dannyman.toldme.com

Live from New Orleans

Pointed to a fascinating blog from someone who is manning a Data Center in New Orleans. I haven’t been preoccupied with the disaster, and pretty good about focusing on work, but this is really interesting stuff.

Highlights:

• They’re still online. But are down to one carrier at the moment.
• Bell South is working on bringing lines back up.
• Looting is completely out of hand. Civilians and police.
• Civilians are firing at Police and Fire workers.
• New Orleans PD has no command and control.
• The Data Center has taken on diesel fuel to keep generators running.
• “Dead bodies everywhere: convention center, down camp street, all over.”
• Building management is still functioning, and has requested supplies from tenants, including ammunition.

Why are these people so uptight about staying online? Well, apparently the guy works for “Directnic” and the “NIC” implies that they control WHOIS and DNS information for a lot of domains that may have nothing to do with New Orleans. So, it is pretty critical that they stay online, if possible.

I saw some other chatter on IRC that national fuel rationing may come within a month due to the refining capacity that we have lost in the Gulf of Mexico. I take that with a grain of salt, but it is an interesting possibility. It sounds as if a lot of the nation’s oil is offloaded and then refined down there, and then transported throughout the Midwest and East . . . so, that doesn’t trouble me so much in California, but that doesn’t sound so great as you move East.

Update: “THE REAL MILITARY IS NOW FLOWING IN. National Guard is being replaced before our eyes. Watch the feed. Word is that the Marines are at 1515 Poydras where our OC4s are. I think we’re coming back online in force shortly.”

Also, BBC has some excellent coverage, particularly pictures. I find this one especially moving, whereas this guy ought to be target practice.