ADA Is Still Fighting

Almost twenty-two years after the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law, we are still seeing its implementation is still fighting for full acceptance. A young friend from Virginia sent me this video and article to make pools accessible. It's an ongoing battle and probably always will be.

Check out this video and attached article from WAVY TV in Virginia Beach, Virginia:

New ADA rule for pools goes into effect: wavy.com

Click here to get to the link to read the article and view the video if it does not show up above:

I love the excuses of some of the hotel and resort representatives.

As always, I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

Basketball, Basketball, Basketball And A Little Humor

After four days of nonstop, bracket-busting excitement and mind-numbing plays, checking my standing in our annual tournament pool, I was checking my emails and saw this humorous video of Rich Little on The Late Show with David Letterman. If you are not at least forty, you many never have even heard of him, but trust me, he was one of the funniest impersonators of his time. 

His impersonations of Johnny Carson on Johnny Carson's own show, were legendary! Yes, for you younger viewers, The Tonight Show, had a host before Jay Leno!

Check out this clean, humorous routine by Rich Little:

If that does not make you laugh, I cannot imagine what would.

As always, I look forward to your comments. Now, I am going to watch the the Gophers in the NIT. I LOVE March Madness, even the NIT!

Later,

Mike

P.S. I am four points behind the leader in my NCAA Pool. How are you doing?

Education Is Changing

Once again 60 Minutes has introduced me to an incredible man who is making a huge difference in public education in America, and all over the world for that matter. With the help of teachers all over the world, thirty-five-year-old Sal Khan and the Khan Academy are teaching elementary students math.

This is just the beginning for this concept and it promises to be a major paradigm shift for the way schools go about teaching children in the future. Watch this segment and see what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxJgPHM5NYI&list=FLsN32BtMd0IoByjJRNF12cw&index=2&feature=plcp

I am having trouble embedding the video, so just click on this URL and you can view the video.

I have watched it three times already, and find something new each time.There are a lot of things I would like to write about it, but I believe the video speaks for itself.

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

It Just Keeps Coming

People often tell me I have no idea what kind of affect I, my accident, my speeches, my blog and now, my book have on people. Or, for that matter, who I have affected. I know it happens all the time because members of my audience tell me they are affected in so many ways. I get emails, letters, phone calls and I run into people when I am out in public and they tell me. Teachers tell me in emails after a visit how the students are still quoting me. Parents call me. I learn in many ways.

For instance, last night I spoke to a group of middle and high school students from several different schools at a Religion class at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. I also have one new Facebook friend already from my speech. Three things happened very unexpectedly and took me by surprise. When I finished laughing, I said each time, "Now, there's material for a blog post!"

Then this happened. I got a note from my very good friend, Joel Krekelberg's younger brother, Jon. Jon shared this ballad his eighth grade daughter, Maris, had written about me for a class after she read my book. May I add, she got an A for her effort!

It is already on my Facebook page and getting great comments!

Please read this: Click on the image to make it larger:

Feel free to comment. As always, I look forward to them.

Later,

Mike

P.S. You may also check out how my Facebook friends are reacting to it by going to my Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/mikepatrick1