Here I go cross posting again:

Spent another day at Red Cross ACTUALLY HELPING people (mostly by subverting Red Cross rules) in the River Center Shelter in downtown Baton Rouge, the biggest in the state. But more on that at a later date, I've got a new mission in mind.

As I mentioned, I've been following what Joel Johnson and Jacob Appelbaum have been doing. They are part of the CU Wireless effort to get some networks up in affected areas and help people gain access to FEMA forms, missing people databases, and generally reconnect them to the world or connect them for the first time in many cases. Read their websites back a few days and see what I'm talking about, pretty awesome stuff. They are in Algiers right now, on the other side of the river from New Orleans, in an impoverished area and have setup a network with a Powerbook and an EVDO card. Awesome.

Here is the list they posted 3 days ago of supplies they need:

-Any more iSights and power books with pcmcia (each new one is a new streaming video of the city on 24×7)
-EVDO PCMCIA cards with Verizon service plans activated (This is our uplink)
-Laptops that have PCMCIA (one for wifi, one for EVDO) or laptops with an ethernet port and one PCMCIA
-Surge protectors and power strips
-Flat Panel monitors or monitors in general
-Solar panels
-Power inverters that can tap onto a car batteries

The important thing being laptops. I just spoke with Joel, and he said they need modernish laptops with PCMCIA slots and built in wireless more than anything. These aren't cheap... obviously. EVDO PCMCIA cards with service plans are a close second in need I think.

So if anyone has any access to these items and is willing to contribute or can talk a company into donating the equipment, it can and will be used in powerful ways to give those in need a voice and an uplink to aid. Since they are a part of CU Wireless, a non-profit, donations ARE tax deductible. Pass on the word if you know anyone who could help.

I'm contacting some of their people in Ponchatoula to see if I can help them out there until I can get a car for more than a few days and head to Algiers, if I'd be of any use to those guys. Joel seems like an awesome guy, and I'd love to be a part of what they are doing in any way.

Leads, donations, comments welcome!