Larry Dixon's Blog

Kristi, AKA Purple Jade, is an outstanding artist in a very special field---modern tiki design. Kristi & her family were hit badly by Katrina but in the fierce artistic spirit of the Polynesians she refuses to give up!

Her first new design in production since Katrina is NOW available at: http://www.tikifarm.com/katrina_mug.htm
and the proceeds will go to helping her family rebuild. They're good folks and you'd help a bunch by nabbing a couple.

These would make *way cool* holiday gifts for the Hawaiian-Shirt-Wearing kool kats in your life. :)

This is a pre-sale! Get'em now! Now! Now! Zoom! Whoosh!

Whew! Long time since the last update. Health is improving, and packages keep getting sent out --- 93 more pounds yesterday, in 8 boxes to individuals and families. I believe this brings us up to 2233 pounds sent.

Luckily now people have first-tier essentials sorted out, and we can work on quality-of-life packages. Toys! Movies! Comics! Stuffies! Books!

We now have enough info on the people on our list that we can target material that they'll definitely like: who's a Star Wars fan, who wants Trek stuff, who's a gamer or comics fan, and even what types they prefer.

Another special thanks to everyone who has pitched in -- from helping us sort, bag, stack and shelve things, to those who help tape up boxes and fill out mailers. And just as much thanks to those who have given things to send! Way to go!

With the last 200 pounds of food, clothes, candy, books, toys and medicine shipped, we have topped one ton of materials given or carried to fantasy, scifi fans and gamers along the Gulf Coast!

Thought you might also like to know about Judy Tallwing's animal rescue group, operating in the Gulf Coast right now. They can use some support too; I'm sending out a box to them tomorrow. Their rescue blog is at:
http://www.dandeliondogrescue.org/hur...
and the main page is at:
http://www.dandeliondogrescue.org/
Judy's a nice gal and I know they're doing Good Work.

This just in from one of the fans in Metairie. Name witheld by request.

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The apartment complex has emptied my apartmant & gutted it. ____ & I were able to save a few things, but artwork, photos, plants, clothes, shoes, etc. are all gone. All my Tulane stuff in my armoire gone, my work shirts gone, my Blue Star & Patrol plaques - GONE! Cleaned out by some company the complex hired. I got no notice, no warning-NOTHING. I left them a note telling them I wanted to stay & left all my & ___'s cell numbers & Baton Rouge numbers & Address-not a peep from them. I have tried calling, but to no avail. We heard the complexes in Fat City [where I used to live] were evicting tenants & gutting perfectly fine apartments & were planning on going condo.

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In the meantime, she has received a new toaster, coffeemaker, bedding, slippers, blankets, socks, clothes, toiletries, towels, full kitchenware & place settings, music & DVDs, tabletop grill, and health goods for her elderly mother from us to help restart things---but those keepsakes, callously bulldozed into a landfill by now, can not be recovered. It's kicking someone who's already down. It is emotionally devastating on top of the horror already faced. And that infuriates me.

In a word---what happened there is unacceptable. This situation will not stand.

Here's today's inventory at High Flight, from the past 2 weeks' buying, collection and general scavenging:
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36 bottles hair conditioner
9 cans red pepper
16 lg bottles ketchup
12 bottles mustard
16 bottles ranch dressing
36 tins Altoids
16 cans pink salmon
12 cans mushrooms
16 packs pasta
6 cans spag/meatballs
60 scrub pads
16 cans Ajax
12 rolls foil
3x 5lb cat food
16 cans moist cat food
36 packs cookies
3 cans brownbread
30 matchbooks
12 packs tissues
3 rolls duct tape
8 boxes matches
2 dog food lids
4 packs albacore tuna
4 blankets
new toaster oven in box
new microwave oven in box
16 sippee-cups (filled w/candy)
24 pair mens socks
24 pair childrens socks
12 pair womens socks
lg golf and tee shirts
6 tubes cortaid
12 pks waterproof band-aids
6 pks maxipads
6 bottles pepto
12 bottles acetominephin
6 bottles robitussen
4 packs nyquil caps
2x24ct Tyson chicken snack sticks
24ct kippered beef snacks
9 boxes gournet teabags
60 chocchip/dbl choc muffins
4 lg babywipes boxes
3 cases Atkins Bars (360 total)
3 boxes Potato Buds
2 very large bags pizza/pasta sauce
8 very large bags cheddar cheese sauce
400+ Wal-Mart bags
5 adult office jackets / pantsuits
3 luggage (fullsize)
110 lbs books & comics
160 lbs adult & childrens clothing
96 custom DVD-Rs
6 pks action figures
18 pks modeling clay
4v lg arts & crafts paint kits
AAA & C batteries
various clips & zipties
5 LED flashlights
22 lbs candy
2 clip lamps
knee brace
brillo pads
5 lgs puzzles
adhesive, gluesticks, tape
various toys & kooshballs
powerstrips

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About a third of that went out today. 369 pounds.

Just got this in from Maxy Pertuit. This is what's left of The Mother's place, from last week. She says it is worse than it looks in this pictiure---now mold and mildew are covering practically everything.

I've gotten her some new appliances, cookware, bedding & things, which should be arriving this week. They have a place to stay but it's pretty bare.

Maxy's one of the true greats in Gulf Coast fandom.

Just got this in from Maxy Pertuit. This is what's left of The Mother's place, from last week. She says it is worse than it looks in this pictiure---now mold and mildew are covering practically everything.

I've gotten her some new appliances, cookware, bedding & things, which should be arriving this week. They have a place to stay but it's pretty bare.

Maxy's one of the true greats in Gulf Coast fandom.

One thing about writing IOUs to your body---eventually they get cashed in. Now I don't get a lot of choice in slowing down. *laugh* Well, what can I say. There is good news this time!

A gamer/fan family was displaced just before their son was going to run his first D&D game; with the rest of their possessions (it's terrible how so much loss can be summed up in so few words) their gaming books & files were lost. They've had to find new housing, new work, and their son wound up in a new school with none of his old friends.

He searched for RPG players at the new school, and found a few.

Along with a care package, I sent them new D&D materials a few weeks ago. I got word that Thursday night, he ran his first D&D game. His mother told me that the house was full of laughter and good times.

That's what we're all about, we fans and gamers supporting each other. Thank you every one of you for pitching in.

Hello everyone,
Good news, the 3 fans that were in danger found good shelter and are all right. We didn't need to make the run.

I am happy to say that FenCon II in Dallas was excellent, and we were able to raise and give the Salvation Army hurricane relief fund $3,500.

Also, BenBella Books brought two boxes of books and galley prints, and three fans brought boxes and bags of books, DVDs, CDs and stuffed animals to get to Gulf Coast fans and their families. The system's rockin'!

Attaboys to everyone who was so tremendously generous this weekend! And welcome to everyone who has written during the past week and volunteered work and items for the cause. You're angels to me, and even better to the folks in need.

Proper job!