RESTREPO WINS

It won Sundance, Little Rock Film Festival, National Board of Review, Phoenix Film Critics Society, and just to be nominated not only for an Academy Award, but for many other awards is nothing short of breathtaking. Delivered with heart from the men who lived, laughed, fought and died in the Korengal Valley. RESTREPO was embraced by those who love for the soldiers is unwavering. They accept that circumstances so overpowering might overtake the person they love, but does not vanquish their soul and with hard work, hope and encouragement, they will arise again.

The film won over the hearts of minds of legions --often regardless of how one felt about the war. It was carried by friends and fanily to theaters in large cities and small towns. The film is a fitting tribute to those who continue to fight and to their families.
Please watch, my wrap up on the Oscars.

The Final Project: RESTREPO in 3 Words

We've done our best, and all of us in the military community are feeling how much of our heart and soul went into promoting a small war documentary. There's not much more we can do. We've pounded on theater doors, hawked it via Facebook, and Twitter. Told all our friends. We hope that others will see what we do when we look at our warriors: someone to love.

And so here we are, the day before the Oscars.
Aron Hijar and Misha Pemble-Belkin are readying to go to the ceremony. Yesterday, Aron was going to pick up his tux.
How far this all must seem from the Korengal.
How grateful we are to all those who have served.

We have learned so much: war is complicated, as is peace. A conversation about peace is less meaningful unless one can have a reasonable discourse about the circumstances of war. We know that the war machine is in fact very human. In the bigger sense, we who have friends and family are part of the war machine. There's no escaping this fact, no apologizing for it, and no denying that we're a necessary component. All those who experience war, make the machine human. We give it a soul, and hopefully, we make people think a bit deeper in every dimension.

TAKE PART IN THIS PROJECT
Click the above link to see!

I'm inviting people to take part in a little project.
ABC News asked each of the Oscar Nominees to come up with three words about this experience.
Think of three words around the experience of RESTREPO and the thoughts it evokes for you. Write them down on a piece of paper. Then take a photo of yourself with the words and send it to me via Facebook, or post it to my page. Then post it to the RESTREPO Facebook page as well on Sunday night.

Win or lose, RESTREPO will always be something we know we did our best with. Through it, we reaffirmed our love for those who serve, and we also found a new source of family. Family? Love? Respect? Understanding? It's clear that whatever the outcome, what we have gained is huge, and the lasting impact of this film will be forever significant.

I'll be here at the house with the Hijar and Rueda families. I don't have the biggest TV, but there's food and plenty of heart. We'll be on Facebook.
Here are four contributors:
John Coffey, Georgia, US Navy Veteran; Paul Zipes, Florida, US Navy Veteran; Susan Carroll-Gibbons, New York, Blue Star Grandmother, and me here in California.

When People Do Stupid Things: Teacher Gets Suspended For Biting Her Students

Last week, Bucks County PA teacher Natalie Munroe was suspended from her job as a high school teacher amid a sea of teenage hormone-dom. Her crime? Writing what she really thinks of her students on her public blog. None of it was very original, and she sounded like an unhappy teenager herself. But someone got hold of it, posted on facebook, and Munroe was sunk. Not only by parents, but most especially students. Seems Munroe wasn't very liked.

In reading through her cached posts (she tried to delete the blog, to no avail), what strikes me is she isn't witty, self effacing, and fails at irony or sarcasm. Perhaps she could have taken a cue from Oscar Wilde:

If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
-Oscar Wilde

In addition, be a teacher who goes the extra mile for her students; be the doctor who helps the patients and his family understand his condition; be the lawyers who win cases for their clients. Those are the types of professionals who can be blunt with their clients and charges because they're respected. The people they represent know the person they've hired has their best interests at heart.

Now, Munroe is going on radio shows trying to raise the banner for teachers saying they suffer because parents and kids have too much power.

Before I get the chorus of, "But you don't know what it's like to stand in front of a bunch of hormonal teenagers and teach six classes a day!" This isn't to say that some of these kids aren't going to inspire such thoughts as Munroe's, or that their parents aren't total jackwagons. But this is the job she signed up for: to teach on a hormonal terrain with parents who will defend their young as part of the landscape. No one drafted her into this, it wasn't forced labor. Like other teachers, Munroe gets a paycheck every two weeks and a pretty powerful teacher's union.

The truth is, she blew it by letting her feelings of disdain boil over. I liken it to a doctor who makes fun of her patients, a lawyer who castigates his clients, a publicist who takes out an add in Variety ridiculing the movie star they are hired to promote, a General with a staff that makes fun of his boss, the President. The only one with power or control of the situation is Munroe, and she has to decide if she really wants to continue as a teacher. And that's going to require her being blunt with herself. While it is easy to criticize others, sometimes being honest about your own needs is less so. But instead, she's decided to use fun house mirrors and deflect her unprofessional conduct by blaming parents and students.

Munroe: “I hear the trash company is hiring…”
Student in response: “As a former student of yours, I am so happy to see you mess up this bad. I pray and hope you get fired for this. The reason that you encounter any of these problems is because you are simply the most hated teacher in the school…I hope that you never return from maternity leave, things do not get better, and that you enjoy working for your local trash company.”
Student: “You have cheated, screwed and under-cut every single one of your students this year. And I speak for everyone when I say you were a douche to all of your students in class and made no effort to help any of us achieve our academic goals. Maybe you should learn to teach and be compassionate with your students. Respect goes a long way, and the only way people will respect you is if you respect them (too late). Have a nice life. Good luck with the inner-city shithole they call a school in philly.”

Munroe as a ring leader for other teachers is a preposterous thought. There are many other fine examples of people who garner respect because they produce results.

Book Review: Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson

It's time for a videoblog. This time I'm giving a quick book review. Greg Mortenson has written a follow up to his runaway best seller, Three Cups of Tea. Both are important books, as they teach readers about the enormous difficulties facing women and girls in a region that has carried abuses and degradation against them in the name of religion.

Deployment: Let There Be Dust

We all have ways of handling our spouse's deployments. Mostly they're about coming up with some sort of routine: grappling with raising kids alone, going to visit good friends, burying into books, rapaciously following the news, seeking spiritual guidance at church, deciding to lose weight, going to school, logging into Skype each night, hoping the green light flips on by the beloved's name. Everyone I know tries to avoid looking tragic. I've joked with others about remembering to get dressed up everyday, and making sure our hair is washed and we're showered.

My way involves noise, money, and inconvenience. No, I'm not writing about my well-Facebook reported root canals or replacement of crowns --I certainly hope that was one-shot deal. Though must admit, dental and endodontistry involves the three qualities above, it also entails pain. There is also the sullen sadness that it cost the equivalent of 3 tickets to Europe plus hotels better than hostels, bringing me to the conclusion that my trip is all in my mouth. Both the dentist and endodontist should adopt and feed me, offer to take the kids and I to Europe.

My modus operandi didn't become apparent until comparing it with what I had done the last time. I understand now, this is my lunacy. It involves painters, contractors and tilers. People who create mass confusion in a cloud of dust and the piercing sound of power tools, coupled with whatever hip hop is blaring out of a boom box. Last week, the house was blasted with water, spraying bits of old paint and flecks of spackle across the neighborhood. The house is respectable looking now --the green trim glossy and smooth, the white no longer dingy and sad. I hired a team of three men, who spoke English as a common ground --one Guatemalan, two Koreans (a father & son). They were lightening fast, and at the end of it I was appreciative that they were clean and tidy.

So today, it was a bit too quiet. No longer did I have Mr. Kim or Mr. Kim and their assistant José outside my windows. The kitchen is the same one circa 1938. It is worn down by countless meals cooked in it, the tiles no longer cleanable, the grout missing, the cast iron sink flaking and the cupboards in desperate need of painting. And so I called my friend Bill, and asked him to come by.

Bill is one of those individuals who is noise personified, though not objectionable clamour. He is activity, and that's what I like to make the time go faster. After sitting with him, and listening to him exclaim about how great RESTREPO was, and watching him flip through Tim's book Infidel, we came up with a plan for this kitchen. It'll stay the same, but soon, new identical doors will be milled for the cupboards (the boxes are staying), French tiles will replace the worn ones, and there will be a new kitchen sink. Bill pointed out there is no shut off for the kitchen faucet.
"How do you turn it off?" he asked.
"Outside," I said. "We have to shut off the water for the entire house."
"You have electrical under here too?" he asked incredulously, when he saw the switch beneath the cabinet to turn on the waste disposal.
"Came that way," I said.

So an agreement was made. Soon there will be Bill, a tile crew and Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim and Jose´will be back to paint. The bare plaster that I had gotten used to after a flooding disaster six years ago will be painted a yet-to-be determined shade. The process will be noisy, inconvenient, and cost money. There will be dust. Hopefully, there will be no pain. But this is my way of making the time pass quicker. I suppose it's major re-nesting, or as I like to think of it, making it nicer for when he comes back. And all the while, I'll be lining up work of my own in March.

As if I had to tell you, yes, the Hubs is back over.

Contracting Done Right: Tim Lynch

Naw Zad marketplace, photo by Tim Lynch, Free Range International

Of our friend Tim Lynch, I can only say that his actions match his words. His passion for the people of Afghanistan has kept him there despite the danger, doing critical work of building infrastructure that make villages function better. The former Marine, now contractor, turns everyone's heads when he posts his latest observations on everything from tribal relations, military strategy, wiring Jalalabad with WiFi, getting work done where other larger bureaucracies stumble, and pecan pie.

His post Naw Zad is no exception, and you should read it.
An excerpt:

"I just did something today which would have been suicidal 10 months ago. My colleague Little Mac and I, in the company of a Marine tank officer and Naval surface warfare officer (he’s a fires guy by trade) just strolled around the town of Naw Zad with no body armor, no helmets, no riflemen escorting us, munching on local bread and handing out candy to the kids. We are safer here than we would be in downtown Kabul."

Protestors in our backyard: The Mission must match all decisions

Man. Some organizations just do things the hard way. They do things in such a hard way, that everyone questions their authentic intent. Yesterday, there was a protest in Yorba Linda over an eight-month old Muslim organization called the Islamic Circle of North America coming to town. They were there to raise funds for the homeless and indigent.
Apparently the two speakers were:

Imam Siraj Wahhaj and Amir Abdel Malik Ali. Wahhaj is an imam at a mosque in Brooklyn. A U.S. attorney named him and 169 others as co-conspirators in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Wahhaj was never charged and has denied involvement. Malik Ali is a Bay Area Islamic activist who spoke at "Israeli Apartheid Week" at UC Irvine in 2010. There he said he supports Hezbollah, which the CIA labels a terrorist group.

The parent organization, Islamic Circle of North America, a humanitarian-based groups claims:

ICNA spokesman Syed Waqas said the protesters "should know the facts. We have no links to any overseas organization. We absolutely denounce violence and terrorism."

If ICNA Relief is about providing food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, burial assistance to the indigent, then why choose two men who are controversial --especially in an area known to be conservative? And why not fortify existing community organizations (many of them interfaith-based) who have already been quietly working for decades on the same issues with cold hard cash?

Why not invite Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy? The former Naval Officer so outraged Islamic extremism he started an organization? He even penned this: Why Muslims Must Look In The Mirror.

Are they for real? That's the question that comes up to even the most casual bypasser when presented with a maneuver such as theirs.

The Gratitude Post: Changes. Reaching beyond the virtual world.

The gratitude post is one of my favorites of the week.
As Egypt made a major shift, the world watched. I'm grateful even when I find myself not understanding the deeper picture, I can come back to my center and just be grateful, I'm here as a witness.

Change is constant. The world changes, and so does our life. Circumstances, kids growing into teens, and then into adults. Learning to discern what is essential and what is not, is also a sign of change. For the past few months, I've been clearing the house of junk. Stuff that I thought I needed, but hadn't used in a long time. So every week, there's one load in the car that's taken to the Goodwill. In so many ways, the getting rid of stuff is symbolic of change. Not just letting go, but an internal change of some higher order. I'm being more attentive to my soul, and also the positive energy forces out there that are so enriching. But the clutter both in a tactile sense, and an emotional one, has to be cleared away in order to sense it.

This week, I decided that all this blogging, internet, Facebook is busy time. The more you do, the more you do. It doesn't leave one sated. You just do more. And while it is undeniable that it is necessary, one has to be careful because it can also block off the chance to cultivate one's soul. I miss the days spent in the garden, other times when I'd paint the interior of the house. I miss reading books, and most of all --I miss the face to face conversations that people used to have with one another so easily.

What has all this busyness done? Why must so much be Googled each day, and how much of it is truly life sustaining, or even a reconfirmation of our true self?
I ask myself, because in all seriousness, I see entire communities having slipped into this illusion that busyness is competency, that it is contentment. People are missing the small nuances of life that can be found right out of our door.

Like the hummingbird in the Mexican salvia plants, or the roses that are already blooming in this freakishly hot weather.
I've declared Sundays as no internet day, and Mondays-Saturdays as times when the internet will be used --but with some deliberateness. And yes --recreation is being planned. I'm mindful that if I just think it will happen --it never will. Museums, parks, walks. Listening to music. Having a conversation. Playing a game. It is amazing how we forget to play. Anything that gets us out of the house. But not shopping. That's just more busyness that ends up creating stress.
There is so much life to partake in, so much goodness within our reach. I'm grateful to be able to change.
Happy Sunday!

Our Lives Are Richer Than A TV Series

Recently, I was asked if I watched the television series, "Army Wives."
I don't think it was total ego that drove this screenwriter/producer to ask me if I watched TV. Rather, it just never dawned on him that anyone would watch so little TV.
I told the person that I don't. They wanted to know why. "But aren't you interested to see what they're saying?"
As if there were some very deep philosophical content that I wasn't getting in my day-to-day life.
There's a very rich community of real life military spouses (because there are men married to those who serve as well) for most us to partake in either online, or in real life. We do so every day. It's so rich, and so supportive that I don't miss the television series. They're funny, some can be obscene, they'll break your heart. They're articulate, quirky, picky, but most of all they understand that there's more to life than just being defined by our spouses choice of profession. I read about their cats, they call me with stories about their kids. I follow them as they go through hoops to get a job. I try their gluten-free recipes.

Would the person have asked if I watched "Doctors Wives?" Would he have understood that my husband routinely didn't watch ER because he felt it was --well, a bit too much like going to work? And does he know he always had House's patient case figured out five minutes into the show?

I make time for stuff like Downton Abbey, or stuff on Nat Geo or Frontline if I watch TV at all. I like to watch documentaries on Netflix, but scarce is the one that can keep my attention for the whole film. But to watch a Dramarama play out on screen, when I know the real life has so much more texture?
I'm appreciative of the origins of Army Wives, and also that they give a lot of care to the show. But that's stuff that should probably be watched by civilians who have no inkling of what happens in the life of an Army wife.

Jeff Rupp, Teacher, Vietnam Veteran

Jeff Rupp, one of the most beloved teachers in Fullerton CA, died this afternoon. He succumbed to massive injuries sustained after a calamitous motorcycle accident in January.

A Vietnam veteran, Rupp became a passionate teacher of history, and human geography. His reach was wide, and he taught an array of students.

In 2002, some high school students were feeling the first seeds of protest. One girl, made up a pro-peace t-shirt. The kind of thing you'd find in Berkeley. It ignited a fury of discussion at the high school. As reported in the L.A. Times:

"They are using their heads," said Rupp, who also has been wearing the T-shirt -- not so much to protest war, he said, but to support Caitlin's efforts to initiate discussion.

A Vietnam War veteran, Rupp said he has been criticized by teachers opposed to the T-shirts. They, like the students, are "entitled to their opinions," he said.

And that's why they loved him. Donations continue to be raised for Jeff Rupp's favorite cause, Pennies For Peace, a part of Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute. Well known to regular readers of this blog, schools have been built by them in Pakistan and Afghanistan for over twenty years (that's pre-COIN). Building schools and providing an education is a favorite cause of many active duty military service members and veterans, including my own family --whose husband is doing the finest work of his career as a surgeon in the hardest hit regions of Afghanistan. And the kids and I have sent over so many boxes of school supplies, we quit keeping count. My big regret is that I never got to know Mr. Rupp so we could share this commonality.

My thanks to our good friends Tony Bushala, Jill Lichtenstadter, Leta Carruth, and Ronnie and Myra Duvall for donating earlier in his honor. Services are pending.

Responding to LiveLeaks: Creating A More Nuanced Picture Of War

There's a video shot by a French videographer circling around right now. The videographer is embedded with American soldiers. The soldier steps on a landmine, suffers serious injuries, and the events unfold in front of the camera.

It's unknown to me, whether or not the French videographer working for LiveLeaks bothered to get permission from the soldier or his family to air this tape. But for their sake, I will hope the videographer extended this consideration. From my recollection with the film, Restrepo, the Army makes this one of the conditions. But that's for them to figure out. Not the topic of this post.

Many people are circulating this around, not quite sure what to say. Because of this, they relegate themselves to taking the role of voyeur. Watch it, then keep on walking. One well known, but not very respected and self-disavowed journalist has done this, taking the point of view of a gawker. But it's not just: "Wow, look what happened, omigod. People have to know what's going on. Quick let me share this, make it go viral."

This footage is one of the many realities of war. It's the risk one takes when working to clear, secure and hold in an area where the enemy can be difficult to detect. It shows the danger for both the soldiers and the locals. Just walking about is fraught can be met with tragedy. This landmine was in a place that had been walked past earlier, but for some reason, this soldier hit it spot on. It can be hard to find them. There's the immediate horror of what has happened, the realization that his life is in balance. This explosion hasn't just changed his life, but everyone involved.

The quick response of the soldiers in a time of extreme duress points to the fact they are well-trained professionals. They work as a well-oiled machine. From the time it happened to the time they started by applying the tourniquets was probably less than a minute. The tension felt by the entire crew was personified in the one soldier who was cursing and screaming. His wasn't an individual response, it was what everyone was feeling at the time --the desperation that a brother had been hit, the realization that their worst fears had materialized. Think of his response as the release of energy for the entire group.

The video shows the Medevac. What it doesn't show you is the rest of the story, which includes FSTs, a CSH, Landstuhl, Walter Reed, and back into this young man's community. This story does not end there --and it's very very important to know this. It goes on to this very day, is projected into the future and how we as a society will either take care or forget them.
And that's how we use it to compose a more complex picture of the events of a war, and start to tear down the old stereotypes about the people who fight in them.

In Boston: There And Back-Again Fundraiser

How about a table of Boston area troop supporters?
Buy them online, and support the area's only veteran's reintegration program using yoga and other forms of healing, and led by a veterans with PTSD. Go online to order your tickets from There And Back -Again.

We Grow, plus a few events coming up in Seattle

First of all some wisdom on this fine winter morning:

No one can be the person they used to be. That's wishful thinking. We can only be --with our baggage, good points, faults and experiences, the person we are now taking one step, one breath at a time doing things that help us grow.

###

Please help spread the word if you know people or are in the Seattle area.
All Events Are Free, and sponsored by The Soldier's Project

Seattle: Upscale Garage Sale and Silent Auction

March 26 9-5

March 27 10-3

Lake City Elks #1800

14540 Bothell Way NE (at 145th & Lake City Way)

Live Music. If you can help or have donations of upscale items contact Randi Jensen, Director 206 719 1894

April 1, 2011 7:30 - 9:00 PM

Seattle: An Evening With Dr. Judith Broder, retired psychiatrist who decided to found The Soldiers Project. "The Psychological Consequences of Combat" Town Hall 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle WA 98101

April 2, 2011 1:30 - 4:30 PM

Valley View Library 17850 Military Road South, SeaTac WA 98188

Seattle: The Soldiers Project Northwest Update Meeting with Dr. Judith Broder, Founder of The Soldiers Project

THE SOLDIERS PROJECT NORTHWEST’S 2ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE

“Providing Mental Health Counseling To The Military: A Call To Action Against Stigma”
Green River Community College Saturday, April 30, 2011 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Check in begins at 8:00 a.m.

Keynote Speaker:
Command Sergeant Major (Ret) Samuel Rhodes - Iraq Veteran, author of “Changing the Military Culture of Silence”

Featured Speakers:
Randi Jensen, MA, LMHC, CCDC, Director, The Soldiers Project NW, author of “Just Because You’re Suicidal Doesn’t Mean You’re Crazy: A New Understanding of Suicidality”

Traumatic Brain Injury Education Specialists Bronwyn Pughe & Charles Madison - Traumatic Brain Injury Program, Madigan Army Medical Center
Registration $65.00 at www.thesoldiersproject.org
6.5 CEU’s (additional fee onsite)
Continental Breakfast and Lunch included (Vegetarian option)
Green River Community College Lindbloom Bldg. 12401 SE 320th St Auburn, WA 98092-3622
For questions, contact: northwest@thesoldiersproject.org Or call 206-719-1894
YOU CAN HELP: The Soldiers Project - How to Help: http://www.thesoldiersproject.org/how-to-help/

It's not a straight path: Grasping the complexities of war

This is just the stuff on one small part of a shelf that I could grab quickly. It's not even counting the books I've given away. There are spouses with rooms full of these books.

"What do you think about Afghanistan?"
It's no different for me than it is for probably most other milspouses. Civilians always ask when I'm minding my own business. They see the blue star pin, or the Army pin, and they want a sound bite about war. Some do it as a lead in so they can offload their own opinions. But our answers aren't that quick.

A lot of military spouses --both men and women, have read large amounts of material about politics, history, culture and war. They figure if they have someone over there, maybe they'd better get some background. One book turns into two, and eventually there are shelves of books. They don't know everything, but they know a lot. They're not experts and they don't pretend to be. They take it very seriously, and for them --even a simple statement like "Support the troops" has a different nuance and depth. They have to balance it with not being too consumed with war and what's on TV, with raising kids, having a career, going to school, making financial decisions, running the house, and creating some peace of mind for themselves.

And so it makes it challenging when someone who is politically charged, who gets their information from sites that only represent a polarized view, comes at us with not so much a question, but more of an accusation. Their opinion may not have been formed by the materials that offer the more complex overview.

Because war is complex, the history is long, and how we feel often appears slightly conflicted. But our opinions have been formed the hard way: by challenging every single assumption we ever had. We emerged smarter, at times a little bruised, but we are strong and keep going.

Tim & Sebastian Field Questions About Restrepo

Last night, Restrepo was screened in Hollywood. It was a swell event, and as usual --a small group of milfolk gathered in the corner. Joining us were a military Dad, a recipient of The Bronze Star, an Iraq war veteran, an active duty Army LTC, and an active duty Captain in the Marines from Camp Pendleton. You could spot Captain Mike when you walked in. He wore all his ribbons and medals, bedazzled the crowd. Had his hat and white gloves. The Marines take no prisoners when it comes to dressing. Whenever military folks gather together, it's always like watching people who haven't seen each other for a very long time. They're excited, and it doesn't matter that they don't know each other. Conversation picks up quickly. Family is family.

Sebastian and Tim answered questions afterward. The questions were incredibly insightful and probing.

Here's a recap of the answers they gave:
Q: "Have you shown this to Congress? Congress needs to see this to understand what's going on."
A: (Sebastian) The Korengal was one experience in a very complex country. They could have taken the cameras to Jalalabad or Kabul, and showed schools being built and roads. They didn't want any political bias in the film, but wanted to capture the experience of the men who fight. The goal was to become emotionally embedded with the platoon, rather than having a voice over narrative that would remove the audience from the action. The film is no more representative of what's going on in the entirety of Afghanistan, as it would be to show someone Detroit and say, "that's America."

Q: "What kind of censorship did you find from the Army?"
A: (Tim) This was their first experience working with American soldiers. Neither Tim nor Sebastian were sure what to expect. There were things they couldn't shoot, like aerial views of the FOBs, if someone was wounded and they showed them, they were to get permission from them before showing it on the screen. But Tim pointed out that this was far, after all, if he got in a traffic accident right outside, he'd want the same courtesy. The answer is none. They weren't censored at all, and even when they showed the Army the final cut and there were aerial shots, no objections were raised. The only time anyone asked Tim to stop rolling was during Rock Avalanche when Sgt. Rougle had died. The soldier later apologized to him for telling him to do this. But Tim understood, and thought it had been good when he had been directed to do this, as his response during that time was to go into auto-mode, and keep filming in order to put distance between himself and the tragedy unfolding.

Q: "Were the soldiers addicted to the camera? Did they perform? Were they impressed that you were from Vanity Fair?
A: (Tim) No. They were busy fighting. Tim left the camera around so the soldiers could pick it up and film. But they couldn't put in some of the stuff they shot because there was no place for it in an "R-rated" film!
A: (Sebastian) As for knowing what Vanity Fair was, the soldiers were told ahead of time that two reporters from Vanity Fair were showing up. They were really excited. When Sebastian showed up, they looked at him with disappointment. "They thought we'd be female reporters. So I spent the first month being a big disappointment in the eyes of the men," said Sebastian.

Q: Is this the film you envisioned before making it?
A: (Sebastian) He never envisioned what the film would be. But in the 20 years of reporting on wars, Sebastian noted that no reporter ever takes notes. So having a camera gave him something new to see the war through. He liked that he could pick it up, start filming, and get to work.

The Bronze Star recipient said that he wished his classmates at university could watch the film, and understand the experience of combat.

One last note: I had the opportunity to thank the actress Connie Stevens for her decades of work with the troops. I was happy to be able to thank her in person. Miss Stevens has a long history of working with the USO.

For more, see this one hour interview followed by a Q&A, filmed last year at the California Club.

Ronald Reagan and California

This article was written for the Chicago Boyz blog, and also Zen Pundit. Both are hosting a Ronald Reagan Roundtable.

Well, there's a lot of hullaballoo about what would have been Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. I can't remember a time when Ronald Reagan wasn't part of the lexicon of California politics, even recollecting the time his face was printed on the DMV handbook. His signature even appeared on my school Report Cards. (Back then the Superintendent, the Principal's sigs were also included).

Ronald Reagan was the sunny transplant from the midwest, the person who was proof that you could invent yourself here in the land of (then) orange trees, mild weather, and movie stars from Marlene Dietrich to Mae West. He was in radio, then movies, the president of SAG, a democrat, a republican, governor, and president. He even had a beautiful wife, and two children who were the kids he created --free thinkers. They even disagree with many of his viewpoints, but frankly, he would not have minded. Reagan was the kind of self styled rugged individualist that most people are comfortable with, one step removed from the suburbs. It was the Hollywood version of a ranch --horse trails, brush to clear, minus the livestock or orchards other ranchers depended on for their livelihood.

Ron Jr. He's got his mother's eyes.

He was part of that golden era that I grew up in, where everything seemed possible. The state universities were very low cost, the schools were at the top of the nation, and the freeways (actually thanks to Gov. Edmund G. Brown), were smooth black lines that wound their way from mountains to desert and over to the Pacific Ocean. When I was growing up, we never asked about anyone's religion, and it never occurred to us to casually pigeonhole anyone as liberal or conservative, democrat or republican. We were (above anything else) Californians --which was pretty damned swell. It is easy to get nostalgic for those days, but to marinate in it for too long, makes it difficult to see the changes he started and the challenges we have ahead.

One of the things he's remembered for most during his time as governor was the closure of mental hospitals. It wasn't only for economic reasons. There was a new classification of medications now available to people with everything from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia. The idea was that medication could control the raging symptoms, patients should be able to return to work or at least --to leading a peaceful life.

It was a theory that turned out to be imperfect and imprecise. To use a ranching metaphor: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Not only did the mental hospitals close, but services critical to long term patient care took a shaking. Social workers, psychiatric clinics, psychological services all became very poor step children as this trend started in on a Federal level in years to come. Mental health casework was added to the list of things that got shifted to the local cops.

Today, as we see more men and women return home from war, there's a need to increase the amount of money we spend on both the state and federal levels to ensure mental health treatment and also enhance a sense of well-being. This isn't limited only to psychotherapy, social work, and psychiatry, but expanded to ensure that our veterans can engage in a variety of therapeutic activities. Yoga, hiking, nature retreats, and the humanities. Even park lands are part of this landscape of wellness. Obviously, the level of awareness must be raised not only to increase and safeguard federal and state mental health offerings, but to encourage private organizations as well. We must be as passionate about their long term needs over the next 50 years, as we are about ...well, for me, small businesses.

We need help returning them to the kind of world that Ronald Reagan personified, but perhaps was a bit too remote to fulfill it. Verdant green hills, a broad expanse of blue sky, and a friendly hand of help and protection when it is needed so that people can stand with others. A place where we we not only clear the brush on our land, but also create a trail for others. Is it a dream, a vision of Hollywood? Perhaps so. But we can only keep trying.

VBlog Day. Healthcare: The Trade We Made

This week, a reporter from the OC Register came by. One of the questions was, "Do you worry more about your husband being in a war than you did when you had your private practice?"

The Gratitude Post: Documentaries Are The Foot Soldiers Of The Film World.

I'm coming to understand that in the world of the Oscars, the documentary is truly the foot soldier of the film world.

This week, I'm grateful for the persistence of documentary makers for staying with the game long enough to get enough footage to tell the stories of either people or issues. There's truth in sacrificing for one's craft, and also for staying with the vision that you're on to something important enough to stick with it. Both Tim and Sebastian put their lives on the line when it came to getting the story of the 2/503 Battle Company in the Korengal. Neither had thought much about making a film that would play in theaters. Instead, they were curious and inspired by the story unfolding in front of them. While the filmmakers could have settled for a single 3-week embed, they went back ten times.

There's a swell article in the NY Times. Melena Ryzik reports in Documentaries Provide Oscar Drama about the five films nominated for an Oscar.

I would guess that all of the filmmakers share a similar trait. They're all tenacious and believe in the story they've discovered to tell. They're made on the thinnest of budgets, oftentimes financed on the filmmakers credit cards, family members, and friends. They also blow aside the popular myth that money is spent freely once they make it into theaters. Lucy Walker, filmmaker and director of "Waste Land" said:

“I called up the British Film Council today,” she said. “We don’t have any money. We didn’t have any food at our premiere. I actually got really upset, because I would’ve brought some. We’re just the poor cousins.”

Which is funny because recently, a soldier and I offered to bring in a keg and a barbecue for an Oscar Party for Restrepo. In addition, filmmaker Josh Fox of "Gasland" said:

...most of the financing for his tour comes from foundations, and none is earmarked for awards-season campaigning. On the road he sometimes sleeps in his car.

The documentaries are well worth seeing. Some may be found on Netflix right now. Unlike the other films and categories, an Academy member must have seen all five films in a theater to vote for Best Documentary.There are also a flurry of screenings in NY and L.A. --ostensibly to give Academy members a chance to see it.

I'm afraid there probably won't be many movie stars at these events. Even for Restrepo. So here's a shot a kind bird put together with at least one movie star, and the other as a reminder of the final scenes in the film.

The Teens Need More Chances To Fail, Evaluate, Recover and Grow

I haven't updated the writing class postings at the Boys & Girls Club Teen Center because I've been learning and observing for the past few weeks. What I've learned is fixable, but it's a situation that will only improve if the directors of the club get a new fix on the value of failure.

For a multitude of reasons, most of the kids in my writing class attend an alternative high school. They seem to do a lot of packet-works. If you do enough, you get a "get out of jail pass" everyday around noon.

Rather than roam the streets until the time the teen center opens up at 3, some of them go to the club to hang out. It's a place they identify with, and their place to roost. But it's what happens next that I find disturbing. The staff confuses helpfulness with usefulness. Bear with me as I explain the difference. Someone might be helpful, but if they don't have certain skill sets, they have limited long term usefulness. These kids have all been identified by the staff as deficient in reading and writing skills. Their usefulness in the outside world is going to be severely limited.

So I walk into the club to get some papers copied, and a few of them are moving boxes and doing chores. Some of them even know the paperwork trail and policies of the club --from membership to field trips. They can find what you need quicker than you can find a staffer to pose the question to. But the problem is they've become accustomed to preferring menial and easy chores rather than taking on the harder challenges of academics.

Look, I'm all for helping, and I recognize that the club depends on the kids for its upkeep. But, there's more at stake here with the kids in my group. These are the kids who will be out in the less forgiving world in less than six months. I finally told one of the directors that we know they can move boxes. We know they can sweep floors and paint signs. But do the kids know if they work consistently, they improve their reading and writing skills? Instead of asking them to sweat the menial jobs, can you suggest they do some free reading or homework?

The fact that they can move boxes has been proven time and again. But the harder challenge for them is to write a three-paragraph personal essay.

Look, I'm not pinning this all on the club. Our society is so hellbent on success, we've forgotten the value of failure. I'm not convinced any room has been made for chances to fail, learn and try again in the confines of the relative safety of the club. Yet failure is the flip side of success. We use failure to evaluate what went wrong, how to improve, and try until we get a desirable result. But the problem is these kids have probably never had any assistance with learning what to do with failure. So instead, they have internalized it into fear, have slipped into high school with low reading and writing skills, and now have an aptitude for avoidance. Here's what scares at least me and another person on staff: in June, they'll be applying for jobs in a depressed economic market, or trying to go to community college (which has so many students and little time for anyone with less than reliable academic skills).

While they can rattle off a list of the things they have to do, what they avoid is sitting down with a book, a piece of paper and a pen. What they can't do is tell the tutors who come in from 6-7 PM the meaning of a passage they've read. They won't do a simple fill-in writing exercise. No, they push it to the bottom of yet another stack, and go outside to play football or sweep the floor.

Look, I'm being real here. I expect this group to have poorly written papers. I expect their thoughts won't be organized. I can work with that. But what's more chilling is their avoidance and how it has been reinforced by the very adults who are in a position to help them get ahead.