Thursday, June 29, 2006

The Things We Hold On To

When I was about 14, the local community center in High Hill, MO (my hometown), liquidated its' "library"; a locked room that was stacked floor to ceiling with old books. It was first come, first take and I, as a greedy 14 year old, was taking books I knew darned good and well I'd never read. One book I thought I -might-flip through was entitled something like, "Ozark Folklore and Magic." Hardback, about 200 pages, this book gave all sorts of legends and myths that come from the Ozark Mountains. I don't remember a whole lot about the book, but there was one chapter on weddings and funerals. For whatever reason, I remember that rain holds special meaning to both weddings and funerals (according to myth, obviously). If it rains on a wedding day, the marriage is doomed. If it rains on the day of a funeral, it is a sign from God that the soul of the person reached heaven.

There are things in our life we just can't shake, no matter how ridiculous they are. I mean, does anyone really believe that a drizzle on a wedding day means the two folks walking down the aisle will end up on an episode of "Divorce Court"? Highly doubtful.

But, every time I attend a funeral, I hope for rain. Just one of those things I hold onto.

Monday morning (just three days ago), I received a call at 6:30 a.m. that my paternal grandmother passed away in her sleep. She'd struggled for the last eight months and this was truly a blessing that she was released from her pain. And today is the funeral. And isolated T-storms are in the forecast. And it's something I hold onto - that little bit of knowledge that, however ridiculous it might sound, proves that my grandmother made it into the paradise of the hereafter.


www.marcusengel.com
www.myspace.com/marcusengel

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Personal Connections

This morning, my favorite morning talk show had a guest in the studio, baseball Hall of Famer, Lou Brock. Listeners were invited to call in and give their favorite memories of Lou and I was sorta surprised by those who did.

There were no calls about, "Hey, in the 1974 series with the Cubs, you stole three bases... I was in the crowd that day!" In fact, there was very little focus on his "on the field" life-most everything was the personal connections Mr. Brock had with people in the outside world.

One woman, now in her 40s, called to say she'd won a contest in the mid-70s and she, as a little girl, got to hang out in the Cardinals dugout and talk to the players. She has a pic of her sitting on Brock's lap with Hall of Famer Red Schoendist to her side. Another caller thanked Lou for all the work he has done in the past with camps for children who are deaf and hearing impaired. Another thanked him for the time he spent talking to her son five years ago at a charity event.

Here is Lou Brock who is most well-known for his baseball abilities... and the biggest testament to his life is that his actions off the field are even more meaningful. THAT is the way we should all live – that our actions both in our professional careers AND in our private lives reflect one another.

Monday, June 26, 2006

It's What She Would Want

Last Wednesday, during the height of excitement and fun at Camp TAMBO, I received a call that my very good friend, Tempe Humphrey, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

For those who've read the 2nd edition of my autobiography, you met Tempe as my main superior when I interned with the Missouri Division. of Highway Safety while a junior in college. Tempe was the youth safety specialist and helped establish my career as a professional speaker, simply by introducing me to various youth and safety organizations around the state. Tempe and hr husband, David, became good friends – so much so that when Dasher, my first Seeing Eye dog, retired he was lovingly adopted into the Humphrey household. Last Tuesday, Tempe and her husband were riding their motorcycle when they were struck by a truck. Tempe died almost immediately and David was critically injured.

Both the visitation and funeral were held before my week of camp had ended. Could I have left camp early to pay my final respects to Tempe? Sure. Did I think about it? Sure. But when it gets right down to it, I think Tempe would have wanted me to be where I was, doing what I do. She'd dedicated the last decade plus to helping youth, and I hope the work I did with the young people at Camp TAMBO did, in someway, help to carry on the legacy Tempe has left behind.

She will be missed. Terribly.


marcus@marcusengel.com
www.myspace.com/marcusengel

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Ka-BOOM!

Experts estimate that sometime this fall, the U.S. population will reach 300 million.

It's impossible to have an accurate total for population since every eight seconds a new life comes into the world within the American borders. Throw in immigration and we're adding a significant amount to the population every day. Even with the deaths of millions of Americans per year, there is still a large uptick in our population.

Not sure about you, but this scares me a bit. At this rate, within my lifetime, we could see America's population density reach the levels that India now hosts. Um, that's too many people for this mid-western boy who happens to like his backyard; NOT people living on top of me.

Still, no matter your take on this, it is a significant time in American history. It's quite obvious that the world, not just America, may be populating itself right out of a food supply.

The Week That Was...

If you've checked the blog in the last week and found no entries, well, there's good reason. For the last seven days, I've been in the wilds of Missouri filling my annual role of camp counselor at Camp Mo-Val/TAMBO. A very special thanks goes to all the wonderful high schoolers in my family group, not to mention my co-counselor, Vicky, and our triad leader, Clovis. Words cannot express just how awesome all of you are and how special this week was. Congrats to all the graduating seniors and I hope to see y'all back at camp when you're ready to fill in as counselors!

www.marcusengel.com
www.myspace.com/marcusengel

TIME

LONDON (June 21) - For those who think the world is obsessed with "time," an Oxford dictionary added support to the theory Thursday in announcing that the word is the most often used noun in the English language.
"The" is the most commonly used word overall, followed by "be," "to," "of," and, "a," "in," "that," "have," and "I," according to the "Concise Oxford English Dictionary."
On the list of top 25 nouns, time is followed by other movement indicators with "year" in third place, "day" in fifth and "week" at No. 17.
The dictionary used the Oxford English Corpus -- a research project into English in the 21st century -- to come up with the lists.
Among nouns, "person" is ranked at No. 2, with "man" at No. 7 and "woman" at No. 14. "Child" appears at No. 12.
"Government" appears at No. 20 while "war," at No. 49, trumps "peace," which did not make the top 100.
The list of top 25 nouns: time, person, year, way, day, thing, man, world, life, hand, part, child, eye, woman, place, work, week, case, point, government, company, number, group, problem, fact.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Owls

When Hurricane Katrina hit the N'Orleans area, we saw one of the stupidest, stupidest things ever witnessed-the government handing out $2000 debit cards to people who were displaced. Now, before you call me a cold hearted, penny-pinching conservative, I was all for this...but no one, NO ONE in their right mind wanted to see these cards have no limitations as to purchases. In the last few days, worst fears are confirmed. Porn videos, booze, strip clubs-precisely what you'd expect if you gave out federal monies with no restrictions.

Well, who'd have thunk it, but Hooters restaurants are now a pretty good place, in my book at least. Granted, they're overpriced, the wings aren't that great and sometimes I'm a little afraid of what I might catch in there, but hey, live on the edge, right?

Well, one of the ridiculous purchases made on a debit card was a $200 bottle of DP; a champagne only consumed by people with too much money and too little sense. Well, FEMA ran up a cool $1 billion on these debit cards and they've been crying the blues ever since the report came back telling how abused this program was. Well, Hooters offered(and the feds accepted), a reimbursement of the $200 bottle of champagne. Who'd have thunk owls were so generous?

www.marcusengel.com
www.myspace.com/marcusengel

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Charity At Its Best!

Today, Bill Gates announced that in two years, he'll stop handling the day-to-day duties of Microsoft. Why would the richest man in the world give up the baby he's raised since the 70s? His answer was simple: to concentrate more of his energies on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Really, how much money can one person have? Apparently Bill has asked himself this question and come up with an answer - no one knows for sure, but I have enough! I love this idea that a businessman will put aside the usual tasks of making everything bigger, faster, better and, of course, more profitable. Seeing Gates do this now really makes me know that there are businessmen out there with true integrity that want to help the world.

www.marcusengel.com
www.myspace.com/marcusengel

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

New York Times Article!

For Disabled Travelers, Many an Obstacle Along the Way
By SARA J. WELCH
In March, Carol Cocuzzi and her boss flew to Denver on a business trip. When they arrived, two men who worked for a company hired by the airline came aboard to help Ms. Cocuzzi, who uses a wheelchair, get off the plane.
The normal procedure is to transfer passengers from their seat onto a "straight chair"— an armless chair that can roll down the aisle — and then wheel the person off the plane, where a wheelchair is waiting. But in this case, the situation went awry.
"One of the men looked at my boss and asked, 'Can she stand up?' " recalled Ms. Cocuzzi, who is a vice president at Accessibility Development Associates, a Pittsburgh firm that advises businesses on complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. "She answered, 'She's sitting right there. Why don't you ask her?' "
Ms. Cocuzzi, who has brittle bones because of a genetic disease, told the men that she needed to be lifted and could not raise her arms. "One of them asked me, 'Could you put your arms around my neck and hold on?' " she said. "They didn't get it."
Ultimately, Ms. Cocuzzi said, she was helped by a baggage handler who had brought her wheelchair onto the jetway. "The baggage guy said, 'My brother has a spinal cord injury and I lift him every day,' " Ms. Cocuzzi said.
Accessibility for disabled passengers is mandated by the Air Carrier Access Act, which was passed in 1986. The Americans with Disabilities Act, which bars discrimination against the disabled, was passed in 1990.
Even so, many people who are familiar with the issue said that experiences like Ms. Cocuzzi's were all too common. Businesses, they say, may be following the letter of the regulations in accessibility, but not the spirit of them. All too often, they say, companies fall short in the way they accommodate people.
"The hospitality industry has done a fairly good job of making the physical aspects of travel accessible," said Cricket Park, former deputy executive director for the Association on Higher Education and Disability and now an independent meeting planner in Columbus, Ohio. "But there is still work to be done as far as educating people so that the attitude toward disability is one of welcome, rather than something they have to put up with. Unless someone has a relative or other personal experience with a disability, it's just not on people's radar."
"There is major customer service inconsistency," said Eric Lipp, executive director of the Open Doors Organization, a nonprofit group based in Chicago that researches travel by people with disabilities. According to an Open Doors survey from 2005, more than 80 percent of adults with disabilities who have traveled by air encountered obstacles. Their two most common complaints were the handling of devices like wheelchairs or scooters and the quality of the contracted workers, such as those who were unable to assist Ms. Cocuzzi.
Mr. Lipp is optimistic the situation will improve. In mid-May, he met with representatives of several airlines and their trade group, the Air Transport Association, to address these complaints. "The fact that 13 airlines showed up is amazing," he said. "They're really starting to open their eyes."
The airlines trade group helped organize the meeting. "We're always looking for ways to help our members improve their delivery of services and ensure that they comply with the law," said Sophy Chen, a senior attorney at the trade association, who attended. The Open Doors survey showed that 71 percent of disabled adults — more than 21 million people — traveled in the last two years. And a 2002 study revealed that disabled people spent $13.6 billion annually on travel.
"This is a huge market," said Joan W. Stein, chief executive of Accessibility Development Associates, and Ms. Cocuzzi's boss. Census Bureau figures released in April showed that 51.2 million people, or 18 percent of the population, had some sort of disability.
"That doesn't even touch the whole demographic of seniors," Ms. Stein added.
Mr. Lipp agreed. "There are a lot of mature travelers who don't self-identify as disabled but could use a walker or a large-print menu," he said. "They won't necessarily ask for it ahead of time, but if it's offered to them, they'll take it." Open Doors estimates that disabled and mature travelers spend $38 billion on travel. "This segment of the population has been overlooked," said Suzanne D. Cook, senior vice president of research at the Travel Industry Association of America. "Given that aging and disability are correlated, there will be millions more of these travelers."
Level Travel, an organization in Coatesville, Pa., has a Web site (http://www.leveltravel/ .com) that ranks hotels and restaurants in major cities on their accessibility for four groups: older travelers and travelers with mobility, hearing or vision impairment.
Jamie Sharples, Level Travel's president, said he founded the company three years ago because of inconsistencies he found in the travel industry. "We wanted to provide a standard instead of getting someone's opinion" on whether a facility was accessible, he said.
Kevin Maher, a vice president who handles adherence to regulations at the American Hotel and Lodging Association, said he had not heard any complaints that accessibility for the disabled was inconsistent within hotel chains. "Our industry is heavily franchised, though, so that may occasionally create some disconnect," he said.
Marcus Engel, a motivational speaker in St. Louis, Mo., who is blind and travels with a seeing-eye dog, said that contrary to the experiences of many disabled travelers, he had few complaints. "My career is about teaching people to overcome problems, so I may gloss over things, but in 11 years of traveling I've only had one true case of discrimination," he said. In January, he was returning home from a business trip and was refused entry into a taxi cab because of his dog, he said.
Mr. Engel added that he was suing the cab driver. "I hate to sue anyone, but when I give presentations people ask me what they should do if they're refused admittance anywhere," he said. "My answer is that it's a question of civil rights. Dr. King fought for everyone's civil rights, and I'm going to fight for mine."

Monday, June 12, 2006

Goin' Green...sorta

Robert Redford was interviewed on NPR this morning. Not about his career in film (though most callers asked entertainment related questions), but rather about his new favorite interest: the environment. After the usual complaints about how no one in government does anything positive for the environment, a reader E mailed in her question: Do you, Mr. Redford, drive a hybrid car? His answer? "Well, I have one ordered." He further explained that all sorts of dealerships had offered him hybrid cars, but those promises never panned out. While I don't believe him, it's a feasible response. Still, at the very heart of this matter, it doesn't show a whole lot of integrity.

A couple of months ago, film crews followed around several lawmakers in D.C. to see what they drove to press conferences; press conferences that were specifically about energy consumption, gas prices and how to protect the environment. What was reported (and who really knows if the media gives the full story), was that the Senators and Congressmen were driving ginormous SUVs, luxury sedans and other gas guzzlers to these environmental conferences. One showed up in a hybrid car, gave his program and then drove away in the same hybrid - only the media crew filmed him then exiting his hybrid just a block from the conference. Then, being that we know politicians have such great integrity, he proved it by then getting in an SUV that was the size of a northeastern state.

Look, everyone is a hypocrite to some extent. But to be the person who blows the horn of despair over the environment, but yet take no personal responsibility, is the paramount of hypocriticism. This isn't just the environmental issue. It's with anything that is a hot button issue. If you can't walk it like you talk it, then shut up!


Saturday, June 10, 2006

Friday Fun!

Yesterday, I had the opprotunity to play in a golf tournament for chairity. The organization that benefitted from the money raised is Camp Weloki; a camp that promotes healthy relationships for kids with their peers, family and community. Learn more about them at:

www.weloki.com

The sponsor, Renaissance Financial, is who I go to with any and all issues surrounding money. That and the fact they employ several of my friends! Their site is:

www.renaissancefinancial.com

Now, I'm all about taking personal responsibility to donate to chairitable organizations. And, I'm also all about having fun! Is there a better way to accomplish both? Thanks to my golfing partners yesterday, too... God knows my game needs work, but you three gave me some great tips for improvement!

Thursday, June 08, 2006

A Warning For Your Dog

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called "Theobromine". It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution — check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens. Theobromine is the ingredient that is used to make all chocolate — especially dark or baker's chocolate — which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

For more info:

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Any Questions?

Yesterday, I went to my doctor for a physical (figure those are good to get every half decade or so). My father was with me and I invited him into the exam room, mainly so he could hang onto Carson while the doc was checking me over.

After the exam and after exhausting my laundry list of questions, she turned to my dad and asked, "Do you have any questions?" This was totally, totally appropriate. Had she come into the room and addressed my father before me, I'd have been insulted (it's that all-too-typical thing of looking past the person with the disability and addressing the non-disabled person). Yet, she didn't do that. She answered all of my questions. When I could think of nothing else to ask, she THEN turned to my father and asked if he had any questions. It's the chronology that is important here - first addressing the person who is receiving the services. Then, the icing on the cake comes when the family is included. This is the sorta thing that'll keep me going back to Dr. Christine Sigman for years to come.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Mark of the Stupid

All over the media today, there's all this crap about today being 06-06-06. And the kind of people who believe that rock-n-roll is Satanic are stirring up all sorts of hoopla about today being a cursed day. Ya know what I call it? Tuesday.

Now, fools can say whatever they want - that's their first amendment right. In fact, if the military would take me, I'd go to war and die for the fool's right to spout off about 666 and the mark of the beast and Satan and the like.

The thing is, this last part isn't just something I said right here and now; it's simply history. The uniqueness of today is overshadowing the real history of today: the 64th anniversary of the invasion at Normandy. Nearly 4000 Allied troops died to keep dictators like Hitler from taking away the rights of all people...and what sort of respect does the American media show for these people now? Oh yeah... the re-release of "The Omen" to the big screen.

Take a minute and forget the stupidity of 06-06-06 and remember the reason we're allowed to recognize such foolishness - the sacrafices of tens of thousands of Americans to protect our Constitutional rights.


Catering to Young People...Finally!

One thing that really, really hacks me off is when business owners get all disgruntled about teenagers hanging out in their places of business. In high school, my friends and I would often hang out on the parking lots of local convenience stores, only to be shooed off a few times per night by the owner who thought we were "bad for business." Sure, we were loitering, but we were also bringing a significant amount of $$$ to his store. After all, half a dozen high school football players can drink a ton of Mountain Dew!

So, while reading the Sunday paper, I found an article that really made me smile. Across the river in the land that is affectionately known as "the east side", the local transit system is not only welcoming teens to use their services, but making it easy, cheap AND encouraging them to do so. In these days where rising gas prices have brought the old idea of "cruising" to a standstill, the bus system in Collinsville, IL has created a youth bus pass; unlimited rides all summer for teens. For $10. That's like an ounce of gas...or the equivalent thereof! What's even better is that the youth pass went from $20 last summer to the current charge of $10. And what does the bus system get out of this? Customer loyalty. Their mindset is that if they can get teens to start using the bus now, they'll be more likely to use it in their adult years. Pretty smart thinkin', eh?

If every company thought like this, extended such great deals to teens and directed their marketing to young people, teens might actually do more than just suck down gallons of Mountain Dew all night!