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

I've been following what Joel Johnson and Jacob Appelbaum who 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

more requests can be found here.

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.

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 who are being ignored by the gov't and the Red Cross a voice and an uplink to aid. Since they are a part of CU Wireless, a non-profit, donations ARE tax deductible.

Leads, donations, comments welcome!

I guess these guys will be as good as any to receive a financial donation, too.