Disability Pride

 

July is Disability Pride Month, which celebrates the very important passage of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 32 years ago today, on July 26, 1990. People with Disabilities makes up 15 percent of the world's population. Disability Pride Month celebrates people with disabilities, their identities, culture, contributions to society, and end the stigma of disability, because disability is a natural part of human diversity and should be celebrated. We wanted to share some ways that you can uplift the disability community. 

Take part in a Disability Pride parade or celebrate. Come out and support disabled members of your community by showing up for them and honoring them. There are many parades and events celebrated annually in cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and many more. 

Support Disability Representation by consuming content made by, for and featuring people with disabilities, like this year's Oscar winner, CODA or the YouTube channel Six Blind Kids. Or pick up a book, like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (It's also a stage play!).  

Advocate, Donate or Volunteer with an organization (like us!) that supports people with disabilities. Arts Connections is celebrating our 2 year anniversary this month as well. Click here to donate to our program and support people of all abilities making connections through the arts!

 

Will's Book Nook: The Rivals Scribblings

 

The Rivals, a BBC anthology series showcasing different detectives in literature in the style of Sherlock Holmes, is introduced by the fictional detective Inspector Le Strade from the notes for his supposed memoir. It introduced a lot of characters that I wasn't familiar with, read by a bunch of really good British actors that I wasn't familiar with. The first episode, for example, was an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "Murders on the Rue Morgue," which was first published in British magazine, The Strand. I particularly liked the stories featuring blind detective, Max Carrados, who loses his eyesight in an accident, because despite his disability he's still an effective investigator. This anthology series showed me that Sherlock Holmes isn't the only smart detective in literature. The twists were shocking and the sound effects were also great. I give if 5 out of 5 spyglasses (scribbles). 

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite TV's Fierce Women of the 90s & 00s

 

1.  Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) The Vampire Diaries.
2.  Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) 90210.
3.  Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) Gossip Girl.
4.  Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) CSI:Crime Scene Investigation.
5.  Lorelei & Rory Gilmore (Lauren Graham & Alexis Bledel) Gilmore Girls.
6.  Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
7.  Felicity Porter (Keri Russell) Felicity.
8.  Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) Ally McBeal.
9.  Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear) Melrose Place.
10.  Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) Beverly Hills, 90210.

Brittania's Top 5 Wrestlers

 Britannia enjoys watching professional wrestling in her spare time. Here are her top 5 favorite stars:

1. John Cena: John Cena is both cute and funny. He's now a major star of film and television, in which he often play humorous roles as the hero or a complicated villain. He's also done a couple of Disney movies.   

 

2. Dominik Mysterio: Otherwise known as Brittania's boyfriend. The son of Rey Mysterio, he has been performing with his father since he was a kid. He's grown up to be quite good looking.

3. Kane: His mask is creepy, but I still think he's cute. He is the younger half-brother of The Undertaker, and a villain in the WWE. His alter ego, Glenn Thomas Jacobs was the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.

 

4. The Undertaker: His outfit is classic, and I like his hat. He is the older brother of Kane, who are called The Brothers of Destruction. He retired from the WWE in 2020 and was inducted into their Hall of Fame this year.

5. The Rock: Also known as Dwayne Johnson, he has a nice smile and is a goofy guy. Like John Cena, he is now a major movie star, including The Fast and the Furious franchise. Back in his wrestling days he was known for his raised eyebrow and his famous, nonsensical catchphrase, "Can you smell what the Rock is cookin?"

Honorable Mention: Hulk Hogan is the OG Superstar of the Professional Wrestling world. He was known for his bandana, blonde mullet and mustache and for ripping off his bright yellow shirt. 

Will's Book Nook: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

 

The first volume of the Peter Nimble books by Jonathan Auxier, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes tells the story of a blind orphan who is forced into a life of crime by his brutal master Mr. Seamus. It's uncommon to see disability representation in the YA fantasy genre, so I was happy to see that in Peter Nimble. Plus the characters are really relatable, especially the relationship between Peter and Mr. Seamus, which has an Oliver Twist/Artful Dodger feel to it. Mr. Seamus ends up stealing something that Peter really needs, and on Peter's journey to retrieve it. He learns a lot about himself along the way--including his destiny. I give it 5 out of 5 Scribbles, because it held my attention and I was interested in where the story was going. 

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite TV's Fierce Women of the 70s & 80s

 

1.  Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) Murphy Brown.
2.  Sergeant Judith "Judy" Hoffs (Holly Robinson) 21 Jump Street.
3.  Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter) Designing Women.
4.  Christine Cagney (Meg Foster, Sharon Gless)& Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly) Cagney & Lacey.
5.  Officer Lucille "Lucy" Bates (Betty Thomas) Hill Street Blues.
6.  Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett-Majors), Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith), Kris Munroe (Cheryl Ladd), Tiffany Wells (Shelley Hack) & Julie Rogers (Tanya Roberts) Charlie's Angels.
7.  Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter) The New Adventures of Wonder Woman.
8.  Sergeant Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson (Angie  Dickinson) Police Woman.
9.  "Aunt" Esther Anderson (LaWanda Page) Sanford and Son.
10.  Maude Findlay (Beatrice Arthur) Maude.
 

Arts Connections 2nd Anniversary

Will makes a funny face.

 

This month marks the 2nd anniversary of our program, Arts Connections. We launched our free sample classes in July 2020, with the official launch in September. We started as a program of local Albuquerque nonprofit, OT Circus, and branched off on our own in September 2021. "It's been the best thing to happen for me, because I missed hanging with my friends during the first few months of the pandemic," says Will Schnurnberger, who has been participating since the beginning. "I love the program," says student Mark Jones, who has also been with Arts Connections since 2020, "because it's THE place to learn." Lora Jaramillo started classes in 2021, and loves "Book Club and painting." Joseph Tenorio likes seeing his friends on Zoom. Arts Connections is primarily a virtual arts program, but this year an in person monthly crafting workshop was launched with the help of local organization, Working Classroom. As we approach our third year, we are looking forward to making more friends, more art and the possibility of adding more classes.    

 

Lora shows off a drawing.

Will's Book Nook: Space 1969 Scribblings

 

Space 1969 by Bill Oakley, former writer, producer and show runner of The Simpsons, is without a doubt one of the weirdest books I've ever listened to. Also one of the funniest. I found myself laughing for no apparent reason. The novel imagines if JFK had survived and became bent on launching the US into space. After contact with an alien device, he's a little...changed. Narrated by Richard Nixon, his version of events might be a little skewed. I liked it because of the number of 1960s references they were able to work into the narrative. And the cast, led by Natasha Lyonne, was great. The voice of JFK is spot on. I plan on listening to it again, because I know I didn't catch every joke and reference the first time through. I give it 5 out of 5 Scribbles.

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite TV's Fierce Women of the 50s & 60s

 

1.  Officer Eve Whitfield (Barbara Anderson) Ironside.

2.  Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) Get Smart.

3.  Samantha Stephens/Serena (Elizabeth Montgomery) Bewitched.

4.  Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow) Peyton Place.

5.  Melody Lee Mercer (Arlene Howell) Bourbon Street Beat.

6.  Edie Hart (Lola Albright) Peter Gunn.

7.  Katherine "Kate" McCoy (Kathleen Nolan) The Real McCoys.

8.  Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) Gunsmoke.

9.  Annie Oakley (Gail Davis) Annie Oakley.

10.  Harriet Nelson (Herself) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.