War of Amputees

I'm staying at a Homewood Suites in CT this week and flipping the channels quickly away from Scooby Doo 2, I found a documentary on wounded veterans returning from Iraq speaking about their Alive Day and how they have coped with their injuries since returning. James Gandolfini was interviewing each of the soldiers on HBO on a program called "Alive Day Memories." Several of the soldiers interviewed have lost arms and legs, another was blinded. Their futures have all been changed. It was mortifying to watch as one Lieutenant who had lost her arm and shoulder, was silent as she pondered what it would be like not to able to hold her baby in her arms as a mother should, and held back the tears as they welled in her eyes. Several moment passed before she suddenly composed herself before Gandolfini and continued the interview in front of the camera. No one should have to be that tough.

The toughness these wounded veterans display is beyond most people. Here they are missing arms in legs and yet they still keep a positive outlook. A female soldier from South Carolina who joined the Army to escape a future with two choices: to get married or to get out, said she never allows people around her to cry about her injury. "I will do that on my own time." Another soldier who lost an arm, and both legs (former boxer and gymnast) said that if he had all four amputated it would not be worth living, said that one arm allowed him the independence to take care of himself. Headwounds are the worst. With two headwounds, a soldier was left half incapacitated and left to the care of his mother for the rest of his life. When the blinded soldier struggling to place his false eye into his empty socket took the screen, I could not take it any longer.

This war has the most amputees since the Civil War and the mental devastation has been understated. The result will be inevitable; PTSD, homeless, and vets uncared for, the cost that survivors pay for after all wars. In five years, we forget their sacrifices, take away benefits and coverage and in doing so, remove their dignity. The elevated number of suicides by returning veterans is only the beginning. It's one thing to "Support the Troops" tooting horns and waving flags; it's another thing to support the troops in a meaningful way.

There's a war going on now, does anyone care?

Perusing through my dad's weekly DVD pics from the local library, I saw one called "The Trench" starring a then lesser-known Daniel Craig about a platoon of Tommies in the trenches in 1916. Despite feeling that the idea was stolen from me (I had started two years ago writing a script for an epic WWI movie set during the Battle of the Somme), the movie was quite interesting. There is a gripping seen where one of the younger soldiers is goaded into peering through one of the loops on the parapet of the trench to see the German lines. Through the hole which appears like a portal to a different land, is a field of green grass, vibrant in contrast to the drab and filthy interior of the trench. Only twice in the movie are our eyes treated to that pleasant verdant field, and twice it fools us with its gentle façade. It's not that the movie is a "must-see", much of the dialogue consists of raw recruit dialogue with the clichés of Limeys being inexperienced in bed, the clairvoyance of a battle-hardened sergeant (Daniel Craig), and a hotshot, jerky corporal (Danny Dyer from the Football Factory); it was more about the sacrifice of young men fighting overseas. Just as the Americans have not fought a war on their home soil since the Civil War, the English haven't either (not including Scotland), and theirs was fought more than 2oo years earlier.

So when I happened to come across a blog (http://wwar1.blogspot.com/) on the internet about a soldier's letters sent to his wife and brother from the front in France, I was immediately interested. Pvt. Harry Lamin's letters are timeless and universal for all soldiers writing to loved ones back home. These letters are posted on the site by his grandson, exactly 90 years to the day after they were penned by Pvt. Lamin himself in the trenches. With exactly one year left to the day for the war, we aren't sure if Harry Lamin survives. A radio interview of Lamin's grandson discusses more on the postings.

In the trenches: Royal Irish Rifles in a communications trench on the first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916

While the war today is not being fought in trenches, there is probably a great similarity in the sentiments of those fighting and their families at home. I won't pretend to really understand the daily fear and traumatizing moments, but quote my father, "If people knew what wounds smelled like and had to pick pieces of their buddies flesh from their face, maybe they would not be so ambivalent about this war." At least the trench provided a safe haven for the troops at the front. In Iraq, everyday is like the green fields of the Somme. At any moment an explosion could tear their life away. There was an article in the Boston Globe today about Marines returning from the "front" in Iraq and the survey they answered from a Globe writer. I thought the most telling response was that the soldiers felt that more than a third of the Boston Metro community was either unappreciative or unaware of the returning vets service for our country in Iraq. This is the first war in which the home front has not been responsible for bearing any brunt of the suffering of the front lines. The war is shielded from our population, available only in relics of news coverage in newspapers or posted as headlines in the web. How many more stories on Britney Spears were there this year than on the War in Iraq? It is Veteran's Day tomorrow, and I hope some people remember to honor those who serve and have served our country in a way unimaginable to most people in our country today. Unfortunately, war has been a part of humanity since our beginnings and although I do not support war as a bright option of diplomacy, and certainly don't support our leader's decisions to invade Iraq, the soldiers should be recognized for their brave conduct and sacrifices.

There is another good article about Veteran's Day on more than 1200 squares named in honor of local veterans of foreign wars that we pass on by unknowingly on our daily lives. And just to know, Veteran's Day was November 11, formerly known as Armistice Day, the date which the guns of World War One went silent.

Will we get ours?

A while back I read an article prizing the largest diamond heist from South Africa yet; a 7,000 carat, green-tinted stone unearthed in a northwest region little known for producing diamonds. Initially when I read this article, and I will admit I was aware of the brutality of the diamond trade before seeing “Blood Diamond”, I wondered who was really going to prosper from that discovery. The movie showed the slave labor utilized in the process, probably somewhat similar in real life. Seeing it dramatized before you does more justice to the issue though. Whether we recognize it or not, or compulsive mass consumption does impact other less “developed” regions of the world, especially in Africa.

For a continent with so many natural resources, most are inaccessible without the investment of heavy machinery and excavation techniques. Oil and minerals have plentiful reserves on the continent, but the native people had no way of unearthing them. After centuries of development, the Europeans descended upon Africa in the 19th century with a fury, taking over land, enslaving people, destroying culture and imposing European “ways” on Africans. Of course, the average African was able to taste these refinements, without a doubt. Even though the European countries found the African landscape basically fruitless with no easy profits to show for it, their private companies got into the mix, settled in, and made a killing; literally. (In the end, many immigrants have flooded into the European nation escaping hunger, famine and war and this exodus has placed a burden on those nations. I guess you always get what you deserve.)

For something as obvious as the diamond trade causing such misery in these countries, it is a shame that “civilized” society still has a relentless demand for them. When I hear the local jeweler commercials on the radio and see them on the television, I wonder how our society in the future will survive when things change for the worst and we need to rely on each other and others to get by. For a regard so small for the rest of humanity, is there really a doubt whether other people will come to our aid? Maybe in the end, when we stood by and watched the purging of Darfur, and when we bled Africa dry for want of oil and diamonds etc., we will get what we deserve.

Pats beat Colts

After all, it was just a football game and the Pats squeezed a victory by the slimmest of margins considering the behemoth of teams involved. The surprising thing about watching the game was the vulnerability shown in both teams. The Patriots, for the first time this season, looked defeatable, yes beat-able. A far cry from bludgeoning the skins 52-7, this game looked like the vintage Pats. The game itself did not look like a duel between polished foes, Manning looked shaken, discouraged and was ultimately beaten, but anyone who has seen Manning at work, knows his unorthodox footwork and wobbly passes, have no correlation with his effectiveness. I will admit as he took the field again with 3 minutes on the clock, I thought that he could with a few passes, march down the field and steal victory from the visiting Patriots, but no. A relieving strip and recovery solidifying the W.

Boston Red Sox - World Champions 2007

This year's edition of the Red Sox were almost wholly different from self-named "Idiots", a team that reversed the "curse" of Boston baseball in 2004. This year's team was dominant almost all year long, with ace Beckett cruising to 20 wins and slugger Big Papi having another great year. While Schilling, the newcomer star of the 2004 season, and Manny Ramirez, one of the top 3 hitters in the game; did not have stellar regular seasons, both came through in the postseason securing a second title in 4 years. Mike Lowell, the third basemen nobody wanted as part of the Beckett deal with Florida, came in clutch all season and secured an MVP award in the World Series. Whether he returns for the repeat year is up in the air. A mention must be made to the rookie contributions to this year's edition including 2B Dustin Pedroia who played hearts-out baseball all season long, OF Jacoby Ellsbury, whose speed on the diamond and slappy bat are unusual traits on a slug-happy franchise, and the Japanese imports, P Daisuke Matsuzaka and P Hideki Okajima. Both were integral but Okajima's badge of courage was won putting down the vaunted Yankees' lineup early in the season in a nailbiter that showed the baseball world that Boston would not back down. He continued to be clutch all year long. Although Daisuke was impressive at times this season and registered two good pitching performances in his last two postseason games, his trial will begin next season. Great season and I can't wait to do it again next season!

Are you not entertained?

The Patriots once again dismantle, destroy and embarrass another NFL opponent this past Sunday. I got a chance to attend the game and bit, making my decision based on many Foxboro games in the past that were very exciting but not this years' Pats edition. The games are often over by halftime and they haven't won by less than 14 points. This sort of thrashing is akin to Maximus in the provincial gladiator circuit slashing throats and bashing skulls with no difficulty, winning every bout with few moments of real drama and even less fanfare. Disgusted with the carnage but nonetheless elated by it, Maximus goads the crowd, "Are you not entertained?" To which the crowd roars in response, their undefeatable idol so talented, the actual match was not worth a cheer; but in his victory comes their adulation.

Another note about the Patriots victory over the Redskins was the issue of running-up the score. These are not amateur or student athletes. We are dealing with professional athletes that get paid in monopoly money salaries. There really isn't any room for sentiment with final scores. Us laymen like to compare what we see on the field on friday night and saturday afternoons with what happens on sunday but its just not comparable. We are trying to make a lesson of moral relevance with a level of competition that we cannot compare. From the opinion of this weak pushover, however, it still smacks of the ol' runnin' it up. But once you lose the killer instinct on the field, you may not be able to turn it back on. The team is tuned so well right now, only a moron would tell his team to "ease up" on these other sports professionals. They may need leniency for their poor self-esteems. Actually it may teach them some humility, a quality definitely lacking among pro-athletes.

While we're on the topic of running up scores, it’s very convenient for other teams to be begging for mercy after what happened after this season’s week one incident. Spygate anyone? That has been long forgotten after the Patriots wiped the floor with the favored Chargers in a game that has rematch later this year spray painted all over. I can’t remember one team, or player speaking in favor of the Patriots, in effect nobody came to their defense to respect what they had accomplished in years past, instead believing or wishing in a muckraking, substance-light conspiracy theory of cheating. The “cheating” did happen, but the extent to which it was blamed for past victories was way out of proportion. NFL officials, coaches, players, and fans had just let the lion out of the cage, giving feast to the ravished Patriots who always use misplaced quotes and the disrespect card to fuel their fire. Well, the NFL succeeded in giving them fuel for a bonfire. And now those same coaches, players and fans want to pull the reigns in. Well, I say blow ‘em away Bill. No mercy. Do people remember what teams did to the old hapless Patriots? Was there any quarter given? I don’t think so. This is the NFL, not pop-warner.

Boston Tourism Rating Falls

Boston, although officially still recognized as a 6 point (of 12) World City by GaWC , but as a destination we are losing ground to other destinations in North America. Once rated up there with New York and San Francisco as prime vacation destinations, Condé Nast traveler and Travel+ Leisure have both recently relegated Boston to the obscurity of a minor city.

Let’s be fair to admit that Boston’s cultural attractions do not bow to any in America. With world class museums, heritage sights, and universities, Boston will always remain the historical destination. With a Market town patchwork of streets and alleys, Boston is one of the few American cities that is authentically pedestrian. Restaurants abound in all downtown neighborhoods and with the ocean on its doorfront, seafood reigns. Sports in Boston also reign. Fenway Park is the oldest Major league stadium in the nation and is itself a museum. With gorgeous parks, an urban river and the harbor, the city is no doubt a beautiful place.

But the ratings have dropped? That’s no surprise. What would Americans these days see in Boston? Travel and Leisure kowtows to luxurious details, mostly in hotel interiors and fashionable dining experiences, but does not pay any homage to the culturally significant. In their eyes, the hotel equals the experience. For any sensible tourist or sightseer, the only worthwhile time in a hotel is for sleeping. True, in a world always spinning, many tourists seek rest and relaxation above experience, and Boston is not for them. Boston must be met with a pair of walking shoes, a healthy appetite for hearty seafood and thirst for Sam Adams or Harpoon.

Boston is not a fashionable place, and most of its worthwhile bars are miles away from downtown. Boston is not a place where high-brand nightlife is measured nor should it. It is safe to say that Boston’s people are not the most attractive. Boston is not Vegas and should never pretend to be, nor try to compete. Just the same, Vegas is not Boston. Measuring a city’s cultural value has been degraded in recent years with a culture obsessed with the trivial and indulgent on throw-away experiences. A city with a diverse historical context, steeped in traditions (gradually being washed into the American mainstream), and its automobile-unfriendly nature makes Boston not immediately accessible for most people. It’s a more sumptuous locale, comparing organic food to McDonalds. People looking for the instant gratification of tasty condiments should seek alternate destinations.

Another complaint is from expensive hotel costs and unfriendliness. With a limited area of downtown, it is no doubt Boston’s downtown hotels; in Copley Square, Financial District, or in Cambridgeside, are expensive. But you will find this in every worthwhile city. Take a look at an average Manhattan hotel. New York is not only known for being expensive, but its people are some of the most insulting rude and obnoxious outside of Paris. In my experience, however, the people in Boston who are most revolting to outsiders are usually outsiders themselves, living and working in Boston for the experience. Once they ingratiate themselves with the subway and their immediate neighborhood, they wear these on their sleeves and are automatically angered when they are inconvenienced by tourists’ directions or slowing down to admire the buildings they are living in. These people are snobbish to locals and worse to tourists, and are mostly responsible for local neighborhoods losing their cultural identities. These people must be ignored. (But unfortunately it is the transplants that continually bring money into Boston and keep the city’s economy healthy.)

The numbers of tourists that continually flock to Boston each spring, summer and fall are a testament that Boston still can hang with other hyped tourist traps. Boston sure has some of the worst tourist traps in the country; the Fanueil Hall marketplace is perhaps the worst of all, but it remains one of few. Sure Boston’s nightclub scene suffers, but that will never (hopefully) be the appeal of the nighttime entertainment in Boston where our drinks are served in pubs. I still can’t believe that attractiveness of the cities inhabitants is even rated. Point ceded. Boston is not LA, Vegas or Miami. There are more hot chicks in those cities. Travel + Leisure once again missed the boat. When is that magazine going to float?

http://www.boston.com/travel/boston/articles/2007/10/22/losing_stature/

Halloween Party Cancelled!

Although I am disappointed because my costumes have been unanimously been voted "top chach" three years in a row, the cancellation of the halloween party can be viewed through an alternative lens and may not appear so bad after all. A) The host will not be ostracized by his condo neighbors for staging such an elaborate and riotous affair. B) There is a chance, albeit small, that less alcohol is consumed this coming weekend, which, judging by testaments of productivity, would be a good thing for our employers. C) We will be able to cheer wildly for the Red Sox in World Series game 3 without tripping over our ridiculously silly costumes. D) If there is no suitable replacement event, I will not have the anxiety that accompanies all hyped one-night events, especially costume events (new years, halloween etc), over whether it will live up to its billing or not.

The Mirror

When you are young and adventurous there is always a yearning to leave the safety of your comfortable environment and seek out the challenge of the unknown, a brand new adventure. As many cultures embrace this adventure time, in fact we have an institution that promotes "going away". Just as the aborigines have the walkabout, where a young man leaves his tribe as a rite of passage into adulthood and the Amish have rumspringa, a period where a young man or woman leaves the sect to decide whether the amish ways are right for him or her on an individual basis; Americans use college to this same endeavor. Other primates also employ this type of behavior as a method to maintain gene flow. Baboon males will leave one troop to join another so as to limit incest.

I have never studied abroad and experienced another culture and country intimately, and in the back of my mind I would like to move for a year or so to another place far away to experience how the canooks, kiwis or aussies live and work. It would be a completely educational experience with little or no time devoted to fun and games, but in the end I would be the better for it. It would give me time to make reasonable decisions about what I want to do with the rest of my life and at the same time, extinguish the unsettled travel pilot flame. When it was done I could head back into Americareer with a better feeling in my stomach for settling down with a better grasp on what I want to do with the rest of my life. When I told my dad of my plan he answered, "You still have to look in the mirror every morning."

Is it that I want to get out of the dump I have made for myself here, jump from my grave I have been digging for myself or could it be that I want to gain new experiences without trying to remove myself from this one. Can we yearn to experience new places while not trying to escape the current ones? After all why would you want to leave if all was well? As I attempt to come to terms with these opposing rationales, I see more often than not that both are mutually exclusive; accepting one with truth convicts the other's reasonable plausibility.