For Jeff & Ben...

As usual, I was listening to the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC while driving home from school today. Among the many topics covered relating to Veteran's Day, the segment "Backstory: The History of PTSD" with directors/producers John Alpert and Matt O'Neil really stuck with me. You may know Alpert and O'Neil from their HBO film "Baghdad ER" - they're back with a new film, "Wartorn 1861-2010" which premiers on HBO tonight. The film chronicles and discusses the history of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, more commonly known as PTSD - given how suicide rates among service members is still (horribly) on the rise, this film could not have come at a more critical time.

You may find a link to the broadcast of the interview by clicking here.


I urge you to watch this film and to also please educate yourself about PTSD and what you might be able to do to help a veteran in need.

Trailer

In gratitude. Mahalo.

WTF?

Funding a needless/useless/costly war over funding universal health care?
That makes TOTAL sense.


In a warped & parallel universe.

When will our elected officials wake the fuck up?

Today is Veteran’s Day

In honor of our Veterans I am urging you to please take a few minutes out of your day to contact Senator Tom Coburn (R – OK).

There is an important and major bill regarding Veteran’s Benefits (S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009) that Sen. Coburn has placed on hold. The longer this bill goes un-passed the more our Veterans will suffer.

Here are several key things this bill will do:
•S. 1963 will allow VA to recruit and retain nurses, home health aides, and specialty care providers.

•S. 1963 also contains measures that would improve the efficiency of health care delivery to veterans, including a number of pilot programs designed to help VA find new and innovative ways to deliver better, faster, and more comprehensive treatment.

•S. 1963 would expand eligibility and authority for the Vet Centers to provide needed services, and would commission a comprehensive study on suicides among veterans so that we can improve efforts to prevent such tragedies.

•S. 1963 would also provide support for homeless veterans through a proposed series of innovative pilot programs. These programs are designed to significantly improve VA outreach to these veterans, in order to help them access the benefits and services provided by VA.

To read more about this comprehensive bill, click here and here.

Suicide rates are WAY UP, particularly among service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This is awful, awful, AWFUL! We can NOT abandon the very people we have asked to serve three and four tours of duty in these war zones. OUR TROOPS NEED OUR SUPPORT.

Senator Coburn MUST be asked – “Do you support our troops?” If he says yes – then you MUST ask “Why then, are you blocking this important legislation S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009?”

You may contact Senator Coburn in the following places:
Washington D.C.:
Phone: 202-224-5754
Fax: 202-224-6008

Tulsa:
Phone: 918-581-7651
Fax: 918-581-7195

Oklahoma City:
Phone: 405-231-4941
Fax: 405-231-5051

Now more than ever our Veterans need us. PLEASE, let's do them this little favor and really show our support. Phone or fax Senator Coburn and help get this bill passed.

Thank you.

Reminding us of what's going on "over there"

For the first time in 18 years, the media is once again allowed to record the return of fallen military members as their flag-draped coffin(s) unload from the plane - as long as the family gives the okay.

We, as a nation, are far too detached from the wars we're involved in. I hope this helps remind everyone and make them question what we're doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson says in this interview, "We need to know."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Our veterans deserve more

We should consider our Veterans at least once every day. Even if it's to merely read a headline about Iraq or Afghanistan and send a thought out their way. Today being Veteran's Day, it kind of reminds me Valentine's Day for the military.

What I mean by this is - once a year on a specific day we are rather expected to show love and affection for a significant other or partner - there is a lot of pressure and should be something done out of free will and generosity on ANY day rather than forced at a specific time.

I kind of consider Veteran's Day in the same manner.

So please send a kind thought out to universe in honor of our Veterans, if only for this one day.

Bob Geiger has more...

feel good story

I was reading Crooks and Liars this morning and came across this story.
It's about James Brett and his desire to make the world a better place.
He helped start POM354 - Which helps Afghan farmers turn their fields from producing Opium Poppies to Pomegranates.
It's quiet inspiring and I urge you to please check it out.

stunning photos

There are some incredibly stunning photos by PLATON at the New Yorker Online.

You can view the entire slide show here.
Photo courtesy of PLATON and The New Yorker