Andyland, USA

April 8: The Johnson City Swing Choir will be presenting a tribute to Radiohead at The Culp Center. Tickets cost $8, and it is suggested you arrive early. Show starts at 7:00 PM. April 9: The Farmers Market will be featuring a special collection of artisanal marshmallows, on sale from sunrise till sell out. April 9: Penny Farthing Bicycle Ride. Taking place at Hollow Berry Park, what is hoped to be the first annual Penny Farthing Bike Ride event will be taking place from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Come ride with us on wonderful, old-fashioned bikes for charity! Dress in your finest of vintage attire, come enjoy a picnic lunch, with a band playing your favorite marches. Tickets are $10 April 9: Hipster Gawking & Outdoor Lunch: Bring a friend, some food, and join us as we watch our regions hipsters in their natural habitat. This event will take place from 2:00 to 5:00 PM on the grassy hill directly across from Hollow Berry Park. April 11: Reminder to parents, schools will ...

Like a lot of classic movie fans, I’m a sucker for the world of short subjects. All the major studios had a short subjects department back in the day, mostly from the 1930s up to the mid 1950s. Short subjects were either 10-20 minutes long, and would run before the feature film. The most famous entity to come from Short Subjects would be The Three Stooges. With an average under 20 minute running time, studios soon found their back catalog of theatrical shorts were perfect fodder to offer to syndicated television.  There were many varieties to the world of short subjects, ongoing series such as The Stooges and the other most well known group, The Little Rascals (originally known as Our Gang), there were mini musicals, and fact of life type docu-shorts, travelogs in vibrant Technicolor to show a wartime audiences the beauty of far away destinations. Many short subjects were only known to the most ardent of film buffs, till numerous ones from the MGM and WB library began to...

You may have heard recent news that a certain “magical kingdom,” a certain “happiest place on earth” is coming out with a new section of their famed themed park. Oh, you know darn well what the new section is. A new land based on that place from “a long time ago” that one. The one with the ships and the “galaxy far far away.” Yes. The rumors are true, I’m collaborating with imagineers for “Andy Ross’s Anxiety Land” theme park!  Anxiety Land is the type of theme park I’ve always been thinking about, because I can’t think about anything else. Taking the overactive brain traffic of day to day life, and turning them into fun family thrill rides has been quite an adventure—three years in the making! It’s more than just rides, there’s exhibits in fancy pavilions too! My favorite is the one that sure to be popular with everyone, “Things You Said In High School That Still Haunt You.” Get there early to avoid crowds!  I know what you’re thinking: “Andy, what kind of sel...