Mindscanner #70 - From Cold Terror Fleet

Issue #70
Autumn 2005

FROM COLD TERROR FLEET

Respect The Wind

Well, that was refreshing! The southern part of our fleet was hit by two vengeful women: Katrina and Rita!

As the reports come in, it sounds like most of our ships were spared except the KPV Dragon's Wrath and Jubchal, its splendid captain. I am quite confident that they will rebuild their base and be stronger than ever. I am certain there will be more reports about it, but from talking to Jub it sounds like there will be a lot of rebuilding necessary, and the future of CoastCon is doubtful. Nonetheless, I would urge people to help on two fronts: direct charitable giving and buying products made in the affected areas. I am going to bite the bullet and drink Folgers coffee. Ugh!

Well, we also had a fine little get together in Valparaiso, Indiana at Maquis Gras, meeting both KAGsters and other Klingons there, and enjoying Martok (J.G. Hertzler) and Gowron (Robert O'Reilly). Wonderful guys, as well as great actors, I hope to get them to other bigger cons next year. That leads me to my next point, cons.

We need to encourage folks to get to them, whether they are in Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Dover, Atlanta, San Diego, Denver or points in between. The Convention is our life blood, almost our point of being. When we lose sight of that and concentrate on more private fan activity, we cut ourselves off from new possibilities and new people. I learned that again at Maquis Gras where I spent time with several new KAGsters who were attending their first con as Klingons. I am sure they experienced new fun and are beginning to understand just what makes Klindom so vital to us "old warriors."

Start planning now for next year! And look especially at cons in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. They need your $$$!

Admiral Qob zantai-Hurric
Cold Terror Fleet CO
<[email protected]>

HURRICANE KATRINA REPORT FROM JUB-CHAL

Relayed by Keela the Editor

Red Lobster

Commander Sutai' JuB-Chal, CO of the KPV Dragon's Wrath, stayed his post during the recent Gulf-coast devastating hurricane Katrina. IXL Brigadier L. Major Aviendha kept many of us posted on his status. He suffered property damage, surge-fried fridge, 174 MPH winds, and collapsed shed. He and his family [Lady AlisA-Ard (Mary), Hecati (Susi), and the grandchildren] lost all power and water for 18 days and nights. The heat rose to as much as 110 degrees during the day and didn't drop below 95 degrees at night. He slept across the front door with a gun, to protect family and property as four US Navy Sea-Bees and many wonderful neighbors held vigil. Thankfully they had bottled water, but none to shower in. The refrigerator didn't work, but the freezer did, after buying a generator from Sam's Ferengi's, still only enough from that to power freezer and a small lamp at night.

He thought he had a month's supply of insulin. They were worried about his health because due to the stress and heat his blood sugar kept spiking up and down. 32 at one time and 540 on a later date. A 16-hour wait at the VAMC in Biloxi because the Gulfport VAMC was gone (and the worry that they would detain him from his duties to family) kept him from going there. Many other Hu'Mans were in greater need. All communication was down and mail wasn't going through. FEMA has not responded to anything thus far going on three months now, but the Red Cross did give assistance after sitting / waiting 8 hours in the 100+ degree heat by his wife and daughter. A refrigerator unit was purchased with those funds.

By the 23rd of September water to bathe in was finally available, only MRE's {Meals Ready to Eat}, and bottled water were in circulation. Mary found a Walgreens and paid $60.00 and purchased JuB-Chal's insulin.

On September 26, twenty-seven days after Katrina, Aviendha relayed that Jub and his family were OK. Power and AC had been restored for several days, they finally had started getting mail, but it would be a while before their cable and phone services were restored. She had kept everyone posted on their status. Finally on the 28th, JuB- Chal himself was able to communicate with us. via Internet. He spoke of how hard the battle with this storm raged and its aftermath lingers still. It had been and was still a very sad situation.

His family were fine, including the grandchildren, but everyone had lost their jobs because the Red Lobster was gone. He was beyond tears for what he and his family had suffered, as well as the entire area. His son found work at the A/C company of a friend, and Lady AlisA-Ard and Hecati filed for WIN (unemployment).

JuB-Chal writes:
. . . This is the worst storm I have ever been through; the Kittyhawk went through a class 5 Typhoon back in 1970 . . . .

We had winds of 174 mph steadily for several hours. We were 15 miles from the eyewall and we had wind, rain and that horrible howling for more than 16 hours. It started here at 9:36 AM and was still raising hell after midnight Tuesday. We didn't get any power until the 18th but I did bounce a check at Sams for a generator. It's paid now, but all our food went bad. Then one of our neighbors knocked and had a pick-up filled with frozen chicken.

We took 10 33# boxes and I went to Sams and stood in line for 3 hours to get inside. The temperature has not been below 90, with many days in the 100+ degree range. I slept in the front door on an air mattress, in my underwear, just like the Navy: NO modesty!!!!! On the 12th, my sugar crashed to 31 and Mary had to stuff her last Godiva chocolates into my mouth with a wash of regular Pepsi. LOLOL She said I was completely out of my head and it was all we had.

A wonderful lady from up the street tried to talk me into going to the VAMC the next morning, but of course there were more Veterans in need than me, so I declined. Finally I got to the Biloxi VAMC after the night the fire ants found me; as I slept they bit me from my toes to my knees. That, combined with all the mosquito bites, I had to go and get some meds, insulin, and tranqs. BTW I have Neuropathy so I didn't feel them when they hit until they got above my knees.

For the second time in my life I slept with a weapon. Sleep is an odd concept when you're living in the 19th century for 23 days. I'll never forget the sight Mary and I saw before they shut down the beach: bodies, coffins, and the house Jefferson Davis lived in was washed away. The Confederate Graveyard was washed open and many of the graves were opened. All I could think was those poor men still have NOT found rest!!!!! Later Mary and I sat in front of what was her workplace, Red Lobster, and had a long cry.

I have never made a secret of my love for this great place, Biloxi / Gulfport. To see the devastation was humbling and it only compared to what I saw in the Nagasaki Museum. The only difference was the fact we had no radiation here. I must tell y'all I now live in a mixed racial area of Gulfport and these are the greatest People I have ever met. I still don't know what happened to New Orleans, but we were standing together -- Black, White, Asian, and Latino -- hand in hand like I have dreamed real Americans do things. I am so proud to live here and know these wonderful, miracle workers.

Commander sutai' JuB-Chal
(Garland Young)
[email protected]