I’ve been avoiding TV news. Instead I’ve been listening to updates on NPR and keeping tabs on what’s going on via the Web, especially reading the Survival of New Orleans blog, a Live Journal written by Michael Barnett, the crisis manager at DirectNIC.com. He’s holed up in the skyscraper that houses the DirectNIC offices, and he’s making these updates describing what he’s experiencing, observing and dealing with in terms of survival, damage and lawlessness. Some of the news he posts is just frightening or otherwise stomach-knot-inducing.

When I first learned of how bad Hurricane Katrina would be, I tried to think of anyone I knew in the area. AFAIK, I don’t know anyone there directly, but you never know. We’re all connected somehow.

I ended up visiting Chuck Taggart’s blog…he used to host a great music show on KCRW a long time ago, and I remembered that he had roots in New Orleans. I also checked DirectNIC.com because I’ve been one of its customers for a number of years now, and knew the company was based in New Orleans.

I don’t have much to say here right now, other than that it’s hard to process just how devastating the aftermath of the hurricane is and will be. Donate what you can: time, money, both. As always, research charities (charitywatch.org, Charity Navigator) and beware of the middlemen scum that will scam you out of your money.

If I keep writing, I know I’ll end up on some sort of rant, so I’ll stop now.