Yay! MSNBC is reporting that Fats Domino has been found safe and alive. He was evacuated via Helicopter yesterday or today. Another small glimmer of good news.

Please send your aid today.

[ttags: hurricane, katrina, fatsdomino, refugee, evacuee, flood+aid, relief, evacation, missing, found ]

Today is Blog For Relief Day. My suggested charity is Convoy for Hope, as I blogged earlier. Once you’ve made your donation please visit the Blog for Relief Day tracking site and log your donation to show the power of fundraising through the Web2.0. Then visit the Katrina Help Wiki to see what else you can do to help.

I have family friends who are currently being safely relocated from the Superdome to the Astrodome, at least I hope so. They’re hoping to hook up with other family in and around Texas. But not everyone will be so lucky. Just look around at the blogs, the news, the tv web channels (wdsu.com and wwltv.com), and you’ll see thousands and thousands of stories of people not so lucky.

So please give what you can.

[Technorati Tags: hurricane, katrina, hurricanekatrina, flood+aid, give, donate, nonprofit, charity, relief, blogrelief, ]

I’ve been searching for a good charity that’s helping Hurricane Katrina survivors and also accepts Paypal donations. Convoy of Hope is just such an organization. It’s Four-Star rated by CharityNagivator and has a history of helping disaster survivors, including last year’s Tsunami. 

If you’re heading to a theme park this month please consider packing lunch one day and donating the amount you will save to this charity. Alternatively, skip a couple starbucks coffees this month and donate that amount. Do you buy books at the bookstore? Well visit the library instead and send that money.

Any amount helps.

[ttags:hurricane, katrina, recovery, disaster, charity, nonprofit, donate, help, aid, assistance, convoyofhope]

Hong Kong Disneyland officially opens September 12th. But via the magic of the internet here’s a quick pointer to some great merchandise from the park. LaughingPlace.com has managed to secure availability of some souveniers and pins that are exclusive to the new theme park. I’m thinking of getting this Stitch Mug myself.

Update: I forgot to mention that this merchandise is only available for a limited time through The Laughing Place Store.

[ttags: disney, disneyana, shopping, laugingplace, hongkongdisneyland, hong+kong+disneyland, disneyland, hkdl ]

WDSU has already moved its Television Studio to Orlando, now FEMA is following suit setting up its base of operations there. This means getting an extended stay apartment or even a hotel room for your Disney World vacation is going to be a bit more difficult now. I also expect to see refugees moving into the area looking for work, lodging, and aid.

[ Technorati Tags: fema, hurricane, katrina, refugee, disney+world, disneyworld, evacuee ]

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Despite being known as one of the world’s best sea animal themeparks, SeaWorld’s primary mission is conservation. To that end they’re always there to assist animals in need and Hurricane Katrina was no exception. Right now SeaWorld Orlando is housing 8 refugee sea lions from evacuated aquariums.

If you’re looking to provide some assistance to the victims of this disaster, Network for Good has links to many charities including a few that specialize in helping the animal victims of hurricanes.

[ttags: seaworld, sealion, hurricane, katrina, refugee, evacuee, donate, aid ]

Remembrances and and tributes to the late Joe Ranft, head of story at Pixar, keep rolling in. In light of the 10th Anniversary of Toy Story, the film that drew Joe to Pixar, I wanted to shed light on a few of those posts.

Susan posts a few insights from the family’s memorial for Joe, "Director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life) talked about how
Joe always signed the drawings he gave to him with the inscription ‘Your pal Joe.’ He said that Joe stood up for you. Found what was
worthy about you. Saw the better artist in us. The better person you
could be. You aspired to his vision of you. ‘Joe was the bridge that
made us all pals.’"

Ronnie Del Carmen continues to track tributes to Joe and gives a few of her own as well including a wonderful sketch in his memory.

Lea posts a personal thanks to Joe, thanking him for his part in helping her autistic child.

Lost in a Sea, who went to school with Joe, thinks, "oe was an example cited frequently, not merely because of the odd sense
of pride and envy inherent in ‘I knew him before he was . . . ,’ but
also because he personnified the notion of following and living a
dream, and parlaying talent into that holiest of secular grails, making
a career out of something you truly enjoy. I want to believe that since
last week, all the Angels have been a little less productive. Joe has
got them cackling out loud with stories, voices, characters and
everything else in his ample talent reservoir."

Mercurie writes, "He was loved by his fellow animators at Pixar, not simply for being a
great talent, but also for being one of the kindest, gentlest men
around. I don’t think it is truly possible to measure the enormity of
his loss not only to Pixar, but to the animation community as a whole.
He will most certainly be missed."

[ttags: pixar, disney, joeranft, joe+ranft, obituary, memorial, death, emeryville, animation ]

As he talked about the amusement park business, he was forced to speak above the park’s roar – screeching steel and coaster riders blending nearly indistinguishably.

"We leave theming to Disney," he said. "It’s very, very expensive. We can’t justify it, being a seasonal operation. Our theming is the ride itself. You walk under the ride. As you enter the park, you see the ride in operation."

The Toledo Blade has an interesting story on the CEO of Cedar Point Entertainment. Cedar Point is rumored to have bought around 300 acres of property near Walt Disney World.