By David Fortier
Come Sunday morning, the storms that cut off power to more than 12,000 homes here in Bristol will have subsided and the power will have been restored to most all of the homes. At least that was the situation about 9:45 p.m. on Saturday.
For Rockwell theater attendees, who showed up for the “Celebrating Queen” performance headlined by Bristol’s own Joe Archambault, the evening was cut short because of the outrages. Even when the sound system went down and the lights dimmed, the show went on with Archambault singing solo and leading the audience in several tunes, including crowd favorite “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
After several updates to find out if the power might be restored, Archambault informed the audience that there was only 15 minutes of energy left in the emergency generators and ended the show. It might have been a disaster of an evening, but Archambault with the help of a lively audience made the best of things. It turned out to be a great night and one of those evenings to remember.
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These crazy lightning storms are becoming de rigueur. On Friday night, I sat on the porch while the winds kicked up, pushing through the maples and oaks on Goodwin Street and over on Broadview, just before the rains came. These are awesome displays and ones, apparently, that I am drawn to—and it appears I am not the only one. Our next-door neighbors waved and yelled over from their front porch.
After the rain arrived, I thought that things might calm down, but the night was filled with stunning lightning flashes and monstrous cracks of thunder.
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On Sunday, there will be another community discussion about diversity, equity and inclusion led by Melina Floyd-Torres at Mrs. Rockwell’s Amphitheater. The event follows up on recent activity in Bristol by white supremacists. The discussion, which will feature speakers from different backgrounds and provide a chance for audience members to share their experiences, begins at 4 p.m. and is scheduled to run to 6 p.m.–weather permitting.
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Reading/listening over past week included an Open Source with Christopher Lydon podcast featuring John Kaag, professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, on his new book, “Henry at Work.” The Henry in question is Henry David Thoreau, who, according to Kaag, has gotten an unfair reputation as somewhat of a dilettante and slacker, when in reality he was a worker who challenged conventional thinking about success.
It all makes for a fascinating discussion, and one that will eventually lead me to the book for a more informed look at the man and his legacy. Click here for the podcast.
As for reading, my little experiment reading on my phone “Behave,” the nonfiction work by Robert M. Sapolsky about human beings and what makes us better in some situations and worse in others, has not really progressed. Reading a longer work in the tiny bits and pieces allotted by the phone’s screen makes for a quick read, too quick, really. Concepts that require more thought to absorb cannot keep up with the constant march of the words across a screen.
It is almost as if the speed is more important than the content. Flipping back to get a better grasp of an idea, or to remember a point, dictated by the phone rather than reading and comprehension. There it is, McLuhan’s, the medium is the message, and apparently the message of screens lends itself to consumption rather than thoughtful perusal and understanding. More on this later.
Have a good week!
“Come Sunday morning” is intended to be a weekly review, a recounting of the past week and an anticipation of week to come. Among its features will be reviews of old and new books, sharing of favorite podcasts, some family news, Bristol events and happenings and issues surrounding education, work and community journalism. He can be reached at dfortier@bristoledition.org.
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