Brittania Ranks Her Favorite Friends Characters

 

1. Ross: Brittania defies the haters and says that Ross is her favorite Friends character. Others may find Ross to be insufferable, but Brittania thinks he's cute.  

2. Chandler: Brittania thinks that Chandler is a romantic choice. He's also considered quite funny. 

3. Joey: How you doin? Even though he places 3rd in Brittania's heart, Joey is whole package: nice, funny and charming. He may not be the smartest, but he's a lovable goofball. 

4. Rachel: She's a strong, single woman, who has a baby on her own and does it all with an iconic hairstyle. 

5. Phoebe: She's a singer who champions smelly cats and a unique spirit.

6. Monica: Monica is a little uptight, which puts her at the bottom of our list, but she has a lot to offer.

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite Live Action Shorts, #2

 

1.  Universal Newsreel (Universal, 1929-1967).

2.  Hearst Metrotone News/News of the Day (Hearst, MGM, 1914-1967).

3.  Fox Movietone News (20th Century Fox, 1928-1963).

4.  Paramount News (Paramount, 1927-1957).

5.  The March of Time (RKO, 20th Century Fox, 1935-1951).

6.  Pete Smith Series (MGM, 1931-1955).

7.  FitzPatrick Traveltalks (MGM, 1931-1953).

8.  True-Life Adventures (Walt Disney, 1948-1960).

9.  John Nesbitt's Passing Parade (MGM,1938-1949).

10.  RKO Sportscope (RKO, 1938-1957).

 

Will's Book Nook: The Rest of the Story Scribblings

 

Paul Harvey, a well respected news anchor during World War II, started The Rest of the Story as a segment of his regular news broadcast. People liked it so much, that it eventually became its own radio series on ABC Radio, premiering in 1976. According to Wikipedia, the show "consisted of stories presented as little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects with some key element of the story (usually the name of some well-known person) held back until the end. The broadcasts always concluded with a variation on the tag line, "And now you know...the rest of the story." I really appreciated his soothing tone of voice, with a very conversational affect. One particular segment, in which he's asked to give a speech at Texas A&M, in which he was quoted as saying: "and on the 8th day, God [...] created the farmer." It really stuck with me, because I grew up in a farming community. I give it 5 out of 5 scribbles. 

Arts Connections Advice

This is a new series we will run from time to time. Write in to mgovoni@artsconnections.org with your burning questions and the Writing Together class shall endeavor to answer.

Q: A issue in the differently abled community is finding accessible places to go and things to do. How do I find this information?

A: One of the best resources for finding accessible attractions are blogs (like this one!), Google Maps and the internet in general. For example, wheelchairtraveling.com has access guides for many destinations around the world. Google Maps has an accessibility category that shows features like wheelchair accessible entrances and accessible parking. This feature is better seen in the app on your phone, so our suggestion to Google is to make this information available on the desktop version as well! Are listening Google?! (Probably). You can also ask questions of different venues and establishments in Google Maps, which are then visible to others. You can also search reviews with keywords like "wheel chair" and "accessible." There are other places to find venue information, like Yelp and many businesses have a website and/or a Facebook page. You can rely on signage, but we would recommend planning ahead as much as possible to make your visit as smooth as possible. 

 

Q: I recently got a new job at a pizza place. How do I make a good impression on the first day?

A:  The first thing is to give yourself plenty of time to get there, since you don't want to show up late on your first day. Leave 20 minutes earlier to make sure you don't get lost or stuck in traffic. You never know what can happen! You also want to make sure that you have practiced good hygiene, like showering, wearing deodorant and clean clothes. A firm handshake and a smile can also give a good impression. And make sure to show up with a good amount of energy (make sure to eat and drink water!) and a positive attitude to start things off on the right foot. Lastly, you will be learning the ropes, so remember to be observant and to ask questions.  

Will's Book Nook: The Collected Adventures of Chick Bowdry

 The Adventures of Chick Bowdrie by Louis l'Amour is a three volume collection with a full cast and great sound effects. These are my favorite western stories. The character of Chick Bowdrie is first introduced in a story about a card game that gets interesting when someone is caught cheating. From the same era of Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel, these radio dramas encouraged audience participation to see if they could guess what would happen. Bullet for A Bad Man is one story that I particularly liked, because it starts off with a flashback from when Chick was just starting out as a Texas Ranger. It tells the tale of an old acquaintance who holds a grudge against Chick. The gun fights make you feel like you're really there. I give this one 4 out of 5 Scribbles.

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite Live Action Shorts #1

 1.  The Three Stooges (Columbia,1934-1958).

2.  ZaSu Pitts, Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly, Pert Kelton and Lyda Roberti (Hal Roach, 1933-1936).

3.  Robert Benchley Comedies (Fox, MGM, Paramount, 1928-1945).

4.  Our Gang (Hal Roach, MGM,1927-1944).

5.  Laurel and Hardy (Hal Roach, 1927-1935). 

6.  Broadway Brevities (Warner Bros., 1931-1943).

7.  Charley Chase (Hal Roach, MGM, Columbia,1924-1940).

8.  Andy Clyde (Columbia,1935-1956).

9.  Joe McDoakes (Warner Bros., 1942-1956).

10.  Harry Langdon (Hal Roach, MGM, Educational, Paramount, Columbia, RKO, 1928-1945).