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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.

Cartoon image of a clock sleeping with wording Getting old is the last frontier

George Covington — The Thing About Getting Old

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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 flew … Read more

Saudi Arabia — A Princess Seeks A World of Change

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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 child … Read more

picture of Derek showing his tattoos in his arm with caption It Struck A Cord, An accident left Dreak Amato with a new knowledge of music

Derek Amato — He Sees Music

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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 side … Read more

Brad playing golf with caption Above par raising down syndrome awareness through Golf

Brad Hennefer — Loves His Tee Time

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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, who … Read more

Equitrekking host Darley Newman on her visit to meet the Caisson horses at Ft. Myer in Virginia. The horses of the Caisson Platoon are part of the U.S. Army’s Old Guard. They are responsible for conduct? ing military honors during funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as helping wounded veterans heal with equine-assisted therapy.

Equine Therapy — Horses Help Vets to Heal

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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 House … Read more

Joe Pantoliano, aka Joey Pants

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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 won … Read more

A Good Act to Follow

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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

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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. They … Read more

picture of Ruan standing with a walker in his classroom with a caption Teachable Moments An Educator moves mountains for his students

China — A Teacher Who Moves Mountains

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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, he … Read more

Sen. Harkin — The Affortable Care Act

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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 published … Read more

Kids tricycle with wording Adulthood is overrated

Humor — Adulthood is Overrated

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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 it’s … Read more