football

Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries, Campaign Watch

Louisiana Tech University will use a 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar in the coin toss at its football game on November 6. The popular Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, a NCAA division I football team, will play the Boise State Broncos.

This unique and beautiful commemorative coin is the first U.S. currency to feature tactile, readable Braille—and only 400,000 coins were minted.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar will be used to support the National Federation of the Blind’s “Braille Readers are Leaders” campaign, a national initiative created to double the number of blind children learning Braille by 2015.

Those interested in ordering a 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar or the new Braille Education Set, which features the coin in a collectible folder designed to highlight the life and legacy of Louis Braille, should visit www.braille.org or www.usmint.gov or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). The Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar and the Braille Education Set will only be available until December 11, 2009.

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Brent Boyd #62

Quoting Brent Boyd, Former Minnesota Viking and founder of Dignity After Football:

“The carnage left behind from decades of NFL concussions is unspeakable. The only thing worse is the NFL’s entrenched stance not to acknowledge or accept responsibility or any liability—as every other American business must adhere to. The NFL, by virtue of compounding billions of dollars each year, is above the law, legally and morally.

I played seven years with the Vikings. I am 52 years old, have been suffering from post-concussions since 1980, and was diagnosed with early dementia and Alzheimer’s at the young age of 49. The NFL insists concussions could not be remotely responsible, despite countless concussions or hitting the rock hard original Astro-Turf. My headaches, total lack of energy (I am reduced to sleeping most of the day after graduating with Honors from UCLA, and being accepted to law school) are only silly coincidences according to the NFL’s corrupt disability system … Continue reading this editorial

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

Judging by the 6,901 comments (and counting!) that have been left on The Huffington Post, it seems that MANY people have an opinion on the controversial Serena Williams “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” disqualification.

Even Greg Smith—Ocean Springs, Mississippi’s acclaimed Strength Coach—has weighed in.

Quoting Greg’s official Twitter account:

Click here for all Irked posts by Greg

Then…

Watch his doc trailer…learn more…buy it

Then…

Follow Greg on Twitter

Then…

Visit his official website

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Filed under: Regular Contributors, Donna Williams, Themes, Auties & Aspies, Bum Deal, Interviews, Campaign Watch, Irked Videos

A doozy of an interview…after the jump!

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Filed under: Themes, Bum Deal, Campaign Watch

With just two days until the kick off of the 7th annual Homeless World Cup—in Milan, Italy—the United Nations have announced their support. As the Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke said:

It is with great pleasure that I offer my support to the “Milan 2009 Homeless World Cup”, a football initiative which has been uniting teams of homeless people to take a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country and change their lives forever. The Homeless World Cup initiative is an extraordinary example of the application of sport as a tool for community development. The Homeless World Cup has triggered the establishment of over 50 local grass roots projects working with people who are homeless and excluded from society. The impact of the Homeless World Cup has been consistently significant with a large majority of players changing their lives for the better, by coming off drugs and alcohol, moving into jobs, education, homes, training, reuniting with families and some even going on to become players and coaches for professional or semi-professional football teams. Considering the increase in the number of participating teams from 18 national teams in the year 2003 to 48 national teams for the current event in Milan, the Homeless World Cup is well on the way to realizing its vision—a healthy, abundant, confident world where everyone has a home, a basic human right. The initiative has been a very successful means to raise awareness of issue surrounding the homeless and to improve the image of homeless people amongst the general public. The positive impact that this project has been able to have on individuals from more than 70 countries makes it an initiative that deserves any additional support it can obtain. I look forward to a continued collaboration with the Homeless World Cup initiative and wish all participants the very best in this life-changing experience!”

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The Milan, Italy 2009 Homeless World Cup takes place in the Arena Civica, Sempione Park from 6-13 September 2009. For more, please visit homelessworldcup.org.

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Filed under: Themes, Bum Deal, Campaign Watch

Over 75 submissions were received from filmmakers from 5 continents. And…

Congratulations to Buzz Films, the winner of the $50,000 Homeless World Cup/Nike film competition (which we first blogged about here). Buzz Films was formed by award-winning directors Jan Bednarz and Robin Schmidt, as a home for diverse documentary and drama projects.

Buzz Films will see up-and-coming presenter Buddy (pictured left) capture the spirit and essence of the Homeless World Cup. Buddy’s last assignment was for National Geographic with a trip through Outer Mongolia.

Follow Jan and Robin’s blog during the creation of the film at: www.buzzfilms.co.uk/blog.

The Milan, Italy 2009 Homeless World Cup takes place in the Arena Civica, Sempione Park from 6-13 September 2009. For more, please visit homelessworldcup.org.

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Filed under: Themes, Bum Deal, Campaign Watch

The Homeless World Cup is delighted to announce a collaboration with Nike to discover the ideal filmmaker to produce a short, high energy film about the Milan 2009 Homeless World Cup. With its $50,000 prize, and the chance to gain instant fame, this may just be that “perfect opportunity” you’ve been waiting for. Break out your video cameras, and get busy brainstorming. This contest is the real deal. This contest is no joke.

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Filed under: Themes, Bum Deal, Campaign Watch

Press-related announcements after the jump…

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Filed under: Regular Contributors, Donna Williams, Themes, Auties & Aspies, Bum Deal, Interviews, Campaign Watch, Irked Videos

An Irked Magazine exclusive by Donna Williams

[Ed's note: Donna Williams is Irked Magazine's Melbourne correspondent. She's an internationally best-selling author, painter, sculptor, and composer. She has autism, and a "fruit salad" of other disorders. Mel Young is one of the planet's leading advocates for the homeless. In addition to being co-creator and President of the Homeless World Cup, he's also co-founder of The Big Issue Scotland, co-founder of the International Network of Street Papers, author of "GOAL: The story of the Homeless World Cup," founder of New Consumer Magazine, and a Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Outstanding Fellow.]

Melbourne came alive this week to the glory and spectacle of the International Homeless World Cup and even I got swept up in it. Sacha Vais, founder and editor of Irked Magazine, contacted me offering me the opportunity to interview the founder of the HWC, Mel Young (also co-founder of The Big Issue Scotland in 1993). He arranged for a TV interview to be filmed with Mel Click to continue »

Filed under: Themes, Bum Deal, Addictions, Books & Book Reviews

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