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Volume 28 Issue #32
July 10th - 26th, 2014 Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May • Photography - Mark Marquette Advertising - Dave Carter, Akey Kincaid, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette Published by Tree Street Media, LLC., P.O. Box 3238, Johnson City, TN 37602 Phone: 423/283-4324 FAX - 423/283-4369 www.theloaferonline.com • info@theloaferonline.com e-mail: editorial@theloaferonline.com (editorial) adcopy@theloaferonline.com (advertising All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof.The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement,including claims or suits for defamation,libel,right of privacy,plagiarism,and copyright infringement.
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Liberty! to offer Dinner Theater last two weekends
The 36th Season of “Liberty!” now open the outdoor drama runs now thru July 26th
The Official Outdoor Drama of the State of Tennessee opened its 36th season on July 10 at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton, and continues for a three-weekend run – Thursdays through Saturdays – beginning each evening at 7:30 in the Fort Watauga Amphitheater. Tennessee’s official outdoor drama is presented by a cast of local performers against the backdrop of Fort Watauga. Liberty! portrays the significant history of Sycamore Shoals during the late 18th century. The concept of outdoor drama offers a very unique format in which to present a theatrical performance. Without a doubt, experiencing live theater, beside the cool waters of the Watauga River, with Fort Watauga as the backdrop to the play, is unlike any other. Theatrical lighting, professional sound, and a host of unexpected effects completely immerse the audience in the lifestyles of the late 18th century. As the story unfolds, long hunters and settlers begin leaving the protection of the English Colonies, crossing the Appalachian Moun-
tains in violation of the British Proclamation of 1763. Historically, along the Watauga Old Fields, families soon made their homes, formed a new government, bought and traded land from the Cherokee, and ultimately, during the American Revolution, fought for the freedom we hold so dear today. The series of events that unfolded at Sycamore Shoals were critical to state and national history in the 18th century. These dramatic chapters in America’s westward expansion set the tone for a number of events that helped propel the British colonies towards independence and a democratic form of government. These stories are proudly shared with our guests during each performance of Liberty! The Saga of Sycamore Shoals. The 2014 season will also mark the 5th exciting year for Carter’s Trading Post, a venue named in honor of the original store opened by pioneers John Carter and partner William Parker shortly after they arrived on the frontier in 1771. A fine menu of mouth watering treats will be offered each evening for Liberty! guests.
During your visit to Sycamore Shoals, please plan to visit our new interpretive exhibit, shop in our Eastern National Gift Shop, and take in the sights and sounds of your Tennessee State Park. Liberty! runs Thursdays-Saturdays, 17 – 19, and 24 -26, in the Fort Watauga Amphitheater at Sycamore Shoals State Historic
Area in Elizabethton. Performances begin nightly at 7:30. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 & over), and $5 for children (6 – 7 yrs of age). Children 5 and under are admitted free. This year we are pleased to offer a Family Cap Discount for Immediate members of one family of $39.00 (Parents and their children).
Friends of Sycamore Shoals Members will be admitted for $6.00. Veterans Night is Thursday, July 17 – Veterans and one escort are admitted for Free for this performance. For more information, please call the park at (423) 543-5808 or visit: www.sycamoreshoalstn.org
A visit to Tennessee’s Official Outdoor Drama is a great way to experience the pivotal events of the late 18th century in the Watauga settlement in Elizabethton, Tennessee. It is also the perfect opportunity to bring your family and friends to Sycamore Shoals, the site of historic events of national significance. Friends of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area has big plans to make your visit the best it can be! Liberty! is performed 9 nights, Thursday through Saturday, the last 3 weeks in July and each of those nights, they will be offering reduced rates on admission. For our 2014 season, Adults (18 & up) are $12.00 each; Seniors (55 & up) $10.00; Children (6 to 17) $5.00; and 5 and under admitted free. This year, we offer a new Family Cap rate of $39.00 total admission for all members of an immediate family, which would be parents and their children. If you are a member of Friends of Sycamore Shoals, or join when you get here, your ticket price will be $6.00! Each evening of the play, plan to
visit our unique concessions area, Carter’s Store, named in honor of John Carter, a strong leader in this 18th century settlement. Here you can get sandwiches, snacks, and drinks to enjoy during the show. On Fridays, July 18 and 25 and Saturdays, July 19 and 26, we will be offering our popular Dinner Theater. For one price you can enjoy a great family style meal and then take in Liberty! This year’s menu includes turkey legs and pulled pork, corn on the cob, candied sweet potatoes, soup beans, cornbread, rolls, apple fritters, tea, Pepsi products, and water. For pricing and reservation information, please call Sycamore Shoals at 423-543-5808.
On Thursday, July 17th, Liberty! will be honoring our Veterans of all wars by admitting each Veteran with an escort for free. In addition, on Saturday, July 19th, there will be an interpreter on site providing interpretation for the hearing impaired. Mark your calendars now and don’t miss the 36th season of outdoor drama at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area!
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NPAC’s 2014-15 Concert Season kicks off with
gard and Billy Joe Shaver. A new member of the RPM music group in Nashville, Chris spends most of his days writing songs by himself or co-writing with the huge pool of talented writers on music row. Jamey Johnson, with opener Chris Hennessee, will perform at Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in historic downtown Greeneville, TN on Saturday, July 19th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $40 for orchestra level, $35 for mezzanine level and $30 for balcony level seats. Tickets may be purchased online at www.npacgreeneville. com, in person at the NPAC box office, or by calling 423-638-1679. The concert is sponsored by Landair (offering logistics, transportation, and distribution nationwide), and Marsh Propane (one of the top 50 propane suppliers in the US). NPAC offers online seat selection and no-fee ticketing. The box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am until 5 pm. The 1130 seat performing arts center is located adjacent to the campus of Greeneville High School in Greeneville, TN. For venue information, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.npacgreeneville.com.
CHRIS HENNESSEE opening for JAMEY JOHNSON Award-winning singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson will perform at Niswonger Performing Arts Center on Saturday, July 19th at 7:30 pm, with opening artist Chris Hennessee. This is the first concert of NPAC’s 2014-2015 season with over 40 additional performances scheduled as NPAC celebrates its 10th anniversary. Jamey Johnson is one of Nashville’s most unlikely stars... a longhaired, bearded, scruffy-looking singer- songwriter in a world of clean-cut cowboys. He tops the charts with songs whose dark lyrics make the excesses described by outlaw-country stars such as Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson seem almost quaint. He has risen to the top of country music through fierce dedication to his craft and a never-give-up attitude. A life-long musician and performer, this former Marine first made his name in Music City as a songwriter. Born in Enterprise, AL, and raised in nearby Montgomery, Johnson was heavily influenced as a kid by the musical legends of his home state, including Hank Williams, Vern Gosdin, Alan Jackson and Alabama. In 2000, he moved to Nashville after completing an 8 year stint in the Marine Corps. There he began songwriting with his songs becoming hits recorded by artists such as Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols and George Strait. Songwriting led to a record deal and rave reviews of his releases from major publications such as Rolling Stone and The New York Times. The stormy, hard-rocking original music on his two most recent studio albums breaks with modern-day country orthodoxy, but not as radically as the hardcore traditionalism of his latest album. Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, is a rousing 16-track salute to one of Nashville’s best songwriters. Johnson
Jamey Johnson opens NPAC’s concert season on July 19th
is joined by a roll call of past and present country stars (including Nelson, Alison Krauss, Merle Haggard, George Strait, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and Lee Ann Womack), and proves that he not only knows his history but also has the voice to pull off classic honkytonk numbers and ballads. The album includes inescapable classics (Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces,” Johnny Paycheck’s “A-11,” and Ray Price’s “Make the World Go Away,” alongside obscure songs, and they’re all distinguished by Cochran’s witty, empathetic lyrics. With this release, Johnson is clearly striving for similar greatness, and though he may never match Cochran’s poetic touch, he’s learning fast. This superb diversion from Johnson’s own music makes a strong case for his versatility and depth.
Chris Hennessee Opening artist Chris Hennessee is an East Tennessee native who moved to Nashville in 1998. A singer- songwriter, who’s music can best be described as “Southern Country Blues”, who loves the craft of writing songs as well as performing them. Chris has played venues all over the South and as far away as Amsterdam, Holland, but spends most of his time recently in Nashville performing at venues on historic “Lower Broad” as well as songwriter-friendly venues like the Bluebird Cafe and Douglas Corner Cafe. His influences range from the classic southern rock sounds of such bands as The Marshall Tucker Band and The Allman Brothers to the stone country sounds of Merle Hag-
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The ’80s Are Back At The Allandale Goodwill! The Goodwill Industries of Tenneva retail store in Kingsport, Tennessee will be a happening place on Friday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m! The Allandale Goodwill, located at 4528 W. Stone Dr, is holding its annual customer appreciation event. This year, your Allandale Goodwill will be holding the best ’80s themed summer event in Kingsport! The store will hold a tent sale featuring items 75 percent off and a 50 percent off green tag sale! Allandale Goodwill employees will have plenty of leggings, brightly colored headbands, highwaisted jeans, and radiantly colored outfits for all patrons! The tent sale will feature various items
such as furniture, decorations, children’s clothes and accessories all at 75 percent off. Beverages and snacks will be provided and there will be door prize give aways all day! If patrons cannot attend this customer appreciation sale, join us at the Johnson City North Goodwill retail store located at 3010 Bristol Highway, Johnson City, Tennessee on Friday, July 25. The proceeds from the retail stores fund Goodwill Industries of Tenneva’s employment services and vocational programs for people with barriers to employment. For more information, please call the Marketing Department at 423.245.0600.
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“HOT NIGHTS, COOL MUSIC” continues on Friday, July 18 with
The Frito Puente Band
Local jazz aficionados are excited for the return of Frito Puente to stages around the region. After a 2 year relocation to Germany, jazz musician Bill Perkins is reunited in Johnson City, TN with his former band mates Sam Burke on bass and Jose Castillo on percussion. Frito Puente’s style spans Latin flavored artists like Santana and Chick Corea, jazz standards from Miles Davis, John Coltrane,
and Thelonius Monk, and original compositions. For more information about the summer concerts visit www. northeaststate.edu or contact 423.354.5169. All shows are free and open to the public. All shows are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Wellmont Regional Center for The Performing Arts.
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Southwest Virginia Museum Features
Poplar Hill Reunion at “Lunch on the Lawn” The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will host its next event in the weekly “Lunch on the Lawn” series Friday, July 18 at 12 p.m., featuring Poplar Hill Reunion. A love of traditional old time music led several individuals to Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA where they sought to learn to play the clawhammer banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. Eventually, they came together in the string band class offered by the college where they developed a lasting friendship with other musicians. Later, this group of friends began meeting for weekly “reunions” on top of the Poplar Hill area in Big Stone Gap to jam and enjoy fellowship with a pot of coffee. The music of Poplar Hill Reunion is a unique blend of old time, bluegrass, and more with several
songs being original compositions written by Joey O’Quinn, Larry Mullins, and Beth Miller. Their instruments include the guitar, autoharp, dulcimer, banjo, upright bass, mandolin, fiddle, and bowed psaltery. The “Lunch on the Lawn” event is free and open to the public. Visitors may bring their own lunch or
pre-order one from the Museum for $5.00 each. This week’s featured menu is chicken salad croissants with celery and carrot sticks with dip, dessert, and choice of beverage. Orders must be made in advance by 4:00 p.m. each Thursday by calling the Museum at (276) 523-1322.
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Students from Milligan’s 5th Annual Fine Arts Summer Academy will present a free children’s performance in Elizabethton 41 students from nine states arrived on the Milligan College campus for the fifth annual Fine Arts Summer Academy for high school students. The students will be on campus from July 13-18, working one-onone with Milligan’s faculty in the area of their choosing—music, theater or digital media (photography, videography and graphic design). Programs include hands-on workshops and lessons, evening activities, morning devotions and fun outings to local destinations. Students in the theater academy will use their talents to serve the local community by presenting a free performance for children at the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library, 201 North Sycamore Street, on Friday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m. The performance is open to the public. The 25-minute play, “Pirate Pete and the Pirates of Politeness,” is directed by Richard Major, profes-
sor of theater at Milligan, and designed by Pamela Adolphi, scenic and lighting director at Milligan. “This free performance will be a real crowd pleaser as it humorously tells the story of a rambunctious pirate trying to learn better manners so as to woo the hand of a beautiful princess,” Major said.
“A high point of the play will be a comedic sword fight between Pirate Pete and a motley crew of seafarers. The fast-paced play will captivate the attention of patrons and will add just the right amount of spice to the otherwise mid-summer doldrums.” The theater academy empha-
sizes the common vocabulary and concepts of the theater as an art form and an examination of how theater is created. Students will participate in different facets of theater, which could include acting, voice and movement, stage make-up, maskmaking, playwriting, stage combat or theater design. The week also includes an off-campus trip to the world-famous Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. The music academy is an advanced musicianship program for piano, voice, guitar and orchestral strings (violin, viola, cello and bass) that focuses on developing performing skills in each student’s specialty area. Music students also will spend 30 minutes each morning learning the Alexander Technique, an educational method of learning how to use less effort in activity. This technique enables improved mobility, posture, performance,
and alertness and relief of chronic stiffness, tension and stress. Athletes, singers, dancers and musicians use the technique to improve breathing, vocal production, and speed and accuracy of movement. Students in the digital media academy will gain hands-on experience in the foundational elements of digital media, including digital photography, digital video filmmaking and graphic design. This program is perfect for the beginner to intermediate skill-level students as a wonderful opportunity to use their creativity to enhance their eye for beauty as they develop skills in each aspect of digital media. The week culminates in a talent showcase highlighting the work of students from all three academies on Friday, July 18, at 5:30 p.m. The performance is free and open to family and friends. To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.
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Engage Kingsport Performing Arts Series presents an
Red Roots .... continued from page 10
Evening with Red Roots
He would also invite us to play at schools and churches where he would give his testimony, which he later wrote in a book titled, Club Meth to Christ. We both shared the common message of the Red Roots of Christ. We eventually started playing other instruments. At thirteen years old, Nicole played the drums, banjo, and bass. Nika added playing the mandolin along with the guitar. Natalie picked up the violin, bass, and accordion to go along with her keyboard. Our style of music at the time consisted of a mixture of Christian contemporary and bluegrass. Little by little, we would get calls from churches and others wanting us to play. This was so important to us because it gave us a reason and a desire to keep practicing. My parents said that if we were invited to play three places in a month then we could get a trailer to haul our equipment in. No more than a month passed by, and we had our trailer. Now all we needed was a group name. One day, our aunt called my mom saying that
Contemporary Christian Music, Great for the Whole Family!
THURSDAY July 17, 2014 @ 7 pm (Doors open at 6 pm) Renaissance Theatre, KINGSPORT TN COST: $15 Book Now at www.EngageKingsport.com or by Phone: (423) 392-8414 The lives of three, red-headed, identical triplet sisters are best summed up in the band name Red Roots. Their journey of growth can be heard and seen through the band, but was ultimately shaped by their “roots” of family, faith, and music. Our parents Mark and Sherry Taylor were told they were having one baby. That was good news to them and our four-year old brother at the time Mark Jr. A week later the news changed quite a bit after the doctor saw one more baby in the ultrasound. Now, instead of one there were two. Another week passed by, and our parents made another visit to the doctor. After performing an ultrasound, they saw a big difference in what they had seen before, three babies! Around seven months later, three very-healthy triplet girls were born. Having Christian parents first helped develop our Red Roots. It seemed that we were always in church, and my parents instilled in us Christian morals and principles. At church we were introduced to music, so we were involved in the
children’s choir. Around the age of four and five, we began our singing debut in a choir musical singing “Be Near Me Lord Jesus.” At that same time, we began asking our parents to play instruments. Nika started first on the guitar after challenging our brother Mark Jr. to a “Yankee Doodle” duel. It was her favorite song and only song she knew, so my brother didn’t stand a chance. Natalie’s piano lessons soon followed at the age of nine. Her friends were also taking, so she was accused of taking lessons because of them. Maybe a year later, Nicole started asking my parents for drum lessons. My mom said that she tried to discourage her by saying that only boys played the drums. Negative comments were also spoken to her by the band director when he said she had no rhythm. If either of them actually did discourage her, we couldn’t tell. My mom caved in for local drum lessons, but the teacher didn’t have a spot. Long story made short, mom prayed for God to open the door if it was His will, and a spot became available at the exact time she wanted.
Our band was formed. We all three would set up in our playroom and attempt to play the same song together. It was a lot harder than we thought, especially since we started out playing “Shout to the Lord.” Unknowingly to us, my mom was praying, “Anoint them to sing for your glory, Lord.” This prayer marked the beginning of our Red Roots. God opened many doors for us as we first started out. Our pastor Bro. Bill Barton had started an alcohol rehabilitation center called the Home of Grace, so he asked us to play there monthly. We were paired with a former addict named Rodney Williams who would preach after we sang. The men always would scream and clap no matter how many clunkers Natalie hit on the keyboard, beats Nicole would be off on the drums, or chords missed on the guitar by Nika. They truly worshipped God there and encouraged us each month we came. Bro. Rodney and we made a great team because both of us were just starting out.
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we should name our group “Red Roots.” We had a few to choose from, but this suited us best. After all, we did have red hair. As we grew older, our eyes and hearts were opened. As teenagers, God revealed to us that being involved in church or in a Christian band would not save us. We felt a need for His forgiveness and His presence in our lives. Even though we had a Christian band before, it became personal from that point on. God put a deep desire in our hearts to serve Him through music. He showed us that all of our circumstances were not coincidental. God had a purpose for us in our lives, and He began to give us a passion for His purpose. Now we truly did have Red Roots, not only on the outside, but also on inside. During our senior year, we bought our mom tickets to an Isaacs’s concert for her birthday. We noticed, while purchasing the tickets, there was also a talent contest that night. Winning the contest was exciting, but playing with the Isaacs was even more exciting! Lat-
er, Ben Isaacs became the producer of our first single. This caught the attention of Rick Schweinsberg of Daywind Recording Studios, and we were signed to their Red Hen Label. Rick Schweinsberg produced the rest of the songs on our album and currently develops our group. Our mom wasn’t the only one who got a present that night! The Red Roots CD was finally released on Jan. 24th, 2011. The CD features our first radio single “Red Roots.” Yes. Red Roots is also our group name. Both our group name and song represent the core message and focus of our group that we are rooted in the blood of Christ. His sacrifice on the cross gave our lives meaning and hope. The song “Red Roots” tells a story of a dad and his daughter going on a hunting trip looking for Sassafras trees. They need the red roots of the Sassafras trees to make red tea with. The dad uses the hunting trip to show his daughter how the red roots of the sassafras tree compare to the red roots of Jesus Christ.
Family Movie Matinees @ the Library:
Jonesborough Library, July 22, 1pm Gray Library, July 23, 2pm Beat the heat this summer by attending a free movie at the library! Our feature this month is about a machine that creates mutant food beasts like living pickles, hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees and apple pie-thons, and a boy and his friends who have to destroy the machine to save the world. In case this movie makes you hungry, free snacks will be provided! The Jonesborough Library matinee will be Tuesday, July 22, 1:00 p.m. and the Gray Library matinee will be Wednesday, July 23, 2:00 p.m. Registration is not required. This free event is sponsored by The Friends of the Library. For more information, please call the Jonesborough Library at 423-7531800, or the Gray Library at 4771550.
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ETSU Professors Play for Jonesborough Contra! The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will present a contra dance on Saturday, July 19, 2014 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. The featured band will be Joseph Sobol and Lee Bidgood from ETSU in Johnson City, with Clinton Ross calling the dance. Admission to the dance is $7, HJDS Members $5, Students $5. No partner is necessary. All dances are taught by the caller. All dances are smoke and alcohol free. A workshop for beginning contra dancers will be led by the caller at 7:00pm The evening will begin with a waltz workshop from 5:00-7:00pm taught by Asheville’s Scott Baxla. The suggested donation is $5. Baxla teaches a folk waltz or country waltz style. He will spend a brief period review the basic step and move on to some intermediate steps. Storyteller, musician, folklorist, and author, Joseph Daniel Sobol is
an artist of wide-ranging accomplishments. An artist-in-residence for many years in North and South Carolina, he received a Masters in Folklore from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. He toured the country from 1994 through 1999 with his award-winning musical theatre piece In the
Deep Heart’s Core based on the works of Irish poet W. B. Yeats. His book on the American storytelling revival, The Storytellers’ Journey, was published in 1999 by the University of Illinois Press. In addition he has released a cassette and three CDs of music and stories, alone and with his group Kiltartan Road. His most recent recording, Citternalia: Celtic Music for Cit-
tern was honored with a “Homegrown CD Award” by Acoustic Guitar Magazine, which called the album “a watershed project-dazzling speed and precision.” After eleven years in Chicago, Illinois, doing folklore residencies with high school ESL and multilingual programs and performing regularly with some of America’s top Irish traditional musicians, he is proud to have been named Director of the Graduate Program in Storytelling at East Tennessee State University. Lee Bidgood is a musician and scholar, performing and researching musical styles ranging from Mennonite communal singing to bluegrass, old time, country, and early music. His dissertation is titled “Performing Americanness, Locating Identity: Bluegrass and Ethnography in the Czech Republic.” He received his PhD in 2010 from the Critical and Comparative Studies
in Music program at the University of Virginia. Lee has performed on mandolin and fiddle with North Carolina bands the Steep Canyon Rangers and Big Fat Gap and studied viola da gamba with Brent Wissick. In the Czech Republic he has toured and recorded with Roll’s Boys and performed with other bands including G-Runs and Roses and Reliéf. “Joseph and Lee will dazzle us with their Celtic and Old Time tunes. The jigs and reels will be great fun to dance to. We are all very lucky to have them in the area. Now and then, Joseph will drop by for a dance or to jam with the hired band for the night” adds Wiley. Sobol will have numerous CD recordings that will be offered to contra dance crowd. For information, please contact, David Wiley at 423-534-8879, visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org and on FACEBOOK.
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Kyrss Dula & Friends to perform at The Nest
Kryss Dula & Friends will be playing a FREE show at The Nest, to help spread awareness of this local business. The Nest is a spiritually-oriented coffee house, thrift store, and Internet café, located at 2401 S. Roan St., just up from Food City. The band likes to support es-
tablishments which promote positive atmospheres, and The Nest certainly fits this bill. Everyone is welcome and cordially invited to come enjoy some fun, familyfriendly music, between 8pm and 10pm, on Saturday, July 19th.
Abstract Painting Class offered by local artist
Artist and college instructor Tony Henson will take you on a creative journey in abstract painting. Tony has his MFA degree in painting and has created more than 1,000 paintings since 1993. Sign up today for the Sept 6th class from 11am to 3pm. Minimum 6 students with a maximum of 12. Cost is $60 per student with supplies included. You will complete an abstract painting! Bring lunch also. Sign up deadline is Aug 30th. Class will be held at the Rose Center, 442 W 2nd St. Morristown, TN. Call 423-581-4430 for more information. Visit www.tonyhensonart.com for images of Tony’s art, resume, and artist statement.
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Stargazer.... continued from page 16
Apollo Moon Conquest 45 Years Ago It was 45 years ago when a troubled America began turning its attention to a distraction from our problems—the first Moon landing. The year 1969 was an unforgettable time of triumph and tragedy. Racial strife...women’s lib...President Richard Nixon...Vietnam... nuclear disarmament...Woodstock... But America’s domestic woes and the unpopular war 9,000 miles away were nearly forgotten in the Summer of ‘69 when the historic events of Apollo 11 culminated in the footprints of Americans on an alien world 240,000 miles away. Mankind’s greatest adventure was set in full motion July 16 at 9:32 AM when three Apollo 11 astronauts were blasted off the Earth by the largest rocket ever built, the Saturn V. It was the culmination of a decade of technological innovation that spread world-wide and continues into the 21st Century. The first steps of the risky Moon voyage by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began in 1961 with America’s first spaceflight in 1961 by Alan Shepard. And it was fueled by President John F. Kennedy’s directive to “land and man on the Moon, and return him safely to Earth before the end of the decade.” Americans weren’t the only ones wanting to go to the Moon. Communist Soviet Union put the first man in space, and continued with propaganda-fueled space spectaculars of the first female and first two and three person crews in orbit. But the Russians were conducting their space program in secret, while Americans showed their triumphs and failures to the world. The 1960s saw a logical progression of building blocks of knowledge about the unforgiving unknowns of outer space. First were
six one-man Mercury spaceflights, and then nine two-man Gemini missions. Finally there was the three-man Apollo Command Module that was tested in Earth
ity. Despite a few problems in the landing radar system, the mission was an overwhelming success and NASA ramped up for the actual lunar landing. Finally, the Moon was within man’s grasp. The stage was set, and every move of the principle characters were followed in the media for the next two months in the Summer of ‘69. It was a Thursday on July 16th when one million people lined the roads leading to Cape Kennedy, Florida to watch the morning launch of the mighty Saturn V moon rocket. Crammed in the tiny cockpit of “Columbia” were astronauts Michael Collins, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Commander Neil Armstrong, while nestled beneath them was the moonship, “Eagle.” The media coverage worldwide was unprecedented, rivaling the 24-hour coverage of the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963. The morning and evening editions of newspapers, radio, and the three broadcasting networks—ABC, CBS and NBC— reported up-to-the-minute reports from NASA on the status of the moonship. The non-stop TV coverage began Saturday afternoon July 19th when the two docked spacecraft entered lunar orbit. ABC’s Jules Bergman and CBS’s Walter Cronkite spent the next 36 hours on the air with NASA astronauts and rocket scientists trying to explain and document the adventure. The moment of landing came at 4:17 pm EST Saturday, followed by Armstrong’s first footprint on an alien world at 9:28 pm The full dress rehearsal was EST. The two-hour moonwalk by orbit with Apollo 7. The bold, and land on the Moon, the Lunar orbit-only mission to the Moon by Excursion Module resembled a made by Apollo 10 astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin was broadApollo 8 in December 1968 made giant four-legged spider and was when “Charlie Brown” was in or- cast live by a Black & White video the world see America was serious called “LEM.” The Command ship bit May 21, 1969 and the moonship camera on a tripod, and included a and almost ready to make those would orbit the Moon and return “Snoopy” flew to within 9 miles of Stargazer.... continued on page 17 giant steps on our celestial neigh- to Earth, the LEM would land the lunar target in Mare Tranquilbor 240,000 miles away. In March 1969, Apollo 9 tested in earth-orbit the moonship that would take two men to the surface. Designed only to fly in space
with the leg section becoming the launch platform for the bulbous, pressurized cabin. Both vehicles would need code names chosen by the astronauts.
congratulatory conversation from President Richard Nixon. The lunar stay ended at 1:52 pm Monday afternoon when the “Eagle” spacecraft blasted off the alien world, meeting up two hours later with Collins orbiting in the moonship “Columbia.” The three day voyage back to Earth was all smiles, and splashdown at 2 pm Thursday July 24th saw the astronaut heroes picked up by the USS Hornet, with President Nixon on deck. America had won the Moon Race, and Kennedy’s dream was realized. Today, the year 1969 is a nostalgic, far away land of 35-cent gasoline in $3,000 new cars that were parked in the garages of average American homes that cost $26,000. A great steak dinner was $10, a gallon of milk was $1.25 and. And
close. The Russian’s lunar spaceship was ready, but their moon rocket had blown up twice in the spring of 1969, leaving their moonship grounded. The Apollo 11 moon landing was the ultimate fatal blow in the USSR Moon plans, and they turned to earth-orbiting space stations. As incredible as the Apollo 11 triumph was—indeed the debatable #1 historic event of the entire 20th Century—the conquest of the Moon was achieved against the background of an America in chaos at home with racial desegregation and at war in Vietnam. While civil rights showdowns became ugly and American soldiers fought the Communists in Southeast Asia, rocket scientists in the USA traded space spectaculars with the top secret Moon program
it seemed everyone was smoking 35-cent packs of cigarettes at their work desk, in restaurants and anywhere they wanted to light up. Minimum wage was $1.60 an hour. Americans were watching on new color televisions (and more black and white TVs) “Get Smart!,” “Hogan’s Heroes” and “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.” They were listening on transistor radios to “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel, “Honky Tonk Women,” by the Rolling Stones and the Beatle’s last album, “Abbey Road.” And at the $1.50 ticket movies, 1969 offered “Midnight Cowboy,” “Easy Rider” and “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang!” The Moon Race with the Soviet Union was decidedly won by the United States—but it was very
of Communist Russia. The Moon Race, costing American taxpayers around $40 billion at the time ($200-plus billion in 2014 dollars) and the Vietnam War (another $50 billion or more) both had their detractors—and it was amazing both were financed at the same time. Now, 45 years later, we know the Soviet space program was a lot of smoke and mirrors to make them look good. Propaganda from the USSR in the 1960s was commonplace as the two Superpowers vied for the world’s attention as the technologically superior nation. And when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their moonship named “Eagle” on the shores of an ancient, frozen lava ocean named Tranquility, the Soviets responded by saying they had no desire to walk on the Moon.
But the Russians were lying, their national pride hurt. Their moonship, named Zond, was built for just one man, and was to be attached to the two-man Soyuz spaceship, as two cosmonauts were to make the lunar voyage. Moonship Zond was the size of a bulky telephone booth with landing legs and rocket engines. One lucky cosmonaut was to land in this moonship, step outside quickly to gather rocks and take photos, then blast off after only a couple hours on the surface. The whole concept was crude, highly dangerous and had little room for spacecraft system failures. That was a far cry from the 10-ton NASA Lunar Module that took two men to the Moon’s surface on July 20, 1969, and for some 20 hours on the surface fulfilled a dream of mankind. The American spirit was never stronger or filled with more pride than on that amazing Sunday summer night of July 20, 1969. Maybe as many as 1 billion of the Earth’s 3.6 billion people were watching live television as Armstrong and Aldrin lopped across the Moon’s dusty surface. Five more successful Moon landings followed, including the last three with Lunar Rovers that allowed serious geological exploration during three-day stays on the surface. Forty-five years after those first tentative footsteps on an alien world, it’s questionable whether the United State of America has ever swelled with more pride—or ever will again. Some will argue that the orbiting $100 billion International Space Station is a greater accomplishment than the Apollo moon landings. In many technical ways it is, but the Space Station lacks the attention and drama of the lunar voyage. Four and a half decades later, the voyage of Apollo 11 is a distant memory to a generation, and a footnote in history to those too young to remember. The crowning achievement of Space Age, the events at Tranquility Base on the Moon will forever be a benchmark in mankind’s quest to find our place in the Universe.
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Skies This Week
Rural Resources Invites the Public to the
Celestial events in the skies for the week of July 15th - July 21st, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette.
at Still Hollow Farm
This is the historic week of mankind’s greatest adventure to the Moon. But it also is a monumental week in American and Russian relations when a US and USSR spacecraft docked and the adversaries exchanged handshakes 125-miles above their countries. Looking up, summer skies are dark this week as the Moon moves into the after-midnight skies and is Last Quarter on Saturday.
Fri. July 18
Saturn shines directly south in Libra at dark, while to the right are bright white star Spica and reddish planet Mars grouped closely together. Watch Mars move to the east (left) as the Summer progresses.
Sat. July 19
Tues. July 15
Wed. July 16
On this 1969 date in space history, Apollo 11 was launched to the Moon by the threestage, 365-foot high Saturn V, still the largest rocket ever successfully flown. One million people crowded around the roads of Cape Kennedy to watch the Thursday morning blastoff.
Thurs. July 17
On this 1975 date in space history, three Americans in Apollo 18 and two Russians in Soyuz 19 docked and spent two days in space together in an ultimate act of détente begun by President Richard Nixon. Four decades later, America, which is building a new spaceship, has to depend on the upgraded Russian Soyuz spaceship to ferry astronauts and cosmonauts to the orbiting International Space Station.
Happy 93rd birthday to American space hero and former US Senator John Glenn. The first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, he later became the oldest space flier at age 77 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Glenn was an Ohio Senator for 24 years, and is an American icon with many streets, schools and institutions bearing his name, including NASA’s center in Cleveland. Last Quarter Moon as our celestial neighbor rises around 1:30 pm and starts slipping as a crescent into the early morning sky. The Milky Way is now visible in the evening, rising in the east and high overhead after midnight.
Sun. July 20
On this 1969 date in space history, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their moonship called Eagle on the western shores of the ancient lava bed called Mare Tranquility. Mankind’s greatest adventure to the Moon was fulfilled that Sunday afternoon. And Sunday night, the world was mesmerized by live television of the 2-hour moonwalk. While Neil and Buzz walked the Moon, orbiting was Michael Collins. Armstrong died in 2012, and Aldrin and Collins are both 84. Mon. July 21 On this 1976 date in space history, the first photos from the surface of Mars were being sent back to Earth from the Viking 1 lander, which touched down the day before.
5th Annual Corn Dinner Rural Resources invites the public to join in celebrating the greatness of the summer harvest at the 5th Annual Incredible Corn Dinner! Once again the dinner will take place at the enchanting Still Hollow Farm, where guests will be treated to an evening of fine dining, a shabby chic auction with Bill Brown, and music by JB and the Wild Honey Band. The multicourse meal will showcase foods produced right here in Greene County and a little beyond prepared by Greeneville favorite Ella Price. As always, corn will be the star of the meal. In an effort to truly celebrate this miraculous grain, each course will be paired with a tasting of “corn from a jar.” The Incredible Corn Dinner has become a valued part of the Rural Resources year. “It’s something we really look forward to, because it’s an opportunity to share local foods with the community,” says Sally Causey, Rural Resources’ Executive Director. “It also serves as a fundraiser for us, as the ticket sales provide much needed financial support for our children’s programs.” Proceeds from the event will go towards the Farm & Food Training Program for at-risk teens and Farm Day Camp, which runs every summer for kindergarteners and grade school aged children. The Incredible Corn Dinner will take place on Saturday, July 19th, beginning at 7:00pm. To reserve your place, visit the Rural Resources website, www.ruralresources.net. Please RSVP by July 15th. There you can also find out more information on the organizations programs and other events. You can also call the office at (423) 636-8171. Rural Resources is a non-profit organization based in Greeneville. They have worked for the past 20 years to connect local farmers and growers with families in need of fresh produce and other locally made products. They gratefully thank the East Tennessee Foundation’s Arts Fund for sponsorship of this year’s music.
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Jonesborough Welcomes
David Holt Grammy Award-winner David Holt, a world-class musician and storyteller, will be the next performer in the International Storytelling Center’s popular Storytelling Live! series. Holt, who has been studying traditional mountain music for most of his life, has served as a U.S. ambassador to Nepal, Thailand, and countries in South America and Africa. In addition to appearing as a musician in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, he has hosted several PBS series on traditional music. In Jonesborough, Holt is scheduled for a week’s worth of performances from July 22 – 26, Tuesday through Saturday, with daily matinees at 2:00 p.m. in the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall. Tickets for all shows are just $12 for adults and $11 for seniors, students, and children under 18. Reservations are highly recommended. In addition to his performance work, Holt, who studied art in college, has been exhibiting his mixed media works, which are photographs incorporated into paintings. “It’s been fun because it has opened another creative door,” he says of his most recent exhibit. “And that allows other creative things to get rolling. I’ve been thinking about who these
people were and what I learned from them. Creativity really feeds creativity.” Much like his stories, Holt’s art consists of portraits of the musicians he has learned from over the years. “They help me think about the complexity of the different people I’ve known, and how you can communicate that,” he says. “It’s a complexity that’s hard to capture in any medium, whether it’s a story, or music, or painting. If you can catch it, you really have something.” “It’s also quite different,” he adds. “Music and storytelling are pretty precise. You’re trying to do it as perfectly as possible. With art, I let go, and whatever happens, happens.”
Ted Stevens and the Third Rail & Kristen Ford appearing at The Acoustic Coffeehouse Louisville, KY based folk/rock singer-song writer Ted Stevens will be performing at the Acoustic Coffee House July 20, 2014. Ted Stevens and the Third Rail, are touring in support of their debut ep “Extended Play.” The EP is the first recorded output from the band, following several years
On top of his storytelling, Holt plans to share a lot of music during his time in Jonesborough. He’ll have a wide variety of instruments on hand, including banjo, guitar, and the washboard, which the world’s oldest woman taught him to play. Even though Holt has performed all over the world, Jonesborough tops the list of places he most enjoys visiting. “It’s a great thing for me,” he says. “I love going there because it allows me a week to perform in that wonderful little theater. Usually I’m in a huge venue with lights in my face. I can’t really see. This is more like someone’s very wonderful living room. “I’ve been traveling constantly for 40 years,” he adds. “Being able to stay in one place and just go home that night—I almost never get to do that. It’s pretty special.” Information about all TIR performers, and schedule for 2014, is available at www.storytellingcenter.net. Season passes that offer savings of 44 percent will be available while supplies last, and ticket holders will save 10 percent on same-day dining at The Olde Courthouse Diner, The Dining Room, Jonesborough General Store and Eatery, or Main Street Café. The International Storytelling Center is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mon through Sat. For more information about Storytelling Live! or to make a group reservation, call (800) 952-8392 ext. 222 or (423) 913-1276.
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spent by Stevens as a solo performer. The EP features single “Hometown, Hometown,” along with B-side “Live Forever.” Both were mixed by Austin-based engineer Mike McCarthy who’s former credits include Spoon, Patty Griffin, Heartless Bastards among
countless others. The tracks have already been in rotation on local radio in Louisville, and been earning an incredible response by Stevens while performing through out the Midwest, both acoustic and with his band. The tracks on “Extended Play,” are the first off a forthcoming album on which the band have been hard at work, tentatively set for a release in late 2014. The EP is rounded out by live recordings of “Be That Way” and “October Blues” from the band’s performance at Be Here Now, in Muncie, IN and broadcast on Indiana public radio. Discussing several years he spent in Scotland, Stevens sings “So I went hiding in a foreign land, Far from faces I could understand.” The track is both engaging and instantly relatable, very much hallmarks of the work found through out the record.
Kristen Ford brings you an eclectic mix of sounds, always with an incredible song structure. Her pitch perfect voice is reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge and Ani DiFranco, with a little something new and unique. Kristen Ford is as comfortable performing in intimate solo acoustic settings as well as larger venues and festivals with a full band. She is a Massachusetts native, with a traveler’s heart, currently spending the next five
Photo by Menelik Puryear
months on the road promoting her latest album, “Dinosaur”. This summer Kristen rolls into Johnson City, to support her new release “DINOSAUR” which is available on www.kristenfordmusic.com. You can catch Kristen performing her new material at “The Acoustic Cafe” at 415 W Walnut St, Johnson City, TN 37604 on Sunday July 20th at 8pm. This is a no cover show, so come check her out!
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Border Bash to host Al Scorch and Loves It! Set in Historic Downtown Bristol, Border Bash continues on Friday, July 18, 2014 in Cumberland Square Park. The evening’s events will start with children’s activities, crafters, and concessions at 6PM. Live music begins at 7:00PM with Al Scorch followed up by Loves It! around 8:30PM. As always, Border Bash is free to the public! Al Scorch: Grafting literate, character-driven song craft and Mid-American roots with a post-punk attitude, Chicagobased songwriter, performer and instrumentalist Al Scorch charts a new musical topography with a five-string banjo. Self-described as a “fourth generation Chicagoan, born and bred,” Scorch recalls that his Missouri-born mother played banjo and had one in the house, while his dad played piano and guitar. Revealing the world around him, his music derives from his background, his family, and his creative mind. For more information please visit www.
ET go home, or rather Echo go home. The tag line for the new film “Earth to Echo” should be Echo go home, but that would be to too much of a blatant rip off of the classic film “E.T.”. Instead, we are left with a mild rip off of said film. If you crossed E.T. with R2D2 of “Star Wars” and threw in the DNA of an owl, out would pop the creature/robot featured as the main attraction in this film. The sci-fi/adventure film is shot in the sometime annoying “found footage” format. The film is set in an Arizona town and involves three Middle School kids, later joined by a female companion, who happen across the alien robot after their smart phones go crazy. The friends discover the robot after they bike into the desert one night for about 20 miles (only in the movies), while their distracted and inept parents have no clue where they are. The teens soon are the protector of our wee robot friend, and they name the creature Echo, due to the fact he imitates
the sounds they make. The teens are protecting the robot from evil adults (government officials) who are out to find Echo in an effort to destroy the spaceship he/she is attempting to find and return to his home planet. As the kids continue to run around all night with their new friend, they eventually fall into the hands of the government, but the teens eventually escape with Echo and find the spaceship allowing Echo to make a dramatic escape from Earth, a planet he earlier says in so many beeps he doesn’t care for. I say good riddance to our robot friend. I found it strange the spaceship Echo crash landed on Earth in could hold many people or creatures, yet here is this tiny robot piloting such a craft. I suppose the filmmakers wanted to impress us with a large ship as opposed to one more appropriate to the robots size. As Echo is about to lift off, one of his human friends says a tearful (sniff, sniff) goodbye and the robot blasts off. I really hoped Echo’s best hu-
man friend would leave Earth with him and venture to his home planet so we could see what type of world this strange contraption comes from. The aforementioned would have set the stage for a sequel and made for a better movie, but since the film has disappointed at the box office, there is no danger of that happening. You will notice I haven’t mentioned any of the actors names. I found that pointless since none of them are really well known, and the main attraction is Echo and the special effects. I will confess I fell asleep once during the movie, which I am happy to report didn’t cause me to miss any plot points. I was surprise the film wasn’t presented in 3D, which in this case may have helped the brisk 89 minute movie. “Earth to Echo” was mildly entertaining, but those over the age of 12 may doze off. Take this advise from someone who did. (Rated PG) C+
alscorch.com. Loves It!: Created in Austin, Texas in 2010, Loves It! is a duo comprised of songwriters Vaughn Walters and Jenny Parrott. Since then, they have already played hundreds of shows in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The harmony-driven pair often switches
between guitar, fiddle, and banjo, adding special guests to create a bigger sound. They play with a respect for tradition and a determination to bring a modern voice to their favorite folk, country, gospel, and punk sounds. For more information please visit www.lovesitmusic.net.
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Thank you for calling your cable provider Thank you for calling Cable Luv Customer Service! In order to provide further assistance, this phone call may be monitored. If you have a question about your billing, press one. If you have a question about service, press two. If you are experiencing equipment issues, press three. If you’d like to speak to a customer service representative, please stay on the line. You have pressed two, service. If you’re having trouble with your TV reception, press one. If you’re having issues with your internet service, press two. If you’re becoming frustrated, press three. You have selected trouble with your TV reception. If you’re experiencing loss of signal, press one. If you’re wondering why half the channels cut out on the TV upstairs, press two. If you’re wondering why we can get away with highway robbery, press three. You have pressed two, loss of channels on the upstairs TV. Is this TV connected to a cable box? Press one. If this TV used to be connected to a cable box, then in a moment of anger, you jerked the box off the table and urinated on it, press two. If you miss the days when a pair of bunny ears was all you needed, press three. Hodor? Press hodor. You have pressed one, a cable box connected to a TV. Before we begin to analyze what might be wrong with your reception, let’s go over some troubleshooting basics. Is this cable box plugged into the wall? Press one for yes, two for
no. Have you connected the cable to the box? Press one for yes, two for no. Have you sacrificed a goat to appease Cthulhu? Press one for yes, two for no. Have you worn a fancy headdress and preformed an
incantation? Press one for yes, two for no. You have indicated that you have preformed none of this troubleshooting acts. Therefore, a Cable Luv technician will be com-
ing to your home to preform corrective services. You will need to be available at your home from tomorrow through Christmas, between three in the afternoon, to four o’clock at night. Though it is
not required, if at all possible, we advise having a bucket full of the tears of the innocent standing by for the technician. You will receive two follow up phone calls, one to let you know when the technician is on their way, then another to inquire on how the technician preformed after the service call. Thank you for calling Cable Luv, the company that cares! The morning of the service call. Hello! This is a phone call from Cable Luv to inform you that a Cable Luv service technician is on their way to your home today. Please make sure you follow all the steps in getting your equipment ready for service, replace all toilet paper rolls in the house with fresh ones, and Febreeze the hell out of everything. Thank you! The day after the service call. Hello! This is a follow up phone call from Cable Luv, we’d like you to participate in a short survey about the satisfaction you have towards the recent service call that took place at your home. Please press one or yes, or two for no, after each question. Did the Cable Luv service technician arrived within the appointed time? Did the Cable Luv technician explain the problem to you in an understandable and concise manner? Did the Cable Luv technician end the service call by preforming an erotic dance to “Private Dancer” by Tina Turner? This ends the survey, thank you for being a Cable Luv customer! See you next week.
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The Shocking Truth About Being Alone With Your Own Thoughts Sherrie Bourg Carter, writing in the January 31, 2012 edition of Psychology Today, lists six reasons why you should spend more time by yourself. Solitude, she says, is good for the soul, especially in the mobile technology world in which we live. You should seek out and welcome solitude to “reboot” and “unwind,” to improve your concentration, to find “an opportunity to discover yourself and find your own voice,” to give you time to “think deeply,” to help “you work through problems more effectively,” and to “enhance the quality of your relationships with others.” Or, you can use your solitude to administer electric shocks to yourself. Continue reading, if you dare. It seems the problem with heeding the above advice is that most people are not at all comfortable with themselves. Especially if they have to make do with the thoughts inside their heads. A shocking (pun intended, as you will see below) new study by a team of University of Virginia psychologists, and published in the July 4, 2014 edition of Science, finds that many people will choose to administer electric shocks to themselves rather than facing the terrifying thought of being confronted by the thoughts inside their heads. Fariss Samarrai, reporting in the current (as of this writing, that is) online edition of UVAToday, summarizes a provocative series of studies conducted by Dr. Timothy Wilson and his associates, which included psychologists at Harvard as well as the University of Virginia. These studies found that “participants from a range of ages generally did not enjoy spending even brief periods of time alone in a room with nothing to do but think, ponder or daydream.” Further, some participants “even preferred to give themselves mild electric shocks than to think.” This has eerie parallels to the very famous 1963 study conducted by Stanley
Milgram at Yale University where subjects in a study were more than willing to shock their fellow participants. Now, of course, the participants are turning the electricity up on themselves. I guess this speaks volumes about the cultural changes that have taken place in the past fifty years. If you think that Dr. Wilson and associates left their subjects alone with their thoughts for long periods of time, think again. Try six to fifteen minutes! According to Samarrai, “the first studies involved college student participants, most of whom reported that this ‘thinking period’ wasn’t very enjoyable and that it was hard to concentrate.” But when the age range was changed to incorporate subjects from eighteen to seventy-seven, “essentially the same results” were obtained. So, people from all age groups don’t like to be alone with just their heads for very long. When the subjects were asked to concentrate on their own thoughts
while engaging in an external activity like listening to music (but not communicating with any other people), they seemed to fare much better. But, wait, the study didn’t stop there. The really interesting— and very scary—part came when participants were asked if they would “rather do an unpleasant activity than no activity at all” while contemplating their own thoughts. The resounding answer was “Yes,” even before they found out what the unpleasant activity would be. When it turned out the activity involved administering a mild electric shock to themselves, the stage was set for some provocative (and shocking) results. Interestingly enough, twelve out of eighteen men who participated in this phase of the study “gave themselves at least one electric shock” during the fifteen-minutes where deep thinking was supposed to take place, while only six of twenty-four females gave
themselves the juice during the same period. The study concludes with the observation that “What is striking is that simply being alone with their own thoughts for 15 minutes was apparently so aversive that it drove many participants to self-administer an electric shock that they had earlier said they would pay to avoid.” Further, the researchers speculated that because we evolved as social creatures who are dependent on safety in numbers, we would rather be shocked by external stimuli than to be confronted by the contents of our own minds. This may explain the lure of social media, among other things, although avoiding our own selves is a very old phenomenon that predates modern technology. As the controversial conceptual artist Jenny Holzer observes, “Being alone with yourself is increasingly unpopular.” In a world where ceaseless updating of social media profiles has become an obsession,
having to deal with your own thoughts is nightmarish indeed. As much as we like to think of ourselves as free and independent individuals, we really don’t prefer our own company until who we are or might be is enhanced by the presence, real or virtual, of others. My theory is that we find others more comforting than ourselves because we can never peer into the private thoughts of others but can only see what they want to project to us—which can be just as fake and deceiving faceto-face as it can on Facebook. It is not as easy to suppress our own interior thoughts, however. Social media is therefore our escape from self—hence the name “social media.” That’s why the term “selfie” is so misleading. When we take a picture of ourselves, we don’t do it for our benefit but rather for the approval and validation of others. After learning about Wilson’s experiments, I can better understand the allure of meditation. Generally, we are asked during a meditation session (or even during hypnosis) to leave our conscious mind behind and enter into a mental state that transcends listening to our own inner voices. Meditation is thus a form of selfescape and a way to avoid being alone with our thoughts. And maybe this also explains why I keep coming back to this column week after week, year after year. Could it be that writing this column is a way of banishing my inner thoughts by transferring them to the pages of this publication where you can deal with them rather than me? Pretty clever isn’t it? So, I guess we could say writing this column is a therapeutic experience for me. What it does for you I’d rather not speculate. So, until next week I will leave you with your thoughts. Don’t panic—I’m sure there’s an electric shock waiting for you somewhere.
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