Isosceles or Scalene?

A student recently shared this trailer for a documentary about the Bridgewater Triangle phenomenon that Pam described earlier in this project. As an active member of the community and follower of local news, it is surprising that I had not heard of the film yet, even though the trailer is six months old, and that I do not recognize any of the people who speak in this clip. I assume that the trailer is part of a fund-raising effort in support of a film not yet complete, but if so, it does not make a direct appeal.

The YouTube account that posted the video appears to be that of a small production company, but no "Trailer 2" is as yet available. The producers and commentators, in fact, seem to be as elusive as the phenomena they are pursuing. I have to confess a certain skepticism of the entire enterprise, though I do admire the inclusion of a stylized locator map in the closing frames (oops -- Spoiler Alert!) that employs a very pleasing color scheme.

Watch the clip to make a comparison with this more detailed map from Cryptmundo.

Click to enlarge.

Bridgewater Film Festival - North

During our trip to Bridgewater, New Jersey we learned that the Bridgewater Commons Mall was one of the filming locations for North a goofy movie of the "cute kid (North) seeks new parents" genre. We had seen this film a long time ago, but only barely remembered it, so we knew we needed to see it again in order to blog about it. It turned out to be more difficult than we expected. The film was not available on Netflix, or even, apparently on DVD, and I wound up requesting a VHS copy through interlibrary loan.

The choice of the Bridgewater Mall seems to have been due to its completely generic look. It really could have been anywhere, and since we never learn where North really lived before going on his quest, this would seem appropriate. The use of stereotypical hyperbole in the rest of the film make clear what his destinations were while searching for new parents - Hawaii, Alaska, France, Texas, etc.

In a bit of a subtle allusion, North stops briefly in Amish country while he considers life without electricity, Kelly McGillis (of Witness) plays his would-be mother here.

A completely predictable ending, but good family fare.

We Band of Angels

Bridgewater, Massachusetts' One Book One Community Steering Committee has chosen Elizabeth Norman's book about nurses imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II as its Community Read for Fall 2013. This book has a strong connection to the town as the story of Helen "Cassie" Cassiani, whose hometown was Bridgewater, is one that is told in this work. Coincidentally, as I was finishing reading this last week, I spotted this obituary for Mildred Dalton in the New York Times. Dalton was the last survivor of the imprisoned nurses. Interestingly, the obituary also mentions Bridgewater, New Jersey.

See You in the Funny Papers, Bridgewater

Jim Meddick's Monty comic of July 4, 2012

One one level, this comic is about a child prodigy with a financial bent, along the lines of the Alex P. Keaton character played by Michael J. Fox. On another level, it is part of our collection of obscure connections to the place name Bridgewater. On yet another level, it is a reference -- on Independence Day -- to the political power of those for whom manipulating markets is both a sport and a livelihood.

A quick search for David McCormick reveals that in addition to his position as co-CEO of the Bridgewater Associates hedge-fund, he is a fellow at the Aspen Institute and a former Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury. He is part of the revolving door among think tanks, financial institutions, and government agencies that ensure that policy never threatens the interests of the 0.01 Percent.

His partner at Bridgewater Associates finds the phrase "hedge fund" distasteful and Fortune -- in its fawning profile of the company -- seems to agree. By leveraging its financial bets at a ratio of "only" four-to-one, it is considered more staid than its peers. More careful and conservative than Mitt Romney and Baine Capital, McCormick and Bridgewater manage to make even more money. Bridgewater is able to charge its clients hefty fees because its dispassionate (i.e., amoral) investment algorithms provide protection against the fluctuations inherent in a market economy -- fluctuations that affect only the 99 percent.

The Duke of Bridgewater

I recently finished reading Mark Twain's classic tale The Adventure's of Huckleberry Finn. It was the first time in my 48 years that I had read it. I, therefore, had no idea that Huckleberry and Jim met up with two con men, one a snake-oil salesman, and the other a faith-healer who claimed to be the Duke of Bridgewater; and Dauphin (Louis the XVII, son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinenette) respectively who had both fallen on some hard times. Jim and Huck fall for the two and "set to majestying" Dauphin to make him feel better, which "kind of soured" the Duke. Huck figures out in short order, however, that the two are not who they said, explaining that "If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt tht the best way to get along with his kind of people  is to let them have their own way."

The Duke of "Bilgewater" shakes hands "Looy the Seventeen"

Read the entire book online here.

Bridgewater, Connecticut August 23, 2012

(Jointly written by Pam & James)
On our way to pick up our daughter from the airport on Toronto, we stopped to visit a good friend in Highland, New York. On the way to that visit, we stopped to visit Bridgewater, Connecticut, a bucolic spot remarkable for its remoteness, so close to I-84 in the northwest corner of the Nutmeg State.

We saw several signs that indicated we were in Bridgewater, but this one was the most geographic.

Yum!

The Village Store sold Bridgewater merch, and also had a deli counter where we ordered soup and sandwiches for lunch. The food was delicious and was served by the super-friendly folks at the store. Also on sale were Bridgewater Chocolate bars. In the interest of "the project" we had to try one, and really could not resist the one made with "coffee crisp" - a sweet, creamy and crunchy treat it was!

We try a lot of coffee/chocolate combination bars, and can assure readers that this is among the tastiest.

Interior shot of the Village Store with Pam's cute purse in the foreground

"Bridgewater 06752"
We used the post office to send back our Netflix.

We noticed something unusual about this plaque -- honoring a large number of people from this small town who served in World War I. Two townspeople were killed in action, with a couple more serving and returning. What is interesting is that the plaque lists three who served in the Red Cross. We will certainly be checking future monuments to see whether honoring these healers alongside the warriors is common practice.

This is a very small town, so its closure on the day of our visit was a routine part of the schedule. It had been closed more dramatically (by the FBI) one day in July, but we heard no rumblings about that fracas.

Librarian Pam doesn't mind taking a "busman's holiday" now and then and stopping in to see a library. The Burnham Library has such an intriguing story about funding, involving the lost will of an eccentric hermit that we made sure to stop in. As a bonus for us, it turned out the library was hosting an Art Exhibit by local artist Karen Cashman which includes oil paintings of Bridgewater scenes.

We spent a few more minutes exploring the village center, featuring a lot of lovely architecture.

Most of our friends know that we met in Baltimore, which has brought many benefits to our life together. Among these is expertise in the area of exterior decor. Specifically, because Charm City is the setting of Pink Flamigos, we bring special skills to the discussion of whether decorative materials constitute "garden art" or "lawn crap." Pam was a Baltimore lifer (until our marriage) and James spent two brief but intense years working on lawns from Dundalk to Owings Mills. With all this experience, we found this tableau to be very close to the line. Pam eventually broke the deadlock, citing the red-white-and-blue lights on the central pole.

View Larger Map
The village center includes lovely plantings around the local businesses and public buildings and an elongated town green that is remarkably similar to the Bridgewater Common in our own Bridgewater. Unlike its Massachusetts counterpart, however, this one does not seem to conform to the biblical dimensions of Noah's  Ark.

Alas, we will not in town for the upcoming Tractor Parade. 

The protection of open space is important to both Bridgewaters, and is signified by this preserve just to the south of the town center. The value of several private properties is greatly enhanced by commanding views of this expansive public space, which also protects water quality and wildlife habitat.

From Bridgewater, it was a short jaunt down I-84 for a lovely evening on the Hudson River.

The Bridgewater of Red Earth

Given her riparian name, it is perhaps surprising that Dee Dee Bridgewater identifies most strongly with soils. The title of her 2007 documentary is given as either Red Earth or Motherland, the former being much more fully descriptive of the journey she describes.

RED EARTH

On one level, Red Earth (for which there is no listing on her IMDb page) is a film about the making of her 2010 album of the same name. On deeper level, though, it is indeed the story of her West Africa homecoming -- a journey that brings her as close as she can get to her motherland. The cruel vagaries of the Middle Passage and the arbitrary dissection of the African continent mean that Mali is not exactly her home "country," but rather a country in the land of her foremothers and forefathers.

Mali is a former French colony in West Africa that is landlocked and is currently on the verge of dividing into two landlocked countries, as occurred last year in Sudan. Bridgewater spent most of her time in Bamako, in the area still held by the government. In early 2012 the entire northeast -- including Tombouctou -- has become an increasingly unstable insurgent state.

Click map to enlarge
Read more at Political Geography Now

The term "red earth" refers to the heavily oxidized, clay-rich soils that Bridgewater (who acquired the surname from her first husband) found in both Mali and her home in Memphis. More deeply even than the musical similarities she found, this coincidence convinced her that she had found her root community, and is celebrated throughout the movie. Red soils -- perhaps ultisols in both cases -- are those that have been depleted by eons of leaching; they convey vast depths of time and profound struggle, as does her preferred music, the blues. Bridgewater's musical journey is a metaphor for her personal journey and of the melding of her own experience with that of the place where she has found home. She works alongside her long-time jazz colleagues and new-found Malian musicians to create a new kind of blues, played on traditional instruments of Mali and telling the stories of both lands.


One of the most important stories is that of force marriage in Mali. It is still common -- giving Mali the third-highest rate of juvenile marriage in the world -- but is now illegal and starting to wane, based on the efforts of some of the musicians who came to Bridgewater's project. Because of their preliminary successes, she was convinced of the need to sing their story, though she had been reluctant at first. It is good that she is joining the effort, since the problem of forced marriage continues to plague the region.

It was interesting to find so much to appreciate in a Bridgewater story that initially has only the coincidence of a name to recommend it. As it turns out, the story resonates with much of what we find in our own community, through our growing connections in Africa and especially through the education and outreach of Khakatay, our West African drumming ensemble.