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Sleep Apnea and TMJ: The Relationship

September 1, 2013 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

As many of my readers know, I have been practicing in the field of TMJ (the joint that attaches the lower jaw, mandible, to the temporal bone of your head) for 35 years. Over those years I have seen the usual fads come and go from simple little splints that attach only to the front teeth to full coverage splints.

Anything will work occasionally because most TMJ is simply because it is not natural to hold the teeth together. Just putting something in that interrupts this habit can sometimes work.

There is no “one size fits all” orthotic (splint) that works for everyone. One of my goals in treatment is to diagnose the underlying cause of why each patient has destructive oral habits and work on the factors causing the dysfunction. Over the years, working as a team with other specialists, I was getting very good results. Some patients, though, did not respond well or would have the symptoms come and go.

It was when medicine brought sleep apnea to the forefront and developed ways to diagnose and treat this problem that I got to the “root” of the problem. One finding was that during one’s waking hours, pressure when clenching reach forces in the area of 200 pounds per square inch. During sleep, by contrast, forces can reach over 700 pounds per square inch. Those that add grinding to their bad habits can literally grind their teeth to the gum line. These heavy forces can seriously exacerbate damage to the joints and disks.

A major factor causing this is that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has an effect on the brain, not letting it go into deep sleep mode in order to be awake enough to prevent suffocation.

Part of my initial exam questionnaire contains a test that is quite good at seeing the need for a sleep study. Most people go in for a study because of their friends that are kept awake with their snoring. I have found non snoring patients with acute OSA because the obstruction is below the tongue and palate where snoring occurs.

Treatment of the OSA using a dental appliance can not only bring the apnea under control, but help prevent any further damage to the teeth and joints. One comment I get from my OSA patients is that before the appliance they rarely dreamed and could not remember their dreams. “Now my dreams are much better, they are in color and I remember a lot of detail.”

One very important factor in the treatment of TMJ is that treatment of the bite by reconstructive dentistry, surgery, orthodontics or endodontics should not be attempted until a complete diagnosis has been made. I do not feel a diagnosis in possible, unless obvious, like trauma, until the symptoms are gone. Then the practitioner can register the bite, mounting the patient’s dental models on an accurate articulator in the pain free position.

I have seen cases with root canals on many of the posterior teeth, none of which was necessary. In most severe TMJ cases the chief complaint is pain in the muscles associated with the jaws. The same nerves that supply these muscles also supply the teeth. The muscle pain can imitate a toothache. The dentist treats the “tooth ache” by killing nerve of the tooth, but the pain persists, so the dentist goes on to the next tooth and even the next. If pain persists after treatment it never hurts to seek a second or third opinion.

Surgery has been used for TMJ but with mixed results. Properly diagnosed and with a team approach, wonderful results can be achieved. In a small number of cases surgery to correct the bite could also correct the airway. The results have been phenomenal giving the patients, in their own words, “a new life.” Most of this type of patient displays a severely receding jaw. This “new life” surgery is usually a “new face” surgery and can do wonders for the appearance and personality of the lucky patient.

My initial exam is with no charge in order that the patient can get another opinion.

Robert Brown, DDS has a TMJ, orthodontia, and sleep apnea practice in Danville and thoroughly enjoys discussing holistic medicine. You can contact him at 925-837-8048, at info@aodtc.com, or visit his web site at www.aodtc.com.

Fall Beauty Forecast

September 1, 2013 by Theresa Taylor Grutzeck Leave a Comment

Fall is approaching; it’s time to change it up. When we start wearing fall colors, darker hues just don’t mix well with bright pinks and summer peaches. It’s time to consult with a professional who knows the trends or you may have a great eye for fashion and want to experiment on your own. Whatever you choose make sure you look for key fall inspired color choices that are right for your skin-tone and that balance your individually. Being a make-up artist, my job is not to make you look like someone else, but to give you the tools to look radiant and the best you can be. For me, it’s much more satisfying to highlight your individual beauty than to turn you into somebody you’re not.

On The Fall Runway’s

Perfect reds, sculpted eyes, exquisite colors, “fashion as art,” aptly describe the fall collections and trends moving forward this season. I have always been drawn to the strength that a visually arresting mix can deliver. That’s why I am so wildly excited about Fall 2013. It’s a season of opulence envisioned through a thoroughly modern lens.

Flawless Skin

Effortless beauty is on the radar this season, both flawless and make-up free looking. Wearing foundation perfectly matched to your skin tone will not only give your skin that natural looking sheen, but your skin will look like your own, only years younger. Nothing enhances a complexion quite like radiant, rosy cheeks. Adding a hint of a fall rosy toned blush will give the cheeks that youthful fresh-faced-look, just in time for fall. Note: I like to apply a swipe of guava shimmer to the skin for a dewy plump youthful complexion.

Enchanting Eyes

Eye shadows scream color this season! The number one request I hear over and over from my clients is, “Please bring out my eyes.” In response, this season we are using a new technique called, “Couches Des Couleur,” or, “layers of colors.” Using tiered levels of colors, we apply four highly contrasting eye shadow shades, one on top of the other, creating a prismatic effect that draws the attention to the eye, not the make-up. Apply an icy eye shimmer to the lid to complete the look. Ooh La La!!

Captivating Lips

The looks from the runway are often conceptual and serve as inspiration for the season. As make-up artists, we translate what we see into something women can feel comfortable with. It could be a red or a neutral lip color with a swipe of gloss; whatever your style, try tones that are fall-inspired. Red lipstick is everywhere this fall; if you’ve never worn a scrumptious red it is perhaps time to explore a captivating red lip color for fun. We stress to our clients that you want a red that goes with your skin tone not with the dress color. We work with a lot of clients with different taste, so when trying a red lipstick, try several shades until you feel like you own the look. You want to look elegant, beautiful and sexy, not theatrical.

September Updates

The month of September we are offering free make-up updates by Fleur Visage Cosmetics, to help you find your perfect look this fall. With every season brings new colors and different ways to apply make-up, I always advise my clients to have fun with it and experiment. Make-up is a very serious business and I know it may be hard to change, but sometimes change can make you look fresh and updated. It’s time to reinvent yourself, try something different, you never know until you try, you may be surprised and love it!!!

A New Opening Sequence or Untried Tactic

August 3, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

Sometime, in the not-too-distant future, we intend to publish a special issue of ALIVE devoted to the game of chess; something that has been of interest to me—perhaps bordering a passion—for many years. And, no, I am by no means a master, expert or even a “good” player, but I enjoy the challenge of its mental gymnastics, just the same.

The rich, historical legacy of chess allows much of the game’s character to be understood by even non-players. Most people know that with each move there arrives a new problem to be solved—a kind of “fresh puzzle” with each new position.

If I have come to understand one principle of the game over my past forty-eight plus years of play, it is that there is always something new to learn; a new opening sequence or a heretofore untried tactic. But all of this is academic, if one is not open to the idea of learning. To a large degree, the elite players of the chess universe are those who have been most willing to learn new concepts.

Somewhere, we’ve all read the slogan, “think globally, act locally;” the implication being that the problems of the world can be solved if we make a personal effort, right where we are, to in some small way, affect change. While this is all well and good, I would say it is most effective when we have an open mind, as we “think” and “act.”

Long ago I read somewhere that at any given time, 59% of people are open to receiving new information—but only when conditions and timing are perfect. Twenty-three percent are completely negative and unwilling to learn anything new. Only 18% are willing, open and ready to receive new information.

So, let me ask you: When that salesman last approached you, did you assume their only interest to be in selling something? Or were they offering an opportunity or the possible fulfillment of a need? If you’re part of the 23% you may have missed a long-sought solution to a big problem.

I suppose it is just human nature that we allow the fear of change to sort most of us into those larger categories that resist or struggle with new ideas. The sad truth is, for most of us, as open to new ideas as we sometimes think we are, there are very few grandmasters anywhere to be found.

Maybe our “global” challenges could be more effectively addressed if we all joined the eighteen percent, becoming more open to new “opening sequences and heretofore untried tactics.”

The Mind, Math and Music

August 1, 2013 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

Many terms come to mind about young children who exhibit advanced skills beyond their years; gifted, wunderkinder, whiz-kids, geniuses, and child prodigies. There are swirling controversies about the age that defines a prodigy, but all agree it is someone who, at a very early age, develops memory capacity for one or more skills at a level far beyond the norm for their age. Those who are gifted in many subjects, but especially in mathematics, is suggested that they think in terms of long-term working memory (LTWM) capable of holding relevant information for extended periods of time.

Among those gifted beyond their years were Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart who composed his first classical piece at five, and Beethoven who understood the intricate fundamentals of music about the same age. Today pint-sized five-year old Tsung Tsung from Hong Kong plays classical music like a seasoned concert pianist, performing Korsakov’s ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ so nimbly, and with such tiny fingers, that even the late Van Cliburn would have wept. This diminutive violinist, who cannot tie her own shoelaces, brings audiences to tears.

Adolescent mathematicians stunned teachers in the 18^th century with advanced knowledge of math, long before the age of technology. Today students compete in international competitions displaying their incredulous skills; understanding advanced physics and mathematical capabilities beyond the norm.

One such 14-year old, Dorris Eaton Preparatory School graduate, Varun Jain of Danville, recently achieved the perfect SAT score of 2400. His father, Doctor Vivek Jain, told me that he had scored a high 2300 in the 7^th grade, and Johns Hopkins University awarded him a scholarship as the highest middle school scorer in the Centre for Talented Youth Program’s 33-year history. The CTY is a non-profit organization for identifying and developing talents of the most promising K-12 students, helping them fulfill the University’s mission of preparing future contributions to the world.

Varun never practiced to sit for the SAT; he casually decided to take it in the 8^th grade and scored the perfect 2400. For a 14-year, not yet in high school, this is very rare, and at this writing is thought to be the first to do so. A tiny fraction of the 1.6 million college-bound high-school students nationwide achieve the perfect score of 2400, and only after tutoring, grueling study and practice.

Varun also attained a perfect National Science League Examination score, and scored in the top 1% in the American Mathematics Contest at 8^th and 10^th grade levels, and the American Invitational Mathematical Examination.

I have known of Varun since kindergarten; my grandson Nicholas Venezia was in the same class at Dorris Eaton. When I saw his mother, Doctor Vinita Jain again at graduation, I heard that Varun and his brother Vishal, both sitarists, were performing on a CD to be released this summer, with the Bay Area’s prominent Indian musician, Pandit Habib Khan. I knew I had to learn more about the mind, math and music and how they are linked.

Vivek Jain believes that math and music go hand in hand. “Varun showed interest in math and music since kindergarten. At that time he was doing 4^th grade math, finished algebra by the 3^rd grade, and was playing two instruments well; the sitar and violin. He played violin in the Contra Costa Symphony Orchestra and was also performing on the sitar—his favorite sitarist in Nikhil Banerjee,” said Vivek Jain, “and Varun also excels in sports; he played competitively in basketball, was the highest point scorer for their team, and played tennis until the end of the school year…and loves Ping-Pong,” he added.

The Voice of India

Music is a testing ground for mathematical principles in that it follows sounds made by instruments, the notes complimenting scale progression. So I wonder how the harmony of music and math can be related, but as a non-musicologist, I may never understand. Sitar music with its haunting quality, where the strings themselves almost sing, is played on the lap, secured by leg and foot as if an extension of the seated musician.

The sitar is an 18-string teakwood instrument that evolved from the lute circa the 8^th century, and when plucked resonates with distinctive timbres from the gourd-like sound chamber. The instrument was thrust into the Western music scene by three-time Grammy winner, Ravi Shankar; said to have had a musical soul and who left a legacy as the voice of India.

I asked more about Varun’s interest besides math and music. He was selected for Jeopardy Kids at eleven; placed third at Contra Costa County Spelling Bee in 6^th and 7^th grades, and California State Junior Spelling Bee. He beat out Monte Vista High School sophomores and juniors in the Lincoln Douglas Debate; captained the Dorris Eaton Science Bowl Team leading 7^th grade to third place, and 8^th grade finishing second at Lawrence Livermore, Sandia Labs. Out of 300 Math Kids, he won 1^st place two years in a row in the written Regional Math counts, and this year at Stanford campus helped his school team qualify for State for the first time.

Varun Jain’s academic resume is impressive, but he always retains a modest demeanor. His father states, “He believes in doing and performing without the accolades that anyone grants…he is the humblest person.”

Varun is using his spare time wisely; involved in a scholarship college-level course in Computer Science at the Bachelors level at California State University, East Bay, offered by Johns Hopkins University last year for being the highest scorer in CTY history. At the age of 14, Varun has been invited to teach online SAT classes to high school seniors and will be competing at Duke University.

I asked Varun some questions, and was not surprised at his answers; “Varun, who do you most admire and, if you were able, what single thing would you do to change the world, and how do you envision your future?”

“I admire Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein, and if I had the ability, I would make the world a more peaceful place for everyone to live and thrive…and I see myself in the future dealing with technology and the human brain…”

This summer the Jain family will vacation on the Yucatan Peninsula, and are looking forward to parasailing, snorkeling, and of course exploring the two millennia-old pyramids of the Mayan ruins.

Cultivate Peacefulness…from the inside out

August 1, 2013 by Trina Swerdlow Leave a Comment

Unfortunately, feeling peaceful and calm may not be a mainstay of your diet these days–especially if you’re dealing with financial pressures, health challenges, aging parents, or rebellious kids.

In my case, a stressful situation that I recently experienced erupted when a hot water pipe broke, causing a leak that was located underneath the concrete foundation of my house. Oi vey, not fun!

So, when you feel stressed, how do you respond? You might find yourself reaching for…

a) Another glass of wine

b) A cigarette

c) Super salty, deep-fried snacks

d) Excessive sweets (notice that “desserts” is “stressed” spelled backwards)

e) All of the above

Now, since joys and sorrows are both a normal part of life, it can be helpful to develop healthy “self-care tools” to navigate the inevitable stressful times.

One self-care tool that I find difficult to get along without is self-hypnosis. When I’m unable to sleep, one of my most effective relaxation techniques is practicing self-hypnosis. I teach many of my clients how to use self-hypnosis to overcome insomnia and get a good night’s sleep.

Now, let’s get real here. When many of you hear the term hypnosis, you think about the eerie mind-control scenarios from Hollywood’s depictions. Or, if you’ve seen stage hypnosis, then you probably think of a guy with a pendulum telling you to quack like a duck. So let me share with you that stage hypnosis is for entertainment, whereas hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for personal growth and positive transformation.

What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a way to relax and calm your mind, body, and emotions in order to enter a focused state, where challenges and unhealthy habits can be explored. Because the imagination is activated, hypnotherapy is sometimes called “guided imagery.”

It might help to think of your mind as consisting of two parts—the conscious and the unconscious. Your conscious mind operates within your awareness and on a surface level, whereas your unconscious mind operates outside of your conscious awareness and below the surface.

Hypnotherapy addresses challenges and behaviors at a deep, unconscious level—below the surface—to explore issues from the inside out. And just so you know, many of my clients, after completing their first hypnotherapy sessions, express surprise at how inspiring their hypnotherapy experiences were.

What is a Positive Suggestion?

A positive suggestion is a positive statement that relates to a goal. When someone is in a deeply relaxed state during hypnotherapy, his or her unconscious mind can become open and receptive to positive suggestions. A positive suggestion is often the opposite of the self-defeating behavior that the person wants to change.

For example, when clients come to see me with a goal to lose weight, they are often receptive to these positive suggestions:

• You savor juicy fresh fruits and colorful vegetables.

• You feel satisfied after eating small portions during meals.

• You enjoy moving and exercising—and it feels great!

Finally, consider adding self-hypnosis to your “self-care toolkit.” Learn how self-hypnosis assists people to take breaks from their hectic daily routines—to stop pushing, to let go, and cultivate peacefulness…from the inside out.

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Save the Date: Attend Trina’s workshop for women and men— Managing Emotional and Compulsive Eating—at John Muir Women’s Health Center in Walnut Creek: Wednesday, Oct 16, 6:30-8:30 pm. Cost: $40 (Includes Weight Loss: 2-CD set). Seats are limited—register today for this inspiring workshop: (925) 941-7900 option 3. For more info, go to www.TrinaSwerdlow.com & click on “Private Sessions & Workshops.”

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Trina Swerdlow, BFA, CCHT, is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, an artist, and the author and illustrator of Stress Reduction Journal: Meditate and Journal Your Way to Better Health. Trina has a private practice in downtown Danville. You can reach her at: (925) 285.5759, or info@TrinaSwerdlow.com.

Certified Clinical Hypnotherapy services in California can be alternative or complementary to licensed healing arts, such as psychotherapy.

The Kid’s Summer Vacation is coming to an end and … They’re Driving Us Crazy!

August 1, 2013 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

I love having my kids out of school and around the house during the summer months, but filling up their non-school hours is a full-time job. Kids today are so wired to be busy every minute of the day that without school they require constant stimuli to avoid boredom. When we were kids, boredom was part of the appeal of summer vacation. It made the days feel longer and it forced us to entertain ourselves. Of course, that can also lead to problems, because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Today, it’s up to us parents to keep our children constantly involved, engaged and entertained. As we all know, this is not always easy since most kids require instant recognition and gratification (thanks to this generation’s technological lifestyle). This can drive a lot of parents certifiably crazy.

Take my two daughters…please. Over and above the typical day-to-day craziness associated with their cosmetics, hair, clothes, shoes, bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, phones, chores, friends and battles with the adult lady who lives in our house (commonly referred to as Mom), we have new kinds of crazy to deal with that is directly related to the fact that my little girls are now young ladies, aka junior women.

When they were young or little the “crazy factor” was also little. Sure it got crazy at times getting peanut butter out of the dog’s fur, dressing and undressing Sweet Street/Polly Pocket/Barbie/Bratz or American Girl dolls three hundred times a day and playing the role of Prince Eric in the home theatre production of Little Mermaid. Looking back on it now, that was a fun kind of “toddler crazy” compared to the “teenager crazy” that now fills my house.

My soon-to-be sixteen year old, let’s call her Hannah because that’s her name, is really driving me crazy. I mean literally driving me crazy. She has her learner’s permit and has been “taking the wheel” every time we get into the car. She always wants to drive and will find compelling reasons why she needs to drive to her friend’s house, the gym, the grocery store, Santa Rita Jail or the Governor’s office. She’ll also go just about any place I need to go (proctologist office excluded), just so she can drive. Unlike having a qualified chauffeur, being a passenger actually takes concentration and active involvement when you have a student driver behind the wheel. Don’t get me wrong, my daughter is probably as responsible as any sixteen year old out there, but there lies the problem. Teenagers are all text absorbing, attitude giving, Snap-Chatting, gum chewing, YouTubing, hormone raging, late sleeping, Zombie loving demons. This is a description of someone qualified to pet kittens or watch movies, not drive the family SUV. In four short months, the State of California, is in all likelihood, going to give her a license to drive on her own. Are they crazy? It seems like just yesterday that she was wearing Huggies Pull-Ups. Now she’s going to be allowed to operate a moving vehicle… on the streets…by herself? That’s crazy!

When it comes to car related expenses, most teenagers are completely unaware that the whimsical bill-paying fairies (Dad and Mom) who watch over their home on a monthly basis, now must budget for an additional driver. Unlike Aladdin’s magic carpet, cars take gas. Gas costs money. So does insurance, maintenance and air fresheners. Believe me when I say that the average teenager’s car smells like a cross between an over ripe school locker and a sweaty shoe barn, so air fresheners are necessities. They’re also going to find that a carwash isn’t free and I charge standard water rates to use the hose at home.

Hannah’s impending transportation independence will relieve my wife and I from having to drive her everywhere, but this summer, it’s just driving us crazy.

My younger daughter, who we will call Claire, is an incredible athlete. She is equally gifted as a swimmer and soccer player. It is a source of joy and pride to watch her compete in sporting events. Getting her to practices and the email correspondence associated with each sport is what’s driving her mother and me crazy. The swim season starts in late January with stroke clinics. This is followed by pre-season conditioning beginning in early April, and the actual swim season runs from May 1^st through mid August, assuming the swimmer qualifies for the County Championships (which my daughter always does). Soccer, which you would think runs opposite of swim, begins its pre-season workouts pm July 1^st. This is followed by pre-season tournaments beginning in mid-August and the actual soccer season runs September 1^st through mid-April because once they get to the U-14 level, the league must break from November 1^st through the end of February for the high school soccer season. Are you beginning to see our calendar dilemma? There are so many days where she has two sports scheduled at times that often run together or slightly overlap that we’re going crazy getting her to where she needs to be. We often have just seconds to get her from the West side of San Ramon to the base of Mt. Diablo. During the fall, once school is back in session, it’s not uncommon for our four member family to each eat dinner alone or share a family meal at 11:30 pm. I wish we had another driver in the family.

Sports email crazy is something totally different from sports logistics crazy. During a typical swim season, it’s not uncommon to receive 10- to 20 emails per week about practice times, meet instructions and volunteer sign-up duties. I shouldn’t really complain because the previous two years, when I served as swim team President, the number of emails I received was closer to 10-20 per minute. Those crazy emails topics included everything from pop-up tent restrictions, cooler size limitations, private lesson availability, climate control – outside alcohol consumption – by the parents not the swimmers, inappropriate pool attire – again parents (usually the mommies), and volunteer job cancellations. Fortunately, soccer is a little less email crazy thanks to the invention of Shutterfly. However, if you serve on the board of any youth sports program you have my utmost respect, admiration and sympathy for the amount of crazy emails you deal with during any given season. They don’t make over-the-counter headache medication strong enough to deal with all the crazy parents convinced their child is the next Michael Phelps, Mia Hamm or Derek Jeter.

Finally, my girl’s interest in boys (and the boys’ interest in my daughters) might actually make me homicidal crazy, but that’s another article for another day. For now, let’s just say, as much as I love the additional quality time my wife and I get to spend with our loving offspring, you’re crazy if they think we would want the summer to last longer than it already does.

Crazy Razor: A Book Review

August 1, 2013 by Robin Fahr Leave a Comment

“Let me ask you something, Coburn. Some young man in the north says goodbye to his family, knowing he’ll probably never see them again. Then he walks down the Ho Chi Minh trail carrying a couple of mortar rounds or B-40s with ten of his comrades. By the time he gets to this place, maybe eight of his friends are dead because of malaria or B-52s.

This young man comes down here and sits on the riverbank waiting for one of those patrol boats to go by. He sits there with dysentery and no food and finally he sees one of those boats and shoots off his B-40. And misses. The patrol boat calls in an air strike and kills him. And while he’s dying, another ten men say goodbye to their family and march down the trail.”

“So what?” asked Coburn.

“In the south they take a young man, feed him well, put him in good uniforms, give him boots and an M-16 and train him and pay him. And then he goes to war in a helicopter, jumps out and someone shoots at him. What’s he do? He throws away his rifle, throws off his helmet and runs away. So, Coburn, who do you think will win this war?”

And so begins the story of Crazy Razor: A Novel of the Vietnam War, written by decorated combat veteran and Oakland resident, Kenneth Levin. A self-proclaimed student of the war, whose own experiences in Vietnam are combined with the personal interviews of North Vietnamese veterans, Levin deftly explores the nature of man amidst the chaos and horror of war. And while the main character is no prince charming, Crazy Razor demonstrates with stark clarity that the real villain in war is war itself.

I sat down with Levin under the gnarly oak tree in his storybook garden, the sound of his two-year-old granddaughter’s laughter emanating from inside the picture-perfect house he shares with his ever-patient wife of 37 years, Eileen. It surprised me. This seemingly tough guy, this man’s man, shot twice in Vietnam and blinded by an infection he suffered after being dumped in the water, is really just an old softie, wrapped around the finger of an adorable, blonde cherub who has no idea what Grandpa has seen:

ALIVE) In your book, you write with amazing detail about the North Vietnamese soldiers and their side of the Vietnam War. You must have done a lot of research. Or was that a product of your imagination?

KENNETH LEVIN) Both. I wanted the book to be as credible, accurate and realistic as possible. Details of the war from the South Vietnamese and American perspective were readily available, often from my own experience, but not so the details of the north and the National Liberation Front (VC) fighters in the south. When I found I could not get these details from books, libraries, or the web, and my letters to the museums and ministries in Vietnam went unanswered, I had to improvise. Guess. Imagine. Otherwise, I’d have never been able to finish the book. When reviewing the first draft, I decided I needed to fact check my book, to verify that my improvisations were realistic and made sense. So I went to Vietnam, toured the areas I describe in the book, and interviewed combat veterans of the People’s Army and the National Liberation Front. Much to my surprise, I found that my guesses about the other fellows’ lives were pretty accurate.

ALIVE) Your war ended over forty years before you started writing Crazy Razor? Why wait so long?

KENNETH LEVIN) I wanted to write the book, or at least a book, after reading Nicholas Monsarratt’s The Cruel Sea, a wonderful novel based on a Royal Navy officer’s experience during World War II. That was a few years after I returned from Vietnam. But then kids, mortgage, and a job all got in the way. Finally, in 2009, I looked around me and said that if I didn’t write the book now, I never would. So I retired, reached in the bucket, and pulled out the list. Number one was the book.

A) In your book you describe a conversation between an American and a Cambodian mercenary during a night ambush operation that ended tragically. Did that really happen?

KL) That story is based on a conversation I had with a Cambodian mercenary while sitting on a muddy riverbank waiting for the enemy tax collector’s sampan to come into our ambush. That was the first time I questioned what in the hell I was doing in Vietnam and what in the hell was my country doing in Vietnam. For the sake of the story telling, the scene in the book ends differently than what happened on that riverbank. Today we have drones controlled by people sitting thousands of miles away from their targets, while someone, I don’t know where, tells them to shoot or not. In the story, the American is the person who says to shoot or not. And both the character in the story and I had the counsel of a wiser man, the mercenary.

A) I understand your next book has a story in it about the life of a Vietnamese veteran that his daughter told you. How did that come about?

KL) When I was in Hanoi in 2012, I was trying to find People’s Army combat veterans to interview. I had a list of some two dozen questions to ask them. Everything from what did you wear on your feet to did you think you’d survive the war? A young woman in the hotel where I was staying volunteered that her father was a vet and she would be glad to ask him the questions. So I gave her a copy and my email address and went on my travels. About a month after I returned to Oakland, I received an email from her with a lengthy attachment. There were all the answers to my questions and much more. I realized here was a story that needed telling. After nearly a year of email exchanges with the daughter, I had the man’s life story. From the child of a farmer, to a soldier, to a POW, to struggling veteran trying to build a life for his wife and children, to a smiling grandfather. His daughter is a gifted storyteller so together we wrote the short story. But other than the names that she insisted be changed, the story is not fiction. It is true.

A) How would you describe Crazy Razor? What kind of a book is it?

KL) I call it an anti-war novel, as is All Quiet on the Western Front or Bao Ninh’s The Sorrow of War. The problem is that when it comes to publishing, there is no such formal category called “anti-war novel.” So it is officially a war story or historical fiction. But Crazy Razor is really an anti-war novel.

A) For want of a better word, Crazy Razor ends with a surprising twist that may upset the average reader. Why did you do that?

KL) There is no happily-ever-after ending to a war. If they live, they survive. Real life is not bundled up nicely with no strings hanging out. People are disturbed, life has been disrupted and justice isn’t always meted out. I purposely wanted the reader to feel unsettled and disturbed at watching a vainglorious narcissist in close proximity to a righteous murderer. There is no illusion about the goodness of the human heart. I paint an ugly picture, and that can be disturbing. But that is what I meant to do. War is a terrible thing.

A) You were a naval officer who advised the South Vietnamese Navy in 1968 and 1969. One of your main characters is just that. Is this book autobiographical?

KL) That is the most common question I’ve been asked by readers of Crazy Razor. The book is a novel and by definition fiction. But it is also purposely realistic and detailed. In fact, some have criticized the book for too much detail and realism. In order to achieve the realism, I did a lot of research, but I also relied as much on my own experiences and memories. So in that respect, there’s a whole lot of me in the book. But I would not call it autobiographical. At least I hope not, given the character you mention. He’s not a very nice guy.

A) Tell me about the two women in the book, the language instructor and the intelligence analyst. They’re similar in some ways but so different in others. Why these two women?

KL) Both women are Vietnamese, beautiful, intelligent, and sensuous. But one is selfish, calculating and cold. The other is warm, caring and sacrificing. One is dedicated to herself. The other is dedicated to lofty ideals and is also a traitor to her country. I used them to add a touch of soft femininity to a hard environment. And I used them as symbols, as vehicles—one of South Vietnam, the other of the north.

A) What are your next writing projects?

KL) My bucket list is getting longer and longer with stories I want to tell. My next project is a collection of short stories that is, hopefully, in its final drafts. Crazy Razor is a big book, and it would have been even bigger, but I had to stop somewhere. So the things I wanted to write about, but did not, I put together and made sausage. The next book is a collection of sausage links – short stories — some are grim, some are humorous. And some address the question that once the war is over, what does a person do with all these memories? How can one live with oneself after witnessing and committing what by any standards are atrocities? The project after that one goes off to the publisher is a book based on my late brother’s diary that he kept while an army surgeon in Vietnam during 1965 and 1966. That one will be nonfiction.

A) In your author’s notes at the beginning of Crazy Razor you state that the only villain is the war itself. But at least one of your central characters appears to be quite villainous. How could you say there are no villains?

KL) I’m sticking by my notes. The two characters are men who, if they never went to war, would probably live quiet and lawful lives—one as an academic in a university in Hanoi, the other as a businessman in Hartford or St. Louis. One may be sociopathic but never put in an environment that allows that to come out. But both men do go to war and are put into an environment that allows them to commit heinous and vicious acts of violence. Both do villainous things. But neither would have if not in war. In The Cruel Sea, Monsarratt says that the only villain in the Atlantic in World War II was the sea itself. My feelings that war, not the men fighting it, is the villain are similar to his. A psychologist wrote me and said, “Altogether, I found it a profound book about the motives we use to justify our actions, the ugliness of war and the latitude it gives people to be at their very worst.”

A)Who’s your target audience for this book?

KL) When asked that question by the publishers, I thought for a bit and decided that since Crazy Razor was classified as a war story, the target was probably males over 50. But much to my surprise, women seem to like the book. Several have said that they avoid war stories but did read mine and enjoyed it. I don’t know if “enjoy” can be applied to a book of the horrors of war.

A) How did you come up with the title “Crazy Razor?”

KL) My call sign when I was in-country was Crazy Racer. With a “cer,” instead of a “zor.” It was a little like Alfred Hitchcock popping up in one of his movies for a few seconds.

A) How cathartic was it for you to write this story? Did you get rid of some of your demons for good?

KL) I certainly didn’t write the book for catharsis, but I think it was certainly personally cathartic for me. No, I did not get rid of any demons. But I did learn to live with the memories.

A) Once the war is over, what does a soldier do with all those memories? How can one live with oneself after committing all those atrocities?

KL) I don’t know. Do we manipulate our code of ethics according to the context? Much smarter people than I will have to answer these questions. I’m sure many psychologists at the VA are immersed in this serious and knotty question.

A) You were wounded twice, lost your vision and contracted an Agent Orange connected cancer. Why aren’t you bitter?

KL) No one can be bitter with the family I have, the friends I have and the life I have. I’m doing what I want to do. And when I feel like taking a nap, I just lie down and take one. Beat that if you can.

Kenneth Levin will be at Towne Center Books, 555 Main Street in Pleasanton, CA on Wednesday, August 21 at 7:00 pm. Crazy Razor is also available at Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com.

Trivial Matters: All Things American!

August 1, 2013 by Ben Fernandez Leave a Comment

Isn’t it great looking out on San Francisco Bay to see the magnificent sailing boats competing in the America’s Cup? Of course, a few of the races feature just one boat, but who’s counting. One boat or four, they are truly beautiful. Anything that uses the names America is worthy of our attention, so let’s look at a few things American.

1. What year was the American League formed to do battle once a year with the National League of Baseball?

2. “America, America” was a famous movie director’s 1963 tribute to his father, who sailed from his native Greece to a new life in America. Who was this two time Oscar winning director?

3. Irving Berlin wrote “God Bless America,” but what two people wrote “America, the Beautiful?”

4. Dick Clark’s name is synonymous with “American Bandstand,” but he was not the original host. Who was the Philadelphia DJ who inaugurated the show?

5. “Cavalcade of America” was a weekly radio anthology of the 40s and 50s. The sponsor promised “Better Living through Chemistry.” Who was that sponsor?

6. Who was the alter ego of “Captain America,” who began appearing in Marvel Comics in 1941?

Passport Travel: Zgorzelec

August 1, 2013 by Harry Hubinger Leave a Comment

It occurred to me the other day, while talking travel with some friends, that there are two very distinct approaches to visiting far-off places. My hypothesis was reinforced over the next week or so as I read a travel magazine and studied several trip brochures from travel agencies and cruise lines. The two approaches – well there’s the predictable and the unpredictable.

Choosing the predictable assures a trip that each night one will have a comfortable bed. Each day will be greeted with regular meals and meaningful visits to places of interest. The tourist can leave an itinerary with friends or children and be assured that their progress will proceed on an orderly schedule. This assurance, whether on a cruise or with a tour group, can relieve a great deal of stress while exposing oneself to totally unfamiliar conditions. The unpredictable, just as it sounds, has its surprises on the upside, and its disappointments and frustrations on the downside.

While we have used the “predictable” method a number of times and thoroughly enjoyed the trip, our tendency is to muddle along in the unpredictable mode. Occasionally we discover unique individual treasures and other times we chastise ourselves for the mistakes that have put us in awkward circumstances.

We recently spent almost three weeks in Europe, and I would like to share with you our successes and our failures.

One of our successes is referred to as “the train lady.” Another day dawned bright and clear even if the thermometer was about three degrees centigrade. We decided on the spur of the moment to visit the city of Görlitzwhich sits on the Polish border. Who knows why? We jumped on the local train and found ourselves next to a German lady who taught English to four to ten year olds at a school in Dresden. She was on her way to a little town, just short of Görlitz, and she entertained us with one of her life stories.

She told us about growing up in eastern Germany – about watching the two republics unite – and woven through these historic events the romance of her daughter and the son of an Italian chef. It seems that just after World War II an Italian cook, unable to make a good living for his family in Italy, came to this area in Germany and opened a restaurant in Bautzen. Here his children grew up, especially one who was a handsome black-haired, black-eyed boy. This young man pursued a beautiful long haired blond German girl – and thus a family was born. Our train companion was the young lady’s mother and was on her way to visit the family who ran a pizzeria in the town of Bautzen. I would like to tell you we stopped off in Batuzen and ordered a pizza, but, alas, our ticket would not allow it. However, believe me – it is high on my bucket list for the next visit to this area of Germany.

I now need to balance off the wonderful “train lady experience” with the rest of that day in Görlitz. In retrospect I cannot remember why we ever felt a desire to visit this little out-of-the-way town in Poland named Zgorzelec.

We get along fairly well with my third grade German, but here in Zgorzelec it just didn’t work. This should come as no surprise to you – they speak Polish in Poland. My Polish is limited to a handful of swear words, and I did not deem them proper to use.

There may also be a small enmity between the Germans who live on one side of the Lusatian Neisse River and the Poles who occupy the other bank. At any rate, this town apparently is not a big tourist location. We discovered this when we found people staring at us as we tried desperately to find a place to eat. Then there was the menu. No helpful pictures, no second language explanations, merely three or four Polish words in large type followed by ten to twelve words in tiny print. And then there was the confusing price. Again no surprise here – the prices were in zlotys – and all we had were Euros.

To compound the matter, I am married to a vegetarian; and, apparently the Polish people in Zgorzelec eat only meat.

Ah well, we escaped with our dignity only slightly bruised, and while the “train lady” story lives on happily in our memory, the painful day in Zgorzelec has been nearly forgotten.

Mi Casa is My Home

August 1, 2013 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

A short time ago I happened to mention to a friend that I have not had a good pupusa in a long time. Let me back track. How does a suburban boy, brought up in the mean streets of Danville, come to have a hankering for such a traditional South American dish? Why, working in the food industry, of course. The front of the house may be serving steak, burgers, seafood, pastas, or whatever identity any given restaurant may hold, but be assured that the back of the house is eating Mexican, El Salvadorian, Guatemalan, or any other fare that makes up the heritage of most of the work force.

Tamales and Pupusa were staples in “bring your lunch to work,” as not only are they tasty, but their inexpensive ingredients go a long way. And, they instill a sense of communal eating. They also travel well and keep for long periods of time as breaks in the kitchen may be few and far between. But I digress.

Thinking, naturally, I would have to travel to San Francisco to indulge in this growing obsession, I was very surprised when my friend told me to meet him at Mi Casa in Walnut Creek.

This corner home has been transformed into the perfect representation of the colorful eateries south of the border. Small and unassuming, you are greeted at the front by a zen fountain and walk in directly into the small, yet full, bar. The Dining rooms is split in two with a series of small tables that can easily be configured to accommodate any number of large parties, and just past the sliding glass doors lay the patio with brightly colored umbrellas and flags. I knew at once, that this place is authentic.

In 2007, Argentina Maldonado decided that she had sat on her family’s recipes too long and opened the doors of her family establishment, intent upon delivering authentic Mexican and Central American cuisine.

There is no reason that Argentina should not be home balancing the books and popping in the restaurant from time to time to say hello, but she is there, every day, taking your order and making suggestions. The smile on her face as she works the floor would suggest that this is new, but it is not; she is merely thrilled that you are there in her home away from home.

We started with the tortilla soup—a mild broth which allowed the textures of the individual ingredients to burst through, accented by huge chunks of fresh avocado. Next, we had the cactus salad. This dish has single-handedly kept me up at night; it has been the wager on inner office bets, and has had me planning full meals around the take-home order. The salad is made of real cactus, viscous and healthy, combined with black beans, veggies and spices that you could not pull apart with a chemistry degree. The only way to describe the cactus salad is, “cathartic.”

Then the pupusas. Three standard choices: Bean, Loroco (an edible vine flower) or Reveuelta (combination of bean, cheese and pork), all served with the orangish salsorojo and shredded pickled cabbage, stuffed inside a thick corn tortilla. Unlike my experiences in many kitchens, these come pre-assembled for your enjoyment and cut into quarters.

The best thing that ever happened me is when our company took office space just a half block away from MiCasa. The saddest thing that ever happened is when we moved to San Ramon.

We still make the trek back there when one of us in the office wins a friendly cactus salad and pupusa bet and we have taken to creating bets just to insure we get to go. I won a bet recently centered on the television show The Bachelorette (don’t judge me).

Argentina has created a space to share her passion and properly calls it, “My Home!”

Mi Casa, 2195 N Broadway Walnut Creek, 925 937 8800