week in review

Only two things of interest in the Week in Review section:

A piece on the pope's decision to grow old in public.

It is a gripping sight, inspiring to some people and uncomfortable for others, and it is the result of an unusual combination of personal motivations, pastoral responsibilities and the special circumstances of his office. It also defies convention and expectation in societies where old age is often venerated but infirmity is usually concealed. Many famous people elect to be remembered as younger and more physically vibrant, and they leave the stage when they can no longer stride briskly across it.

An editorial about cotton farmers in Lubbock, Texas, part of an ongoing series "focusing on the damaging impact that American, European and Japanese agricultural subsidies and trade barriers have on farmers in developing nations."

fall river, 9/28

I played an open mike in Fall River, Massachusetts, where I'd never been before. I don't have much to say about the open mike, except that the featured act, Ryan Fitzsimmons, was good, and something of a disciple of Peter Mulvey, which made Fall River a good way to reenter the Boston area. Oh, and dougo came down to see the open mike and the town, which was cool.

I don't know much about Fall River, but it's obviously seen greater days as an industrial town. (A little Google and a little reading tells me it was a big cotton town before the textile industry moved south.) Oh, and it's where Lizzle Borden lived. These days, the downtown is empty (at least on Sunday afternoon) and retro.

One of the old warehouses has been converted into a haunted house spectacle called "The Factory of Terror". Doug wondered if anyone had told the President.

On my long, confused way out of town I turned onto a street that had a median strip painted red, white and blue. I got confused by this and thought it was a one-way street. Then I decided I was wrong. Then I got confused again. There was some swerving. Extensive swerving. The weirdest part was that the driver behind me didn't give me the look of bewildered hatred that locals are expected to use on these occasions. She just looked... resigned.

I only have two pictures from Fall River--I left my camera in the car when we went exploring on foot. This is a cool building:



The writing is illegible at this size--sigh--but carved into the stone is the name: B.M.C. DURFEE HIGH SCHOOL, AD 1886. Can you imagine going to high school in this? My high school was a square, flat, mundane building from the late twentieth century. The sign out front identifies its new use as a county courthouse.

Doug said he thought Fall River could become one of those cool towns where artists live. I'm not sure, but it's nice to know the Erik Building will be there, waiting for me:



Come to think of it, that's pretty much what my high school looked like.