Who Needs Oil?

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know I skip all over the place with my subject matter much like I do in my speeches. I do that intentionally because I want this blog to be all about education and diverse learning. It all goes back to my basic premise, "The problem isn't the issue. The issue is how you deal with the problem." That's why the subject of this post hit me. It's about gaining knowledge. It's all about the process, the journey, both yours and mine.

My last post about the American's With Disabilities Act was done because a friend sent me the article and it just fit. I am excited to see what will happen with the new changes.

I learned about the article for my inspiration to write this post while listening to the radio the other day. The Internet is really pretty cool that way. If you're not already aware, you can learn a lot by spending time on the 'net. (He said jokingly.)

According to a February 22, 2008 article in Technology Review, a startup company in South San Francisco, Solazyme, is converting various forms of algae into biofuels in a new, unique way. It truly is a fascinating read. You can access the article by clicking here.

Check out this video Solazyme has produced to explain what they are doing:



Imagine condensing a 150 million year process into three days! Talk about "CHANGE"!

Regarding change, I'd like to paraphrase our current President and say, "Bring it on!"

In doing a little research on the technology, a quick Google search pulled up 173,000 sites for "green fuel algae." There is obviously something going on here. It will be interesting to watch the technology develop.

Obviously, this is not the only part of the solution to solve our energy problem. But, it promises to be a good start. Other renewable energies like solar, wind and hydroelectric will definitely play their part.

Let me know what you think of the article and video.

Later,

Mike

ADA Improvements Coming

The New York Times is reporting a substantial update to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA was signed into law July 26, 1990 as this photo shows. It has five titles and covers a wide range of issues. They are:

Title I prohibits employers, including cities and towns, from discriminating against qualified job applicants and workers who are or who become disabled. The law covers all aspects of employment including the application process and hiring, training, compensation, advancement, and any other employment term, condition, or privilege.

Title II prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against disabled persons in their programs and activities. Title II also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for public entities.

Title III prohibits private enterprises who provide public accommodations and services (e.g., hotels, restaurants, and transit systems) from denying goods, services and programs to people based on their disabilities. Title III also sets forth the applicable structural accessibility requirements for private entities.

Title IV makes available telecommunications devices and services for the hearing and speech impaired. These regulations spell out certain mandatory minimum standards telephone companies must maintain to be in compliance with the ADA.

Title V includes some miscellaneous provisions that relate to the construction and application of the ADA, including alternative dispute resolution.

To read the Time's article, click here. It is well worth your read.

Let me know what you think.

Later,

Mike

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

I am a big fan of 60 Minutes, and last night they ran a story on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and what a good story it was. Here is the piece:



The reason it was so exciting for me to see was the fact they are funding research projects which are studying embryonic stem cells and how they may help find a cure for spinal cord injury. They have no restrictions on their research because they receive no federal funding. If you want to learn more about the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, you can visit their website by clicking here.

If you didn't see 60 Minutes last night, I encourage you to watch the video. I am curious to read any comments you might have.

Later,

Mike

Mentoring Works

We all know mentoring works. What we are learning is just how huge the issue is! According to MENTOR's website:

MENTOR recognizes that, although nearly 17.6 million young Americans need or want mentoring, only 3 million are in formal, high-quality mentoring relationships. That means more than 14.6 million young people still need mentors. That unmet need constitutes what we call the "mentoring gap." 

MENTOR is a ten-year-old National Mentoring Project located in Alexandria, VA. Their goal is to expand the world of quality mentoring. You may learn more about them by clicking here.

If you're interested in helping to close that "mentoring gap," or just learning more about mentoring, I suggest you go to their site, and click on your state to find a mentoring program that fits your needs.

To see how effective mentoring programs can work, and what happens when funding dries up, click here.

If you are a mentor or mentee, good for you! If you're not, why? Personally, I'm involved in one formal mentoring program, and informally mentor several young, and not so young, people on a number of things from youth activities to coaching new speakers.

Please let me know what your experience is regarding the issue. As always, I welcome your comments.

Later,

Mike

Oscar Pistorius Can Run

The "Blade Runner" will be allowed to compete for the opportunity to run in the Olympics in Beijing, China in August. Why is that significant? Because the South African athlete had both of his legs amputated below the knees when he was only eleven months old! Here is a picture of his blades as he is getting into a set of starting blocks:

Initially, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned Pistorius because they claimed his carbon fiber blades gave him a mechanical advantage over the able-bodied athletes. Just a week ago, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAF) overturned that January ban and ruled Pistorius could compete in the Olympics. He will also be competing in the Paralympics in Beijing in September.

You can read a good Associated Press article about him by clicking here.

This is a HUGE ruling for people with disabilities throughout the world. It means someone with a disability can compete with able-bodied athletes on an even keel. He still needs to qualify. Right now, he is 1.01 seconds from the qualifying time to compete in the 400 meters. Even if he doesn't get down to the qualifying time of 45.55 seconds, the South African team may put him on the 4 by 400 relay team. This is a big step (pardon the pun) for equality for people with disabilities and will be fun to watch play out.

Even if he doesn't qualify for the Olympics this year, he is only twenty-one years old and plans to continue training for the 2012 Olympics in London.

It will be an interesting story to follow. If you would like to watch him run, and see a good video about Oscar Pistorius' story, check out this video:

Later,

Mike

It's Prom Time

The annual rite of spring is upon us and it brings loads of fun. Yes, it's Prom Time! Unfortunately, prom night and subsequently, graduation night far too often end sadly with a traffic accident that affect thousands of teenagers, their families and countless friends. Many of these traffic accidents involve drinking and driving. Spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and very often death are the tragic results.

According to Gary Pace, PhD, the clinical director from the May Institute's school for children and adolescents with brain injury, "Statistics reveal that eight young people die every day in alcohol-related crashes. Many of these deaths occur in the spring and summer months following prom night and graduation parties. And many of these fatalities are caused by traumatic brain injuries that, in most cases, are preventable."

Pace states those numbers come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). His entire article may be read by clicking here.

Check out these related statistics and facts from the Centers for Disease Control.

As adults, we all know from personal experience how teens feel invincible. I remember as a 16-year-old telling my mother not to worry about me. "I'm not going to get hurt playing football." Or so, I thought.

Because of that sense of invincibility, many young people don't use their seatbelts. Studies show seatbelt use amongst teens goes down dramatically the later the hour.

If you're a teenager: buckle up, no matter the time of day, who's in the car or how far you're traveling. And please, please don't drink and drive, or get in a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking.

Parents: take the time today to have that talk. If you've already had it, have it again!

I hope both you teens and parents have a wonderful prom and graduation night experience. Make sure you get plenty of pictures. It will give you something to look back on in a decade, or two, or three and laugh about!

Have a wonderful and safe spring and summer.

Later,

Mike

Classic Carson

Many of us grew up watching Johnny Carson hosting The Tonight Show. Sorry kids, Jay Leno hasn't always been the host! My cousin sent me this hilarious piece from 1969 when the show ran for ninety minutes.

His guests that night were incredibly funny people, namely Bob Hope, Dean Martin and he was interviewing George Gobel during this clip. Watch what Dean Martin is doing as George Gobel is talking to Johnny. Everybody seems to be aware of the joke except Gobel.

The reason I put this post up is to show just how far the paradigm has shifted with what we find funny and what used to pass as good, clean fun. Also, note both Martin and Gobel were smoking. We don't see that anymore.

See if you agree with me about how humor has changed.

Enjoy:

Change is a constant in our lives. It is happening faster and faster all the time. I think it is important every once in a while to slow down and see where we have been to better appreciate where we are now and contemplate where we are going. I believe humor is a good barometer to measure change. What do you think?

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

Spinal Cord Injury — any questions?

That's me, number 26, on my back, in the end zone, September 3, 1971. It was the end of my first life and the beginning of my new life as a quadriplegic. The journey I was beginning has been extraordinary, with many ups and downs. It was a traumatic event that affected not only me, but all my family and friends. It also affected the community and many people in the area around Worthington.

Click on the image to enlarge:


Dr. Roger Hallin was a physiatrist who happened to be at the game that night. He was also my rehab doctor when I was in Worthington. One day my physical therapist had me on the mat in the PT gym doing range of motion when Dr. Hallin came in. He gave me the best advise I have ever received. He said, "I want you to learn everything about your body and your injury you possibly can because you will be in situations when people won't know how to handle you, and you will have to tell them what to do."

I have learned a great deal about SCI, it's effects, the hope for a cure, and much more. However, a friend just sent me a website with answers to many other questions I had not even thought about.

The Morton Cure Paralysis Fund has a wonderfully informative website you can peruse and learn from by clicking here.

The following paragraph comes directly from their site:

"Spinal cord injury is devastating, not only for the injured person but for families and friends as well. While much information is available on the Internet, most of the material is scattered and out of date. This article summarizes answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by people who are encountering spinal cord injury for the first time. Spinal cord injury disconnects the brain from the body. This leads not only to loss of sensation and motor control below the injury site but may be associated with abnormal activities of the spinal cord both above and below the injury site, resulting in spasticity, neuropathic pain, and autonomic dysreflexia. Many functions of our body that we take for granted, such as going to the bathroom, sexual function, blood pressure and heart rate, digestion, temperature control and sweating, and other autonomic functions may not only be lost but may be abnormally active. Finally, contrary to popular notions about spinal cord injury, recovery is the rule and not the exception in spinal cord injury. The recovery takes a long time and may be slowed down or blocked by the muscle atrophy and learned non-use. Finally, there is hope. Many therapies have been shown to regenerate and remyelinate the spinal cord. Some of these are now in clinical trials and many more should be in clinical trial soon."

If you are at all interested in learning more about spinal cord injury, I encourage to check out their site.

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

Chicago Gun Violence

Last night the CBS Evening News showed this story on the rash of recent gun violence in Chicago:

It always makes me sick to learn of senseless deaths, especially those
of young people. The story told about one young victim who was only
ten years old!

According to the report, "Since September, 24 students have been
murdered, most of them shot. The dead amount to a classroom of kids. ... Last school year 34 students were killed. That's 58 deaths over what amounts to a 17-month period. And that makes an average of one child getting murdered every eight days."

Several years ago, I was in a high school about twenty miles out of Minneapolis, and asked a class of seniors what they wanted to be doing in five years. I got a number of responses like, "I'd like to be in grad school," "I want to be done with college and starting on my career," "I want to be married and starting a family," among others.

After seven or eight answers, the one black male student raised his hand and said, "I want to be alive."

I asked him, "Why would you say that?"

His response was, "Because the life expectancy for young, black males isn't very great."

I asked, "Why is that?"

He said, "Because we don't know how to solve problems. It's just easier to pull your gun and shoot the other guy. Back in my 'hood, I could be shot in a drive-by at any time. That's why I drive all the way out here through the open enrollment program."

Then I asked him, "If you decided to get out of your old school and drive out here, why don't you find a different group of people to hang with who don't hang out on the street to be targets for drive-bys?"

You should have seen the look on his face! That thought had never occurred to him. My thinking was he had made the decision to switch to a safer school, why not make the decision to make safer friends?

How do we change the paradigm of violence?

I'm interested in your comments on the subject.

Later,

Mike

Get Your Boy Reading

In my April first post, I discussed the issue of boys and their lack of interest in reading. Within hours, I received a comment from Daniel, a young man who loves to read. If you haven't read it, you can jump to the post by clicking here. If your boy isn't like Daniel, and doesn't like to read, here are six ideas you might try to help turn those interests around.

I want to share 6 Clever Ways to Get Your Boy Reading. This piece is from that article. I believe it makes good sense. Click on the image to make it larger:



I have one more suggestion. That is, read. Set a good example for your children. My sister and brother-in-law are both avid readers, and their fifteen-year-old son also spends a great deal of time reading. Tammy and Jeff started to read to Max when he was very young and as he grew and learned to read, he continued his love of reading.

Today, Max is reading some of the classics and wants to discuss them with his grandmother. By the way, Mom usually has two or three books going at any given time! Her father, Grandpa Joe to me, had an eighth grade education and started reading at an early age. He farmed his whole life and read until he passed away at age 85! He had a well-used, tattered dictionary next to him at all times, and if he didn't know the definition of a word, he looked it up on the spot! Do you do that? I just look it up at dictionary.com.

Any comments?

Later,

Mike

Dropping Out Is An Epidemic

According to a study by the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center, young people are dropping out of high school at a mind-numbing pace. It is especially high in our inner cities. Look at these numbers:

Click on the image to make it larger:

It comes from this article, published online April 1, 2008 by Education Week and written by The Associated Press. You can read the entire article by clicking here.

Former Secretary of State, and founding chair of America's Promise Alliance, Colin Powell states, "When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it's more than a problem, it's a catastrophe."

There is a good video on the bottom right side of America's Promise Alliance's home page that gives you an idea of what the alliance is doing to try and stem the tide of students dropping out of high school. You can view it by clicking here.

As always, feel free to comment. I'm curious to read your thoughts on the subject.

Later,

Mike

Boys Think Reading Isn’t Cool

Why do boys think reading isn’t cool? Why do boys lag behind girls in reading scores? What can be done to level the field? Those are all questions being asked today about the discrepancies between boys and girls and their attitudes towards reading.

More than one expert believes it’s because boys are wired differently than girls. Many believe it has to do with testosterone. Others believe it has to do with socialization. Some believe there is a bias towards girls. I’m guessing it is a combination of all of the above and then some.

Mike Knight writes an excellent piece in the September 2007 edition of Mpls St. Paul Magazine entitled The Truth About Boys and Reading. You can read it by clicking here.

He talks to a group of male authors, academics and librarians that discuss the issue and comes to the conclusion we need to rethink our whole approach to the way we teach. Imagine that!

"I would say there is a crisis," said Walter Dean Myers, a children's book author. "Too many parents have walked away from this idea ... that education is a family concept, is a community concept, is not simply something that schools do."

Another article, Boys' lack of interest in reading tackled by groups, written by Paul Nyhan in the October 24, 2007 seattlepi.com quotes Pamela LaBorde, children's librarian at the Seattle Public Library's Ballard branch, "A lot of times, when boys get to middle school they are feeling sort of disenfranchised from the educational experience.” You can read the entire article by clicking here.

The next seven paragraphs are directly from Paul Nyhan’s article:

“The problem isn't necessarily that boys don't read, it's that they are often practical readers,” LaBorde said, “reading magazines and even manuals.”

The reasons behind the reading gender gap are complex — everything from cultural changes to behavioral differences — but researchers know the brains of boys and girls develop at different rates.

They also may feel ignored. That's because the publishing industry tends to focus on girls, Myers said.

"The publishing industry doesn't think there is a market, so they just don't market them," said Hayden Bass, teen services librarian at Seattle Public's Library's downtown branch.

To engage male readers, books need to tackle their issues: what it means to be a man, walk away from a fight, play sports and even go to war, Myers said.

"I've never had a male editor," the New Jersey-based author said. "When you see the books that win the awards, you see books that are much more suitable for girls."

When Myers wrote Fallen Angels, a teen novel about Vietnam, it was a big hit with male readers.

Nyhan finishes his article with the following two paragraphs:

But like many student challenges, the first steps begin at home.

"Getting kids reading ready by talking to them, by having conversations with these boys and telling these young readers that they have to join our society, we don't have to join theirs," Myers said. "You have to interact with your children."

If you are a male, what do you like to read? If you are a female, what do you like to read? I’m curious, what are your thoughts on the subject?

Later,

Mike

Take This Awareness Test

A friend sent me this video the other day; and, I find it fascinating. It's easy to miss something you're not looking for. Check out this video which is a British ad to start seeing cyclists:The narrator asks, "How many passes does the team in white make?"

When we focus on something we are told to focus on, sometimes we miss other things in the picture that may or may not be important. We need to learn to focus on our goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them. That can be difficult if we have attention deficit disorder, a learning disability, a brain injury, or any other one of a number of issues that affect our ability to focus.

The fascinating part is once we see something we missed the first time, there is no way we can look at the problem the way we first saw it.

This reminds me of a great quote by Oliver Wendall Holmes. Click on the image to make it larger:

Please feel free to comment on what you saw in this video, or the quote.

Later,

Mike

Effective Listening

Last Saturday I got to hear another speaker friend do his thing. I've known Kit Welchlin since 1991, and haven't seen him for several years. I was giving two breakout sessions for the annual Metro ECSU's Winning Strategies Conference for paraprofessionals, and I saw Kit's name on the agenda; so, I decided to go out early and listen to Kit do the keynote. I'm glad I did.

The title of Kit's address was Problem Solving & Decision Making Through High Impact Communication. I discuss problem solving, decision-making and communication all the time; so, I wanted to hear what he says about those three issues. I wasn't ready for the high energy/impact he let rip for about an hour. It was a great presentation with many highlights.

His list of 14 Characteristics of Effective Listening I've posted here really hit me. Simply click on the image to make it larger:


I love listening to other speakers, especially when they are saying many of the same things I say. It reinforces to me I'm doing the right thing and I'm on the right path. I especially like #7 which simply states, "Ask Questions."

I wrote an entire chapter on asking questions in PreTeen Power which was published in 1997. I'm rewriting it for I'm Not Done Yet. Stay tuned, I'm working on it.

Later,

Mike

Animals Under The Sea

I've talked about change before and how fast it is happening. I've also addressed how much we are learning and how fast we are learning it. Most notably, Karl Fisch discusses change in his two videos I wrote about in my November 20, 2007 post entitled "The Fischbowl."

A friend just sent me this video by David Gallo and his work in the oceans of the world. It's a fascinating video. I encourage you to check it out:

The highlight of the video for me was at the end when the octopus managed to basically "shape shift" itself to blend into it's surroundings to protect itself.

One statement he made screamed out to me when he said, "We have only explored about three percent of the oceans."

If we are just beginning to learn what lies beneath the surface of the oceans, what will we learn in that other 97%?

If you want to learn more by watching many amazing videos on change, new ideas, learning, growth and many other fascinating topics in eight very different themes which are: arts, business, entertainment, culture, design, science, technology and global issues. I encourage you to visit the TED website by clicking here.

I know I'm going to be checking out more of the videos. I'm sure there is a good deal of material for speeches that just needs to be explored.

Later,

Mike

"Who thought of that?"

Alexander Fleming once stated: “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer.” Fleming would write later, “But I guess that’s exactly what I did.”

Fleming was the first to realize moldy bread in a Petri dish had medicinal value and he is considered the person to have discovered Penicillin. To learn more about him and his discovery, click here. It will take you to his entry in Wikipedia. It is interesting reading.

I learned of the drug Urokinase when I had my lungs fill up about 90% full of blood in 1984. The condition is called pulmonary emboli. (Emboli is plural for embolism. I had many embolisms). They told me Urokinase helps to break up the blood clots in my lungs. They also told me it came from human fetal urine. My thought was, “How do they get it?”

Medicinenet.com says this about Urokinase:

USES: This medication is a protein (enzyme) which works to break up and dissolve blood clots which can block arteries. It is used in the treatment of very serious blood clots in lung blood vessels (pulmonary embolism).

Modern Western medicine is a wonderful thing, and has saved my life on several occasions. My doctors constantly amaze me with what they know and how they find new treatments for the numerous maladies I seem to attract.

I just learned about another drug I have had to use on a good number of occasions. It’s called Heparin. Heparin is used as a blood thinner they often use to keep my blood from clotting when I’ve had to have an IV for one reason or another.

I learned one of the major suppliers of Heparin in America is China. I also learned it comes from the lining of intestines of pigs! I thought to myself, “Who thought of that?”

Unfortunately, right now, we have a problem with our Chinese Heparin. The New York Times recently ran this story on the manufacture of Heparin in China. I find it fascinating and disturbing. You can read it by clicking here. I find the picture very disturbing as well.

I don’t know if I’ll feel very comfortable about my Heparin the next time my doctor says to me, “We’re going to use some Heparin now, Mike.”

I know many medical breakthroughs have been accidental. I also know many people have devoted their lives to medical research, and billions of dollars have been spent, and will continue to be spent, trying to find all sorts of things like the cure for cancer, and stem cell research to find the cure for paralysis, to name just two. Who knows how those two problems will be solved? I sure hope they keep trying to find the solutions!

Later,

Mike

I Love Good Quotes

I spent last Thursday at Southwest Middle School in Albert Lea, Minnesota. After my assembly, I ate lunch in the cafeteria with a group of seventh grade girls. When they finished lunch, they ran off to band practice. All of a sudden, a few of them came running back and asked me if I would come and listen to their band practice. I agreed and off we went. I thought I'll try it since I've never done that before.

Talk about chaos! The first few minutes as they all practiced, it sounded like nothing I've ever heard. Then, the director, Mister Dawson, called them to order and I enjoyed watching the concentration on all of their faces as they focused on the songs they were working on.

From there, I went to Brenda Morris' seventh grade health class to spend two hours of follow-up discussion and doing a couple of experiential exercises from my assembly. She had dozens of quotes posted all over her room, and I asked two students to please write them down for me. Here are some of my favorites:

"Make an effort, not an excuse."

"You teacher's goal is simple: to help you reach yours."

"Your 'I Will' is more important than your I.Q."

"Be yourself. You're the only one who can do it right."

"Attitude is the mind's paintbrush. It can color any situation."

"Stand up for what is right even if you're standing alone."

"Let the choices you make today be choices you can live with tomorrow."

"What is popular is not always right; what is right is not always popular."

"Listen and silent are spelled with the same letters."

"Be yourself: an original is always worth more than a copy."

"Courage is doing right when everyone around you is doing wrong."

"Character: it's how you live life when nobody's looking."

"Choices:
1. Making every decision carefully
2. Thinking everything through responsibly
3. Exercising your freedom to choose
4. Deciding what is right and doing it."

I've attached a page of my favorites here. Please click on the image to make it larger; then, print it and put it on your bulletin board to refer to as needed. I do:


Please feel free to add your favorite quotes in the Comments Section. Include the author if you know who said it. I look forward to reading them.

Thanks!

Mike

DQ Girl

I started speaking to young people way back in 1975 when Martha Brown, a nursing school instructor at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital's now-defunct school of nursing, asked me to speak to her nursing students about living with a spinal cord injury. I spent three years going to that school once every three weeks to impart my wisdom about life in a wheelchair.

When I think about it now, I wonder what I thought I was doing being just twenty years old, and having only been disabled for four years! What did I know? How was I an expert? All I know is, it launched my speaking career.

That disability awareness presentation has evolved into a self-esteem presentation that challenges every one of my audience members to reach their potential and to recognize just what their capabilities are — no matter how old they are. We all have capabilities we don’t even know are there. We just have to find them!

Sometimes finding our strengths are easy, and other times we go through our whole life and never find them.

Everywhere I go, unbelievable things happen. Here is one of those stories.

One summer evening several years ago, I was in a Dairy Queen with a friend and his two boys getting a treat after one of the boy’s little league baseball game. We were waiting to receive our order when a young lady behind the counter handed me a receipt with a note on the back that read:

I’m getting help.
It’s working too. THANKS,
I think you saved my life.
from,

Then she wrote her name and the high school she attended. I looked up in amazement and she was standing behind the counter, smiling and shaking her head up and down! I couldn’t ask her what it was that made her feel that way because she was very busy, the restaurant was packed, and at just that time our ice cream came and my friends were leaving the counter to go eat. I shared the note’s contents outside the restaurant with my friend and have wondered about her ever since that night.

I did three presentations the day I visited her large suburban high school. In the first program there were approximately 150 kids. In the second, there were maybe 300 students. After lunch, I came back to the auditorium to find a 500 seat room overflowing with about 700 young people, many of whom had heard me once or even twice already that day. The aisles were full, the stage had steps all along the front and they were full; people lined the walls. The Fire Marshall would not have approved!

The school had more than 2,000 students so they let the teachers choose if they wanted to attend my program or not. The kids heard my program, went to their next class and asked their teacher if they could go hear me again. Word started spreading and before I knew it, the place was overflowing. It often happens that way; I have to prove myself in every school to a new group of young people.

This young lady was in one or more of those programs. Each program was different. I don’t know what it was I said she picked up on but it hit her in a way that made her write, “ … I think you saved my life.” Parents, teachers and all other adults don’t always know what young people hear, or for that matter, when they are even listening! That is why we need to think about the consequences of what we say and do. The things we say to our children are very important. They may not tell you it’s important, but it is.

We need to listen to them too. We as adults, as parents, as teachers need to validate their feelings. She needed to understand the problem wasn’t the issue; the issue was how to deal with the problem. I tell them it isn’t a matter of degree. It is a matter of doing the right thing.

It is a matter of learning a problem-solving process. Young people already have a process in order, but many times they don’t realize what they are capable of doing. We as adults, as parents, as teachers, need to help guide them, to be an integral part of their lives. You are very important to your children. They may not tell you how important you are, but deep down — they know, because “Kids are COOL!”

Note: A version of this originally appeared in a monthly newspaper entitled Family Times. It was a periodical for parents in the Twin Cities. I wrote a column for them in the mid-nineties entitled Kids are COOL!

Here's Another Myth To Think About

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know my last post discussed the myths about school shooters. Today, I want to address another very important issue, one I've addressed earlier. And, that is the myths surrounding boys. As I stated in my December 29th post, young people need to feel connected to at least one adult.

I quoted Michael Resnick, PhD, the assistant director at the University of Minnesota's Adolescent Health Program when he stated, "Young people need to be connected to at least one caring, competent adult. The good news is, it doesn't necessarily have to be their mom or dad. But, it is essential for young people to feel a connection to a responsible adult."

Much has been written about the "lost boys" of today, and it should be! Millions of boys are in trouble and need help. Mentoring programs like The Rising Son are helping boys become men. The myth I want to address is we are losing the battle. That simply isn't true! I'm sure you'll agree with me after reading this article from time.com entitled The Myth About Boys.

The article originally appeared in the August 6th edition of TIME magazine. David Von Drehle writes an excellent piece about the good and the bad news of the situation. It's well worth your read. Two quotes shouted out to me from Margaret Anderson, a pediatric nurse in Nashville, a member of the faculty at Vanderbilt University and the staff nurse at a camp for boys called Falling Creek Camp in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

As Von Drehle writes, Anderson told him, "Whether it's urban kids who can't go outside because it's too dangerous or the over-scheduled, over-parented kids at the other end of the spectrum — I'm worried that boys have lost the chance to play and to explore," Our society takes a dim view of idle time and casts a skeptical eye on free play — play driven by a boy's curiosity rather than the league schedule or the folks at Nintendo. But listen to Anderson as she lists the virtues of letting boys run themselves occasionally.

"When no one's looming over them, they begin making choices of their own," she says. "They discover consequences and learn to take responsibility for themselves and their emotions. They start learning self-discipline, self-confidence, team building. If we don't let kids work through their own problems, we get a generation of whiners."

I believe that's why mentoring is so important to boys. When boys get stuck or simply need someone to talk to, they can talk to a mentor. Are you someone a young boy, or girl, can talk to? If you are, GREAT! How so? If not, why?

I'd like to know your answers. Please feel free to leave your comments. Thanks.

Later,

Mike

10 Myths About School Shootings

It's happened again. Another school shooting has taken three more lives. This one appears to be a little different than most in that it was a young woman wielding the gun. The details will start spilling out over the next few days; and I'm guessing at least some of these 10 Myths will pop up and prove to us one more time how little we know about the people who commit these horrific crimes.

Bill Dedman, an investigative reporter for MSNBC, published a great article on October 10, 2007 entitled 10 Myths About School Shootings. I encourage you to check it out. You can read it by clicking here.

He goes into detail about each one of these myths which are compiled by MSNBC.com from a 2002 study by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education. Here's the list:

Myth No. 1. “He didn’t fit the profile.”
Myth No. 2. “He just snapped.”
Myth No. 3. “No one knew.”
Myth No. 4. “He hadn’t threatened anyone.”
Myth No. 5. “He was a loner.”
Myth No. 6. “He was crazy.”
Myth No. 7. “If only we’d had a SWAT team or metal detectors.”
Myth No. 8. “He’d never touched a gun.”
Myth No. 9. “We did everything we could to help him.”
Myth No. 10. “School violence is rampant.”

Generational Differences

I have many friends in the speaking business and I learn a great deal from each one of them. On December 29th, I introduced you to Earl Hipp and his work helping men help boys transform to manhood in my Fatherlessness post.

Today, I want to introduce you to another friend, Eric Chester, who published the very successful Teen Power book series. I was fortunate to have written chapters in three of those books. You can learn more about the books I'm in by clicking here. The books are out of print now, but if you're interested, I still have copies available. You can order them from my website.

Eric is focusing his energies these days on helping corporations strategize on how to employ the new generation of workers he refers to as Generation Why. Generation X followed the Baby Boomers; and now, Generation Y, or, to use the term Eric coined, Generation Why, gives us a dramatic look at the differences between the generations. In the chart below, he shows us how the paradigm is shifting.

I encourage you to click on the image to enlarge it, and see how he identifies the differences in the generations:

Once again, as Karl Fisch says, "Shifts happen."

Cell Phones That Read

In keeping with the theme of change, and rapid change at that, check out this article about a cell phone that reads to people who are blind and visually-impaired by clicking here.

As assistive technology continues to make life easier for many people with a multitude of disabilities, we are just in the beginning stages of what is to come.

Personally, I really like my voice-recognition software which is enabling me to write the book and some of these blog entries. As someone with a severe disability, it's very exciting for me to see these new products.

Yes, change is inevitable, and we best embrace it. Learning is truly a life-long process, and as we see products like this new cell phone, and the Kindle, we need to recognize we have the process in place to address that change.

Kindle is Here

The latest, greatest technological device is here and from what I've read and seen, it will eventually change reading books, newspapers, magazines and blogs just like cell phones have changed the way we communicate with telephones.

Granted, amazonkindle is in it's first generation, and carries a $399 price tag, but like all technology, we'll see that price drop and maybe even disappear.

Imagine students not having to carry heavy backpacks full of textbooks, schools not needing to buy those textbooks because they can just download the books on to their students' Kindles, walking through a park on a nice day and watching people reading their Kindles instead of books, newspapers or magazines, or riding the train or bus to work while reading your morning newspaper on your Kindle.

Amazon.com says about Kindle: "We wanted Kindle to be completely mobile and simple to use for everyone, so we made it wireless. No PC and no syncing needed. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Unlike WiFi, you’ll never need to locate a hotspot. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills — we take care of the hassles so you can just read."

Check out the extended video demonstration by going to the amazonkindle link in the second paragraph and scroll down to the video.

The paradigm keeps shifting as change is happening faster and faster. For example, my 30 gigabyte iPod which is less than a year old has already been replaced by the 80 and 160 gig models!

Bullying in Schools

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me." We've all heard it, and we all know it's not true. Yet, bullying has become a HUGE issue in schools across the country. In fact, it is such a concern, some schools have instituted anti-bullying campaigns. I was in one such school on January 7th.

Little Chute Middle School in Little Chute, Wisconsin had me spend the day to help kick-off a week-long program to eliminate bullying in their school. Based on the conversations I had that day with both teachers and students, and the emails I received from several students, they are off to a good start.

I found these statistics startling and I think you'll agree:

(Click on image to enlarge.)

In one of my classroom visits that day, I asked the class to raise their hand if they have been bullied, and the vast majority raised their hands. The same response was true when I asked them if they had ever bullied anyone. Even the teacher raised his hand to both questions!

The old adage "Boys will be boys," doesn't cut it any more. In fact, it's not just boys doing the bulling these days. Some researchers are finding girls to be just as big a problem when it comes to being both the bully and the person being mistreated.

Here's a very informative article on Girls Bullying Girls. Check it out. It introduces us to the phrase "relational aggression." This article is based on a longer article written by Marina Skowronski.

The last piece I'd like to take you to is Bob Chase's column dated 3/25/01, the President of the National Education Association in Washington, D.C. He offers some insight into what needs to be done to help curtail the problem.

Bullying is a problem young people are coping with and they need direction. We, as parents, teachers and concerned adults need to help them however we can. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. Thank you in advance.

Aaron Cross is "Motivation on Wheels"

The school assembly speaking fraternity is losing a very good motivator today. Aaron Cross is retiring from speaking in schools to move across the pond to start a new life with his wife, Katrina, who is from the United Kingdom.

I've known Aaron since he was in school at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. He called me one day and wanted to know if I would be interested in working with him for an internship. I agreed, and he spent a couple of months helping me and learning the ropes in becoming a professional speaker.

Aaron is also a world-class archer and on September 23, 2004, he and his teammates shot their way to the Bronze Medal; the first team medal for the U.S. Paralympic Archery Team.

He has an incredible story and John Gross, a photojournalist at KSTP TV, the ABC affiliate in St. Paul, MN, does a great job telling us about Aaron in this piece which aired on January 4th:

As you watch the video, watch what Aaron accomplishes with the close-up shot with the second arrow as it hits the target. He's still got it!

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S303276.shtml

I wish Aaron and Katrina all the best as they move to England and begin their life together a long ways from Minnesota.

Fatherlessness

Earl Hipp is a friend of mine. He is also a well-respected author, accomplished speaker and prolific blogger; but maybe his most important title is that of a mentor. According to Earl's latest book's website "Man Making is a practical and inspirational guidebook for men. It shows them how to awaken and apply their instinctive man-making skills. In this book, every man, regardless of his level of commitment to this work, will find something he can do to support a boy or boys on the journey to manhood."

Earl is very passionate about helping men help boys in their respective journeys. His latest blog entry highlighted Mustafa Mahdi, the spiritual force behind The Rising Son, Inc. in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Earl writes, "The Rising Son Young Men's Development Center is providing after school daycare, tutoring, mentoring, rites of passage events, a small summer camp, field trips, and lots of positive attention to many boys." Learn more about them by clicking here.

On their website, you will find this page of troubling statistics that show the negative effects of boys being raised without fathers. Some of the numbers are fifteen to twenty years old now; but, I don't believe they are dramatically different today. If anything, some of them may be worse.

After reading these numbers, it reminded me of a statement Michael Resnick, Ph.D., the assistant director at the Adolescent Health Program at the University of Minnesota made in my video series entitled TOUGH DECISIONS: A Teenage Dilemma published way back in 1991, when he stated, "Young people need to be connected to at least one caring, competent adult. The good news is, it doesn't necessarily have to be their mom or dad. But, it is essential for young people to feel a connection to a responsible adult."

After reading those numbers, it's glaringly obvious, especially for boys, to have a connection to a positive male role model. I believe that is one reason why we are seeing such a surge of mentoring programs all across the country.

Something needs to happen to get these numbers down, and that something starts with each and every one of us. Maybe one of your New Year's resolutions could be to become a mentor to one or more young boys and pledge to help him, or them, on their journey to manhood.

Not All Steroids Are Bad

In my last post, I discussed Kevin Everett's story and the controversial treatment for his spinal cord injury. The controversial part is the hypothermia treatment they used to drop his body temperature down to about 92 degrees. That, along with the not-so-controversial part of his treatment, which is infusing large doses of Solumedrol, an anti-inflammatory steroid, kept the swelling down in the affected area of his neck, the 3rd, 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae.

That is what kept him from being paralyzed. The medical community has mixed feelings about the induced hypothermia because of the potential side effects. There haven't been any scientific studies done on this new procedure; but after seeing how it worked on Kevin Everett, I wish it would have been available when I had my accident. I'm guessing in the not-to-distant future it will become a common practice. That's very exciting for me to think about.

Dr. Barth Green, MD, the Miami Project's president and co-founder, has done some pre-clinical research on the subject. You can read more about this story by clicking here.

On the other end of the steroid spectrum are the anabolic steroids we've been hearing about for years and the illegal use among athletes to enhance their performance. With the release of the Mitchell Report last Thursday, it has come front and center again in the sports world.

In October, Marion Jones admitted to using steroids and had to return her five Olympic medals. Last week the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially striped her, and her relay teammates of their records and Olympic accomplishments.

It's nice to see good news about drugs and an athlete these days. It's especially exciting for me to see new treatments, used in conjunction with proven treatments, like using Solumedrol to keep accident victims with potentially life-threatening spinal cord injuries have new hope that they, like Kevin Everett, may not have to take the same journey people with spinal cord injuries like mine have had to travel.

Kevin Everett, Three Months Later

It's only been three months since Kevin Everett broke his neck on the kick-off that started the second half of the first game of the NFL season for the Buffalo Bills, but a lot has happened to him since then.

I just got my new edition of Sports Illustrated and anxiously read Tim Layden's excellent article on Everett's controversial treatment, amazing recovery and prognosis for the future.

The Road Back chronicles his accident, early treatment and recovery in great detail and gave me a tremendous insight into this fantastic story.

It's long, but very informative. If you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to do so. If you have a spinal cord injury, or know someone who does, I believe it will give you a lift just like it did for me.

"Lunch Lady Land"

Last Thursday, I was in Northern Minnesota, in the heart of the Iron Range, in tiny Aurora, a community of about 1,700 residents, speaking to the secondary students at Mesabi East High School. We did an assembly and then I spent the rest of the day in four classrooms. In one of the classrooms, a student came in with his electric guitar and small amplifier. He asked if he could sing a song for me. He wanted to play "The Lunch Lady Land" song. It was the song he played in their annual talent show.

I said, "Sure, let's hear it."

He started to sing this song and it practically brought me to tears because the lyrics were so funny! In fact, he had to stop a couple of times, because, he too, was laughing as he sang.

When he finished, he told me it was an old Adam Sandler song from Sandler's days on Saturday Night Live.

When, I got home, I looked on YouTube and found the music video with Chris Farley playing the part of the Lunch Lady. It's from 1993 and I think you'll agree with me it's very funny. I think it's especially funny if you have memories like I do of your days in school eating school lunches.

Check it out and see if you agree with me:



I think the main reason this struck me as being so funny is because several years ago I gave a two-hour keynote address to the Minnesota School Food Service Association's annual conference; then, spent about two hours in the exhibit area testing the food vendors wares, and talking to many lunch ladies. It remains my all-time favorite conference, and I believe always will!

There were about 800 women and maybe twelve men in the audience who were the most unassuming, compassionate, caring group of people I have ever addressed! It was a great group of people who loved what they do and love to take care of your children.

The people who run the hot lunch programs around the country are one of the most maligned group you can imagine. And, from my experience, they take it all in stride. Yet, with all of the complaining we do about how bad our lunches are, I rarely get a bad school lunch whenever I visit a school! In fact, that day in Aurora, I had a GREAT lunch and the lunch ladies took wonderful care of me! They always do.

If you're still in school, remember to thank the lunch ladies every now and then. I thank them after every meal they serve me.