Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 02:31:40 -0500 From: didom@usa1.com (Claude DiDomenica) Subject: The CAT Chronicle for 10-27-95 ISSN 1084-5585 THE CAT CHRONICLE ----------------- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * * October 27, 1995 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Children's Animated Television (CAT) is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization that produces educational videos for children and teens on contemporary social issues such as AIDS, diversity, violence and GLB teen self esteem. CAT also provides as a public service a BBS, a weekly full color newsletter and a Web site for the family of the future: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/ * Please note a full color version of this newsletter is available on the World Wide Web: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/newslett/newslett.html/ Quote of the Week: "Life is like the game of football: Stay humble or fumble..." ---Quai Chang Furball --------------------------------------------------------------------- CAT Currents... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAT is proud to announce a new sponsor, People Link, of Brooklyn, New York. People Link helps progressive organizations and socially responsible companies communicate with others through the use of communications technology. They are a subsidiary of Lopez Communications. A few months ago, CAT's own Claude DiDomenica was cruising the Web looking (as usual) for help or links to our Web site. From a list of non-profit related Web sites, he happened to find People Link. Since the People Link homepage said that "We love E-mail!", he left a brief note... A friendly gent named Alfredo Lopez E-mailed Claude back and said he loved the CAT homepage! Alfredo has since become one of CAT's best friends and supporters. He has promised to put the full weight of Lopez Communications behind our latest CAT project, now under construction. "Project One Earth, One People" is our new effort to end all forms of discrimination. According to Alfredo, "We've (Lopez Communications) been in business since 1985 and have seven or eight people working here and another dozen or so who work on particular projects and are considered part of our family. Small firm but pretty large for a progressive firm." Claude recently said, "Alfredo has been a godsend. Bessie and I were literally ready to terminate CAT. It has been very hard to get any financial support." But last week, Bessie and I took a trip to New York City. Lopez Communications had arranged a meeting for people who were fighting to keep "Channel 1" from invading the public schools in New York state. Alfredo and his wonderful staff did an excellent job of educating the audience about the "Channel 1" controversy. Many children in the inner city public schools are forced to view commercial television in their classrooms. Commercials have no place in our public schools. Towards the end of the meeting, Alfredo told the audience that Bessie and Claude had traveled all the way from Boston to attend the meeting. He said that CAT is an outstanding example of alternatives to commercial television in the classroom, and to show folks there _IS_ good television out there. He said we were about to fold up and people should support us. Alfredo, since you are a subscriber to this newsletter and may be reading this, please accept our most sincere THANKS and love! You really have kept the flame burning for us. As Alfredo says: "Abrazos!" (hugs!) Please contact Alfredo and thank him for helping CAT: Alfredo Lopez Please also visit our revamped homepage, complete with a logo and link to People Link: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/ Next week, we will tell you about another new partnership we are developing with Ed Wondoloski, Professor at Bently College... The disABLEd Corner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This week I'd like to talk about a barrier of a different sort. You have heard of the physical barriers that persons with disabilities have to overcome. But there is another type of barrier. This is an insidious barrier that is harder to conquer because it's invisible. It is called an attitudinal barrier. What is an attitudinal barrier? It is the attitude that many people have towards disabled people. It's the way that people ignore or shun the disabled. For example, a person in a wheelchair is dining out with their spouse. When most people talk with the couple, they seldom talk directly to the person in the wheelchair. They would rather talk with the spouse and ignore the disabled person, just like the person wasn't there. "How is your husband doing these days? Has he gotten any better?" You've probably seen this kind of behavior at one time or another. This particular type of barrier is not something dangerous, or horrible. But it is just plain rude. If it makes you uncomfortable to talk with the disabled person, think how it makes them feel when you ignore them! When you wish to speak to someone in a wheelchair, LOOK at them and talk TO them. Be mindful that if you want to carry on an extended conversation with the person, sit down and be comfortable. Talk with the person face to face. The person in the wheelchair can get a stiff neck from looking up at you! Other forms of attitudinal barriers are not so harmless. For example, an employer does not hire someone because they are disabled. This is not only wrong, it is also illegal in most instances. One attitude that really sets me off is the attitude of teenagers who laugh at and mock handicapped people. I use a wheelchair and portable respirator. I have used these for some time, but I will never get used to older teenagers who point, laugh and mock me. I try to remember that some day those people may be disabled, and maybe then they will look at the situation with more maturity... When I ride my motorized wheelchair in the malls and stores, little children always find it fascinating. Children ask their parents for one of their own for Christmas or their birthday! But here too is another form of an attitudinal barrier. When the young children approach me to ask about my wheelchair, in most instances their parents pull them back and hush them. Parents, remember: it's okay to let your children ask about what happened, or how does a wheelchair work. Children have a genuine and innocent curiosity. When a parent moves the child away from the disabled person, they are unwittingly teaching the child to shun others who may not be able-bodied. Next week I'll take you into the darker side of attitudinal barriers. This includes the deliberate abuse of disabled persons and hate crimes. It's an ugly subject and an ugly crime. Perhaps by exposing them to the light of day, we can start to solve the problems. Rev. Jim E-Mail: IRISH38@aol.com Web site: http://pages.prodigy.com/OH/zrjj15a/revjim.html Parent's Corner... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip of the Week: When and where do accidents happen? Accidents are most likely to occur: * When the adults taking care of the child do not understand a child's abilities at various stages of development * When the dinner hour approaches, and the later part of the week. Saturday is the worst day for accidents * When a child is hungry, tired, angry, or confused * When there is a major, disruptive change in the child's life * When the child is being supervised by an adult who is unfamiliar with their routine Here are the most common accidents for children based on age: Newborn - 6 months ------------------ * Automobile accidents * Diaper changing table falls * Bath water burns * Crib accidents 6-12 months ----------- * Automobile accidents * Falls against sharp furniture * Electric burns from chewing on appliance cords * Injuries related to toys * High chair/walker/stroller accidents 1-2 years old ------------- * Automobile accidents * Exploring or climbing accidents * Cuts (usually from knives) * Eating poisonous plants * Accidental drownings 3-5 years old ------------- * Automobile accidents * Yard and street accidents * Playground accidents * Fire accidents * Accidental drownings There are dangers to children everywhere. An ounce of prevention and some common sense can help to avoid most of these accidents. Jeff Sam Volunteer Child Safety & Parents Coordinator, Co-Sysop of Dr Furball's BBS and CAT's Co-Webmeister Internet Address: jsam@usa1.com Please visit Jeff's Sam's Child Safety and Parenting Web page: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/jeffsam/jeffsam.html/ GLB Youth Advisor: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAT's current video project is on GLB teen self esteem. Our goal is to help put a stop to the unacceptably high rate of GLB teen depression and suicide. We also believe there is a direct correlation between low self esteem and unsafe sex practices. To this aim, as a public service we present to you the GLB Youth Advisor... Alarming News ------------- This week, I'll share with you some frightening news received from a group dedicated to ending homophobia in our schools and our society. Please take a moment to read this information forwarded to us from the P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexually Orientation Nationally) CAT donates a Web page to P.E.R.S.O.N. http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/glb/person.html/ [P.E.R.S.O.N. Project note: DELAWARE's DEPT. of Ed. IS ONE WHICH DID NOT REPLY TO ANY OF OUR MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION when we were writing our organizing manual on textbook/curriculum adoption policies for each state. Clearly, Delaware's Dept. of Ed. needs to do some serious anti-homophobia work RIGHT AWAY. Please send your thoughts about the below sickening, preventable tragedy to: Superintendent of Public Instruction State Dept of Public Instruction Townsend Bldg., P.O. Box 1402 Dover DE 19903 State News, PO Box 737 Dover, DE 19901 (Fax 302-674-3609, print run 31,800) The News Journal, Box 15505 Wilmington, DE 19720 (Fax 513-382-4392, print run 119,300)] ASSOCIATED PRESS - Friday October 27, 1995 SLAIN BOY HAD FOUGHT WITH KILLER'S BROTHER Middletown, Del.- The other kids used to tease 9-year-old Steven Wilson for playing with Barbie dolls and girls. When other boys called him "faggot" and "queer," he would become enraged, curse them and run. Most times, the children were allowed to work it out for themselves. But earlier this month, Steven's mother, Karen Wilson, had to step in when she found her son choking a 7-year-old neighbor boy. "Stevie had the little boy on the ground, where he couldn't breathe. I didn't want him to hurt him or anything," Wilson said. A week later, Steven was found dead in a drainage ditch a mile from his home. He had been raped, beaten with a log and drowned. Lamount Harden - the 15-year-old big brother of the boy Steven had choked was charged with the crime. Lamount confessed after his muddy jeans were found in a trash can at the apartment complex where Steven lived, according to a police affidavit. Police have refused to give a motive. "The killing has changed Middletown forever," said Bonnie Campbell, owner of a doll shop on Main Street in the community of about 5,000 surrounded by farm fields 20 miles south of Wilmington. "This is the shame of our society," she said. "The children don't have the time to enjoy their childhood, a protected childhood. They're handed the horrors of society on a dirty plate." Prosecutors will seek life in prison for Lamount, who lived with his mother and two younger brothers almost directly across from the Wilsons. The boy is being held on more than $1 million bail. Steven was last seen alive Oct. 14 while playing with other children in the courtyard of the 60-unit Middletown Trace Apartments. Mike Reddin Volunteer GLB Youth Advisor for Children's Animated Television Internet Address: wxman@pcix.com Mike has an area on our Web site dedicated to GLB youth: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/glb/glb.html/ "The problems faced by GLB youth are a national disgrace and tragedy" --- Claude DiDomenica, Children's Animated Television What if??? ~~~~~~~~~~ Our President, Claude DiDomenica writes this weekly column to stimulate the minds of our youth and adults who haven't lost their "youthful imaginations..." Hi! This week, I am taking a break and Bessie, our Executive Director wrote this column... What if we had a "Peace on Earth Month" ??? Each day people would perform some act of kindness toward other human beings... Governments would create programs for people to encourage self-reliance, social stability and end the violence in their societies. Hatred, jealousies and petty human endeavors would give way to a world of unity and tolerance. We would celebrate a month without wars to take over their neighbors land, or to get sell more drugs than the next guy... What if each person on this planet tried to give peace a chance... a chance to heal our wounded spirits... a chance to give ALL children the power to build a better future for themselves... a chance to recapture those good feelings we used to have about our communities. "Imagine no possessions... I wonder if you can??? No more fear or hunger... A brotherhood of man..." ---John Lennon Bessie Hadley The CAT Credo... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Children's Animated Television (CAT) believes in a positive future for all children... CAT's philosophy is to help solve today's complex social problems through honest and open dialogue, education, information and compromise... CAT will produce video programs for pre-teens and teens to stimulate their minds, harness their creativity and imaginations to cultivate long-lasting answers to problems in their world... As a public service, CAT will also provide educational information using all available technology including a computer bulletin board, World Wide Web site and other electronic media. CAT will supply this knowledge for children, parents and educators to enable our society to develop ideas and solutions for a better tomorrow... Claude DiDomenica & Bessie Hadley Founders of Children's Animated Television July 15, 1995 --------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Children's Animated Television. Use any advice or information at your own risk. To subscribe to "The CAT Chronicle" via E-Mail: E-Mail to didom@usa1.com Subject: Subscribe CAT Chronicle CAT is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Contact Information: Bessie Hadley Executive Director Children's Animated Television, Inc. 1492 Highland Ave, Suite 3 Needham, MA 02192 USA Voice: 617-449-9699 FAX: 617-449-2238 Dr Furball's BBS: 617-455-8415 node 1 617-433-0026 node 2 Internet: hadley@usa1.com Claude DiDomenica President of CAT and Sysop of Dr Furball's BBS Internet: didom@usa1.com CAT's WEB Home Page!!! http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Get CAT's latest info releases from Software Creations BBS * * "Home of the Authors" * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * Internet Access: Telnet BBS.SWCBBS.COM * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * WEB Access: http://www.swcbbs.com * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * 2400/9600/14.4 USR HST/Dual Standard Public Access (508) 368-7036 * * 2400/9600/14.4/28.8 USR V.Everything Public Access (508) 368-6604 * * 2400/9600/14.4 USR HST/Dual Standard Member Access (508) 368-7139 * * 9600/14.4/16.8/28.8 USR V.Everything Member Access (508) 368-3424 * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * At Main Menu, type: J 178 * * for "Dr Furball's Educational & Philanthropical Conference" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1995 Children's Animated Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved This newsletter may be freely distributed as long as it remains intact and this notice is not removed. Please do not post on USENET, FIDONET, WILDNET etc. without permission of the conference moderator. # # # ==================================================================== Children's Animated Television CAT a 501-C-3 non-profit organization Claude DiDomenica * didom@usa1.com * President of CAT Web Homepage http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/ Top 5% of ALL Web Sites! Providing hope and information for "The Family of the Future" ====================================================================