The Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi has, of course, been ransacked by Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath of Katrina. Here in New York, we're heartbroken by that loss, we're incensed at the government that allowed this humanitarian disaster to occur, and we're also reminded of our good fortune — our health, our happiness, and our ability to go outside and enjoy our current, perfect late-summer weather. And so we're sure it was with these conflicting realities and emotions in mind — awareness of the devastion down south, appreciation for the natural beauty here in the north — that a brilliant and nuanced Post headline writer came up with the unquestionably perfect title for a travel-section piece today on foliage-viewing hikes less than two hours from the city: "Walking on Sunshine," which is also the title of the one hit by one-hit wonders Katrina and the Waves. It's perfect synchronicity.

We imagine things there are tough for the gays, too.

Thank God Louisiana is a Powerball state.

It's good to see that even in these trying times, there are certain things — like CNN's apparent fondess for catastrophic snuff films — you can always count on.

Oil at $68 as Katrina Damage Assessed [MSN Money]

Hey, if you can win the Tour de France seven times, why shouldn't you be able to create weather patterns?

This story seemed so promising for a moment:

Greg Lindsay's latest "Media Uncovered" column for Business 2.0 posted online yesterday.

Pat Kiernan made an interesting point while reading us the newspaper this morning:

If true, going on strike is the first thing — not getting you where you're supposed to go when you're supposed to get there, not getting your suitcase there, too — Northwest has ever had a good plan for. Swell.

This one, to be honest, we were kind of intrigued to see.

We can't wait to see next week's issue, containing the highly-anticipated essay on Kung-Fu Hustle as a post-post-modern homage to Six Feet Under, plus exciting new changes to the masthead.

Between the day job and another project we're in the middle of, we worked about a ten-hour day yesterday. Then last night we met an old coworker for a few drinks, which turned into more than a few drinks, which were followed by a few cigarettes, even though we decided last week we weren't buying smokes anymore, because of Peter Jennings, and then a late dinner of bacon cheeseburgers and fries (and, for some reason, a scotch or two) at the Corner Bistro.

Because nothing sucks like a disorganized riot.

Especially not the potato thing. He definitely wouldn't want to change that one.

But did it make a sound?

Great. Now they tell us.

We're supposed to be uniting now? Shit. That's gonna make things so much less fun for Krucoff.

But can you watch it free? Otherwise we're sticking with CNN for all our weird, misogynistic, fetish porn.

Four Americans were killed in Iraq last night, and another six were wounded. Iran is removing U.N. seals on its reactor and restarting a nuclear program. And the most recent round of talks on North Korea's nukes ended without any progress made.