Troops help seven-year-old boy injured during fighting in Marjah

I want to share this story:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35408016/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

The troops in Afghanistan are conducting an offensive on Marjah. This weekend, a seven-year-old boy named Sayd was shot in the crossfire, receiving a wound to the lower chest. His father and a friend transported him over rough terrain to a NATO base near Badula Qulp. A Canadian troop and soldiers of the US 23rd of 4 loaded the boy into a Stryker and worked quickly to stabilize him. He was transported by a medevac from the British facility, Camp Bastion.

I hope to read of his recovery soon.

Source of all photos: AP via this site:

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/23rd-Infantry-Regiment-Lashkar-Gah-Helmand-province/photo//100215/481/f0b69d33d98245ceabcbceb080720cb4//s:/ap/20100215/ap_on_re_as/as_afghan_boy_s_ordeal#photoViewer=/100215/481/f0b69d33d98245ceabcbceb080720cb4

31 MAR signing at RJ Julia in Madison, CT

I was very excited to learn that my book was on display at RJ Julia Book Sellers in Madison Connecticut! My parents snapped this picture on their iPhone and sent it to me:

RJ Julia is an awesome book store and has been a solid Madison fixture since it opened. It is a real honor to get to do a signing there on 31 MAR because of the many illustrious authors who have been there before me and also because it's in my hometown! In these days of big box stores choking off the small business owners, it is great to see an independent American business that does it better than the international corporations.

You can read more about RJ Julia here:

http://www.rjjulia.com/

The Raven Drum Foundation Resiliency program.

The Raven Drum Foundation is a non-profit in Malibu that was founded by Drummer Rick Allen of Def Leppard and Lauren Monroe.

They have helped hundreds of veterans through their Veterans Resiliency Project. The course teaches veterans to use drumming, dance, exercise and meditation to perservere through injury and PTSD.

Rick Allen was able to make an incredible comeback when he returned to Def Leppard after losing his arm in a crash, and it is good to see he is sharing that will with others.

You can read more here:

http://www.ravendrumfoundation.org/programs/resiliency-program.html

And here is a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL_05Dx2xwM