The Washington Auto Show a success for VPG

by Madonna Long

The Washington Auto Show was a huge success for VPG Autos and the MV-1, which was displayed at Mayor Gray,s Taxi Display.  Mayor Vincent C. Gray and DC Taxicab Commission (DCTC) Chairman Ron M. Linton (pictured above) introduced their vehicle exhibit earlier at the Verizon Center to display four proposed color schemes for the District,s taxicab fleet.

The intent of the DCTC is to move towards a standardized uniform color scheme for the DC taxicab industry in the District of Columbia and moving toward mandating upgrades to the industry by the Taxicab Modernization Act.

People at the auto show stopped by the MV-1 display where they could also vote on their favorite color scheme.  Many people where very impressed by the MV-1 and the features that included universal design and a roomy taxi ride for everyone.

Chairman Ron Linton stopped by with his staff at the Taxi display at the auto show, as did members of the Department of Energy.

The MV-1 with the CNG features is an excellent choice for the taxi industry as it saves fuel, is green, made in the USA and is accessible to everyone. It,s truly a Taxi for All.

VPG representatives Steve Barker, Vice President of Sales, Jerod Chockley, Ian Minicuci and Madonna Long spent eleven days at the auto show greeting show attendees and educating them on the MV-1 with CNG by VPG Autos.

Steve Barker and Madonna Long enjoyed a night out with Mark Perriello, the CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).  I had the great pleasure of having my friend Jeri, who is the coordinator for the Ms. Wheelchair D.C. program, also with Melissa, join me at the auto show.  It,s always so great to have advocates who understand the importance of working on so many issues together.

It was a really productive day for me on Capitol Hill. I spent the day meeting new Pennsylvania Congressman Keith Rothfus.  The highlight of my time was, of course, catching up with my friend Bob from Senator Reid,s office, where I snapped some great photos of his office and the U.S. Capital.  I also stopped by to see Dina Titus, Representative from Nevada and long-time Nevadan friend; I am so pleased to see her on Capitol Hill again.

Interested in staying up-to-date with the accessible taxi issue? Visit www.accessibletaxi.com or connect on Facebook.

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Audio books - the perfect mulitasking tool

by Tiffiny Carlson

For a lot of folks, when they hear the word "audio book" they think, "Boring. Not my thing." I'm not sure how these tasty treats ended up getting such a bad wrap, but it's the truth. Most people would rather listen to crappy radio than listen to an audio book, and these people are missing out big time. From being the ultimate multitasking tool to keeping you awake on long drives, audio books are a grossly underappreciated form of literature.

And what's great is that you don't have to spend a dime to get one (or several) in your possession. Libraries all over the country have beefed up their audio book sections, allowing you to rent them whenever you like (and they can be renewed online at most libraries up to three times). And they have all genres of audio books - fiction, non-fiction, and everything in between. Whatever keeps your attention, you'll be able to find it in an audio book.

Strangely, my audio book obsession started 10 years ago when I was a young feisty 20 year old who never would've considered audio books, but my boyfriend at the time bought us The DaVinci Code on audio book for our summer road trips. When he first told me he wanted us to listen to the book via CD, I laughed. No proper book should be listened to, I thought. But dang, I soon found out how wrong I was 2 hours into our road trip.

The soothing sounds of the narrator kept me so rapt that by the time we hit our destination, it felt like we had only been on the road for a 1/2 hour, not 2. As a fidgety road tripper, this blew me away. We next got a fun dark mystery audio book for our Seattle road trip, and I was hooked even more. Nothing ever made the time pass this quick (other than sleeping, of course).

Last year I discovered the awesomeness of non-fiction audio books. Have you ever learned something while doing something else? You can do this with audio books when you're behind the wheel. And even for short drives, this is an awesome thing to do. We got one that went over everything you'd ever wanted to know about wine, from growing grapes to pairing wines with the right food. It was 6 CDs, took all summer to get through, but I now know everything about wine. Nothing can beat learning a new skill when most of the time in the same situation, all you'd be doing is flipping through the radio stations or looking out the window.

When it comes to choosing the right audio book for your tastes, think outside the box. From horror and fiction to audio books that can teach you a new language, there are a myriad of genres available on audio. Also, when you're listening versus reading, certain genres may be easier to digest than they usually are when you read, so have fun trying different genres of books. You never know what your next favorite book style might be.

If you're still not sure if audio books will jive with you, think of all the famous novels and tomes you've wanted to read, but never had time to do. Audio books can make this happen. Gone with the Wind, Lord of the Rings, the Narnia series, even the Bible, with audio books you'll be well-read before you know it. Here's a list of some fun audio books that are popular and far from boring:
- Born to be Riled (written and narrated by Top Gear's Jeremy Clark)
- Chattery Teeth and Other Stories (a collection of short horror stories by Stephen King)
- Bossy Pants (written and narrated by Tina Fey)
- The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

From being one of the best forms of entertainment for a vehicle to being awesomely inexpensive, audio books will surely rock your world. Just make sure you get something you love so it keeps you awake, otherwise the dulcet tones of the narrator's voice may inadvertently hit your sleepy button.

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