Yes! Victory for Democracy in Ukraine

Yahoo News has reported that Victor Yanukovich has resigned his position as prime minister and at least will grudgingly accept the will of the Ukrainian people, allowing for the potential of a relatively peaceful handover of power in this gateway nation

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20041231/ap_on_re_eu/ukraine_election

Victory for Democracy in Ukraine?

After the Ukrainian Supreme Court ordered a new election, Victor Yushchenko was elected by a 52% to 44% margin in what was described by election monitors as a vote devoid of any widespread problems. However, the Russian backed incumbent, Victor Yanukovich, has refused to turn power over to the opposition, citing widespread electoral fraud despite the monitors' support of the outcome as legitimate. Yushchenko and his supporters have organized a blockade of the nation's parliament until power is turned over, while Yanukovich and his backers are appealing the outcome to the Supreme Court, while making inflamatory comments about holding on to power. Somewhere, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Leonid Kuchma are fiddling...

http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3493385

A Wall of Death

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Southeast Asia, and to any nation and family that lost a loved one as a result of the tsunami. My hope is that the effects of such a tragedy can be minimized in the future by improvements in the warning system created by the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC). My family is planning on making a donation to the International Red Cross and/or the Catholic Relief Fund, specifically earmarked for tsunami relief, and I urge anyone with the means to do the same.

God bless the souls lost in the waves; may angels carry them to paradise.


Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower,
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

- Robert Frost

Happy Birthday!

Today is my first-born's 5th birthday, and I just wanted to acknowledge how lucky I am to have such a smart, sweet, caring and fun daughter. Hope your birthday is as incredible as you are, Baby Goose!

No News -- Is Worrisome?

Since the re-signing of Nomar Garciaparra, the Cubs have been fairly silent. They seem to be shopping Sosa around baseball, but it seems like little else has been the subject of hot stove league discussions -- particularly any move for a closer or Carlos Beltran. Jim Hendry seems to be a guy who says very little, but then strikes with a good move. If good things come to those who wait, here's hoping that remains true for Cubs fans.

Russian History, Politics

With a B.A. in international studies with a concentration on Russia and Eastern Europe, I'm a little biased when it comes to the history, politics and current events of Russia, but I digress. Russia has a rich, mysterious and contradictory history and culture, particularly when viewed through an American lens. There is much more to Russia than vodka, the Cold War, tsars and communism, although each plays an important role. As the "doorway" to Asia, Russia sits uniquely, with borders stretching from Europe to Asia, and people that are as diverse and complex as the land itself. Politically speaking, even with the breakup of the Soviet Union, the West can only ignore Russia at its own risk. Bucknell has a website that can really get you moving if Russia piques your interest...

http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/russian/history.html

Will in the World

You either love or hate Shakespeare. I'm in the love him camp, and have been since I first read Julius Caesar in high school. Quite simply, there's been few playwrights with his sustained genius, and few greater writers. His way with a word, a well placed phrase, is sheer genius, and there's something for everyone in his plays -- love, loss, war, peace, the spiritual, the comedic, etc. I can't claim to have read all of his plays, but I'm close. Once you understand ebb and flow of his writing, it's hard to go back... MIT's got all of his plays on-line...

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html

Merry Christmas From The Walrus, U2

Two of the greatest contemporary Christmas songs:

Happy Christmas (War is Over) -- John Lennon

http://www.legend-johnlennon.com/

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) -- U2

http://veryspecial.org/album1/index.html

Weis to Irish

If the reports are true, I don't see how Charlie Weis is a clear upgrade to the Irish's football program. While he is a great offensive coordinator, he has zero head coaching experience, at any level. He has also has limited recruiting experience, which coupled with the possibility he may not take the job until the Patriots' playoff run is done, could adversely impact ND's recruiting, which hit a serious low point for the program last year. The other issue is Weis' 6 year contract -- if he doesn't perform, how long will he be given? Three years, five years, less time? Anything more than three years and Willingham's background as Notre Dame's first African-American likely becomes a story again. The other very interesting side to this story is the fact that at least one member of the board of trustees, outgoing university president Rev. Molloy wanted Buffalo offensive cooridnator Tom Clements to coach. This situation just keeps getting more interesting as a sports fan...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/printedition/chi-0412120254dec12,1,3883875.story?coll=chi-printsports-hed

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/printedition/chi-0412120255dec12,1,4277092.story?coll=chi-printsports-hed

Plot Thickens in Ukraine

Not only is there electoral fraud prompting a new vote on December 26, but opposition candidate for president Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned by dioxin, the active ingredient in Agent Orange, the notorious defoliant used in Viet Nam to clear away jungle. Ukraine's prosecutor general has opened an investigation, but all signs at this point seem to point to a murder attempt...

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/12/11/yushchenko.austria/index.html

(Don't) Start Me Up

Let me begin by saying I like the Stones. However, their last classic album, in my opinion, was 1972's Exile on Main Street. Which is not to say they've been irrelevant since 1972, but rather that they left their best work behind them at that point. Listening to the last two decades worth of new Stones music is like watching Michael Jordan play as a Wizard. Unfortunately, as noted below, Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie aren't content to go quietly into that good night...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041210/music_nm/music_stones_dc_2

Comedy That Goes Great on a Polish Sausage

Onions, of course. Or in this case The Onion. If you've ever felt like some quality time-wasting (an oxymoron?) this is the place. They skewer anything and anybody and political correctness is merely a rumor here. Some of the parodies can cross the line, but I've never had an issue without at least two gut-busting articles. If more sophisticated columnists are your game, check out the archives for Jim Anchower, Smoove B or Jean Teasdale.

http://www.theonion.com/index.php?pre=1

More Trouble For the Irish

ESPN is reporting that Notre Dame President Fr. Edward Malloy has broken ranks with other members of the "committee" that fired Ty Willingham. Time to do a little soul-searching, it seems.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1941810

Nomah Stays A Cub!

Christmas comes a bit early to Chicago -- Nomar just inked a one-year deal to try and get the Cubs back to the big show.

http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/7974129

A Thoughtful Essay in Support of International Multilateralism

Foreign Affairs has a thought-provoking article on the erosion of U.S. legitimacy in foreign policy in the eyes of the world (particularly as a result of the Iraq invasion). While I don't believe the thesis is entirely accurate (it seems to go too far toward embracing multi-lateralism at the expense of preventing threats against the U.S. in event we have real evidence of an imminent military or terrorist threat; it is also somewhat unsatisfying when it comes to action in the event of a real threat (or in progress act) of genocide), it nonetheless makes a number of salient arguments against the go-it-aloneness of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20041101faessay83603-p40/robert-w-tucker-david-c-hendrickson/the-sources-of-american-legitimacy.html

Roids in Baseball

Do the Giambi/Bonds "revelations" really surprise anyone who follows baseball? With Bonds in particular, we're talking about a guy who's career numbers skyrocketed after age 35, a time when most hitters are slowing down. How many other numbers may be tainted? Guys like McGwire and Sosa are immediately suspect, but what's really disconcerting is the fact that a player like Armando Rios was implicated; suggesting that even the mediocre players are hepped up on supplements.

The arguments that steroids don't impact statistics are ludicrous -- while steroids certainly haven't been shown to improve or affect hand/eye coordination, which is critical to hitting a baseball, the drug absolutely has an impact on recovery time and stamina, which over the grind of a 162 game season will catch up with a player and contribute to slumps and problems with hitting. The bottom line is that any competitive advantage that is not sanctioned by the sport cheapens the record. Say it ain't so Barry...

The More Things Change...

What's a little election fraud when you hail from Chicago? Ukraine seems to have it down to a science, judging by their presidential election. The development to watch is any ties that Russia may have to the actual fraud. Russia has long viewed Ukraine as a province of Russia, while failing to view the population as citizens. It won't surprise me if before its all over, Russia's state police or security apparatus had some part to play in the apparent fraud...

http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3466790