How Long Should a Moment of Silence Last?

I realize I've just posted a big, ole' ramble about me, me, me, with scant mention of the devastation of NOLA, or the devastating response by our supposed leaders. I don't really know if I can say anything which will be of worth, and certainly my thoughts are no more interesting than those of the many astute thinkers of the day. I will, say, however, that this time feels very bleak and dark, in a grand sense. Far more saddening than our descent into the supposed "Age of Terror," or the senseless slaughter in Iraq. As with both of those cases, this was so very preventable, and, as with those cases, again, a case of politics-gone-bad to the core.

Beyond all of that (which seems so obvious), I will also say that I have loved New Orleans since I first set foot there - the city appealed to me for all of its strange beauty, tangible restlessnes, and lazy grandeur. I took my honey there for a surprise birthday trip earlier this year, and feel so lucky to have soaked up the city one last time, and to have shared it with him.