photo by suzy nees
tags: moku

guide aims to help bloggers beat censors

By SOPHIE NICHOLSON, Associated Press Writer
PARIS - A Paris-based media watchdog has released a free guide with tips for bloggers and dissidents to sneak past Internet censors in countries from China to Iran. More...

tags: democracy, censorship, technorati, blogosphere

photo by Mack Whatley

Mack Whatley will be the Traces featured artist from September 20 until October or so.

tags: Floyd, art, exhibits, Blacksburg, New River Valley, culture, Art, things to do, Virginia, Jacksonville School for the Arts & Culture.

Mack Whatley at the Traces gallery

Photograph by Mack Whatley. Mack Whatley will be exhibiting work at the Traces gallery in Floyd, Virginia during the month of September 2005.

248 kids still alive in Sundial, WV. Let's keep it that way.

Aside from the fact that it is nestled in the mountains, Marsh Fork Elementary School in Sundial, West Virginia is not too unlike the city of New Orleans before it was flooded.

248 kids attend school in Sundial just below a man-made impoundment holding back 2.8 billion gallons. This "lake" is not made of water, though. It is made of toxic coal sludge.

from the upcoming issue of Appalachian Voices:

--Outside Naoma (West Virginia) a man-made impoundment (not unlike the levees around New Orleans) holding back 2.8 billion gallons of toxic coal sludge looms directly above Marsh Fork Elementary School...Parents and grandparents of children attending Marsh Fork Elementary held repeated protests over the summer to call attention to this huge threat to the lives and the health of their children. The response of local government? The parents and grandparents were arrested.

--In 2000, 309 million gallons of sludge spilled from an impoundment in Martin County, Kentucky, when the bottom of the reservoir failed, releasing sludge into underground mines that then flowed into local rivers. The resulting spill was larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill (28 times larger, in fact) and has been called the worst environmental disaster in the Southeast...

tags: Hurricane Katrina, environmental education, coal, energy, West Virginia, Appalachia, New Orleans, Bush, energy policy, Massey coal, Kentucky, accountability, citizen journalism

neighborhood story project

here is a link to the neighborhood story project. this was just posted in the Yahoo headlines.
tags: urban life, education, youth, New Orleans, documentation, Hurricane Katrina, inner city, kids, history

web kiosks underway for Katrina victims...volunteers welcome

volunteers needed for web kiosks to serve katrina victims

Attention geeks! A Linux developer is organizing volunteers for a public "web station" project to assist Hurricane Katrina victims. Steve Hargadon's plan is to create numerous Linux-based public kiosks that boot directly into the Firefox browser and display a special home page with links to various services. In addition to offering disaster relief information and news, the kiosks will provide basic email capabilities via Yahoo!, Gmail, Earthlink, MS Hotmail, and other web-mail services.

tags: New Orleans, volunteer opportunities, how to help, Hurricane Katrina

US Agency blocks photos of New Orleans dead

from Reuters this morning comes news that members of the media are not to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from New Orleans:

NEW ORLEANS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government agency leading the rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina said on Tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from the flooded New Orleans area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, heavily criticized for its slow response to the devastation caused by the hurricane, rejected requests from journalists to accompany rescue boats as they went out to search for storm victims.

An agency spokeswoman said space was needed on the rescue boats and that "the recovery of the victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect."

"We have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media," the spokeswoman said in an e-mailed response to a Reuters inquiry. More...

tags: New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, casualties, victims, censorship, media blackout, citizen journalism

Did Katrina save US media?

here is a BBC article discussing the impact of Katrina on the US media.

tags: Katrinagate, Hurricane Katrina, citizen journalism, New Orleans

Evacuees thank the community of Monticello, Arkansas

from the Nola View weblog:

"My family and I are evacuees from Marrero, Louisiana. The support that we have had from Monticello, Arkansas Community is unbelieveable. The whole community has opened up their hearts to not only us, but to all the the evacuees. Dad's Place has provided us with use of the internet, free of charge. First Assembly of God Church, along with all of the churches have pooled together to offer free meals, clothing, shelter, games for the children and any other assistance that they can provide. Every place that we go, people ask if there is anything that they can assist us with. It is amazing how this whole community has opened up it heart and support to all of the evacuees. My family and I are forever grateful. Someday soon, I hope to be able to repay some of this kindness. Monticello will be in my prayers as well as in my heart for all their kindess and support that they showed to all of us."

do you know a little something about data entry?

Do you know a little something about data entry? The Katrina People Finder Wiki is a great way to get started in cleaning up Katrina's Mess. Even a few hours of your time could make a huge difference. Right now there is a huge amount of information on the Internet about people who are missing or displaced in the wake of Katrina. The people finder wiki is an effort make this information searchable and easy to access.

tags: Katrina's Mess, how can I help, Hurricane Katrina, volunteer opportunity, data entry, database

We know where they are...we HAVE to help save them!

hi folks,
below is an email I read this morning about Katrina victims still trapped in New Orleans.
PLEASE pressure the media to make the public aware of this situation.
Private assistance MUST be arranged for these folks.

----

I am writing this to describe a horrific situation in NOLA that few are aware of, and those who are aware are doing little or nothing. As many of you have likely observed, the national media outlets are suggesting that hurricane relief is finally leading to vast improvements with each
hour that passes. Food and water are being delivered, power restored, levees repaired, water drainage plans developed, and those still living successfully evacuated. Many are reporting that the final areas are being checked for survivors, as well as those who have passed at the
hands of Katrina (and more often, neglect).

Unfortunately, this is not the case. As demonstrated on nola.com's blog section, many individuals know the exact locations and WORKING telephone numbers of family members, most of whom are elderly, sickly, starving, and in serious need of medical attention. When able to get through on emergency telephone numbers, a feat not to be taken lightly, they are dismissed or told that dispatch would be sent immediately, yet no one has come, even though calls have been placed for days.

Many do not require full evacuation, but basic medical attention and/or supplies. Many are completely immobile, and unable to access the limited relief sites or food drops. I spoke to one such individual, Ms. Lee Livermore, who was still trapped in her home earlier this evening (around 6:00pm EST).

Her nephew, living in Michigan, explained to me that she is diabetic, has difficulty moving, and he has been in contact with the coast guard, emergency services, and even the governor's office, yet nothing is being done. Stranded on a 3rd floor apartment, with little food, no sweets, and low blood sugar, her outlook is not promising. This is just one case out of hundreds, probably thousands.

Incredibly, much of this information is available through nola.com, a resource many of the
media are utilizing, yet remains unreported. The television broadcasts refer to none of this, simply stressing the importance of financial contributions, encouraging National Guard membership for potential volunteers, and emphasizing the positive direction the situation is
headed.

For more information on these people who are stranded and requiring immediate assistance, please visit
http://www.nola.com/weblogs/nola/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_nolaview/archives
/2005_09.html
Note: specific contact information and locations ARE provided

Some of these people, primarily those in high profile areas, such as universities and hospitals, have since been rescued. Others, however, are being ignored, even though their situation and status is easily discernable and their telephone contacts are reliable and consistent.
Addresses are always provided, as is contact information for family and friends.

After speaking with stranded individuals and their family members, the severity of the situation is obvious, yet rescue workers are overwhelmed or dismissive, often a combination of the two, with each call placed. We are being bombarded with images of the care and rescue of healthy, able-bodied people, yet so many of those who need our attention most are completely helpless.

After having little success using the emergency numbers provided by a variety of organizations and websites, I called CNN to explain the distress that these individuals are in. I was told that they have a department compiling information of those who need assistance, and that
the office would be open on TUESDAY, after the Labor Day holiday, so the best course of action is to leave a voicemail.

Understandably outraged, I called MSNBC, where the woman I spoke with was also shocked. She told me they have a voicemail box that was checked every 15 minutes, and my information could be left there. It was, not surprisingly, full, and I was disconnected, as has occurred on every subsequent call.

I encourage anyone in a position to help to do everything they can to assure that those whose locations are known, especially those requiring medical attention, be assisted IMMEDIATELY, with other search and rescue operations taking a lesser priority. Just because these people
are less visible and indoors, some perhaps in dry areas, should not exempt them from the care and attention being relegated to others.

I also ask that those who are able complain about the policies of the major media networks, both in collecting information on those in need, as well as the reporting of improvements, when many are STILL ALIVE, but will starve and die of their conditions in the very near future.

I understand that the extremely limited resources need to be conserved and delivered where most needed. As it is easy to ascertain the condition and whereabouts of many of these people, through a mere phone call, something that rescue agencies and certainly the media have
access to, it seems beyond remiss that their perilous situations be ignored.

If anyone has additional questions, information, or advice, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Brittany Turner
631-258-4604
brittaful@aol.com
Saugerties, NY

Emergency numbers are available to any who need them by visiting
http://www.wwltv.com/

FCC coordinating tech aid for Katrina disaster

this just posted to boingboing:

FCC COORDINATING TECH AID FOR KATRINA DISASTER

Quick notes from conference call hosted by the FCC today about urgently coordinating resources and personnel from internet/wireless service providers to get communications networks up and running in in gulf states.

Lack of communications systems has been identified as a critical issue holding back aid, missing persons, law enforcement, etc. in crisis areas.

FCC personnel are working throughout the weekend to coordinate these efforts with private industry, with wireless technology groups, FEMA, and state governments in Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.

One of the challenges they face in this effort is fact that the coordination effort involves multiple layers of bureaucracies -- also, that there has been no central point for directing available assets offered by private industry. Participants on the call included folks from Cisco, Intel, and wireless organizations.

Another challenge: working with FEMA and local governments to ascertain whether it is more immediately effective to get old systems up and running, or create new temporary ones. Depends on tech behind communications system in question.

COMPANIES WITH TECH ASSETS AND/OR HUMAN RESOURCES TO DONATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AID IN KATRINA-IMPACTED AREAS SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING

FCC Chief of Staff Dan Gonzales (dan dot gonzales at fcc dot org) says

FCC needs the following information from would be tech donors BY NOON EASTERN ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3.

1) identify the provider (name of your company or group)
2) identify assets you are willing to commit
3) state clearly what assets you are technologically capable of providing (IP? data? voice?)
4) what your logistical requirements are to bring that to the affected area.
5) can you bring generators? if so what size? capacity? power levels?

SUBMIT THIS INFORMATION TO

PART-15.ORG (they have an online submission form to collect this data)
or wireless@part-15.org

contacts: Michael Anderson (wireless@part-15.org) 630-466-9090, and Claudia Crowley (ccrowley at gmail dot com), 817-292-0230.

Snip from part-15.org website:

The FCC and FEMA is in a desperate need to reestablish communications in the disaster area. More specifically, the metropolitan area of New Orleans and it's surrounding areas. What can Wireless access internet service providers do to help? We can reestablish internal communications and provide connectivity to all disaster relief efforts by installing point to point, point to multipoint links, IP Web cams to assist the police and fire departments who can not be everywhere in such a large area, VoIP phones to provide voice communications to relief personnel in remote areas and many other types of normal everyday communications that most people take for granted.

To accomplish these goals, we will need not only the License Exempt Industry as a whole, but local communities, major companies, and all others that can provide even the slightest of assistance to our teams.

tags: New Orleans, hurricane Katrina, disaster relief

Photo: the water is rising

here is a heartbreaking photo from Pavesina. Please help pray for these people.

tags: Katrina, victim, photo, flikr, photostream, New Orleans, flood

What's wrong with this picture?

Here is what blogger Dan has to say on the President's reaction to the Hurricane Katrina crisis.

tags: New York Times, Bush, foreign policy, disaster relief, humanitarian crisis, New Orleans, Lake Dubya

Trey Ellis offers some advice to the President

from the Huffington Post comes this open letter to President Bush from Trey Ellis.

Dear Mr. President:
I'm a lifelong Democrat and you're a Republican on the ropes, but for the good of the country I will give you a little advice. If you do not want to see your already shrinking Presidency disintegrate into political nothingness, you will get every National Guardsman from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on the first thing smoking out of Baghdad. They joined the Guard with this very sort of catastrophe in mind, not to dodge IEDs in some far-off desert. The righteous white Southerner is all that is left of your base and if you do not bring their boys home on the double I promise you they will join our side, oppose this reckless war, and oppose you.

tags: Iraq, Bush, foreign policy, disaster relief, humanitarian crisis, Hurricane Katrina

Katrina Help Wiki

The Katrina Help Wiki lets readers share information about the crisis on the Gulf Coast.
It includes posts about missing persons and lists the locations of people who are trapped by the floodwaters or by the violence that has gripped New Orleans.

If you want to assist in relief operations, you can also use this page to spread the word about the ways in which you are able to help.

tags: hurricane Katrina, rescue operations, relief, recovery, search and rescue, humanitarian crisis