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Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Dark of Night...

Digital_Quartz writes "This week's I, Cringely discusses possible plans for ensuring your data survives Hurricane Frances. I've always though remote backups would be the best solution to a problem like this. Maybe even something as simple as hiding a DVD-R under your desk at work, with all your worldly data on it. How do you secure your precious data against earthquakes, hurricanes, and swarms of locusts?" Reader pillageplunder writes "CNN is reporting: 'Scientists say more storms like Frances -- both very intense and very large -- are likely.' They theorize that warming oceans natural cycles are setting the stage. Some interesting facts throughout the article... Forecasting has gotten better, with a 3 day forecast now having a margin of error or 'only' 200 miles." And an anonymous reader writes "For those peer-2-peer geeks stuck in hurricane Frances, you can now listen to Central Florida Indymedia's coverage of the hurricane. In addition to giving updates about the hurricane, they are playing music, interviews, and relaying other radio stations. Possibly more interesting than the content to Slashdot readers will be the fact that it is being done via peer-2-peer. The java program p2p-radio from p2p-radio.sourceforge.net is being used in conjunction with shoutcast to deliver the content. Details on how to connect are available here on Tampa Indymedia's Website."

13 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. nuke it! by Slashbot+Hive-Mind · · Score: 5, Funny

    lets just nuke it!

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    --
    We are the collective Slashbot HiveMind
    1. Re:nuke it! by AlexMidn1ght · · Score: 4, Funny

      From the aforementioned article : "If we think about mechanical energy, the energy at humanity's disposal is closer to the storm's, but the task of focusing even half of the energy on a spot in the middle of a remote ocean would still be formidable. Brute force interference with hurricanes doesn't seem promising.

      So you mean I've been blowing at it for nothing?

    2. Re:nuke it! by mooredav · · Score: 3, Funny

      Nukes won't work because they don't have the power to counter the hurricane. A better approach is to build a giant plexiglass shield off the coast. This is also a solid defense against shark attacks.

    3. Re:nuke it! by LiSrt · · Score: 2, Funny

      That site also considered the possibility of coating the ocean in a substance capable of preventing evaporation -- wonder if crude oil would work for that?...

    4. Re:nuke it! by kelzer · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wow, I didn't realize the President read Slashdot! That's almost as good an idea as the one you had about clear-cutting, er, I mean, thinning forrests to prevent wildfires.

      Yet another example of your common-sense approach to the environment. Keep up the good work!

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      ---------------------------------------------
      SERENITY NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  2. Simple... by k4_pacific · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bury it on the moon. If several underground lunar data repositories are set up, then the data will be safe from anything that can happen on Earth. By using multiple repositories, we are protected in case a meteor strikes the moon as well. Maybe the economic impetus that drives future space exploration will be the need to maintain intellectual property in perpetuity rather than mineral resources.

    -or-

    As Linus suggested, put it on an FTP site and let the world mirror it.

    --
    Unknown host pong.
    1. Re:Simple... by MoralHazard · · Score: 4, Funny

      I prefer the time-honored method of exploiting the guilibility and horniness of the human species (may the supply never run short!):

      1) Tar your data up in a nice, big file--pad it with BS to get it up to at least a couple dozen megs;

      2) Encrypt it with something strong--AES-256 should do it--and keep the key safe;

      3) Rename the ciphertext file to "XXX Brittany Spears Double Penetration ATM moneyshot!!!.mpg" or something similar;

      4) Share it with your favorite KaZaA client, rate it high, and watch the mirroring happen.

  3. Indymedia is Insane. by DAldredge · · Score: 2, Funny

    http://tampaindymedia.org/bin/site/templates/defau lt.asp?area_2=imc/open%20newswire/2004/Aug/41755.7 7734375.dat

    Frankovich says the children of survivors of Hurricane Andrew were recently asked to bring in their baby teeth when they fell out, for what was called the "Tooth Fairy Study." It was found that these children had radiation levels seven times higher than what is considered safe.
    Frankovich lived directly behind the Metrozoo. While the zoo reported that only a few animals died, in reality 95% of them died in the storm. Rhesus monkeys and big apes wandered around the rubble with Frankovich and her fellow survivors. Only later did she learn that the animals were infected with the AIDS virus. It turns out that the University of Miami ran a research center on the back property of Metrozoo that no one was supposed to know about.

    The Coast Guard Station was next door to the complex where Frankovich lived. A woman whose husband worked for the Coast Guard told Frankovich that the Coast Guard pulled 1,500 bodies out of the water. She said that everyone who worked on the body pick-up had to take an oath of secrecy not to discuss what they saw or did in the first ten days. When Frankovich spoke to a group in Clearwater about Hurricane Andrew, a man from the audience stood up and said that he was called up to active duty for nine weeks to help with the clean up. "The death figures the media is giving are totally inaccurate," he said. "The information I received is that 5,280 bodies were disposed of in incinerators."

    http://tampaindymedia.org/bin/site/templates/defau lt.asp?area_2=imc/open%20newswire/2004/Jul/50414.9 6484375.dat

    Posted: 7/11/2004 2:00:14 PM
    Author: NCA

    Bring Down the Israeli Apartheid Wall ...
    Solidarity Fast
    Sat. & Sun. July 24 & 25

    As the Palestinian Arab people continue the struggle against this and all of Israel's colonial policies, the National Council of Arab Americans (NCA) joins in support of the Hunger Strike currently taking place in Palestine at the initiation of Dr. Azmi Bishara. We salute all participants of this bold act in protest of the Apartheid Wall.

    info@arab-american.net

    1. Re:Indymedia is Insane. by bobwoodard · · Score: 2, Funny

      Come on... with articles like "The Invisible U.S. Military Offensives in Weather Weaponry":

      http://tampaindymedia.org/bin/site/templates/def au lt.asp?area_2=imc/open%20newswire/2004/Aug/66619.8 671875.dat

      How can you say that? :-)

  4. ourobouros rising by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 5, Funny

    The snake's head is rising from the ocean. All the energy we've pumped into the ocean/atmosphere over the past 300 years of industry, accelerating the past 100 years in the gathering Greenhouse, is coming howling back down our throats. Undersea ocean currents have gotten twistier, as extra energy has moved them kilometers out of their old tracks. The energy in a 1Km-wide, thousand-Km-long current, twisted twice as loopy through the viscous sea, is enough to send hundreds of force-5 hurricanes, made of fluffy air and nebulous raindrops. By the time the beats in these cycles are noticeable, they're undeniable. And unstoppable. At least humans have some species experience, from past Ice Ages, in surviving these catastrophic climate changes. But only genetically - the Earth washes irritating civilizations from its surface like an eyelash floating in tears.

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    make install -not war

  5. Simple. by iamdrscience · · Score: 4, Funny

    Make a nice USB keychain drive suppository or two. If something happens to the data there, then your data will be the least of your concerns.

    Remember, it isn't that the wind is blowing, it's what the wind is blowing.

  6. Righteous use of P2P file sharing by News+for+nerds · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. Make a rar archive of your data, complete with password encryption and recovery data
    2. Rename it to something like "Star Wars Trilogy DVD Complete Rip.avi"
    3. Share it on P2P network!

  7. ATTENTION FLORIDIANS by mattjb0010 · · Score: 5, Funny

    We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any day now,
    you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some
    radar blob out in the Atlantic Ocean and making two basic meteorological
    points.

    (1) There is no need to panic.

    (2) We could all be killed.

    Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're
    new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare
    for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one." Based on our
    insurance industry experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple
    three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

    STEP 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at
    least three days.

    STEP 2: Put these supplies into your car.

    STEP 3: Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.
    Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this
    sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida.

    We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

    HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE: If you own a home, you must have hurricane
    insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as
    your home meets two basic requirements:

    (1) It is reasonably well-built, and
    (2) It is located in Wisconsin
    Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area
    that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would
    prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be
    required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the
    insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for
    an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal
    to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop
    you like used dental floss.

    SHUTTERS: Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows,
    all the doors, There are several types of shutters, with advantages and
    disadvantages:

    Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself,
    they're cheap.

    Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you
    get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your
    hands will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December.

    Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use,
    and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will
    have to sell your house to pay for them.
    Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane
    protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand
    hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He
    lives in Nebraska.
    Hurricane Proofing your property: As the hurricane approaches, check
    your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio
    furniture, visiting relatives, etc... You should, as a precaution, throw
    these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you
    should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn
    these objects into deadly missiles.

    EVACUATION ROUTE:
    If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route
    planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at
    your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area.)
    The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your
    home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic
    traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand
    other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.
    HURRICANE SUPPLIES:

    If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them
    now! Florida tradition requires that you wait unti