This was great, thanks. The other weird parallel in history, as others have pointed out, is the terrified argument against “unisex” bathrooms put forth by Phyllis Schafly and others when we were trying to get the Equal Rights Amendment ratified.

I don’t know that one, but I’ll be down that way later in the summer so I’ll hunt it up for sure. Thanks—

Thanks! I have a thing for regional soft drinks in general (Ale-8-1 is another favorite from this part of the country), but Cheerwine is the best of the best. I’ve never even seen it at a rest stop, so that was well played.

They’re from northeastern Kentucky, hillbilly country, not the deep south. I’m not saying there’s no racism there, but it’s a very different culture, and wanting to dissociate from poverty is likely to be more about stereotyping than race.

I am going to take this little thread of hope you hold out and cling to it as if to life itself. I cannot even bear the idea of a world without that show. By the power of Rayna’s hair, MAKE IT SO.

Yep. Been reading Jez and commenting since literally Day 1 (albeit under a different name). I comment not a lot but pretty well, and for the most part I give it a shrug and keep going, but it would be nice not to feel excluded.

That’s nice, all right!

I hear that’s great, although I go to Bristol Rhythm & Roots at about the same time so I’ve never been. I hope the boycott doesn’t do too much damage—I know people who are planning to go, trying to focus their spending on progressive places that aren’t part of the problem.

Which NC fest?

In my memory there was almost always a single free one, down at the very end, but there was never a lock (so maybe it’s what you’re saying), and I’m thinking it didn’t have toilet paper. Ietasure this must have been murder on my mom, who was super fastidious about public toilets (lining the entire seat with toilet…

Adultress turned murderess would be the best. You’re right—it has a certain Janet Snakehole noir thing going on.

Making me potentially a murderess

It’s been a while back, but I worked with a woman from England and everything was gendered. The best/worst was, so help me, manageress.

Yeah, and I can promise you that if he went to the Grammys without freaking socks there would be barn-burner of an “IS THAT WHAT YOU’RE WEARING? REALLY?” fight.

Yeah, cheap rural wine. Youch.

Oh dear, I just realized that I said gun RIGHTS advocates and not gun CONTROL advocates. I’m definitely on the side of control. Eek. So, yeah, with you one million percent. I cite the stats about guns bringing more harm than good constantly, but I do think there’s a better case to be made for owning one if you live…

Former S owner. It was my dream car and it was great to drive - seriously, most fun ever, when it was actually on the road. But it spent weeks on end in the shop and cost thousands in repairs and other stuff (breaking down on a Sunday afternoon hundreds of miles from home, so hotel, multiple tows to get it to a shop…

Even among gun rights advocates, many people (including me) see justification for people in rural areas to have a rifle or handgun. Even putting hunting aside, police response times are slow because of distance (and sometimes bad roads), and depending on the area there may be some danger from wildlife (rabid raccoons…

Dhani’s joy through that whole solo is one of my favorite things about it.

If you’re talking about contemporary country, I couldn’t agree more. But if you’ve never fucked to George Jones, I don’t even know what to say to you. It’s his phrasing. It does things.