to be benched due to injuries sustained from some of those savage hits.

My guess was that RG3 was going to be on the receiving end of just such hits, and that he would be sidelined. It still might happen, but the guy has proven to be tough! Still, let's see what happens over the course of years.

Yet, I will have to admit that he keeps proving me wrong. He finds different ways to beat different teams in different circumstances, and it is impressive.

I have to give credit where credit is due.

Let me also say that I never before saw two rookie quarterbacks have such an immediate impact on their respective football teams, as RG3 has had with Washington, and Andrew Luck has enjoyed with the Colts. These look to be quarterbacks of the long term future for these franchises, and they are getting started early with winning traditions!

Around The Bend December 3, 2012

Apartheid in South Africa in the News Again?

There is a bit here from South Africa, regarding white identity and roles in present day, post-apartheid South Africa. It is an excellent article, and you can scroll down to the "Africa" section of the news, and go to the South Africa to find the link. It's an excellent article, and I definitely recommend it!

It reminds me a bit of the brilliant book, "Disgrace" by JM Coetsee. There are a lot of themes tackled in that book, which is really an incredible read, particularly for anyone familiar with South African history. It examines white identity and entitlement in post-apartheid South Africa, among numerous other issues.

Much like here in the United States, life in a post-racial legislation nation has not always been easy and free from complications in South Africa. Inequalities still exist, as does unfairness. Controversies ensue over measures to try to promote greater fairness, such as affirmative action. There is still a great deal of fear, for that matter. One of the growing trends in South Africa, which is mentioned Coetsee mentioned in "Disgrace", and which continues to be on the rise in both South Africa and the United States, would be the popularity of gated communities. Here in the United States, we recently had a major controversy with significant emphasis on racial stereotypes and fears regarding the Trayvon Martin case.

So, although there were plenty of people who quickly proclaimed that racism really was no longer a major problem in South Africa after Mandela was elected and peacefully took office in April of 1994, or here in the United States when Obama was elected and then peacefully took office in January of 2009, the fact of the matter is that race remains a huge problem in both countries, and that the people who are trying to sweep the problems under the rug, and thus shut off further discussion on the issue, really should know better. It does not take much to stir up strong feelings on the subject, and that in itself is an indication that it remains on people's mind, however, much they may try to disguise it.


Congo

Speaking of Africa, since I have given a couple of "Movie Rental Reviews" of movies that focus on Africa recently, with "Blood Diamond" and "Tears of the Sun". To different degrees, both of those films address some of the things that seem to occur on the continent lately, and so, I figured that this developing and rather complicated and involved story should be mentioned. It does not get a great deal of press here in the West, and I'm remembering that scene in "Blood Diamond" when Maddy mentions that the best such a story can generally expect is a short blurb, or perhaps a few seconds of a time slot on the nightly news, with some people being moved enough to be willing to give money towards the cause, and that pretty much would be it.

Some of what happens is nothing short of criminal. Both movies aim for feel good endings, but the truth is that the violence often seems to have no end to it. It also seems to be contagious, as it spreads from country to country. Even relatively stable nations, traditionally, are not immune. Take the example of Kenya, which seemed a model for the rest of Africa for some time. Suddenly, it began to see much of the same type and level of violence as the rest of Africa. It just goes to show how quickly these things can spread, and how fragile the imaginary borders that supposedly separate can be.

What is happening in Congo is a tragedy, and it is in a region that is no stranger to such things. One nation that is involved is Rwanda, and most of us can remember well when there was a genocide on a massive scale there, back in 1994. It was among the worst incidents of ethnic cleansing that we have seen, with somewhere between 750,000 to 1,000,000 people killed in a very short time span. Rwanda is active in the eastern Congo, since it is one of the neighbors, and thus, has an interest in controlling some of the much bigger nation's valuable resources. These tragedies arise far too easily over very specific interests that tend to overlook, or perhaps not care enough about, the human toll that these interests take. Another line taken from "Blood Diamond" was that throughout the entire history of Africa, whenever a precious resource was discovered, blood quickly was shed. It seems to happen far too much in Africa. It happened during the colonial era, and continued through the liberation phase. It continued afterwards, in places like Nigeria, in Ethiopia, and Rwanda. It continues to happen, as recent headlines in Sudan/South Sudan, in Mali, in Congo, and so on prove. It is a vicious and relentless cycle if ever there was one.


Domestic Politics

Here in the United States, it did not take long following last month's elections for the usual Washington gridlock to take a firm hand. While there were some signs that Republicans might relent a bit on their traditional strong stand against raising taxes on the very wealthiest of Americans, with some Republicans showing signs of being willing to at least listen to President Obama's proposals, now it seems to be the same old same old. Republicans not only are in the minority right now in Washington, but they are going against the grain of what a clear majority of Americans feel on this particular issue. Most Americans approve of the notion on raising taxes on the very rich. Still, many Republicans, and particularly Congressional leaders such as Boehner, McConnell and Cantor are once again digging the trenches, as the so-called "Fiscal Cliff" looms ever nearer. Both sides are, once again, pointing the finger of blame at the other, claiming that they are not willing to work in a bipartisan manner. Business as usual in Washington, as politicians will be politicians. Republicans seem to be returning to their age old strategy of obstructionism, which I believe was part of the reason that they lost this past election. Not sure if this even qualifies as "news", but since it seems to be what's dominating the headlines (once again) as of late, I figured it was worth mentioning. Of course, I've been wrong before...

Around the World

Middle East

Palestine - The biggest news, obviously, is the United Nations vote this past week, essentially empowering Palestine by recognizing their statehood more than ever before. I saw some posts on Facebook welcoming the 194th member. The vote came with nine nations opposed led, of course, by the United States and Israel, who put up vehement opposition. But in the end, Palestine was recognized as having a right to exist. I think that this could be a positive. Americans and Israelis claimed that Palestine will use their new leverage to work towards further violence, which itself will breed even more violence. But given that there is no shortage of violence in place already, and that Israelis continue to settle the West Bank (illegally), and that the Israeli government has, in effect, eliminated the two state solution option, it seemed that something was going to give. The current predicament simply was not working, and this is an attempt to at least try something different, something new. Also, it shows the rest of the world, as well as Israel and the United States, that things can be done without the world's leading superpower, and that a united world (minus these two powerhouses) can get things done on their own, even if it has to drag the feet of these two hesitant nations, kicking and screaming. Maybe it's not the solution, but it's working towards some kind of solution, rather than dancing around it, and holding with the status quo, the same old same old, and making a mockery of everyone truly working towards a peaceful solution. I applaud the efforts of those nations, and the United Nations overall, towards at least attempting to resolve this obviously very longstanding problem. 

Egypt - Protests that are reminiscent of last year's "Arab Spring" revolts continue in Egypt's capital city, Cairo, and elsewhere in the nation. President Morrissey, of course, maneuvered himself to gain considerable powers, so that he was beyond the reach of the courts. Whatever his intentions were, it seems to me odd that this man would seek to gain so much powers so soon after the mass revolts that saw the fall of the long-standing Mubarak regime. Is he now surprised that there are so many on the streets, protesting? How could he be? What was he thinking, anyway? Faced with the turmoil in his country that threatened to become so much more, Morrissey called for a vote. In the meantime, Egyptian courts have closed, and protesters are being blamed for it. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/world/middleeast/egypt-morsi-constitution-vote.html?pagewanted=all

http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-top-court-shuts-down-blames-protesters-051812098.html

Lebanon - Signs that the war in Syria might be spreading, as Lebanese troops exchanged fire with Syrian rebel troops.



Europe

European Union - Bishop Desmond Tutu claimed that is not worthy of the Nobel peace Rpize, and that there is a contradiction from the values that the prize traditionally symbolizes, since Europe relies so heavily on military force.

http://news.yahoo.com/tutu-eu-not-worthy-win-nobel-peace-prize-133224912.html

Serbia - In this day and age of sparkly and sexy vampires and endless zombie shows and movies and books, perhaps we should have been expecting the inevitable report of a vampire on the loose. Indeed, one has been reported, and in Eastern Europe, to boot! Only, this is not Transylvania, this is the Balkans. The vampire resides in Serbia, in the little village of Zarozje, where reports of a legendary vampire that once allegedly haunted the area has now made it's return. Apparently, this is being taken seriously enough that a local council advised villagers to carry garlic in their pockets and put wooden crosses in their rooms.

The vampire has a name: Sava Savanovic, who happens to be Serbia's most famous vampire.

Some feel a bit more skeptical, and think this is a ploy for attention. A local municipal council member, Miodrag Vujetic, said, "If Romanians could profit on the Dracula legend with the tourists visiting Transylvania, why can't we do the same with Sava?"

Of course, Dracula is most famous because of the famed work of fictional horror by Bram Stoker that gave rise to the fame of Dracula. Apparently, the legendary vampire Dracula has some competition in a regional rival nation.

Sometimes, news stories are stranger than fiction.

http://news.yahoo.com/vampire-loose-serbia-140736133.html

Hungary - There was an anti-Nazi rally in Hungary's national capital city of Budapest on Sunday, after a prominent member of the far-right Jobbik party, Marton Gyongyosi, said in the legislature this past Monday that it was time to find out "how many people of Jewish origin there are here, and especially in the Hungarian parliament and the Hungarian government, who represent a certain national security risk." Gyongyosi later apologized for the remark, but qualified that by adding that the nation still needed to be wary of "Zionist Israel and those serving it also from here"

http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-attend-anti-nazi-rally-hungary-181111963.html

Latin America and Caribbean


Mexico - New president Pena Nieto finally took office, and vowed to end the violence that has long plagued his nation, as well as reverse the long-standing sluggish economy. There were some violent protests during his swearing in. 

http://news.yahoo.com/mexicos-pena-nieto-takes-power-begins-era-old-143340170.html

http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-swears-president-amid-violent-protests-174340779.html

Paraguay - One of the surviving leaders of the peasant movement in Paraguay, Vidal Vega, was gunned down on Saturday by two unidentified men, who managed to get away. According to a friend, Vega was gunned down when he stepped outside to go feed his farm animals.

http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-assassinate-peasant-leader-paraguay-152213118.html

Asia



Afghanistan -Taliban insurgents attacked a US base in Jalalabad yesterday. 

North Korea - North Korea is once again vowing to test long range rocket sometime later this month, in the back and forth tug of war that seems to define this nation. One step forward, two steps backwards. This marks the second such attempt to launch missile since Kim Jung Un took power last year.

http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-vows-test-long-range-rocket-soon-082344582.html

North Korea - Also in North Korea, and in keeping with the bizarre nature of the report of a vampire on the loose in Serbia (see above), there is a report coming out of the Korean Central news Agency that scientists of the Communist nation are claiming proof that unicorns did in fact exist, once upon a time. A burial site of unicorns was found by a temple near the capital city of Pyongyang, with an engraving of "Unicorn Lair" at the front. it is being claimed that this is the burial site of the remains of the unicorn ridden by King Dongmyeong, who was the founding father of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, which existed from 37BCE -668AD.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/30/unicorns-existence-proven-says-north-korea/?hpt=hp_t3

 

Africa

Congo - Rwanda continues it's involvement in the confict in eastern Congo, trying to exert some influence over this region that has some considerable wealth in natural resources. Rebels have gained control over one major city here, and the civil war continues. The United Kingdom just blocked payments that were about to be made to Rwanda, citing "credible" reports of Rwandan involvement in war-torn eastern Congo. Rebels in the Congo have made demands for negotiations.

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-blocks-aid-rwanda-over-congo-rebel-claims-155615232.html

http://news.yahoo.com/rebels-congo-demand-negotiations-160835103.html

South Africa - A new controversy in South Africa has many in the country opening old wounds. Filmmaker Roger Young decided to try and wake people up a bit, and created t-shirts that read: "I benefited from apartheid".

There were only 40 t-shirts total, yet it garnered enough attention that it sparked considerable controversy in the nation where white minority rule ended less than two decades ago.

Below is the link to an excellent, must-read article: "I benefited from apartheid" T-shirt sparks South African race row" by David Smith of Guardian Africa:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/16/benefited-apartheid-tshirt-south-africa

Nigeria - At least 10 people were killed yesterday in northeastern Nigeria in attacks by a radical Islamist sect. The slayings took place in the village of Chibok, in Borno state.

http://news.yahoo.com/least-10-killed-northeast-nigeria-violence-172039423.html

Sports

NFL

Very strange and tragic news from Kansas City, where Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his 22 year old wife, Kasandra Perkins, and apparently not even one hour later, took his own life in the parking lot of the practice facility outside of Arrowhead Stadium. He thanked General Manager Scott Pioli and head coach Romeo Crennel before taking his own life. Pioli and Crennel actually witnessed Belcher kill himself. Pioli described it: "It's unfathomable. It's something that you would love to wash away from your mind, but you can't do it. There's nothing like it. There's nothing like it. Think about your worst nightmare and multiply it by five."

The Kansas City Chiefs decided to go ahead and play their scheduled game against the Carolina Panthers at 1pm on Sunday, despite the tragedy. Belcher left a 3 year old daughter without either of her parents.

The Chiefs won on a very emotional day, holding off the Panthers for a 27-21 win, only their second win on the season.

The Chiefs entered this week with the longest active losing streak, as well as the very worst record in the league. But now, two other teams are tied with the longest active losing streaks, which were extended this weekend.

The Eagles lost in a shootout to the Cowboys, 38-33, marking their eighth straight loss after starting off 3-1.

But even more incredible of a negative turnaround, the Cardinals dropped their eighth straight game as well, losing narrowly to the Jets, 7-6 (Sanchez was benched in this game). I have never before seen a team start the season off so hot, only to get so ice cold as this! Remember, this was one of the three teams to remain undefeated through the first quarter of the season, at least. The Falcons also did it, and remained undefeated at 8-0, before dropping one to new Orleans. They just beat the Saints in the rematch, and clinched their division this weekend, and are now enjoying an 11-1 record. The Texans also started off with an impressive undefeated start at 5-0, and like Atlanta, also can boast an 11-1 record. They did not clinch the division (at least not yet(, but they did clinch a playoff berth. Both of those teams are doing just fine. But the Cardinals, by way of comparison? After that 4-0 start, their best since 1974 (the year that I was born), they now are 4-8. Terrible! That hot start was obviously a fluke.

Atlanta was not the only team to clinch their division this weekend. In fact, I don't remember so many teams ever before having clinched their division so early in the season. Both the Patriots and the Broncos clinched their divisions, as well, each with 9-3 records.

Two other teams had a strong chance to get closer to division titles as well, and both are coached by a Harbaugh. But the Ravens were shocked by the Steelers, who won on a field goal on the last play of the game, while the 49ers and Rams almost went the distance in overtime towards another tie, before the Rams finally got a field goal through the upright with very little time left, to clinch a win.

Chicago could have stayed alone atop the NFC North, but the Seahawks proved just too much, and they beat the Bears in OT. In the meantime, the Packers came from behind to knock off the Vikings at Lambeau Field.

Cleveland has now enjoyed three consecutive impressive games, narrowly losing at Dallas, then pulling off an upset last weekend against Pittsburgh, and finally following that up with a big win at Oakland. After an abysmal start, the Browns are finally showing signs of life this season, and that could bode well for next year.

The Buffalo Bills rolled over Jacksonville, while the Colts, with that awesome comeback against Detroit, control their own destiny with favorable playoff positioning at the moment.

Tonight, the defending champs, the New York Giants, visit RG3 and the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. 

MLS

David Beckham went out with bang in the league that he breathed new life to, as the Los Angeles Galaxy managed to win back to back MLS Cup titles, trouncing the Houston Dynamo, 3-1. This was a rematch of last year's championship. Omar Gonzalez was named the game's MVP. 

Book Review: Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi

Yes, another Indiana Jones book.

This one focuses on when he is younger, although he is also supposed to be a bit older than during the "Young Indiana Jones" series of book and the television series.

Here, he is a student in college, and hardly seems as entirely focused or confident - or even mature. In fact, he seems a bit of a mess, and much more of a dreamer than the way he is portrayed in the movies. Also, he falls for a woman that he never should have, and has to fight his own instincts in wanting to be with her. All in all, we see a different Indiana Jones in this novel - one that is more green, if you will. He has some growing up to do, and in this novel, he does quite a bit of growing up in a very short time span, with his first truly risky adventure.

This book also focuses a little bit on the strained relationship between Indy and his father, Henry Jones (and yes, it's hard not to picture either Harrison Ford or Sean Connery playing the roles) in the beginning of the book. On some level, Indy's teacher challenges him in a way that reminds him of his father, and we can feel the tension. Along with the other areas that Indy has to grow up a bit in, we glimpse some unresolved issues in the young man, and possibly the need to come to terms with all of that.

***Spoiler Alert***

Yet, his teacher, Professor Dorian Belacamus,  is very different than Indy's father in many other respects. For starters, she is a woman, and she is very attractive. Quite naturally, that did not escape the attention of young Indiana Jones. Yet, she has largely ignored him, we find, early in the book. That is why he is so taken aback when she begins to not only notice him, but seem downright friendly. Even....flirtatious? He can't be too sure.

Still, she has called him her star student in the classroom, and after announcing to the class that she has to take a leave of absence for the rest of the semester to go on an expedition to Delphi, which is her particular field of expertise.

Indiana Jones wants to go, but mostly, it is his little head doing the thinking for him. He is really very attracted to the professor, and wants her. He is, after all, a young man in his prime, and she an attractive, sophisticated woman far different than the girls he tends to spend time with. The only thing is that he is uncertain about her intentions, or what exactly his own role is (remember, he is not yet convinced by this point that he even wants to be an archaeologist. Plus, his friends all give voice to their suspicions about the professor, and these begin to weigh on him more and more as the novel goes along, and his own doubts begin to grow to the point that he can no longer avoid them.

Still, he likes the idea of going to an exotic place like Greece, to look at ancient ruins, and he has high hopes that he will get with a very attractive woman that he seems to have fallen head over heels for. So, he goes.

He gets to visit Athens, and sees the ruins of an ancient civilization. We also see his reaction when he gets to see Delphi for the first time, and again, he seems almost awed by it - another sign of his still obvious youth. There has even an earthquake of late, and the legendary mists have started to rise from Delphi once again. Other things seem to be falling into place to fulfill a certain prophecy that included the return of a "Dorian" (the professor's name is Dorian), the return of the Pythea, the woman of ancient lore that would seem to ramble incomprehensibly, but when translated, would give prophecies that many believed in. So many came to believe in her prophecies in ancient days, that they began to actively pursue her, and she became legendary. As it turns out, those who believe in the newest prophecy of Pythia's return also believe that Professor Dorian Belacamus is, in fact, the new Pythea.

There is one more key element to the newest prophecy, and that is that the king of Greece will return to Delphi. Before long, it is revealed that the king is planning a visit to the site, to see the release of the legendary mists for himself. What he does not know is that there is a plot against him by Dr. Belacamus and her boyfriend, Colonel Mandraki.

Indiana's stated task at the site is to go down the crevice and retrieve a tablet embedded within the walls. Yet, he finds something else of even greater interest: the cone-shaped Omphalos. But the descent down the crevice does not go as smoothly as he wanted it to, and when he is pulled up back to the surface, he has taken a fall and injured himself. It will take some time to recover.

Indy's suspicions really begin to grow after he almost dies during this excavation, and he now begins to open his eyes much more. It takes him a while to recover, and during that time, he finds some things, and will no longer be able to dismiss the possibility that he is a pawn in a much larger game.

Slowly but surely, Indiana begins to gather enough evidence that his suspicions become cemented with evidence, and he understands what is going to happen. Still, it is not easy to break up the plot, and he finds himself encountering numerous difficulties, not least of which is that he is a stranger in a foreign land, and the natives do not trust him. In fact, there is only one native who really seems to like or trust him, and he is a boy, Nikolos.

Still, he already shows his ability to figure things out along the way, and this is how he manages to squeak by in very tight, dangerous situations. Jones is beginning to show the improvisational abilities that will serve him very well in future adventures.

They plan to entice the king near the crevice while there was a thick coating of mist, push him in and kill him, then assume power on their own. Indiana Jones has been involuntarily recruited to be the fall guy. But he manages to outsmart everyone, and winds up actually saving the king from the fall, thus making a friendship that will last a long time, the first in a long series of signs that Indiana Jones will make some powerful friends along the way.

The adventure does not yet end there, and Dorian/Pythia manages to capture two of Indy's friends the next day after the botched coup attempt. She shoots Mandraki, and it appears that she has killed him, although he manages to escape, all the while not knowing who it was who had actually shot at him. In the meantime, Jones is sent down the crevice, once again, to retrieve the Omphalos. She is holding everyone at gunpoint.

Indiana Jones manages to find it and excavates it from the walls. But on his way up, as he holds the thing to his chest, he finally feels the power of the Omphalos, catching some glimpses of his future, which is filled with adventures and treasures. Before all of that, he sees himself sitting with the king in a library, among other things. Yet, he also sees an image of Mandraki repeatedly pointing a gun right at him and pulling the trigger. He feels sickened by the Omphalos, and does not even want to touch it ever again.

Dorian/Pythia takes the Omphalos from Jones, and then has some kind of horrific glimpse of her own future. So horrified is she, that she freezes, dropping the gun, and seemingly gets completely detached from reality. Jones and his friends easily take the gun, escaping yet another close call.

But Mandraki has survived, and now, intends to kill Jones. Jones and his friends actually manage to steal Mandraki's car, and head towards Athens, to the palace, where they hope to reveal the thwarted coup d'etat to none other than the king himself. But Mandraki still holds a lot of cards, and puts up road blocks. Every soldier knows to shoot to kill, and it takes a lot of ingenuity, and no small measure of luck, for Jones and Co. to survive, yet again.

They make it to the palace, and are going to be sent out of the country as a crime. Mandraki has played his cards well, and pretends to be at peace with himself, "forgiving" Indiana Jones for stealing and destroying his car, and gracefully sending him out of the country. his greater interest is taking power in the country. But the king, trusting Indy from having saved his life during the coup attempt, meets with Indiana in the middle of the night, in his library. The first vision of his future has come true. Indiana reveals everything, from the beginning, so that the king understands that the threat against his life and rule posed by Mandraki is real, and remains.

Jones and his friends are going to leave the country the next day. But on the way to the port, Indy spots Dorian, and goes after her. Mandraki is there, though he remains hidden. Mandraki takes his gun and points it at Indiana Jones, then pulls the trigger. But Dorian steps in front of the bullet, and saves Jones. Mandraki now wants revenge more than ever on Jones, and once again, points the gun at him. But he is stopped by Nikolos, who kills Mandraki from behind. Jones is now safe to pursue further adventures in his future - the future book line of his adventures.

This book is actually very well written. There is one part in particular (at the very beginning of Chapter 8  -"Journey to Delphi") when Professor Belacamus wakes up very early and takes a bicycle ride very early in the morning, trying hard not to wake up the sleeping Indiana Jones, as she rides her bike in the chilly early morning air, that was so well-written, that I could almost picture myself being in that position. That is when fictional books are at their best, when they become almost literally an escape from yourself, when you feel almost like it is a vacation from yourself, for however many hours it takes to read the book, in any case. I think that makes this book worth reading, just by itself. Also, this book, although fictional and focused on the adventures of Indiana Jones, still nonetheless has some educational aspects to it, and that should be an additional enticement. This was a solid book, and I applaud Rob MacGregor on it.

Movie Rental Review: Tears of the Sun

Another review of a movie that is about the tragedies that occur in Africa. Another movie that I can say deals with ugly subject matter, yet has a certain beauty to it - although I am not entirely certain that it is very realistic, with a handful of American specialists managing to evade, and then fight off, an army of 300 plus native soldiers.

This one is a fictional account of a revolution that quite suddenly erupts in Nigeria, and an American military unit's attempt to safeguard an American out of the country. There is a fictional rebel army that is guilty of many of those worst excesses that many of us on the outside have come to associate with violence in Africa: rape and mutilation of women (particularly cutting off their breasts, so that they can no longer breast feed any children in the future, recruiting and utilizing children to become child soldiers, indiscriminate killings and even mass murders of whole villages, and overall ruling through terror).

Bruce Willis is the most recognizable star in this movie, as he plays Special-Ops commander Lieutenant Waters, who has to lead his team into the war torn nation, into a mission just hours before a massacre is expected by the approaching rebel army, in order to save a doctor serving there, Dr. Kendricks, played by Monica Bellucci.

***Spoiler Alert***

The team reached the village smoothly, and have every intention of taking the doctor to safety. But it becomes more complicated when she absolutely refuses to leave and save herself, and insists that the team help those injured who can still travel to be taken to safety. Lt. Waters is opposed to it, at least initially, but when he realizes that her staunch position is putting his mission in jeopardy, he relents, and begins to make preparations to evacuate the dozens of people, and save them from certain slaughter from the approaching rebel forces.

Waters and his team manage to get the team to relative safety, after evading a very close call with the rebels in the middle of the night. They manage to get to a clearing the next day, but when the helicopters come, it is only Dr. Kendricks that is put in one, much to her shock and dismay. The injured band of natives feel rejected and abandoned, left to their own devices. When the helicopters lift off and head back towards safety on an aircraft carrier, they happen to pass by the mission, and Dr. Kendricks and the entire military special ops team get to see firsthand the massacre that has just taken place there.

Of his own accord, Lt. Waters decides to turn around and take as many of the native refugees as possible. His team stays behind, while a dozen natives are lifted off to safety by the Cameroon border. It does not take long for Lt. Waters and his team to find out that conditions in Nigeria have changed, and the American military will not be flying anything over Nigerian airspace anymore. The team is on their own, left to their own devices to try to make it to the presumable safety of the Cameroon border.

So, with the change of plans, the team has to make do. They are on foot, in the jungles of Africa, needing to make it to the border. That will be hard enough. But they soon discover that they are being followed by the pursuing rebel army. This comes as a bit of surprising news to them, and they find out that one among the refugees has been transmitting to the rebels, allowing them to know the whereabouts of the Americans and those they are protecting. To add even more complications to the mix, they also find out that among those that they are trying to get to the safety of the border is none other than the son of the recently slain President. it had been reported that the entire family of the president had been killed. But this young man has survived, and now serves as the symbolic hope for the nation. It is this man that the rebels truly are after.

Waters has to lead his team and the band of refugees towards greater safety, and still has to head for the border, but now, the team knows that they will also have to fight against a force far greater in number than they, and with the advantage of being at home and knowing the layout of the land far better. What remains on the American team is superior technology, as well as an indomitable will.

Along their trek, they run into a village that will prove symbolic of the tragedies that seem to regularly occur in Africa in recent decades. An army unit has come to essentially have their way, raping and mutilating the women, killing any men that are deemed to stand in the way, and possibly recruiting any willing and able-bodied men and/or children to their cause. The American team stumbles into this, and decide to intervene. Though numerically not superior, they engage carefully, and manage to put an end to the carnage. It slows them down, of course, but they have done a deed that they can feel good about.

They continue the attempted escape, but the enemy is closing in fast, and the American team has to prepare to engage. It is an enormous fight, and simply by sheer numbers of the native force, the American team at times seems overwhelmed, and they hang on desperately, just trying to stall for time, to give themselves a chance, not to mention the refugees and the good doctor.

Eventually, they do actually make it to the border, but even here, there are further complications when the Cameroon soldiers refuse to open the gates to let the refugees in.

The team has to call in the American forces to have them fly in for air support. They get their just as the rebel forces are closing in and about to massacre the American team (of which, already, a few have fallen) and the refugees - including the President's son (who is also a tribal leader). The air support manages to end the carnage and sure massacre to follow, but just in the nick of time.

The soldiers finally get the permission to open the gate and allow the refugees into their side of the border. The doctor thanks the team, and the movie essentially ends there.

"Tears of the Sun" is a very good movie that opens the eyes of Western audiences to some of what is happening on the African continent, much like "Blood Diamond". While it does not go into the specifics as much that movie, this has a different focus. Again, not the most realistic of movies (in real life, the team and the band of refugees surely would have been massacred, being so greatly outnumbered and with so many obstacles standing in their way), and this movie skirts around some of he less savory aspects of Special Ops (to say nothing of covert American intervention in foreign lands) but it is a movie, and has the obligatory happy ending. It gives the audience a glimpse of some of the tragedy still taking place on the African continent, and does so in an entertaining manner. Recommended!

A Productive Day...

Yesterday was indeed a productive day.

True, most of us usually manage to accomplish some things during the course of a typical day.

But today was a more productive day than most, and I think I'm well within my rights to feel good about myself right now.

Today, I wrote fairly well earlier, more or less to my liking, adding some to yesterday's blog, and doing work on some other blogs, and even some writing outside of the blogs. That was something good, but in itself, it is not unique.

However, I also read quite a bit today, and since I seem to be having a kind of drought as of late. So, on that front, there was success.

I forced myself to beat out my own laziness, and go for a rather tough hike in slippery conditions through the snowy woods before the sun went down. It proved to be a race towards the end, but I pushed myself to do what normally is an hour's hike with just over an hour of daylight to go, and managed to get it done in less than ideal circumstances.

Cleaning - something that I do not always have the energy and proper spirit for. But I did on this day, and that even includes my car, which did not need serious cleaning, yet I did some, anyway!

The big thing was to put up the Christmas tree that my son was asking about. I did not do it last year, mostly because I was going through some issues and feeling depressed at around this time last year, admittedly. But there was a lingering sense of guilt over having allowed that to get the best of me, and not having mustered the energy, or the will, to put the tree up for the benefit of my child. This time around, however, I was determined not to let that particular history repeat itself. I was originally targeting just after Thanksgiving, but that unfortunately did not happen. Monday was too busy, which left today, because next week is just going to be a chaotic week (yes, I know it in advance). That's a lot of pressure, but I didn't buckle. The tree does not look beautiful, yet my son was very excited to see me working on it.  There was clear joy and happy energy in his eyes and voice, and I felt very pleased

So, I got to see him, as well as spend some time with my family, enjoying a nice dinner there.

All that, and I even remembered to get my son the Hess truck, knowing how those things seem to be very hard to come by in the days before Christmas, for whatever the reason.

Not everyday do I get to feel like I accomplished a lot, and I am old enough to know to appreciate those days when there is sufficient reason to feel so. A nice day, all in all!

Outside of my own life, this was a night for American football, both in the pros, and in college.

Rutgers had a chance to capture their first ever Big East title, as they hosted Louisville. They raced out to a 14-3 lead, which they held at the half, and then seemed to score a touchdown that really would have put their boot on the throat of the Cardinals.

Unfortunately, however, there was a flag on the play, and it was called back. Who knows what would have happened had that been good? But as it were, Louisville came back with a strong touchdown drive, to close within four points. Then, a turnover by Rutgers gave Louisville another chance, and the result was yet another touchdown. Rutgers managed to tie it up in the fourth with a field goal, but the Cardinals managed to get into field goal position themselves very late in the fourth quarter, with very little time left, inside the two minute warning. Rutgers drove and seemed to have a chance, but after miscommunication between the quarterback and the receiver, the result was an interception that ended the drive, and Rutgers hopes along with it, and iced the game for Louisville, who now qualified for the BCS.

Rutgers, who have been in the Big East since it was first created (the only team that can claim that, for that matter), will have one more chance to win the division, although this really had been a golden opportunity for them. They will now head towards another bowl game, but this one meaning significantly less. Rutgers will get a share of the Big East title, and most likely are headed to the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando. The Cardinals, in the meantime, are heading to a much more prestigious and famous bowl, either the Orange Bowl or the Sugar Bowl. A missed opportunity for Rutgers, for sure.

Otherwise, in the NFL, after a boring Monday Night Football game between two of the worst teams in the league (the visiting Panthers managed to defeat the hosting Philadelphia Eagles in a lackluster affair that meant nothing), Thursday Night Football was between two very capable teams that were also bitter division rivals, as well as among the most successful franchises in the league in the last few years, and the stakes were very high.

The New Orleans Saints visited the Atlanta Falcons, and were hoping to follow up on their victory over Atlanta just a few weeks ago, when they handed the Falcons their first (and so far only) loss of the season. They had climbed back to .500 after a surprising 0-4 start that threatened their season, but after a bad defeat at home against the 49ers, the Saints were hoping to get back on the winning track.In the meantime, the Falcons were hoping to be able to wrap things up within the division, and take one step closer to home field advantage, and that's exactly what they did.

Atlanta was effective on offense and defense, ending Drew Brees's record streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 54, and grabbing 5 interceptions. They raced out to a 17-0 lead, and held on to win, 23-13.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

At least it is here in New Jersey, after a snowstorm that made a lot of news. It was not actually all that much snow, or anything. Just enough, really, to lay a comfortable coat of snow on the grounds, and slow down traffic a bit.

I know it's not yet December, and we're still almost a month away still from the start of winter officially, with the Winter solstice. Still, there is that feel in the air now. It is, after all, past Thanksgiving, and those shopping "holidays" that follow that. I tend to avoid those, but I just remembered that I need to stop at the Hess station in order to pick up the Hess truck for my son, which has kind of become a holiday tradition of sorts. He has apparently already been asking for it. 

Also, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was lit up last night. I must be getting old, because I remember when it was a big thing just for it to get lit up on it's own. Now, they have a concert that is televised nationally, I believe, and it is billed up as a bigger deal than ever. I have never actually been to one of those tree lighting ceremonies, but have seen the tree all lit up. Perhaps that would be something to do with my son this year, as well. 

Although it is on a much smaller scale, my girlfriend and I had put up and decorated the Christmas tree, and it looked really pretty. Sitting there in the living room as the snow fell, I looked at the tree, and thought it all seemed so nice. So, I went over and lit it up.

She tends to decorate the apartment rather elaborately for Christmas, really having the spirit.  She also tends to decorate the place early - a week before Thanksgiving, in this case, and only largely because I did not allow her to do t even earlier than that.

So, as I write this as the moment, the apartment is well decorated and in full Christmas mode, and there is snow on the ground, and the temperatures at the moment are cold.

It is, indeed, beginning to look, and feel, a lot like Christmas. Also, I am maintaining my annual Christmas tradition of getting some gifts ridiculously early, and then largely forgetting about it, then falling ridiculously behind, thus needing to rush out in the days and hours before Christmas.

Sigh.

In any case, the holiday season tends to be a mixed bag for a lot of people. I think that I can sympathize with both sides. There is a special feel often times leading up to the holidays. A certain charm, and a pleasant feel overall. It just feels nice, and the decorations can indeed be quite pretty.

On the other hand, it is so over-commercialized and hyped up, that it is hard to dismiss the moneymaking machinery grinding and hard at work. The stress of getting presents for everyone, the stress perhaps of having to deal with family (again, for those of us living in the United States, who had to do so recently, during Thanksgiving), the end of an old year and seeing yet another year race by and reminding us of how old we might be getting, and the beginning of a new year. 

Still, I want to remember the more pleasant aspects, and having a child who talks eagerly about it all kind of helps with that. My son, like any child would, wants to know what he is getting for Christmas. He wants a lot of gifts, cool toys to play with. His childish enthusiasm will last a few more years, and I want to enjoy it while it is here. That is no small part of the magic of Christmas, and let him enjoy it! I had my turn, and can relive those old memories of mine through his enthusiasm, although I am now on the other side of it all, the adult side.

True, some people really tend to view the negatives over the positives, and I can understand this. Not being particularly religious, I still enjoy the spirit behind the holiday tradition, although this is often lost in the barrage of focusing on expensive gifts, and radio and television commentaries discussing whether this was a good year or a disappointing one for the retailers. But all it takes for me to get back in the spirit, is to see the enthusiasm in my son's eyes, or the charming scene that Basia has created in decorating the place for the holidays. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, indeed!

Movie Rental Review: Blood Diamond

This movie is not pretty, and deals with downright ugly subject matter. Yet, it is a beautiful movie. It is also a movie that has a wide appeal, because it has many things to offer. It is an intelligent movie that makes a statement on mindless consumerism at all costs, even hidden exploitation and corruption on a massive scale, and it virtually documents the specifics on the diamond smuggling trade. But it is also an action movie on many levels, leaving you on the edge of your seat with suspense. Still more, it tells the story of the imbalance between the third world and the first world, specifically Africa in this case, and shows how the violence that far too much of Africa cannot seem to escape seems to be recycled, year after year, decade after decade, expertly hinting at the history of the birth of this kind of exploitation and violence colonial rule.

This movie, if it were a Shakespeare play, would be a tragedy, both because of the human conditions that it illustrates, as well as for the incomplete romance that never quite seems to get off the ground, between the drug smuggler Danny Archer, a Rhodesian born virtual mercenary, and Maddy Bowen, an American journalist covering Sierra Leone, where this movie is supposed to take place. Danny is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, while Maddy is played by Jennifer Connelly. They both do an unbelievable job in their roles.

It focuses on the illegal diamond smuggling business, which rakes in huge profits year in and year out, and the violence which this trade tends to precipitate all over Africa.

****Spoiler Alert****

A local fisherman, Solomon Vandy (played very capably by Djimon Hounsou), is doing his best to survive, and hopes especially to provide a better future for his son. It is a modest living, and by western standards, the Vandy family is poor, living in huts, and without means of transportation, or electricity. Yet, they seem to be happy enough.

But all of that changes when their village is raided by a local warlord with his army of captured children, who terrorize without reservation or apparent humanity. They rape and murder, and capture those who may be deemed useful, such as Solomon Vandy, who is obviously a physical specimen who can work hard for them as a virtual slave, as well as his son, Dia Vandy (played very well by Kagiso Kuypers) ultimately, who will later on be captured, and turned into a child soldier himself, and begins to lose his humanity with the terrible things that he is made to do.

Solomon finds out about the fate of his boy later on, and he never loses faith in his boy. He goes to all lengths to save him, his belief never wavering. But before all of this, he has his own adventure, when he finds a very valuable diamond, a pink piece that is truly one of a kind, and worth millions. Rather than simply turning it in, he tries to hide it, but is discovered by Captain Poison (played by David Harewood, who does a convincing job). Yet, it is precisely when Solomon is about to pay the price, when the diamond camp is invaded, and Captain Poison is injured, losing an eye, although he sees Solomon escaping with the diamond, and suspects that he has buried it nearby.

In the meantime, Danny Archer, a diamond smuggler, has gotten into trouble, arrested and brought to prison - the same prison, as it turns out, that Vandy and Captain Poison have been taken to. When the two have a confrontation, Archer witnesses the two men arguing over the pink diamond. Archer is obviously intrigued, and once he is out of jail, he pays Vandy's bail, then tries to get him to reveal the location of the diamond. All this while, a civil war is beginning to erupt in the country, and travel becomes not just difficult, but almost impossible.

Earlier, Danny Archer had approached a very attractive woman, Maddy Bowen, that he saw at a bar (the only white woman there). Archer talks to her a bit, but the smooth talk does not last long. He learns that she is a reporter, trying to get a revealing story, and takes an interest when he has revealed that he is a diamond smuggler. Later on, he uses her name opportunistically, when he needs a vehicle, knowing the press will always have one. He promises her the story that she has been looking for, and tries to convince her to let him use the vehicle in exchange for the story that will break the corrupt illegal diamond trade, and how it works, precisely. She eventually goes along with it.

There is considerable underlying tension between the two, yet there is an undeniable attraction, as well. They both approach one another with caution and suspicion. She accuses him of being guilty, of having blood on his hands, essentially, while he, in turn, accuses her of doing the same thing, profiting off the pain of others, only using words, rather than smuggling diamonds. He forces her to confront the questions surrounding her own presence in the war torn country, and that despite her seemingly noble intentions, what comes out is a form of manipulating a tragedy for her own ends, as well. Secretly, she seems impressed at his ability to turn the tables on her, and confront her with her own self-righteousness. So, there seems this weird, kind of love-hate thing going on between them.

She falls for him, but he is too wrapped up in the blind lust of diamonds to change his ways, although he seems, at points, to seriously consider it, and to truly turn a corner and live an honest life by her side. Ultimately, however, pursuing diamonds and such is too ingrained, and he puts himself in danger in the attempt to find this ultimate of diamonds, which he claims he hopes to finally get him out of Africa for good.

So, he pursues the pink diamond, taking Vandy along with him. They are forced to overcome a lot of dangers and treacherous terrain, and at one point, are actively pursued by some rebel troops. However, they survive, and make it to the village where the diamond camp is located. The only thing is that it is now occupied by the rebels, and Vandy, who has been searching for his son all of this time, sneaks off to the village, against the orders of Archer to stay away. Vandy finds his son, but he is unrecognizable, having been dehumanized and brainwashed to the point that he hardly seems to understand the meaning behind this sudden and surprising reunion with his father. This almost costs Solomon Vandy his life, but it is precisely then that the helicopter attack that Archer has ordered comes in, and this ultimately saves Vandy.

Yet, the danger is not over yet. Having sent in the coordinates to his former fighting unit (which is also a big part of the diamond smuggling business), the group decides to attack, regardless of who might be down there, including Archer and Vandy. They want the diamond, and Archer understands this. They force Solomon to take them to location of the diamond, and dig for it. But Archer, sensing that this unit intends to kill both Vandy and himself, launches a surprise attack on his own, and it succeeds. He and Vandy, and his son, make their escape, although they are being pursued.

But in the process, Archer discovers that he has been shot, and apparently, it is a serious wound. It does not take him long to understand that it amounts to a fatal wound, at least out here in the bush. So, he does something entirely out of character by giving the diamond back to Solomon Tandy, and making him promise to use the riches he will get from it on his son, on giving his son the chance at improving himself. Tandy agrees, and this seems to suggest that Archer has, indeed, become a new person - although it comes right at the very end, in the last few minutes of his life.

Archer's last acts are to take the biggest gun that he still has, and to hold off those armed smugglers who are after the diamond, and then, once he has been given a few minutes of relative peace, to call Maddy. The call takes her by surprise, as she is dining with friends by the waterfront in Cape Town. It is quickly revealed to her that he is seriously injured, and before too long, she understands that this is his last conversation, that he is sharing his last words with her. He has given her all of the information that she needs for a huge story that will have enormous implications, perhaps even endangering a specific firm's previously secretive involvement in the diamond smuggling business by blowing it wide open. The shady corporation ends up doing exactly as Archer has predicted, by purchasing the diamond, and then keeping it locked in a subterranean vault, just one of many diamonds being held from the public, in order to artificially keep the prices of diamonds very high. Maddy helps Vandy make the deal and get his family back, and then Vandy, in turn, uses his voice, which has up to this point been silent, in order to expose the realities of life in Sierra Leone, and the tragedy behind the illegal diamond smuggling trade that has, in effect, taken his nation hostage.

The movie is thought-provoking, to say the least. It really makes you wonder just what is behind our purchases, and not just diamonds. In this world of not only abusive diamond mining and hunting, but exploitation on mass scales and sweatshops and child labor and such, where well over one billion people live in dire poverty, how many of our everyday products that we consume are actually the product of immense suffering? Those awesome sneakers that you just got, perhaps, or the shirt that you just bought at Walmart. Or, of course, that expensive diamond ring that you just took out a line of credit to get, and which you cannot really afford, in order to ask your girlfriend for her hand in marriage - most likely with a very expensive and elaborate wedding which neither of you can really afford, for that matter.
How much of the world suffers, so that we can live our lives of comfort, even luxury?

Some people will dismiss such questions by arguing that this is how things have always worked. But the world has changed rapidly, and continues to change at an unbelievable pace. True, the quickest changes with the most impact these days seem to be on the technological end, but there have been political changes, as well. I mean, I'm not that old, yet there have been some unbelievable political changes in my own lifetime, when you sit and think about it. Look at how many dictatorships there were three decades ago in Latin America, compared with now. Look at how Pinochet was so relentlessly pursued by those looking for justice. Look at how relentlessly some pursue major war criminals in the present day, from aging Nazis (there seem to only be a handful of these cases remaining, since these events were long ago now, these days), or suspected war criminals in the former Yugoslavia, of in some African nations, such as in Liberia, where former President Charles Taylor became the first head of state convicted of war crimes. We can remember the sweeping changes that overtook whole regions and gave the possibility of new freedom where, before, there had been none. Look at the exciting winds of change in eastern Europe in 1989, or the Arab Spring in 2011.

Or, even here, in the United States specifically, or in the West more generally, where some surely still fear the embers from the seemingly extinguished "Occupy" movements that swept through the nation (and indeed, the world - check it out for yourselves if you need proof) threaten to reignite at any given moment, with revelations of yet one more outrageous abuse of "the system" that, until recently, most people either accepted without question, or sighed and looked the other way, whenever it was revealed that it perhaps actually did not work to their advantage.

So, despite the reputation that some have given me for being a cynic, I want to remain an optimist on this front, because change is possible. Moreover, it is necessary. The way things are going, we simply cannot survive the world going on as it has for so long now, with business as usual. We cannot allow it, because with a growing population competing for reduced resources in a shrinking world, such a system that "has always been like that" simply is no longer possible. The stakes are just too high now. How much longer will we allow such exploitation to literally define us, our maps, and our lifestyles?

The answers surely are not in a movie like this, of course. Yet, this movie helps to raise awareness, and perhaps will get people to think about these issues, and begin to ask questions. That is what the fictional Maddy, the reporter, was trying to do. The best way for changes, positive changes, to be ushered in, is for people to no longer accept the present reality unquestioningly, but to begin to ask questions, and to examine for themselves if a better way, and a better world, is possible.