I, like hundreds of thousands of others, am anxious to know how the houses of family and friends back in New Orleans have fared. I've been watching aerial footage from the local news stations, eager to catch glimpses of places I know. It would be so tremendously helpful if Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, or anyone could obtain some updated aerial or satellite photos for their mapping services so that we can actually get some idea of how individual properties fared.
I've actually tried contacting Google to let them know how helpful that would be but, not surprisingly, can't really get through to anyone beyond the operator. Knowing how large and diverse the audiences of dKos and other blogs are, I'm hoping there is someone out there who knows how to make this happen, or perhaps why it can't.
As distasteful as it may be, I'm asking that this diary be recommended in order to increase the chances of getting this to someone who may help.