I AM THANKFUL FOR.....

Sometimes we need to just stop in our tracks and look up to the heavens and be grateful. In this time of economic turmoil and threats of terrorism, ( My prayers to t he people of Mumbai India) we need to thank God that we have life, health and just able to be here reading this blog.

So today I am taking the time to thank first my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for life and salvation.

My family for support and the challenges....Teenagers....LOL

My Travel Biz host company for providing the means for making extra money to help the famly.

All my new freinds and mentors!

Our brand new President-elect Barack Obama (praying for much guidance, wisdom and SAFETY)

Be blessed everyone. Happy Thanksgiving. Got to go finish cooking now!

Planning Your Inauguration 2009 Trip

The Planning for the Inauguration 2009 trips started as soon as President-elect Obama completed his acceptance speech. The theme for this year is "A New Birth of Freedom". Hundreds of thousands of people will be pouring into our Nation's capital for this momentous occasion of the installation of our 44th president and the Nation's 56th inauguration overall. What makes it even more special that this momentous occasion is occuring on Martin Luther King's Birthday weekend. I know he is looking down because this must be the Promised Land that he saw.

Washington D.C is a great vacation destination even when there is no great event like the Inauguration. It certainly has been one of my family's favorite vacations trough the years. We have been there at least 4 times and have yet to see everything.

One thing that disturbs me as a travel agent is the many fly by night companies that are "charging" for tickets to the Swearing in Ceremony. I want to set the record straight. Tickets for the swearing in ceremony are free and can be obtained from your Senator's office or Congress Representative. Check for information at the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Hotel rooms are going rapidly. One suggestion is to look for hotels in nearby Arlington Va or nearby Bethesda Maryland which is just off the suburbs of Washington D.C. Some hotels are requiring a 3-4 day minimum stay. Check on www.GailsDreamVacations.com for hotel availability.

My suggestion for getting around Washington D.C. is the Metro. Its a subway that is amazingly well kept. Avoid the long lines and purchase your daily passes in advance. Rule of thumb that kept me from getting lost. Dupont Circle is the nucleus of the Metro system.

Most of the events surrounding the actual inauguration will be outdoors. Washington D.C can be pretty cold in January so remember to dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes. Be prepared to do alot of walking and standing. Also be prepared for HUGE crowds. A record amount of people are expected for the Inauguration.

There are so many attractions available for a family in Washington D.C. My faamily favorites are the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History,
and the National Museum of American History. One of our favorite exhibits, the Capital Children's Museum closed its doors in 2004. I understand that it will re-open in 2012.

The events of the day for the public begins with the Swearing in Ceremony. That is followed up by the Inaugural Parade down Pennsylvania avenue. I am told there will be alot less bleachers available to accomodate the people that are expected.

Unless you got some serious conections its a safe bet that you will not be obtaining tickets to any of the official balls on Inauguration Night. However you may be able to get tickets to the State Society balls and some of the smaller events open to the public.

UPDATED INFORMATION ON THE INAUGURATION

*National Mall Will Be Open to the Public on Inauguration Day

WASHINGTON, DC—In keeping with its pledge to make the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama one of the most open and accessible in history, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today that, for the first time, the entire length of the National Mall will be opened to the public so that more people than ever before will be able to witness the swearing-in of the President from a vantage point in sight of the Capitol.

See the Official Obama Inauguration Website.


Important information for Inauguration Day, including prohibited items, Accessibility, Tickets and more.
Some Banned items are: Backpacks,Duffel bags,large bags,strollers,lasers,thermoses, coolers, umbrellas. Click on the link for the full list.

For more information on the Inauguration, go to the Official Presidential Inauguration Website.

Visit the Inauguration FAQs for frequently asked questions.

Inauguration 2009 will be one of the most historical inaugurations of our lifetime. Planning Your Inauguration 2009 trip will be one of the most memorable trips you will ever go on.
Enjoy!

Scammed Again!

A fellow Network marketer wrote about getting scammed on a forum. Very surprising because he is an expert at what he does. I learned a HUGE lesson here. I had to share it with my readers.

I Got Scammed!
By Tony Rush

Man, I'm mad. I'm so mad I can't see straight. And I'm not just being emotional. I'm an intelligent person and I'm speaking from experience. Don't make the mistake I did or you'll regret it.

Gold's Gym is a scam. In fact, I think the whole fitness club industry is a scam.

I saw pictures of people who were fit and trim and beautiful. And I wanted to be fit and trim and beautiful. So, I paid the $30 fee to come every month.

Then, guess what! No one told me that I had to pay extra for those power-bar snacks that were on the counter. Or that my membership fee didn't include the sports drinks. Or that a personal trainer wasn't included.

These things should have been my first red flags.

But, still I was excited that I might be able to lose some weight and start looking good. So I ignored the warning signals and started working out.

Well, I did everything they told me to do. I worked my legs a little. I didn't work out my arms because I hurt it one time in the past working out and I was afraid I'd get hurt again. So I skipped the arms.
I worked out my back. I worked my stomach a little bit but I decided I didn't want to push myself too hard. Plus, I was getting hungry after all this working out so I went and bought a powerbar. SIX DOLLARS! I kid you not. If I hadn't been so hungry, I wouldn't have bought one. But one of the guys who worked out there said he used them for daily snacks and he looked pretty good. So I thought I'd "try" one.

Anyway. That's not what made me mad. I'm coming to that part.

This all went on for a few days. I even spent $100 on workout clothes. It wasn't required but other people in the gym had them so I thought I'd get some, too.

In fact, I spent another $100 on a pair of new workout shoes. I picked a pair that I felt like I could still use even if I stopped working out. You never know if things are going to pan out the way you want, you know?

Anyway...one day, I was talking to a guy in the locker room. He was about 40 pounds overweight and he told me he'd been coming to the gym for SIX MONTHS. I did the math in my head..."If this guy has been here for six months, why isn't he thin and trim yet???"

That's when the warning bells went off again. This whole thing might just be a scam to get people's money. I mean, this guy wasn't mad or anything....in fact, he was excited that he'd lost some weight....BUT HE'S STILL OVERWEIGHT! And he's spending that money every month...and Gold's Gym just keeps taking it!

Then I thought, "I should get on the Internet and look up Gold's Gym!". I don't know why I didn't do that before! So, I went to Google and typed in "Gold's Gym scam" and you won't believe what I found!

Seriously.

Did you know that 80% of the people who join Gold's Gym cancel their membership within the first year? That 95% of the people who join Gold's Gym have never won a fitness contest? Or gotten a job as a model?

I found one lady online who said she joined Gold's Gym and the manager of the gym said she needed a personal trainer to help her create a "fitness plan" and to keep her on track. Guess what? She said it cost her an additional $200 a WEEK! What a ripoff! She DID say that she lost some weight while she was going but that -- after she stopped going every day -- the weight came back. She fired the trainer and said it was all a scam, too.

I even found one story about a guy who said that they Gold's Gym stole his money. He was supposed to get a promotional price of $19 a month but when he got his credit card statement, he found out that they were charging him $30 a month. That's like $120 a year in stolen money if he hadn't caught it.

Anyway....

As if that wasn't enough, some friends and I were at McDonald's the other day and I mentioned something about Gold's Gym. My friend Susan said that she'd tried Gold's Gym a few years ago and got NO results at all. She laughed that I'd fallen for it, too. I was so mad I almost spilled my milkshake.

Anyway....after I read all the stuff on the Internet about Gold's Gym and talked to some of my friends, I decided to quit. I don't deal with scam artists. They're just in it for the money. They act like they're interested in people's health but I guarantee you that -- if no one paid them -- they'd close up shop. So much for their "mission", huh?

And I'm beginning to think that those fit, trim, beautiful people in the Gym are part of the scam, anyway. Gold's Gym probably pays them to come in there and work out so they can sell more memberships.

Am I saying that exercise doesn't work? No, I'm not saying that. I'm sure it does. I'm just saying that you have to be careful when you join these big fancy gyms with the full-color brochures and all the stories of how people are getting results.

Because the truth is that those people are probably coming in there EVERY day (not just sometimes).....they've probably changed their eating habits (which no one mentioned to me)...and you can bet that they're all buying a lot of extra stuff from the Gym that's not part of their regular membership fee.

So, take it from me: Gold's Gym is a rip-off. I know. I've been there. The idea that you can come in and work out every day and start looking fit and trim SOUNDS good....but that's just to get you in the door.

Remember what they say, "If it sounds too good to be true...it probably is."

Anyway, all this has taught me a lesson. I'm not going to get suckered again. Next time I see someone or something that can supposedly "improve my life", I'll think twice.

Whether it's a diet.....a business idea.....or just an idea....I'll go check it out on Google first.

After all, if it's on the Internet it must be true, right?

Tongue firmly in cheek,

Tony Rush
*******************************************
No scam here..... www.GailsDreamVacations.com - Book fantastic vacations on this site, competitive rates

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Obama Won, Change has Come, Now What?

Obama won, Change has come, Now What? The parties are over. Campaign offices are cleaning up and closing. We are all looking to what will President Elect Obama do to solve our problems. The Dow still dropped another 500 points the day after the election. Governor David Patterson of New York, announced that he will be making severe b udget cuts. Mayor Mike Bloomberg, a financial wizard in his own right has announced that New York city will also suffer deep budget cuts? Our Lame duck President Bush is stil trying to work out another economic stimulus package.

The theme of the election was Yes We Can. Another theme was "We need a change." My question to you reader and to myself is what do I do? President Elect Obama cannot solve the country's economic problems alone. To help him we must help ourselves.

We must be conservative with our spending. Clean up our credit. Teach our children to respect money. And create our own economic stimulus.
There is a book I highly recommend to anyone seriously considering improving their financial situation. "The ABCs of Making Money". I have written about this book before. The authors take you through soup to nuts in how to re-organize your finances. When you pick up this book Check out the "Financial Freedom Snapshot". this book provides sample budgets and spread sheets and so much information you can use.
One thing these authors speak about is using business to become financially independant. It so happens that the authors reviewed my Travel host agency for my travel biz and it passed their stringent test. Now more than ever I am determined to make my home travel business successful. The National Convention this past August was a great encouragement to me. I am taking more training classes. Looking to book more and more travel with friends and family.

To help this economy we must find ways to help ourselves. My Travel Host company has a DVD called "Recession Proof Your Income" Talks about ways we can help insulate our families from the ravages of recession. That is by creating residual income.
So I hope after President-elect Obama has won we will expect him to magically change everything without us helping ourselves. One man did not get us into this economic mess alone. One man cannot clean it up alone.

What made Jesse Jackson Cry?

Last night was such a monumental moment for me and my family. We watched Barack Obama become the first President who is Black of the U.S. As the cameras panned through the crowd the one picture that stood up was of Jesse Jackson who was visibly moved to tears. Yes we know that he had some unfortunate words for Obama while stumping for him during the campaign early on. He apologized for it. Unfortunately sometimes our elders are so stuck in their ways its hard for them to see there is another way to achieve a goal other than their old way.

But I saw a different Jesse Jackson last night. I saw an elder who was proud of his son. Jesse Jackson has seen it all. He walked, ate, slept, worried, campaigned with Martin Luther King. He then saw his mentor die at his feet. His clothes and his hands were covered with the last of Martin Luther King's blood as he saw the final hopes and dreams of Africans Americans ooze out of the lifeless body of Dr. King as he laid dying on the balcony of the Theresa Motel. But oh after the death comes the Resurrection.

After what seemed as an eternity, a glimmer of hope began to shine through in 2004. No actually it was the "Audacity of Hope". A newcomer came on the scene who had some unorthodox ways of doing things that was different from the tried and true methods of the old guard. Who would of thought it would work? But that Hope resurrected last night when the seeming impossible became possible. He then understood the total picture from before Rosa Parks to the Assasination of the King, to the seeming eternal wait for progress to the now birthing of a new generation that is taking this country to a new level.

That is why he is crying. He sees that Fannie Lou Hamer, the 3 Civil Rights Workers, The 4 Little Girls who died in the church Bombing, Viola Liuzzo, Thurgood Marshall and others did not have a dream die. We thought it had for a moment. But it lives in the hearts of Americans all over this country. They want change, they are mandating a change. Americans has demanded a Change.

Jesse's tears are tears of joy! Tears of accomplishment! Tears of relief! Tears of Hope! But never Tears of Regret. In 1984 and 1988 we were singing "Run Jesse Run". Now we can say Rest Jesse Rest. The baton has been handing over and its in good hands...


God Bless President BaracK Obama
God Bless America