Maine Vay-kay, Radio Talk, and Rock

Easing back into Maine-speak after being away for most of the last 10 years means always getting a chance to pick up new words. The most recent term is “vay-kay”, Maine speak for vacation. Example sentence: “lotsa folks ‘ll be up hea for vay-kay this weeken”. Translation: a lot of people will be here for vacation this weekend. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a surfer dude who uttered this but the over 50 years old owner of the local gas station where I got my not-so-cheap $4.11/gallon regular unleaded gas the other day.

As well as learning my new word, I also heard some other strange speak; on talk radio. And not just any talk radio – the Laura Ingraham Show. It hurt my ears and caused my blood boil while I was driving through tranquil Maine – but I made myself listen. The show seems to serve little purpose other than ensuring that listeners are under informed and prepared to bash Obama and the “looney liberals” about everything when they turn off the program. Apparently, the looney liberals are not only military weaklings, there is also a conspiracy on the left to limit the free speech of their critics. This was ironically followed by a Laura warning for anyone wanting to dispute George W’s military record; telling these potential callers not to call-in because she wasn’t going to go down that path again. Call me crazy but isn’t THAT limiting the speech of her listeners?

I also got some insight to how the conservative spin machine works. Recently, a few Democrats have commented that McCain’s military service and POW (prisoner of war) experiences do not necessarily make him presidential material. Some have described his military and executive experience as “limited”. Laura then says that SHE thinks these liberals using the word “limited” are implying that McCain would not be a good president because he has endured torture and that this word “limited” is a way to question his mental health. How insane is that line of thinking? But that doesn’t matter because people listening are likely not to remember that its HER interpretation. Instead they will probably go off and tell all their friends in disgust that Obama thinks McCain is mentally unstable, and then the smear machine starts – based on absolutely nothing. Is this American politics at its best or its worst?

Laura’s show closes with a “What would Ronald Reagan do?” conversation (South Park fans remember – “What would Brian Boitano or Jesus do?”) because Reagan was a source of “fortitude and courage” for conservatives and we should look back to his ideas for guidance. What about Iran Contra? What about funding paramilitaries who killed indigenous people all over South and Central America? What about funding both sides of the Iran-Iraq War where so many died? What about shaking hands (ok it was Rumsfeld not Reagan himself) with Saddam AFTER he gassed Kurds in Northern Iraq during that war? Yes, looking to Reagan for guidance – that’s what Bush has missed, that’s why were are in such a mess we forgot wise Ronnie…

The other thing you find on Maine radio is a plethora of rock music stations playing Zepplin, Metallica, Clapton, and on the odd chance something (newer) like Pearl Jam or Nirvana. The good thing is I don’t have to listen to Britney Spears! So the music accompanying my nostalgic memories of high school as I am driving is the same as when I was IN high school! Who says you can’t go back in time?