Today is a travel day. I’m on my way to Orlando for a seminar. Even though the entire drive is on Interstate highways and turnpikes, I hate the trip. The drive is two-dimensional, with hardly a hill to make the scenery interesting. And the scenery that exists is barely visible, blocked by miles of billboards. Even worse, many of the billboards have fundamentalist messages. I call the Florida portion of the drive Abortion Alley. I try to keep my eyes on the road and ignore the signs.
In keeping with the theme of that drive, here are some tales from my return trip, two years ago. I keep a set of notes in a file titled Life among the Brain Dead. Keep in mind that all of these things happened in ONE DAY.
2/21/16, Interstate 75 in Florida:
All three lanes of traffic come to an abrupt halt. The lines in each lane are short, so something just happened. I’m able to slip around the backup by making use of an empty on-ramp. The problem is obvious: the right lane is blocked by a dresser and another unidentified piece of furniture. They are strapped together. A few hundred feet up the highway, a large pickup is parked on the shoulder. Soft bags and straps are visible in the bed of the truck. Apparently the furniture was set on top of the other items, and not strapped to the truck.
Same day, farther up the highway, close to Macon, GA:
Large metal object, surrounded by smaller debris, lies in center of left lane. Looks like a dishwasher, but hard to tell. A quarter mile up the road, pickup truck is parked on shoulder; driver is outside, on the phone. Not sure whether he owned the object, or hit it.
Same day, at gas station/store, Tifton, GA:
Car alarm goes off in black SUV in parking lot. Finally shuts off after a minute or two. Then it begins shrieking again. Another moment of silence, followed by more alarm. During all of this, Mommy is inside the vehicle, Daddy is in the store, and Junior is wandering around nearby. None seem to know or care what is happening.
Same day, at Dairy Queen, Unadilla, GA:
Long wait for my burger and milkshake. At one table is a guy who must weigh 400 pounds.* His extra weight hangs off the bench, making him look a bit like a giant melting ice cream cone. At another table sits a family of four. Mom is a smaller version of Mr. Big Guy. Dad, with a strong southern-redneck accent, is loudly and ceaselessly haranguing the older son (who is 13, according to the conversation). The kid was unhappy because his folks made him get a regular burger instead of a bacon burger. He never seemed to say anything, but merely by muttering under his breath and making faces, he was able to keep Daddy upset the entire time. “I should slap you up the side of the face.” “You’re 13 and you know everything.”
* Please note that I don’t make fun of overweight people. This is merely an observation of my surroundings.
I was tempted to start my own photo series to compete with the People of WalMart meme. Instead, I found a table as far from the loudmouth as possible, and enjoyed my dinner as well as I could under the circumstances.
Since I will be on the road today, I might not be around when CUA posts. I will try to check the comments somewhere along the way. Y’all know how to carry on a conversation without me. Start with your “least favorite drive,” and let things go downhill from there.
RSVPS
1. idlemoments, organizer (kosmail her to connect)
2. RickNelsonmn (can carpool)
3. slapshoe (can carpool)
4. Thutmose V
5.
MAYBEES :
Judeling
angry marmot
keepminnesotablue
Garrett
|
WOMAN'S MARCH NYC 2017
Footage compiled from the 2017 Woman's March on New York City, directed by Joan Brooker, with support from the SVA community.
Organizers, remember to choose a place to meet in advance and that cell phone service will shut down before the events get started. Consider a sign to hold up above the crowd for people to find you with. Check with your local march organizers to find out what materials are not permitted, such as balloons or sticks.
NEW YORK RSVPS
1. joanbrooker, organizer (kosmail her to connect)
2. belinda ridgewood
3. gchaucer2
4. kathny
5.
MAYBEES :
|
LONG ISLAND RSVPS TO RALLY AT THE INTERSECTION OF RT. 112 AND 347 IN PORT JEFFERSON STATION AT NOON
1. grannycarol, organizer (kosmail her to connect)
2.
MAYBEES :
|
RSVPS
1. EagleOfFreedom
2. Bleeding Blue
3. DoingBusinessAs
4. momomia
5. ptressel
6. Kay3295
7.
MAYBEES :
|
Puerto Rico Kos
Stay tuned, big Daily Kos meet-up on January 29th with Chef Bobby Neary aka newpioneer. Daily Kos is sending Kelly Macias from our Editorial Staff and Chris Reeves from our Community Building Staff to do some original reporting about Puerto Rico coinciding with the SOTU address.
Puerto Rico RSVPS
1. newpioneer, organizer (kosmail him to connect)
2. Kelly Macias, Daily Kos Staff Writer
3. Chris Reeves, Daily Kos Community Outreach Organizer
4.
MAYBEES :
|
Netroots Nation 2018