I’m real busy again today, so I’m hoping you’ll let me get away with a little bit of a blow-off. Depending on when you’re reading this, the election is either a) hours away; or b) ongoing, and frankly, if you’re anything like me, you’ll welcome the distraction. Today I offered odds on Election Day: 15-1 for gunfire in an American polling place, and 8-1 on physical battery. Those odds are no longer available, I regret to say, but I’m eager to be proven wrong in my low expectations of the American people.

So here’s a lovely distraction: Fabulous fellow Fellow Vince Patton checked in the other day. You can see from the picture what Vince does for a living — he reports for KGW-TV in Portland, Ore., lately on the coveted volcano beat. What you may not know is that he’s a very talented amateur photographer, and he took his camera along on his last few flyovers. Here’s to a TV news chopper being used for something other than a freeway chase in southern California! And the pictures are gorgeous. (Hint: Follow the links on the top of that page to pix of our trip to Argentina last year. …NN.C trivia note: KGW’s 8 logo was designed by JCBD, designer of the blog you’re lookin’ at. I have such glamorous friends.)

OK, some quick bloggage: Gene Weingarten on a non-voter in Michigan. Choice passage:

The presidential appearance had been all over the news in Muskegon for more than a week, but Ted hadn’t heard about it until the day before, and only because someone told him. He doesn’t read the papers much, except for NASCAR results and sometimes the classifieds. On TV, for information, he watches the Weather Channel or the farm reports.

Ted didn’t even look up. Because, when it comes to politics, as Ted will tell you himself, he just doesn’t give a rat’s ass.

It gets better.

Happy Election Day. Vote early, and vote peacefully.

Update: More Gene Weingarten. Read. Obey.