DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS?

I certainly do - my undergrad years in Waco and my friendship with Bryan Moore, then of Covington, LA, allowed me a handfull of trips to New Orleans. I have yet been to a city of more distinct character and flavor... and the home of Ignatius J. Reilly.

Which is why it saddens me so greatly that the City has taken the hit that it has. So, I urge anyone and everyone to donate money to relief efforts for that wonderful town and the surrounding areas deveastated by Hurricane Katrina.

My charity of choice was The Salvation Army. You can designate that your money goes specifically to Hurricane Katrina relief.

Instapundit has a nice round-up of various charities that one can send money to and be confident that it gets spent efficiently.

The Times-Picayune has bravely weathered the storm and its resulting dangers to provide crucial reporting of conditions and events. I urge everyone to give it a read.

Craigslist in New Orleans has turned their Lost & Found classified section into a Missing Persons page where people are able to post inquiries about lost relatives and other loved ones. Give this a read, too.

Our prayers go out to the victims and the relief workers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

By the way, for those interested, of the two retailers below, one has already donated $1 million to the Salvation Army for early hurricane relief and invites customers to donate and one has offered no donation and only directs customers to a website to donate their own money.

Costco
Wal-Mart