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To assist him in his quest to determine the cause — or causes — of autism by September, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his hand-picked researchers will have access to a so-called “disease registry” of autistic people, National Institutes of Health (Nih) Director Jay Bhattacharya announced on Monday.

Speaking at a meeting of Nih advisers, Bhattacharya also laid out plans for a soon-to-be-launched “real-world data platform” which will collect and compile private medical records from several federal and commercial databases to support Kennedy’s autism research program,...

Here is last and final episode, #10, of the comedy series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series, he feels, is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the very final episode with the big climax in which our hero Rondell becomes the man of the hour:...

Here is episode 9 of the ongoing comedy series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series, he feels, is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the next to last - 9th episode, entitled "Baby Doll Returns” - which Banks says sets the stage for "the big finale."...

Here is episode 8 of the ongoing comedy series "The Art of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher Ronnell (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series, he feels, is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the 8th episode, entitled "Labor Pains" in which Ronnell, due to circumstances beyond his control, is forced to find another line of work...

Here is episode 3 of the ongoing comedy series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series, he feels, is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the 7th episode, which Banks says sets the stage for "the big finale." Titled " YUnigma," the episode follows the aftermath of Brandon attacking...

Here is Episode 6 of the ongoing comedy series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series he feels is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the 6th episode, which Banks himself thinks is his best episode yet, entitled "Tattooed", in which our hero’s rival Brandon goes off the deep end when his...

Here, for your Monday amusement, is episode 5 of the ongoing comedy series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series he feels is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the 5th episode, entitled "Palm Heel Stripes," in which our hero comes takes his strategy against his new ambitious rival to a whole...

Here is episode 4 of the ongoing comedy series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series he feels is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the 4th episode, entitled "Black Bag’d," in which our hero comes face to face with another new reason to hate his rival. However, it isn’t what it's all cracked...

Here is Epiosde 3 of the ongoing comedy series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks. The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series he feels is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.” So now here is the 3rd episode, entitled "DeRonnellized," in which our hero faces a battle of wills against an ambitious new rival.

2 weeks ago, I wrote about the web series "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks (Here).The series, which deals with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater, is a re-edited and re-tooled version of a feature that Banks created. However, the now reformatted web series he feels is much closer to his original intentions; Or as he says: “Every minute, every second (is designed) to make you laugh.”So now here is the 2nd episode, which you can see below, in which our hero is introduced to a potential rival:...

Long time readers of S & A might recall when, over 2 years ago, I wrote about the fundraising campaign for a recently completed comedy feature called "The Art Of Theatrical Ushery," by filmmaker Christopher Banks (Here).The film dealt with the daily trials and tribulations of being a movie usher (played by Banks) in a multiplex movie theater. From the trailer he provided, it looked like a pretty interesting and funny picture. So what happened to the film? Did it ever see the light of day?Well, it turns out that Banks, who is a 2003 graduate of New York Film Academy, with an extensive lists of credits (including 2 dozen short films, reality TV shows such as "The...

Jenn Ashworth’s debut A Kind of Intimacy was published in 2009 and won a Betty Trask Award. A domestic noir about the consequences of isolation which was narrated by Annie Fairhurst, a morbidly obese woman whose fascination with her friendly neighbour led to a shocking and unexpectedly violent climax.

Cold Light is her second novel. An unsettling and darkly comic story of teenage girls in a predatory world, her second novel is no less chilling and narrated by Lola. As she watches her hometown gather to remember Chloë, another girl who apparently died in a Valentines Day suicide pact, another body is unearthed. Lola’s first person narration -alone in her knowledge of the dark story which links these deaths – curves around the reader like a noose around a hangman’s neck. Reading Jenn Ashworth is akin to trying to find your way about of a dangerous maze blindfolded and...