quote:

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A lot of people have been asking what company I work for that has such a huge data center in downtown NO. I ought to take this opportunity to plug the company, huh?

directnic.com - hosting hundreds of thousands of domains through Hurricane Katrina. Now if that's not a reliable company, nothing is.

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quote:

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I do not want to be an alarmist, but people who have the means to leave the greater New Orleans area need to do so. The infrastructure required to maintain a city is down. It could be a long time before it's back up. There will be too many people fighting for exceptionally scarce resources.

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Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
 
I'm not surprised that the news isn't getting out if this is the truth. It doesn't sound like anyone really knows what is going on, or if they do, they're not really interested in reporting it because they're too busy.

The destruction of the hurricaine itself was bad enough; the human destruction is, in its way, far worse.
 

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Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
 
Wow...
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
I am ashamed of us (us=Americans=NewOrleansians). This is like watching Alas, Babyon come alive.

[ September 01, 2005, 10:49 AM: Message edited by: katharina ]
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
(kat, verb. )
 

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Posted by camus (Member # 8052) on :
 
Two quotes that deeply affected me.

"the people we've been talking to say they are not recognizing the NOPD as a legitimate authority anymore, since cops have been seen looting in Walmarts and forcing people out of stores so they could back up SUVs and loot them
.
.
.
You know, this crisis is going to end. One day it is going to be over, and people are going to have to live with themselves and the knowledge of how they behaved. The cowards, the thieves, the murderers. We're getting a guy on cam right now stealing tires from one car and putting them in his car. What a bunch of monkeys. No respect at all for their fellow man. Like I said, one day this is going to be over, and I hope the shame overwhelms these bastards"
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
Rivka: *laugh* I blame the Latin. I really liked having only one word per verb, and the result has been to leave off the auxilliary verbs in English.

I'll fix it.
 

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Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
 
Yeah, I've been following that blog for a couple of days, and what I've seen and heard elsewhere, I believe every word of it.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
I've been finding myself leaving out verbs more and more often in my posts. And Katie, I totally you!
 

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Posted by The Reader (Member # 3636) on :
 
With everything that is happening, and with New Orleans being effectively a non-existing entity, I wonder if the city can ever be revived. It isn't unconcious, it's dead.

Just when we think that we can control nature, nature says no.

Wow, just, wow.
 

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Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by katharina:
This is like watching Alas, Babyon come alive.

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quote:

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All of our providers are dropping. We're down to one. We have enough fuel to keep us powered for a long time, but we could lose internet access soon if our last provider drops.

So I guess what I'm saying is that any moment could be my last moment online. If we do lose internet, Outpost Crystal might have to be abandoned by all but Sig and Myself. I've got to get Crystal out of here safely and relocated to someplace out of this state. I'm working on escape routes now.

...

In case anyone in national security is reading this, get the word to President Bush that we need the military in here NOW. The Active Duty Armed Forces. Mr. President, we are losing this city. I don't care what you're hearing on the news. The city is being lost. It is the law of the jungle down here. The command and control structure here is barely functioning. I'm not sure it's anyone's fault -- I'm not sure it could be any other way at this point. We need the kind of logistical support and infrastructure only the Active Duty military can provide. The hospitals are in dire straights. The police barely have any capabilities at this point. The National Guard is doing their best, but the situation is not being contained. I'm here to help in anyway I can, but my capabilities are limited and dropping. Please get the military here to maintain order before this city is lost.

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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.

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3. Dead bodies everywhere: convention center, down camp street, all over.

4. National Guard shoving water off the backs of trucks. They're just pushing it off without stopping, people don't even know it's there at first -- they drop it on the side in debris, there's no sign or distribution point -- people are scared to go near it at first, because the drop points are guarded by troops or federal agents with assault rifles who don't let people come near them, which scares people off. It is a mess. When people actually get to the water, they are in such a rush to get it that one family left their small child behind and forget about him until Sig carried him back to the family.

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Posted by xnera (Member # 187) on :
 
On a happier note, here's a blog about good news from NO.
 

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Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
 
I actually had to put up a network alert here at my work to ask people to NOT stream in any more audio or video feeds through their internet connections -- everyone is crashing our system -- or at least bogging it down really really badly.

FG
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
I guess what this teaches me is that civilization isn't a given. That it's something for which we should be profoundly grateful, and do everything we can to maintain. It's something we could lose the benefits of at any time.

To be watching and unable to help is agonizing.

I guess one thing we should do is think about what we would do if it happened here to us. How would we cope? Are we prepared? What does preparation consist of?

I love what this guy is doing. Taking these pictures of the looting and documenting everything. That's one powerful tool we have on the side of civilization, information. I really really hope he survives. He's determined to stay no matter what.

[ September 01, 2005, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: Tatiana ]
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
So now we know it takes 3 days. The hurricane hit Monday morning, and now it's Thursday. So utter loss of civilization is less than 3 days away from any of us at any time.

Is there a science of civilization, studying how it is established and how it can be broken and how to fix it back after it breaks? If there isn't there should be. There should be an intense scrutiny of every breakdown of civilization everywhere in the world throughout history so that we can identify those influences that help to reestablish normality and understand how to prevent its loss and how best to respond to situations like this to rebuild it as quickly as possible.

What would you do?
 

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Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
 
Unfortunately, with vandals and visigoths at the gates, so to speak, you have to go restore order, and that means draconian measures, at least for a time.

Thankfully, those powers are apt to be released in the US, once the need has passed.
 

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Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
 
Is there any way to check the veracity of the blog? Could it just be someone writing it from a cozy office in Santa Barbara?
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
Sopwith, there are hundreds of pictures he took that are obviously real. It sounds very authentic to me. One person's view, but an honest one.

I can't get the live video feed to work for me. Can anyone else? It's probably swamped.
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
I can't get either feed to work. I saw the pictures before he took them down, though.
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
There's a third feed now. I've got it. It's slow, but working.
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
AP is finally starting to report the really bad stuff.
 

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Posted by John Van Pelt (Member # 5767) on :
 

quote:

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From the above AP article:
"Tourists are walking in that direction and they are getting preyed upon."

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
I noticed that, too. I wonder what exactly that means.

Surely no one would be so stupid as to go there now. I think it must mean that people who were there as tourists and couldn't get out are being attacked by the locals.
 

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Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
 
OMG, that AP story is horrifying!
I'm at a loss for words.
 

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Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
 
I think he meant tourists who were trapped in hotels and unable to evacuate before the storm hit. There have been several stories about them.
 

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Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
 
Wow... Somehow I never thought that such a thing could happen in the US. I wonder if there actually exists a place on Earth right now where this kind of disaster would NOT spawn the same horrors...
 

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Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Tatiana:
I can't get the live video feed to work for me. Can anyone else? It's probably swamped.

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A National Guard military policeman was shot in the leg as he and a man scuffled for the MP's rifle, police Capt. Ernie Demmo said. The man was arrested.

"These are good people. These are just scared people," Demmo said.

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There are people just taking potshots at police and at helicopters, telling them, `You better come get my family.'"

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I don't know if it's "come get my family[or else]" so much as "we're over here". They are probably thinking firing into the air is a good way to let people know where they are.

This article is actually much more hopeful that the one I linked to from the N.O. Times Picayune.

Am I crazy or does Babylon have an L in it? No matter.
 

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Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
 
Y'know, today a small fight in one of the shelters got turned into a riot downtown complete with shootings. Most people still think that riot and shootings actually happened. I can't say how much of the blog is truthful and how much is crap, but just remember that we're all so ready to believe the worst here, because it's actually happening that...well, rumors are being blown way far beyond what they usually are, and everyone is hearing and believing them
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
We did the airlift thing to Berlin when the wall went up. I wonder why we can't airlift enough supplies to these people? This is so terrible! I'm sure there are logistical difficulties that we can't appreciate, sitting here in peace and comfort from afar, but it really seems like more could be done, doesn't it? What is going on?
 

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Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
 
New pics are amazing.
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
Latest post made me cry again.

I want to stop reading, but I feel I can't.

I need to remember what it was really like so that when my children are being taught about it in school, I'll be able to tell them what it really was.
 

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Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
 
I never believed it could get this bad.

 

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 

quote:

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Terry Ebbert, head of the city's emergency operations, warned that the slow evacuation at the Superdome had become an "incredibly explosive situation," and he bitterly complained that FEMA was not offering enough help.

"This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace," he said. "FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans."

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quote:

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Originally posted by Tatiana:
We did the airlift thing to Berlin when the wall went up. I wonder why we can't airlift enough supplies to these people? This is so terrible! I'm sure there are logistical difficulties that we can't appreciate, sitting here in peace and comfort from afar, but it really seems like more could be done, doesn't it? What is going on?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Corwin:
Wow... Somehow I never thought that such a thing could happen in the US. I wonder if there actually exists a place on Earth right now where this kind of disaster would NOT spawn the same horrors...

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Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. wants to thank all of its directNIC.com customers for the overwhelming support and inquiries into our
wellbeing.

We are based in New Orleans and located in a secure and dry skyscraper, where our datacenter has remained fully operational.

Our staff is safe and well -- some have been working around the clock in New Orleans to keep clients running smoothly, and other employees have left to safer locations to keep an eye on the network from afar.

We are pleased to announce that we haven't lost service once during this entire disaster, and we have three weeks of backup power secured, and
more resources are on the way.

Additionally, backup options outside of New Orleans are being implemented as an added precaution.

Thank you for your support and know we are working hard to maintain our excellent services even during this catastrophe.

Sincerely,

Sigmund J. Solares, J.D., M.B.A.
CEO
Intercosmos Media Group, Inc.

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Information and stories from Robert LeBlanc as passed on to me by a friend.

Jeff Rau, a family and now personal friend to whom I will forever be linked, and I were volunteering with a boat and pulling people out of the water on Wednesday. I have a first-hand experience of what we encountered. In my opinion, everything that is going on in the media is a complete bastardization of what is really happening. The result is that good people are dying and losing family members. I have my own set of opinions about welfare and people working to improve thier own lot instead of looking for handouts, but what is occurring now is well beyond those borders. These people need help and need to get out. We can sort out all of the social and political issues later, but human beings with any sense of compassion would agree that the travesty that is going on here in New Orleans needs to end and people's lives need to be saved and families need to be put back together. Now.

I will tell you that I would probably disagree with most of the people that still need to be saved on political, social, and cultural values. However, it must be noted that these people love thier friends and families like I do, desire to live like I do, and care for their respective communities (I was even amazed at the site of seemingly young and poor black people caring for sickly and seemingly well-to-do white people and tourists still needing evacuation from New Orleans' downtown area) the same way I care for mine.

Eight people in particular who stood out during our rescue and whose stories deserve to be told:

1.) We were in motor boats all day ferrying people back and forth approximately a mile and a half each way (from Carrolton down Airline Hwy to the Causeway overpass). Early in the day, we witnessed a black man in a boat with no motor paddling with a piece of lumber. He rescued people in the boat and paddled them to safety (a mile and a half). He then, amidst all of the boats with motors, turned around and paddled back out across the mile and a half stretch to do his part in getting more people out. He refused to give up or occupy any of the motored boat resources because he did not want to slow us down in our efforts. I saw him at about 5:00 p.m., paddling away from the rescue point back out into the neighborhoods with about a half mile until he got to the neighborhood, just two hours before nightfall. I am sure that his trip took at least an hour and a half each trip, and he was going back to get more people knowing that he'd run out of daylight. He did all of this with a two-by-four.

2.) One of the groups that we rescued were 50 people standing on the bridge that crosses over Airline Hwy just before getting to Carrolton Ave going toward downtown. Most of these people had been there, with no food, water, or anyplace to go since Monday morning (we got to them Wed afternoon) and surrounded by 10 feet of water all around them. There was one guy who had been there since the beginning, organizing people and helping more people to get to the bridge safely as more water rose on Wednesday morning. He did not leave the bridge until everyone got off safely, even deferring to people who had gotten to the bridge Wed a.m. and, although inconvenienced by loss of power and weather damage, did have the luxury of some food and some water as late as Tuesday evening. This guy waited on the bridge until dusk, and was one of the last boats out that night. He could have easily not made it out that night and been stranded on the bridge alone.

3.) The third story may be the most compelling. I will not mince words. This was in a really rough neighborhood and we came across five seemingly unsavory characters. One had scars from what seemed to be gunshot wounds. We found these guys at a two-story recreational complex, one of the only two-story buildings in the neighborhood. They broke into the center and tried to rustle as many people as possible from the neighborhood into the center. These guys stayed outside in the center all day, getting everyone out of the rec center onto boats. We approached them at approximately 6:30 p.m., obviously one of the last trips of the day, and they sent us further into the neighborhood to get more people out of homes and off rooftops instead of getting on themselves. This at the risk of their not getting out and having to stay in the water for an undetermined (you have to understand the uncertainly that all of the people in these accounts faced without having any info on the resc! ue ef!
forts, how far or deep the flooding was, or where to go if they want to swim or walk out) amount of time. These five guys were on the last boat out of the neighborhood at sundown. They were incredibly grateful, mentioned numerous times 'God is going to bless y'all for this'. When we got them to the dock, they offered us an Allen Iverson jersey off of one of their backs as a gesture of gratitude, which was literally probably the most valuable possession among them all. Obviously, we declined, but I remain tremendously impacted by this gesture.

I don't know what to do with all of this, but I think we need to get this story out. Some of what is being portrayed among the media is happening and is terrible, but it is among a very small group of people, not the majority. They make it seem like New Orleans has somehow taken the atmosphere of the mobs in Mogadishu portrayed in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down," which is making volunteers (including us) more hesitant and rescue attempts more difficult. As a result, people are dying. My family has been volunteering at the shelters here in Houma and can count on one hand the number of people among thousands who have not said "Thank You." or "God Bless You." Their lives shattered and families torn apart, gracious just to have us serve them beans and rice.

If anything, these eight people's stories deserve to be told, so that people across the world will know what they really did in the midst of this devastation. So that it will not be assumed that they were looting hospitals, they were shooting at helicopters. It must be known that they, like many other people that we encountered, sacrificed themselves during all of this to help other people in more dire straits than their own.

It is also important to know that this account is coming from someone who is politically conservative, believes in capitalism and free enterprise, and is traditionally against many of the opinions and stances of activists like Michael Moore and other liberals on most of the hot-topic political issues of the day. Believe me, I am not the political activist. This transcends politics. This is about humanity and helping mankind. We need to get these people out. Save their lives. We can sort out all of the political and social issues later. People need to know the truth of what is going on at the ground level so that they know that New Orleans and the people stranded there are, despite being panicked and desperate, gracious people and they deserve the chance to live. They need all of our help, as well.

This is an accurate account of things. Jeffery Rau would probably tell the same exact stories.

Regards,
Robert LeBlanc

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