Some say that if you've never been to Randy's Restaurant, a 200-seat diner in Trenton, Ga., you've never had a really good piece of fried chicken.

Mark Kennedy: Going to birthday parties is a part-time job at my house. With two boys, ages 6 and 1, it seems like we have a party invitation somewhere nearly every weekend.

As they maneuver into position for their opening attacks, the armor of Lord Owen Arbalista and Baltasar Demetri jingles and clanks. Behind the slits of their helmets, their faces appear grim.

“Train up a fig tree in the way it should go, and when you are old sit under the shade of it.” — Charles Dickens

HE SHELVES AT the Chattanooga Area Food Bank are bare. Canned food is needed. If you can help in any way, drop off a trunkful of groceries.

It’s only appropriate that members of Chattanooga’s hearing-impaired community will be able to screen a captioned version of the movie “Wanted” this weekend since many of them have wanted such a service for a long time.

Casey Phillips: “Tropic Thunder” is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time, even if nearly all the characters are straight archetypes.

“I like to have fun with fashion, even if it’s not practical. I especially like accessories. It’s how I make my statement. I love chunky necklaces and bracelets and bags to accessorize my outfits. I sometimes follow trends based on whether or not it looks good on my body type. I think Chattanooga is somewhat behind the times when it comes to fashions, but it’s definitely getting better. There are a select few boutiques in town that do have the latest styles that I like going to, but I also like some of the bigger stores. J.C. Penney has really stepped up its fashion lines recently. I call the store my best-kept secret for fashions.”

We’ve all done it. Whether it’s railing at your spouse or co-worker or screaming like a banshee at your kids.

A Chattanooga therapist is hoping people who have “been there and done that” will have an influence on teenagers who think the street is the best place to learn about life.

SEOUL, Korea — An enigma may be an apt description for Korea.

There’s nothing like having a 6-year-old child to make you feel incompetent.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has received four major gifts of visual art that will be unveiled on Wednesday, Aug. 27. At 5 p.m., UTC Chancellor Roger Brown will dedicate “Sky Toucher,” a 10-foot-high, painted, aluminum sculpture by John Henry that was given to the university by Ruth Holmberg.

It’s been quite a summer.

Tickets are on sale for the 2008-09 Patten Performances series at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.