So I jump into my car today and turn on the engine as usual. But what do I hear from Tobias's speakers? It is a sound so awful, it brings back those almost forgotten memories of trying in vain to find a listenable radio station while driving through the barren wasteland of central Nebraska.

I look at the tuner's frequency in disbelief. It is set to the same familiar spot where I left it last night as I drove home from work. 102.1 FM. My stomach sinks.

NOOOOOOOOOOO!

That is the sound of an entire city screaming as, one by one, each person wakes up and realizes that the station we have all come to rely upon daily for our high energy vibes, dancable rhythms, and funky remixes has apparently reverted to... [I shudder to type it.]

Country. Of the worst sort. We're not even talking about the almost tolerable pseudo-hip (for country) tunes of Shania Twain or the Dixie Chicks. It's that nasty type of country music that sounds like it was created by inbred rejects out of the neanderthal era. You know what I mean.

I left the tuner alone for a few minutes as I drove down Wadsworth. Perhaps I was still hoping against hope that this was some sort of technical glitch, and it would all be fixed in a minute. A practical joke, maybe? Had someone over there screwed up in reading their calendar? Maybe they thought that today is April 1st?

But when one pathetic excuse for a song ended, and another began, the awful reality started to sink in. They even had some twerp acting as a DJ who told one of those tired old dumb blond jokes between songs. I couldn't bear it any longer.

I hit my preset button, and was relieved to hear BPI playing Tool. At least there's something in the world that hasn't gone completely insane.

And so it would appear that the great 102.1X has disappeared with as little fanfare as it began. One day last summer, it just showed up out of nowhere, a wonderfully pleasant surprise to all the weary drivers looking for something fun to listen to. Another day, it's just.... gone. No explanation whatsoever.

I'll still keep my preset there for a few more days, just in case this all turns out to be some horrible mistake. Wishful thinking, probably.

If they were running short on funding, they could have at least asked for donations or something. I would've sent a few bucks their way. I bet I wouldn't have been the only one either. It was the best music we ever heard on the airwaves of this town. Now it's gone.

Now excuse me while I go cry in my beer for a while.

Actually, a better idea: Reverting to Plan A, I'll watch some more of those classic Xena episodes. Maybe, just maybe, I can forget for a while about the lost radio station.

Waaahaaaaahaaaa!