dannyman.toldme.com

Live from New Orleans

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/01/new-orleans-livejournal/

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.

Feedback Welcome

Lyrics: The City of New Orleans

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/02/guthrie-city-of-new-orleans/

I’ve got Arlo Guthrie in my head, and uploaded some pictures from December, 2000 that I took in New Orleans.

Riding on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central Monday morning rail
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail

All along the Southbound odyssey
The train pulls out at Kankakee
And rolls along past houses, farms and fields
Passing trains that have no name
And freight yards full of old black men
And the grave yards of the rusted automobiles

Good morning, America, how are you?
Said don’t you know me, I’m your native son
I’m the train they call The City of New Orleans
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.

Dealing card games with the old men in the club car
Penny a point aint no one keepin’ score
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
And feel the wheels rumblin’ ‘neath the floor

And the sons of Pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their father’s magic carpets
Made of steel

Mothers with their babes asleep
Rockin to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Good morning America, how are you?
Said don’t you know me, I’m your native son
I’m the train they call The City of New Orleans
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done

Night time on The City of New Orleans
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home, we’ll be there by morning
Through the Mississippi darkness rolling down to the sea

But all the towns and people seem
To fade into a bad dream
And the steel rail still aint heard the news
The conductor sings his songs again
The passengers will please refrain
This train got the Disappearin’ Railroad Blues.

Good night America how are you?
Said don’t you know me, I’m your native son
I’m the train they call The City of New Orleans
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.

1 Comment

“Global Warming” Elevator Pitch?

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/06/global-warming-elevator-pitch/

I keep getting this spam from relatives about how The Man is charging us too much for gas. Why, even $1.50/gallon is being overcharged! We should stop buying gas! Except, we can’t stop buying gas or how would we drive around? So, we’ll boycott different stations in turn . . . on every third Thursday, don’t buy gas from Chevron, etc.

And I wonder, please, let this be a tongue-in-cheek parody thing! Except, ah, we are Americans, and the people who send me this crap are well-intentioned consumer-advocatin’ types!

So, I wrote back, sort of a shorter version of my previous “America Hating” rant … keep it short, sell the point: Global Warming is Bad, Please Act Now. I wanted to convey that gas actually isn’t all that cheap, but not run it into a crazy-person rant. Here’s what I got: (more…)

Feedback Welcome

A Tale of Two Pictures

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/06/tale-two-pictures/

So, I got linked to Ray in Austin by Brett and Hiromi (NSFW). Ray is closer to the scene in New Orleans than we are, and I enjoyed scanning over his blog.

Two pictures that made an impact: (more…)

Feedback Welcome

Not Voting Republican

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/08/not-voting-republican/

Well, just spent the better part of an hour bitching about skyrocketing health care costs, pitiful emergency response, and the over-extension of our military and falling recruitment with the boss and a coworker.

“Well, I guess I’m not voting Republican.”

We’re all non-Republicans to begin with, but I like to think some similar discussions are taking place around water coolers in Redder companies.

If nothing else, maybe the Democrats have something to work with?

God Bless America, we need it. At least we’re now getting assistance from Mexico.

2 Comments

Props to Geico

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/09/geico-rocks/

Thirty minutes online with that lizard saved me over 50% on car insurance over Progressive.

And better coverage.

Thanks, Geico!

4 Comments

What is Danny’s f!cking problem?

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/15/br8-litterbug/

So, I dropped by the DMV this morning to finally get my Cali registration squared away, so I drove to work. (more…)

Feedback Welcome

Jesus McChrist Writes Back

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/16/pledge-of-allegiance-under-god/

Well, they haven’t updated their website yet but the AFA are advocating that Congress pass a bill that reads:

S.1046 – The Pledge Protection Act of 2005 – reads as follows: ‘No court created by Act of Congress shall have any jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of, or the validity under the Constitution of, the Pledge of Allegiance, as defined in section 4 of title 4, or its recitation.’

Now, while I can appreciate concern that some might have about “activist judges” this “activist legislative pre-judgement” or whatever you’d call it, uhmmm. Well, Jesus McChrist wrote them back: (more…)

1 Comment

70% Girl

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/23/girlyman/

I never do these web quizes, but sometimes I’m waiting on a web server restart on a Friday afternoon and I say what the heck, and I get told that I’m something lame:

(more…)

2 Comments

Buncha Squares

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/26/buncha-squares/

Man, it is one thing when the media flame the powers that be, but I think it is a bit more tasty when people flame those of us who may well be reading. My first taste is from David Denby, in the September 26 New Yorker magazine:

Movie taste has turned very square in this country, and I don’t know if audiences are prepared to accept a shitheel as a hero. “Lord of War” tells you why intelligent people may enjoy doing evil things, and it lets you in on the fun. It has been made without hypocrisy . . .

My, such potty-mouthed writing in The New Yorker! But for the proper lashing we turn to a local independent, The Wave magazine, which feature’s Seanbaby’s “The Final Last Word” in the September 21 issue: (more…)

Feedback Welcome

Huzzah Underdawg!!

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/09/27/huzzah-underdawg/

It’s the car that drives itself. Taught by a bunch of college alumni, and all for the low low price of $30,000 or so.

Article: San Jose Mercury News Business Section
Web site: http://www.teamunderdawg.com/
Photos I took when I visited the ranch: Over at Flickr

Yayoi and I are trying to get down to LA this weekend to give some cheer and maybe some elbow grease as Underdawg fights the odds to make it to the Grand Challenge!

It is an awesome beasty, which is all the cooler for being made out of a lot of spare parts and a lot of creative energy. The core team members … awesome guys!

1 Comment