Not much is out there on male victims of sexual assault. The site 1 in 6 does a great job providing resources, but most of what I've written about sexual assault has appeared on Huffington Post Women. 

I interviewed a male victim of sexual abuse and attempted to tackle a few of the issues that make that crime such a difficult one to talk about. Seems it's even more stigmatized than sexual abuse/assault against females. 

So, check it out: Is the Man Box Preventing you from Confronting Past Abuse? 

Also, are the winds changing in the NFL, or has it always been a more stand-up organization than the media gives it credit for? 

I talked to Chad Johnson, chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Check out what he does to help players find balance in a cut-throat profession. 

Also, I was impressed by the 49ers reaction to the recent arrest of the often-in-trouble player Aldon Smith. Read about their unusual response.

WROTE

I interviewed two former football players this week. One, a crowd favorite who suddenly left the game. Another, a UCLA player who didn't get to fulfill his NFL dreams and is now an actor. 

What happened to Isaac "Red-Zone" Redman? 


Donovan Carter: End of NFL Dream Leads to Stardom

I also wrote about what it is like to be a victim and how to support a victim. You can find those pieces at my Huffington Post blog. 

READ


Informative read on the use and misuse of HIPAA in the New York Times. Hipaa's Use as Code of Silence Often Misinterprets the Law.


There is a lot of news about PTSD in veterans, most of whom happen to be male. What about PTSD in women? What risks to they face? CNN reports that PTSD can increase heart attack and stroke risk in women.

WROTE

I did a piece about an artist who used to play professional football-- Baron Batch. Fascinating conversation about career paths, callings, being in the moment, and creating legacy.  Who would view shredding one's ACL as a magical moment? This man: 

Former Steelers RB Baron Batch: Shredding my ACL was a perfect, magical moment


READ


Are you angry, resentful, critical? Do you live with someone who is? Dr. Margaret Rutherford wrote a great article for Good Men Project about people who need to be right. 

Do you Fight to be Right? 5 Reason Why You Might

Touching & courageous NYT article about one woman's experience with stillbirth, a relatively common tragedy that is rarely discussed. 

After a stillbirth, a silent delivery room

WROTE 


Interacted with some really inspiring people this week. 

First, I wrote a story about Steelers fans in Mexico. Imagine soccer-level enthusiasm for American football. The most fascinating aspect for me was how much emotion and passion they have for their team, and how watching football isn't just about the plays and the final score, but intangible qualities the team represents (hard work, perseverance, heart, etc). Was a gift to interact with this group of passionate people.

Check out the story here: Steelers World: Fans in Mexico Bleed Black and Gold

Second, I had the honor of interviewing former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch. I already knew some about his foundation, but they way he transformed tragedy into redemption and hope for his hometown was incredibly inspiring. There are two parts in this series so far, the second installment links back to the first, so check them both out on Behind the Steel Curtain.


I also did my first entry on my Huffington Post blog. Breaking Free of Silence and Shame. Second entry on institutionalized rape culture should be up sometime this week.



READ

I am a huge fan of David Morris, the author of the The Evil Hours, the best book on PTSD out there. I try to read everything he writes (even if it is about surfing). If you haven't read The Evil Hours, you owe it to yourself and society at large. By far my favorite book (not just my favorite book about PTSD, my favorite book ever)-- thorough, compassionate, human, informative. Excellent. 

This week, I read Morris' article on drone operators and PTSD. Morris does a masterful job describing aspects of PTSD that are often neglected, ignored, or misunderstood. 

Check it out on Foreign Policy: Can Drone Operators Get PTSD? 



ON MY SHELF

I have more than one shelf of books in my house, but I was noticing the odd assortment on this particular shelf while I was dusting off R2D2 (he's also on the shelf). And while I'm at it, how about I say "shelf" one more time. 

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker-- I would have thought this book was BS had someone given it to me last year, but it is both informative, interesting, and helpful. I'll probably do a review of this at a later date. 

How to Teach your Dog to Talk by Captain Haggerty-- Basic dog training book with a catchy name. Was given to me as a gift after I wondered aloud one too many times if I could teach Ajax and Comet to talk. And the answer is, no, dogs can't talk, though they can make talking-ish sounds. If my dogs could talk, I know they'd apologize for leaving the yard today. 

The Best of McSweeney's edited by Dave Eggers and Jordan Bass-- Haven't picked this one up in a while, but $8.00 for over 600 pages of comics and short stories was an excellent value. I'm a huge fan of McSweeney's Internet Tendency. Awesome humor writing.

Staff Meals from Chanterelle by David Waltuck
Chef David Waltuck prepares meals for his staff before the big dinner rush at his New York City restaurant. Recipes are reliable and accessible (not pretentious or expensive to prepare). 


Wrote

Why men might not go to therapy (Good Men Project).  Some thoughts on how therapy is often marketed (to women) and how to find a therapist. 

Football character & Steelers rookie Gerod Holliman: The Blame Game (Behind the Steel Curtain). Sometimes what scouting reports refer to as "football character" reminds me of what some teachers call "laziness." Both labels are often cop-outs and don't take into account other factors that could be at the root of substandard performance.

Ray McDonald arrested for domestic violence: Learning from tragedy (Behind the Steel Curtain). Domestic violence is not just an NFL problem, and incarceration is not the only solution.

The fun run: Kindergarten's greatest sporting event (Crooked Scoreboard) A fake (well, not entirely fake, but mostly fake) pep talk before the Kindergarten fun run. 

Read

A summer reading list from top business leaders (LA Times). I didn't read many books during the past few weeks, but I did read this article on what books CEOs recommend. One of them, Dead Wake by Erik Larson, I am in the middle of.

Mourning the loss of a dog can be a lonely endeavor (Boston Globe). Losing your best friend, as in your own personal man's best friend-- your dog, can be devastating. This article described the struggle of mourning the loss of a pet.

The secret sadness of pregnancy with depression (New York Times). Longform article about dealing with depression while pregnant.

Character in the NFL has been a hot topic lately. I wrote about it recently for Crooked Scoreboard. Here’s an interesting Bleacher Report article about how the Chicago Bears handled the situation of a La’el Collins, a talented offensive lineman connected (though not suspected as of now) to the murder of a young woman and her child.  


Excerpt: “Also in play: the league's ability to be fair with a prospect; the machinery of a collective bargaining process that cannot account for everything; the problem of having to quickly evaluate a player as a human being in crisis. All of this had to be confronted while remembering there were actual victims: a woman and a child.”


Talk about persistence. Almost 20 years ago, John Krakauer  authored Into the Wild (link), book about the last months and death of Christopher McCandless in a remote area of Denali National Park. Krakauer has been attempting to figure out the cause of McCandless’ death for nearly two decades. Teaming up with a chemist, Krakauer may have finally found the answer. NPR reported on this recently. 

Excerpt: "What he did was not easy. He lived for 113 days off the land in a place where there's not a lot of game," says Krakauer. "And he did really well. If he hadn't been weakened by these seeds, I'm confident he would have survived."


Are  you passive aggressive? No? Check out this Washington Post article  to see if some of your passive aggressive behaviors are flying under your radar.   

Excerpt: “Passive-aggressive behavior has 100 percent deniability and zero percent accountability,” Gilbertson says. “You can always say you didn’t receive the invitation, you lost it, or it completely slipped your mind, while your true motive — to turn down the invitation — remains hidden.”

A story of hard work paying off and dreams coming true reported in the Wichita Eagle (and all over the Internet at this point)