The statement in this article that New Orleans has lost all its convention business is not quite true--the American Library Association will hold its summer conference there June 22-28. As part of the conference, ALA will be sponsoring two "Community Service Days" where librarians will sign up (and pay!) for the opportunity to help the people of New Orleans while they're enjoying the city. Proceeds go to help the recovery of libraries in New Orleans.

As Michael Moore can attest, librarians have the power to make things happen, and we're hoping to help the people of New Orleans through our presence, our money, and our effort.

New Orleans will be back, despite the inept machinations of the federal government. It is one of America's most special cities. I visited there in 1997, and was transfixed by it -- the vibe of the French Quarter was amazing and unforgettable. So many American cities aspire to a bland homogeneity, while New Orleans revels in its old-school quirkiness. It'll return, in spite of Bush and his cronies, in spite of the developers who want to pull its teeth.

Can I please find a photograph of the float mentioned w/ KB, GB, Congress, Boiling Cauldron, ETC?

My love for New Orleans only grows as they express artistically their horror in a atmosphere of festivities. This is amazing.

Justin

A second request for pictures. If any article needed a picture gallery, it's this one.

I have fond memories of my visits to New Orleans. It's good to see the spirit continuing.

But you may want to check our local paper, The Times-Picayune, available online at http://www.nola.com/.

And

There are some photos of the "Inferno" float available at www.flickr.com/reustis.

Glad someone in national media is getting the point.

http://flickr.com/photos/reustis/

How could Salon run this article without a photo gallery??

I like it.

Since I have a soapbox for a moment I'd like to address the accusation that Katrina victims "wasted" their aid money on tattoos and whatnot.

I live on Long Island where lots of 9/11 widows are from. No one asked what they bought with that million dollars each that they got. I can tell you from personal knowledge that many (of course not all) of them are using that money to party like it's 1999. No kidding. I guess since they're white no one minds.

As a longtime reader of Salon I still recall the article titled to the effect of "Forbidden Thoughts 9/11", in which readers posted the things they things they thought and said during the minutes and days after Sept 11, 2001. Most of them were things like, "Maybe now minorities can get hired at FDNY since there are so many vacancies!" and "We had it coming!" and "Hooray! I get off work for a few days!" and "The WTC was ugly anyway!".

If, as some New Orleans residents have said, "This is OUR 9/11"(as if the first 9/11 didn't pertain to them, as if they are not Americans), we should have the chance to share our forbidden thoughts.

Here are a few of mine:

"What idiot would live BELOW F*$&%ING SEA LEVEL" in the path of Hurricaines?"

"What idiot wouldn't leave town when told to?"

"New Orleans was a toilet anyway"

It's only fair. I look forward to hearing from others. Should I start holding my breath now?

"I live on Long Island where lots of 9/11 widows are from. No one asked what they bought with that million dollars each that they got. I can tell you from personal knowledge that many (of course not all) of them are using that money to party like it's 1999. No kidding. I guess since they're white no one minds."

While it may be beside the point, I'm sure that many Americans now feel that 9/11 widows and widowers were vastly overpaid during the highly emotional months after the attacks. If/when another catastrophic attack happens, those who lose spouses should not expect the same generosity.

Back to the point...while some of the 9/11 widows may have squandered their generous donations, NONE of them were given the money as a means to find new housing and, instead of using the money to get a job, apartment, etc., spent it on booze, drugs, etc. NONE of them are now complaining, 6 months later, that the American people should continue to pay for their hotel rooms.

There is a difference. It's pretty clear.

No, it was not our 9/11.

The government cared about NYC during 9/11; they have abandoned New Orleans. We are not americans any more. We are New Orleanians. We fly the New Orleans flag, as we alone seem to care about our own.

Why would anyone live in NYC anyway? Those idiots in the tower should have known they live in a magnet for terrorism.

Why would anyone live in SF anyway? Those idiots should know about the fault lines.

Why would they rebuild Chicago? The fire was God's wrath.

And so on...

The federal levees and floodwalls failed, and that's why people died. That, and the fact that nobody in the administration is either competent or cares. People died because they didn't have drinking water for God's sake.