On the road

I am leaving early this morning for a series of assignments that take me all the way over there, then a long drive to get way out there and finally a very long drive to get me to the coast. Lots of driving and there is snow on the ground.

I may be completely typical when it comes to driving great distances. I like it. I listen to music, switch to conservative talk radio, find some interest discussions, go back to music, and so on. I can go for hours listening to classical music mixed in with some insane Rush Limbaugh rants.

When I moved back to Seattle in the early 90's I had a kitchen to rebuild in an old house we had purchased. I also had a chubby baby who I could lay down on the flood while I measured the cabinets. I would turn on the local radio station and tile the floor, or replace broken plumbing, or do a number of things it takes to make a kitchen work. He would lay on the flood, staring at the ceiling, sometimes sleeping.

I discovered Rush Limbaugh while working on that kitchen. He was hysterical. I had never heard someone so opinionated and so funny at the same time. While he was a right wing conservative, and his views on everything from freedom to murder were disgusting and wrong, I liked that he did share these opinion with a deep and profound laugh. When I realized he only said the things he did to garner attention and an audience I began to understand his brilliance. The more outrageous his lies, the more people would listen, the more people would listen, the more money he made. It was brilliant.

Over the years I hardly ever find him on the radio anymore. Last year I stumbled upon Howard Stern, who I first heard in the 80's in New York. I could never understand the controversy around the Stern show and I still don't. The easiest answer is that the people who complain about Howard Stern probably do not listen. Again, back to Limbaugh, who would use this same logic against people who complained about his simplistic and hateful views. He would say those people never listened. I had spent 6 months listening and all I ever came away with was that he was a brilliant liar, like the TV preachers, who almost always get caught with a hooker or boyfriend.

Stern on the other hand was a neurotic jew, someone I could relate to on a genetic level. He also had guests on who he disagreed with and he also had both gay people and prostitutes, which seemed like a good mix.

Today, when I listen to Stern, I find a middle aged man who is brilliant and entertaining. His politics, when he does share, seem a lot more understanding of modern politics than the screamers and schemers on the right. He also happens to be intelligent, which is another thing that is often missing in chat land. When you drive for hours and stumble upon people laughing and talking about a variety of subjects, it can be entertaining radio. When you hear the far right talkers, they seem solely focused on the things democrats do that are ruining this country, conveniently forgetting the things done to get us here.

Either way, early morning thoughts to a long few days of life on the road has again made me somewhat happy.