旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � 켠� � � 爐� 靈� 靈� 켠� 靈� � � 爐� 靈� 爐� � 靈� � 爐� � � � 픔� 픔 � 픔� � � 픔� 픈� � � � � � � � 픔 � � � � � 懃� 聃� � � � 聃� � � � � 聃� � � � 聃� 聃� 懃� � 突袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� THE CAT CHRONICLE ----------------- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * * August 11, 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 printed version of this newsletter is available upon request, as well as on the Web. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CAT CURRENTS: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Volunteer Opportunities... Please note that CAT is an all-volunteer organization, including its administrative staff... Have you thought about helping CAT??? We need your help in the following areas: Director of Development, Boston area: Seasoned veteran with connections in the philanthropic community, experience with organizing fundraisers, writing grant proposals, setting up phone-a-thons, etc. Retirees welcome! Internet Guru, any location: Volunteer who can search the Internet, including the Web for sponsors as well as obtain links to CAT's homepage on the Web. Also, can post CAT's newsletters to the appropriate newsgroups as well as direct inquires to CAT. Fundraising #1, any location: Volunteer with experience in doing community fundraising such as organizing a car wash or bake sale, contacting interested parties in their local business community to be sponsors for CAT, etc. Fundraising #2, any location: Volunteer who is willing to network with family, friends and co-workers to obtain pledges for donations. CAT will then mail out a pledge card and envelope... Writers, any location: Volunteers are welcome to submit articles for this newsletter. Be creative! Come up with a new topic for our publication. Your voice will be heard internationally... PLEASE CALL 617-449-9699 IF YOU CAN HELP! CAT People: ~~~~~~~~~~ The CAT person of the week is ??? We didn't pick one this week... We are hoping our next CAT person is YOU! CAT is seeking that rare philanthropic individual to provide us with badly needed funding to continue our vital effort... Please call our office if you think you are the one we so desperately seek: 617-449-9699 Child Safety Corner... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Child safety tip of the week: KIDS IN CARS Car crashes are the number one preventable cause of death of children and young adults. Every day 3 children die, and 260 are injured in vehicle accidents. These are important tips: * Make sure your car seat meets federal standards. Follow the car seat manufacturer's instructions. Consult the car owner's manual to be sure your safety belt can secure the car seat. * Be sure the seat fits properly. Car seats are broken down into three categories: 1.) Infants only seats for newborns to 20 pounds 2.) Toddler seats for infants to 40 pounds 3.) Booster seats for 40-60 pounds Older children should wear their seatbelts. Be sure you have the right car seat for you child. If your child weighs under 7 pounds or has a disability requiring special transportation, consult your pediatrician for advice. * Don't place a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a vehicle which has a passenger side airbag. In a crash, the airbag could hit the back of the car seat with a force that might injure your baby. The center of the back seat is the safest place for any child in a safety seat. * If you need to nurse or soothe your baby, pull over to a safe location (NOT in the breakdown lane). Don't remove the baby from the car seat while the vehicle is in motion. * Never hold a child in your lap. Never let youngsters ride in the bed of a truck or in the rear of a station wagon without proper restraining. * Replace a car seat after it has been in a crash. Hidden crash damage can weaken a safety seat. * Don't buy a used car seat. It may have been in a crash or be missing key parts or instructions. * When wearing a seat belt, make sure the lap belt stays snug and across the hips, not over the stomach. The shoulder belt should not cross the neck or face, and should not be placed under the arm. * Be a role model for your child: Buckle up whenever you drive! Most crashes happen at less than 45 MPH, within 25 miles of home... If you have any questions concerning car seats or seatbelts, call: 1-800-CARSAFE Child restraint laws vary from state to state. Contact your local law enforcement agency for the laws in your area. 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 Parenting and Child Safety 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... Dealing with Homophobia Many high school and college students dread the return to school at the end of summer vacation. GLB youth are particularly afraid to return to school because of homophobia. Debates continue to rage within the GLB community over the definition of homophobia. My personal views on the issue break down into the following... HOMOPHOBIA: * The irrational fear of homosexuals or bisexuals * The display of hatred or disdain toward homosexuals or bisexuals, in the form of verbal or physical abuse HOMOPHOBE: * An individual showing intolerance towards homosexuals or bisexuals, I consider a confused homophobe. These people do not 'hate' homosexuals but joke about the topic or avoid it. They can make comments such as: "Gays are OK if they do not flaunt themselves in front of me" "It's the gay lifestyle I don't like" These people are confused because they do not understand we are born feeling the way we do; we make no conscious 'lifestyle' choice. Unfortunately once you're within the confines of your school or college, the threat of encountering homophobia increases. Many of your peers learn their fears or hatred from parents or adult mentors. However, you should not be subjected to such fears. The spiteful words and threats made against the GLB community violate our rights to happiness and well being. In fact, in states such as Massachusetts it's considered a civil rights violation to harass homosexual or bisexual youth within the school system. It's unfair that we cannot participate in scholastic events without the fear of retribution because we want to bring our same-sex date. I honestly feel a great deal of jealously when I walk through a mall and see a heterosexual couple holding hands. We do not enjoy such simple pleasures without being afraid of someone lashing out verbally or physically. This is the true nature of homophobia. It restricts our freedom and hurts us emotionally. Now the question remains: How can you defend yourself against homophobia? Even if nobody knows you are homosexual or bisexual, listening to the spiteful comments of people makes you a victim of homophobia. How can you fight back against homophobia? It depends on the school you attend and state you live in. If a teacher is the problem, type an anonymous note to the teacher. Explain how their comments are hurting you and why. If this does not help, submit the same note to a school administrator. Again, withhold your name if you fear any kind of retaliation. If other students are harassing you, write an anonymous letter to a school administrator. The next step is the local school board or regency. Make a phone call or type a letter specifying the problem and the school you attend. As you try to draw some attention to the problem, find out if your school provides a GLB program. Look for peers who experience the same problems. They can give you the emotional support you need to cope with homophobia. As I mentioned in previous articles, I encountered a great deal of homophobia while attending college in Vermont... I will explain more about this next week. Meanwhile, explore some of your options. How would you react to a homophobic comment or threat made against someone else, or even yourself? If you have experienced problems with homophobia in your school last year, now might be the time to carefully write a letter. Explain the situation to the school administrator before school begins... 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/ Note from our President, Claude DiDomenica... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi!!! It's me again this week with some thoughts on the family... One of the concepts which motivates us here at CAT is a phrase I coined: "The Family of the Future." Basically, I envision a time when it is considered normal and healthy that there are both heterosexual and same-sex couples with children. These parents provide a warm, loving and nurturing environment for their kids. As their children grow up, some of them will obviously be gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual. All these children will have the support of their heterosexual or same-sex parents. In the future family, it won't make a difference anymore who people need, want or chose to love. I believe NOW is the time for all concerned people to stand up and end the vicious cycle of intolerance. In my mind, I do not see a choice for our civilization, unless we want to continue on the treadmill of a stagnant society. Obviously, the future family also includes mixed-race couples. I have often thought that one way to break down the barrier of prejudice was for more people to be involved in an interracial relationship. Just think, if most people married someone of another race, soon there would no longer be any "black" or "white" people. We would just be people. The Internet and BBS's are a good place to start. It's a "color blind" world when you can not see or hear the person a thousand miles away... Maybe there is hope??? A long time ago, I made a conscious choice that my personal and business relationships would be with diverse people. I have learned so much and am grateful to be involved with all our planet has to offer... Just an aside: You probably noticed I don't use the term "straight" as opposed to gay, et al. "Straight" people imply that GLB people are "crooked", "askew", "obtuse" "curved" or "angled"! :) Sometimes I feel like I was born many generations before my time. Eventually, if we survive our self destructive and suicidal stage, "my world" will be for all people. Doesn't it make sense that all people be treated fairly and with respect??? I feel when one person hurts another, they are really hurting themselves. We all end up living in a world of suffering. This is the society we currently live in. Assume for a moment, that I am correct in my premise of a "self destructive and suicidal stage." If this is what we are going through, then that means if we really put our minds together, we can bypass many of these "growing pains" by acting NOW!!! When will people start working together on the REAL problems which plague our society? I find it ridiculous that I have to spend the rest of my life fighting intolerance. There are so many other problems to solve. I hope more people will join me in my vision for a better future... Thanks for listening. 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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