"Eugene is located in western Oregon, approximately 278 billion miles from anything"

This quote by Dave Barry is a humorous overestimation of the range between Eugene, Oregon and various other cities. By saying that Eugene is "roughly 278 billion miles from anything," Barry is implying that Eugene is a remote as well as separated city. This is most likely meant to be a joke, as the real distance in between Eugene and also other cities is much smaller. The quote is most likely suggested to satirize the idea of Eugene being a small, rural city, as well as to highlight the fact that it is far away from various other major cities. It is additionally feasible that Barry is making a discuss the lack of amusement and also tasks offered in Eugene, as the quote suggests that there is nothing to do in the city.