However I Can

Today, we kept throwing a switch anytime we started the new dryer. I know one thing about electricity: it hurts if you touch it. So, we called the construction manager of this new development, told him the prob and he said he'd send an electrician right over. When the electric guy arrived, he introduced himself and said, "Well, I'm here to help you however I can!" Now, obviously, his area of expertise is only in power, but he sure seemed to know a lot, so I shot a few other home-related questions past him. He lived up to his previous statement: I'm here to help however I can!
What a great attitude to find in, well, anyone!

One of the Things I Hate Most

Marilee Jones, the Dean of Admissions at M.I.T. has just been found out to be a fraud. In 1979, she was hired at an entry level position at M.I.T. in the Admissions Dept. in order to help drum up more female applicants. She rose through the ranks to the position of dean and, as the public has now learned, Ms. Jones misrepresented her own education. After claiming she had three separate degrees from upstate NY universities, she admitted she does not even hold an undergraduate degree. An M.I.T. official stated that when she was hired nearly 30 years ago, the position she held probbably didn't require the education she claimed to have. Now, however, it's pretty embarassing for one of the top universities in the country to have the head of it's admissions dept. be a fraud.
When I read of this duping, I was angry. Really, I was. I hate, HATE individuals who misrepresent themselves purposefully. I tend to be a pretty trusting individual, and since I don't lie to people, it stands to reason I don't want to be lied to. Yet, others don't see it that way. And when I put trust in someone, like M.I.T. has put in Ms. Jones for the last three decades, I get angry when Ii learn that trust has been broken.
The really, really bad part of this is that Ms. Jones has been travelling extensively as of late, promoting a book on how college applicants can make the app. process less stressful. Every blessed word of her book may be true and helpful, but when it's written by a liar, I simply can't give that person the respect the work probably deserves. In fact, I don't give them credit at all! Shameful and pathetic. Don't lie and you'll never have this problem.

Thanks, dudes!

This weekend, I had the opprotunity to throw down with a bunch of my buds with whom I have some long, long lasting friendships. All of us know one another from working at Camp Mo-Val, and since I've been going to Mo-Val since I was a 14 year old snot-nosed kid, you have to figure how close I am with guys who I still hold these relationships. Thanks to Dave Becker for hosting the shin dig, congrats to the other bachelor, Kit, thanks to Zimm, Darnell, Skelley, DJ, Kyle, Kev Dooley, Podorand whoever else I missed. Good golfing with you boys and thanks for making my last weekend in The Lou so enjoyable!

Out With The Old, In With The New!

Since I worked out of my home, and my home is no longer my home, please note that all future calling should be done to my cell at 314-852-4494. As soon as I have a new office number in Orlando, I'll post a blog and make that public.

Where's Waldo...er, Marcus?

Apologies for my lack of blogs the second half of this week. Where have I been? In St. Louis for the last time as a resident. Thursday, I sold my home, moved out and did all the fun legal stuff that goes along with home ownership(i.e., stress). Then, my buds threw a quazi-bachelor bash before I left town. These, along with living out of a suitcase and sleeping on the couches of friends the last few nights, have created the absence of blogs. My bad.
And now, folks, for the first time in my 32 years, I'm no longer a Missourian. When I fly to Orlando this morning, it will be headed to what is now my new home. And life's exciting journey closes one chapter and begins the next.

Wanna See a Midget?

Fun with TSA! Yesterday, Marvelyne and I flew to STL to start to clean out my home for sale. If you've ever moved, you know the stress of this. So, before we ever sealed a box, before we started deciding what to keep and what to throw, before we ever boarded the plane, we got a little dose of humor from a TSA agent. A TSA agent, you ask? Yup!
As we were going through security, two TSA agents were having some fun bantering back and forth. One, a big, fun, girl with a huge smile was dancing around the screening area, laughing and joking with her co-workers, one in particular. Her friend was a dude who was a skinny, short guy who was having just as much fun as she did. As Marvelyne walked through the metal detector, the female agent ushered her over and said in a conspiratorial tone, "Hey, hey! Wanna see a midget?" My fiance was appropriately shocked, but the lighthearted agent's attitude took over. The agent then calls to her friend, "Hey Jimmy! Say 'Hi!'" With that, her friend turned and waved with a big smile!
Was the guy a midget? No, not at all. But, what a fun way to start our day! Doesn't it lighten your mood to see others having fun?

Happy Belated Earth Day!

Yesterday was Earth Day. When I was 14 and a self-proclaimed environmentalist, I was looking forward to Ap. 22 for months on end. Much hoopla was made in 1990 about Earth Day, mainly because it was the 20th anniversary of the day designated to get us all enviro-conscious. I think in the last 20 years we really have become more enviro-conscious, the problem is that there are just so many more of us now. That means more use of consumable goods, more use of fossil fuels and more trash we all throw into landfills. Yet, I'm not sure that, other than aluminum cans, 20 years ago there was a whole lot of thought about recycling. Those of us from my generation remember well the celebration of Earth Day, but now it seems just another passing fad. Still, what rings in my ears was the motto of the environmental protection movement: Think Globally, Act Locally.
Not sure there's a whole lot I can do to cut down on fossil fuel consumption around the world, but I can darned sure recycle this plastic water bottle I'm drinking from. And that's what I'm off to do now.

If You Haven't Heard The News...

Last month, I proposed to my girlfriend, Marvelyne. And...she accepted! If you're just now reading this news, I apologize-I've been trying to contact all relatives and close friends before letting everyone in on our great news!
Now that the world knows, feel free to check out our wedding web site:

www.mywedding.com/marcusandmarvelyne

Leave a comment on the guest book, take a look at my beautiful fiance and get the behind the scenes story on how this came to be!

Did Andy Rooney Just Slit His Own Throat?

Did you catch 60 Minutes? Tonight was the first time in a coon's age(whatever that means) that I got to witness a Andy Rooney commentary there, as it happened. Apparently, it's closing in on Rooney's 1000th commendary on 60 Minutes. Tonight, he showed us around his office and shared a few of his favorite books. He made the point that every bit of film he's ever been on is stored in a special storeroom at the studio. He also wondered aloud whether videotape would outlast books...and surprised me by saying, "I hope not." For a TV man to then go onto promote books, especially sharing a few of his favs,spoke volumes to me. Props to ol' andy for helping promote literary mindedness in this ever-growing world of the boob tube.

Larry, Letters and Lunkheads

Did you happen to catch the Larry King interview with the gun owner from VA who sold the killer the pistol? The gun shop owner explained the procedures that must take place for a customer to purchase a firearm; official and legal state identification, a background check(self reported) on a form that each customer must fill out and finally, a background check that was sent to the FBI. The gun shop owner unwillingly played a part in the murder of these VT students, but only to the extent that the cashier at BP holds responsibility for selling gas to an intoxicated driver. Hee, as you might expect, feels horrible about the murders and wishes there would have been some sign-anything-that would have tipped him off of the carnage to come. If you caught the interview, I'm sure you also heard the sincerity in this gentleman's voice.
So, after following all proper procedures, why would anyone label this man as a murderer? Why would they threaten him as someone of an equal status as Cho, the gunman? No normal, rational thinking person would. And yet? He explained that after 200 E mails, most of which were death threats, they finally had to shut down the web site of the shop.
Anger at such a tragedy is horrible...and inevitable. But c'mon, folks! This man did his job and he deserves to have his life threatened? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Overgeneralization

I attended a seminar today on better ways to sell. This seminar was through the Natl. Speakers Assoc. and the person leading the seminar was a well-renowned expert in sales. However, ya couldn't prove it by me.
One thing I found fairly insulting was the speaker's "secret" on building repore with one's potential client/customer. The "secret" was to ask the client what he/she did before coming to their current position. Fair enough-especially if, like me, you're just a people person who wants to get to know folks. But, that wasn't what this was all about. Instead, if the client answered that their previous position had been as an engineer, the speaker said to use very accurate, meticulous terminology because, well,, we all know engineers are so detail oriented. And if the person had formerly been a graphic artist, then be sure to use terms that revolve around creativity and vision.
That's all good and fine, but I think the key word here is "previous." So the client may have been an engineeer...if he was enjoying that field so much, why is he now doing something different? It was an overgeneralization that I found a bit insulting. One thing that was a proven point is that people generally fall into one of three categories; visual, audio or kinistetic.Hence, they want to "see" what you're saying, "hear" your point or "feel" the idea. Overgeneralization would say that yours truly is an audio or kinistetic learner due to the fact I can't see. Yet, this is really not accurate. I don't enjoy having my "learning type" generalized any more than a former engineer may. It's not productive and rather insulting, when you get down to it.

New Mark Dewalle Web Site

Helplessness is a shitty feeling. Oh, BTW, if you're outrageously offended by profanity, then maybe you shouldn't surf the net. Anyway, there's no better way to put it than what I just wrote. Helplessness sucks.
When I was hospitalized, one of the sentiments I got the most often from visitors and friends was, "Marcus, what can I do to help? I feel so useless to you..." The thing is, just by being there, no matter how little tangible evidence there was to the contrary, their simple presence was the biggest help I could receive(short of narcotics). Those who have laid in a hospital bed have known helplessness. Those who have sat by a hospital bed occupied by a loved one may know it more than anyone else. But, trust me, as someone who has been there, words from friends, loved ones, and even strangers are priceless. Simply priceless.
A few months ago, I blogged about Mark Dewalle, the son of my favorite nurse, Barb, who many of you may have read about in "After This..." or "The Other End of the Stethoscope." Mark is fighting a rare and aggressive form of cancer-and has been for the last several years. As with any cancer, the good times and bad intertwine on the roller coaster journey that is recovery. Mark is currently going through some additional rounds of chemo and treatments that are a low point on the path to health. His mom and he have created a new web site:

www.markdewalle.com

and they're hoping you'll visit it. Friends of mine, strangers, anyone and everyone. And again, even if you don't know me, if you don't know Mark, it doesn't matter-good energy is created when you sign his guest book. And we can all benefit from that. Thanks for taking a minute out of your day to help out Mark, Barb and their family during this time.

It Wasn't That Long Ago

Tonight, I was flipping through channels when I landed upon a local documentary about the civil rights movement in Deland, Florida. Just a hop, skip and a jump away, Deland was it's own little center of the civil rights movement.
Now, I can do simple math. I know that 2007 minus 1960 doesn't equal very many years ago. Yet, it had a surreal sound when a woman(now turned state legislator) told of how she could buy lunch at a restaurant, but couldn't sit down to eat it. Or how she and her friends staged peaceful sit-ins at that same lunch counter in 1960, all under the watchful(and respectful) eyes of local law enforcement officers. I'm just one generation removed from those who were on the receiving end of segregation-and sometimes, since it wasn't during my lifetime, it feels like so long ago. But it wasn't.
We all have a debt to pay to those early civil rights leaders. Not just the Dr. Kings and Rosa Parks' of the world, but the unknown leaders who made up the masses that changed the landscape of this country. As someone with a disability, 20 years ago, there'd have been no protection from me being discriminated against just like African Americans in the 50s and 60s. Would have ADA gone through had not the marchers of the civil rights era did what they did? Maybe-but it may have taken a few more generations. No, it wasn't that long ago, and I'm thankful to the local television station that aired this documentary for bringing it all a little closer to home.

The Last King of Scotland

Came out on DVD today and we got it. Wow. Just wow. Edie Amin(sp?) was a dictator in Uganda who, like all whackjob dictators, was a paranoid. He considered one of his closest advisors a Scottish physician who originally came to Uganda to do mission work. Somehow, the doc got in with Amin's good graces and the dictator turned to the doc for advice-even on political matters. Behind said physician's back, the paranoid Amin was killing his own countrymen left and right. The follow up to the story that scrolls by at the end of the flick said Amin was overthrown in '79, died in exile in Saudia Arabia about five years ago. Before he was overthrown, he'd killed over 300,000 Ugandans. Wow.
Can we even comprehend something this horrendous? Hardly. We're all still swimming in shock due to the shootings at Virginia Tech, and rightfully so. I, personally, will probably never get over what happened on 9-11, and rightfully so. But 300,000 people? Can we comprehend, I mean really comprehend, that many human beings bbeing slaughtered? We should. It happened in Iraq, too. And in Europe within the lifetime of my parents and grandparents. And it's happening right now in many other parts of the world. 300,000 lives. Gone. There's something to be said for remaining independent of the problems of other countries, but when we know stuff like this is going on, as human beings, I think we have at least some responsibility to NOT continue to allow other human beings to be killed in mass numbers. No?

Stages

Just caught a brief ABC segment on the tragedy at Virginia Tech yesterday. The compairison was made to other communities that have seen tragedies on a mass scale like VA Tech. First, the community is shocked(duh). Second, denial and grief. All through the range of emotions until, hopefully, there is acceptance and empowerment for change-a change that will help prevent another something horrible from occurring. My wish is for the citizens of Virginia and the Virginia Tech. community to get to the emotion where there is a desire to change and do positive works. And again, good energies and prayers for the families and friends of the victims.

The Law of Large Numbers

I was listening to an interview this evening on my favorite radio show, The Dave Glover Show. Thank God for streaming radio stations!
Tonight's interview guest was a scientist who serves as the editor for Skeptic magazine:

www.eskeptic.com

There was a quick question about the tragedy that happened at Virginia Tech today. The editor/scientist put it into context by talking about the law of large numbers. It's a known fact that approx. 2% of society is psychopathic or sociopathic. Therefore, as our population booms exponentially, the actual numbers represented by the psychopaths and sociopaths also increases. After all, 2% of 100 million is a lot more than 2% of 10 million. And with the population of the good ol' U.S. of A. at an all time high and climbing, that just means there are that many more crazies amongst us.
I had this discussion over the law of large numbers a few years ago, though I'd never heard it called by that name. This person, a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer, stated that since there are more cars on the road every year than every previous year, our total number of DWI fatalities should increase with the number of hwy. miles driven. The number has held fairly steady, which means the percentage has dropped. Thus, we're able to deduce that DWI fatalities, while they may be on the rise, are actually less than they have been in the past(if you want more deets on this, just ask...right now, it's quick and dirty to make a point).
Thus, how do we get around this issue? Well, we either stop reproducing at such a rate(this gets my vote) or we continue to live our lives as we do with the threat of terrorism-like we will not let the stats bother us. I mean, if we're paralyzed by the fear that the guy in the car next to us has a loaded gun and sociopathic tendencies, well, do you alter when, where and why you drive? I hope not-that is living one's life in fear. And that is something I refuse to do.
Sympathy from Engel's Ensights to all those involved with the killings today in VA. For everyone else, keep the prayers and positive energies flowing to the Commonwealth-they can probably use it.

Illinois Wesleyan University

Thanks to the IWU Bacchus crew who welcomed me in to keynote on Wed., April 11. Also thanks to the future health care workers who gave me platform to speak about insights for excellent patient care! And, to the climate of central IL...thanks for giving me one last chance to experience snow before heading south permanently!

Ol' Bill Had It Right

"To thine own self be true"
-William Shakespeare

Marvelyne and I havve been putting together our wedding web site this evening. It should be up and running tomorrow and I'll give a link to it then. As with most wedding web sites, there is a location for "his story", "her story" and "our story." Since we're both writers, this may have been more difficult for the both of us. You'd think that since we both usually have our ffingers on keyboards writing, this would be a snap! Negative. After we looked over what we'd each written individually, it was back to the drawing board. We'd written to try to please the reader-not our selves. And, as stated before, Bill Shakespeare had it right! Nothing will ever come out as well as it will when it comes from the heart.

Pulling One's Foot From One's Mouth

When I was in high school and playing varsity football, my coach, Dennis Klein, taught me a lesson I thought of again tonight. Fast forward, but it was 95 years ago today that the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, killing over 1500 passengers. The nickname of the Titanic? "Unsinkable."
So, back to Montgomery County football. Coach Klein never, EVER said, "You guys are going to go out and kick the other team's butt! They're awful, you guys are going to win!" Instead, it was usually like this, " Gentlemen, this team may not be real strong in their record, but trust me, if you go out there arrogant and cocky thinking you've got a win in the bag, they'll sense that and fight harder. If they go up one touchdown on you, you'll be frustrated. When you get frustrated, they'll go up another on you. Next thing you know, you're down by 25 points and left scratching your head!"
Now, nevermind the fact that the team in question had been beat by 45 points the previous week..and beat by a team who WE had spanked by four touchdowns! Yet, we sat there reverantly, mainly because to a high school football player, the head coach is close to divinity. And what happened? Well, we won. And won big. But, one thing that did NOT happen is having to eat words. Coach didn't shoot off his mouth which certainly would have had us trash talking, too. And what if we'd lost? We'd have looked like fools! Fools with really, really big mouths!
Whether it's a football game in mid-Missouri, or one of the most famous disasters in history, making big claims without being able to back those claims up is a very, very bad idea.

What If Carson Was a Girl?

Tonight, my lovely fiance posed a question I've thought of before: What if Carson's replacement might someday be a female? I prefer males for my Seeing Eye dogs, but that's only because Dasher was a dude and I got used to saying, "Good boy!" Tradition carries on with Carson. When it gets down to brass tacks, I'm not all that concerned with the sex of my dog. And, if memory holds correct, the sex doesn't matter for the dog's working behavior.
So, color me surprised when, just a few minutes later, Fox News ran a segment on a Dr. Jacobson, a vet in Fort Collins, CO, has developed a way to manipulate the sex of a dog before birth.When interviewed, Dr. Jacobson said that certain manipulation in certain breeds could be quite beneficial. He gave the example of Seeing Eye dogs as one breed/type of dog that this may benefit. Beg pardon? I'm doubtful my friends in Morristown, NJ would agree with his comment and, if they do not, then Dr. Jacobson needs to find another group of dog assistance schools to claim he represents.

BMW

A few nights ago, I was honored to speak for the students at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL. After the keynote, Carson was getting his mandatory lovin' from some of the members of Kappa Delta sorority. One of the members made a comment that I hear fairly regularly which I now paraphrase: "Wow, after hearing what you went through, it makes me kinda embarassed for all the little things I complain about."
Madame(and everyone else), my goal is never to make people feel bad. The past is the past and we can do nothing to change that, but we can determine how we choose to view our future. Trust me, I'm not exempt from BMW sessions(that's b*itch, moan and whine, for the uninitiated reader)...we all do it, and none of us should. We're living in the richest country on earth, we have food, clothing, shelter and plenty of amenities to keep us comfy. And we still complain. Me included. But try...try to keep it in perspective because, well, when we look at the rest of the world, we have nothing, NOTHING to complain about. Thanks to the young lady who said this the other night-thanks for bringing this up so I can tell others that this isn't to make anyone feel bad, but just to appreciate what we have.

Illinois Wesleyan University

Thanks to all those at IWU who came out last night to the keynote sponsored by Bacchus and Pan Hellenic! Also, thanks to all the future health care workers who I had lunch with! Special thanks to Katie Hoff, Andrea, Sarah, Christine, Mark, Jeff, and the crew we had dinner with last night. It's been a long while since I've been able to quote Mitch Headberg lines over danged quesedillas!Will have some pics posted on the blog within a day or two! Thanks again, y'all!

Nappy-Headed Hos

Don Imus, one of the most popular radio personalities in America, has recently come under fire for some comments he made about the Rutgers women's basketball team, calling them "nappy-headed hos." I flinched when I heard this because it sounds racist...something the Al Sharptonns of the world have agreed with. Rev. Al is even calling for Imus to lose his job over these remarks. And maybe he should...but I had to sit and think about this before determining if Imus overstepped the line. And if so, how far?
First, I googled the word "nappy." I never even knew the word "nappy" until I began listening to rap where you never heard the word nappy without "ho" following it. Well, upon googling the word, a site that popped up is:

www.nappyhairaffair.com

This site is dedicated to celebrating the natural hair of African Americans and those of African descent. "Nappy" was used in a positive, empowering way-the word was embraced to the extent that "nappy" was used in the title of a chapter of "Chicken Soup for the African American Soul."

Until I looked over the site, I always thought of "nappy" as derogatory. Now? Not so much. If Imus used it in a derogatory way, and that way was intended to be offensive to African Americans, then his apology is just. To dissect this a bit more, he referred to the team as hos. Of course ho is insulting! But this is the man who, on a daily basis, refers to politicians as fat losers and lying weasels-and those are the terms that I've heard from his mouth that are actually fit to print! Imus calling someone a ho isn't uncommon. And nappy, as I've discovered, doesn't have to be derogatory.
Where does this leave us? With Imus' apology where he said it was an idiotic comment, which he intended to be amusing. It wasn't. Only he knows if it was purposefully intended to hurt minorities, but either way, his "idiotic comment" has now educated me and I hope I've helped you learn a little something, too.

Puppies and Prime Ministers

Yesterday, I received the E annual report from the Seeing Eye, Inc, Carson's alma mater. The issue was dedicated to the thousands of hours of work done by the volunteers at the Seeing Eye, Inc., as well as all the volunteers out in the field who raise puppies, do site visits, etc. Throughout the report, there were quotes from famous folks, one of which I'd like to share:

"You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give"
-Winston Churchill

I am a huge, HUGE advocate of people donating their time and talents to worthy causes-after all, we've all benefitted from someone's volunteering at some point. I encourage you to give of your time, talents and, if nothing else, your finances to organizations that have the proper mindset for accepting volunteers. And, if you'd like, I can vouch that the Seeing Eye has helped me in more ways than I can count. Want to help them? Check out:

www.seeingeye.org

Easter break

I imagine most folks are reading this on Monday or Tues. when they get back to work or school. For the almost no one of folks who are reading this over the weekend....Happy Easter! I'm headed to do the holiday with the family, then out on business for a few days. Updates whenever possible, but don't assume the absence of a post means I've fallen off the face of the earth! Be careful on the roads this weekend!

Having Those Talks

Remember a couple of years ago when a woman named Terri Shivo was in a vegetative state after a car crash? Some nine years past, her husband was fighting to have her verbal requests carried out; i.e., no artificial life support, feeding tubes, etc. There was all sorta debate over whether or not she was in a persistive state, whether she could respond to stimuli, etc.
Not exactly the same situation, but earlier this week, after her second stroke in half a decade, a relative(really, more of a friend) has deteriorated into what some may say is a state similar to Shivo's. Her children and husband had to make the tough decision-do we carry out her wishes and refuse to let the docs insert a feeding tube? Or, do we go against her wishes and keep her alive? This is all legal and in writing, but there is still debate. Personally, I had this legally set up for myself over 10 years ago, then reitterated the last time I looked at my will. Now, as I movve into marriage and a life with Marvelyne, we are having the issue brought up in a not-so-subtle way; i.e., Rosalie's condition.
We really never know what the future brings, so if you have strong feelings about what you want your future to look like, have those conversations now. Tough as they may be, make your requests known. It may cost you some money to do it all up legally, it may not hold up in court if you just give a thumbs up or down to liffe support, but do not be afraid to have the talk-when you need that information, the ability may not be there.

My Couch Is Worth More Than Your Couch!

Today, I was wasting time on my favorite web site, craigslist.org. If you're not familiar, craigslist is this simple-to-use on line community of folks who are advertising and searching for just about everything. Need a carbuerator for a 78 Chevy? You can get it on craigslist. Need a lawyer? Craigslist. Want a Showbiz Pizza neon sign from 1983?Yep, you can get that too!(I actually saw one of these today, BTW).
Lately, I've been searching for a used refrigerator to put in the garage and use for "extras." Being a cheapskate, I like to stock up when diet Coke is on sale! It strikes me as funny how some people think their stuff is worth more than the stuff of others. For example, we all know that as soon as a new car rolls off the lot, the owner will probably only get 50% for what he/she just paid for it. That's pretty well common knowledge. So, it strikes me as funny when two people have leather sofas which they say are equal in age and in excellent condition, but one person is selling his/hers for $1000, while the other is selling his/hers for less than half that. I think it's an interesting study of how we value things to think I won't sell my couch/house/car/Disney tea cup collection for anything but what I think it's worth-but I wouldn't pay someone that same amount of money for the exact same thing! It's just interesting to see how some folks think their "stuff" is golden, and others realize their stuff is just stuff!

Freedom of Speech?

If you've caught a news report in the last week or so, you may be aware of a new "scandal" concerning the internet. A known pedophile created a web site to teach adults how to take sexual advantage of young girls...and not get caught. The site was taken down by the host, but not before causing a huge controversy, as you may expect.
Now, most everyone will agree that since our Constitution has stood for over 200 years and has helped make us the strongest nation on earth, we probably should leave well enough alone. I agree. Our Constitution is a document that was created in a time when the forefathers couldn't have ever conceived the ideas of telephones, TV, internet, cell technology, etc. And yet? the Constitution still stands. As well it should. God knows that as a writer, a blogger, a speaker and general American, I would give up my life to protect our American freedom of speech. Then, some child molestor is interviewed on the O'Reilly Factor, states he prefers females from three to ten years old and, were it not illegal, he'd be out touting his web site and trying to form intimate relationships with these girls. This, faithful reader, really, REALLY makes me question whether or not ol' Amendment #1 is worth it. Is it worth it to have a child harmed to protect a criminal's rights? I think not. Yet, it IS worth it to protect the rights of 300 million Americans who do not typically abuse their privledge of free speech.
I don't ever want to think about our Constitution failing, faltering or being so watered down that we cease to be Americans. So, in a case like this? We Americans have to exercise our freedom of speech to keep idiots like this from being heard...spam the site, complain to the web hosting company, designers don't take the job, some smart computer person create a net disease to shut down the site, whatever-just keep this kind of sickness from being spread past the words on a computer screen.

Can You Beat LKen?

Picked up a trivia book last night, "Can You Beat Ken?" If you're not familiar, Ken Jennings is the all time winningest(yes, this is a word) in Jeopardy history. "Can You Beat Ken?" takkes the questions/answers from every Jeopardy query Ken answered. I know this makes me a gigantic nerd-so be it. I love, LOVE to learn! So, there was a quote that Ken, surprisingly, got wrong-a quote from Ghandi:(I'm paraphrasing here) "Live as if it's your last day on earth, learn as if you'll live forever." Sorry I can't quote this better, but hey, I'm a nerd, not so ambitious I'd actually search this out on google. With Ghandi's advice and the new book, I hope I can keep learning as if I'll live forever.

The Beginning of the End

Last night, as Mr. Sandman began to wrestle me into submission, I read the first chapter of the last book in Stephen King's, "The Dark Tower" series. The previous six books have left a profound impact on my literary mind, so to begin this last book was, in a word, bittersweet. In fact, I felt like it was the first day of my senior year of high school-excited, but sad at the same time. I know the best is yet to come, but this is one of those times I want to hold onto the moment. So, if you're a King fan and know what happens to Roland, Eddie, Suzanna and the billybumbler-please, PLEASE don't tell me!

The Sign of A True Leader...

When I've worked at the American Youth Foundation's Camp Miniwanca, we have a saying: The true sign of a leader is the ability to adapt. True? I think so!
Lately, I've bbeen reading Thomas Friedman's, "The World Is Flat." Globalization is the theme of this book, pure and simple(if there is even a remote chance that globalization is anywhere near simple). Friedman's point is the age old idea of levelling the playing ffield. Well, upon his studies of globalization amongst many of the world's countries, he has determined that the playing field is level and the world is now flat. Read the book and I think you'll agree.
Tonight, the evening discussion was how the world has changed in the last ddecade. Has the USPS seen a decrease in biz since we now send letters via E mail and pay bills on line? Things like that. My thought was about cameras, pictures and film. When is the last time anyone took your pic using traditional film? Years ago? When is the last time you thought about going to a photomat to pick up your photos from vacation? Kodak saw the writing on the wall with digital cameras and began to produce the premium photo paper for when you actually DO print out pics. Plus, their software for editing photos is some of the best on the market. In this changing world, Kodak adapted, changed and ultimately carved out a new niche for the company. To that end, companies that continue to adapt and grow will be those we see decades ffrom now. The rest? Well, tthere's always space on EBay for antiques!