DirectNIC Crisis Manager Braves the Chaos of New Orleans 911
Aleks Clark writes "The Interdictor, a DirectNIC crisis manager, is currently braving the madness of post-Katrina New Orleans. Server rescues, OC4 repairs and live video and audio feeds abound as he and his crew battle the odds with what seems like the entire internet at his back. 1700+ People are tracking his blog, and IRC channels are full to capacity."
we are busy.. (Score:5, Informative)
we are on freenode in #interdictor
we have had a lot of support, thank you guys.
as far as directnic employees, we have made contact with most, we are still missing our entire accounting/HR department and many of our support people are MIA, we can only assume they got out.
as a company, the majority of our employees are currently homeless and are regrouping in Florida currently.
They are pretty hardcore there, not sure they can even get out now..
Re:Mirror of his blog (Score:5, Informative)
DONATE (Score:5, Informative)
AmeriCares:americares.org [americares.org]
RoommateClick.com [rc-katrina.com]Site offering a service for the New Orleans homeless, free of charge.
Baton Rouge Area Foundation(BRAF): 877.387.6126 or braf.org [braf.org]
Episcopal Relief & Development: 1-800-334-7626 or www.er-d.org [er-d.org]
United Methodist Committee on Relief: 1-800-554-8583 or gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/hurricanes/2005 [gbgm-umc.org]
Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY or www.salvationarmyusa.org [salvationarmyusa.org]
Catholic Charities: 1-800-919-9338 or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org [catholiccharitiesusa.org]
FEMA Charity tips: www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm [fema.gov]
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: www.nvoad.org [nvoad.org]
Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: www.la-spca.org [la-spca.org]
Operation Blessing: 1-800-436-6348 or www.ob.org [ob.org]
America's Second Harvest: 1-800-344-8070 or www.secondharvest.org [secondharvest.org]
Adventist Community Services: 1-800-381-7171 or www.adventist.communityservices.org [communityservices.org]
Christian Disaster Response: 1-941-956-5183 or 1-941-551-9554 or www.cdresponse.org/cdrhome.html [cdresponse.org]
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: 1-800-848-5818 or www.crwrc.org [crwrc.org]
Church World Service: 1-800-297-1516 or www.churchworldservice.org [churchworldservice.org]
Convoy of Hope: 1-417-823-8998 or www.convoyofhope.org [convoyofhope.org]
Lutheran Disaster Response: 1-800-638-3522 or www.elca.org/disaster [elca.org]
Mennonite Disaster Service: 1-717-859-2210 or www.mds.mennonite.net [mennonite.net]
Nazarene Disaster Response: 1-888-256-5886 or www.nazarenedisasterresponse.org [nazarenedi...sponse.org]
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: 1-800-872-3283 or www.pcusa.org/pda [pcusa.org]
Southern Baptist Convention - Disaster Relief: 1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440 or www.namb.net [namb.net]
IRC is NOT FULL (Score:5, Informative)
irc.freenode.net #interdictor
There are several sub-channels, such as #interdictor-chat for discussion/dialogue, #interdictor-scanner for a transcript of the radio scanner, etc.
We are also trying to track any news and information we can find to provide a summarized glimpse of the events as they happen. We're avoiding things that are already available through major news outlets, but any first-hand accounts, independent news sources, eye-witness information, international news, etc. (anything you couldn't find through, say, Fox News or MSNBC), please don't hesitate to help out.
Re:Brilliant! They keep the servers up ... (Score:2, Informative)
The blog is a LiveJournal account, LJ's weathered several slashdotings before without problems.
Re:Data Link Source (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Police doing the looting...Government SNAFU (Score:5, Informative)
Not true. I guess it makes for a more dramatic story if they leave out the facts. Simple fact is, if the money had not been diverted, the money would of been spent on a project which would still not have been completed and the city would have still be lost. But, telling half truths on the news makes for a much better story. I heard this from an Army Corps of Engineers representative on the news this morning. According to him, even if they had started the project in 2002, the project probably would not have been completed until at least 2008. This is 2005, last I checked, which means the project probably wouldn't of started until about a year ago, which means we would of flushed that money with the rest of the city.
More info can be found here (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Re-unification site (Score:4, Informative)
and more [craigslist.org].
great place to offer what you can
Re:Data Link Source (Score:5, Informative)
Wow... (Score:1, Informative)
Re:If only the federal, state, and local governmen (Score:3, Informative)
"..In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake Pontchartrain, according to a Feb. 16, 2004, article, in New Orleans CityBusiness.
On June 8, 2004, Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; told the Times-Picayune: "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can't be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us."
Also that June, with the 2004 hurricane season starting, the Corps' project manager Al Naomi went before a local agency, the East Jefferson Levee Authority, and essentially begged for $2 million for urgent work that Washington was now unable to pay for.
Guess it's okay though, people still have those tax cuts he gave them.
Re:WTF, People! (Score:5, Informative)
he's getting fuel runs because the police precincts are *abandoned*, and his office *isn't*. he's getting fuel runs because his infrastucture is *still intact*. the police and military are helping *him*, because he's got his shit together and is keeping data trunk lines running.
and just for the record, blogging, as a one-to-many means of communication, is the most efficient way that these folks are able to communicate to everybody else. they don't have time to sift through emails and make phone calls, so they're using their blogs as a broadcasting mechanism.
God, I hate self-possessed tards who don't appreciate the work that other people do, and don't know what an OC3 or a metro-area disaster recovery plan is.
for someone with such a low UserID and who, apparently, has been around here for a long time, I'm surprised that you don't understand the importance of keeping telephone lines up in emergency situations.
To any moderators reading, please mod parent post as Troll.
interdictor cutomized Google Map... (Score:5, Informative)
interdictor map [100free.com].
I've only got a little on there now, but will add more (like other flood lines, etc) if people send me email with coordinates to gmap AT danREMOVEshockley.com
I've got a simple click-to-find-coordinates map at:
Test Map Coords [100free.com]
Survivor Registry (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.survivorregistry.com/ [survivorregistry.com]
Katrina survivors can leave messages for family, plus we link to several other lost and found sites.
Re:Bodies Float -- Bush Smiling, Playing Guitar (Score:2, Informative)
"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." George W. Bush [bbc.co.uk] - August 31, 2005
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City." Article [nationalgeographic.com] from National Geographic predicting this exact scenario back in 2004
Now remember Bush appointed a real-estate attorney to head FEMA, instead of someone actually qualified. And this guy, Brown, just blamed the victims for their own problems for not leaving when warned. When in fact he ignores that many don't have resources to leave, many have relatives in critical care in hospitals, many are disabled and cannot leave, etc etc.
No, the government has MUCH to blame for this happening, the war in Iraq being one such diversion of funds and manpower to handle this properly. The other being the administration sitting on their asses until DAYS afterwards to do anything worthwhile.
The buck apparently stops at the president, so then YES, I do blame Bush as being responsibile for just about everything done wrong in the fact of this disaster that could be done.
Re:Bodies Float -- Bush Smiling, Playing Guitar (Score:4, Informative)
What has America done? Well, you're clearly not interested in the answer to this question, so I won't even mention the vast amounts of international aid given every year.
I'll just go directly to refute your points. The US people may be many things, but they are neither sheep nor complacent. I'm not sure you understand the meaning of complacent if you call Americans complacement.
Next, the US was by no means isolationist until the second world war. There was a first world war you know? We participated in that too. There was the Marshall plan after WW2 you know--I'd be interested in seeing what Europe today would be without that (you aren't in one of the countries rebuilt by the Marshall plan are you?).
Kill people in Vietnam? After being begged to go in by the Vietnamese... Killed people in Korea? Yes, the UN did go in Korea, you're right. Killed people in Iraq? Yes, the UN did go in Iraq, you're right. Killed people all over South american--of all your criticisms of American foreign policy this is probably the closest to having a point, thoguh i notice you don't blame the communists who funded insurgent rebel groups across the continet for causing bloodshead? Lead the world in prison population per capita? Figures please? Invent nuclear weapons? Yes, we did invent them, as did China, maybe the Germans, the Russians, and others. Your facts are simply wrong if you think the US had anything to do with Israel going nuclear--many of these records are now available, and much of the initial material was actually from Britain. US had no part in the early days of Israel.
The US almost destroyed the planet? Huh, Idon't remember that. You can just as well say the USSR almost destroyed the planet. Either way it's nonsenisical. What Big Ron did was force the USSR to quick economic collapse, that has seen countries frok Georgia to Ukraine to Poland find freedom in the ensuing decade.
Do I consider Survivor or American Idol to be accomplishments? Me personlaly, no? But given the number of people who want American TV worldwide, yes, I would have to. And besides, both of those TV shows derive from British shows, so your ideas are off their too.
Re:Police doing the looting...Government SNAFU (Score:5, Informative)
"Also that June, with the 2004 hurricane season starting, the Corps' project manager Al Naomi went before a local agency, the East Jefferson Levee Authority, and essentially begged for $2 million for urgent work that Washington was now unable to pay for. From the June 18, 2004 Times-Picayune:"
"The system is in great shape, but the levees are sinking. Everything is sinking, and if we don't get the money fast enough to raise them, then we can't stay ahead of the settlement," he said. "The problem that we have isn't that the levee is low, but that the federal funds have dried up so that we can't raise them."
"The panel authorized that money, and on July 1, 2004, it had to pony up another $250,000 when it learned that stretches of the levee in Metairie had sunk by four feet. The agency had to pay for the work with higher property taxes. The levee board noted in October 2004 that the feds were also now not paying for a hoped-for $15 million project to better shore up the banks of Lake Pontchartrain."
THIS IS NOT libertarianism (Score:5, Informative)
THIS IS ANARCHY in the city! NOTHING LESS.
ANARCHY ANARCHY ANARCHY!
According to http://www.m-w.com/ [m-w.com] Anarachy:
1 a : absence of government b : a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority
Libertarianism involves a civilized society. I am sure you can Google to find lots of books and essays on the subject. But a few requirements for libertarianism:
- LIMITED government (not non-existant)
- free markets
- personal responsibility
- individual freedoms
The main philosophy behind libertarianism is 'your rights go so far until they impede on other people's rights"
DO NOT spread misinformation like this; it is iresponsible, and ignorant!
Mirror of pictures from DirectNIC & sigmund.bi (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.nerdshack.com/katrina/ [nerdshack.com]
pictures mirror (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Re-unification site (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.fullcircle.net/ [fullcircle.net]
Re:MOD PARENT DOWN PLEASE (Score:4, Informative)
I don't think you understand the word libertarian. Libertarianism != anarchy (complete lack of rule). Libertarians don't believe in raiding high ground or infrastructure, and they don't believe in slavery (they believe it is a violation of one's freedom; remember, libertarianism has the philosophy of freedom and of non-coercion). And many libertarians have the heart to rescue innocent people for no charge.
I don't know what you've been taught about libertarianism, but somebody must have taught you that all libertarians are cold, apathetic, greedy, and selfish individuals. That's not true. Many libertarians support helping others, and many libertarians are filling the government's shoes and helping donate to Red Cross and other organizations. (Libertarians love private charity). I wish that the local, state, and federal governments (especially the local and state governments) had a more active role in providing these citizens food and water. It doesn't help to be in a huge shelter if you're going to die of dehydration. (And, yes, I'm a libertarian. Whaddo'ya know, a Libertarian who supports pinko commie ideas like giving food and water to displaced citizens. Who would've thought....) What you are seeing in the streets of New Orleans isn't representative of libertarianism at all. You're seeing almost pure anarchy.
Re:Bodies Float -- Bush Smiling, Playing Guitar (Score:3, Informative)
US involvement with broad international affairs was not really active until after WWII.
http://www.answers.com/topic/isolationism [answers.com]
The Marshall Plan was enacted BECAUSE europe was totally destroyed in the power play between Britain, the US, Germany and the Soviet Union. The US/Britain conquered Germany, divided up europe with the soviets, and then rebuilt the place. So what? Thats what the winners do in war, rebuild their newly found economic sub-states.
Vietnam? What did that conflict have to do with the United States? It was a country trying to wrestle freedom from the French imperialists. I thought the US supported this. Where did you learn your history anyway?
The Korean conflict was a "police action" fronted by the UN in order to allow the US to send troops without a declaration of war, as called for in our constitution. Again, what threat did this war pose to the United States? Who exactly were we helping? The folks we killed, or the folks who shared our economic ideals?
Umm.. The US leads the world in prison population and has for many years:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/rel/icps/worldbrief/h
What "communists" funded the "insurgent rebel groups" in South America? They fought their civil wars with shitty weapons, no funding and little but idealogical support. Fortunately for the US, the fascist despots won most revolutionary wars in south america due to our heavy involvement.
The United States INVENTED nuclear weapons (oh - and used them, btw). China did not. The Russians did not. Something is only invented once you know. Information from the manhatten project filtered into russion hands, which is what fueled their nuke program. China obtained the information in the same way.
Anyway I'm really not interested in arguing this with you. Check out Amnesty International's report on North America:
http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/2am-index-eng [amnesty.org]
I've had this same tired argument on the internet for over a decade. Do I dig US foreign policy? No. Do I think we are an admirable nation? No. Do I think the US government is evil? Yes. So, there you go. You're not going to convince me otherwise. So go buy your "support the troops" stickers or whatever, and I'll continue to keep saying "NUKE THE TROOPS."
Re:Police doing the looting...Government SNAFU (Score:5, Informative)
I don't know that gouging is necessary to ensure a healthy profit and encourage rebuilding. I'm quite sure "getting rich" instantly is not necessary for construction projects to be worthwhile.
But I must emphasize your 1000x underestimation of US aid to Africa. Please note that we spend Billions [washingtonpost.com] in Africa (with a 'B') just to fight AIDS and that's not enough [uneca.org]!: There remains today a huge gap between the estimated annual needs of $3-4 billion for HIV/AIDS and current annual expenditures.
Bush has refused to endorse Blair's plan to double aid to Africa from rich nations to $25 billion annually now and $50 billion each year starting in 2015.
The White House has not decided how much more direct assistance to Africa it will offer at the G8 summit. The United States provides $3.2 billion in aid and much more through Bush's AIDS program, which calls for $3 billion a year to be spent combating the deadly disease, of which about 80 percent is expected to go to Africa. About half of the $5 billion Bush has promised from the Millennium Fund, which provides financial assistance to governments that commit to democratic and economic reforms, will go to Africa.
Re:Re-unification site (Score:3, Informative)
The mayor needed his sleep (Score:2, Informative)
According to the Louisiana governor: "Blanco said President George W. Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding."
But the Mayor had to sleep on it on start the evacuation the next morning:
http://weblog.sinteur.com/?m=20050828 [sinteur.com]
In an interview on Eyewitness News, Nagin said his Saturday night dinner was interrupted by an urgent call from Governor Kathleen Blanco who asked Nagin to call the Hurricane Center.
Nagin said he would consider ordering evacuations by Sunday morning and may employ buses and trains to help get people out of the city.
Re:If only the federal, state, and local governmen (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/125282
But the good news is that Congress was able to secure $24 billion (not a typo) in pork barrel projects in the last transportation bill a few weeks ago, including Sen. Don Young's $250 million bridges to uninhabited islands in Alaska.
"The Real News" (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Police doing the looting...Government SNAFU (Score:4, Informative)
Colorado. Although the natural disaster here has been drought, and fire. You know what happened after that? People who want to build their houses in the woods can't get fire insurance.
And if their homes get burned down again, they shouldn't get federal money for that.
I do appreciate culture and history. When will be rebuild Pompeii?
The city is sinking into the swamp like a scene in a Monty Python skit and you want to build it up again.
Re:Re-unification site (Score:2, Informative)
Apparently someone who hosts at textdrive.com [slashdot.org] built something like you describe, put it online, but the servers got swamped.
They're currently looking for a host.
From here [textdrive.com]:
Re:If only the federal, state, and local governmen (Score:5, Informative)
The problem with FEMA preparedness and intervention goes a bit higher up.
Re:Which is more merciless? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Police doing the looting...Government SNAFU (Score:1, Informative)
It's the poorest city in America, in one of the poorest regions in America, and what's happened is a stark illustration of how America has left its poor behind.
Re:Police doing the looting...Government SNAFU (Score:5, Informative)
More likely, a lot of both. What ppl seem to be forgetting here, is that NO police department about 5 years ago, was considered the most corrupt in the nation. In fact, during a federal probe of the city, they had to call an early end to it, because they had to stop a murder. Apparently the chief of police (or possibly an assistant chief) had ordered a hit on somebody for not paying up.
That does not mean that all are corrupt there. But no doubt there are a lot that are.
Re:Which is more merciless? (Score:3, Informative)
Draining the water from the city is a process that will take weeks, if not months. It's like trying to drain a swimming pool with a drinking straw. The pumping capacity in the city can cope with small leaks and the slow accumulation of water that is natural for a city located below sea level; it's not capable of draining the area in a day or two.
If you wait for the water to be out to evacuate the city, everyone will be dead or dying.
Re:Chaos too harsh a word (Score:3, Informative)
While I can see your point, I think the issue is far more complex then that. You assume that they had the knowledge of this disaster being near inevietable, as many experts had. This goes to the core of the failures of the modern "free-market" society: the restricted flow of information and brainwashing of consumers. I can guarantee you that 99% of those living there had only but a faint notion that something this drastic could occur when they settled there and on the oposite side a pile of smiling, happy-go-lucky real estate developers peddling the new homes built on reclaimed swampland to them. Add to this social pressure (a.k.a. herd mentality) of "this cant be as bad as those tin-foil hats are saying, the Johnses have a a beutiful house there!". Blaiming those (specially uneducated and poor) for the shenaningas of business crooks and idiotic believers in divinity of free-market is somewhat far reaching in my book.
You would have a more valid point with beach properties which are destroyed nearly yearly. Those should simply have insurance premiums increased until the point where the yearly payment is the cost of the house (and no government bailouts due to chosen risk).
This is a perfect example as to why some stricty enforced rules have to exist in the marketplace and why education of consumers combined with no tolerance for brainwashing masquarading as advertising should be an extremely high priority. If the government went door to door and requested extra tax on these properties due to danger, there would still be swampland there instead of developments or the levees would be resembling the Maginot line. Some would propose a no-bailout policy for the government but that is a mis-guided approach since it would allow the consumer fleecing to go on unhindered and merely compound the magnitude of any disaster.
I lay the blame for what is happening squarely at the feet of "laissez fare" marketplace advocates and abusers, where it rightully belongs.