Visit to Meridian (Jackson, Tupelo, Laurel: houses, buying, camp)

[bolehboleh]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

If you would, follow up on your visit. I know you loved that little train station, neat as a pin. The town around it is aging but safe.

What did you find in Meridian?

I won't be there until later this month. I'll report when I get back.

[ExhaustedCure]

Report!?

[bolehboleh]

Originally Posted by ExhaustedCure

Report!?

It's funny that I only just remember this threat almost three years after I actually went there. As for what I remember, the town had nice "bones," but it seemed economically depressed. It seems, as it is far too common in many American small cities, that the center of commerce was destroyed by the mall on the outskirts of town. That left the downtown section of the city full of empty buildings, or buildings being used as storage facilities. It was a shame really. I do see the possibility of a resurgence of the downtown area as there were a few small restaurants and bars, but it still had a long way to go. For some reason, the street grid reminded me of Burlington, Vermont. Burlington, on the other hand, has a very lively and fun downtown.

The B&B I stayed in was very nice, but for the life of me I can't remember its name. The owner looked like Ted Kennedy, and I told him that. I think it was probably an insult to him because I could see from his library that he was a big fan of GOP politicians.

The bar I went to downtown was nice and it reminded me of a lot bars up north. I had a good conversation with a guy who was a originally from Meridian but had moved to Atlanta and was home visiting family. I also saw a number of younger folk getting drunk and, well, being young

I just hope that the city can find its groove again. It was clear that some work was being near the train station as there were a number of little shops. One can only hope that that will spread to the rest of the city.

I ate at some diner near the train station and I forgot the one big difference between Northerners and Southerners: When Northerner asks for "tea," we mean HOT tea. You guys mean ICED. I'll remember that for my next trip

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by bolehboleh

..........I ate at some diner near the train station and I forgot the one big difference between Northerners and Southerners: When Northerner asks for "tea," we mean HOT tea. You guys mean ICED. I'll remember that for my next trip

Yeah, our sweet tea has been known to put Yankees into a diabetic coma.

Not much left in Meridian, it seems. No reason to grow. Kind of "the town that was".....
But it's been like that for a long time.

[bolehboleh]

That's too bad. I see a lot of potential there. It still has its downtown core. Maybe if you had some creative city leaders, it could be turned into an artist destination or they could create a nightlife scene.

[GrandviewGloria]

You might not have noticed, but the market for art is somewhat limited. It's doubly-limited in poor places like Mississippi. At some point, artists have to sell their work, in order to live. The local market consists of a demand for paintings of barns, Civil War prints, duck prints, framed sports memorabilia ordered off customers' AMEX billing statements, and Scenes of Ancient Egypt: http://kowelvain.deviantart.com/art/...urns-290651649 And I'm puzzled, anyway, as to why artists would consider Meridian a 'destination'. I'd imagine the ones born there consider it a place from which to escape.

In any event, there is ALREADY a nightlife scene. Just last year, DirtDopeyDogg played, live, at the SUN NIGHTCLUB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFUvEQC93NQ

And then, there's JJ's CABARET, which has dancing girls!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FILJluoRcU (I don't know who this fool is, but if you're out late, and/or drinking, between training sessions, while you're on my dime, your prospects for advancement are nil. In fact, you're no longer a colleague/affiliate/associate/trainee. TTFN!)

And then, there's CLUB ESCALADE. Here's part of Shun Beal's stellar performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6eh_SuYTok

All the big names play Meridian. Here's King J. Harden, playing the Sun Nightclub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcwTfHRi41U I especially like the words to the song starting around 2:20 - so romantic. Great beard, and a killa body, too. I wonder if his shirt's all he takes off during performances. No matter, though, 'cause later in the performance, when those white linen pants get sweaty...

And I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of the nightlife possibilities in Meridian.

In fact, maybe if you've had your fill of Rap Superstars, and are itchin' for some bromance lovin' on the down-low, you might want to slither on down to Ollie Mae's: Ollie Mae's
I know somebody who almost went there, once. There's a goat. And there's an alluring nature trail, out back: just hold onto the rope, as you stumble down into the gulley. You never know who you're going to - um - bump into, out in the Mississippi woods: Jackson Jambalaya: You can't make this up: Trooper edition

[GrandviewGloria]

Apologies!

Dowager Soybean Empress called, this morning, in order to rebuke me. "Gloria, you missed the NUMBER ONE FORM OF WALL ART IN THE DEEP SOUTH! How dare you forget the FRAMED FAMILY PORTRAIT?"

Indeed! Mea culpa...MAXIMA! Following recent revelations that the Duck Dynasty Family menfolk were, until they latched-onto their lucrative Backwoods, Bearded, Psycho-Hick Schtick, typical well-groomed First Baptist of Monroe BMW-driving Yuppie types (Duck Dynasty: Yuppies In Red-Neck Drag? | Crooks and Liars). Those matching-outfits-on-the-beach portraits are typical of newly-middle-class families, from Beaumont, Texas, to Barnwell, South Carolina.

Heaven knows, being fresh-up-from-the-gutter, ourselves, we would have been right up there with them, and probably would have had a whole gallery's-worth color-coordinated "Oil-Painting-like" portraits, by now, had I not had my own Decorator, since I was seventeen (at first, he worked for free...). He quelled my tackier impulses, and finally dragged me into an Art History class, senior year: "Gloria, if we don't add art to your empirical knowledge base, NOW, you're gonna be DANGEROUS."

We would have tackied-up the walls with Olan Mills baby pictures, and quickly graduated to a high-status 'Top-o'-the-Heap' studio. Our dusky selves would have been stunning, in all-black outfits, in a nice oil-textured portrait for the foyer: https://fbcdn-photos-b-a.akamaihd.ne...ea19deb7fa4340
But that's how "rich" folks "did", in Fashionable Northeast Jackson,'back in the day' (the ones, at least, who bossed their decorators around, instead of actually listening to their decorators).

The Peaveys and Van Zyverdens (if they still live there) probably have great collections of actual, real, art. And maybe a couple of Meridian surgeons do (maybe). Maybe a couple of plaintiff attorneys do. But most of Meridian's rich will have "Fine Portrait Photography" in key places. The rest of the town, and the whole REGION, will save their pennies, and invest their "art budgets" in lovely Olan Mills portraiture: LIST OF THE DAY: Great Olan Mills photos

Babette called to remind me that "The back wall at ROSS" is where most people in cash-strapped Mississippi get their "art", now. "Well, that and TJ MAX. You'll see some assembly-line-painting from China, on the Back Wall at TJ today, and see it over the mantel, tomorrow, in somebody's million-Dollar Madison 'Cajun Cutie' http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...3-64846?row=10 . And those 'Rot-Arn' crosses from China (http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thin...=l&tid=9942193) are big sellers, too. They fit both local budgets, and local predilections toward faith-based decorating themes."

So truly, bolehboleh, with abundant access to both Olan Mills and TJ Max, the art-buying public in the region have little need of artists. Yes, artists would have cheap places to live. But there would be little local demand for their work, unless they're adept at painting on gourds and other flea-market-friendly items: http://deepsouthmag.com/wp-content/u.../10/gourds.jpg

[bolehboleh]

Soooooo Gloria,

What do you suggest be done to improve the town?

[brownbagg]

Originally Posted by bolehboleh

Soooooo Gloria,

What do you suggest be done to improve the town?

leave it alone

[smarino]

Meridian is mostly famous for the way that the original Yankee war criminal General William T. Sherman totally destroyed everything and anything that existed there. It was the beginning of what is called "modern warfare", wherein civilians are targeted to be starved and murdered, as well as soldiers. He said that he wanted to reduce the town to where the highest point reached no higher than his knee, and is quoted as bragging that “For five days, 10,000 men worked hard and with a will in that work of destruction… Meridian, with its depots, storehouses, arsenals, hospitals, offices, hotels, and cantonments no longer exists.” Not a day goes by that I don't wish we had won that war. His kind are not human.

What on earth does someone from Oregon know about Mississippi? Nothing. A Yankee by any other name is still a Yankee.

Sherman enters Meridian, Mississippi - Feb 14, 1864 - HISTORY.com