Near-death experience shines light on life

Simon Lewis, co-producer of the 1989 box-office success "Look Who's Talking," was in a coma for a month after a van went through a stop sign at 75 mph and struck his car, killing his wife on impact. /Image via salon.com

A brush with death often results in a profound appreciation of life.

Hollywood producer Simon Lewis was in a coma for a month following a deadly 1994 car crash in Los Angeles that claimed the life of his wife in an instant. He's written a book about his struggle for survival titled "Rise And Shine: The Extraordinary Story Of One Man's Journey From Near Death To Full Recovery."

This week, Lewis shared his story with the BBC's "Outlook" program. I listened to Lewis recount his ordeal as I drove home from work in pitch black darkness; it truly is an extraordinary tale.

The "Outlook" interview covers several amazing points in Lewis' journey: surreal memories from his monthlong coma, enduring more than a dozen surgeries and "retraining his mind to think" after losing about a third of the right side of his brain. One point struck me like a sledgehammer.

The "Outlook" presenter asked Lewis about whether the traumatic injuries he had suffered and subsequent recovery process had changed his character. "I have a very hard time arguing," Lewis replied. "I was not good at arguing before the crash, but now that is magnified. I don't know if I could have an argument because, really, how much does it matter in the great dynamic of the cosmos?"

Hear the interview of Lewis and his parents on the BBC.

Putin playing predictable role in Snowden intrigue

Vladimir Putin signs autographs for Russian troops in Chechnya during the early stage of his crackdown on the breakaway republic in 1999. /Image via npr.org

While getting my weekly dose of the Sunday morning news shows, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry watching some of the pundits and politicos bemoan Russia's role in the U.S. snooping community's Edward Snowden Fiasco.

One wonk wailed over Vladimir Putin's propensity to "stick it" to the United States; in this case, allowing the rogue U.S. National Security Agency contractor to pass through Moscow on his way to seeking refuge at one of the bastions of left-wing politics in Latin America. This was "not the behavior of an ally."

With Putin exercising an iron grip at the helm of the Kremlin for more than a dozen years, it's shocking there are still U.S. foreign policy prognosticators who do not understand how he wields power.

As is fitting for a Russian leader, Putin is a character who literally stepped out of the pages of an epic co-written by Niccolo Machievelli, Leo Tolstoy and Ian Flemming. Putin is a former KGB officer and the strongman ruler of a strong nation. Like Machievelli's prince, Putin is only an ally to the extent that it serves the interests of his country and his ability to rule.

The Kremlin's decision to give Snowden at least temporary refuge on Russian soil is just Putin being Putin. It was surely an irresistible opportunity: a chance to gain access to the man responsible for one of the biggest breaches of national security in U.S. history and to remind Washington that it is not the only powerful player on the world stage.

Fleetwood Mac: Lifetime of artistry beautiful to behold

Artists have long been among human society's most tortured souls, but the arts are among humanity's most redeemable qualities.

For four decades, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and the rest of Fleetwood Mac have been producing and performing glowing contributions to rock music. I began listening to the California-spawned band in the 1970s, and it was amazing to see them this weekend more or less intact and capable of entertaining a sold-out coliseum.

In media interviews, onstage commentary between songs and virtuosity on his instrument, Buckingham stands out as a fierce advocate for his craft and artists in general. And drummer Mick Fleetwood, who turns 66 on Monday, is living proof that artists can transcend time.

Fleetwood Mac was rife with romantically fueled drama in the band's early years. Personal lives became public spectacle, forever coloring Fleetwood Mac's legacy. I hope they're remembered at least as much for their lifetime commitment to artistry.

Dividing the greatest of all time from all the rest

Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are proving that greatness in humanity extends beyond ability alone. They have little hope of matching an all-time NBA great like Michael Jordan. Character matters. /AP photo

Pentagon can play key role combatting sexual assault

The Pentagon's top leadership endured a rare public scolding from members of Congress on Tuesday, June 4, when the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on sexual assault in the military. /AP photo

In 1948, President Truman ordered the armed services of the U.S. military to help lead the charge against racial discrimination in American society. The nation desperately needs the Pentagon to play a similar role in the fight against sexual assault.

The Pentagon faces many of the same personnel problems as other U.S. employers, including mental health woes, substance abuse and sexual assault. But a key difference is that the president and Congress can literally order and force the U.S. military to take effective action to address a problem, which is exactly what Truman did with Executive Order 9981 establishing equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services.

Truman's executive order was a historic turning point, providing a crucial building block for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. President Obama and Congress now have a similar opportunity to force change in the U.S. military that could help turn the tide against sexual assault throughout American society.

Congress took a huge step in the right direction on Tuesday, June 4, when members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee grilled top Pentagon leaders on why they had not followed through on earlier pledges to address sexual assault in their ranks. Given the partisan bickering and gridlock that has often paralyzed Washington during the Obama adminstration, Tuesday's hearing was a rare opportunity for Americans to take pride in their federal lawmakers as Democratic and Republican senators excoriated the generals and admirals over their failure to curb sexual assault.

While the senators' anger and frustration over sexual assault in the U.S. military is thoroughly justified, all responsible American citizens should be angered and frustrated over the scourge of sexual assault, which is as pervasive across the country today as racism was when Truman signed Executive Order 9981. One particular passage in an Associated Press story about Tuesday's Senate hearing applies to far more than the Pentagon:

(U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.) said victims of sexual assault are reluctant to report the crimes to their commanders because they fear their allegations will be dismissed and they might face retaliation. Aggressive reforms in the military's legal code are needed to force cultural changes, she said. "You have lost the trust of the men and women who rely on you," Gillibrand said. "They're afraid to report. They think their careers will be over. They fear retaliation. They fear being blamed. That is our biggest challenge right there."

Gillibrand's comment succinctly describes the sexual assault challenge facing every employer in the United States.

North Korean threat still priority in DC, Seoul, Tokyo

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's tough talk over the weekend about Chinese cyber warfare capabilities grabbed headlines around the world. But Hagel and military leaders from Japan and South Korea also took a hardline stance on North Korea's "provocations." /AP photo via wbur.org

North Korea has yet again fallen off the radar screen at most mainstream media outlets. But the Hermit Nation's totalitarian regime is still very much on the mind of officials in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.

The Pentagon released a pair of prepared statements over the weekend after U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with his counterparts in South Korea and Japan.

Here's the full text of Pentagon Press Secretary George Little's prepared statement on Hagel's meeting with South Korean Minister of Defense Kim Kwan-jin:

"U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Republic of Korea Minister of Defense Kim Kwan-jin met June 1 during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
 
"Secretary Hagel and Minister Kim discussed the security situation on the Korean peninsula, the advancement of the U.S.-ROK Alliance and the importance of trilateral security cooperation with Japan. They discussed the North Korea threat and agreed that enhanced collaboration to deter further provocations was necessary. They also discussed the need to upgrade Alliance capabilities in the coming years.

"The two defense leaders agreed that the U.S.-ROK Alliance is one of the most [successful in] modern history, and that it must be further strengthened in light of the North Korean threat and other regional and global security challenges."

Here are excerpts from a "joint statement" the Pentagon released after Hagel had trilateral meetings with Kim Kwan-jin and Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera:

"The three ministers expressed their common view that North Korea's nuclear and missile program and continued acts of provocation, including a long-range ballistic missile launch in December 2012 and a nuclear test in February 2013, are serious threats that undermine not only the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula but also those of Northeast Asia and around the world.

"The three ministers strongly called for North Korea to comply with the obligations pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087, and 2094, including the abandonment of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear program, and they emphasized the importance of the steadfast implementation of the resolutions. Additionally, the three ministers expressed their support for the UNSC resolutions, in which the UNSC expresses its determination to take further significant measures in the event of [an] additional North Korean missile launch or nuclear test. The three ministers affirmed that they will continue their collaboration to deter North Korean threats of nuclear and missile development and further provocative acts."