The Shakedown
What's the Deal with Rain, Anyway?
We size up that drizzle from the sky.

Image: Courtesy AJT/Shutterstock
↑ Upside
- Justifies the existence of otherwise useless mudrooms
- Injects morning commutes with 200 percent more dashing
- Significantly raises chances of a first-act meet-cute
- Free, eco-friendly car wash service for the lazy
- Puddles fun to jump in, we guess
- Excellent with roses; not unlike whiskers on kittens
- Cheaper than sunscreen
- Trees
↓ Downside
- The mother-in-law of meteorological effects: overstays welcome by a lot
- Despite PR efforts of Big Galosh, rain boots never cute
- Somehow manages to make local drivers even worse
- Excuse for long-timers to trot out “Portlanders don’t use umbrellas” line again
- No one—no one—knows where it comes from
- Could be snow if it tried a bit harder
- You are probably the reason God is crying
- Acid