[Imc-katrina-convergence] wireless in hurricane area

[sing and dance]

ok here's the deal with the algiers space....

we have a media space and convergence - two houses next to each other, 
then a few streets down is a big distro center we are working with at 
st. amry's church....
also the free clinic, several blocks the other way....
there is internet in the media center and clinic, and we're working on 
getting it in the st. mary's space....
the main use for internet is to help people fill out the FEMA form to 
get a registration number (the phone number they give is impossible to 
get through on), and to go through the missing/found persons databases 
to look for lost relatives

next for internet (and voip phone, hopefully) will be 9th ward and 
downtown new orleans, but we need generators to keep that going.  here 
in algiers there is spotty electricity.

it's hard to get photocopies, even printouts.....the media space is 
small, but has internet (for the moment...and we are working on getting 
more)....electricity is on in some places, not others....so, for 
example, the media center and convergence space are two homes next to 
each other on the same street - one has electricity [the media space], 
the other doesn't.

now, about wireless internet and etc - there is a group of techies that 
organized with a small ISP in northern louisiana right after the 
hurricane hit - they went to relief centers setting up wireless and 
voice-over-IP phones, as far as their range would allow -- they called 
themselves radioresponse.org - they were servicing red cross, fema, 
military and anybody else who wanted it, self-funded and doin it cuz no 
one else would....
well, apparently they've been coopted, taken over by a combo of military 
and cisco/intel/microsoft interests that have taken over the 
infrastructure set up by the original techies and taken it over 
themselves.  some of the techies are with us, fed up and 
frustrated....some are still working under the new umbrella......and 
some of them are fed up and frustrated too.....anyway, they are able to 
get us equipment - basically any wireless and voip stuff we need, but 
we're not working directly with them. http://www.radioresponse.org

common ground now has a website - a few bloggers are keeping updates 
going http://www.commongroundrelief.org

apparently the veterans for peace operation in covington has been shut 
down....they are working on re-grouping and starting up again

as far as i know the rainbow kitchen is still serving in waveland, miss.

and food not bombs is now serving in new orleans

we will soon have lpfm in both algiers and new orleans itself

lots of love!
jenka