(CBS/AP) Actor Daniel von Bargen, who played George Costanza’s boss “Dr. Kruger” on “Seinfeld,” shot himself in the head in what appears to be a failed suicide attempt, police say.
Montgomery police Chief Don Simpson says the 61-year-old actor called 911 on Monday morning after shooting himself in the temple at his suburban Cincinnati apartment.
He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was reportedly in critical condition. TMZ posted audio from the 911 call.
Officials said Thursday that von Bargen told the 911 dispatcher he was supposed to go to a hospital that day to have some toes amputated because of diabetes complications and had already had one leg amputated. He said he was feeling depressed before he shot himself.
Von Bargen appeared in four episodes of “Seinfeld” and played Commandant Edwin Spangler on “Malcolm in the Middle.” He also had one-off roles on “Party of Five,” “The Practice” and “The West Wing.”
via www.cbsnews.com
Monthly Archives: February 2012
Trauma and Adversity in Childhood: History Need Not Be Destiny
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” An emotional and powerful read that my push the buttons and heart strings of some of you that may have had trauma during your childhood. It is never too late to get a get a good grip of your past and leave it there and move forward to healthy living, both body and mind.
Once again, the American Academy of Pediatrics is demonstrating its clinical leadership. Two recent, groundbreaking reports – “The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress” and “Early Childhood Adversity, Toxic Stress, and the Role of the Pediatrician: Translating Developmental Science Into Lifelong Health” – by the Academy boldly declare what has been known but too hidden from sight: Namely, that brain and emotional development is profoundly disrupted by childhood adversity and trauma.
The pediatric academy quotes Frederick Douglass who said “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Continue reading
Former Israeli Military Trainer and Gay Porn Star Found Dead of Apparent Suicide
This is the exact reason why I chose to start this website, to help bring awareness to topics such depression and anxiety among gay men. A beautiful man, perfect on the outside, assumed to have it all, dead. Little did anyone know that Dror Barak, 38, now come to find out was struggling with some major depression issues. We need to push forward and get the conversation started on the topic of mental health. We need to diminish the stigma behind mental health issues and make it okay to talk about. Roman, whose real name was Dror Barak, should still be with us today.
UPDATE: We received a note from Dror’s boyfriend Sam who confirmed the sad news and asked that people be respectful with regards to Dror’s privacy in the comments.
Sam writes:
Details are mostly personal depression issues.
His business was doing amazingly well and was expanding rapidly and he was so busy he literally could not take any more clients on himself he had to hire more trainers. So it had nothing to do with that. I only say this because he was so proud of his business and I was so proud of him for being such a hard worker and building a business with dedicated top level personal training clients.
Despite what anyone thinks Dror was a loving kind person and anyone that would comment and say he wasn’t just probably misinterpreted his shyness as meanness. He was the most gentle, loving, kind, amazing man I have ever met.
Dror Barak, 38, was found dead Saturday night of an apparent suicide. A former Israeli military trainer who achieved stardom under the name Roman Ragazzi, Barak hadn’t been active in porn since 2008. He left the industry to concentrate on a fitness company he founded.
While working as an administrative aide for the Israeli Consulate scandal Barak Barak was outed as a porn star in 2007 by the New York Post’s Page Six gossips, resulting in a minor scandal. He resigned, then later started a fitness blog as well as what some say was a legendary career in porn. His boyfriend told a gay porn blog (NSFW) that though Barak’s business was going well, he suffered from depression.
It’s rumored that male porn stars have a very high rate of suicide, and according to this list posted on a NSFW blog, there appears to be some truth to the rumor. Susannah Breslin tried to explain the reasoning for this strange phenomenon over at Salon after the suicide of porn star Stephen Hill.
[article via Out Magazine]
Openly gay Temple Gymnast Dash Sears also Mr. Gay Philadelphia “not short … but fun-sized”
Junior Temple University gymnast Dash Sears is the reigning Mr. Gay Philadelphia, winning the title last spring. He is one of two openly gay gymnasts on the team, along with Evan Burke, who is out this season with a broken foot (last year’s team had a third gay gymnast, John Gaffney).
Thanks to our friend Dan Anders, below is a gallery of Sears, 21, competing at a meet this month. On his profile page at Mr. Gay, Sears — who stands 5-2, describes himself as “not short … but fun-sized,” adding:
I’m both a political theorist AND activist with stints supporting Occupy Philadelphia and talking to LGBT youth about coming out and growing up gay moving from a small town in PA to a big city. If you’re not an actor you’ll never be a factor. It’s time we show that the LGBT community is made up of people that deserve rights and freedoms [not corporations). Have a very gay day!
Instinct Magazine last year had a terrific profile of Sears, Burke and Gaffney and the bond they formed. There is a funny anecdote of how Sears came out to his parents, surrounded by his entire team:
“[It was] after a competition in Annapolis, at a Chili’s,” he says, with a laugh. “I had the entire team around me. They didn’t know I was going to come out, but I thought, ‘If it’s going to be awkward for me, it was going to be awkward for everyone!’ It was funny though, and we all laughed about it on the way home. My parents kind of knew, but they wanted to hear it from me.”
Competition photos of Sears by Dan Anders. Check out his complete February Temple gymnastics photo gallery. NoH8 photo of Sears from the NoH8 campaign
Get a Strong & Studly Back: A guide to a Strong and Flexible Back
I’m not sure about you, but I hear more complaints about back stress and injuries than any other. Sounds like a no brainer then to strengthen that area and learn pain coping skills if needed.
A guide to a strong and flexible back. Includes 5 tips for an ergonomic work station, 10 back exercises, and suggestions for coping with back pain.
You or someone you know has a bad back. More than 80 million Americans suffer from some form of back pain, spending billions of dollars every year seeking help and relief. Most back troubles are mechanical – that is, related to the arrangement of muscles, ligaments, disks, and bones that make up the spine. There is a lot you can do to keep your back strong and supple and avoid debilitating pain.
How to have a healthy back
Watch how you work. If you spend a lot of time at a desk or keyboard, you can take simple steps to work more comfortably and keep your back healthy. Here are some basic guidelines for an ergonomic office work station.
1. Keep good posture. Your back should be straight, with your arms and shoulders relaxed. Don’t rest the telephone on your shoulder.
2. Use a proper chair. Find one that is stable and adjustable, with a seat at least 15 inches deep and 18 inches wide. When you sit at the keyboard, your thighs and forearms should be parallel to the floor. Make sure you have lower back support, starting about 6 inches above the seat. Continue reading
Marshall Clinic to Discuss Men’s Body-Image Issues
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Women aren’t the only ones with body-image problems, and Marshall University’s Psychology Clinic plans to offer men a chance to talk about their issues.
Psychology professor Keith Beard says men, too, are bombarded with images and messages about how they should look. He says it can create stress and depression for some men that can harm self-esteem and relationships.
The sessions will last eight weeks and will be held on Tuesdays starting in March.
Study Offers Strong Evidence That Colonoscopy Saves Lives
(Reuters Health) – Doctors now have strong evidence that colonoscopies save lives, a finding that may encourage more people to get the dreaded tests to detect and prevent colon cancer.
A team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York found that colonoscopies in which precancerous polyps, known as adenomas, are removed can cut the risk of dying from colon cancer by 53 percent. The study appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In theory, adenoma removal saves lives by preventing a tumor. Ann Zauber of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, chief author of the long-term evaluation of polyp removal, and her colleagues said their work demonstrates that. Continue reading
Nip, Tuck, Grow! 5′ 6″ Man Underwent Leg-Lengthening Procedure to Become Six Foot Tall
How far is too far? What would you do for another 6 inches? Height men, not the little guy downstairs.
Standing five foot six inches tall he was was well within the boundaries of normal.
But, in his mind’s eye, the New Yorker, who wants to be known only as Apotheosis, saw himself in a different light- as a statuesque six foot.
Desperate to become the man he believed he should be, the determined 37-year-old turned to drastic measures- undergoing agonising, expensive surgery.
The procedure, in which both legs are broken and then slowly stretched, bears more than a little resemblance to medieval torture.
But the brave patient has now achieved a remarkable six inches of extra height. Continue reading
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture with San Francisco’s Eric Kerr Q & A and Demo Videos
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture with San Francisco’s Eric Kerr.
• Diminished Fine Lines and Wrinkles
• Increased Collagen Production
• Brighter Eyes
• Lifted Eyelids
• Reduced Under Eye Bags and Puffiness
• Enhanced Skin Tone
• Tightened Pores
• Improved Facial Muscle Tone
• Increased Moisture
• Reduced Scar Tissue
As part of our health video series we visit with San Francisco Acupuncturist Eric Kerr who practices out of The Blue Buddha that’s nestled in a classic San Francisco building, just a few steps away from the bustling Polk Street corridor, rests a sanctuary created just for you. An intimate space that feels like home.” We first discuss with Eric his exciting new treatment he is offering, “Facial Rejuvenation” Acupuncture.”
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture helps the whole body look and feel younger. Acupuncture needles are inserted into the facial skin to relax the muscles that cause wrinkles and tighten loose skin by stimulating the production of collagen – softening lines and preventing future wrinkles.
By addressing the emotional, mental and physical stresses that cause disease and accelerate aging, this Constitutional Facelift goes beyond mere cosmetics and deals directly with the health of the body’s largest organ – the skin.
This non-invasive process costs less than surgical procedures, is less toxic than medications, and draws upon the ancient Chinese wisdom related to longevity and overall balance. After the first treatment, experience a glowing complexion – feel and look “well rested.”"
We have a short Q & A to discuss this treatment’s benefits and how to prepare your self for your appointment.
Find Eric on FACEBOOK:http://www.facebook.com/AcupunKerr
Men’s Issues, Are We Disposable? Video
I’m not buying it all , but an interesting and thought provoking viewing.
What are men’s issues? Watch this short flash video to get a beginning concept. Societal forces like chivalry, misandry and the onerous male sex function of give and shield have been having the unfortunate consequence of obscuring the demands of guys. This brief video will give you an introductory glimpse of some men’s issues. Some resources: Fiebert Bibliography examines examines 282 scholarly investigations: 218 empirical studies and 64 critiques and/or analyses, which demonstrate that girls are as physically aggressive, or much more aggressive, than men in their relationships with their spouses or male partners. The aggregate sample size in the reviewed research exceeds 369800. http://www.csulb.edu A Voice for Men avoiceformen.com yrsiliconvalley.org
