Press 2 for English

THE WHOLE ENGLISH - SPANISH SPEAKING THING: Things are changing fast... in Texas and Florida ( and no doubt others places too) you are asked to press 2 for English... and it's with a Spanish accent… it’s not even “press 1 for English anymore… Arggg!!! Signs in the stores are in Spanish & English (yes, in that order)... some only in Spanish. When did the stores (especially the BIG one's) get more interested in attracting & helping Spanish speaking people then helping the English speaking people of different descents... Italian, Greek, German, Dutch, French, and all the others? It's gotten to the point where most of the help in the stores (that is Latino) seem to go out of their way to help other Latinos and seem to use the language barrier as a way to not understand and help others. Like with everything else... if you give respect, you should be able to expect it in return... the reverse is also true... don't expect it, if you don't give it. Working here in Texas... some guests will actually get upset with us because we do not speak Spanish... they speak only some English... understand Spanish better... and get upset and irritated with us because we don't speak Spanish.... here in Texas... which if memory serves me well, is still a part of the United States... I think! It's all getting a bit, for lack of a better more intelligent phrase... "out of wack"... and there's no end in sight... except to learn how to speak Spanish... not going there... and shouldn't have to. I’m all for helping others, even to the point of should a bit of favoritism, for a while, as in a determined length of time that has an ending point, until an language adjustment is made… but there is not ending time until we all have to learn to speak Spanish. It’s even in the early stages of discrimination… to certain a degree if you don’t speak Spanish. Many employers see it as a plus if you can speak English and Spanish, and some one who can speak both languages will get hired first before the only English speaking person. Maybe to say that things are “out of wack” is not nearly as clear to demonstrate the severity of the situation and where it’s all heading. So I guess it’s great if you speak Spanish and English… but for the majority that don’t… it seems like a slap in the face, and as with historical situations & references from the past… this situation only leads to more discontent and discrimination rather than less. Sad situation that we are all sliding into… bit by bit… without realizing the pit we are all falling into… and all the possible negative consequences. A rational person might reason that this is not really the case, and that the issue is not like this at all… but a person that sees and listens to what’s happening all around them… how many people are acting and reacting to all the English/Spanish Language Issues… well… being rational usually has little to do with peoples emotions. Emotions coupled with the the feeling that something is unjustly being forced upon you that you shouldn’t have to deal with… well… that’s how resentment and discrimination starts… and it usually only gets bigger. Yep… a sad situation indeed… especially since this country has much bigger and important issues to deal with that effect us all much more than the whole language thing.   

Facebook Timeline

The New Facebook Timeline Format. They’re popping up everywhere in your friends facebook… it’s the new look and features offered in “Timeline”. As far as I can tell right now, your “home page” will look the same, no doubt a temporary thing, and the big change is on your “wall’ … the New Timeline. Looks kinda neat and has some new features. There’s the new banner type photo that goes on the top of your wall… a big photo that goes side to side to offer a first impression. The layout has easy to reach functions that take you to key features of your wall with just a “click”. BTW… this format goes live for everyone come Feb 1st… so you might as well start it now to get use to it. 

 

The new “timeline” format kinda works like the old format in that newest entries are at the top and going down the list leads to older entries. The new timeline feature will give access to earlier months or even years with a mere “click”… rather then endless scrolling down. You can still control what and how things are posted and it seems that all your previous controls have been brought forward to the new format. You just have to watch CLOSELY when you click on “post” to select who will see the new posting. Looks like default is set to “public”… so you will have to change it to “friends” if you want some privacy (if there really is such a thing).

Note: for security reasons, or just to try to avoid making myself a target for what ever evil doers or conspiracies are looking & watching… I keep my posts for only about  two weeks… I delete all the older entries as I add new ones. Couldn’t see any use for keeping endless backdated entries going back “forever” for anyone that can hack the controls to have access to. The new timeline format worries me in that it allows very easy and quick access to posting history via the timeline… and the maps give even more information about times and places.

Another neat feature is the “Map”… you can select a location where you were born, lived, visited or traveled to on the map… add dates, a photo, and a summary or comments about the location. Your lifelong timeline at a glance… just be careful what and how much you share. BTW… be careful how you select a location… it may be a business that also includes that businesses link and info attached right to your map entry. Not sure about you… but I really don’t want to advertise businesses on my Fb map… especially places that I never patronized. But there’s the crux… it this another way for Facebook to inadvertently get you to pass on ads for businesses and they get revenues for the extra advertising on your personal facebook? Who knows? Conspiracy of sorts… yes… like everything else. Also funny how easy it is to add things or post things… then it’s more difficult to remove it later… or maybe that’s just me.    

 

Now… here’s the “catch”. Even though you have so called controls on who can see your profile info and wall… I really wouldn’t count on total privacy. So as I have mentioned before… keep your personal information off of your home page as much as you can. Do not publish your full name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, or personal family information that you do not want available to the public. IF YOU WOULDN’T WANT IT PUBLIC… DON’T POST IT! Identity theft aside… who knows what ill could come from sharing too much info with the public. Just as a side note… lots of people have been fired, not promoted, or not hired because of things they post on their Facebook wall. Companies hire researchers (and hackers) to get information on you… good stuff, bad stuff, personal stuff, that gives them more information about you then might be beneficial… your views, your emotional and mental attitudes and beliefs, emotional stability, social interactions, medical information, religious views, political views, and your lifestyle… all of which can be used to develop a personality profile on you.  All those bits and pieces that combined “paint” a picture of you as a person… maybe an accurate picture, maybe not… maybe beneficial, maybe not… but certainly the information, good or bad, could be used by “others” for many different reasons which may not be in your best interest. An old saying… “Everything is a conspiracy” … well… it’s true… everything is a conspiracy in some form or another, and in some degree or another. Too many people “vent” momentary emotional stresses on facebook… and on the surface, all those bits and pieces as they say… will come back to bit you in the arse. So it’s “poster – beware”! We know lots of people that either won’t have a facebook page, won’t post things, or have closed their personal facebook down for personal or security reasons. Might be a good idea if you don’t or can’t control yourself and what you post… it could turn out that you could be your own worse enemy.

Well, enough said about that. Watch what you post, what you share… because you never know where that info is going, or how it will be used. Happy Facebooking and Blogging. Enjoy the new Timeline format… just be careful. Me? … an old retired guy… hey, who cares about my info… but I’m still very careful anyway… or at least think I am. If nothing else… I figure that the info I post is so minor that the evil doers will have plenty of other easier targets then me.

Disclaimer: As always… this is just my personal views on what I currently know or feel. I am not the definitive answer on extensive research and analysis of the topic… just an old retired guy that enjoys sharing thoughts and things with others.

Now here’s the ultimate conspiracy: Big Brother… aka, the U.S.Government, helped develop and has control and access to all facebook information about all of us. They have unrestricted and total access to everything… yes, everything that you post… available to them for analysis, tracking, and profiling everyone of us. Kinda like with the show “Person of Interest”… big brother sees everything! Conspiracy phobia?  What do you think? Do you really think the government spends untold billions on secret projects and doesn’t or can’t do this? They are probably watching you me right now! … Hello….      

Disney Big…

 

We all know about Disneyland and Walt Disney World… but just how big is Disney World and the Disney Company? There’s a little something to give you a clue… just in case you didn’t know.

[Research Information via Wikipedia and other sources]

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American film producer, director, screenwriter,voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O. Disney, he was co-founder of Walt Disney Productions, which later became one of the best-known motion picture producers in the world. Walt Disney holds the record for both the most Academy Award nominations (59) and the number of Oscars awarded (22). He also earned four honorary Oscars while his last competitive Academy Award was posthumous.

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and travel. The company is best known for the products of its film studio, the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group (Disney Studios and Pixar), and today one of the largest and best-known studios in Hollywood. Walt Disney Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Touchtone Pictures. Hollywood Records.  Disney also owns and operates:

ABC broadcast television network ( less known fact: ABC helped Disney start/finance Disneyland in California)

Disney Channel

ESPN

A&E Television Networks

ABC Family

as well as publishing, merchandising, and theatre divisions;

and owns 14 theme parks around the world

and 38 Resort Hotels

plus 4 Cruise Ships and Castaway Cay.

California: Disneyland Resort

Theme parks:

• Disneyland Park 1955
• Disney California Adventure Park 2001

Shopping, dining and entertainment complex:

• Downtown Disney

Lodging:

• Disneyland Hotel
• Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel

Walt Disney World Resort Florida

The Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971, with the Magic Kingdom theme park and three resort hotels. Today it is the largest  and most-visited vacation resort in the world, with four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, 23 resort hotels, eight golf courses and several additional recreational activities. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, approximately 21 miles southwest of Orlando, Florida, the resort covers an area of 30,080 acres (47.00 sq miles) and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels including a campground, two health spas and physical fitness centers, five golf courses, and other recreational venues and entertainment. To put the size into perspective… all of Disneyland in California would fit onto just the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom.

It opened on October 1, 1971 with only the Magic Kingdom theme park and has since added Epcot (October 1, 1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (May 1, 1989) and Disney's Animal Kingdom (April 22, 1998). When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the site employed about 5,500 "cast members". Today it employs more than 66,000. The largest single-site employer in the United States, Walt Disney World Resort has more than 3,700 job classifications.

Theme parks:

• Magic Kingdom 1971
• Epcot 1982
• Disney's Hollywood Studios 1989 (formally Disney-MGM Studios… changed after Disney bought/added Pixar Studios 2008)
• Disney's Animal Kingdom 1998
• Future Park still un-named between Magic Kingdom & Epcot 20XX?

Water parks:

• Disney's Blizzard Beach 1995
• Disney's Typhoon Lagoon 1989

Other parks:

• ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex 1997
• Disney Quest

Shopping, dining and entertainment complex:

• Downtown Disney -  Marketplace 1975 - Pleasure Island Complex 1989   -  and  WestSide was added in 1997

Lodging: The Resorts Hotels are an attraction to themselves, so take a little time from the Parks and visit the hotels… some of my favorite “don’t miss” resorts are in “green”.

• Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge 2001
• Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa 1988
• Disney's Contemporary Resort 1971
• Disney's Polynesian Resort 1971
• Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside 1992 (originally named Dixie Landings)
• Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter 1991
• Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa 2004
• Disney's Old Key West Resort 1992
• Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort 1988
• Disney's BoardWalk Resort 1996
• Disney's Beach Club Resort 1990
• Disney's Yacht Club Resort 1990
• Disney's Coronado Springs Resort 1997
• Disney's Pop Century Resort 2003
• Disney's All-Star Movies Resort 1999
• Disney's All-Star Music Resort 1995
• Disney's All-Star Sports Resort 1994
• Disney's Art of Animation Resort  2011
• Disney's Wilderness Lodge 1994
• Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground 1971
• Walt Disney World Swan - Operated By Westin Hotels 1990
• Walt Disney World Dolphin - Operated By Sheraton Hotels 1990

So how many rooms are actually on Disney World…

Disney's All Star Movie Resort: 1,920 Guest rooms
Disney's All Star Music Resort: 1,920 Guest rooms
Disney's All Star Sports Resort: 1,920 Guest rooms
Disney's Pop Century Resort: 5,760 Guest rooms
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort: 2,112 Guest rooms
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort: 1,967 Guest rooms
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter: 1,000 Guest rooms
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside: 2,048 Guest rooms
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge: 1,307 Guest rooms
Disney's Beach Club Resort: 583 Guest rooms
Disney's Boardwalk Inn: 378
Disney's Contemporary Resort: 500 Guest rooms
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort: 900 Guest rooms
Disney's Polynesian Resort: 847 Guest rooms
Disney's Wilderness Lodge: 728 Guest rooms
Disney's Yacht Club Resort: 630 Guest rooms
Walt Disney World Dolphin: 1,509 Guest rooms
Walt Disney World Swan: 758 Guest rooms
Shades of Green Resort: 586 Guest rooms
That's a total of 27,373 Guest rooms on Walt Disney World property. However, this doesn't include the number of villas at Disney's Vacation Club Resorts ( Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, and Lodge villas…or the number of cabins and camp sites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground . All total over 30,000+ accommodations right on Disney property. 

Tokyo Disney Resort

Parks:

• Tokyo Disneyland
• Tokyo DisneySea

Shopping, dining and entertainment complex:

• Ikspiari

Lodging:

• Disney's Ambassador Hotel
• Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta
• Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

Disneyland Paris

Parks:

• Disneyland Park
• Walt Disney Studios Park

Other parks:

• Golf Disneyland

Shopping, dining and entertainment complex:

• Disney Village

Lodging:

• Disneyland Paris Hotel
• Disney's Hotel New York
• Disney's Newport Bay Club
• Disney's Sequoia Lodge
• Disney's Hotel Cheyenne
• Disney's Hotel Santa Fe
• Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Park:

• Hong Kong Disneyland

Other park:

• Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre

Lodging:

• Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel
• Disney's Hollywood Hotel

Shanghai Disney Resort

Park:

• Shanghai Disneyland Park

Disney Cruise Line

Fleet:

• Disney Magic
• Disney Wonder
• Disney Dream
• Disney Fantasy

Properties:

• Castaway Cay

Disney Ventures

1. World of Disney retail stores and Disney Outlet Stores.
2. Disney Vacation Club, a timeshare program that includes several themed resorts within:

• Disneyland Resort
• Walt Disney World Resort
• Hong Kong Disneyland Resort plus
• Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii
• Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort 
• Disney's Vero Beach Resort
• Adventures by Disney, a program of all-inclusive, guided vacation tour packages offered at predominantly non-Disney sites all around the world.

So… there you have it… maybe you knew some of this, maybe most of it… but when you stop to think about it… it’s almost unimaginable how big The Disney Company really is. And it all started with a Mouse… and One Man’s Dream and Imagination. Thanks Walt!

Development timeline

1965
Walt Disney announces Florida Project

1967
Construction begins

1971
Magic Kingdom
Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Polynesian Resort
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

1974
Discovery Island

1975
Disney's Village Resort
Walt Disney Village Marketplace

1976
Disney's River Country

1980
Walt Disney World Conference Center
Disney's Village Resort — Club Lake Villas

1982
Epcot

1988
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

1989
Disney's Hollywood Studios (originally Disney-MGM Studios)
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Pleasure Island

1990
Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts
Walt Disney World Swan
Walt Disney World Dolphin

1991
Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
Disney Vacation Club
Disney's Old Key West Resort

1992
Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside
Bonnet Creek Golf Club

1994
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Shades of Green Golf

1995
Disney's All-Star Music Resort
Disney's Blizzard Beach
Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding Pavilion
Walt Disney World Speedway

1996
Disney Institute
Disney's BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas

1997
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
Downtown Disney West Side

1998
Disney's Animal Kingdom
DisneyQuest

1999
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

2000
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

2001
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

2002
Disney's Beach Club Villas

2003
Disney's Pop Century Resort

2004
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

2007
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas

2009
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
Treehouse Villas

2011
Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort

2012
Disney's Art of Animation Resort

 

American Cars

Americans have always been in love with big cars. Though smaller today then in years past… still bigger then most of the worlds cars. So what’s in our future? Maybe here’s a sample. One person and two person cars.

zoom, zoom, zoom…it’s kinda sporty…

and then there’s small… and a bit odd looking…

now this is a bit better… I think…

beep, beep…beep,beep… the horn went beep, beep, beep.

So… are you ready for the down sizing?

Idoeno!

Facebook Safety.

 

Facebook Safety… is there such a thing? Probably not… but you can limit the risk.

Most of this is common sense stuff…

• Never put personal info out there… full name (first and last is bad enough) , address, phone, etc. The less info you make available the better off you will be. Even be careful how the numerous pieces can be put together over time to complete a personal picture of you personal information. One entry tells how old you are, another time tells of your birthday… now they have your date of birth. Things like that. 
• Never write about things you’re going to do announcing that you won’t be home on vacation… so the house is empty.
• Never announce that you won the Lottery… everyone will bug you for money… Just send me a private email… it will be our secret!
• Never write anything that you wouldn’t want the world to see.
• Never write anything critical about work etc… that could come back to bite you. Saw that someone wrote how they were suppose to be out sick from work and went the Atlantic City to gamble… now that’s a no brainer. Also saw how someone wrote that their boss, a woman, was stupid, and they hated their job… someone just might relay your thoughts and feelings to your boss… and you could be looking for a job you do like.
• Never write anything that taken out of context that could show you being troubled… or write something in “jest”… “I could just kill them”… ya never know, something might happen and you’d be the #1 suspect… hope you have a great alibi.
• Yep, Friends list… well there’s a questionable picture. My list is short, family, close friends and work friends. And with good reason… I’ve seen friends lists that have 200+ friends… some 500+ friends… do I really want all those people knowing more about my daily or weekly life… probably not… so I keep my friends list rather selectively short. It’s not a popularity contest to see who can reach 1000 friends. Besides, you never know who is going to have the your info available for them to see. And you can’t trust facebook to have functional controls and safeguards to limit the info you make available.
• I also limit photos permanently posted to facebook. I thin the posts (delete) so that only a limited number of posts or pictures is available at any one time. Most people leave them wall ongoing… someone could go back through months and years of posts to gather your information for whatever purpose. It’s not to say that they can’t keep an ongoing “saved” file on your posts over time… but they can’t just get everything all at once from a wall that goes back to the beginning of time.
• It’s also probably a good practice NOT to open or click on forwarded links to unknown sites or download forwarded files via links on facebook unless you know the source… this is a tool frequently used by hackers… and all these cute little forwarded posts for you to forward to ten people with links to cute little stories or videos… well… why not just hold a gun to your computer like Russian Roulette and pull the trigger and see how much you can do it before the computer is no more… not to mention the personal info that hackers will get from your pc before they destroy it. Don’t open them, don’t repost them… it will be safer for you and all your friends. I’ve even deleted some facebook friends cause they continue to play this high risk game!     

Keep everything light hearted and limit your friends list to those close or important to you. Acquaintances… well… that’s what E-mail or letters are for. “Letters”? … I remember them… that’s when you actually sit down with pen and paper and physically write on paper… yes, write on the actual paper… what you want to tell the other person. Then put it into an envelope, seal it, address it, stamp it, and take it to the post office to mail… at which time that person will get you message several days later… if it doesn’t get lost in all their junk mail. Wasn’t this a archaic practice? Or you could just call them on the phone… buh. Or text them! In any even… keep your facebook friends list small… people in the circle of trust. Everyone else can email, call, or text. BTW… I always have a secondary email for everyone less than close friends.

Just a couple of thought on safety… don’t make yourself a target.     

Cinderella Castle

  Cinderella Castle… Did you know that Cinderella castle at Walt Disney World is the most photography structure in the world! Being the Center Piece and Icon of the Magic Kingdom, the Castle certainly conjures up and is filled with Disney Magic. First off… Cinderella Castle looking down Main Street appears to be very tall, it’s really only 189 ft tall, but appears to be over 300 ft tall.  A method called forced perspective was used to create the tall effect. As the castle gets taller, its proportions get smaller. So the very top "piece" of the castle is close to 1/2 the size it "appears". This technique is used all over in the parks. If you look down Main Street from the Railroad Station to the Castle… Main street appears to be very long and the Castle very tall. Next time you are there take a good look and thing about it… then when you get to the Castle, look back down Main Street towards the Railroad Station… the whole perspective is different… doesn’t look so long anymore… but then again… most of the time you only see this view when you are leaving at the end of the day… and walking Main Street back to the front of the park… when you are tired and worn out… and the walk seems long form a physical standpoint, rather then a visual one. Main Street Buildings are designed the same way… each floor and detail is smaller as you go higher… so the building always appear to be higher then they are. An apartment suite for Walt Disney and his family was to be built in the castle. Unfortunately, Walt died before its completion. And the space was used for storage and offices. In recent years, the space was renovated to become the Castle Suite, a fantastic prize given away to unsuspecting guests during the Year of a Million Dreams promotion. Inside the castle's archway, a series of five mosaic murals tells the story of Cinderella The murals contain just over 300,000 pieces of Italian in more than 500 colors. Would you like to take a guess how many stones there are in Cinderella Castle. How long it took to put all those stones together. Again… it’s all Disney Magic… total stone count… zero… it’s all fabricated surface… and from start to finish it took 18 months to complete the castle.  Some of the Real Disney Magic is how many “looks” the castle can have… especially at night time. Endless combinations of colored lights projected onto the walls, images projected, and twinkling lights… endless variations to delight the visual senses and music designed to match the changing Castle colors perfectly set the mood. The most special time is the Christmas Holidays… the Castle is decorated with over two hundred thousand “led” lights that twinkle, sparkle, fade, glow, and dance to the holiday music while  the projected colors and images combine with the music… and are all in sync with the spectacular fireworks that take everything over the top to sensory overload. Here’s some photos of the endless faces of the Castle… there’s not end to Imagination and Disney magic!

 

 

Imagination and Magic!

Television

So what shall we read today? To each his own…but…  It is, what it is.

Sometimes ya just wake up… think about things… write about things… and this is what you get. A jolt of reality.

Television has more and more annoying issues… just think about it.

First there’s the commercials. Some make you laugh and smile, and then there are the one’s that just don’t make it… in fact, they’re annoying. The ones that show you a vehicle doing something incredibly stupid… something you know, no sane person would do… and you know the vehicle can’t do that… but they want to mentally implant the notion that their vehicle is so good it can ski down a snowy mountain and do barrel rolls… so you should buy this truck because you just saw it do something incredible that is only movie magic… but “don’t try this at home”. Or you could pull a mile long freight train with this truck… or help a jet airliner land when the nose landing gear fails and the truck comes to the rescue to help the plane land. Then there’s the car that has 400+ horse power…why???  Then there’s commercials showing stupid people doing stupid things and buying the advertised product… so why would I want to do what stupid people do, and buy their product? Are they trying to say that stupid people buy their product, so I need to get some… or do they really believe they can basically insult your intelligence knowing you can better identify with stupid people, so that buy their product… therefore you must be stupid… so you need to buy their product. Then there are those unbelievable incredible deals on tv where you get this $200 value for only $19.95… but wait… order now and get a second one free…. just pay additional shipping and handling. This one miracle item will do everything and it will last a lifetime… so why would I need two of them? These commercials play to the stupidity of the consumer… and they must work, because you see them all the time… so I guess there’s plenty of stupid tv consumers out there to make it all worth while.

Lets play it safe and say that for the last 100 years that people have collectively been sold a bill of goods, through advertising, in the name of looking better, feeling better, and loosing weight… all of which… have never worked… and never will… but people buy them with the grand illusion the they can look twenty years younger… feel like a twenty year old again… or get back down to the that magical weight that we all wish we could be. Stupid people doing stupid things… and you would think in today’s economy that there would be no money for frivolous spending… but there actually seems to be more of it. You’d think people would put more value to their spendable income than to waste it on “pie in the sky” products that they know won’t deliver on their promises… remember… “results are not typical -  your results may vary”. “Results not typical”… wouldn’t the half way intelligent consumer want to know “typical results” of what they might possibly expect the results to be… so they could make an intelligent evaluation of how their product might benefit them? But if the selling company told you this… they’d be telling you that their product fails to deliver the intended results 99% of the time.  Well… nuff said about that.

Then there’s “truth in advertising” … as mandated by federal regulations and legal notices. The Drug companies advertisements. They have this new miracle drug that will make your skin beautiful… wonderful. You look better, feel better, emotionally elevate your perception of yourself and you’ll be more socially acceptable and the envy of others with just everyday normal skin. Wonderful… great perfect skin! Disclaimer: Possible side effects may include in rare cases… redness or yellowing of the skin, trouble sleeping, hearing problems, problems with blurred vision, ability to heal properly, and in rarer cases… trouble breathing, convulsions, loss of motor skills, slurred speech, paralysis, and still even more rare cases , death. But … you’ll have great looking skin!        

Just some other thoughts to ponder:

Why on police shows do the police always yell to the felon while he’s running away… “Stop… Police”… they never… ever… stop… never. Do police do this in real life? And why do tv police identify themselves 30 feet away from the person they are trying to arrest… gives them a 30 foot head start to RUN… and they always run… and they know that “Stop, Police” is not going to work. Why not get closer so they can grab them on the spot so they can’t even start to run?  Suggestion:  Stop all the running… change the law to enable police to shoot a fleeing criminal… so they can’t get away to harm bystanders, or get away completely… okay… how do we know that the fleeing person is a criminal? … if they are running away from the police… duh… they’re a criminal.

Why do movies and tv always… always do this… The situation is bad… something or someone is trying to get us… “lets split up” … COME ON! … “let’s split up”… does this really happen in real life? Why do they always portray people to be so stupid.

Okay… you are unarmed… running away from the guy with the gun… you hide behind the corner with a pipe in your hand… the man with the gun comes around the corner… you hit him with the pipe… he  goes down to the ground… WHAT DO YOU DO?  In tv land… once he’s down, you start running again… so he can get back up … pick up his gun… and come after you again… COME ON! … who would do this in real life? First I’d make sure he wasn’t going to get up again… preferably never … SECOND… I’M GOING TO TAKE HIS GUN!

CSI’s… funny how they are extremely meticulous to photograph all evidence where it lays and wear rubber gloves to collect evidence…. and in the next location, walk right in and pick it up barehanded.

Then there’s the the more serious shows, showing real people, in real life situations, that gets so preposterous and unreal. Good example… “Private Practice”… the show was good in the beginning… but now the characters all have completely messed up “soap opera” lives. Professional people… doctors that are more messed up then any collection of bottom dwellers. Alcohol, drugs, ethical issues, relationship issues, legal issues, and psychiatrists that are so mentally unstable in their own lives that are helping others with emotional issues… please! Put a warning at the beginning of the show… “Soap Opera”… so we know not to watch it. Could ten professional people in real life… working together… be that screwed up? Hope not. 

Slightly changing the topic. I like to watch tv and movies for the enjoyment. Just plain fun, action and adventure, drama, mystery, etc, etc. And while I like to figure things out… I find it very annoying that producers of the shows feel the need to overly burden this enjoyable process by introducing too many unannounced “flash backs… “flash forwards” … “flash some where’s”… repeatedly so that you have to hang on every word or scene and really concentrate on the happenings so you know where you are in the story. I enjoy figuring things out… but come on… I don’t want to work that hard at it.

Why do Tv ads have to go up several notches in volume every time they start. Even if it’s a funny commercial, or something I would buy… why do they want to… excuse the expression… piss me off right form the get go?

Reality talk shows! OMG… what’s worse then watching the brigs of society airing their pathetic lives on tv reality shows. Why are these shows still on Tv… sadly because the people that watch those shows need to see others portraying their pitiful miserable meaningless “waste of life” existence… why… so they can feel good about their own life… please.

Celebrity Reality shows… WHO CARES!

Political Bashing ads… Come on people… get smart… if one politician has to bash another to make himself look good… he must not be worth very much as a person… let alone a leader of the people. But then again… they all are accused of being morally bankrupt by the opposing candidate… and they’re all right… none of them from either party are worth a spit. Years of promises by both parties, telling you what you want to hear… preying on your fears… blaming the other person or party for the mess this country is in… and sadly… voting for a candidate or party has become nothing more then a sham. They offer up the candidates that we get to pick from… yes they are powerful enough to control that… they give you the choices for you to pick from… and as a whole… congress cares little for who you vote for… it will always be “business as usual” for them. Blaming the other party for all the shortcomings… checks and balances… they balance out the blame… assume no responsibility for anything… and go on with business as usual…snakes in a pit with all us mice.

Commercials where cars are given as Christmas Gifts! If this is the real world at large… I must have done something wrong in my life. I’m glad to get a $25 Walmart Gift card… delighted with $50… forever indebted for $100 Gift card. (well… maybe not forever, but for a while anyway).

Special financing of cars and furniture… hello… they’re not loosing money on this deal… you’re just paying the cost of financing or deferred payments hidden up front in the cost of what you are buying… come on! Or I love the one car ad… we’ll give you $5,000 trade in on anything you can push, pull, or drive into our dealership.

Stupid annoying “dumber then all get out” characters on Tv shows… no one can be that stupid.

Socially unacceptable themes to the extreme… like Charlie on 2 ½ men… or for that matter Charlie himself. Yes, he’s not on the show anymore, but the writers made the rest of the characters just a bad.

DVD's… hey… I like the movie… buy the DVD…with my hard earned money… and can’t even skip or fast forward past the previews or ads to get to the movie that I paid for… what’s up with that! It’s worse than going to the movie theater… have to watch 10 minutes of previews in my own house! Argggg!!! ( that’s the pirates expression of discontent, anger, and I’d slash the person responsible for this if I could only find him! )

I’m sure you have your own list… and I’m sure it’s longer this this. Just a little something to think about and be thankful for remote controls… “mute” and “channel”. The next Billionaire… the person that invents and markets a device that mute commercials automatically… or even better replaces them with happy carefree photos and music until the show your are watching returns. And thank god for DVR’s… we pretty much record all shows and watch after the fact… fast forwarding past the commercials. Guess this will be illegal someday too.

Closing remark:   Argggg !!!  

  

Ravens vs Texans

This past Sunday’s game against the Texans was a win… so the Ravens move on to the AFC conference  playoff game against the Patriots. Yes it was a win. Celebration of the win should be short lived with a sigh of relief that we won a game with offensive performance that dictated that we should have lost. Texans offence was simply worse than that of the Ravens.  If not for the Texans beating themselves with turnovers… like the Ravens recovery at the Texans 2 yard line… we would have had 14 less points and lost the game. As always, defense and special teams saved the day and carried the offense. Stats aside, which were dismal at best for the offense… the only bright spot for Joe was 2 touchdown passes… and given that the Ravens offense got the ball handed to then by the defense so that they could start from being already in the red zone… just about any NFL quarterback should be able to do it. So that’s not much to brag about. The only uplifting news is that with the “Hot & Cold” performance that we have seen all season… the offense usually gets hot after a cold performance the week before. The offense will need to be hot next week in New England. Another dismal performance by the Ravens offense next week will give them a quick ticket back home to watch the Superbowl on tv like the rest of us… and we’ll be rooting for another team to win… rather then the home team that didn’t make it.

Before last week game it was said that Joe had a chip on his shoulder about not getting enough credit for his accomplishments. Next week will tell the tale… and if Joe doesn’t have a better performance next week… Brady, who came off a record setting week last week… well… Joe will get that chip knocked right of his shoulder rather quickly and decisively.

I never have liked the term "critic"... the high and mighty people that judge others… they have no vested interest in the team… they are critics, and that’s their job.  But as a Ravens Fan, I am entitled to my opinion... So the question was... "Do I think Joe Flako was elevate to the status of elite quarterback after the game this past Sunday?" Joe has a lot of great potential, makes a lot of great plays, and sometimes we're just not sure who is always to blame when things don't go right... Joe or Cam Cameron. Joe is hot and cold... great or dismal... just not consistent... the offense usually only shows up for half the game at best. So to answer the question... is Joe one of the "elite" quarterbacks... that’s a resounding … NO ... he is no Brady, Brees, Rodgers or Manning... maybe someday, but not yet. The press before last weeks game had Joe expressing that he didn't get enough credit for his efforts... perhaps a re-adjustment in self attitude is needed... Good = sometimes... Great or Elite = not yet! Maybe we can all find out where the dismal blame lies someday, with a new offensive coach calling the plays… maybe someday!  When the Ravens won the Superbowl… no one sang the praises of Trent as quarterback. I know… Trent who?

Hopefully, this coming week the offense will show up to play all four quarters against New England. Joe will be “hot” and Cam will come up with a good mix and variation of plays right from the beginning of the game…rather then some of the stale expected plays that go no where fast. New England will be ready for us… but will we be ready for them? I hope so. I’d like to see the Ravens and the 49er’s at the Superbowl…. a tale of two brothers.

Football Playoff Weekend.

It’s gonna be a great weekend… a great weekend for football. Four playoff games this weekend.

FOOTBALL PLAYOFF WEEKEND... should be some great games... Saints and 49ers... Patriots vs Broncos... Giants vs Packers... and Texans come to Baltimore to play the Ravens at home. Since we are currently here in Texas, we hear all the local talk about how their team are going to easily beat the Ravens at Baltimore.

Our Daughter said it best...

"Those Silly Texans... they must be wearing their hats too tight!"

I like that phrase so much...

I wish I had said it! So I'll just enjoy repeating it! GO RAVENS!

Should be some great games!

Fire up the grill… order the pizza… pass the nacho’s…

and warn the neighbors about all the shouting!

“Ravens Town”

 

Conspiracy…

Please excuse this rare moment of being serious… but every once in a while… ya just feel a need to.

Conspiracy? When hasn’t things always been a conspiracy? … never! … there’s always been, and always will be conspiracy. No doubt since the beginning of time, when did any one person or group of persons, that have been in charge or control, didn’t have an agenda. Hidden agendas, personal interests, favoritism, which all leads ultimately to conspiracy and corruption… usually motivated by greed. In today’s world any person, or group of people, that have control or even influence over others… well… the chances are very good that they are in varying degrees involved in conspiracy, greed, and corruption. Everything from seemingly innocent agendas to full blow all consuming corruption in which they premeditate defrauding the general public mostly out of money, and do so with the additional intent of being more controlling and powerful… another words… limiting your freedoms. Their idea of your freedom is to control or limit you to choices that conform to their plans and agendas. So how big is this whole conspiracy corruption thing? Well… lets start with the government. Never has there been anything so large and controlling as our government. Absolute power that corrupts absolutely. What percentage of anything that the government controls ( and they control everything in varying degrees) do you think is free from personal interests, “party” interest, favoritism, conspiracy and corruption. Personal opinion… nearly everything is a conspiracy… in varying degrees… no doubt ever increasing as they “get away” with more an more. So with government, it’s safe to say that almost everything is a conspiracy. How about businesses? Well, the average business is ruled by social  morals and the free enterprise system that keeps most of them honest. But given the opportunity to be in a controlling position, and position of power, where the general public could be at their mercy, of which there is none, a monopoly of sorts, only leads to one place… greed and conspiracy. Conspiracy to leave social morals behind and “get away” with all they can, not just a socially accepted profit, but nothing less than price gouging. … of course this is under the legal banner of free enterprise and supply and demand pricing. Or if there is a natural disaster that would mean prices should be higher, supply verses demand, then why do the prices never go back to pre disaster costs? Every little excuse is used on the American public to raise prices to make unwarranted profits… and they public at large believes their excuses… of course at best, we have no choice or control even if we didn’t by all the lies they tell. Biggest offender… big oil companies. The price fuel alone is bringing the economy to it’s knees. Of all the hundreds of reasons why fuel prices go up so that they can maintain profitability… PLEASE… if this was true and they were raising prices to merely stay profitable… why are oil company exec’s retiring with not millions, but billions of dollars, of our hard earned money, that they get for the oil companies being overly profitable. How do they do it… back to big government politics… the politicians allow them to do it and both sides prosper at the publics expense. If it was something reasonable okay… but their greed grows with their control and power. Religious cults and so called spiritual leaders use a form of fear and / or hope of prosperity to control how you feel and think… and naturally maintain control and power over people to get their support… and more importantly their money. Believe in “my god” and I will give you inner peace… try to pull away and you shall fall out of favor, and bad things will happen to you… that’s the fear part. Give me more money (your money) so I might spread the good word… support our cause and there will be prosperity… prosperity for them, not you. But they do give those that are not strong minded or strong willed something to believe in… a false sense of  belief in themselves… inner peace… a sense of belonging… a sense that they are promised something better than what this world has to offer… just give them your freedom in part or whole, give them your money, and you can feel good about yourself, for you will get your reward if not here but after death. Radical religious groups get their followers to give up everything in the name of their religion… even their lives, even so that they might kill others that do not follow their true religion. These are just a some of the biggest offenders… yes, offenders… because they are guilty of stealing your money under false pretenses. Others might include some charities, the health care and insurance system, and the legal system… just to mention a few. But you can decide about that.

Conspiracy, agenda, corruption, greed, control & power over people… it’s everywhere… permeating every part of your lives. Sometimes people give into it by choice, sometimes it’s forced upon us by those in authority… mainly big government and powerful companies.

So if you hear the phrase… “Everything is a conspiracy” … in many senses… it’s absolutely true. They either hide it well, divert your attention to something else, or explain it away with propaganda that they know you’ll believe and accept what they say… because you either aren’t smart enough to see the truth, don’t want to mentally know how bad it is, so you won’t accept the truth, or just want feel good about their self and their lives and believe whatever they are told… just so they could feel good about everything… hence the phrase “Rose colored glasses”.

Well… this is all just something to think about.. or not. True or false… well… that’s up to you to decide. If you think it’s all false, and everything is just perfect… and you want to feel really good about yourself… well… send me your money for complete absolution and the promise of a better life after this one. (just kidding about the money part). They’re all “selling” conspiracy, hidden agendas, corruption, greed, control & power over people…  some good news…some of it is by your choice… so as the saying goes… “Buyer beware”. Unfortunately… some is forced upon all of us… government  and big business. It is what it is… so just do the best you can, with what they allow you to keep. Stay warm and eat hearty… if you still can.

So why did I write this. Certainly not to make you feel bad… just something to open you to the thought process of what is really happening… “Rose colored glasses” make for a bit of mental and emotional relief from the real world… and we all need that from time to time, but it may proved to be beneficial to take one’s head out of the sand and see what’s really happening.

But, as always, that’s you choice… your freedom to think as you will. I have no hidden agenda but encourage you to think for yourself… find strength in yourself… find inner peace within yourself. It’s all up to you.

Those that don’t take your money… or don’t ask for your money… just may have the most honestly and purity of thoughts. Conversely… those that have the power to take your money… and those that lack the power to take it, so they ask for it, under the pretense of your well being, so you can feel good about yourself… well… maybe not all, but certain most… have an agenda… and it’s all about power, control, and greed for your money.  Personally… I feel better about myself by not giving up my money or support to their greed, if I don’t have to… and I can feel good about myself… very good indeed! I’d rather try to do good by others around me, support charities where I know the money is going, and help others in whatever way without expecting anything in return. The easiest thing of all… bring a smile or moment of delight to someone’s face… give them a happy feeling…little priceless moments. Smiles and laughs … I collect them all and consider them all payment in full.

Hoping yall have a wonderful day… stay warm… and eat hearty.             

Simply, Walt…

I’d have to say that if there was one person that I would have like to met and talked to… it would have been Walt Disney. I grew up seeing him on Television just like most other kids that were my age. The Mickey Mouse Club, The Wonderful World of Disney, the Wonderful World of Color, Tv  specials, and Nature movies. I remember us referring to him as Uncle Walt. He touched the lives of millions… he influenced all our lives… both by what he had to say as a person, and by the stories that told us. Setting the example for how we should be towards others, morals, and in the characters that he developed that gave us good roles models to look up to. Yep… quite the positive influence on millions of lives. It was okay to be a dreamer… and there really were “Happy Endings” where everyone lived happily ever after. Nature films that taught us respect for the land and all living things. And of course, that Magical Place call Disneyland that brought wondrous delights to everyone…. both young and old. Walt’s bigger plans for a whole “world” based on Disneyland in California gave us the Florida Project and Disney World…the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. But it didn’t stop there… Fort Wilderness Campground Resort, and Disney’s Themed Hotel Resorts… The Polynesian Resort and The Modern looking Contemporary Resort were all part of the plan. Themed Shopping areas, golf courses, and themed water parks all came from the Dreams of one man… Walt. Today, following through on Walt’s dreams and visions of the future, there are 20 themed resorts which are an attraction to themselves. My favorite is the Wilderness Lodge modeled after Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. I think Disney does everything so well and completely, that if you experienced the Wilderness Lodge first and then went to Yellowstone, your reaction would be somewhat less on the wow factor. Disney does everything not only down to the last detail, but it is sensory overload to the maximum… you could be in the same place numerous times and still see more things that you previously missed… it’s all too much to take in at one time. It’s the same with all the resorts… Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Grand Floridian, and Dixie Landing (now called Port Orleans Riverside)… sensory overload with everything designed down to the last detail… the sights, sounds, and even smells that immerse you into a different place and time. After all, that’s what’s it all about… dreams and fantasy’s… taking you to someplace you’ve never been before… experience it all with a sense on wonder… be a kid again in a magical world. It’s easy to get caught up in the whole magical celebration, atmosphere and pageantry of it all. Escape to a happy place. Walt’s welcome to Disneyland…. “To All that come to this Happy Place… Welcome”.  Well… that’s my little bit of insight and feelings for the dreams of a dreamer that changed the world. Thanks Walt… you touched my life… and that of millions. Disney Imagineers hold true to everything that Walt imagined and are always planning and making those dreams become reality… all over the Earth. Here’s a few of my favorite photos of Walt… if he could have only seen that his dreams became reality… what her would think of it all now.

1928 It All started with a mouse.

Just as I remember…

announcing the Florida Project…Disney World

Walt and Mickey…

Planning and overseeing attractions

Main Street  Pastry and Coffee House

Walt rides with Davy Crockett ( Fess Parker)

Walt’s love for railroads… his backyard train…

At Disneyland…

Saw him every Sunday Night on the Tv

A Man and his Dreams…

A Job well done!

Thanks for the Dreams that touched so many!        

Snow at Disney!

Snow at Disney… yes… yes it is. Over the years there have been many Magical Events and Happenings at Disney. Disney Magic is always present in the parks. While we have seen it snow at Disney World on numerous occasions… it was always Pure Disney Magic… Magical Snow that they made for the vacationing guests. Wasn’t nothing quite like being at Disney either at Hollywood Studios for the Osborne Christmas Lights, or at the Magic Kingdom on Main Street watching The Christmas Parade and watching it snow… magically completed the whole Christmas Celebration… it’s snowing! … it’s snowing!

Not to be out done by Disney Magic… mother nature had is own plans for a White Christmas at Disney… and Mickey, Minnie, and the gang loved playing in the snow. This is a real photo… not Photo Shopped or faked… it’s real mother nature snow! You can see Cinderella Castle in the background. Could you imagine… several inches of snow at Disney. Disney Magic one better. Can you say “Snowball fight!”

Yes… it’s a real photo… and yes… that’s Cinderella castle in the background… but in Tokyo Disney! Only Disney Magic can make it snow in Florida. But could you just imagine this… if it really was Orlando. 

Do you enjoy everything Disney… check out the Disney Blog at:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

Crazy ???

Inspiration for another topic… someone just posted….

I'm really starting to wonder if I'm going crazy and I don't mean that in a joking kind of way. (Her husband and her)  were talking tonight and he was talking about a conversation we had about a week ago that I don't remember (which it isn't the first time it's happened) and things we've done that I don't remember at all!!! And they're things I should remember. I'm actually starting to get worried. Really thinking about seeing a counselor or something after he leaves and see if there's something wrong.

My response….

In simple terms to explain this condition... you are married and have two young kids... spouses from time to time with ever increasing regularity... hear, but don't really listen to the others conversation. You're thinking about something else with 98% of your mental awareness and only 2% involved in the conversation. No wonder you don't remember it. Get use to it... it happens. Neither of you will always be 100% involved in a conversation all the time. If I'm concentrating on something and Shelly's talking, I'm listening, sometimes even responding, but really not mentally involved in the conversation, especially when it seems so casual, and I'm deeply involved in thought on something else. It happens. When you get older the ability or intent, I think mostly intent, is to only do one thing at a time. Thinking I'm really involved in what you are saying when you can see I'm 100% involved and concentrating on something else... well... that conversation however brief or important is going right into the mental recycle bin. It happens… all the time. 

PS: Never use the word “crazy”… mental health experts say it’s negatively detrimental. I agree in part for a different reason… never use the word “crazy” … it could be merely a different state of reality that not socially of scientifically accepted because it not understood. 

Another pool of thought…

Not remembering things… I'd say welcome to my world... but you're a bit young for that. Not much comfort in the old saying either... "The brighter the bulb, the faster it burns out". Who are you anyway? (just kidding). Can be really scary... first,  forgetting things, that once recalled brings it to mind... but even worse, not even remembering things after they are recalled by someone else... stuff you should remember. Feels like a Hitchcock Movie where someone is trying to drive you insane (when you are really okay)... or worse, it's really true and stress or something has driven you into something else from a Hitchcock movie... or pulled you back ... two personalities... and no remembrance of what the other one has done. So who are you today anyway? Drifting into a previous existence of another life and blacking out this one momentarily? Was I just dreaming or was it "real" in a different reality? The mind is complex and in laymen’s terms, subject to a few short-circuits every once in a while. The possibilities are endless. In computer terms, it could be merely "bad clusters", temporally lost data, or lost forever... here today, gone tomorrow, and back the next. Yep, truly scary. Like going someplace you've never been to... and knowing in detail what's around every corner, seeing images like superimposed memories from the past over top of the current reality, smelling something from the past that isn't there now... like the smell of gunpowder, guns and cannon, from a past event where a battle took place. Hearing sounds or voices ever so vivid yet somehow subtle... not currently here (no one else heard them), but still you did hear them, see them and sometimes even smelled them. Drifting in part into another time and loosing part of "now", current time. Daydreaming? for moments, hours, or even longer. Afternoon naps that take you somewhere else in you dreams... or was it real in another place and time... was it really a nap or daydreaming... or something else? As for me... I have zero faith in the ability of trained counselors to do much more then take your money and explain your condition in scientific terms, which would prove to be no help at all. From strictly their scientific view point, it only scratches the surface of the complexity and capabilities of the mind. Science and it's limited scope trying to explain and limit the possibilities within its terms of "science reality"... and not accepting the intangible reality of other possibilities that science can't understand or explain. Deep is not the word for relating to the possibilities. Something wrong with you... or something different? All a point of perception... and acceptance of the probabilities that there's is something that exists that science can't explain... well... it opens new doors to possibilities... possibilities that may not conform to proven facts... but never the less exists. Now there's some food for thought. Dismiss it as if it was a flight of fantasy or be open minded to possibilities beyond understanding and scientific experience... it's the human experience. So... does this help?

If you are an opened minder person… you are thinking about all this… pondering the possibilities or maybe even thinking of something that happened to you in the past.  If you are not… you may just be thinking I’m crazy… but I’m just relating the story. But, no matter, it’s just today’s random thoughts on another topic that sparked a bit of inspiration… or imagination… or alternate reality. Well… I’m certain not sure any more. Are you?