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Posted (edited)

SUMMER ROAD TRIP ACROSS TRUMP’S AMERICA

This summer, a long-time female friend -- with benefits, UT alum, 16 years younger, fit and attractive, randomly met at art conference, no-so-humble brag! -- called me out of the blue and asked if I would ride with her from DC to Tucson. She had taken a leave from her job to spend time taking of aging mom who needed to be moved to rest home in not-so-hot of a city. Since I am between art and writing projects, I said sure and drove back to East Cost in a rent-a-car.

Our goal was to take a leisurely drive across America, see some sights, catch up on things, and keep phones in our bags. No freaking screens and texting, while other is driving. Our focus was our lives and the increasingly insane world we saw directly with our eyes.

Regarding what one sees from a car going down interstates through big cities and two-lane highways through small towns, some patterns became clear. Some predictable, others insightful about the state of America.

We drove through Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. I drove back through Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia etc.

— Our drive was not only the interstates, as we drove on many two lane highways through small towns.

Let me begin with a funny story that I shared on the football board.

GRUMPY OLD VOLUNTEER FANS

Outside Knoxville early one morning, we stopped in a rando Starbucks to use the rest room and grab some coffee.

Literally, the only customers in the place were two old pot-bellied codgers (probably in their mid-70s), both decked in Volunteer tee shirts and caps. I am just wearing jeans and cotton shirt, nothing to connect me with any school. I could not resist, so I said:

“Y’all gonna let them Longhorns take over the SEC”

Tennessee Codger 1: Takes off his Vol cap, rubs his balding crown, and merely takes a breath shakes his head.

Tennessee Codger 2: “Yeah, it was a big mistake to let them in the SEC” … said with scowl on face.

Me: “Yep, they’re gonna kick butt this year. They ain't like the Aggies”

Codger 2: "No shit they ain't the Aggies!"

I amble over and grab the two coffees and banana bread. About this time, my friend emerges from bathroom and as we walk out the door, she flashes the HOOK'EM sign and laughs. (Looking rather smoke in her tight jeans, boots and red hair; yeah she likes to flash her good looks for the locals. We were meeting some of her friends for lunch in Nashville, so she was dressed for the occasion.)

Codger 1: “What the hell?”

Codger 2: “Them God Damn Longhorns!

TRUMP TEXAS

Here's some insanity in Texas. On the right side of I-20 in west Fort Worth, there was a Trump (airbrushed to look GQ handsome) billboard that said something to the effect of: 

“Born in New York, with the Spirit of Texas”

Lulz. 

Interestingly, very few Trump signs or flags on the trip (unlike how it was a few years ago when I drove from East Coast to Texas to visit my brother). Now, the flying of an American flag means MAGA. At least that is my assumption until proven otherwise.

RELIGION GALORE

We saw zillions of churches/steeples, dozens of religious billboards/various signs promising salvation and eternal life, several religious anti-abortion signs, even 2 anti-evolution billboards. 

Heading into Knoxville, there were 2 giant bright electronic billboards positioned on both sides of the highway. The billboard on left side of highway was flashing JESUS (all caps), the other was flashing SAVES (all caps). So, entering Knoxville, interstate drivers see this flashing glory::

JESUS … SAVES

JESUS … SAVES

JESUS … SAVES

NEAR ZERO SCIENCE

We saw only ONE sign that referenced anything to do with science, a local science exhibit.

Far west of Nashville, there was a Rest Area that had a Solar Power Exhibit in a separate room. Sponsored by University of Tennessee, it was very impressive, Sadly, of the 30 or so cars and trucks there when we stopped, she and I were the only people who looked at the exhibit. No doubt, that exhibit will be dismantled soon. 

Ohio had a rest area with murals celebrating John Glenn and NASA.

All in all, in the visual landscape near highways and in small towns, America seems to have zero need for science, except for docs  and dentists. 

THE ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CATASTROPHE

ZERO! Yes, zero signs referencing the environment, climate disruption, global warming, or anything to do with resource conservation, etc. Of course, there were signs directing people to state and national parks, the true gems of America. We hit a few for brief hikes and though beautiful, we could also tell the parks were understaffed. 

Some billboards promoting good ole fossil fuels to "protect America's future." Drill baby drill! 

LOTS OF MAGA DUDES IN BIG ASS PICKUP TRUCKS.

There were zillions of big pick up trucks (especially) with gun decals, flag decals, MAGA-oriented stickers, patriotic slogans, religious decals, etc. 

If the pick-up was pulling a trailer of tools, then the likelihood of the driver being having some kind of MAGA-oriented decal increased. 

We could often see their Oakley sun glasses and goatees

And these were some tail-gaiting fuckers! 

AK-47 BILLBOARD

Of course, there were a few signs promoting the local gun and ammo store. In Indiana, there was even a billboard advertising AK-47s for sale, with a billboard wide photo of one. Insane. 

COMMERCE FLOWING, SO FAR

In the places we stopped, hotels, bars, and restaurants were busy.

The mall parking lots (we saw from highway) had plenty of cars and trucks.

Many Amazon 18-wheelers, so Bezos is doing okay. 

LACK OF RESTAURANT WORKERS

Interestingly, several restaurant asked for our "patience" as they were short-staffed. We even hit a McDonald’s drive through early one morning in a small town and they had a sign saying they were short staffed.  I wonder why!

Food was good, people friendly, at least in restaurant and hotel settings.

TL/DR SUMMARY 

Trump’s America is the nation of BUY, EAT, PRAY, and  PARTY DOWN ON PLANET EARTH … followed by SALVATION!

With DAMNATION for the non-MAGA true Americans. 

The environment and ecosystems have zero chance. ZERO. So does secular scientific civilization.

We have a culture in sheer denial of what is going down and going to happen in this country. 

Fascism and medievalism are on the march across Team USA.

Edited by BevoAbyss
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Posted
7 hours ago, C-Man said:


You’ve got that backwards. Epstein was bidding on a famous Palm Beach property and brought Trump along while they toured it to see what he thought. Trump then fucked over Epstein and snagged it out from under him. That’s allegedly when their friendship ended and it was because Epstein ended it, not Dotard.

Damn that must have been the beer typing last night 😅

Posted
On 9/4/2025 at 2:31 PM, Sbbruin said:

Gotdam the racism.  So bizarre that now overt racism is now a source of pride.

Bro, what? 

 

Posted
On 9/4/2025 at 9:11 PM, Anastasis said:

Would be interesting to get a political poll of spirit and frontier fliers. 

Lol. Late as fuck...then canceled. 

Posted
9 minutes ago, Slacks said:

Bro, what? 

 

Well, as an upper-middle-class white person of middle age, we may have collectively been ignorant of the extent or depth of modern racism, but we were acutely ashamed of it coming out in the open, especially by those associated with us.

That seems no longer to be the case.  

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Posted
21 hours ago, Surly Bevo said:

Now imagine if every personal traveler in protest of the recent airline EO decided to take a month off from getting in a plane. 

I've been on a plane for 6 weeks straight, butI'm not flying in September, so this hits close to home. 

Posted
20 hours ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

THE North Freeway and THE Katy Freeway scoff at your bitchass highways. 

THE FUCKING West Loop says hello. 

Posted
1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well, as an upper-middle-class white person of middle age, we may have collectively been ignorant of the extent or depth of modern racism, but we were acutely ashamed of it coming out in the open, especially by those associated with us.

That seems no longer to be the case.  

that’s on you, good buddy. I’m 57 and it’s always been there though not as prevalent as my parents’ generation.  
 

it’ll be our grandkids who have the opportunity to run the final 20 yds  on this issue.  

Posted
2 minutes ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

that’s on you, good buddy. I’m 57 and it’s always been there though not as prevalent as my parents’ generation.  
 

it’ll be our grandkids who have the opportunity to run the final 20 yds  on this issue.  

The point was the shame part.  

And, I don't think anyone's ever going to cross the goal line on this issue.

We can at least bring back the shame.

Posted

I open my laptop to check what crazy shit has happened in government lately…

I see a “Department of War,” talk of UFC fights at the White House, and Trump saying the economy won’t really kick into gear until 2027.

I close the laptop.

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Posted
24 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

Do you think Arch's MAGA embrace is part of why none of the players seem to have any chemistry with him?

idk but he’s scoring a lot of touchdowns with the white players 

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Posted

So these are the messages coming from Camp Dotard today. We're going to war with Chicago and hey heads up we're just gonna steal future elections. 

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Posted
58 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

This ends in open warfare. Y’all know that, right?

I’m not so sure. Who’s the opposition force? Maybe this leads to an insurrection. But I don’t see how blue states could sustain an open military resistance against the US military for more than a few days. 

Of course, that assumes the military doesn’t fracture. 

Posted
2 minutes ago, Degenerate Gardner said:

Cadet Bone Spurs is such a tough guy.

Think back what they did to John Kerry. And they embrace an actual draft dodger and noted coward like he's fucking Rambo.

Posted
5 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Think back what they did to John Kerry. And they embrace an actual draft dodger and noted coward like he's fucking Rambo.

Yet liberals and party bigwigs chase veterans the way cats chase laserpoints



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