As we go to press (actually this issue is already at pre-press) hurricane Katrina has battered the coastlines of Louisiana and Mississippi and caused massive flooding and destruction to the city of New Orleans. For the last two years we've hosted the TapeOpCon in this city, making many friends in the area in the recording and music scenes. New Orleans is one of America's unique cities, one of the birthplaces of jazz and rock and roll and a cultural center of unique art, food and a different lifestyle from the rest of this increasingly homogenized country. At this point we've heard from our friends at Piety Street Recording that they are all safe in other cities waiting to return to survey the damage, we've heard our pal Andrew Gilchrest is okay, and conference event planner Jon Kardon is staying at his sister's home. But many of our friends are unaccounted for at this point — Sara and the Big Blue Marble band, Chris and Daniel from the Living Room Studio and many other studio owners and musicians. We worry and wait.