...and fairly isolated from newspapers, the internet, cable news, etc. What did I miss?

Oh.

So, apparently, all that was once good and great about this country curled up and died in New Orleans while I was gone.

Hmmm.

I've spent a good portion of the last few days catching up on all of the madness, finger pointing, heart-breaking imagery and the utter incompetence of just about nearly everyone involved in a position of authority.

I don't have much of anything to add to the debate over this swirling nightmare so I'll just keep my mouth shut and go back to cranking out the regularly scheduled slew of ridiculous Portland anecdotes and sub-mediocre photos of kitsch.

Well, eventually but not before I spend a few hours hiding underneath a pile of blankets. If a huge earthquake or a storm of the century ever hits Oregon it's now obvious that we're all completely and, let's be honest with ourselves, utterly screwed.

I'll also throw this out here: I had considered traveling to the Big Easy before a lack of $ nixed the idea. If everything had come together I would have flown down there on August 27th.