Circa 2012 I hate being reminded of the fact that I’m getting on in years. Back when I entered first grade at Grim Elementary, I remember being told, “It takes a long time to grow up, but a short time to grow old.” Alas it was grim at Grim and, as predicted, the years ... Read more
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Joey Pants Issue
Articles in the Joe Pantoliano Issue; Humor — Adulthood is Overrated; Ashley Fiolek — Balancing Work and Play; Sen. Harkin — The Affortable Care Act; China — A Teacher Who Moves Mountains; Saudi Arabia — A Princess Seeks a World of Change; George Covington — The Thing About Getting Old; Derek Amato — He Sees Music; Joe Pantoliano — He Puts the ‘Fun’ in Dysfunctional; Asylum — Book Excerpt; Geri Jewell — A Good Act to Follow; Brad Hennefer — Loves His Tee Time; Equine Therapy — Horses Help Vets to Heal; ABILITY’s Crossword Puzzle; Events and Conferences.
Saudi Arabia — A Princess Seeks A World of Change
Circa 2012 Recently ABILITY’s Chet Cooper traveled to New York City and met up with Saudi Arabian Princess Sameera Bint Abdullah Al Faisel Al Farhan AlSaoud. She is the chairperson for both the Saudi Schizophrenia Charity Association and the Charitable Society of Autism Families. On the homefront, she’s the mother of four, including one ... Read more
Derek Amato — He Sees Music
Circa 2012 In 2006, Derek Amato got together with some friends for a party. After diving into a swimming pool, he apparently struck his head on the bottom. When he came up, he remembers seeing all his friends’ faces and trying to tell them he was hurt. He managed to make it to the ... Read more
Brad Hennefer — Loves His Tee Time
Circa 2012 Brad Hennefer is a jock. He’s been featured in Sports Illustrated, teaches people how to drain 3-point basketball shots, and enjoys immense respect on the golf course. Beyond those accomplishments, he likes to help others achieve their personal best. “I love teaching kids how to play golf,” the all-around athlete says. Hennefer, ... Read more
Equine Therapy — Horses Help Vets to Heal
Circa 2012 On the historic grounds of US Army post Fort Myer in Arlington, VA, Caisson Platoon Equine-Assisted Programs bring veterans and horses together for an unusual brand of therapy. The setting is rich in iconic imagery: Arlington National Cemetery is on one side, the Pentagon is just up the street, and the White ... Read more
Joe Pantoliano, aka Joey Pants
Jun/Jul 2012 ABILITY’s Chet Cooper met up with Joe Pantoliano, aka Joey Pants, at a Belgian restaurant in New York City recently. The popular character actor has appeared in such films as Risky Business, The Fugitive and The Matrix. His skill at playing scumbag mobster Ralph Cifaretto on the hit HBO series The Sopranos ... Read more
A Good Act to Follow
In Part I of our interview with veteran actress Geri Jewell, she talked about launching her acting career, getting her start in stand-up comedy, and coming out as a lesbian. She also discussed her two books, which were published decades apart: The first, ghost written on her behalf, and the current one, I’m Walking ... Read more
Balancing Work and Play
Recently I did interviews with CNN and Fitness magazine, where the same topic kept coming up: How do I balance work and play? That’s a good question, and I answer it differently than when I first started racing. Back when I was 7 years old, Mom and Dad took care of everything for me. ... Read more
China — A Teacher Who Moves Mountains
Circa 2012 I think you’re viewed to be more serious when you stand while lecturing,” says Ruan Wenping. He currently teaches the children of the Yao, a group of about 2.6 million ethnic people who reside in a grouping of provinces along China’s mountainous southern border. When he arrived in Xiajia Town in 1994, ... Read more
Sen. Harkin — The Affortable Care Act
Circa 2012 Dear ABILITY readers, The Affordable Care Act includes a number of provisions intended to benefit individuals with disabilities. One of the most important of these is the Community First Choice Option, which represents a significant step toward removing institutional bias in the Medicaid program. Recently, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ... Read more
Humor — Adulthood is Overrated
Circa 2012 Damn, life is hard. What happened? When I was a boy I couldn’t wait to be an adult. All the grown-ups I knew drove cars, went to R-rated movies and had plenty of money to spend however they wanted. Then, somewhere along the line, I took the leap into adulthood myself, and ... Read more
