Be Nice Or Leave

I'm worried sick about Dr. Bob. I know I haven't written anything here in ages, and obviously there's been a lot going on. New Orleans washed away. I have a lot of connections to New Orleans, actually. Uncle Norman and Aunt Dolores used to live there, and I visited them when my cousins were babies. Mama met Daddy there. I've worked there and played there.

My closest connection to modern day New Orleans, though, is Dr. Bob, the artist of Be Nice Or Leave fame. A few pieces of news have appeared about him. The AP reported that his studio bore the spray painted greeting "Looters will be shot. Dr. Bob" after Katrina passed through. The most recent news, from a less than reputable source on the Internet, is that Dr. Bob was beaten by the New Orleans Police, who mistook him for a looter. I can imagine him with his long hair and probably a gun in his hand, and I can see how the police might have gotten the wrong impression. If he was beaten, though, where is he? Is the story even true? This kind of tragedy breeds legends, and this might be one. I get the feeling it will be a long time before we find out for sure.