New Orleans is gone. Please help New Orleanians

Send donations to the Red Cross. I'm sending my $100 now. This is my small thanks to New Orleans and its people. There's no question that the city, specifically these neighborhoods (many now destroyed), is the cradle of American music as we know it.

The best New Orleans news links continue to be: the WWL-TV blog, Fox, the Times-Picayune blog, WDSU, WDSU video, WWL-TV's online video broadcasts, Steve Perry's straight-talking Blotter posts (read "Key questions for the days ahead"), the Interdictor group blog (and the Interdictor message board), this detailed satellite photo allowing you to zoom in on different areas, and Josh Britton's blog. See yesterday and Tuesday for more. Also see this complete list of charities from Instapundit, and FEMA's list of suggested charities. Today is Blog for Relief Day, and here's a roundup of blogging on New Orleans. Also, here's an evacuation route. I'm off for New York at dawn, but New Orleans will be on my mind.

Photo credits: flooded St. Claude Avenue on Wednesday photographed by David Grunfeld of the New Orleans Times-Picayune; refugee Thursday morning also photographed by Grunfeld; Charity Hospital photographed by Brett Duke of the same paper; residents waiting to be rescued Thursday photographed by David J. Phillip of AP; bottom of this post: Louisiana Superdome on Wednesday photographed by Grunfeld

More New Orleans news links:

New Orleans Mayor Issues 'Desperate SOS': "Fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. 'This is a desperate SOS," the mayor said." UPDATE 11:21 P.M.: Fats Domino and Irma Thomas have been found (the same column has an update on CBGB), other New Orleans musicians are still there, Alex Chilton is OK, Juvenile's house destroyed, and Master P to help flood victims, Dave Pirner might also be homeless

The armed thugs are real, Craigslist offering housing to Katrina victims, but will anyone see it?, try hurricanehousing.org, "New Orleans is Gone" says Gambit editor (though as noted, Katy Reckdahl is okay), Bush doesn't "think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees," conservatives bash Bush speech, pissed-off EPA worker: flood waters named "Lake George"

Scenes from the evacuation to Texas, Washington Post article about the Superdome's conditions, Katrina audio feeds, MSNBC photos, more satellite images, photos from Hattiesburg, Thursday radio broadcast: Bill Quigley in New Orleans Hospital: "No Water, Sick, Call Somebody for Help", Why no mention of race or class in Katrina TV coverage?, French Quarter relatively undamaged, the zoo and the museums are fine (so much for that shark myth, which was hilarious), in case you didn't think there would be, some sad and racist stuff on the Nola forum, the cultural loss of New Orleans, those Goths defending the bar are okay

From my email, an update on my friend:

"Machelle is still holding up in New Orleans with friends. I apologize that I didn't email sooner. I'm not sure what the latest is as far as troops reaching the city. On behalf of Machelle, please contact your senator/reps to let them know that you do have a family member/friend who is in the part of the city that isn't flooded. She and numbers of other families are perfectly fine and safe, but they need troops sent into New Orleans to restore order in the city. These families want to get out of their homes to do what they can to help, but the fear of violence and looting is keeping them trapped in their homes.

"Machelle said last night they grilled out some excellent steaks and shrimp from a restaurant someone worked at - they don't want to let all that food go to waste. Today they went to a coffee shop someone else worked at and got a huge cooler full of ice. It has been extremely hot & humid, but today it rained which helped to cool things down. In this way they still have the supplies of food and water that they need.

"So Machelle and company are staying put and doing fine. They are only going place in groups. If you want to do something, their greatest need right now is the national guard."

Machelle's friend Maitri has more at her New Orleans blog, which I'll keep checking from New York over the weekend. Apparently, Machelle wants to stay to help rebuild the city.

New Orleans music links:

For a glimpse of the history behind these flooded neighborhoods, read Backbeat: Earl Palmer's Story, and check out... Offbeat.com
Peachesrecordsandtapes.com
Professorlonghair.com
Barnburnermusic.com
Rebirthbrassband.com
Louisianamusicfactory.com Tipitinas.com
WWOZ.org Goodtimesroll.org/shows/programs.shtml
Rhinorecords.com
Shoutfactory.com
Souljazzrecords.co.uk Acerecords.co.uk

Here's Dylan's tribute to New Orleans music and culture.

UPDATE 1:34 A.M. FRIDAY

CBGB's not dead yet