Page 2, The Loafer • April 1, 2014
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April 1, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 28 Issue #17
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, Lisa Lyons, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette, Pat Bussard 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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Lights, Cameras, Fashion! The Junior League of Johnson City is pleased to announce the second annual Cocktails and Catwalks – a fun-filled night at Belk at the Mall at Johnson City featuring the latest spring fash-
ions on the red carpet runway, heavy hors d’oeuvres provided by Café Lola, wine and drinks provided by One Stop Wine and Spirits and awesome items to win in the silent auction! Funds from this private
event, hosted by Amy Lynn of Daytime Tri-Cities, will benefit planned renovations and enhancements to the Youth Services Department at the Johnson City Public Library. Cocktails & Catwalks will take
place on Sunday, April 6, 2014 from 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at Belk in the Mall at Johnson City. Tickets are $35 each in advance and $40 at the door. Tickets include: one cocktail, heavy hors d’oeuvres, special offers from Belk and a gift bag full of goodies to take home. “We are appreciative of the opportunity to again partner with Belk to host this exciting event and raise funds for the Johnson City Public Library project. The Junior League of Johnson City is committed to and passionate about promoting literacy in our community, through its partnership with the JCPL” said Fund Development Director Jennifer Boggs. With over 60 years of service to Johnson City and surrounding communities, the Junior League is a nonprofit organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of
women and improving the community through the action of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Fundraisers like Cocktails & Catwalks, selling of the league-produced cookbooks Treasures of the Smokies and Smoky Mountain Magic, and the financial support of members, allow the League to fund and provide service to various community projects focused on literacy. Purchase your ticket to Cocktails & Catwalks online at www.juniorleagueofjc.com. For more information call 423.282.6998 or email info@juniorleagueofjc.com.
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The Fantasticks Saturday, April 5th at NPAC
Through the creative genius of Director Carl Beck, Costume Designer Georgiann Regan and Scenic Designer Jim Othuse, comes a steampunk-inspired adaptation of this classic musical which promises to provide an unparalleled experience, whether you are revisiting this show, or seeing it for the first time. The Fantasticks is the world’s longest-running production of any kind, and with good reason: at the heart of its breathtaking poetry and subtle theatrical sophistication is a purity and simplicity that transcends cultural barriers. The result is a timeless fable of love that manages to be nostalgic and universal at the same time. It is a moving tale of young lovers who become disillusioned, only to discover a more mature, meaningful love.
Of the steampunk concept, Beck said “It’s not an intrusive concept. It seems like the allegoric-quality can blend with the fantasy, giving it a quasi-period feel and making for a stronger statement than The Fantasticks usually gets.” He added that the story is not being re-written or changed in any way. Outside of the costumes, set and props, this show is, in its entirety, the original. Punctuated by a bountiful series of catchy, memorable songs such as “Try to Remember” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain”, audiences will find themselves humming along. “It’s classical simplicity. It’s not a contemporary character tale. It’s about a boy who is overly in love with a girl. Their fathers are trying to keep them together by pulling them apart,”
Beck said. “Steampunk seems to lend itself to this story by finding beauty among the broken pieces.” Steampunk is a genre which came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s and incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction. It involves a setting where steam power is widely used - whether in an alternate history such as Victorian era Britain or “Wild West” era United States, or in a post-apocalyptic time - that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural
style, and art. This technology includes such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or the contemporary authors Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld and China Mieville. Other examples of steampunk contain alternative history-style presentations of such technology as lighter-than-air airships, analog computers, or
such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace’s Analytical Engine. Steampunk also refers to art, fashion, and design that are informed by the aesthetics of Steampunk literature. The Fantasticks will be performed at Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in historic downtown Greeneville, TN on Saturday, April 5th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 for orchestra and mezzanine level seating and $20 for balcony seats. Tickets may be purchased online at www.npacgreeneville.com, in person at the NPAC box office, or by calling 423-638-1679. 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.
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The Sleeping Beauty Returns to Eastman’s Toy F. Reid Kingsport Ballet Stages Popular Classic in April
Tickets are on sale through Kingsport Ballet’s website and Facebook page for The Sleeping Beauty 2014. The Company prepares to stage The Sleeping Beauty a second consecutive year as is their custom with their full-length classics. Last spring the Company’s staging of this classic enjoyed record high audiences from around the region. Staging a story ballet such as The Sleeping Beauty is a coordinated effort of all the artistic, marketing, fundraising, and production systems of a ballet company. Sponsors must be secured well in advance, and partnerships forged on many fronts. Scores of volunteers, paid staff and contract personnel coordinate their efforts to make a production such as this one possible. In this production, young professional members of PEAK, a local organization promoting the involvement of young business professionals in the community, will be assisting in the staging of The Sleeping Beauty as stage hands and ushers. Preparing the hundreds of costumes required, most of them handmade, takes months of work for
many diligent hands. Setting choreography and rehearsing the cast of over 50 dancers often takes place over many months. “Staging a beautiful ballet like this one in a professional manner takes a lot of work,” says artistic director Valeria Sin-
yavskaya, “So we like for that effort to last for a couple of years,” she explains. “If we could, we would perform this work for several weeks rather than one weekend, but that is just not possible.” For one, the cost would be prohibitive. It takes about $30,000 to stage one production of The Sleeping Beauty for one weekend. That includes the hiring of six professional guest artists from major companies in the U.S. and sometimes abroad. The Sleeping Beauty was the first ballet to be staged by artistic director, Valeria Sinyavskaya, shortly after taking her post with Kingsport Ballet in 2002. Ms Sinyavskaya has an illustrious history as prima ballerina with Novosibirsk Ballet and Opera in Russia. She has comprehensive teaching and directing experience from around the world. Ms Sinyavskaya came to East Tennessee from her position as master teacher with the International Ballet School in Tokyo. While there, she also staged The Sleeping Beauty, blending the work of professional performers and students from the school.
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The ballet is beautiful to look at and features Peter Tchaikovsky’s much-loved score. The choreography is set by Ms. Sinyavskaya after the traditional staging of Marius Petipa’s work. Audiences of all ages can delight in the well-loved story, the recognizable characters, and the colorful staging. This year’s principal dancer performing the role of Aurora is new to Kingsport Ballet and promises to leave a memorable impression. Julia Ponomareva, who trained at the Rudolf Nureyev Academy in Ufa, is a principal dancer with Dance Alive National Ballet. Dancing the role of Prince Desire, Ramil Bagmanov is also from the Rudolf Nureyev Academy, and often partners Ms. Ponomareva in Dance Alive productions. Alexsey Kuznetsov, also a principal with Dance Alive and husband of Ms. Ponomareva’s, performed in Kingsport Ballet’s production last spring as the Wolf and Cavalier, will join the roster of guest artists this April. Sasha Vykhrest and Tommy Benton from Columbia Classical Ballet and frequent, well-loved guests with Kingsport Ballet, will also join the cast. Vadim Burciu, repeat guest artist with the company, and now also on Kingsport Ballet’s teaching faculty, will round out the group of professionals taking the stage with the Kingsport Ballet cast. Tickets are available through Kingsport Ballet’s Facebook page, through their website: www.kingsportballet.org, or by calling their box office: 423/378-3967.
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Kingsport Ballet is funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission, under an agreement with the National Endowment for the Arts and the General Assembly. Outreach programs are funded by the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Funds for At Risk Youth, the Kingsport Community Foundation, the City of Kingsport, the Junior League of Kingsport, HEAL Appalachia, Holston Medical Group, among others (please see our website home page for a full listing of our sponsors)
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Northeast State Theatre stages The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe The Northeast State Theatre Department will take audiences through an old coat closet into the strange nature-world of Narnia with its spring production of the C.S. Lewis classic: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The production will recreate the magic and mystery of Aslan, the great lion, his struggle with the White Witch, and the adventures of four children who inadvertently wander from an old wardrobe into the never-to-be-forgotten land of Narnia. The story is one of love, faith, courage, giving, and the triumph of good over evil. “Our goal is to create a totally original production of the play,” said Brad McKenzie, technical director. “Since nature plays such a large role, we’ve taken an organic bent and tried to incorporate wood and other elements of nature to help tell the story. It won’t be childish, but it will maintain the child-like wonder that’s inherent in the original story.” The action features chases, duels, and escapes as the witch is determined to keep Narnia in her possession and to end the reign
of Aslan. All the memorable episodes from the story will unfold: the temptation of Edmund by the witch, the slaying of the evil wolf by Peter, the witnessing of Aslan’s resurrection by Susan and Lucy, and the crowning of the four new rulers of Narnia. The set will feature two, 13-foot tall arches and four large panels of material that will use multiple arrangements and lighting to adapt to various settings. McKenzie said stage hands dressed as wood nymphs will set the stage as needed and then fade back into nature. A unique aspect of the production will be sound, which will be created solely by the actors or crew members - and require deft timing. “We think it ideas like this will make the production unique and be something that no one’s seen before,” McKenzie said. “We know we have a challenge presenting this story because it’s wellknown, so we’re looking to stray from convention.” The set is totally designed by students and all the actors are Northeast State students, McKenzie said. He said there are eight
student-designers and 20-25 cast members. The play was dramatized for the stage by Joseph Robinette from the story by C.S. Lewis. The novel was the first installment of Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series. First published in 1950, it has long been a youth-fiction staple. Time magazine placed the book on its 2005 list of the 100 best Englishlanguage novels. The play is being brought to the Northeast State stage courtesy of Dramatic Publishing. The play is being directed by Northeast
State’s own Elizabeth M. Sloan, theatre department chair. The show will be presented at the Wellmont Regional Center for the Performing Arts on two successive weekends of April 3-6 and April 10-13. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., April 3-5 and April 10-12. Matinee performances begin at 2 p.m., April 6 and 13. Tickets are $10 general admission with senior and students priced at $8. Tickets for children under 12 are $6. Performances are free to current Northeast State students, but they must pick up tick-
ets at the box office. Tickets can be purchased online at www.NortheastState.edu or at the theatre box office one hour prior to the show. The house opens 30 minutes before show time. The performing arts center is located at 2425 Highway 75, adjacent to the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. For more information, contact Northeast State Theatre at 423.354.2479 or e-mail emsloan@ NortheastState.edu.
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Dangermuffin to play at The Willow Tree!
The Willow Tree Coffeehouse and Music Room is very proud to announce that Dangermuffin will be appearing on their stage Thursday April 3 at 8 pm. Cost is $10. Dangermuffin is an Organic, sand-blasted roots rock, with a sweet jam spread from Folly Beach, SC. One their 2010 release Moonscapes, the Folly Beach, S.C.-based trio sang about home. Even they couldn’t have expected the extent of that para-
dox — the album grew the band into a traveling national act, with songs on both SiriusXM’s Jam_On and Outlaw Country stations and slots at major festivals across the country. With their brand new follow up, Olly Oxen Free, Dangermuffin have returned home. No longer easily dubbed an Americana or rootsrock band, the group’s sound encompasses ska, calypso, and even Southern rock, often within
the same song. Like the cry bellowed during a children’s game of hide-and-seek, Olly Oxen Free signals that it’s safe to come out from our hiding spots, gather back together, and celebrate late into the evening. Dangermuffin is more ready than ever to provide the soundtrack. “Don’t let the name fool youDangermuffin is not another run-of-the-mill, directionless jamband. Rather, it’s a trio with immense talent and potential that has gifted songwriting and playing abilities in spades. Just like many a funny named band before them- Phish, The String Cheese Incident and Umphrey’s McGee come to mind- Dangermuffin is likely to become synonymous with those fans who love bands that deliver something new and promising each show.” – Josh Baron, Relix Magazine, Editor-in-Chief
Arts Array presents “Philomena” All films are presented at the Abingdon Cinemall on Mondays and Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and again at 7:30 pm.
Philomena (April 7 and 8)
Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, the film focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock - something her Irish-Catholic community didn’t have the highest opinion of - and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn’t allow for any sort of inquiry into the son’s whereabouts. The Arts Array Film Series is part of the comprehensive cultural outreach program of Virginia Highlands Community College. The series is co-sponsored by the Abingdon Cinemall, the Southwest Virginia Higher Education
Center, Emory& Henry College, Virginia Intermont College, and King University. Admission is free for the faculties and students at the supporting institutions. Members of the community may attend for $7.75. For more information, contact Tommy Bryant at 276-739-2451 or email him at tbryant@vhcc.edu.
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Charles Vess at Book Signing this Saturday
Award-winning illustrator Charles Vess will be at a book signing at Bristol, Virginia’s Books-aMillion store on Saturday, April 5, 2-4 pm. The public is invited and the event is free. The store will have on hand copies of his latest noteable books Seven Wild Sisters and The Cats of Tanglewood Forest. Vess has also illustrated many others known to audiences young and old, including Stardust, Sandman, Rose, Blueberry Girl and Instructions. A retrospective art book of Vess’ 35-year career, Drawing Down the Moon, will also be available. BaM employee Matthew Byrd was instrumental in arranging the special event. “I am ecstatic about this,” he said. “No one of this stature has signed here before.” He had heard that Vess lived in the area and shopped there (at
BaM) but he had never met him. “It was a joke the others played on me – like Santa Claus. ‘Haven’t you met him?’ they would tease me after Charles had been in. I was pretty sure it was an urban legend.” After finally meeting him this past winter and talking with the manager, the three arranged the signing with the launch of the latest book. Vess is also happy with the arrangement. “I am proud this store has taken the steps to host a local book signing outside of normal corporate operations. It says a lot about the American independent spirit – and the marketing power of local initiatives.” Books-a-Million is located north off of exit 7 of Interstate 81 at the Highland Center. Call 276-6692115 for more information.
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“Bowls” opens at Johnson City Area Arts Council
The Johnson City Area Arts Council welcomes all to the art opening and reception of “Bowls,” an exhibition of ceramic vessels by Don Davis on First Friday, April 4th from 6 to 8 p.m. The artist shares, “My ongoing dedication to clay work is due to an enduring love for the ma-
terial and the processes of forming and firing it. I cannot think of anything better to do…” Davis’ love of clay and the expertise he has cultivated is appreciated around the globe. His work is included in collections at The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC, The International Museum of Ceramics in Alfred, NY, and Shirikawa Public Hall, Japan. Teaching workshops conducted include La Meridiana, Tuscany, Italy, Atelier Cirkel, Brasschaat, Belgium, University of S.C, The Virginia Museum School, and others. He was awarded an invitational artist’s residency for the month of July 2005 at Studio Art Centers International, Florence Italy and another at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in 2007. As the son of a Naval Officer, Don’s childhood was spent
in various locations including Florida, Italy, California, and Hawaii. Graduate Studies in Ceramics were accomplished at Rhode Island School of Design where he received his MFA in 1974. Most of his career (19772001) has been as a full time studio potter working in Asheville, NC. In 1994, he was hired as the initial director of Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts in Asheville, NC. He authored Wheel Thrown Ceramics that was published in 1998. Currently, Davis is a Professor in the ETSU Department of Art & Design and lives in Johnson City, TN with his family. Ancient kilns and ceramic culture are a major area of interest for Davis initiating research in Crete, France, Belgium and Italy. He constructed a scale model of the Etruscan kiln excavated at Cetamura del Chianti for the exhibition “The Sanctuary of the Etruscan Artisans at Cetamura del Chianti” at Museo Casa Masaccio, San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy, 2009. In the summer of 2010, Don and crew designed
and constructed the ‘Nuovo Forno Etrusco’, a full-scale kiln at Castello Spannocchia, Italy based on the ancient Etruscan kiln model. He conducts a course at Castello di Spannocchia near Siena, Italy every summer where he continues to fire the ‘Nuovo Forno Etrusco’ and maintains a studio next to his house in Johnson City, Tennessee. All are invited to experience Davis’ work at the opening reception on April 4th or during open gallery hours through April 28th. The Johnson City Area Arts Council gallery is located at 300 East Main Street in downtown Johnson City is also regularly open from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. The Johnson City Area Arts Council is a designated local arts agency supported in part by grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and others, and contributions by members and businesses. For more information about this organization or scheduled events, please call 423-928-8229 or visit www.arts.org.
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Bone Fire Smokehouse presents
New Country Rehab
Photo by David Leyes
Abingdon, Va continues to emerge as one of the most exciting music destinations in the region. In continuing its history of showcasing emerging talent, Bone Fire Smokehouse will present a rare Sunday night show with the Canadian alternative roots country sensations, New Country Rehab on Sunday, April 6th. New Country Rehab cuts through the clutter of watered-down musical imitations with a modern, high-voltage, alt-country sound. Combining sharp innovation and a deep respect and knowledge of timeless musical themes and motifs, New Country Rehab’s powerful music is full of love, loss, longing and joy. They are “more Arcade Fire than Lady Antebellum…like Canada’s answer to the Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons” Nigel Williamson, UNCUT ( Jan. 2012) Spearheaded by lead singer and fiddle player John Showman joined by Anthony da Costa on guitar, Ben Whiteley on double bass and Roman Tomé on drums and backing vocals, the Toronto based collective is ”poised to be the next big thing in Canadian music” Tom Power, CBC Radio. Growing audi-
ences in Canada, the U.S. And Europe are responding to New Country Rehab’s infectious love and enthusiasm for the music they are playing. The band make it, ”super accessible, not only to fans of roots/folk/country, but even to the broader, less country inclined audience” (Josef Jensen, Indie Artist Podcast) This artistic vision and original writing has earned the respect of many critics, ”a debut that demonstrates class” (Rootstime.be) and welcome receptions of audiences, ”…even with the deep pool of technical talent here, the focus is on maintaining a mood over all else”(torontoist.com). Maverick magazine’s Russell Hill describes the band’s sound as ”Successfully merging the old and new in a rambunctious way”and describes the band as having”their feet planted firmly on the ground, this Canadian band has the right intentions and there is to be no stopping them.” (March 2012) Their 2011 debut, self-titled Showtime is 8pm and all shows at Bone Fire are always free. You can find the Smokehouse at 260 West Main St. in historic Abingdon, Va.
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Abingdon Block Party!
April 1, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 13 This is not your neighborhood block party. This party is all about quilt blocks, a real celebration of the art of quilting and it’s happening all over town. On April 8th-13th, 2014, thirty-seven businesses, including retailers, restaurants and art venues, will display new and antique quilts and other “quilt-y” things during the second annual Abingdon Block Party. Special exhibits will be on display, including the Southwest Virginia 4-H Center’s Barn Quilt Square Project at the Fields-Penn House Museum and Light’s at Stone Mill. The Historical Society of Washington County will show antique quilts that have just returned from the Virginia Historical Society. “Retirement” at Abingdon Muster Grounds will feature historic quilts and
woven coverlets and displays at Holston Mountain Artisans will include “Hadassah”, an award winning quilt by local quilter, Audra Rasnake. This year’s signature quilt block was created by Mona Fleenor Doss who originated the idea for the Block Party as a way to share the love of quilts and the heritage of quilting in this region. Copies of Mona’s block will be on display at each of the participating venues. Each venue will have maps available
to guide visitors to each display and special event exhibits. Block Party sponsors are Abingdon Olive Oil Company, Jeannine’s Fabrics and Quilt Shop, A Likely Yarn, Arts Depot, Holston Mountain Artisans, Abingdon Main Street and Visit Abingdon. For more information about this event, visit www.AbingdonBlockParty.com, www.facebook. com/BlockPartyAbingdonVA or contact the coordinating venue, Holston Mountain Artisans, at 276.628.7721.
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Enjoy Sunset Shopping in Downtown Bristol VA/TN! Believe in Bristol has been hard at work finding new ways to help grow business in Historic Downtown Bristol! In partnership with a group from the LEAD Bristol class of 2014, Believe in Bristol is working with our downtown retailers to extend their shopping hours once a week. Called Sunset Shopping Downtown, this initiative will kick off on Thursday, April 3rd and run every Thursday night from 5:00 – 8:00 pm until October 2, 2014! The purpose of this is to give customers and visitors extended hours to shop in our unique downtown. Participating retailers include 606 State Street Gallery, Benjamin Walls Gallery, blowfish emporium, Cranberry Lane, LC King/ Pointer Brand, Misty Mountain Designs, Mountain Empire Comics, One of a Kind Gallery, Pen’s Floral, Phyl’s of Bristol, Pretty Girl Station, Serendipity, Shoozies, and Studio 6 Apparel. Get your Sunset Shopping Downtown restaurant rewards card at participating restaurants as a thank you for shopping local. An array of various discounts from our very own 620 State Street, Blackbird Bakery, Burger Bar, KP, Little Italy, Macado’s, and Machiavelli’s. For the big kick-off on Thursday, April 3, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., we will be giving a free Sunset Shopping Downtown large shopping bag to the first 50 retail customers with a valid receipt as a thank you from us! “We hope this is a start to continued late night shopping downtown and our community supporting local retailers every week. The overall goal of Sunset Shopping Downtown is to crosspromote between our restaurants and our retail businesses,” stated Christina Blevins, Executive Director Believe in Bristol. For more information, please visit www.believeinbristol.org or contact Believe in Bristol at 276644-9700, info@believeinbristol. org.
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REGISTER FOR CHANCE TO WIN ROADRUNNER MARKETS
STREET FIGHTS SEASON PASS & LIMITED-EDITION T-SHIRT Fans may enter weekly drawing now through April 25 on Bristol Dragway website As Bristol Dragway officials gear up for the start of Roadrunner Market Street Fights, fans of the series are encouraged to sign-up for their chance to win free spectator entry to Street Fights for the 2014 season. Each Friday through April 25, officials select one lucky registrant from www.bristoldragway.com/roadrunner to receive a limited-edition t-shirt and spectator season ticket to Street Fights. Additionally, all registrants are signed-up to receive the latest information on Street Fights and may opt-in to the Roadrunner Markets text club to receive great in-store specials and free
merchandise. The 2014 season of Street Fights kicks-off Saturday, March 29 with gates opening at Noon and racing slated to begin at 1 p.m. Spectator admission is $5, $10 for racers and $15 for trailered cars. For the complete 2014 schedule including information on Roadrunner Markets promotional nights and more information on Street Fights, click here or call (855) 580-5525. For more information on Roadrunner Markets and their text club, visit www.roadrunnermarkets.com.
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Time to Get Your “Mars” On! Every two years Mars and Earth are closest to each other…and that time is now to get your “Red Planet” on! With the closest approach on April 8th, what astronomers call an “opposition” will put the two worlds about 57 million miles away from each other. That’s close enough to see Martian surface markings, including a white polar cap, with even the cheapest backyard telescope. This opposition of 2014 places red Mars spectacularly near the blue-white star Spica in Virgo the Virgin. The celestial pair clears the horizon at around 9 pm, and keeps rising higher as the hours pass. For those early risers, the Red Planet and 1st magnitude Spica are directly south at 4 am. Farther to the left, or east, is yellowish planet Saturn in the claws of Scorpius the Scorpion.
But for the next two months, Mars will put on quite a show as it brightens to magnitude minus -1.5 magnitude and becomes as garnet red. As the distances between Earth and Mars change, the fourth planet begins to dim, and by the hot days of August it will be three times less bright than it is today— and 130 million miles from Earth. The celestial motion is something to see as Mars appears to go backward, or westward, as the Earth passes it. This retrograde motion of Mars has been observed by all ancient stargazers of antiquity. Every two years, this red star makes a big loop in the sky at opposition. The effect is cause by Earth catching up with Mars, passing it, and then leaving it behind—like a car on the interstate passing another and leaving it the rearview mirror. Mars spends two months in each
of the 12 official constellations of the Zodiac (including a few weeks in non-zodiac star pattern Ophiuchus, between Scorpius and Sagittarius). And because of its slightly eccentric orbit, each Mars-Earth opposition has different distances at closest encounter. This 2014 is not a real close one, and a far cry from the closest in 2004 at 35 million miles. Mars has loomed large in the mind of man when these oppositions occur. H.G. Wells was inspired by the 300 years of telescopic observations of Mars to write the 1898 science fiction classic “War of the Worlds.” The 1877 opposition brought the so called discovery of canals on Mars when Giovanni Schiaparelli recorded drawings after seeing thin “channels” connecting the dark markings. The mystery of Mars was heightened by the 15 years of in-
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tense observations of oppositions by Bostonian aristocrat Percival Lowell. After building a well equipped observatory being his name in Flagstaff, Arizona, Lowell popularized the idea of living Martians more than anybody. He published his views in three books: Mars (1895), Mars and Its Canals (1906), and Mars As the Abode of Life (1908). These were best sellers of the times, and sparked the imagination of people everywhere— with Martians eventually becoming a popular theme in the science fiction genre. Lowell joined in literary notoriety
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his sister, poet Amy Lowell. The thought of canals and real, live Martians was held among the human psyche until the historic 22-photos from NASA’s Mariner IV spacecraft in July 1965. Those historic 22 images showed craters instead of canals, and the scientific instruments revealed a very thin atmosphere with a surface climate more like Antarctica than the Americas. But later unmanned missions to Mars showed a bizarre world with gigantic, dormant volcanoes, a craggy, 2,000-mile-long canyon, changing polar caps and lots of
frozen water beneath a surface that has lots of evidence for dried up lakes and riverbeds. Today, NASA has two orbiters and two rovers exploring Mars. Europe Space Agency has one long-lived orbiter. For more than 10 years, man has had a close up view of Mars, and there have been six successful surface robots that have touch the dust and rocks. But before the Space Age, Mars was a mystery to behold only in earthbound telescopes. And it was during the every two year oppositions that the most powerful telescopes were turned toward its red sphere, recording every detail of the only planetary surface visible from Earth. The most elaborate photographic techniques were mustered over the decades to record the elusive details of the Martian surface, and those images teased our minds even more about the possibility of live things on Mars. And though six American landings of robots on Mars have found no fossils of animal or plant life, there is plenty of evidence that everything was once perfect to support living organisms several bil-
lion years ago. There is a good possibility that underground, living Martian creatures may be thriving at this moment. Safe from the harsh ultraviolet radiation of the Sun, there has to be caves and dormant lava tubes that could support the kind of life we find deep inside Earth. Something to think about… When looking up at Mars these Spring nights, imagine that there
were Martians three billion years ago looking back at Earth—devoid at the time of humans. What was it like when those titanic volcanoes were belching fire and liquid rock? How long did the obvious lakes and rivers cover the globe? Questions, questions, and more questions… And given time and curiosity, mankind will find the answers.
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Skies This Week Celestial events in the skies for the week of April 1st - 7th, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette.
Astronomical hi-jinks on April Fool’s Day are no stranger to the nerdy science think-tanks in science history. Some of the pranks over the years include the revelation that the two moons of Mars are actually Martian satellites; life discovered on Jupiter; Google accepting applications for a new research center on the Moon; the Space Shuttle accidentally landing in San Diego; and astronomical papers shuffled amongst the academia, like new discovery of “bigon” particles—just to keep their brethren on their toes. Watch out for Twitters of alien invasions and Facebook posts of messages from Little Green Men. And as always, trust none of what you see or hear without giving it a serious once over!
Tues. April 1
NASA has the Lunar Recognizance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) in operation sending back data about our closest celestial neighbor.
Fri. April 4
On this 1930 date in space history the American Interplanetary Society was formed by three science fiction writers. Four years later, renamed the American Rocket Society, it was pioneering liquid fueled rocket tests, and gaining popularity among those followers of rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. By 1959, there were 21,000 members, all eager to see mankind reach for the stars.
Sat. April 5
On this 1991 date in space history, Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched with one of NASA’s great space observatories, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The 18-ton satellite with four telescopes made discoveries for nine years before being de-orbited in June 2000.
The Marquette Meteor Shower will begin shortly after dark and rain hundreds of meteors a minute--NOT! Actually, the crescent Moon makes its reappearance in our evening skies, drawing all eyes skyward. Sun. April 6 Wed. April 2 On this 1965 date in space history, On this 1845 date in space history, the first communications satellite the first photograph of the Sun was launched. Intelsat 1 was nickwas taken by two French physi- named “Early Bird,” and sent the cists. Today, several websites pro- first live images between America vide a live, 24/7 look at our most and England from its geosynchronous orbit, 22, 500 miles high. important star.
Thurs. April 3
The crescent Moon is in Taurus the Bull, between the Pleiades in its shoulder and its red “eye,” star Aldebaran. On this 1966 date in space history, the Soviet Union’s Luna 10 became the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon. Today
Mon. April 7
The Moon is at First Quarter today, below the planet Jupiter and above the bright star Procyon. The waxing Moon is moving into Cancer from the three days it has spent in Gemini.
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JCSO ends season with
John Pizzarelli
The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra ends its 2013-2014 season April 5 with its Mary B. Martin Memorial Concert. This year, John Pizzarelli, the worldrenowned jazz guitarist and singer, joins Music Director and Conductor Robert J. Seebacher and the orchestra at this annual tribute sponsored by James Martin.
John Pizzarelli was called “Hip with a wink” by Town & Country, “madly creative” by the Los Angeles Times and “the genial genius of the guitar” by The Toronto Star. After his recent smash success with the Boston Pops, he was hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” The Seattle Times called him “a tour de force” and “a rare entertainer of the old school.” Using performers like Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Joao Gilberto and the songs of composers from Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, James Taylor, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Lennon & McCartney as touchstones, John Pizzarelli has established himself as one of the prime interpreters of the Great American Songbook and be-
yond, bringing to his work the cool jazz flavor of his brilliant guitar playing and singing. For Pizzarelli though, his hero and foundation was Nat “King” Cole. “I’ve always said in my concerts that Nat ‘King’ Cole is why I do what I do.” But Pizzarelli adds, “We aren’t trying to copy him. His sound was singular and inspired.” In fact, Pizzarelli devoted his RCA albums Dear Mr. Cole and P.S. Mr. Cole to music made famous by the beloved song stylist. Pizzarelli’s catalog of albums also includes a touching cycle of torch ballads (After Hours) and a collection of classic swing and bold originals (Our Love is Here to Stay). On one of his last projects for RCA, John Pizzarelli Meets the Beatles, he brought classic Beatles songs into the worlds of swing and smoky balladry.
Pizzarelli signed with the GRAMMY® Award winning label Telarc International in 1999 recording a string of successful CDs starting with Kisses In The Rain, a diverse set of standards and original tunes that showcases the spontaneity of his live performances within a studio setting. His 2008 recording, the GRAMMY® Award nominated With A Song In My Heart, celebrates the music of legendary composer Richard Rodgers. Pizzarelli’s latest album, Double Exposure, focuses on two distinct styles to make a single fine recording. Double Exposure is a collection of tunes by some of the great pop songwriters of his own generation that are framed squarely within traditional jazz arrangements. Pizzarelli appears on several tracks on Paul McCartney’s 2012 album, Kisses on the Bottom. In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, John has been a special guest on recordings for many major pop names. He is a veteran radio personality and
has performed on the country’s most popular national television shows. Pizzarelli received the 2009 Ella Fitzgerald Award from the Montreal International Jazz Festival, joining a select group of past winners including Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, and Harry Connick, Jr. The April 5 concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium of Seeger Chapel at Milligan College. Individual concert tickets are $35, $30 for seniors (65+), and $10 for students. More information is available online at www.jcsymphony. com or by calling the symphony office at 423-926-8742. The symphony accepts Master Card, Visa, and Discover. Free bus service is available from Colonial Hill, leaving at 6:15 p.m.; Maplecrest and Appalachian Christian Village, at 6:30; and City Hall, at 6:45 p.m. Concerts are partially funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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“Divergent” As the new film “Divergent” is playing on theater screens across the country, actor Theo James is being hailed as the new James Dean, the new Montgomery Cliff, or the new Paul Newman. How about a mixture of all three? James stars with Shailene Woodley (“The Decendants”) in the science fiction/ action film based on the novel of the same name by Veronica Roth. The story is set in post-apocalyptic Chicago in an unnamed year, and while the city’s skyscrapers are still standing, some of the buildings have damage and the city is rough in appearance. In this civilization of the future, people are divided into five distinct factions: Abnegation (selfless), Amity (kind), Candor (honest), Erudite (intellegent) and Dauntless (brave), based on their personalities. The main character of Beatrice (Woodley) undergoes an examination to determine her “type”, and during the process her tester discovers she is Divergent, meaning she fits into more than one faction, making her an outcast in this world of order. Beatrice is told to hide her true self, and pick one of the factions, less she be banned from society or even killed. During the ceremony to pick her faction, she chooses to be part of Dauntless, even though her parents are of another faction. While she is in training with the Dauntless faction, she meets one of the instructors, Four (James), who takes the struggling Beatrice under his wings. Soon she changes her name to Tris (I don’t blame her), and discovers a conspiracy by faction leader Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet)to destroy all Divergents. During the course of the story, Tris discovers her
mother, played by Ashely Judd, is not what she has seemed all these years. Tris and Four eventually become exiled from the Dauntless faction, and after helping the faction they were part of, flee with her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort), and some others for the unknown beyond the protection of Chicago. The story is a fascinating take on an orderly society where citizens are told they can only be one “type”, and this is a part of their everyday existence. Everyone has a role to play, and you better play it or the consequences can be dire. The actors were all fine, even though the screen presence and movie star quality of James is so powerful, he often overshadows his co-star. A star is born! The movie is dark and exciting, leaving Hollywood with another franchise in the vein of “The Hunger Games”. “Divergent” is the beginning of a new film series that will no doubt thrill fans for years to come. (Rated PG-13) B+
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Jonesborough Contra Dance! The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will hold a contra dance on Saturday April 5, 2014 at the Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street. Guest performers are Laurie Fisher and Steve Trisman with Vicki Herndon calling the dance. Admission is $7, $5 for HJDS members and $5 for full time students. A class for newcomer contra dancers will run from 7:00-7:30pm followed by the contra dance from 7:30-10:30pm. Laurie Fisher is a popular musician, dance caller and music teacher. She plays fiddle, keyboard, guitar and bass and has performed and called in Jonesborough on many occasions most recently with her band “BOOM CHUCK”. Joining Laurie Fisher is fiddler/
violinist Steve Trisman from Asheville. Trisman is an accomplished musician who plays with Asheville bands, One Leg Up, Bayou Diesel, Jupiter Coyote and many others. Trisman is moving over from the electric sound to more acoustic to play contra dance music. Vicki Herndon has been a dancer since 1997, when she accidentally came across contra dancing, and has been a dance lover since. She began calling in 2000, and have called all around the southeast. Wedding dances in open fields, and dances with kids are all part of the diversity she represents, and loves. Vicki is very active part of the Chattanooga dance community. “Keeping my home group growing and strong has become very important to me over the years. Welcoming newcomers, and giving them confidence is my specialty. Dancers must have this to return to your dance and thrive” offers Ms. Herndon.
Being a dance gypsy has led Vicki to be a familiar face at many dance weekends along with her husband, Steve, where her enthusiasm as a caller is just as evident as when she is dancing. “There’s not much more than I love to do . . . dance and call”, she adds. Contra dancing is a traditional form of American folk dance that evolved from the long ways country dances popular in English society centuries ago. Contra dance communities now thrive all over the country. There are websites that can direct you to contra dances in most states. The modern contra dances provide dancers of all ages and experience levels with the opportunity to smile, move, connect, flirt and create an evening of dance nirvana with each other. No previous dance experience is necessary. No fancy footwork is required. If you can walk and count to eight, you can contra dance! Contra dances are community events. At almost any contra you
will find people of all ages and all dance skill levels, from young to old, beginner to expert. Contra dancers form a very open and welcoming group of people. You can come alone or with others since it is a tradition to dance with a variety of partners throughout the night. It is perfectly acceptable
for either a man or a woman to ask someone to dance. For more information on Saturday’s dance or any upcoming events, please call David Wiley at 423-534-8879 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety. org. Or Historic Jonesborough Dance Society on FACEBOOK.
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The Baby Boomers had Woodstock in 1969. Today’s students, at least those at ETSU, will have Bucstock. This new music and arts festival sponsored by Buctainment will be held on the East Tennessee State University campus on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m.10 p.m. Admission is free, and the public is welcome. Twenty-one regional bands playing a variety of genres – such as rock, pop, hip hop, bluegrass, ska and more – will perform on three stages, located at the Amphitheatre, the Cave and the Cave Patio at the D.P. Culp University Center, and the Quad. Some of those to appear include Rhyme Wire, Kryss Dula & Friends, Seasons of Me, Shortstop, Empty Bottle String Band, Rickshaw Roadshow, Wise Old River, Nomadic Minstrels, JV Squad, Break the Fall and more. The final performance of the night at the Quad stage will combine live music with paint. “Lucy Glow,” sponsored by ETSU’s Residence Hall Association and the Lucille Clement Hall Council, will feature music by the ska band Demon Waffle, glow sticks and free powder paint participants may throw at their friends. Those attending are encouraged to wear “paintfriendly” clothing, and a limited number of free T-shirts will be given away. Throughout the day, student artists will be set up all around campus to share their work, as will numerous student organizations, who will sell arts and crafts as fundraisers for their groups.
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In addition, the Student Organization for Young Children will hold a Family Fun Day at Brooks Gymnasium and the Quad from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and Slocumb Galleries, located in Ball Hall, will be open to showcase works by ETSU’s bachelor of fine arts degree candidates from 10 a.m.6 p.m. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Food service venues scheduled to be open include the Treehouse Snack Bar adjacent to the Quad from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Starbucks in the Cave from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and the Culp Center Atrium during lunch and dinner. Bucstock Weekend will kick off Friday, April 4, with an Open Mic Night from 7-10 p.m. in The Cave. Student poets, singers, storytellers and rappers are invited to “step up to the mic” to share their talents with friends during this free public event. Also during the weekend,
Greyscale, ETSU’s jazz-pop fusion ensemble, will present its “Shades of Grey” concert in the Culp Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium. The program will include original pieces by members of the group, as well as covers of works by Coldplay, A Great Big world, One Republic, Michael Michael Bublé, Journey, Madonna, Stevie Wonder and others. “Shades of Grey” performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students with valid ID and children under 12, and may be purchased in advance at www.etsu.edu/ cas/music or at the door. For more information on Bucstock Weekend, call the ETSU Student Organization Resource Center at (423) 439-6633. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at (423) 439-8346.
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I Am Sherlocked
A quick glance around the internets these days, and you’ll discover that many a person is all hot and bothered over Benedict Cumberbatch and the BBC’s Sherlock, the series which modernizes the adventures of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective and his companion, Dr. Watson. But that is the not the first time an attempt to modernize the classic literary character had been made. That happened during the run of the first, arguably, wildly popular media adaptation of the characters, the Sherlock Holmes
film series from the late ‘30s to mid ‘40s, staring Basil Rathbone as Holmes, and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. All together the series comprises 14 films made between 1939 and 1946— made alongside a popular radio program staring the two leads as well. The first two films in the series were made at 20th Century Fox, then a gap in the series occurred, resuming in 1942 at Universal. Though the films made at Fox were big budgeted A pictures, Universal launched their line as a B series Although a B series with
high production values, sharing some of the same personnel as their bread and butter monster movies. Those two Fox films, The Hound of The Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes were both set in the period appropriate Victorian Era. When Universal launched their series, with World War Two well underway, they decided to bring Holmes into the modern era. Borrowing quite loosely from the Doyle stories for most of the films. The first of Universal’s efforts, Sherlock Holmes and The Voice of Terror, opens with a card explaining that “The timeless appeal of Sherlock Holmes can fit into any era.” In Voice of Terror Holmes and Watson are fighting the Nazis. The Holmes vs the Nazis feel would continue into the next two films, Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon, and Sherlock Holmes in Washington. This was dropped from the series with the fourth film , the films kept a modern setting, but added a Gothic Victorian feel. Houses lit by candle light, and noir touches to the look. These may have been produced as B films, most with a run time of roughly 70 minutes, but they are very high quality B films. The series has long been a favorite of many a film buff, and I am definitely one of them. I owned a few of the films on VHS tapes as a kid, and loved them. Never intended to be over analyzed or anything, just meant to entertain and provide a nice get away for an audience dealing with the horrors
of wartime. The film’s short length made them perfect programmers for the early days of television. Sometime in the 1950s, Universal lost the rights to the series off to a syndicator, that promptly began doing a slice and dice job on the film’s original negatives. In the 1970s, four of the films in the series fell into the public domain. The quality of the prints used for the VHS releases varied widely. Some looked great, some looked horrible, and some were fair. The films had changed ownership so many times that come the early ‘90s, the film elements were in very rough shape.However, the Rathbone/Bruce series needed not only restoration work, but rescuing. The two 20th Century Fox films had survived just fine, but the other 12 are an entirely different story. The Universal openings had been hacked off, and the negatives trashed. Sequences had been cut, trimmed, and tossed. Worse of all, the film itself had begun to deteriorate due to poor storage, and a few of the films were literally saved from extinction in the nick of time. The massive undertaking began in the early 90s by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. With funding from UCLA, Hugh Hefner, and Warner Brothers, the 12 Universal titles were fully restored over a 10 year period. In some cases, where original negatives had survived, the work was easy. In others, sections of 16mm prints had to be blown up and used to restoration. When all was said and done, new 35mm negatives
on modern film stock had been made, insuring the series will be around for many more decades to come. In the early 2000s, the efforts were brought forth on DVD, and the restoration was met with great praise. Then, in 2011, a most unexpected surprise happened. The new 35mm elements were used to make full 1080p HD masters, and the entire 14 film series was released on blu-ray. The films do look amazingly good in HD, not all are perfect, due to some of the elements that had to be used for restoration, but by in large it’s a real joy to see these films looking so clear and sharp. It speaks volumes to the enduring appeal of the Rathbone/Bruce films that not only did they receive a massive restoration, but they’ve now been brought into the 21st century on blu-ray for the masses to enjoy. A wonderful series that stands as one of my absolutely favorites. Well worth seeing if they’ve never glanced across your eyes before. See you next week.
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Are you fearful of missing out? If you’ve read this column for any time at all, you know I am fond of discussing new words and concepts. Because these things keep turning up, I am never at a loss for words. This week, I am inspired by some words and concepts that have been submitted to Hasbro’s Game Night Facebook page. Not being a big fan of Facebook, I have been reading about all this from several non-Facebook sources, such as the current issue of Time magazine (which won’t be current by the time you read this) and various websites. The results are pretty interesting and give us a snapshot (a Selfie, if you will) of life as we know it right here, right now (subject to change at any second, of course). Hasbro’s Game Night is based on Scrabble, and here are a few of the words that have been posted on the aforementioned Facebook page: • Twug, described as “a hug delivered via Twitter” • Cinemuck, that “nasty sticky coating on the movie theatre floor that makes your shoes sound like Velcro.” Shades of my childhood experiences at the Sparta Theater. • Emotypo, the “misuse of an emoticon” • Brodeo, a “gathering consisting predominately of men” • Sweevil, something that is “simultaneously sweet and evil” • Dingledorf, a term that describes a person who is, you know, a dingledorf • Bendy, describing something that is flexible or changeable (“Your opinions are very bendy”) • Unstaple / Unstapled — what happens when you remove a staple either with your fingers or with one of those staple remover thingies • Nowish, a description of the present time (“We are leaving like nowish”) Two terms in particular have
given me cause to stop and reflect this week—“Conscious Uncoupling” and “FOMO.” Perhaps you should add these to your vocabulary so you won’t be overcome with FOMO (hang in there for an explanation a few paragraphs below). For those of you who care that Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin are calling it quits, you should stop referring to what they’re doing as a “divorce” and start referring to it as “conscious uncoupling.” This rather pretentioussounding term refers to couples who are fully aware of the messy complications their divorce will bring to their lives, and especially to their children. Nathalie Boutet, an attorney from Toronto, explains that engaging in conscious uncoupling is “simply thinking about the consequences of your actions.” We can only assume that many couples choose to “unconsciously uncouple.” No doubt this new term will give many lawyers an excuse to raise their already exorbitant fees. After all, if a simple divorce costs a certain amount of money, just think how much more a “conscious uncoupling” will set the couple back. So don’t declare you want an ordinary divorce. Tell your spouse you want an “uncoupling”—you can always decide whether your choice will be conscious or unconscious later. Fees will then be adjusted accordingly. The most telling term from the Hasbro list is FOMO, which stands for “Fear Of Missing Out.” In a recent blog from PsychCentral, John M. Grohol explains what all this means: “We are so connected with one another through our Twitter streams and Foursquare check-ins, through our Facebook and LinkedIn updates, that we can’t just be alone anymore. The fear of missing out (FOMO)—on something more fun, on a social date that might just happen on the spur of the mo-
ment—is so intense, even when we’ve decided to disconnect, we still connect just once more, just to make sure.” Grohol references Sherry Turkle’s essential book, Alone Together, to make his points. According to Turkle, we are never truly alone in this world of mobile technology and are therefore everfearful that we will miss a status update, a tweet, or an InstaGram post. Missing even a second or two of this constant online activity could alter our relationship to someone or put us in the awkward position of being uninformed and in danger of being left out of some crucial interaction or Like post. In our 24/7 mobile environment, nobody “can wait anymore—not
because they can’t—but because they don’t need to.” With everyone instantly accessible, the concept of waiting is pretty outmoded and irrelevant, and we are therefore becoming more and more gripped with FOMO. The thought of being disconnected is, for an increasing number of people, truly a fear worse than death. As I have pointed out on several occasions, the most significant changes we’ve experienced in the last decade are the advent of instantaneous communication and the omnipresence of interconnectedness. In years past, we might not know we’ve missed out on something for several days, but today we are always on the verge of missing out. That’s why we are
so obsessed with checking our messages and status updates in a nearly constant flurry of activity. Not being able to check this information constantly is tantamount to not knowing whether or not we have the winning lottery ticket. What if we suddenly became unconsciously uncoupled and didn’t know it? I’m sure it won’t be long (and I suspect it has already happened) before psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies conspire to concoct treatments and medications designed to address FOMO. I will leave you to contemplate all this until next week. In the meantime, I hope you don’t miss out. Go ahead, check your messages now.
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