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Mon. Mar 06, 2006

Thoughts and Observations While Travelling

I’m typing this on a laptop while sitting at a McDonalds in Meridian, Mississippi. Meridian ain’t got no Starbucks, and if you want wireless access, you have four choices that aren’t hotels … and three of them are McDonalds. Not that any of the McDonalds employees know squat about it. In fact, they insisted they don’t have it. So I opened the laptop, logged onto Wayport’s WiFi for free, and am surfing using the access they claim they don’t have. The McNet seems to work OK, and the coffee’s hot…

I came back here from Atlanta on Saturday, after my Dad had a bit of a setback on Friday. What, you expect to have a weekend to decompress, and mourn for your cat? No, Joe Blitzflick, here’s another lightning bolt from that black cloud over your head … you might wanna get used to it.

Dad’s doing a bit better now after the weekend, but he’s going to be in the hospital a while, just to get his strength back. Mom has been in the hospital just as long as Dad (13 of the past 15 days now), but no one is checking her vitals, bringing her food, and otherwise “staffing” her condition. If you’ve ever had a loved one in the hospital for an extended period, you know it takes nearly as much of a toll on Significant Others as it does on the patient.

The 85/15 rule is in full effect here (no matter what subgroup you choose, 85% of people are mostly competent and caring, and 15% are mostly worthless buttheads). It applies to medical professionals as well, trust me. My Mom and I have had to, um, be assertive with a couple of them so far. As you can imagine, I’ve got more than my share of internal frustration and angst right now, and while I’m very vocally appreciative to those who are doing their job ... heaven help those who set me off. I’ve got a backlog I’m sure ready to offload for anyone who wants to step up.

I’m not alone in that regard here in Mississippi. Here in this very red Deep South state, you can’t hardly find a soul who isn’t disgusted with their political leadership. Which would be Republican leadership. Do not underestimate the backlash coming this November. Southern Mississippi is still a disaster area (even in Meridian, 150 miles inland, the damage is still apparent), and six months of government incompetence in that area has people all over the state pretty damn hot.

My non-cussing Mom’s favorite new phrase? “That’s just all FEMA’ed up.” No need to get into the argument about whether this was a local, state, or federal failure. If you’re up for re-election in November and your name isn’t Trent Lott (who is leading the lawsuit against insurance companies in Mississippi, and has been vocal about how “there’s going to be hell to pay”), it looks to me like you’re in some pretty deep shit.

Suggested campaign slogan for 2012 … “Jeb: The Better Bush.”

I’ve written before about the deregulation and consolidation of the radio industry. Whereas a small city like Meridian used to have perhaps 10 people/companies that owned the local radio stations, it’s now two or three. Mostly Clear Channel. In many markets, they maintain the pretense that each is an independent radio station with its own staff and facilities. Not in Meridian. Every day I pass by a building that has at least five radio stations located inside. They each have their own van for remotes … and that’s about it. Radio stations that used to be locally owned, operated, and focused on their community … are now like one aisle at Walmart. They’re just another sub-section of one huge profit beast.

Oh, which reminds me. Congrats to Ma and Pa Bell for getting back together after 20 years of enforced breakup. We consumers simply love having less choices. It makes our lives less complicated, and eliminates the need for silly things like “competition.”

If someone had told me two weeks ago that I would have both a dead truck and a dead primary computer, and that I wouldn’t give a Flying FEMA about either of them, I would have chuckled and said that person doesn’t know me very well. How wrong one can be.

And finally, if you don’t realize it already, know that your cats have strong emotions, and suffer from loss and loneliness little different than we do. At my home, Bosco is still searching for Fuji, and generally pretty morose. Here in Meridian, my parent’s cat, Tubby, has been deprived of his favorite humans for two weeks now. He’s soaked up every stroke I can give him, and clearly has missed their companionship.

Me? I’ve had to pretty much shut down any mourning for Fuji, though I know I’ve hardly had a chance to start, and it still whacks me from the blindside every now and then. It’s simply not possible to be here for my parents and still mourn in the way I need to. Seeing my sadness would do them no good. Quite the opposite. So I’ve packed it up in my suitcase, and I bring it out briefly at night when I’m alone. And hope it’s enough.

For now, it has to be.