Unexpected Road Trip and thoughts after

I had to take my nephew back home to The Dalles this morning, about a 200 mile round trip adventure form my home here in Tigard. (both in Oregon BTW). Not a bad thing, it's a trip up the Columbia River Gorge, one of most scenic and beautiful drives in the world. I topped off my tank before leaving Portland, $2.78 a gallon. Once outside of Portland the prices were all over $3.00 a gallon with a high of $3.19 at Cascade Locks in the middle of the Gorge.
As a result I haven't had a chance to catch up on the news but others have.

• Jazz covered the "Combat Operations" in New Orleans below, scary stuff.


• Over at Running Scared Jazz explains that a long term plan is finally becoming a reality for the fascist wingnuts. Really scary stuff.


• Over at Random Fate Jack Grant explains how Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff certainly has one of the qualifications to be on the Bush cabinet, he's a pathological liar.


• At The Left Coaster pessimist sends a letter to Tiny Tim Russert explaining why he is in part responsible for the New Orleans clusterfuck.

And for some praise where it's deserved. I have been more than critical of the state of Texas on these virtual pages in the past but it appears that they may be the only ones who have their shit together in the aftermath of Katrina. They have taken in 250,000 refugees and seem to be doing a really good job of it. My sister lives in one of the "better" neighborhoods in Houston and she and her neighbors are spending their long weekend helping with relief. Texas also seems to have made a brief visit to planet reality and realizes that many of those 250,000 refugees are going to be new citizens of Texas on a permanent basis and is planning accordingly. A tip of the MEJ hat to citizens of Texas.