Disney's California Adventure Coming Expansion Details

This video talks about the transformation that is coming for "Disney's California Adventure" Theme Park at the Disneyland Resort. Tonight I saw this video for the first time, and thought that it should be available for the average 15 people who visit the "Ransom Think" blog every day. The new ideas coming to the Park look really cool- especially the new "Carthay Circle Theater"! All the changes that are shown in this video were announced last year by The Disneyland Resort. "Toy Story Mania" is already open at California Adventure and is quite popular.

Happy Birthday, Kathy Griffin

Today is Kathy Griffin's birthday. Happy Birthday, Kathy. I saw you on "Dancing With The Stars" earlier this evening, clapping for Lance Bass. I saw you on Larry King Live the other night, too.

Anyway, it's easy for me to remember your birthday. Why? Because today (Nov. 4th) is my birthday, too. I'm 4 years younger than you, remember? You probably don't. In fact, you probably don't even remember me. We met several months ago at your house. Your people haven't called me to come back since then. I'm still waiting.

Weird Science- The Bitch Kneed My Nuts

This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, "Weird Science", when Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) gets really drunk and starts telling this story.

Quack, Quack, Quack, Donald Duck

This song, "Quack, Quack, Quack, Donald Duck", which is being sung by Jimmie Dodd, is memorable for me from my days working at The Disney Store. I remember this cast member, Adrienne, doing this little dance and singing along to this song every time it played. Those were good times! This song is from one of Disney's Sing-Along Songs- the one called "Supercalifragilistiexpialidocious".

Voyage Into Space- The Last 5 Minutes (Giant Robot)

When I was a kid I used to watch this movie all the time- it came on TV all the time- maybe I've seen it 30 times. I remember Johnny Sokko and Giant Robot, and Guillotine, and all the monsters in this movie. It was cool- they should re-release this in theaters sometimes just for fun, but maybe in 3D.

The Classic Underdog End Credits (Syndicated Version) Music

Out of all the music I have ever heard in my life, this music at the end of this video is perhaps the most pervasive in my mind, and the most disturbing. It was disturbing for me as a 4 year old kid, and it always takes me back to that point when I hear it. I don't know what it is, but the end credits of the classic Underdog cartoon has really creepy music, in my opinion. That "post no bills" sign in here is significant, too, because I had never really understood that in the cartoon until I later saw realy signs (as a late teenager) saying "Post No Bills" on construction sites.

The Classic Underdog Cartoon Intro

This was my favorite TV show when I was about 4 years old. The music and the images in this cartoon are forever emblazoned in my mind. Underdog was cool- I liked his power, and he could fly really fast.

I Can't Wait for Obama to Be President

I really can't wait for Barack and Michelle Obama to have the White House as their home. It will be nice to know that someone who is really for all people will be President, and not just somebody who looks out only for rich people. It will be a nice Christmas this year, despite the bad economy.

Carol Burnett Show: Cinderella Gets It On

This is a VHS video of the Carol Burnett Show Collector's Edition, number 25. I have searched far and wide to find something like this, and now, after some help from a cool guy on Ebay who listed all of the contents of all the episodes for this show, I have found what I was looking for.

This video contains a true classic on television: the Emmy-award winning skit on "The Carol Burnett Show" called "Cinderella Gets It On" produced in 1975, which was the show's version of Cinderella. It stars Carol Burnett as Cinderella, the Pointer Sisters as the Stepsisters, Vicki Lawrence as the Stepmother, Harvey Korman as Fairy Godmother Marcus, and Tim Conway as the King of Rock himself, Elfin John.

This skit was great on several fronts: the comedy is classic, the music is really good (won an Emmy), the costumes are great (also won an Emmy), and all of the performers are in rare form. This is by far my favorite skit ever on "The Carol Burnett Show", and I have not seen it since it aired on CBS back in 1975 (although I had an audio tape of it for years- my sister stole it from me and I've never seen it again).

My Favorite Disney Resort

I have stayed at most of the Disney Resort hotels at Walt Disney World in Florida. My absolute favorite one there is Disney's Villas at the Wildnerness Lodge. Why, you may ask? Well, because I love theme of a big, old lodge made out of logs- the kind of place that you might find at Yellowstone National Park. It's built right next to a lake, and there are pine trees out back between the resort and the lake. The pool area there is cool, too- there are several pools and a hot tub. There's even a geyser. The Resort is located near the Magic Kingdom theme park, which is accessible by Disney Transport bus or by boat, which heads over to the Magic Kingdom every 10 or 15 minutes.

What about the Wilderness Lodge? Does that have better accommodations that the Villas, you may ask? Well, no. The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge is actually the newest part of the Wildnerness Lodge, and is part of the Disney Vacation Club. The rooms at the Villas are all larger than the ones at the main Wilderness Lodge, and have the comforts of home- it is timeshare, after all. The interiors of the rooms are spectacular- simply will blow you away. The Resort also offers 24-hour room service, so you can dine any time you want!

The main inn at the Wilderness Lodge is great, with great dining places and shopping. At the general store inside the resort, you can buy food and souvenirs, and you can even rent movies! (I rented "High School Musical" when I was there 2 weeks ago!) Movie rentals are free for Disney Vacation Club members. There is also a gym at the Resort (called "Sturdy Branches", located on the Villas side. For recreation, boat and bike rentals are also available at the Resort.

I can't wait to go back to the Villas at the Wildnerness Lodge. It' my favorite Disney Resort (my next favorite is Disney's Grand Californian Resort at the Disneyland Resort in California, which looks like it could be its cousin!)

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin (with Amy Poehler as Katie Couric) from Saturday Night Live

This is a skit on the 4th interview of Sarah Palin by Katie Couric. Tina Fey comes back to Saturday Night Live to give an excellent parody of Sarah Palin. I would never vote for Sarah Palin, but I love Tina Fey's portrayal, and I actually like Sarah Palin as a person.

The Bailout Revisited

The problem with the "bailout for banks" which was just signed into law was that originally, the President did not explain to the public exactly what it was supposed to accomplish. Now that it's been spelled out ( in a good speech by the President yesterday), I understand it more, and I could definitely see the need. It's true- banks have not been lending very many people money. As a matter of facts, a lot of people took their money out of the banks, making it even tougher for the banks to lend. It will probably take a little while for people to relax and spend.

The Government Bailout of the Banks: To Do, Or Not To Do?

I've been considering whether or not the U.S. Government should bail out the banks with taxpayer money. That's 700 Billion Dollars, mind you. Who came up with that amount? I guess it's to help keep failing banks in business. But why?

After some careful consideration, I think that they should simply let the damn banks do what they have to do. Don't lend them a dime of taxpayer money. Let the market do what it will do. If it falls, maybe some of us with a little money left can get a good deal on some stocks. People are going to have to sacrifice anyway. So many people have lost their homes already- what happened to the loans that Congress talked about- the mandate that banks were going to renegotiate loan terms so that interest rates would have been lowered, so that payments would have been affordable? What happened to that plan? Why is there this big "giveaway" to the banks? If the banks take the "loans" and go out of business anyway, guess what? The government will be left with nothing to show for it. Already, the biggest bank, Washington Mutual, was already seized and given to another big company- the government couldn't help that bank in time. Frankly, I think that everybody is panicking now- overreacting really.

I've witnessed at least a couple of lousy bills passed under this current presidential administration, that have made Americans worse off: the bill concerning drugs for seniors; and the new bankruptcy laws for individuals (written by a bank that I will never do business with again, MBNA). Now, they want to loan money to the banks?


If they do loan the money to the banks, I hope that it will at least include forcing the banks to do a moratorium on foreclosures, and forcing them to re-write the existing loans to a lower interest rate, and an up to 6 month grace period before the first payments are due.

Whatever they do, who cares if some stocks have to be sold by some people and institutions in order to make payments? There's also something more afoot going on here, too, than just with the banks and the real estate bust. Robert Kiyosaki had a book about "Rich Dad's Prediction" a few years back, which spoke about how the biggest stock market crash in history was coming. It's unavoidable- and has a lot to do with the baby boomers retiring, drawing a pension, and taking their money out of the stock market. Hey, we're in for some interesting times.

Back from Pleasure Island

This evening (Tuesday evening, 9/23) I went to Pleasure Island at Walt Disney World. Every time I come here, I always make a visit to the Comedy Warehouse there at least one night per trip. It's always a fun time there- it's spontaneous, it's improv, it's....closing? Yes, the Comedy Warehouse, along with the Adventurer's Club and the dance clubs, including Mannequins and 8 Trax, are closing down after this coming Saturday. According to Pleasure Island Cast Members, they were told that those venues will be replaced by shops and restaurants. Oh, well...everything must come to an end...It's not a bad thing, really. It's just time....Those of us who supported the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventurer's Club, along with the other clubs, will always have the memories of the fun times that we had there. Pleasure Island over the last couple of years certainly has not been as busy as it used to be in past years, and now with competition like Citywalk at Universal Studios, Disney has got to make some changes to keep competitive, and to make it interesting.

Still, the Comedy Warehouse has some really talented folks who work there, and like I was telling Comedy Warehouse Cast Member Mary this evening, I could definitely see any of those folks moving to Los Angeles or New York and making a living in films and television. It's a scary thing when you've had a steady job at Disney for years, but heck...It's worth a shot, right? I mean, they're already actors...I can envision Mary, for example, guesting on shows like Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty or Samantha Who...

Anyway, I'm tired now...It's like 3:44AM here in Florida right now, and it's time for me to go to bed. I enjoyed myself tonight, but here at Disney's Old Key West Resort, my bed is calling me. Good night!

Barack Obama and the Lipstick on a Pig

Barack Obama has recently been explaining himself over his recent non-original "lipstick on a pig" speech a few days ago. You know, the one that the McCain campaign claims that Obama was calling Sarah Palin a pig. Boy, I've got to give it to the Republicans. That was a good move on their part, for one good reason: there are a lot of stupid people out there, and only they would really believe that that's what Obama meant.

Obama's big mistake is in his repeated trying to explain what he meant. If Obama wants to come across as strong, this is what he should do: "Everybody. I'm going to say this only once, and then I'm never going to talk about it again, so listen up: I did not call Sarah Palin a pig. The McCain camp is telling you that I did. Go on You Tube and watch the full speech that I gave if you don't believe me. If you are an idiot, you will believe what the Repulicans tell you to believe, and you'll vote for McCain. Thank you". That would be a manly response, don't you think?

Howard Dean a few years back couldn't recover when he yelled, "Yeee Haw!" and his opponent, John Kerry, called him a "loose cannon". If Mr. Dean had played it cool, held a press conference and said, "look at the tape. I was just having a good time. I'm not crazy, and I'm not a loose cannon, and I will not ever talk to the press about this again", then he would probably have been the Democratic nominee against George Bush. But no, he kept on stumbling and trying to explain himself. Obama, you are coming across as stuffy lately. Man up!!!!!

Want To Laugh? Check Out Beverly Hills Chihuahua!

You have got to check out the trailer for the new Disney movie that's coming out Sept. 26, "Beverly Hills Chihuahua". The theme song is really catchy. It looks like a crazy movie, though. I will go see it.

What Do We Need Now? More Taxes, Of Course!

It's kind of amazing what's going on with the Republican leaders in America. In California, Arnold Schwarzenegger (a Repulican) says that California needs to reduce the over $15 billion deficit, by cutting spending across the board. Of course, that means cutting jobs in all areas, including teachers. The Democrats feel that teachers and other key positions should not be cut, and that taxes need to be raised to shrink that deficit. It came out recently (again) that not only is the U.S. behind several countries in Math (we're like 24th place), but California isn't doing so hot against other states in Education, either. The governor says that he is for Education. Then why is he letting it be cut? To put out that deficit fire, you need some revenues. Frankly, I don't care if they raise sales tax or not. I heard that the governor is apprehensive about that, because it might cause people to stop spending on other things, and slow down California's economy. Guess what, Governor? I've already slowed my spending down as much as I can, and raising the sales tax by a penny won't kill me, especially compared to how much the gas increases killed me during the last few months. I'll say this: the Governor seems confused. Does he really want to cut that $15 billion, or not? If you cut spending, you'll still have that deficit, and it will grow, with interest. In order to put it out, you need to throw some tax revenue at it. Period. Unless you can harness the sun power to pay it off, it ain't gonna go away without raising taxes.


In Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigos (a Democrat) said initially that the city would cut jobs across the board except for police, which was scheduled to increase jobs due to the need. After a little discussion, it was worked out that perhaps nobody would lose their jobs in Los Angeles after all, because they found a way to fund more police and keep the current jobs. The solution? To raise the amounts that they charge on parking meters, and to increase the number of hours that the meters are monitored. All of this hasn't kicked in yet, but I imagine that they will make more money this way. The party-going nightsters will fund the extra police and the other city jobs. Good work, Villaraigosa.


In the broader United States of America, John McCain says that he will not raise taxes at all, despite the biggest U.S. government deficit ever. Instead, he says that he'll increase the tax breaks to the corporations and to the wealthiest Americans. Lowering the deficit was never anything that concerned George W. Bush, and apparently it does not worry McCain, either, who is rich himself (and his wife is really, really rich). There's one thing that I really don't understand: how anybody who's poor can vote Repulican in this election. I see a lot of homes that have been foreclosed on. I know that a lot of people are out of jobs, in both political parties. I'm sorry, but you can't tell me that giving rich people more tax breaks is going to trickle down to make me being better off. What' I've seen is that giving tax breaks to the rich and to the corporations has caused them to invest in new factories- in other cournties. Whole industries are moving their buildings and headquarters to China. The rich are learning Chinese, buying real estate in China, and putting more money in other currencies. I've seen benefits being taken away from Americans. The jobs that are created in America are Starbucks, McDonalds. There's a plethora of people selling insurance in America. All I know is, the Democrats will raise the taxes if Barack Obama is elected, but it will only be on the super rich (who make way more than I do), so I'm not concerned that my taxes will go up. Hell, I'd want that threat that the rich have- taxes,because that would mean that I was rich!

Paris Hilton for President? She Slams McCain in this video!

I so love Paris Hilton ever since she got out of jail. I mean, she's really done her best to be a role model for how to recover from disaster gracefully. When the McCain campaign thought that they could bring down Obama by comparing his celebrity to hers (like it was a bad thing), she turned the tables on BOTH campaigns, really, by coming up with her own sound policy to solve America's energy problem- check out this video. Paris is running for President? Why not? If Barack can learn as he goes along, why not Paris? And she's not old....Check out this video.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Paul and Frank - Not Gay

This video is from The BS Squad. It's about 2 supposed heterosexual guys- good buddies- who are so self-conscious and paranoid about being labelled "gay"that they have to go into hyperdrive in an attempt to prove to everyone- even to themselves- that they're not gay. This video is hilarious- check it out.

A Cool Vintage Video - La Danse des Mots by Jean Bapstiste Mondino

Back in the early 80's, I recorded a video on a show on USA Cable, called "Night Flight". I got this video called "La Danse des Mots" by Jean Baptiste Mondino. I liked this video for several reasons- nice music, it's in French, it's funky, it's cool, it has really nice colors, some good dancing and clowning around, and some rapping with attitude. It's kind of a long video here (from You Tube)- I think that this is even a longer version of the video than I have on my VHS somewhere- but, still, you will enjoy watching it.

I Love Aerosmith - on SNL - Wayne's World

I never knew that my favorite rock band, Aerosmith, was on Saturday Night Live a few years back. I just found out about it, watched it, and it was bloody funny! So here it is! Enjoy!

Want To Help America's Energy Crisis? Join PickensPlan.com

A lot of people sit around and complain about the high cost of oil and gasoline- and soon they'll be complaining about the high cost of electricity and everything else. A lot of people feel helpless and think that there is nothing that we can do to about it. What are you willing to do?

The current president of the U.S. and his Administration holds a steadfast position that global warming is overexaggerated, and will not force the auto companies to make any drastic changes in their fuel efficiency or emissions. Think about it: giving them 12 years or 20 years or more to make changes? It's funny to me that our legislators in Congress compromise so much on things that, if what the overwhelming majority of experts says is true, the few laws that have passed recently won't mean squat in terms of halting global warming, and they certainly won't stop the current outflux of American money into the hands of oil-producing foreigners, who, by the way, probably have a better chance of having dinner and being on a first-name basis with George Bush than you ever will.

So what can an average American do now? I suggest that you check out the website, PickensPlan.com, a new website put up by veteran oil billionaire, businessman and entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens. Mr. Pickens makes a great case for why America is in this crisis with oil, and demonstates lots of practical suggestions as to how we can halt it.

Think about it for a minute: the U.S. oil companies make money on the oil reserves that they hold. They make money from refining both domestic AND foreign oil. Therefore, they make money from oil no matter what. Some people who own lots of shares of oil companies (like George Bush) don't want to do anything to mess with the oil profits- not even invest in newer, cleaner technologies. Or, in the case of what T. Boone Pickens shows on his website, in older, cleaner technologies.

If done on a larger scale, wind power and solar power, along with battery technology, could actually wipe out the use of oil in the future. It's going to take more billionaires like T. Boone Pickens who see what time it is to actually make things happen. Consumers like you and me can do something, too. Check out PickensPlan.com to find out what you can do.


Find more videos like this on PickensPlan

Trying to eat healthier. Got any ideas? I'm Cooking Quaker Oats

I'm about to have breakfast (a late breakfast at 11AM), but I decided that I needed to eat something with more fiber. The first thing that came to mind was oatmeal, so after I dropped off Jaime at his job, I went to Ralphs supermarket on Venice in Los Angeles, and bought a big tin of Quaker Oatmeal. Lately I'd been buying McCain's steel-cut oatmeal, but I don't think they sell that at Ralphs. Besides, I miss Quaker old-fashioned oatmeal, and it will fulfill my quest to eat something healthy. I'm going to put some fresh pieces of banana in it when it's almost done cooking. It should be a good breakfast, with lots of potassium, fiber and natural energy.

Great Short about "The Disney Vault"

This is a great cartoon short from "Saturday Night Live", where they really make fun of The Walt Disney Company, and where they take some of the most outrageous urban legends about Disney and put them all into "The Disney Vault", including the myth that Walt Disney is frozen. This one really crosses the line, in crazy way that "Saturday Night Live" is known for. Note: there is a short commercial before it starts.

I Hate AT&T Advertising and Publishing (the AT&T Yellow Pages Sucks)

I am really tired because I've had a busy day today, but I just want to say right now, before I go to bed, that AT&T Advertising and Publishing is a real rip-off, and I would like to warn as many advertisers as possible to not get hooked up with that loser of a company. It is my experience from advertising with them, and their sister rip-off company, Yellow Pages.com, that not only does their advertising not produce the results that they claim, but also that it is quite possible that you will not even recoup your expenses in advertising from the business that you will get from the advertising. I will not go into detail here, but I would also like to say that one of their representatives failed to cancel my print advertising after I instructed her to, and after she said that she would pull it. After they printed the advertising without my permission, the stupid, lying bitch account representative named Dernise B. lied and said that I never told her to cancel the ads. How much is this non-effective advertisement costing me? $59 a month, for a locked-in 12 months.

AT&T Advertising and Publishing sucks! Don't use it, and you can quote me on that! If you have any questions, you can contact me here on my blog!

Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton on SNL on 5/10/08

Did you see this clip of Amy Poehler on Saturday Night Live on Saturday 5/10/08? If not, then here it is. It is funny, mainly because the writers took everything that all of Hillary's harshest critics have said about her, and made them "qualities" that Hillary is proud of, in an effort to further demonstrate her toughness for not already conceding the nomination to Obama. It's a funny skit, and a lot of people who like Hillary find it offensive. Some Barack Obama supporters might find it a dead-on potrayal, perhaps not even funny, but as an indictment of the real Hillary. I think that people who like both Hillary and Obama, but who know that people are people, regardless of race, and who realize that racism is just a part of who we all are (no matter what color we are) will see this skit for what it is- simply a funny parody. Like all good parodies, there are some truths to it, but that's what makes all parodies funny.

Shia and Andy: The Best Look in the World Video

This is a cool clip from Saturday Night Live on 5/10/08, featuring Shia LaBoeuf and Andy Samberg. It's kind of a catchy tune.

Shia LaBoeuf and Andy Samberg Promoting SNL for 5/10/08

This was Shia LaBoeuf and his good friend Andy Samberg promoting Saturday Night Live for broadcast on 5/10/08 on NBC.

Rent My Timeshare at the Oak Plantation Vacation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, get one free night at a DVC Resort

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World this year? September is a good time to go if you don't have kids- the kids are going back to school in September, and the crowds die down significantly. I own the use of a 1 bedroom condominium at the Oak Plantation Vacation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, during week 36 (which runs from September 7 thru September 14, 2008) which I am renting out for $700. For this price, you will enjoy 7 nights and 8 days at this beautiful resort located within 7 miles of the gates of Walt Disney World.



As an added bonus for renting the room, I will throw in one free night at one of the Disney Vacation Club Resort's studio accomodations (which will sleep up to 4 people), which can be used on any day, Sunday night through Thursday night, either during or immediately after your stay at the Oak Plantation. I will book you one night at either Disney's Old Key West Resort, Disney's Villas at the Wilderness Lodge Resort, Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, Disney's Boardwalk Villas Resort, Disney's Beach Club Villas Resort, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas Resort, or Disney's Vero Beach Resort. (Your choice of DVC Resort is subject to availability.)

If you wish to take advantage of this incredible offer or have any questions, please call David Ransom in Los Angeles at (323)393-5822.

I Swithed From ATT Wireless To Metro PCS. Here's What Happened!

I thought that I would save some money by switching from AT&T Wireless to Metro PCS. I went to their store, bought a nice phone (a Motorola RAZR, for close to $200), and the phone worked pretty good, when I was outside or out on the road. Coverage was pretty extensive- I only lost reception when I went from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita, California, but I expected that. My bill after switching was going to be pretty good, too- only about $53 for the plan that I chose.

I had only one major problem: I had horrbile reception inside my apartment. You see, I have a business- a Mobile Notary business, and if a new customer calls me and can't get me on the phone easily, they move on to the next Notary they find on Google. I know that I lost at least 2 customers for this reason during the period that I had Metro PCS.

Other times in my apartment, my phone wouldn't ring at all when people would call me. This happened almost half the time that I had the phone. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and went crawling back to AT&T, because at least I know that I can rely on the calls not dropping most of the time, and I could rely on getting my calls. Metro PCS is cool if you don't care if you miss calls, but for me, I couldn't rely on it- I need reliable service, baby. Now I'm paying even more money than I paid with AT&T before (i'm paying $99.99 per month now), but that's only temporary, until I can afford an iPhone. I will probably get the iPhone in 3 months, and I will then pay even $20 more per month, but I will have one badass phone!

What Is The Phone Number To Call Walt Disney World?

The phone number for Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida (near Orlando) is 407-WDISNEY, or 407-934-7639. Again, the number to call Walt Disney World is 407- W DISNEY, which is 407-934-7639. This is not a toll-free number.

I always wondered why they don't have a toll-free number, but now I know. Toll-free numbers used to cost a lot of money to have. Sometimes they still do. Today if you use a cell phone (and most people do), there is no extra charge for long distance, so it doesn't matter if you have to dial Orlando's area code.

Anyway, the phone number for Walt Disney World is 407- W DISNEY. In case you don't know, the number is derived from Walt Disney's name.

Buy My Timeshare for $100 total (Oak Plantation Resort in Kissimmee, FL)

Have you ever wanted to own a timeshare, or thought about it? I own 2 timeshares at the same resort- the Oak Plantation Vacation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. Owning 2 timeshares has turned out to be too much for me to own- I can't afford to take 2-one- week-long vacations. Therefore, I am selling my timeshare for $200 plus closing costs (about $300).


I paid $6,500 for the unit, plus closing costs, so compared to what I paid, you are getting a fantastic deal! Also, if you were to try to buy the same thing from the resort, they'd charge even more than what I paid, most likely.


Why am I selling for so low? Because I would like a quick sale!

When the deal is done, you will own this timeshare, a 1-bedroom unit at the Oak Plantation in Kissimmee, which sleeps 4 people, has nice amenities, and is close to Walt Disney World and other cool attractions. Your ownership will be annual- you will get week 36 each year (which usually starts within the first 7 days of September), in unit #107, which is a 1-bedroom unit. Your ownership will be forever (until you sell it or will it away). You will get use of the unit from Sunday at 4PM to the following Sunday at 12PM each year during week 36 (on the RCI calendar).

The only thing you have to do is to pay the dues (for maintenance and taxes) each year (this year it was $700), and the use of the unit will be yours, for vacations to the Orlando area at your property. You can also join either RCI or Interval International after you buy this unit from me for $200.




I am also offering one final inducement: I have paid the maintenance and taxes on this unit already for this year, so the use of the unit this year is mine to keep. If you decide to buy this annual timeshare unit from me for $100 AND if you would like the use of it for September 2010, I will sell you that week for an additional $400. Otherwise, I will keep that week, and although you will own the timeshare, your use of it every year will begin in 2011. If you join RCI or Interval International upon the completion of the closing documents, you will be able to bank your week with one of those companies, and you can exchange your week for a vacation to other great resorts around the world.

If you would like to pay the $400 and use my week in September of 2010 in addition to purchasing the timeshare, just let me know.

To check out the Oak Plantation Resort before you buy, go to Oak Planation Resort.com and get good information before you purchase it.

Any questions? Call David Ransom in Los Angeles, CA at (323)393-5822.

Looking To Make More Money? I am.

If you are like a lot of people in America today, you pay the bills yourself. Therefore, you are aware that gasoline prices are up, along with airline ticket prices and food prices. You might also find yourself in debt. What can you do to make more money, you may ask yourself? I wonder the same thing. I guess I will get that economic stimulus that Congress passed a few weeks ago. If it is $600, it will quickly be eaten by any of my several heavily- charged credit cards. Like the one with the $21,000 balance. Or the one with the $6,000 balance. Or the one with the $2, 700 balance. Or maybe the one with $7,100 owing, or the last big one, with $3,300 owing. So that $600 check will leave me with a balance of $20,550 if I use it for my next payment on the $21,000 card.

Why do I owe so damn much money? Well, working for myself hasn't been so easy. The mortgage crisis killed my income. I applied for a job at Starbucks a few months back, but I never heard from them after my interview. I suppose that I should get a full-time job, and only do my business part-time. Maybe. We shall see. In the meantime, it would be nice to get some money out of the clear blue. Times are tough, baby.

I will try to sell a few things on Ebay to get out of this financial quicksand.

A Sad Ending For 3 Airlines

Well, today another airline that I used twice within the last 9 months announced that it was going out of business.

Skybus Airlines, based in Columbus, Ohio, announced that they will be halting service, starting today, April 5, 2008. It's really sad. I flew this airline 3 weeks ago (to Columbus), and I had a really good time visiting my friends in Akron, Ohio.

Skybus was a fun airline to fly. They could get that plane boarded pretty quickly. Once in the air, the flight attendants would come by and offer you food, snacks and drinks to purchase. If you purchased, you could pay cash or credit card! I liked being able to pay for what I wanted, and being able to get quality food. They had a pretty good chicken sandwich on Italian bread, which I liked. When I first flew on this airline, you could even purchase Seagram's Lynchburg Lemonade! Of course, you could also buy M&M's (plain or with peanuts) and other candies. They even had Sara Lee blueberry muffins. Yes, I guess food is one of the highlights of any trip that I take, and although it wasn't spectacular, it will be one of the things that I miss about this airline (and the spirit of it, too- they tried something, and the economy and the world's fuel prices wouldn't allow it to continue.) I was lucky to be able to get the legendary $10 fares on Skybus, on both trips that I took to Columbus (with taxes, it worked out to be $40 round trip). At least I can say that I flew on Skybus.

Then there's Aloha Airlines. I never flew them, but I liked their logo. I used to work for Fed Ex in Customer Service at Los Angeles International Airport, and I remember serving Aloha Airlines employees sometimes with their shipments (they got a discount off Fed Ex shipping). Fed Ex employees also got discounts on Aloha, although I never took them up on it (they flew to Hawaii only from Los Angeles).

Finally, there was American Trans Air (ATA). I really have fond memories of ATA. For one, when I worked at Fed Ex, again I used to give discounts to their employees. Additonally, Fed Ex employees got really, really good deals on ATA. We could even buy cheap tickets from the airline, for ourselves, and even for friends who travelled with us! I remember flying ATA to Orlando. I remember their theme music: "On ATA, you're on vacation....on ATA, your on vacation... on ATA...

It's sad, but they say all things must come to an end, and so goes those great airlines...Oh, well. Now that Skybus is gone, I can start flying my all-time favorite airline, Southwest, again.

I love Southwest airlines. The people are friendly, they are very professional, the people are FUNNY, and I just love it. I always said that if I ever parted ways with Fed Ex for any reason, that I would love to work at Southwest. I just hope that they can weather the storm of the bad economy (and I hope we call can, me and YOU!).

I Want An Uncensored Version of "I'm Fucking Matt Damon"

I wish that Sarah Silverman would put out an uncensored version of "I'm Fucking Matt Damon", the song and video that she showed on Jimmy Kimmel Live. I also wish that Jimmy Kimmel would put out an uncensored version of "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck", song and video. I was hoping that ABC Television would have put out an uncensored version on You Tube or iTunes, but no such luck so far.

NBC had a really good sense of humor when they put out Justin Timberlake's video for "Dick in a Box" , totally uncensored, during the Christmas holidays (that video was really hilarious and genius, and kind of signaled SNL's return to rare form).

Jimmy and Sarah, come on now, put out some uncensored versions of your songs (you are a better singer, Sarah- and Jimmy just copied your song, really).

Living to be 150 Years Old? It's A New Barbara Walters Special

Barbara Walters has a new special coming on ABC Television prime time next week. The commercial says that technology is becoming such that people will be able to live to be 150 years old. I'm thinking: do I want to be that old? I mean, what would my body be like? Right now I'm doing OK...I'm in my young forties now, and I can identify one or two recurring pains. How will those be in 40 years, let alone another 110 years?

So much stuff can happen in 150 years. If someone who is 150 years old was to go back to when they were 21 years old, which would be 129 years ago, the year would be 1879. Who would be the President then? I don't know, but whoever this 150 year-old person is, if he still has a sharp mind, he would remember the name of the President, and he would have some memories of what it was like to live then. In his lifetime, he would have experienced what America was like during slavery, during all the world wars of the 20th century, and he would have known what America was like BEFORE automobiles and airplanes.

Being able to have seen all that in one lifetime, I ask myself this: would I want to experience all that in one lifetime? I think that dying has its purpose. I wonder how living so long can be made enjoyable? I haven't seen the special yet, but...answer me that, Barbara Walters!

The Mortgage Crisis Hits Michael Jackson

I just saw on the news that Michael Jackson (the singer) is going to lose the Neverland Ranch. It's being auctioned off in March because he is way behind in his monthly payments. That wasn't too surprising, since he has said that he didn't intend to live there again, anyway. What is shocking is that he is also behind in his mortgage payments on his home in Encino. That is terrible.

Nowadays a lot of people are giving money to presidential campaigns for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I think that maybe somebody should take up a collection for Michael Jackson. After all, if the presidential candidates can raise so much money so fast (for nothing), why can't Michael? Hillary Clinton's campaign raised $35 million this month. Barack Obama raised $50 million this month. Michael's payoff on Neverland is $25 million. Therefore, it can be done. It's not like a bunch of stars wouldn't come together to make a video or something for him that could be downloaded on iTunes, with most of the proceeds going to the "Save Neverland" fund, or something like that. Or, even the "Save Michael" fund. It would be pathetic if Michael had to ask for free money himself, but not so if a bunch of fans did it. For the Jacksons to lose their Encino home would be terrible. I heard the news about Michael falling behind on his mortgage payments on my local news here in Los Angeles. Losing Neverland isn't such a bad thing- I wonder how much money that property is worth. Losing the house in Encino would be terrible.

Maybe Oprah's "Big Give" people will give Michael Jackson a few months worth of mortgage payments. That would be good. Although, Michael has been the epitomy of people living beyond their means. The poster child. I don't get it, though- he always denies publicly that he's having money problems, and yet doesn't seem to be doing any work to make any money now, and it's always in the news that he's short of funds. Dude, if you want help, you have to ask for it. Admit your problems and ask for help.

If Michael Jackson were to record a short song and put it up on iTunes, and say that a purchase would help him financially, I would buy it to help him out. Would you?

Vote For A Democrat For President. Build Up The Average Person Again.

I was watching online today CNBC's Larry Kudlow rudely trying to beat down Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute, over Jared's defense of Hillary Clinton's proposals to take away the huge tax breaks and subsidies that oil companies, health care companies, and drug companies are receiving from the Bush Administration. Mr. Kudlow is also against Hillary's proposal to regulate the credit card companies as to their policies on charging high interest and high fees. He says that if Hillary or Obama enacts such things, then the U.S. will lose "jobs", and that Hillary is proposing "limiting profits". I don't know about the "jobs" part, but the part about "limiting profits" is a lie. If oil companies are made to pay the same taxes as other companies, that's fair, right? Don't you think so? Why give the oil companies such special treatment? Where is the "limit"? They could still make unlimited profits under Hillary Clinton's Administration. They would only have to pay more tax on those unlimited profits. Everybody wins.


As for "jobs" being lost, what kinds of jobs would those be? Most adults in America (the ones who are not wealthy) need jobs that pay enough for us to live somewhere, provide food and clothing, and some money for them to buy a few nice things. Most people also hope that those jobs provide medical insurance, which is something that everyone needs. A lot of jobs (most jobs) don't provide these things.


The banking industry is one that you can trust, right? It works like this: the U.S. Federal Reserve lends money to the big banks, so that they can lend it to people like you and me. The policies of the banks have lead to this current "crisis" in the mortgage industry. Lots of people are losing their homes now, and cannot pay their bills because the interest rates have gone up on them. Do you think that any one person or group of people was responsible for that? If so, who? Shouldn't a major bank like Chase make more sub-prime loans because Countrywide and Bank of America are doing it? The pressure to do it and thus remain competitive was there. The end result of all those sub-prime loans was something that banks traditionally don't want- and the economy doesn't want- a plethora of foreclosures, eliminated jobs in the mortgage industry, and stalled income from new home loans. Sure, creating the sub-prime loan product created lots of jobs. And lots of salespeople got big bonuses for selling loans to people who couldn't afford them. And other salespeople sold those loans up to Wall Street. It seems that the American banking system and Wall Street has a lot of "sanctioned fraud" going on, in the guise of "free market". Do all businsess transactions that we enter into have to be risky? Can't we trust anybody anymore?



Should any company send their call centers (and thus jobs) overseas in order to cut costs of having American workers? (A company can save a lot of money by doing that. They don't have to pay as much of an hourly wage, and they don't have to pay the Social Security tax for the worker if they eliminate the American job). With the "globalization" that business leaders have been lauding for a few years now, we common American workers are looking and wondering, "what's so great about it so far? The U.S. is not making nearly the amount of products inside the U.S. anymore. Lots of factories have been closed down all over the U.S. in the last 7 years.

I believe that a corporation who hires employees has a responsibility, not only to shareholders, but to the stakeholders as well. Who are the stakeholders? Well, one of the largest stakeholders in a company is the employees. They all have a stake in the survival of a company. Why? Well, because they give the largest portion of their time- a large percentage of their lifetime- to that company. Eight hours a day, for several years, is devotion. You stake your income, your paycheck, your pension, on that company. If your competitor moves jobs overseas to cut costs, smart business principles dictate that you must remain competitive with your competition in order for your company to survive, and the pressure for the company to do what their competitor did is overwhelming. For any one company to eliminate jobs here in the U.S. in order to re-create those same jobs in another country is downright unpatriotic, if you ask me.

It is one thing to open a new plant overseas to supplement a growing business that your company has overseas for a growing consumer base overseas. That's great- it means that a company is truly becoming global, and truly creating jobs . But when a company eliminates workers here to give those jobs to lower-paid foreign workers, that's not creating jobs. It's simply doing harm to America and its workers, and it shows no honor on the part of the management of those companies, and on the part of lawmakers who allow such things. Decisions like these by large corportations are often done hastily, and usually done for the sake of stockholders, not stakeholders.

The challenge for American companies and lawmakers: to preserve jobs. To modify current jobs to meet the demands of the future. To preserve the dignity of the workers. To preserve the security of the worker. To adequately compensate the worker.

There is one unfortunate but necessary mantra in today's society: don't trust anyone. Not your employer. Not your banker. Not the people on TV like on certain TV shows where people lie to you all the time (if anyone lies to me once and I catch them, I never trust them again anyway). You have to watch your own ass. You better have a plan B, C and D.

Hillary Clinton is proposing to put America back in the right direction, and by that, I mean the correct direction. Americans are living paycheck to paycheck now more than ever, and more people today than ever are a paycheck or two from being out on the street. If Hillary or Obama can get into the White House, they surely will face lots of brutal, sneaky, partisan attacks from the right-wing folks, many of whom are outlined in Al Franken's book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them". It was truly amazing that when Bill Clinton was in the White House, he managed to get so many good things accomplished despite all the personal attacks that were going on against him at the time- Whitewater, the Jennifer Flowers trial, the Monica Lewinsky embarrassment, and the impeachment hearings. Despite all that, plus more, he managed to leave the U.S. economy and the U.S. military in great shape for the future. It took a tremendous, unbelievable overhaul by the current administration to screw it up. I feel that Hillary has seen it all in terms of what kind of political opposition that she will face as she tries to pull off what she proposes. I believe that she can do what she says she can do. I know that she already has some brilliant people who would come with her if she makes it back into the White House. Bill Clinton would be there, too, contributing in some way, but Hillary would be the one calling the shots. She's done great for New York, and I know she'd be great as the President. Way better than the one we have now. I like Obama, too. I'm sure that he would also assemble a good administration were he to become the President.

Online Beggar Looking For Online Donations!

The bible says, "Seek and you shall find". Successful people often say that if you want something, you have to ask for it. Well, the internet is as good a place as any to "put it out there", so I'm putting it out there: I want money. I don't care if you give me one cent, $5 or $50,000 at one time, or even more. I just want money, and I'm accepting free contributions right here on my site through my Pay Pal account. Please give at least one dollar, though, please.

I attended a seminar with a motivational speaker recently, and he said that he learned a valuable lesson when he was working as a waiter. A very wealthy man asked him how much of a tip that he thought he deserved. This speaker, Jeff, said that he thought he deserved $150 as a tip. The guy gave him a $100 tip, but told him that if he had said $10,000, he would have received that much as a tip. So go ahead, donate $10,000 to me!

I accept money via Credit Card, Master Card, Visa, Discover and Diner's Club, and from your bank account through Pay Pal. Off to the right of this posting is a Pay Pal button, where you can donate money to me.

Lots of people are donating money to Barack Obama's campaign, to Hillary Clinton's campaign, and even to John McCain's campaign. I am looking for money to go into my bank account, so that I can pay off all my credit card debt. I'm not looking to be known as an online beggar, but hey, people waste money all the time- a little coffee here, a little candy there, etc. If I can inspire you to save ANY money for yourself at all this week, then please donate some money to me here. Please, do it now!


There are plenty of people who are sick and dying, and have lots of money but don't want to leave it to their family. Others are super wealthy, like Warren Buffett, and have so much money that they give it to huge charities, but not to individual people who need help. Well, Mr. Buffett and anyone else who is wealthy, please listen: donate enough money just to help me get out of debt. My goal is to go back to school and get an advanced degree, either a PhD in Mathematics, a JD degree, or an Master of Business Administration degree. Of course, any and all money I receive, over and above paying off the debt, will go toward school.


So, everyone reading this, please donate to me, any amount, large or small, and I will send you an email to acknowledge it if you leave me your email address. That is all! And read my blog- I will let you know my progress!

Thank you!

Disney Parks Will Blossom, Thanks To Imagineering!

Wow, I just found out about 2 great things coming to Disney's American theme parks. Disneyland will open the "House of the Future" in May, in a collaboration with Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and a couple of other companies. Walt Disney World will open an "American Idol Live" show, where theme park guests at the Disney Studios can audition and compete for a spot on the popular television show.

Disneyland's new "House of the Future" will bring a new take on a former Disney attraction. In 1957, Disneyland previewed "Monsanto's House of the Future", where the house and almost all materials were entirely made of plastic. That attraction ran for 10 years at Disneyland. I heard that the house wasn't really large, though.

The new concept for the "House of the Future" sounds exciting. On the outside, the house will look just like any modern house that you can find in any American city. On the inside, however, the house will feature modern and futuristic technologies and home furnishings. I can't wait to see what fruit will bear in this attraction. From what I've read, this house will be about 5,000 square feet.

In 2009, the Disney Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World will unveil an "American Idol" attraction, where guests can audition and "show their stuff" in front of a live audience. While all details have not been worked out yet about how this show will work, this is clear: this show will generate lots of excitement, and lots of guest participation. This show in being done in conjuction with Freemantle Media, which produces the "American Idol" television show on the Fox Network. This collaboration is a brilliant move on the part of both companies.

Going back to Disneyland in California, something else exciting is being built at the Disneyland Resort: the Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Resort, a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Ground has already been broken on this new project, and this addition to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is going up in earnest. Disney Vacation Club members will have first dibs on booking rooms at this new DVC Resort, which will be Disney Vacation Club's first ever Resort in California. DVC Resorts are even better than hotel rooms, for they provide the comforts of home. The larger the unit, the more comforts. Disneyland now has a show where you can preview these units- ask a Disney Vacation Club Cast Member for details.

Another exciting thing going on at the Disneyland Resort is at California Adventure Theme Park. Disney is going to invest $1 billion into remodeling and expanding the park! There will be a whole new area based on the Disney-Pixar movie, "Cars", as well as other grand additions.

All of the things mentioned here have been announced within the last 2 months. I'm really excited about the projects that Disney has on its slate, and I can't wait to experience them all!

For Rent: 2- Bedroom Vacation Home Unit at Oak Plantation Resort, June 15-22, 2008, for $800

Do you want to go to Walt Disney World in Florida on vacation with your family or some friends? If so, you will want to stay in a nice place. While Disney does offer great resorts to stay at, it can be quite expensive to stay there.

Why not stay at the Oak Plantation Resort, located in Kissimmee, Florida? It's a very nice, quiet, beautiful and modern resort. It's located close to Walt Disney World. I currently am renting out my 2-bedroom Time Share unit at Oak Plantation Resort for the week of June 15 to June 22, 2008 (one week, checking in on Sunday June 15). I am asking $800, firm.

The unit which I have for rent is located in a prime spot at the Resort. I frankly feel that I have one of the best locations, in one of the best times to visit Walt Disney World. My unit is located upstairs, so that you overlook the pool area. It's also conveniently located near the resort's General Store. The unit has 2 bedrooms, a washer and dryer, 2 bathrooms, and a nice-sized living room (with a sleeper sofa), and a dining area. The unit will accomodate up to 8 people comfortably. There is also a really cool, full kitchen. There are ceiling fans in the unit, as well as air conditioning. The Resort is located 8 miles from Walt Disney World, and is also located very close to nice restaurants and other attractions. The Resort also offers a Game Room, Excercise Room, Tennis Court and Basketball Court. This Resort has a lot to offer for a great vacation. I am offering this unit for 1 full week, at $800 total.

Why rent from me? Well, you will be getting one of the best locations at the resort. You will not only save on the cost of renting such a room (you will save over $200 by renting from me), you will also not have to pay tax on top of the room rates that the Resort quotes you. I have owned this unit during this week since the Resort opened, and I have used it several times.

For details about this Rental Offering, please call David Ransom in Los Angeles at (323)393-5822.

Thank you.

I am pissed. I watched "The View" and Whoopi said that she was voting for Barack Obama because he was the first one to say that he wanted to take away tax breaks for companies that sent U.S. jobs overseas. Well, look what I discovered on You Tube just now! I actually voted for Obama because of what Whoopi said. I didn't catch this episode, where she retracted (a day after voting took place) and endorsed Hillary! Whoopi pointed out that Hillary actually said the same thing in May of 2007.

Anyway, I can't help but think that a lot of people voting for Obama were like me, kind of on the fence until Whoopi spoke up. Oh, well...I hope Hillary gets the Presidential nomination. Check it out!

Natalie Cole Hatin' On Amy Winehouse After the Grammys

Tonight on KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, signing legend Natalie Cole, who presented at the Grammy Awards, said that Amy Winehouse should not have won the Grammy for Best Record, or any of her other 4 Grammys won, because "she should not be rewarded for bad behavior". Miss Cole, who years ago suffered her own cocaine addiction, said that Miss Winehouse should have won some years in the future, after she has cleaned herself up. Does that mean that Natalie should give back all the awards that SHE won due to HER drug use after she won awards. What's being judged here: the musical aspects, or the person's personal life? Leave Amy Winehouse alone!

Next, KCBS interviewed the wonderful singer Josh Groban, who said that Amy Winehouse deserved the award. Well said, Josh! I love your voice, your music, your hair and your non-judgemental spirit!

Personally, I loved the performance of the song, "Rehab", which, quite frankly, I had never heard until the Grammys broadcast. It's edgy and Amy Winehouse really looked good performing it.

Yes, I'm not much of an MTV person anymore- my enthusiasm for it kind of died out sometime before N'SYNC broke up. And Michael Jackson being accused of molesting that bratty kid didn't help it for me, either. Not because I think that Michael did it- it's just that he was SO STUPID to even allow himself to have been in that situation again. Big idiot.

Beyonce looked really hot tonight, along with Tina Turner. Little Richard has still got it, too. I think that HE should tour, like Garth Brooks.

Torn Between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama

I am so torn between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic Primary today. i don't know what I'm going to do.

I got so pumped up at the rally on Sunday at Pauley Pavillion on the UCLA campus. Michelle Obama said to vote for Barack and that as President, he will show us from day one that we made the right choice. She was so impassioned, that out of every person on that stage Sunday, she was by far the most convincing. I do like Barack Obama.

Then, there's Hillary. I saw her in November at a little backyard party in my neighborhood in Los Angeles. I was stoked to see her and to hear her in person. I have always liked her, and got an ever bigger appreciation for her when I read her book, "Living History" years ago.

One thing is for sure: I really believe that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton really believe that America crucially needs each of them as President, and I can't help but think that each one is correct. If at least one of them does not become the next President, I will seriously contemplate moving to another country (that's where all the good jobs seem to be going, anyway!). I don't think that will happen, though. Too many people are pissed off now, and more people are paying attention.

Anyway, I thought that I'd made up my mind to vote for Barack Obama, but I still feel a strange loyalty to Hillary Clinton. I wish that I could vote for both. I'll decide in a few hours how I will vote.

What Happened at UCLA's Pauley Pavillion Today with Oprah, Caroline Kennedy, and Michelle Obama

Today I went to Pauley Pavillion at UCLA with my Mother. We got there around 12 noon. There were plenty of seats. There was lots of media. We tried to sit where we wanted- a simple seat on the side, not on the floor level, but on the next level up. We were not allowed to sit just there, because they wanted to fill all the seats behind the podium. After a while of waiting, we finally got to sit where we wanted (we weren't trying to be on TV. We simply wanted easy access to the restroom).

The State Assembly Speaker spoke, the mayor of Pomona spoke, and another person who I don't remember her position spoke. A 94-year-old Korean-American lady who was a Navy veteran also spoke about the changes that have taken place in America also.

Finally, Caroline Kennedy came out and spoke. She was nice. Her speech was OK- she was nice and likeable, but there was no passion in her speech, I thought.

Then Oprah Winfrey came out and spoke. Boy, was she passionate. She said that a lot of her friends told her that she was betraying women by voting for Barack. Other people told her that she was voting for Obama because he is black. To both sets of people, she told them that she was insulted for them thinking that way. She said that she is independent minded, and can make her own decisions. She is now free to do that. She gave an impassioned speech about freedom to dream about change, and to actually make those changes. Next, she turned the floor over to Michelle Obama.

Michelle came onto the stage with Stevie Wonder, who was holding her hand. Michelle tripped a little climbing onto the stage, causing Stevie to actually fall over (and almost fall off) the stage! It was horrifying, but I think they were both OK. Oprah hugged Stevie as he came up to the stage. Michelle introduced Stevie and asked him to speak.

Stevie said that he came out to show support for Obama, and he gave the audience a little melody with lyrics, "Barack Obama" to remember. Stevie mentioned that he had rallied for years for Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday to be a holiday, and now it is. He also pointed out that he rallied for an end to apartheid in South Africa and the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, and it happened. Now Stevie wishes for Barack Obama to be our presidential candidate in November.

Next, Michelle Obama came out and gave an impassioned speech. She talked about growing up in the south side of Chicago. She said that her father was hard-working, living in a time where you could get a factory job, with decent pay and benefits, and as long as you worked hard, you could make a living. She also said that he parents stressed getting an education as a means to succeed. She and her sister got their college educations and succeeded. Michelle met Barack Obama in law school. She pointed out that she and Barack have both worked with real, average, poor people- men and women- in Chicago at first, and then all over the state. Barack Obama ran for public office and moved up slowly, now being a state senator in Illinois. Michelle says that Barack has been attacked by all kind of people who want to discredit him. She says that he is credible, he has solid integrity, he listens to all people, he respects all people and their feelings, he knows what it is like to struggle financially, and he knows what the average American's struggle is. Michelle was so effective and impassioned in her speech that I believe that she may have convinced me to vote for her husband. At the conclusion of her speech, Michelle introduced a final, surprise guest.

The surpise guest was Maria Shriver (a.k.a. Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger), who also fired up the audience. She said that "as California goes, so does the nation". She said that Barack Obama is a lot like the state of California: diverse, leader, dreamer, and a few other things that I don't remember.

As the rally adjourned, Pauley Pavillion was filled with excitement, and people were motivated. I was excited. A lady that I spoke to said that I have to read Chapter 5 of "The Audacity of Hope". I will go to the bookstore tomorrow and do that!

I'm now at a crossroads. I love Hillary Clinton, but Barack Obama and his beautiful wife Michelle have given me more hope that possibly I can help America get back on track to keeping jobs here, bringing back good benefits, and being able to make a living in America. I have some serious thinking to do before voting this time! One thing I do know: Obama is truly brilliant. I'd like to see a President who will be able to cut through the bullshit and tell it like it really is to Congress for average Americans.

I Might Go See Barack Obama, Oprah and Caroline Kennedy at Pauley Pavillion Today

My mother called me on the phone this morning at about 9:40AM. "I'm sorry to wake you, but Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey and Caroline Kennedy are going to be at UCLA at 1PM today, and it's free".

"Cool", I said. "The Super Bowl ususally starts around 3PM or 3:30, so that's just enough time to do both". So, I woke up a little early on a rainy Sunday, and I will have breakfast at my mother's house. We will probably drive over to UCLA and see if we can get in, and I will finally get to see Oprah (first and foremost), and it will be nice to see Obama. I'm a Hillary person, but I do like Obama and I support him all the way up til when it comes down between him and Hillary. I've never seen Caroline Kennedy in person, either. As you may have read in a previous post, I saw Hillary in a backyard gathering about 2 months ago, and that was fun.

Let's Visit Walt Disney World's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Attraction

I found this video of the updated version of Walt Disney World's "Pirates of the Caribbean" Attraction, featuring characters from the movie. You will see Captain Jack Sparrow several times here. I discovered this on YouTube.

Foregone Vacation

I was supposed to fly to Florida last week and be on vacation for 10 days. With the economy on shaky ground in the news, and with me personally suffering from a tremendous lack of business, I decided to forego my trip to Fort Lauderdale and Walt Disney World (where I figured that I would spend at least $560 and lose out on earning some money). Do I regret not going? Well, at first I kind of did regret it, but to get over that I decided to concentrate more on some of the things that I normally lament about when I'm on vacation. Things like: another year, another vacation to Walt Disney World, and no screenplay written. Come on, David. Either write a screenplay or forget about it forever. Another thing: prepare for your taxes. Look at your bank statements. Make adjustments in who you pay, and how much. Do you need to switch phone service? Are you going to send the information to your lawyer today? Overall, I decided, that it was not worth leaving Los Angeles at this point, when so much is up in the air for me. Better to put my head down and concentrate on success, and concentrate on producing more income.

So this past week I've taken in about $150. If I'd gone to Disney, I'd be out of the $560. This way, i'm in the positive $150, a $710 swing.

Another reason I'm glad that I stayed home is that I probably would have missed the opportunity to trade away the Ebay stock in my Mom's account like I did just before Ebay announced their earnings on Wednesday (I had a feeling to sell that stock before any news. It was going up mysteriously on Wednesday, so I said, "screw it. Whatever news comes, it won't help the stock, it can only hurt". I was right. It just so happens, I have been looking at another stock that my Mom owns, Build-A-Bear Workshop. It had been going down over the months, gradually and seemingly without end. I was waiting for a bottom. The price of the stock was beginning to look cheap, but I've learned over the years that until you see a bounce, you gotta leave the stock alone and let it keep on going down. Well, I saw Build-A-Bear stock go up today solidly, by like 5%. I also looked at the chart, and saw that it seemed to be breaking out of the low and going back up. I decided to buy 100 shares of that stock, with the proceeds of the 25 Ebay shares that I sold. I've heard it said that Build-A-Bear would be a great takeover stock for some companies, like Berkshire Hathaway, for example. I even could see how a company like Disney might consider buying it, since it's so cheap compared to the price that it was 6 months ago, and that Build-A-Bear might compliment Disney's Club Penguin acquisition, which was completed a few months ago for $300 million (at today's price, Build-A-Bear is valued by the market almost at that amount). Build-A-Bear was up on Thursday, big-time, after I bought it. The company's stock had been severely punished over the last few months, which is kind of weird for a relatively small company (with only 20 million shares) that is still, at least, moderately profitable. Anyway, Mom has 200 shares now.

So, I'll just be content to go to Disney's Grand Californian for 2 nights again this weekend. Hopefully it won't be raining as much as it is right now (boy, I don't remember this much rain in L.A. in recent years!) I'm planning another trip to Walt Disney World, for May or June. I'll be better prepared to take the trip at that time, hopefully (with that new "Stimulus Plan" that Congress probably will enact, I'll get some money from the government to help pay for that trip!) We will see.

Reflections On The Death of Heath Ledger

I heard the news last night about Heath Ledger being found dead in his apartment in New York. It was shocking to me. They mentioned that they thought it might have been suicide, but I thought for a minute and said, "Naw. I don't think so. I hope not." Later reports said that his last two acting roles involved putting himself in some very sad places mentally. They mentioned that the last role particularly weighed heavy on his mind, and left him unable to sleep well. Now, I've heard that when people can't sleep, they hallucinate. Sleeping is an essential part of being healthy and happy. To have thoughts that are so uncomfortable as to cause you to not be able to sleep- that's torture.



I also heard that Heath Ledger had pneumonia when he died (I heard that on TV from that guy who runs TMZ, who said that he knew it for a fact). Walking pneumonia is not cute and doesn't feel good. If you can't sleep, I'll bet it's impossible to get rid of).



I've heard it said that, "Thoughts are things". I really believe that. What you put in your head- what you allow to go into your head- be it a song, a movie, or an episode of "Ugly Betty", will somehow affect you. The amounts of things and the kinds of things that we choose to put in our heads play out somehow in our lives every day. These things definitely affect your mood. Actors often get into character by trying to think the way their characters think. Always having to be someone else, particularly if you're having to be a sad or vile person, might adversly alter your moods. They say that that Heath's last role as the Joker for the new Batman movie had left him depressed and unable to sleep. Imagine being unable to control your thoughts. That scares me.



I really liked Heath Ledger. I was rooting for him to win the Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain", a film that he was superb in. I'd also seen him in "The Patriot" and "A Knight's Tale", and he was really good in "Monster's Ball". I saw him on "Oprah" a couple of years ago, too, and he seemed happy and normal. One thing that I do remember is that when he was living out here in Hollywood that the paparrazi would always stalk him outside his home, and he'd literally drive crazy down the street to get away from them. I do think that a law should be passed to stop the paparazzi from chasing celebrities.



He was only 28 years old. That's young. Not as young as James Dean was when he died. There are plenty of people who die younger. But this guy, who depicted life so magnificently through his acting roles, and who seemed to be really humble and down-to-earth, through his early death reminds us that it doesn't matter whether or not you were expecting to die. When death happens to you, that's it. It's too late to seek help if you need it. You're done.



I hope that Heath Ledger's death helps other people, - stars and non-celebrity people alike, realize that life is a gift, and that you have to love yourself and take care of yourself. Your life is fragile, and can be taken away in an instant. (I'm so glad that Owen Wilson survived his ordeal last year and I hope that he's doing better).



Heath Ledger will live on through his movies. There are tons of photos of him on the internet. He was a cool guy that I wish that I could have met. I'm going to miss him.

I'm Selling My 2 Timeshares at Oak Plantation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida

If you ever thought about buying a timeshare, I have a great place for you, at an affordable purchase price.

I have two units for sale at the Oak Plantation Vacation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. Each unit is deeded for annual use, and you will have each unit for 1 full week. The Oak Plantation Resort was built about 12 years ago by Vistana. Since then it has been owned and managed by Sheraton and then Sun Vest. This resort is very nice and quiet, and has really nice amenities. It's actually much nicer than Vistana Resort (in my opinion), but it's a little further from Walt Disney World (about 7 miles away). Another good thing about the Resort is that it is close to a Super Wal-Mart, and close to other dining places.

I have a 1- Bedroom Unit that sleeps up to 4 people comfortably, during week 36 of the year (usually the first week of September). I also have a 2-Bedroom Unit that sleeps up to 6 people comfortably, with week 24 as the use week (usually the second week of June). Both of my units are located at prime locations at the Resort. If you know about timeshares, you know that these places are homes away from home, with kitchen and bathrooms. You can check out the Oak Plantation Resort's website and make a decision for yourself if this is the Resort for you.

If you are interested in either unit at the Oak Plantation Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, and want to make me an offer, please call David at (323)393-5822. All offers considered. I'm in Los Angeles, California. (I put this on my blog because I figure that if I just "put it out there" that someone who wants it will find me). Why pay the Resort, with their fast-talking, scheming salespeople, $14,000 or more when you can come to me and get something for WAY LESS? - Try me. Thank you.

Dance War- Bruno vs. Carrie Ann

I love that new show on ABC Television- "Dance War- Bruno vs. Carrie Ann". It's a fun show. Living in L.A., I know a lot of people who are professional dancers, and I meet a lot of people from all over the world who come to L.A. to take dance classes. We have some really good dance classes here in L.A.

I started taking dance classes at Gold's Gym in Hollywood a few years ago, because it looked fun. I actually took a hip-hop dance class. It was cool, and I made a few friends when I did it. I'm no dancer, and I haven't taken any classes for half a year now, but once I start going back to the gym and losing some weight, I'll attempt to dance and look cute while I'm doing it.

Now, back to "Dance War". I like this show because I personally have taken dance classes and singing classes. I love to dance and sing. The one movie that I saw years ago that I loved, and made me want to become a performer was "Sister Act 2". That movie was so good, and it made me so happy to watch it. I wanted to get up there and sing and dance with those kids. I think that this might be why I like "Dance War" so much. I liked the numbers that they did on the show, and the idea of being in a show where you can sing and dance (remember the "Mickey Mouse Club"- any of them? The kids got to sing and dance. I'm a sucker for any show like that). I'm so shocked that I haven't seen "High School Musical" yet. I'm a big Disney fan and I haven't even seen that movie. (I just convinced myself that I should see it ASAP for 2 reasons. Number 1- I know that I'll like it; and Number 2- they will take away my Disney Card if I don't see it. I better not tell anybody else).

I hate that there's a writer's strike, because I love my TV shows, especially on ABC Television, but I'm glad that this "Dance War" show is not being affected (I guess because it's like a reality show). Funny thing, though. This show has made me want to sing and dance again. I'm kind of old, in terms of how old that people should be who are trying to seriously make it in show business, but guess what? I feel like I can make it if I really tried. I can sing. I can dance pretty good- once I lose about 20 pounds, I'll really look the part. You watch!

Anyway, I'm excited about this show, and I'm going to enjoy watching it for the next few weeks.

Should I drop AT&T Wireless and Get Metro PCS?

I have been thinking now seriously for about a week of changing to Metro PCS, away from AT&T wireless. Why? Well, I spend, before taxes, $69.99 per month for the AT&T Wireless (I had Cingular originally). I get 1,100 minutes for that, plus free night-time minutes (after 9PM), and free weekend minutes. I also have unlimited roaming, meaning, I can go anywhere in the nation and not pay any roaming fees. Sweet.

Then there's Metro PCS, a new service, but popular, judging by how many new offices that they've opened up in L.A. just within the last 2 months. I went into one of their offices about a month ago to inquire about cost and service. They said that they are expanding. They said that they are building their network throughtout Southern California, but while I was waiting, if I wandered out of their coverage zone, I would incur roaming charges. They share networks with other phone companies when you wander out of their coverage zone, and you are charged per minute that you use another network (a few cents, not much). I would also have to buy my phone, and own it outright- but I don't have a contract. That appeals to me.

The Metro PCS option for me would be $35 a month. I would save $35 a month. If I should roam out of the area or go on vacation, I would pay for those extra minutes, but they have you pre-pay those minutes anyway, for the event that you should need to roam. That's kind of appealing, too. You either will be able to pay your bill, or you run out of minutes. Good.

$35 saved is really like $52 saved, if you think about it. How long does it take you at work to earn $52? Well, after you earn that and it goes to your company, by the time you get it with taxes taken out, it's about $35. I'm starting to think it's worth switching.


I like Cingular overall, but I'm not into wasting money. My sister has Metro PCS and she likes it. I have come close to running over my minutes twice in the last 3 months. I'm thinking about "unlimiting myself".

What do you think?

What's Wrong with People?

This video is cool. It shows how rude people can be, and how this girl deals with it. Notice her 2 defense mechanisms. What do you do when people are rude to you? I swear, when driving, I'm glad that I don't have a gun sometimes. Not that I'd shoot anyone, heck no. I'd maybe just shoot their tires or something. But that's in my fantasy world. But my fantasy world that day might not be as mild as that of others. Watch out. People are crazy.

And now, enjoy the video.

Elisabeth is Back On the View...Whoopi Proves My Point

Today "The View" on ABC Television was really good. They welcomed back Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and the whole show was devoted to Hot Topics. One thing that got discussed, and not even in relation to Obama and Clinton, was how attractive you have to be in the movies and on television. The more visually attractive person usually gets more votes from the public, based just on looks. Whoopi Goldberg said that most people in power did not want her doing love scenes, because they told her that she was too ugly.

Another point discussed on this show today by Whoopi is the point that I brought up in my blog post yesterday- that it doesn't matter who gets into the office talking about change- if you can't get to the other people in the Senate and the House of Representatives, then you won't have any change. Period. The question to ask yourselves is, "who can work with everyone to really make changes that help real people?" And not just middle-class people. What about lower class people, too?

Obama, Hillary, and Edwards....shades of 'Dancing with the Stars'

I saw the bulk of the Democratic debates that took place in New Hampshire on Saturday night (1/5/08). From the latest news polls, it shows that Barack Obama will most likely get more votes than Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary.

I've noticed that all 3 top Democratic candidates are now talking about "change". To me, that word, along with a little explanation about not wanting to go with the "status quo", still does not realistically tell you what those candidates are going to do. Looking at all 3 top candidates, I notice something.

Barack Obama looks good. He's a good-looking guy, well-dressed, and a nice weight. He's kind of young. He's half black and half white. Half African. Half real African (unlike most black Americans in this country, many of whom are mixed with some form of caucasian and Native American). He speaks smoothly. He's got this kind of sexy thing going. Like Sidney Poitier. And he comes across as being super intelligent- I've only heard him on TV speak "black slang" only once to a predominantly African American crowd. Very articulate. Like Sidney Poitier. I can see how so many women would like him. On "Dancing With The Stars", I'd maybe compare him with Helio Castaneda.

Then there's John Edwards. I notice that he wants to win really badly. I notice that he's really anxious to win this race. One thing that you notice about Mr. Edwards is how good-looking he is. I've heard him called "cute" by women. In fact, it's been said, not only in the campaigning this time, but in the previous presidential campaigns, how good-looking he is. There is even a video of him applying make-up to his face, and holding a make-up compact while he and an aide apply the make-up to his face. He's an older man, probably in his late thirties or young forties. This man is very ambitious, and has nothing really to lose by saying anything in order to get elected. He was behind, a week ago, in the polls. He's got to rattle a few peoples' cages, and he's trying hard now to really rock Hillary. I guess he figures that between himself and Obama, they'll paint Mrs. Clinton as a Democratic form of George W. Bush, who will allow the big tax breaks for the oil companies and drug companies, and who will allow people to suffer from the evil policies of the health care industry. Edwards is good-looking, really good looking. I can see why so many women would like him. America, I think, sees him like that soap opera guy, Cameron Mathison who was on "Dancing with the Stars" this past season.

Then there's Hillary Clinton. She's an older lady. She's tough. She's obviously intelligent. I don't think that she's what most of us would consider "classically beautiful". She's OK. She's an older woman. She's smart, intelligent, and has lots of political and government experience. Up until recently, she hasn't been really on the offensive against her Democratic rivals. Some people like her personality. Others hate her. On "Dancing with the Stars", I'd like to compare her to Mel B (she doesn't have the looks, but she is good at what she does). (Did you ever notice that there are never any average-looking women on "Dancing with the Stars"? If Hillary were just a celebrity, I doubt that she would be asked onto the show, just because of her plain face.) So, for sex appeal comparison, we'll exxagerate a little and call her Mel B.

Now, for those of you who followed "Dancing with the Stars", you know that the Soap Opera guy hung in there almost to the end, and was finally voted off. He put up a good fight, but there were really 2 better dancers.

In the end, I think it came down to who everyone liked more. Helio and Mel B got the same scores on their dances in the end. The winner came down to who everyone called in to vote for, who was best liked. Let's analyze this.

On "Dancing with the Stars", I heard people comment that I knew comment, "I want Helio to win. He's cute and that Spice Girl already is more of a dancer because she's in show business". Kind of sounds like, "I want Obama to win. He's cute and that old Hillary is more of an old politician because she's been in status quo politics for so long".

I know this: a lot of women don't like other women. Even the pretty ones who dance well, like Mel B. Women are a lot harder on other women than they are on men, generally. I know a lot of women who don't like Hillary, only because they like Barack Obama.

Give America (or at least, the Democrats) the choice of a good-looking, intelligent, articulate black man who's not quite middle aged and a well-dressed, retirement-aged, intelligent, experienced but rather average- looking white woman, and what do you think will happen? Will "Sexy" translate into votes? Could Barack Obama get over with his unofficial campaign song as "I'm Bringin' Sexy Back"?

Well, on "Dancing with the Stars", Helio won. The fact that he was good, sexy, italian, young, male and likeable seemed to all translate into votes. A woman has never won the top prize on that show, in 4 seasons. Mel B, I have read, was really disappointed at her loss this past season, and wondered why people didn't like her. Kinda like someone else we know.

A woman has never been on the final ballot running as President of the United States.

Hillary's task is to make people like her. How she does that remains to be seen in the coming weeks.

Disney Music Makes Me Happy

I know one thing: I am a fool for Disney. Especially the music that they have produced over the years. If all my Disney stuff got taken away, it wouldn't matter to me that much as long as I got to keep all my soundtracks.

Today you can get some Disney soundtracks on iTunes. In this digital age of "free music", I'm sure that you can even find some Disney stuff out there online. Given this fact, I will still never part with my hard Disney CD's and records (if I can help it). I like to play my CD's in my car, and often take some of them with me on vacation to listen to in my rental car. I have collected my CD's ever since Disney started producing their music on CD's. I also collected the soundtracks right after Disneyland installed kiosks where you could make your own CD's of rare and historic soundtrack material that had previously been unreleased. (When I discovered those kiosks, I personally made 10 custom-made CD's that very day for myself). (I could have made a few more to capture EVERYTHING that they had, but I chose what I liked best). iPods are cool, but they are only tools, and a part of my picture. CD's made by the manufacturer rock!

I especially love the soundtracks to all the Disneyland Attractions. A couple of years ago, Disneyland (and Walt Disney World) sold a really cool CD set, with 6 CD's and over 100 tracks representing 50 years of Disneyland's music. That set includes a good hardcover book by Disney historian and artist Stacia Martin, as well as a vinyl record reprint of the classic Disneyland record, "Walt Disney Takes You To Disneyland". Pictured is the box that this special set came in.

Congratulations to Barack Obama!

I went to Gold's Gym in Hollywood this evening, and as I walked quickly on the treadmill, I was watching the results of the Iowa caucus. I was not surprised that Barack Obama or Mike Huckabee came in first place for their respective parties. I also was not surprised that the Democrats had a huge turnout, since the country really needs a good Democratic president to try to get us out of the muck and the mire that we are currently in.

I'm reading Barack Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope". It's a good book, so far (I'm on page 28). I have been for Hillary Clinton up to now, and I think that she would make a great president. I read Hillary's book, "Living History", years ago, and I already know where she's coming from. She and Bill Clinton went through a lot of needless shit while they were in the White House, and they still got a whole lot of good things accomplished, despite it all. Clinton worked well with members of both parties. It was only toward the end that he got clobbered with "Monicagate"...

I personally theorize that the Republicans did that to him as revenge for the Clarence Thomas trial, where Anita Hill brought up true (although vulgar) allegations about Judge Thomas' sexual harrassment. (There was a lot of sexual harrassment all the time when I worked at Fed Ex amongst all my coworkers at Fed Ex, but most of the time we didn't mind that much. If we could take it, we got to dish it out, too, once in a while).

Anita Hill probably should have simply quit her job and (and maybe filed sexual harrassment charges) if all that she said really transpired. I guess if she didn't and someone just dragged her out of nowhere to derail Mr. Thomas' appointment as Supreme Court Judge, that's kind of unfair. I guess that's why the Republicans felt that it was fair to pull a groupie like Monica out of the hat, force Bill Clinton into denying having anything sexual to do with her (under oath), and then taking Monica's unsensored, practically forced-at-gunpoint, explicit and vivid account of her sexual adventures with Mr. Clinton and printing them on the front page of "The Washington Post".

Yes, somehow Hillary stayed with Bill Clinton. I'm glad that she did. Their enemies tried to tear them apart, and it might have almost worked, but it ultimately didn't.

Barack Obama seems to be the kind of guy who says that the kinds of things that were done to the Clintons are things that would not likely happen to him, not because he's perfect and doesn't have any skeletons in his closet, but because he would appeal to his peers in Congress to be above all the bullshit. From what I've read in his book so far, I think that he would say, "Let's solve the problems of the people and the nation. Let's not sit here and sink in the mud". It would be interesting to see what his Republican rivals and opponents would try to do to him down the line should he be elected.

Oh, well, fasten your seatbelts.....

Apostilles and Certifications in Los Angeles County

Do you need an Apostille or Certification of a document that is going to a country outside of the U.S.? With the Apostille Service from Hollywood Notary.Net, you can get your Apostille quickly, often on the same day or the next day, for Los Angeles County documents. Apostilles and Certifications are obtained for documents that are leaving the country, and are often required by authorities in other countries.

Easy Way To Make Money Doing Practically Nothing.

Do you talk on the phone? Of course you do. I was reading something online and I stumbled across this ad. It said "Easy Way to Make Money Doing Practically Nothing". Caught my attention. I clicked, and clicked, and found out all about it. I signed up for it immiately- it's free. It's a great idea. Click the ad below.

Happy New Year!

It's a New Year, and that means, for me: not time to just sit around. Sure, I will watch the Rose Bowl game today. I will probably peek at other games in TV. But I will go to the gym, if it's open. If not, I will go for a brisk walk for 40 minutes. I will control what I eat. I've already remodeled my business website, www.hollywoodnotary.net. I'll call a few friends, some relatives. I will study for the real estate exam, which I will take soon. I will put in some entries for my other blogs, listed on the right. I will look at my recent bank statements, and cancel subscriptons that I don't need. I will impliment measures to bring in more money. It's time for a big change! I'm going to do it.