Raise Hell An' Eat Cornbread An' Dis The One After 909
All I can say is...DANG.

J, your trendy phrase deserves to blanket the galaxy.

The ...scoop:

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I just got off the phone with my girl Moo Cow Jen....

Jen says, "Guess what everyone is saying on campus? It's your favorite saying, you started the trend baby.."

I paused and then burst into laughter.
"Raise hell an' eat cornbread!"

"That's right girl!! Everyone is saying it! It's awesome!"

I think I made that little phrase up right around the time of the cow incident. I actually still say it to this day. I was so tickled to see that my tradition stuck.

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Read http://simplerambles.blogspot.com/2004/12/raise-hell-and-eat-cornbread_22.html for more particulars, including this pointless comment:

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The Inland Empire area of Southern California (where I live) is derided by the snooties in the Westside etc. as a hick area (one radio show constantly makes fun of the "909," our area code). I'm now inspired to put on my best overalls, shine my sneakers, and go to one of them high falutin' pavilion thingies over in Bel Air or somewheres and scream "Raise hell an' eat cornbread!" at the top of my lungs. But they'd probably throw Grey Poupon at me.

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Tangential - People out there turning music into coal (and yes, I know the article author's name is Jim, but I had to say it, even though a reference to an old Beatles song is more appropriate):

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Western Riverside County will escape the 909 on Saturday, but it will remain in "The Valley of the Dirt People.' DJs at Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM (106.7) will continue to ensure that.

San Bernardino County will remain in the area code that has come to be not so affectionately known as "the 909' while its rival to the south will hang up a new banner: 951.

"We're calling it a cultural change,' Loretta Lynch, a member of the state Public Utilities Commission, on Kevin and Bean's radio show Tuesday morning....

Western Riverside County residents want to befriend those of Los Angeles and "the OC' again. Families want to reunite with relatives south and west. And business owners want to expand into once barred territory.

In just 12 years, since San Bernardino and Riverside counties switched from 714 to 909, the area code has developed a reputation some can't wait to escape.

"The only ones it really makes a difference to is the people of Riverside,' San Bernardino Councilwoman Esther Estrada said. "There has always been that desire to have themselves get closer or be viewed closer to Orange County. (They think) the further you remove them from San Bernardino County, the perception will be better.'

While the PUC frequently hears people complaining about area-code splits, Riversiders are excited to leave the cursed area code.

But can a new area code really create a new beginning and image for a notoriously maligned area?

Many, such as longtime tormentors Kevin and Bean, don't seem to think so.

"You can call a pig a ballerina, but you can't make it dance,' Bean wrote in an e-mail to The Sun last week.

The morning duo, Fox's "The OC' and shops and bars in Los Angeles and Orange counties continually belittle "the 909,' referencing everything from drugs and crime to mullets and cow manure.

The area-code ranking segment in the 1996 movie "Swingers' inspired the bashing, Bean has said.

On Tuesday morning's show, Kevin and Bean said, "Riverside is the capital of the 909,' and the two area codes will be synonymous because it's still "The Valley of the Dirt People.'

"Riverside, you are fooling yourselves,' Kevin said. "951 equals 909.'

But even 909 residents like Colton's Jim Stewart, author of "The 909: The Book,' said the change won't help the area's well-engrained image and will be expensive for businesses.

"I think a lot of people hope it will start a new beginning,' Stewart said. "But everyone who will be part of the 951 probably wishes it was changing back to 714. Culturally, I don't think it will make any difference at all.'

Stewart had the chance to talk to Kevin and Bean about his novel, which praises the 909 for its sense of community and family-oriented lifestyle, around the time of its release in May 2003.

"I felt violated,' he said. "They were like attacking me. You can only talk so fast to five people.

"Kevin told me, 'Riverside is the gem of my (butt).''

Though the condescending phenomenon has been around for years, the radio team has made it well known, Stewart said.

But whether any of them are credible sources could be contested: Stewart grew up in Orange County, Bean lives in and broadcasts from Seattle and one of the morning radio show's assistants is from Fontana.

"It's just a good-natured rivalry,' Stewart said. "But a lot of my professional colleagues didn't even know there was a negative connotation out here it's more of a youth culture type thing.'...

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